Happy Birthday Fred Astaire

Today would have been Fred’s 114^th birthday, but I think he did about 500 years worth of dancing in the time he had.

The Yam

I went digging through Google library today, searching for interesting imagery and ideas from the past. By accident I came across the 193x cover of Life and Fred and Ginger doing something called The Yam. A little research (trust me, very little) brought me to the 1938 Carefree, an Irving Berlin, Fred and Ginger collaboration of the usual sort.
IMDb gives the following plot summary:

Dr. Tony Flagg's friend, Steven, has problems in the relationship with his fiancee, Amanda, so he persuades her to visit Dr. Flagg. After some minor misunderstandings, she falls in love with Dr. Flagg. When he tries to use hypnosis to strengthen her feelings for Steven, things get complicated.

Yeah, complicated by the usual musical comedy fluff. Boy meets girl, boy has problems with girl, and boy and girl work their differences out through a series of improbably song and dance sequences. Something strikes me, though. I’ve seen another Astaire movie, Daddy Longlegs and there’s a common thread – older guy stalking young girl. As a friend once said to me regarding a severely Spring-Autumn relationship, it kinda’ makes you go ewww.

Anyway, here's your dose of dance-related film for the day. Happy Friday!

 

 

Cheek to Cheek

"Dance with me

I want my arm about you
The charm about you
Will carry me through to


Heaven, I'm in Heaven
And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak
And I seem to find the happiness I seek
When we're out together dancing cheek to cheek"

Irving Berlin wrote Cheek to Cheek for the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movie Top Hat (1935). The song was nominated for the Best Song Academy Award for 1936, which it lost to Lullaby of Broadway. Astaire's recording of the song spent five weeks at #1 on Your Hit Parade and was named the song of 1935 and it’s been recorded numerous times by a variety of artists since its debut.

I love the cover of this piece of sheet music for its dance theme but I have to admit it’s not exactly imaginative. Doubtlessly the publisher was relying on Astaire and Rogers’ images to sell the sheet music and the prominent placing of the movie title tied the piece back to the movie. I guess it does look a little like Fred is more concerned about what the audience is thinking than Ginger, but I've seen a lot worse!