And when it comes to the world of dance, the lines have been clearly drawn - was Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly the best dancer of their era? Things were beginning to move toward a more integrated form, but for the most part, the average musical consisted of a loosely connected string of comic sequences tied together with catchy songs and pretty girls in scanty dress. The days of the MGM musicals are gone, and unlikely to be revived. The job was a dead-end, soul-destroying kind of affair - so pretty typical for a 20-year-old with a BA in English Literature. Whenever I wanted to needle my grandma, I would just casually say to her “You know Fred Astaire was clearly a better dancer than Gene Kelly.” Even as she sank deeper into dementia, she would flare up like a rhino at the mere suggestion that Astaire was better. Gene never gave us such a collection of gems. In short, it was a venue for new hit songs to make a first appearance, and the action seemed to have been written around the songs. He does have some shining moments, “Love is Here to Stay” from An American in Paris (1951) chief among them (below). He is like William Powell as Carole Lombard’s “forgotten man” in My Man Godfrey (1936) that way. We can see it all: blood, sweat, tears, and, quite literally, scars. Gene Kelly’s style of dancing was highly athletic and physical. Fred’s body was longer and leaner than Gene’s, and this higher center of gravity contributes to an overall lightness of form and movement. This muscularity and earthiness gives his dancing a greater vitality and dynamism — a volatile physicality and a pop that one can almost imagine hearing in addition to seeing. Unlike Astaire, Kelly seemed to lack the ability to translate to singing the musicality he so aptly expressed with his body. A case in point is a silly affectation that often adorns his voice — a tendency to purposely break it or put an overly cute and precious twist on it. It might seem hard for modern audiences to fathom, but the movie musical used to be quite a thing in Hollywood. There is a supernal effortlessness about Fred Astaire’s dancing. The Hay’s Code was on its way out, as was the old Hollywood studio system, and the movie musical was seen as a relic of a bygone era. Fred Astaire is regarded by many as the greatest popular music dancer of all time. He worked like a pack mule to make it appear that way. As much as I love Fred, I usually prefer watching Gene’s musicals. A lot of the music was from Ira Gershwin, and Oscar Levant plays a prominent supporting role. He was a classically trained pianist and a hypochondriac and during the film he randomly busts out virtuoso numbers on the piano like Sabre Dance and Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No 1. Performance memorável dos maiores ídolos da dança de Hollywood. Which one you think is better just depends on your preference. He always gives the impression of gliding across the dance floor, with his patented leg slide that influenced a generation of dancers to come including Michael Jackson (more on that later). Further, because Kelly is so strong, he has tremendous control over his movements so that even while he seems to be exploding in all directions at once, perfection and precision win out. ISBN 0-313-29010-5 p. 351. And for those reasons, and more, we can definitively say that in the question of Fred Astaire vs Gene Kelly, old Twinkle Toes surely comes out on top. INA. But we can’t much fault him for this “flaw” as his own humility with regard to singing compels us to forgive him. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. This was back when Netflix delivered DVDs via mail, and they had a HUGE library, so when I got to the part in film history about RKO and the MGM musicals, I was able to rent them off Netflix and have them delivered to the house. I look up to these holistic performers. Naturally, this is obvious when one considers that he often danced in top hat and tails, but his sense of class supersedes his wardrobe and any related label or socioeconomic standing. Chicago won Best Picture in 2002, and Moulin Rouge created quite a stir. Thin and reedy like his frame, it does not project power or depth. The film is wild and weird and features some stunning Technicolor dance numbers from Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers who had not lost a step since their RKO days. 3.9 out of 5 stars 42. Image courtesy of MGM and Warner Bros. His dancing is characterized first and foremost by class and elegance. Trouvez les Fred Astaire images et les photos d’actualités parfaites sur Getty Images. While Pal Joey was a much darker musical in many respects than Gene would ever be a part of again, the idea of a more integrated production was one that would stick with him throughout his career. So Fred Astaire was the more interesting dancer, and the influence of his films is still reflected even in contemporary pop culture to a greater degree (in my opinion) than Gene Kelly’s. When the blindfolded panel tried to ascertain his identity by asking if he was a singer, his answer was no. No matter how fast Astaire moves, he never seems to be working very hard. (Here’s a bit of advice for you kids out there thinking about doing a BA in English at UCLA: employers don’t give a shit about Chaucer!). And no wonder: it was recycled from an old Gershwin show Fred had been in with his sister Adele, Funny Face (1927). In spite of his affability and his warm smile, this effortlessness gives him a remote, untouchable quality. Oughta be one in (glances at watch) just a few minutes.”, In fact, fellow dancer and costar Ann Miller once recalled sitting next to Fred at an event in which scenes from his films were shown. Image courtesy of MGM and Warner Bros. Starting Out: The Broadway Stage. It is perhaps impossible that two tremendous talents could ever fully satisfy us with only one number, and many fans find this particular number lacking. Rétrospective du festival préparée par Jean CROZIER et consacrée ce soir à Gene KELLY. The average viewer may not know how to quantify the differences between Astaire and Kelly, but surely almost anyone can see that the song-and-dance men are indeed very different. Focus sur Fred Astaire / Gene Kelly. Fred Astaire was 13 years older than Gene Kelly and on Broadway by the time he was 18 (Gene didn’t go to Broadway until he was almost 30). ... de Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen 1955 États-Unis 1h41. D’autres danseurs comme Gene Kelly, auquel on l’oppose; dans un sketch de Ziegfeld Folies sont prêts à prendre sa place. Singin’ in the Rain might be more famous on a purely pound-for-pound basis, but that doesn’t make it the better film, nor does it make Kelly the better dancer. It’s just that within the realm of musical comedy, Astaire tended to play the same sort of charming and affable character over and over again. It wouldn’t have mattered if Astaire was in tatty burlap or rags — as he was in the fabulous “We’re a Couple of Swells” from Easter Parade — because he radiates inner elegance and graciousness. Enregistrée par Novin Kz. In fact, he met George Gershwin before the name Gershwin meant much of anything, and the maelstrom of creative activity that ensued was a boon to the careers of both men. On voyage à travers toutes les facettes de la comédie musicale, du ballet aquatique (esther williams) au numéros danses de vaudevilles (gene kelly et fred astaire), en passant par du grand spectacle dramatique et semblable à un rêve et des scènes de comédies en tout genre, le tout , avec un casting de rêve et des prises de vues incroyables! And if Finian’s Rainbow is any indication, that might be for the best. Tous en scène ! Because he didn’t always trust himself as a natural actor, there is a tendency to screw his face up a little bit harder, or put another inch or two of inflection in his voice. Signaler. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. So it’s not just that Fred Astaire is a great dancer, perhaps the greatest of all time. Choisissez parmi des contenus premium Fred Astaire de la plus haute qualité. Which one you think is better just depends on your preference. Some of the great songwriters such as Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, and Cole Porter were still working, But many of their legendary tunes had already been written and were performed by others, including Fred Astaire. Star Wars or Star Trek? His boundless boyish energy and enthusiasm are two reasons. Coppola wanted to inject some film school realism and gravitas into the film, which is about - and I cannot stress this enough - an Irish rogue who finds a pot of gold and tries to bury it while being pursued by a singing and dancing leprechaun. (Fred eventually got the role anyway after Gene broke his ankle playing volleyball.). Similarly, director Vincente Minnelli stated that Fred “lacks confidence to the most enormous degree of all the people in the world. Second Chorus. And because of the more integrated form of musicals of which he was a part and the resulting increase in their relative complexity, the roles he played were more demanding. She was slipping into early Alzheimer’s by then, but with dementia the first thing to go are the more recent memories. His dancing seems to say, “Hey! Still, despite these flaws, to fans of both men, the number stands on its own merit as an unadulterated treasure. He had a greater desire than Fred to incorporate different styles of dancing into the mainstream musical, particularly ballet. Fred demurred charmingly and almost bashfully. For example, when Fred Astaire is onscreen, there is a humble “shrugging” quality about his acting that seems to be apologizing for itself. de Vincente Minnelli 1953 États-Unis 1h52. And in all but a few of his musical films, this charming and affable character was a role familiar to Fred: that of a professional dancer. Découvrez sa biographie, le détail de ses 52 ans de carrière et toute son actualité The Band Wagon. Friedrich E. Austerlitz, le père de Fred Astaire, brasseur originaire de Linz, émigre d'Autriche vers les États-Unis en 1892, où il épouse Johanne Geilus, institutrice née en dans le Nebraska mais d'ascendance prussienne . Contemporary musicals are all about the flash and the sizzle, falling victim to the modern obsession with lots of edits and quick cuts and kinetic, frenzied camera movements. Kelly allows us to see he’s working hard — constantly pushing and pulling against the limits of gravity and the human body. The whole … Ajouter à une playlist; Voir la fiche film. Gene KELLY explique pourquoi, Fred ASTAIRE et lui ont fait appel à des doublures féminines dans le film "Hollywood, Hollywood". And in the meantime, I would focus my energy on learning as much as I could - about films, literature, history. It was also the only color film they appeared in together. The mechanism is never on display. The characters he tended to play were brash and outspoken. Another way Gene Kelly imparts joy is in how he inspires a person to think that if s/he just tries hard enough, s/he might be able to do what he does. Finian’s Rainbow, one of Francis Ford Coppola’s first films, was released in 1968 and is often considered the definitive moment when the big budget studio musical died. By necessity, I will be speaking in broad terms and making some generalizations. Oxford comma or regular person? It was produced by Freed at MGM in 1949, and it was a big deal because it reunited Fred and Ginger after a decade apart. But when Gene leaps and soars he never quite takes off because his thick and powerful legs anchor him to the terrestrial plain. In these pictures, over-acting becomes almost necessary. The true genius of a Fred Astaire film was that he was such a brilliant dancer, the camera could just roll on him as he performed a routine in a single, unbroken take. When Gene made it to Broadway, George Gershwin was gone. While Ms. Kilgallen may have been a bit effusive in her praise, it is true that Fred was and is highly regarded not so much as a singer but as an interpreter of popular song, by fans and songwriters alike. Just a supremely talented dancer floating across the dance floor while the camera captured it all. Fred Fred Astaire fait ses adieux au cinéma en 1946, après avoir joué dans Ziegfeld Follies (Ziegfeld Folies), une comédie musicale à grand spectacle, tournée en technicolor et avec une pléiade de vedettes. Vidéos à découvrir. That is how I first got turned onto cinema - I was desperate to distract myself from how much I hated my job, so I sought solace in the pursuit of knowledge. De Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, George Gershwin et Ira Gershwin. There is no better showcase for Fred’s vocal talent. Des milliers de lettres de protestation lui parviennent. It gave me great joy to revisit that era in American cinema history, sitting on the couch with my grandmother who had borne witness to that very history as it was being made. Wine or beer? Là où Gene Kelly se distingue par sa danse athlétique, Astaire est davantage aérien, tout en décontraction. When he moved it was like lightning - beautiful, fleeting and charged. Toutefois, il s'exprimait différemment de son aîné : doté d'une silhouette plus massive, il a imposé un style, fondé sur la puissance et l'énergie, relevant de la performance acrobatique et de l'effort athlétique. In this world of ours, there are simply some debates that are timeless. Follow THE OUTTAKE: Medium | Twitter | Facebook. As implied above, their acting and singing skills alone would not have carried them to the legendary status their names now enjoy. Over the years, Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly have been compared and contrasted endlessly. Image courtesy of Warner Bros. and Sony Music Films. Reportedly, Gene had wanted to do something new but acquiesced to Fred, the older and more established man. It should. 1970. pp. I don’t mean to suggest that I agree. Unfortunately, his albums suffer from poor production values and a general lack of quality material. Life is wonderful and you’ve been given another day to live it. Astaire is elegance; Kelly is brute force. If the breakneck speed of the action is paused at virtually any moment, Gene could almost pass for a statue, whereas Donald’s limbs are blurred; he seems to be flailing in comparison — out of control. MVC Handler Interceptors: Learn how to intercept HTTP requests on Java Spring, Pixar’s SOUL is the Perfect Movie for a World Weary of Living. Furthermore, his tremendous charm when putting over a song within the context of the film musical in many cases surpasses even Fred’s. The ability to project a song well is something we tend to feel more than we can quantify, but sometimes it does seem as though Gene is guilty of trying too hard even when he is singing. He’s a piece of history, and one that I could happily re-visit with my grandmother while she was still with us. To this end, I do not possess a great deal of technical knowledge about dancing, but I have spent untold hours watching Astaire and Kelly. But one senses he was often forced to stretch his voice beyond its powers. Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire in the Zigfield Follies. Astaire is elegance; Kelly is brute force. Retrouvez ce media sur Ina.fr. To borrow a bit from e.e. This becomes evident even with a strong dancer like Donald O’Connor in the number “Moses Supposes” from Singin’ in the Rain. No cross-cutting or stylish camera angles. Astaire’s motions can be big and expansive, but no one is fooled. 25-29 as referenced in Billman, Larry: Fred Astaire - A Bio-bibliography, Greenwood Press, Connecticut, 1997. The most famous producer of hit musicals of the time was Arthur Freed who ran MGM’s Freed Unit and produced a string of classics over a two decade arc, including Gene Kelly’s iconic turns in Singin’ in the Rain and An American in Paris. During this early post-war period of the 1940s and 50s musicals were insanely popular, and MGM became well-known for its lavish productions featuring huge stars like Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner. Gene’s first Broadway show, Pal Joey (1940), featured songs by Rodgers & Hart — songs that flowed immediately from the surrounding action because they had been written specifically for such a purpose. The Barkleys of Broadway was Fred and Ginger’s only non-RKO film, and it was the last film they starred in together. Picard or Kirk? This is why Kelly was at his lovable best when he played hammy actors such as Don Lockwood in Singin’ in the Rain (1952) or Serafin in The Pirate (1948) or cocky sailors like Joe Brady in Anchors Aweigh, 1945, and Gabey in On the Town, 1949. But when The Barkleys of Broadway arrived in the mail, it was revelatory. $9.99 to buy. Glee was very popular for a time on Fox. For this reason, Fred is responsible for introducing dozens of songs that would go on to become popular standards (i.e., songs that belong to what is often referred to as “The Great American Songbook”). Il réalise ensuite plusieurs films, dont la comédie musicale Hello Dolly ave… Greats such as Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, Johnny Mercer, and Burton Lane heaped praise upon his singing. For a while it seemed like the musical was primed for a comeback. Video below. As we’ve established, Fred came along first. ... Bertrand Bonello . Gene Kelly quoted in Shipman, David. He has the gift of being able to impart joy to everyone lucky enough to set eyes on him. I shouldn’t be surprised if they got a bit tired of seeing each other at some level! The dancers were featured together in retrospectives in film, television, and even in a commercial. Songwriters loved him because of his obvious respect for the lyric and where it should be placed in relation to the musical accompaniment. I would much rather have “The Babbitt and the Bromide” than nothing at all. I think the answer is clear - Fred Astaire. Fred Astaire, with his slim figure often decked out in a tuxedo, was lighter on his feet and more velvety in his movements. But even this role was rather demanding when compared with most of Fred’s as it called for a dark edge: Kelly’s Harry was an opportunist and a draft dodger. Voir plus d'idées sur le thème Actrice, Fred astaire, Comédie musicale. But he was, and grandma was wrong. It is the only time Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly is dancing with a partner and I can’t decide which one is most worthy of my attentive eyes. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers pretty much owned the 1930s, pumping out 9 hits from 1933 to 1939 at RKO including classics like Top Hat and Swing Time. If Fred is “guilty” of not trying hard enough — something that managed to work in his favor since “less” is usually more when it comes to acting — Gene is equally as guilty of trying too hard. Does it seem familiar? 0:53. What could be more inspirational and American than the notion that if one works hard enough, one can accomplish anything? I like performers back in the 60s and 70s like Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Sammy Davis Jr and more. It’s always tempered with sweetness and airiness. MGM lost a huge amount of money on Finian’s Rainbow. quaint. I had first seen Singin’ in the Rain during a film class at UCLA and I remember thinking it was…. We’ve lost that kind of elemental approach to filmmaking in general, and doubly so in newer musicals. Of course there will always be exceptions to generalities. Formation Accords, Tab et Paroles Si Fred Astaire excelle aux claquettes, Gene Kelly est excellent “pieds nus”, et par ailleurs – me semble-t-il – chorégraphe plus abouti. All of this background information is important because it affected how the Astaire and Kelly approached acting. Fred’s lack of confidence stemmed, no doubt, from the quality of his instrument. Crown Publishers, New York. When he does a number with someone else, that other person is almost unwatchable in comparison because he or she can’t match Gene’s form and the immaculate lines of his body. 70. Gene’s dancing gives us that illusion and keeps that dream alive. Ses admirateurs ne seront pas longtemps déçus puisque, alors qu’il tourne Parade de Printemps avec Judy Garland, en octobre 1947, Gene Kelly se blesse à la cheville et appelle Fred Astaire pour le remplacer. Il est probablement, avec Fred Astaire, la personnalité masculine la plus marquante de la comédie musicale hollywoodienne des années 1950. And yet such a practice on the part of the public is understandable: when it came to male cinematic dancing in the 1940s and 1950s, the two of them were virtually all we had. The studio was indisputably the king of musicals during that era. Here, we see neither was better than the other, just different. The story is that both men went out of their way to be accommodating as the number was being developed and rehearsed, which resulted in a finished product that is pleasant to look at but doesn’t really capture the style of either man. This carries over into his filmed performances: even when we are watching him, we aren’t seeing him. Tellement aérien qu'on se demande si ces pieds touchent toujours le sol. In 1955, Fred appeared as the mystery celebrity guest on What’s My Line? And I think I can speak articulately on not only their dancing, but also their singing and acting. Gene’s dancing is in a different dimension, poles apart from Fred’s. 23 mars 2017 - Cette épingle a été découverte par Novin Kz.

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