Fred Astaire

Trivia of Fred Astaire (10 May 1899 – 22 June 1987)

*According to legend, producer David O. Selznick was out of town when Astaire shot his screen test for RKO. Whoever was filling in for Selznick was unimpressed by Astaire, jotting down a note that read, “Can’t Act. Slightly Bald. Also Dances.” But Selznick was ultimately so blown away by Astaire’s dancing that despite Astaire’s “enormous ears and bad chin line,” he gave him a contract at RKO.

*Beside as a great dancer, he was an accomplished musician, adept on both piano and the drum kit. He enjoyed displaying his skills in his films, examples include an impressive ragtime piano performance in Follow the Fleet (1936), a genre of music that was particularly difficult to master due to the syncopated nature of the playing style, and a tap dance that incorporated a drum kit in the film A Damsel in Distress (1937).

*He and Ginger Rogers appeared in 10 movies together: Flying Down to Rio (1933), The Gay Divorcee (1934), Roberta (1935), Top Hat (1935), Follow the Fleet (1936), Swing Time (1936), Shall We Dance (1937), Carefree (1938), The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939) and The Barkleys of Broadway (1949).He named Swing Time (1936) as his favourite of the films he made with Ginger Rogers.

*Famously wore a necktie around his waist instead of a belt, an affectation he picked up from his friendship with actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr but often mistakenly attributed to Astaire alone.

*He was really 5 foot 7 and wore 2-inch heels (very visible in most of his films) to heighten to 5 foot 9. Even then, most of his dance partners towered over him if they wore high heels.

*While all music and songs were known to be dubbed (recorded before filming), his tap dancing was dubbed also. He "over-dubbed" his taps - recording them live as he danced to the previously recorded taps.

*He was interested in playing Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), but was deemed too old for the role.