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EVENING WITH FRED ASTAIRE, AN (TV)

Summary

This Disney Channel rebroadcast of Fred Astaire's first television special of music and dance, restored and preserved by the UCLA Film and Television Archive, includes the following highlights: Astaire begins with a jazzy number in which he is joined by a mixed company of dancers; Astaire sings "Change Partners" and dances with Barrie Chase; Astaire performs a comic pantomime dance with various imaginary instruments in recognition of the various props with which he has danced over the years; the Jonah Jones Quartet makes its television debut, with Jones singing "Mack the Knife"; Astaire and Chase dance to David Rose's composition, "Man With the Blues"; the show's company of young dancers performs variations on the theme of "Old MacDonald" in a variety of dance styles from square dance to flamenco to rock 'n roll; Astaire and Jonah Jones have a "conversation" in the language of tap and trumpet; Astaire, Chase, and the company dance to "St. James Infirmary," sung and played by Jones; Astaire sings a medley of songs by Jerome Kern, George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Johnny Mercer, and Cole Porter, including "Night and Day," "Cheek to Cheek," "I Won't Dance," "A Foggy Day," "Lady Be Good," "A Fine Romance," "They Can't Take That Away from Me," "Something's Gotta Give," "Top Hat," and "Nice Work If You Can Get It"; and Astaire ends the program singing and dancing to "Isn't This a Lovely Day?". Commercials deleted. (This program originally aired live and in color on NBC on October 17, 1958.)

Cataloging of this program was made possible by The Marc Haas and Helen Hotze Haas Foundations, 2000.

This program has been adopted by John Ambrose.

Details

  • NETWORK: Disney Channel
  • DATE: October 17, 1958
  • RUNNING TIME: 0:52:14
  • COLOR/B&W: Color
  • CATALOG ID: T:15333
  • GENRE: Dance; Specials
  • SUBJECT HEADING: Dance; Music, popular (songs, etc.); Jazz; Blues
  • SERIES RUN: Disney Channel - TV, 1958
  • COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

  • Fred Astaire … Executive Producer
  • Bud Yorkin (See also: Alan Yorkin) … Producer, Director
  • Herbert Baker … Production (Misc.), Special Material by
  • Roy Montgomery … Direction (Misc.), Associate Director
  • Hermes Pan … Choreographer
  • Rose, David, and His Orchestra … Music Group
  • David Rose … Musical Director, Composer, "Man With the Blues"
  • The Jonah Jones Quartet … Music Group
  • Jonah Jones … Singer, Instrumentalist, Trumpet player
  • Fred Astaire … Host, Performer, Dancer
  • Barrie Chase … Dancer
  • Irving Berlin
  • George Gershwin
  • Jerome Kern
  • Johnny Mercer
  • Cole Porter