# Anyone like Fred Astaire? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 3, 2009, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-like-fred-astaire/498632 "2009-06-03T21:40:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ficer67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Ficer67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ficer67)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-like-fred-astaire/498632/1 "2009-06-03T21:40:33Z")
Who remembers this? [Puttin’ on the Ritz](http://www.metacafe.com/watch/yt-IFabjc6mFk4/fred_astaire_puttin_on_the_ritz_dvd_quality/) It is obvious why this routine works, Fred Astaire was the best dancer in the world at that time. My question is, how did they get the cane to jump? Thanks Ficer67 ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-like-fred-astaire/498632/2 "2009-06-03T21:54:26Z")
[Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Skies_(film)) says they used a concealed mechanism in the floor. And you left out “except for Gene Kelly.” ---
**Author:** ![Ficer67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Ficer67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ficer67)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-like-fred-astaire/498632/3 "2009-06-03T21:56:50Z")
“Concealed mechanism in the floor?” - Kinda vague, what kind of mechanism? How did that work? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-like-fred-astaire/498632/4 "2009-06-03T22:03:32Z")
Fine dancer, couldn’t sing. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-like-fred-astaire/498632/5 "2009-06-03T22:29:08Z")
The quote, possibly apocryphal, is “Can’t sing. Can’t act. Slightly bald. Can dance a little.” ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-like-fred-astaire/498632/6 "2009-06-03T22:31:03Z")
Moving to Cafe Society from GQ. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-like-fred-astaire/498632/7 "2009-06-03T22:34:49Z")
> [@Nametag](#): > > [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Skies_(film)) says they used a concealed mechanism in the floor. > > And you left out “except for Gene Kelly.” As good a dancer as Kelly was, Astaire was better. Kelly was a better singer, actor and director than Astaire. ---
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-like-fred-astaire/498632/8 "2009-06-03T22:38:55Z")
> [@Nametag](#): > > [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Skies_(film)) says they used a concealed mechanism in the floor. > > And you left out “except for Gene Kelly.” And Ann Miller and Cy Charise and Eleanor Powell… Let’s not forget the ladies ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-like-fred-astaire/498632/9 "2009-06-03T22:40:05Z")
> [@Ficer67](#): > > “Concealed mechanism in the floor?” - Kinda vague, what kind of mechanism? How did that work? I could imagine an electromagnet. Either that or he’s doing the song and dance backward and actually _dropping_ the cane. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-like-fred-astaire/498632/10 "2009-06-03T22:46:35Z")
Comparing Astaire to Kelly is comparing apples to bowling balls. Both were great, but they had completely different styles. Fred was cool, debonair, and worked very hard to make it look like he was never working. Gene was bravura, with big gestures and made it look like he was working hard.\* Which is better is matter of which style you prefer. Both were fine singers and actors. Astaire made songs into hits – “Fascinating Rhythm,” “Isn’t this a Lovely Day (to be Caught in the Rain)”, “Let’s Face the Music and Dance,” “Pick Yourself Up,” “They Can’t Take That Away from Me,” “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off,” “Shall We Dance?”, “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” and “A Foggy Day,” for instance. Top composers of his day fought to have him sing their songs. Kelly was good, too, of course, but not the hitmaker Astaire was. Of course, Kelly was the better director, since Astaire never directed (though Kelly’s best films were co-directed by Stanley Donen). OTOH, Astaire had a much longer career. Ultimately, there’s no way to differentiate the two except by deciding which style you prefer. - It’s the metaphor for the two different types of artists – those who vanish into their work (Astaire) and those who call attention to themselves (Kelly). ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-like-fred-astaire/498632/11 "2009-06-03T22:46:41Z")
> [@Ronald\_C.Semone](#): > > Cy Charise Was he Cyd’s brother? ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-like-fred-astaire/498632/12 "2009-06-03T22:46:44Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Fine dancer, couldn’t sing. On the contrary, Astaire’s vocal range may have been limited, but his stylings were impeccable and vastly underrated. Of all the Jazz Age singers that Irving Berlin wrote for, Astaire was his favorite to interpret his songbook. He never got too maudlin in the ballads, but he could also handle fast-paced lyrics with verve. His voice was only good for movies, rather than concert halls, but he wasn’t a bad singer at all. > [@](#): > > As good a dancer as Kelly was, Astaire was better. Kelly was a better singer, actor and director than Astaire. I’ll agree on actor and add choreographer, but Astaire never directed a film so that comparison is moot. Still, I think Kelly’s singing was too bland and honey-soaked; sometimes, the result was perfect in its alchemy, but listening to his songs sans dancing (like on a CD) brings out his vanilla vocals. There’s just no snap–it’s too self-conscious (Kelly was famously insecure about his voice) while Fred is always effortless and buoyant. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-like-fred-astaire/498632/13 "2009-06-03T22:50:21Z")
I refuse to take sides in any Fred Astaire/Gene Kelly debate. They had very different styles, and both qualify as the “best.” And don’t forget . . . Ginger Rogers had to do everything Fred Astaire did . . . but backwards and in heels. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-like-fred-astaire/498632/14 "2009-06-03T22:54:51Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > (though Kelly’s best films were co-directed by Stanley Donen). There’s a strong case to be made that Donen did most of the heavy-lifting. All you need to do is compare the films Donen directed w/o Kelly (_Royal Wedding, 7 Brides for 7 Brothers, The Pajama Game, Charade_, etc.) and the films Kelly directed w/o Donen ( :crickets chirping: ) to see who had the stronger handle on the medium. \*though in all other dance-related disciplines, Kelly was unquestionably a genius, natch ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-like-fred-astaire/498632/15 "2009-06-03T23:00:24Z")
[Depends on what you prefer, I guess](http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1540298/fred_astaire_gene_kelly_the_babbitt_and_the_bromide/). Incidentally, stories differ on how the cane trick worked. I have heard that the DVD explains that compressed air was shot through holes in the floor (explaining why Fred danced away from his cane after dropping it - to reposition the cane over the holes)). It seems to me that this would work, but I have no way of knowing if it’s true. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-like-fred-astaire/498632/16 "2009-06-03T23:04:48Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > There’s a strong case to be made that Donen did most of the heavy-lifting. All you need to do is compare the films Donen directed w/o Kelly (_Royal Wedding, 7 Brides for 7 Brothers, The Pajama Game, Charade_, etc.) and the films Kelly directed w/o Donen ( :crickets chirping: ) to see who had the stronger handle on the medium. > > \*though in all other dance-related disciplines, Kelly was unquestionably a genius, natch Hello Dolly? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-like-fred-astaire/498632/17 "2009-06-03T23:05:23Z")
Like? Worship is more like it. ---
**Author:** ![Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ec9cab/32.png) [@Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-like-fred-astaire/498632/18 "2009-06-03T23:22:53Z")
I was brought up with the man as a kid in the 60’s, Sunday afternoon TV was most always a film from the 30’s to 50’s, family style. I was always plonked infront of it after lunch, when my parents went for their Sunday afternoon “rest” in their bedroom. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-like-fred-astaire/498632/19 "2009-06-03T23:25:49Z")
> [@Nametag](#): > > Hello Dolly? Sorry, I guess I should’ve made it clear that only good movies are eligible for comparison (though I’ll admit, that’s probably the best arrow you’ve got\* in that quiver) \*OK, _The Cheyenne Social Club_ is probably the best, but that’s still damning with faint praise ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-like-fred-astaire/498632/20 "2009-06-04T00:26:07Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > Sorry, I guess I should’ve made it clear that only good movies are eligible for comparison (though I’ll admit, that’s probably the best arrow you’ve got\* in that quiver) > > \*OK, _The Cheyenne Social Club_ is probably the best, but that’s still damning with faint praise [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=356498&highlight=obscure](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=356498&highlight=obscure) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-like-fred-astaire/498632.md?page=2)