Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire: Hollywood’s Greatest Dance Duo

Penny Carrol (Ginger Rogers) swings with Lucky Garnett (Fred Astaire), in “Swing Time.” MovieStillsDB

When one thinks of famous dance partnerships, several couples come to mind, but none like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. With a partnership spanning 16 years and producing 10 hit movies, no couple has ever tripped the light fantastic so successfully on the silver screen.

Rogers and Astaire first appeared together in the 1933 musical “Flying Down to Rio.” While they weren’t the leads in this film, their fancy footwork made them an instant hit, and RKO Radio Pictures featured them in eight more films.

After 10 years apart with successful solo careers, they were reunited by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in their only Technicolor picture together, 1949’s “The Barkleys of Broadway.” While this was their last onscreen pairing, they maintained a mutual friendship and regard until Astaire’s death, eight years prior to Rogers’s.

‘Flying Down to Rio’ (1933)

Honey Hale (Ginger Rogers) and Fred Ayres (Fred Astaire) dance Latin style, in “Flying Down to Rio.” MovieStillsDB

With the help of his friends Fred (Astaire) and Honey (Rogers), Bandleader Roger Bond (Gene Raymond) pursues Latin beauty Belinha (Dolores Del Rio) to Brazil before learning she’s engaged to his friend Julio (Raul Roulien).

The famous duo only performs one dance in this film, a two-minute duet at the end of Busby Berkeley’s spectacular “Carioca” number, but it was enough to win moviegoers’ hearts. The song “Carioca” was nominated for Best Original Song but lost out, ironically, to a song from Astaire and Rogers’s next film, “The Gay Divorcee.”

‘The Gay Divorcee’ (1934)

Mimi Glossop (Ginger Rogers) and Guy Holden (Fred Astaire) cover the floor, in “The Gay Divorcee.” MovieStillsDB

Comedic complications ensue when divorce-seeking Mimi Glossop (Rogers) mistakes American dancer Guy Holden (Astaire) for her hired co-respondent.

Only one song was retained from the stage musical of the same name. “Night and Day,” now best known as a Frank Sinatra standard, was introduced by Astaire in this movie, serving as background to a romantic dance duet.

Additionally, Rogers and Astaire took part in the 17-and-a- half-minute dance extravaganza “The Continental,” which remained the longest dance number in a film until Gene Kelly’s “American in Paris Ballet” almost 20 years later. The song “The Continental” won the very first Oscar for Best Original Song.

‘Roberta’ (1935)

Countess Scharwenka (Ginger Rogers) and Huck Haines (Fred Astaire) dance beautifully, in “Roberta.” MovieStillsDB

Bandleaders John Kent (Randolph Scott) and his friend Huck Haines (Astaire) are stranded and jobless in Paris, so they seek assistance at his aunt’s dress shop, where they meet head designer Stephanie (Irene Dunne) and difficult customer Countess Scharwenka (Rogers).

While once again the second couple in the narrative, the dance team shares two numbers in this film. One is a fun tap routine filmed in one take with live sound to the melody of “I’ll Be Hard to Handle,” and the other is the grand song-and-dance number “I Won’t Dance.” Despite the title, Astaire and Rogers will dance and they do so brilliantly.

‘Top Hat’ (1935)

Dale Tremont (Ginger Rogers) wears a beautiful gown to dance with Jerry Travers (Fred Astaire), in “Top Hat.” MovieStillsDB

American dancer Jerry Travers (Astaire) has fallen madly in love with model Dale Tremont (Rogers). There’s only one problem: She thinks he’s married to her best friend.

This film features eight musical numbers, including classic dance duets “Isn’t This a Lovely Day (To Be Caught in the Rain),” “Cheek to Cheek,” and “The Piccolino,” as well as Astaire’s most acclaimed tap solo, “Top Hat, White Tie and Tails.”

Despite being the second highest-earning film of the year for RKO, it wasn’t without behind-the-scenes drama. Most notable was the filming of “Cheek to Cheek,” in which Rogers’s feather-shedding gown, which she designed herself, caused such trouble for Astaire that he nicknamed her “Feathers,” gave the same title to a chapter of his autobiography, and even parodied the incident in the later film “Easter Parade” (1948).

‘Follow the Fleet’ (1936)

Sherry Martin (Ginger Rogers) and Bake Baker (Fred Astaire) dance, in “Follow the Fleet.” MovieStillsDB

While on liberty, seaman Bake Baker (Astaire) reunites with his former dance partner and sweetheart, Sherry (Rogers), while his buddy Bilge (Randolph Scott) is torn between Sherry’s shy sister, Connie (Harriet Hilliard), and divorced socialite Iris (Astrid Allwyn).

Astaire and Rogers shared three duets in this movie: the exuberant “Let Yourself Go,” the comedic “I’m Putting All My Eggs in One Basket,” and the stunning storyline number, “Let’s Face the Music and Dance.”

Costume drama also plagued this film, as Rogers’s dress, weighted to achieve the proper swirling effect, hit Astaire in the face on the first take. Despite filming the dance 20 times, Astaire chose that first take for the final cut.

‘Swing Time’ (1936)

Penny Carrol (Ginger Rogers) swings with Lucky Garnett (Fred Astaire), in “Swing Time.” MovieStillsDB

Habitual gambler “Lucky” Garnett must earn $25,000 honestly before he can marry his fiancée, but once he meets charming dance instructor “Penny” (Rogers), he’ll do anything to avoid earning the money.

This movie gives Astaire and Rogers the lighthearted polka “Pick Yourself Up,” the romantic “Waltz in Swing Time,” and the soaring, bittersweet “Never Gonna Dance.” In addition, it also introduced the charming tune “A Fine Romance,” sung by the pair as they stroll through a snowy wonderland, and Astaire’s flashy tribute to black entertainer Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, “Bojangles of Harlem.”

‘Shall We Dance’ (1937)

Linda Keene (Ginger Rogers) and Peter "Petrov" Peters (Fred Astaire) dance on skates, in “Shall We Dance.” MovieStillsDB

When two scheming managers stage a fake marriage between Peter P. Peters (Astaire), an American ballet dancer who loves jazz, and tap dancer Linda Keene (Rogers), they plan to divorce immediately. However, true feelings blossom.

Astaire and Rogers perform three duets in this film, a comedic ballet-tap number to “They All Laughed,” an impressive tap routine on roller-skates to “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off,” and the finale, set to the title song in which Astaire picks Rogers out of a chorus wearing masks of her face. This film also features the enduringly popular ballad “They Can’t Take That Away from Me,” in which Astaire croons sadly to Rogers on a foggy bridge, and the lively “Slap That Bass” number, performed by Astaire and a group of black musicians.

‘Carefree’ (1938)

Amanda Cooper (Ginger Rogers) is invited to dance with Tony Flagg (Fred Astaire), in “Carefree.” RKO Pictures

Stephen Arden (Ralph Bellamy) wants to help his sweetheart, Amanda (Rogers) make up her mind about marrying him, so he has her visit his psychiatrist friend, Dr. Tony Flagg (Astaire). However, things get messy when Amanda realizes her subconscious is in love with the doctor.

The shortest of their films, this movie yielded only two duets, the romantic “I Used to Be Color Blind,” most remembered for ending with Astaire and Rogers’s only true kiss onscreen, and the upbeat duet “The Yam.” The only song to find success beyond the film was the now-famous “Change Partners,” in which Astaire attempts to woo Rogers into his arms even as they dance with other partners.

‘The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle’ (1939)

Irene Foote Castle (Ginger Rogers) teams up with Vernon Castle (Fred Astaire), in “The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle.” RKO Pictures

In this biopic of the famous dance duo behind “the Castle Walk,” young dancer Irene Foote (Rogers) meets stand-up comic Vernon Castle (Astaire) and convinces him to leave comedy for dancing. Together, they change ballroom dancing forever.

This movie features a plethora of fabulous numbers, both tap and ballroom, as one famous dance duo portrays another. It’s unusual among their films, as it is a serious drama with no “screwball comedy” elements, a biopic, and a tragedy.

The Hiatus

After “The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle,” RKO officially announced the end of the Astaire and Rogers partnership, due both to their films’ waning financial success and to the stars’ desire to take on different roles. Rogers had long wanted to pursue dramatic acting roles, and Astaire wished to make his mark as a solo artist.

Throughout the 1940s, they found great success apart. Rogers won Best Actress for “Kitty Foyle” (1940) and became the highest-paid actress in Hollywood by the mid-1940s. Astaire starred in lasting classics like “Holiday Inn” (1942) and “Blue Skies” (1946) with Bing Crosby and “Easter Parade” (1948) opposite Judy Garland. The following year, MGM planned to reprise this pairing, but, after Garland withdrew due to illness, an old friend had to step in.

‘The Barkleys of Broadway’ (1949)

Josh Barkley (Fred Astaire) marries Dinah (Ginger Rogers), and they dance in their last movie together, in “The Barkleys of Broadway.” Public Domain

Josh and Dinah Barkley (Astaire and Rogers) are a successful married dance team. When a French playwright (Jacques Francois) offers Dinah the lead in his latest drama, she decides to pursue a serious acting career, even at the cost of her marriage.

Astaire and Rogers hoof through multiple great numbers in this film, including the opening credits’ “Swing Trot,” the short but sweet “You’d Be Hard to Replace,” a casual rehearsal number to the tune “Bouncin’ the Blues,” and the charming, Scottish-themed “My One and Only Highland Fling.” At the pinnacle are a dreamy ballroom number to an orchestral arrangement of “They Can’t Take That Away from Me” and the showstopping finale, “Manhattan Downbeat.” Astaire shows off his solo tapping in “Shoes with Wings On,” in which he plays the part of a cobbler dancing with multiple pairs of shoes.

Behind the Screen

In the 1950s, Rogers’s movie career waned, so she began to work more on Broadway, where she was a great success in “Mame” and “Hello, Dolly!” Astaire continued making successful films, and worked in television. While Rogers expressed interest in making another movie with her old partner, it never happened.

There have long been rumors that the pair fought a lot on set, but at a 1979 event honoring his old partner, Astaire insisted they weren’t true, saying, “I’ve been denying it for the last 20 years or so.” In a later interview, Rogers stated that these stories were mostly spread by publicity men to keep their names in the papers.

Despite feathers, bleeding feet, and all the trials in any dancer’s career, Rogers and Astaire’s bond was a special one, strong and unbreakable. After Astaire’s death, Rogers said, “I just adored and admired Fred with all my heart .... He was the best partner anyone could ever have.”

What arts and culture topics would you like us to cover? Please email ideas or feedback to [email protected]