Way Back When Music

[Alex.]

Fred Astaire. Put it on the Ritz.

I remember my mother saying (she was a Zigfield Girl) that Ginger Rogers was ten times the dancer that Fred Astaire was. "She did everything he did but in high heels and dancing backward."

Absolutely she made it all look easy as well. Do you have more stories or pics of your mom?

 

[Alex.]

Follow The Fleet (1936) - "Let Yourself Go" - Ginger Dances Alone

 

[Gracie]

Fred Astaire. Put it on the Ritz.

I remember my mother saying (she was a Zigfield Girl) that Ginger Rogers was ten times the dancer that Fred Astaire was. "She did everything he did but in high heels and dancing backward."

Really? How exciting!!! Do you have pics of her of way back when? And yes..Ginger rocked it! I also heard she and Fred did NOT get along.

 

[Jackson]

Fred Astaire. Put it on the Ritz.

I remember my mother saying (she was a Zigfield Girl) that Ginger Rogers was ten times the dancer that Fred Astaire was. "She did everything he did but in high heels and dancing backward."

Your mother was a Ziegfield Girl! How cool!

 

[longknife]

Fred Astaire. Put it on the Ritz.

I remember my mother saying (she was a Zigfield Girl) that Ginger Rogers was ten times the dancer that Fred Astaire was. "She did everything he did but in high heels and dancing backward."

Really? How exciting!!! Do you have pics of her of way back when? And yes..Ginger rocked it! I also heard she and Fred did NOT get along.

Sorry, I once had tons of photos but, alas, they're all gone somewhere in the winds. Long story and I often really feel sad about it.

Fred was fanatically rigid in his ideas about choreography. He did all of his own steps and expected her to agree without an argument.

She was just as headstrong as he. It was only their lucrative contracts with the studios that kept them going together.

I was told there was a big broohah when studio heads wanted Fred to do a movie with Donald O'Conner and Gene Kelley - both amazing dancers. Something about contracts - and Fred not wanting to share the spotlight with them. He knew Ginger always got second billing and he wasn't about to give up the top spot.