Remembering the fleet footed Fred- Hollywood legend.
Hooray for Hollywood! Give my regards to Broadway indeed! Fred Astaire and the London Palladium were somehow meant for each other. In fact, this one off and deeply affectionate tribute to the one and only Fred Astaire had found the most appropriate stage for one of the greatest dancers, tap dancers ever to have rolled off that prolific Hollywood conveyor belt of lustrous natural talent.
Remembering Fred was a spectacular tribute to one of America's most fleet footed, twinkling toed, magnificently charming stars in that great firmament of Hollywood greats. For most of that extremely turbulent period in American history Astaire dazzled and sparkled with the kind of highly sophisticated dance routines ever performed by one pure dancing artist.
For the best part of over two and half hours, a spellbound Palladium were treated to the whole varied and remarkable repertoire of the Astaire back catalogue but also an incredible interpretation of the man's best work. We knew that Astaire could dance like a dream but some of us needed reminding of his singing exploits which while never eclipsing Fred as the born hoofer did emphasise his versatility as an all round performer.
This may have been a one off homage to Astaire but it did emphasise the glamour and class he brought to America at its lowest. At the height of the 1920s depression when America badly longed for somebody and something to lift its dwindling spirits, Astaire startled the Americans to their senses with some of the most extraordinary footwork, shoes gleaming throughout the Second World War and then maintaining their hold on the hearts of an American public by now totally enchanted.
Two of the dancers from BBC's enormously popular Saturday evening show 'Strictly Come Dancing' Aljaz Skortanec and Janette Manrara sent us on a warmly nostalgic trip down memory lane, lovingly documenting the serenity and stateliness that Astaire always brought to the dance floor. Here we had the classic story of the kid who just loved to dance from a very early age seemingly destined to reach the very peak of his profession.
In an almost logical sequence of categories we were treated to Astaire's favourite films, those timeless dance techniques and above all those vital female partners and relationships who made it all possible for Astaire. This was almost like some sweeping Hollywood showbiz extravaganza, a breathless reminiscence of the people, the movers and shakers within Hollywood's inner sanctum, the choreographers and of course Astaire's leading ladies. Then there were the occasionally demanding standards understandably made by Astaire because this was a man who never accepted half measures.
Forever more of course Fred Astaire will always be associated with Ginger Rogers in much the way we think of any other inseparable partnerships. Astaire and Rogers were Hollywood royalty, Hollywood's most celebrated monarchs, the most dynamic of all dancing teams. Astaire had the quickest, nimblest and daintiest feet ever seen. Such was the mercurial nature of his feet and the speed of his delivery, that you half expected that one day the shoes would suddenly miss a beat and Astaire would unfathomably get it all wrong.
But this was never the case. And why should that have been the case when the man was so disciplined, so assured and confident within himself that rare was the occasion if it all that something had been missing. You almost felt that Astaire and Rogers had an almost telepathic understanding that rendered mistakes a physical impossibility.
In the iconic Hollywood movie Top Hat, Astaire and Rogers were almost umbilically linked to each other, as if there was a mystical connection between the two that could never be broken. Astaire danced on walls, ceilings, thick Hollywood columns, flowing balletically, handsomely and fluently across perfectly polished dance floors as if from memory and instinct. There were times when you felt that Astaire and Rogers had almost read each other's minds, telegraphing each other's next delicately beautiful movement and simply recalling everything they'd been taught without a single moment's prompting.
Then there were the songs from the great American songbook. Cole Porter's 'Night and Day', a passionate number that Astaire had executed with some of the most gorgeous attention to detail. There was 'A Fine Romance'. a tenderly memorable and delightful number that left most of the Palladium audience sighing with pleasure.
The songs came thick and fast. 'Can't Dance' was a vibrant toe tapping, vivaciously joyful song that Astaire embroidered with the kind of flair and terpsichorean style that only the greatest could turn into an art form. 'Putting on My Top Hat', a number that was essentially Astaire's most personal favourite, was synonymous with his personality and act. How else could a man with a top hat and tails even think that he could live without a song that was written with him in mind?
We were also introduced to some of other perhaps less well known of Astaire's alliances and richly successful collaborations. It only seemed a matter of time before Astaire would cross paths with Gene Kelly. Both Astaire and Kelly could quite easily have broken all of Hollywood's box office records. Both would remain dancing soul mates throughout the ages, two of the most complete performers showbusiness would ever produce.
When Kelly grabbed hold of an umbrella in 'Singing In The Rain' maybe there was a part of Astaire that must have left him terribly frustrated. But Kelly revelled in the dance routine that made him one of Americas' most adored of stars. Even Astaire would have instantly recognised that only a dancer of Kelly's calibre could have danced around street lamp-posts and over the trickiest of puddles without batting an eye lid. We knew that the rain was make believe and this was Hollywood but how Astaire must have looked on with genuine admiration.
There were of course Astaire's thankfully brief appearance with Judy Garland in Easter Parade. Everybody including Astaire must have been painfully aware of Garland's self destructive demons, a woman who visibly fell apart in front of her once adoring audience and sadly died too early. Astair had now branched into a the diverse of jazz, salsa and anything that bordered on the most unconventional.
Astaire had now teamed up with Cyd Charise, the only Hollywood movie dancer whose long legs seemed to go on forever. Charise was a tall, graceful, impeccably proportioned dancer whose height and statuesque poise became a Hollywood trademark. Charise and Astaire clicked immediately but as the audience discovered, never felt overshadowed by Astaire. Mr Astaire, she remarked, was never quite sure about Charise initially but then fell in love with her leading man.
So it was that the Palladium in all its Palladium splendour and resplendence once again did itself considerably proud. On the stage itself there was the multi coloured giant staircase , red, blue, green yellow lights flashing constantly and impressively. There were the signature Hollywood pieces of furniture such as the white glowing lamps by the edge of the stage and a whole variety of dancing, prancing, pouting and comically posturing performers with white teeth and beaming smiles.
The London Palladium show had once again delivered the goods. The thunderous applause had reached new levels of boisterousness and wild appreciation. They were on their feet for what seemed an eternity.
In the Palladium bar, your breath was taken away by the showbiz stylists and purists who had once trodden the boards, tripped the light fantastic and left most of Post War London entranced, and gripped with uncontrollable laughter. There was the aforementioned Judy Garland, the female heart throb who was Johnny Rae and the formidably amusing Danny Kaye. There was the giant model of the Palladium with dancing girls, notable landmark dates that came to define the Palladium through the years. It was a night to remember and the night when the entire showbiz industry took off its Top Hat to a dancing genius. The West End were taking off their hats to a quite outstanding Hollywood star.
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