Talk:Fred Astaire

Hirschhorn quoting Pauline Kael

I have replaced Hirschhorn's quotation of Pauline Kael on the comparison between Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire with a primary source, as Hirschhorn appears to conflate and rewrite some of Kael's commentaries, while presenting them as a direct quote. However, he remains faithful to the thrust of Kael's argumentDermot 11:58, 3 September 2006 (UTC)

Attributed quote

The quote: "The higher up you go, the more mistakes you are allowed. Right at the top, if you make enough of them, it's considered to be your style" is sometimes attributed to Astaire. In fact, it's just a scripted line (written by Blake Edwards and Larry Gelbart) from The Notorius Landlady and Astaire delivers the line to Jack Lemmon. It doesn't belong here. Dermot 08:19, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Thank you for your notice, then would you please move it to "Misattributed" section? --Aphaia 08:42, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Done Dermot 12:52, 29 May 2007 (UTC)

Unsourced

• Old is like everything else. To make a success of it, you've got to start young
  • Fred Astaire.

• The hardest job kids face today is learning good manners without seeing any.
  • Fred Astaire.

• No dancer can watch Fred Astaire and not know that we all should have been in another business.
  • Mikhail Baryshnikov.

• I can watch Astaire anytime. I don't think he ever made a wrong move. He was a perfectionist. He would work on a few bars for hours until it was just the way he wanted it. Gene was the same way. They both wanted perfection, even though they were completely different personalities.
  • Cyd Charisse.

• He's the greatest dancer who ever lived--greater than Nijinsky.
  • Noel Coward

• But when you're in a picture with Astaire, you've got rocks in your head if you do much dancing. He's so quick-footed and so light that it's impossible not to look like a hay-digger compared with him.
  • Bing Crosby

• He was a dictator who made me work harder and longer than anyone.
  • Nanette Fabray

• I work bigger. Fred's style is intimate. I'm very jealous of that when I see him on the small screen. Fred looks so great on TV. I'd love to put on white tie and tails and look as thin as him and glide as smoothly. But I'm built like a blocking tackle.
  • Gene Kelly

• Just to see him walk down the street ... to me is worth the price of admission.
  • Sammy Davis Junior