Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American actor, dancer, singer, choreographer, and television presenter who appeared in Holiday Inn, The Man in the Santa Claus Suit where he played nine different roles, and voiced S.D. Kluger in the Rankin/Bass special Santa Claus is Comin' to Town.
Beginning his career as a child, Astaire is widely considered the greatest dancer in film history, having innovative dance routines in many of his movies such as Dancing Lady, Broadway Melody of 1940, Funny Face, Easter Parade, The Band Wagon, Ziegfeld Follies, Royal Wedding, Three Little Words, and Silk Stockings. His more notable film credits are with frequent co-star Ginger Rogers in films like Flying Down to Rio, Top Hat, Roberta, Swing Time, Shall We Dance, The Gay Divorcee, Carefree, Follow the Fleet, The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle, and The Barkleys of Broadway.
His stage, film, and television careers spanned a total of 76 years. He retired from the industry in 1981 and passed away six years later.
Christmas specials filmography[]
Actor[]
| Production | Year | Character(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Holiday Inn | 1942 | Ted Hanover |
| Santa Claus is Comin' to Town | 1970 | S.D. Kluger |
| Merry Christmas, Fred, from the Crosbys | 1975 | Himself |
| The Man in the Santa Claus Suit | 1979 | Costume Shop Proprietor Chauffeur Policeman Hot Dog Vendor Cab Driver Jeweler Floor Walker Choral Director Santa Claus |
Soundtracks[]
| Production | Year | Song(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Holiday Inn | 1942 | "I'll Capture Your Heart Singing" "You're Easy to Dance With" "Be Careful, It's My Heart" "I Can't Tell a Lie" "Let's Say It with Firecrackers" "Ending Medley" |
| Santa Claus is Comin' to Town | 1970 | "What Better Way to Tell You" "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" |
| The Man in the Santa Claus Suit | 1979 | "Once a Year Night" |
| Godmothered | 2020 | "Cheek to Cheek" (from Top Hat) |
External links[]
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