Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire: " love you while we are dancing"

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Airy, light, sensual Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire excited the imagination of the audience. In the 30s of the last century, their couple became a legend in Hollywood cinema. When they appeared in the frame, there was no doubt: they are not just partners on the set. After all, it is impossible to portray love with such ardor and passion. Brilliant dancers, they could only convey the whole gamut of feelings and emotions with their movements. At the same time, Fred had been married for a long time and firmly, and Ginger enthusiastically collected broken men's hearts.

Fred and Adele Astaire

Since childhood, Fred has been keen on dancing. His first mentor in choreography was his elder sister Adele. At first, the boy refused to dance, but his parents pinned great hopes on their children. And already at the age of seven, Fred went on a tour of America with Adele to conquer the peaks of popularity and earn the first serious money for the family.

Having matured, having gained knowledge at the theater school and the Academy of Culture and Arts, brother and sister Asta began their ascent to fame and popularity. They performed in musicals on Broadway, toured London with great success, enjoying the special attention of the royal family there. However, in 1932 Adele got married, left the stage, and Fred was left without a partner. For a long time, the young man has been trying to find himself. He goes to auditions, tries to find a new partner. And he is very keen to change the image of a theater actor to a movie actor. And although Fred's first works in Hollywood were not very successful, he had a fine sense of the camera and very soon was able to become a real star.

Phyllis Potter

Fred is very active, has many friends and acquaintances, and enjoys attending various events. And by chance, at a golf lunch in London, he meets a cute 25-year-old girl - Phyllis Potter. Fred is fascinated, but what can he say, he is head over heels in love. But his beloved is already married and even has a son.

However, this did not stop Fred. He at all costs decided to conquer the lady who struck him in the very heart. Could a beauty resist the charming lover Astaire? Moreover, for her sake, he even turned down an offer to participate in a new Broadway musical. In 1933, the very day after Phyllis's divorce, the lovers become husband and wife. This marriage can be safely called very successful. The actor adopted the son of his beloved, and soon their common daughter was born.

Ginger Rogers

Little Virginia's life began with adventures. She was still very little when her mother, deciding to break up with her father, went to her parents. Naturally, she took the baby with her. But a loving parent stole the girl. After returning the baby to the family, the father again tried to steal her. The court intervened, taking the side of mom and grandparents.

The girl's mother tried to write scripts, but the theater critic won in her. Virginia began to frequent the theater, and the enchanting world captivated her. From time to time, she even played small roles and dreamed of real fame. By chance, replacing the actress of the main cast, the girl got into the troupe of Eddie Foy. She finished a tour with the troupe, and worked at the theater in Medford for another year and a half.

Young Ginger jumped out to get married early, but quickly became disappointed in her choice and immediately filed for a divorce. She toured for a while, until the lights of fame lured her to the big city, to the big stage.

Settling in New York, she began her ascent as a radio singer, and in 1929 made her Broadway debut. She walked through life easily, men pampered her with their attention, but for her the most precious thing was the opportunity to play. After several filming in a movie, fame came to the girl. In 1932, Ginger was included in the list of the most promising Hollywood actresses.

Love is like dance and dance like love

In 1933, on the set of the movie "Flight to Rio", they met - Ginger and Fred, a young, wayward actress and genius dancer. She admired his talent. He was impressed by her ability to feel the rhythm and convey emotion through the dance. It seemed that these two were really made for each other. If not for life, then for dance, for sure.

"Flight to Rio" was their strength test of the day. They adjusted to each other, learned to catch the slightest movements of the soul and body of each other. Quarrels broke out between them every now and then. They could hoarsely prove to each other the correctness of this or that movement. Fred was dissatisfied with the fact that she is too sensual in dance, which makes it vulgar. Ginger argued that the dance of two hearts should be only emotional.

This was followed by shooting in eight more films, where the couple had already starred in films. When they appeared in the frame, the audience froze, fascinated by their performance. They loved selflessly and passionately, giving themselves up to their roles without a trace.

And in life, their couple was surrounded by rumors and gossip. There was talk about their mutual hatred, which gave way to the theme of love. Many considered them spouses, forgetting that Fred has a wife and two children. Ginger and Fred preferred not to comment on their relationship in any way. Therefore, the intrigue is still preserved, and no one knows if there was something between them.

Only one thing is known for sure: two people, no matter how talented they were, could not just play. Perhaps their characters were so believable that they played with the soul, not the mind. The triumphant flight of two hearts lasted for five years. They inspired and complemented each other. Their couple went down in the history of world cinema.

Interrupted flight

But in 1939, Ginger announced that she was tired and did not want to act anymore. Why did a successful young actress make this decision? Maybe she was tired of being Fred's partner only in the movies, and he, who had not been free for a long time, could not offer her anything more.

Ten years later, this star couple will star in the comedy "The Barkley Family from Broadway." This will be their last song together. Fred, remaining a widower, marries again, and Ginger, having been married five times, will never find family happiness.

Do happy marriages occur in a creative environment? There are, and very durable. A happy family confirms this. Maya Plisetskaya and Rodion Shchedrin - ballerina and composer.