GREAT PERFORMANCES: THE FRED ASTAIRE SONGBOOK (TV)
Summary
One in this series presented under the umbrella of "Great Performances." This program, hosted by Audrey Hepburn, pays tribute to Fred Astaire's work as a singer, as well as a dancer and musician. Hepburn opens the show by discussing her work with Astaire in "Funny Face" and the great composers and lyricists that wrote for him, including Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, and George and Ira Gershwin. Next, clips show Astaire performing the Gershwins' "They Can't Take That Away From Me" in both "Shall We Dance" and "The Barkleys of Broadway." Liza Minnelli discusses Astaire's unique voice and talent as a singer. Then, Adele Astaire discusses her work with her brother. Next, clips show Astaire's early film work in "Flying Down to Rio" where he first partnered with Ginger Rogers. Clips show Astaire singing Porter's "Night and Day" to Rogers in "The Gay Divorcee." Melissa Manchester discusses his "bravura" performance in the singing of "Night and Day." Film critic Richard Schickel details why he thinks Astaire was attractive to both men and women before clips show him performing Berlin's "Isn't This a Lovely Day?" from "Top Hat." Hermes Pan, dance director, discusses Astaire's ability to sing while dancing before a clip is shown of him performing Berlin's "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails" from "Top Hat." Next, Schickel talks about Astaire singing to a composer's specifcations, exemplified by a clip of Astaire performing Dorothy Fields and Jerome Kern's "(This is) A Fine Romance" from "Swing Time" and "Lovely to Look At" from "Roberta." Next, Minnelli discusses how many songs were specifically written for Astaire as a clip shows Astaire discussing that point on "The Dick Cavett Show." Then, Hepburn discusses Astaire's work and friendship with the Gershwins as rare footage is shown from the set of "Shall We Dance." Then, author Will Friedwald explains Astaire's creative contributions as clips are shown of Astaire performing the Gershwins' "Slap That Bass" and "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" from "Shall We Dance," and "The Babbitt and the Bromide" (opposite Gene Kelly) from "Ziegfeld Follies." Then, Hepburn discusses how the Gershwins' wrote "A Foggy Day" before a clip shows Astaire performing it in "A Damsel in Distress." Next, a clip shows Astaire performing the Gershwins' "He Loves and She Loves" to Hepburn in "Funny Face." Then, Hepburn discusses Astaire's work with Berlin before clips show Astaire performing "Steppin' Out With My Baby" from "Easter Parade," "I'm Putting All My Eggs in One Basket" from "Follow the Fleet," and "Cheek to Cheek" from "Top Hat." Manchester talks about Berlin's "Let's Face the Music and Dance" before a clip shows Astaire performing it in "Follow the Fleet." Next, Manchester discusses Astaire's relationship with Judy Garland before a clip is shown of them performing "A Couple of Swells" from "Easter Parade." Then, Hepburn talks about how Astaire often played a musician in his movie roles, mirroring the fact that he was actually an accomplished player of the piano, accordian and drums, before clips show Astaire playing the piano and performing Porter's "I've Got My Eyes On You" from "Broadway Melody of 1940" and playing the drums and performing Berlin's "Drum Crazy" from "Easter Parade." Then, Hepburn details Astaire's work as a recording artist before a clip shows him performing a song he penned with Johnny Mercer, "I'm Building Up to an Awful Letdown," on "The Dick Cavett Show." Also, clips show Astaire performing Mercer's "I Wanna Be a Dancin' Man" in an alternate, never-before-seen version, then the version which appeared in "The Belle of New York." Next, band leader Peter Duchin details the different ways Astaire experimented with performing Mercer's "One For My Baby" from "The Sky's the Limit." Next, Minnelli talks about Astaire's "conversational" style as he performs Howard Dietz's "A Shine on Your Shoes," "By Myself," "I'll Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan" and "I Love Louisa," all in "The Band Wagon." Then, a clip shows Astaire's first television appearance in 1958 on "The Oscar Levant Show," introduced by Oscar's wife June. Astaire is seen performing the Gershwins' "The Half of It, Dearie, Blues" and "Oh, Lady Be Good," both from "Lady Be Good." A clip follows of Astaire singing "How Could You Believe Me When I Said I Love You When You Knew I've Been a Liar All My Life" from "Royal Wedding." Next, composer Burton Lane recalls how much Astaire rehearsed and tells about his qualities as a perfectionist. Then, a clip shows Astaire performing Alan Jay Lerner and Lane's "You're All the World To Me" from "Royal Wedding," which Lane calls "one of the most astounding production numbers ever done on the screen," referencing Astaire's "dancing-on-the-ceiling" choreography. The program ends with Hepburn calling Astaire "a genius," as well as "sophisticated, elegant, professional and utterly irresistible." A final clip shows Astaire singing the Gershwins' "S'Wonderful" to Hepburn in "Funny Face."
Cataloging of this program was made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS WGBH Boston, MA
- DATE: March 9, 1991 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:05:57
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:78404
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Films - Musicals; Documentary
- SERIES RUN: PBS - TV series, 1976-
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Jac Venza … Executive Producer
- Roger L. Mayer … Executive Producer
- Joan Kramer … Producer
- David Heeley … Producer
- John L. Miller … Associate Producer, Writer
- David Heeley … Director
- Audrey Hepburn … Host
- Adele Astaire
- Fred Astaire
- Irving Berlin
- Dick Cavett
- Howard Dietz
- Peter Duchin
- Dorothy Fields
- Will Friedwald
- Judy Garland
- George Gershwin
- Ira Gershwin
- Gene Kelly
- Jerome Kern
- Burton Lane
- Alan Jay Lerner
- June Levant
- Oscar Levant
- Melissa Manchester
- Johnny Mercer
- Liza Minnelli
- Hermes Pan
- Cole Porter
- Ginger Rogers
- Richard Schickel