Fred and Adele, Fred and Ed (by Steven Rea)

Just started reading The Astaires: Fred & Adele, Kathleen Riley’s biographical portrait of the sibling song-and-dance duo whose stage performances -- in the years between the wars, before Fred took his top hat and spats and tap-danced his way to Hollywood – were the stuff of legend, of dazzling delight.

And then I happened on Ed Ochester’s poem, “Fred Astaire,” which begins with the line “The secret of his popularity was that he looked like a bus driver…” and goes on to compare Astaire to William Carlos Williams, “who also talks plain without ornament just like Astaire when he's singing.”

Here's a YouTube homage to the dancing sibs -- singing "Hang On to Me" -- with a montage of stills. As Riley points out in her book, there's only one short and not terribly well-shot film of the sister and brother hoofing together.

 

Comments

[Laura Orem]

This is terrific. Thanks.