The Astaires: Fred & Adele

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Bisexuals, such as Prince George who saw the show scores of times, wanted both things at once, but had to be content with writing her long, infatuated letters. Over the next eight years the Astaires consolidated their position as theatre superstars, reproducing on Broadway the magic of their London debut. But then suddenly, in , it was over.

In a move that neatly symbolised the way the pair had used their chic modernity to conquer the British establishment, Adele married Lord Charles Cavendish, younger son of the Duke of Devonshire and retired to Lismore Castle in Ireland. Left to try Hollywood alone, Fred put down his elegantly-shod foot he had picked up a Savile Row habit in London about this whole business of being partnered with Ginger Rogers. His reluctance was to do with the fact that no one could ever match "Delly".

The fact that the movie moguls insisted that their new signing would be partnered with Ginger whether he liked it or not speaks volumes about the industry's perception that without his sister, or someone a bit like her, Fred was nothing more than a goofy-looking, slightly sexless, already veteran vaudevillian. In this sprightly book whose every sentence shines with the author's love of her dual subjects, Kathleen Riley writes Adele back into the story of her brother.

A relationship that usually gets squashed into the first three or four chapters of a standard Fred Astaire biography is now given a whole book. This also allows Riley to explore in detail the rich bank of dance practice from which Fred's later work emerged. The Astaires together laid down a library of beats, taps and turns from which Fred would go on to make some of the most sublime physical art of the 20th century. The Astaires — or the Austerlitzes to give them their real name — have in the past been described as mid-Western and middle-class.

Riley's careful foraging, however, reveals a family background far less corn-fed.

Their mother was a first-generation German while their father had been born in Vienna to a Jewish family that had pragmatically turned Catholic. Fritz Austerlitz had fetched up in Omaha as a beer salesman, a job that fitted neatly with his growing alcoholism. It was to find a way out of this cramping existence that ambitious Mrs Austerlitz put her daughter on the stage. And since her little boy seemed to have a certain physical wit, he too was enrolled at the local dance school.

Within a few years Adele and her sidekick Fred were supporting the family, sending home money to their father in a tactful recognition that he was no longer able to look after himself, let alone them. That Adele and Fred were able to do this by the time they were barely out of their teens was all down to their extraordinary art. But what that art was exactly is hard to know. While from the mid s we can see Fred's performances on film, there is no moving image of Fred and Adele together, or Adele on her own. And it is this absence of evidence, and the narrative problems it presents, that lie at the heart of Riley's thoughtful investigation.

Real tragedy is that publisher cheaped out and did not do high quality full-paged photos. I spent a lot of time googling various people and recordings--yay for the age we live in. So much additional info available. Feb 12, Maj rated it really liked it Recommends it for: I've been making my way through Fred Astaire's filmography for years now, savouring it all: But until now I haven't actually read a biography about him. The catalyst for choosing this particular book for my first Astaire reading was finding, by complete chance, a few tidbits here and there online that indicated how huge Fred's joint career with his sister actually was.

Try looking up Adele's name on Tumblr There are a lot of photos of her, surviving to this day, and being digitised. And yes, her star quality shines through on those photos. Not a great beauty, but those eyes! And so I thought this book, chronicling the early life and the musical theatre career of the Astaire siblings, seemed like a perfect place to start with my biographical reading about Fred. And I was right! I think it's about as comprehensive and well researched chronicle of Fred's theatre career as you would wish. And since that part of his career and life is inextricably connected with his sister's the author also provides a good and only?

Kelly manages to deftly marry information about her subjects' personal lives with the public and professional ones, and frame them within the context of the theatre world of that time period her knowledge of theatre history, and her fascination with theatre's fleeting nature, is quite clear throughout the book. I have to say I quite liked the ratio of information of personal nature incl. We get to know enough about the Astaire family, even the siblings' love lives, without feeling like we're prying.

The author also offers her opinion here and there, but there is not too much of it. Sometimes a point can be driven too long-winded-ly - but that's a matter of personal taste and how much interested in bygone theatre vs. Thought as I said I think this book features just enough of it for the consistence of it to make sense. Fred and Adele were very close to their mother, who became a stage mum without particularly wanting to, while the father, Fritz, mostly stayed behind in Midwest and died just as the kids started to make it on Broadway.

So when Fred decided to get married, to a divorced woman who already had one child, neither of the other two women in his life were happy about it. The hardest part was convincing his mother. Cue my favourite part in the quoted correspondence - Fred: I don't know what she expects me to do - keep a couple of tarts or play with myself. Since I'm Czech, I was happy, but surprised, to learn that not only Fred and Adele's paternal grandfather, but also the grandmother were both from Bohemia, even got married in Pilsen, not Linz.

Before this book, I only knew of the grandfather's Prague roots. I suppose we can now claim one fourth of Fred Astaire for us, even if I'm assuming his paternal grandparents were German speaking Jewish, not Czech-speaking. How admired and beloved Adele was; and that from his teenage years when he befriended George Gershwin, Fred was right where new, exciting music was being made - and that he had an excellent taste in choosing just what suited his and Adele's performing style.

Why not take advantage of being able to hear what is being described? Nov 02, Stephanie rated it liked it Shelves: I was enamored of the topic of this book; the life before retirement of Fred's sister Adele Astaire, but somehow this book never "grabbed" me. There are only so many ways you can say how wonderful a person may be, and I believe this author exhausted most of them. I think it made me feel less attracted to Adele. It was as though her purported perfection made her feel less like a real person to me.

Others may differ, but I came to fine this a tedious read.

May 05, Susan Rainwater rated it really liked it Shelves: A delightful read if you're interested in Vaudeville and the early days of Broadway musicals. Fred and Adele were one of the many successful child acts, unusual in that they were also successful adult performers. There's lots of interesting trivia about their collaborators — George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, many others. Dec 17, Joanne rated it really liked it Shelves: I learned a lot! Aug 26, Rachel rated it it was ok Shelves: Adele and Fred are talented and intriguing but still after reading this, unknown.

Aug 09, Patricia rated it really liked it Shelves: It is good to have a portrait of Adele Astaire, the first and perhaps most influential, partner to her brother Fred. Reading words about performances just doesn't bring them back. We can watch Fred Astaire any time we want and millions do since his art was captured on film. But Adele only appeared on the stage before the era when every movement was captured in moving pictures. We do have her voice in recordings of the Gershwin songs that were written for her and Fred. The book gives a chronolo It is good to have a portrait of Adele Astaire, the first and perhaps most influential, partner to her brother Fred.

The book gives a chronological account of the siblings' early career to the point of Adele's retirement upon her marriage. There is a scholarly tone to the book. It is heavily footnoted with among other things, Fred Astaire's own memoir which recounts the same events in a more personal way.

For the student of musical theater history, this book is a godsend. But for the fan, as I am, it is a tiny bit repetitive, and leaves unsaid some things I would really like to know. What was the relationship really like between the children and their mother who continued to accompany them on ships to London long after they reached mature ages and did not need a parent or guardian.

Did they go to their father's funeral? The death of poor Mr. Austerlitz is recounted almost as an afterthought. I would like to have known if he had any friends, or just how his children took it since they did go on with the show.

There is a lack of context of the jazz scene. I think of jazz as innately African American. Except for one racial slur, this book tells of an all white world without Louis Armstrong, or Duke Ellington, or any of the other greats that made such an impact on American culture. It is true that Fred and Adele were also major, but the emphasis on their success in London, and their hobnobbing with the landed gentry denies us what else was happening simultaneously. This is not Kathleen Riley's interest though. It just goes to show how limiting class can be. Sep 09, The Library Lady rated it did not like it Shelves: It is possible to know your subject, love your subject and still write a dry, crappy book.

It's a phenomenon familiar to anyone who reads adult non-fiction, and this is a fine example of that sad situation. Riley is a theater person and wants to show off her wide range of knowledge about her subject. The result is endless meanderings into related topics, long quotes from only vaguely relevant works, and a life of Fred and Adele Astaire that reduces them to characters that go through their lives a It is possible to know your subject, love your subject and still write a dry, crappy book.

The result is endless meanderings into related topics, long quotes from only vaguely relevant works, and a life of Fred and Adele Astaire that reduces them to characters that go through their lives as cardboard cut-outs on a timeline. It is clear that Riley thinks that Adele was marvelous, but she doesn't really make us feel what charm she must have had and there are no film records of her work. Which brings me to Fred and this quote: She spends more time in the final chapters on the details of Adele's marriages and later life than she does on Fred's career in the movies.

She summarizes as quickly as she can so she can talk about Adele's miscarriages and alcoholic husband. To Riley, Fred Astaire is the second banana and his work in films nothing compared to his work with Adele. Truthfully,having read this I feel no regrets about never being able to see Fred and Adele's stage work.

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Instead, I am thrilled that his movie work, especially that with Ginger Rogers, is safely on film for generations to come. Go watch his movies and skip this book!

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Apr 16, Karen rated it it was amazing. Over the years I've read many books about Broadway, musical theatre, dancing, actors and actresses. Some of them were good; quite a few of them were disappointing. I often wondered why it seemed to be so hard for writers to capture the excitement and emotion of a show, or the elements that made a performer great, in the pages of a book. This book, however, was just about everything I'd hoped it would be. Although Riley does occasionally veer into some "academic-speak" I could have done without, a Over the years I've read many books about Broadway, musical theatre, dancing, actors and actresses.

Although Riley does occasionally veer into some "academic-speak" I could have done without, and despite her adherence to the chronological narrative which can often cause a book to bog down , this did not affect my overall enjoyment. Her story of Fred and Adele was thoroughly researched the footnotes are fascinating , well written and did just what she set out to do - illuminate the life and work of Adele Astaire.

Adele was, after the Astaires began to achieve success on Broadway and in London, the bigger star of the two siblings, beloved and praised for her dancing, her acting, her charm and her personality onstage. No known film exists of Fred and Adele performing onstage during their career, which makes it all the more impressive that Riley is able to capture some of the excitement of their performances together just through her writing and her well-chosen use of contemporary reviews and quotes. You can, however, listen to them sing together via several clips available on YouTube.

This book found me frequently doing just that, as well as re-discovering my love for Fred's early films, made so soon after his partnership with Adele ended. This book not only brings Adele back into the spotlight where she belongs - it also helps us understand how Fred developed into the film star we loved. And on the way, we learn a lot about how two people changed the nature of American musical theater. Nov 29, Kim rated it it was ok. I desperately WANTED to like this book because the subject matter is so interesting, but unfortunately this was a tough read.

It's overwritten -- there was some truly outrageous vocabulary and on every other page there was a phrase or two that left me scratching my head. Also, there were far too many biographical details about a ton of extraneous people who were minor players in the Astaires' lives. Every co-star, director, producer, script doctor, etc. Tell me more about Fred and Adele! That was why I bought the book in the first place. There was a frustrating lack of in-depth insight about the pair who are ostensibly the subjects of this book.

Major life events are dutifully mentioned, but I was also secretly hoping for mundane details of everyday life as well as a bit more about interpersonal relationships with each other, close friends, and their individual habits, quirks, thoughts, and opinions. Adele's post-marriage life was so sad, but readers don't get a sense for what must have been her profound frustration and despair.

Adele plugged on courageously and no insight was given into her indomitable spirit.

Adele Astaire - Wikipedia

Fred's state of mind during his rise to film stardom wasn't even mentioned at all. There was a surprising amount of ink devoted to their mother, Ann, but she too was a bit of a flat, underdeveloped character, and I was left curious. There was a lot of untapped potential in this book. Dec 18, Treasa rated it it was amazing Shelves: But I especially liked this one because of its focus on a different part of Fred's life, a part that many other biographies just skim over. I have always been fascinated by Fred and Adele's relationship and partnership, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to delve into that more.

The author's inclusion of excerpts from letters and other primary sources was quite enjoyable, too. I will never get to see Fred and Adele perform live on stage, but I felt that I got as close to living through that period of theater history as I possibly could.

I have read some reviews that complained of the author's style of writing and somewhat elevated vocabulary. I don't agree with these criticisms.

Fred & Adele

Yes, the author often uses vocabulary that you don't read every day. What's wrong with that? Learn some new words! And I rather enjoyed the author's style of writing. Maybe it's just a matter of personal preference. Over all, I found this an enjoyable read, and I hope to add it to my collection of Astaire books soon.

I started rereading parts as soon as I had finished the book, so I expect to go back to this one more in the future.

The Astaires

Apr 23, Erin Germain rated it liked it Shelves: I enjoyed this book, which chronicles the early careers of Fred Astaire and his sister Adele. It's informative and contains some interesting details, unfortunately, it reads more like a book about Fred with Adele playing a more supporting role. Almost everyone knows Fred Astaire from his movie roles, and I am the first to admit that I am a huge fan of his, but while I knew he started his career with his sister as children, I didn't really know much about those days.

They danced together much long I enjoyed this book, which chronicles the early careers of Fred Astaire and his sister Adele. They danced together much longer than I had originally realized, with the pair splitting upon Adele's marriage in the 30's. It also seemed that in both their early vaudeville days and on into the many shows they performed in musical theater, Adele was the darling of the audiences and critics. At that time, Fred appeared to be more supportive of his sister, even while his talent was acknowledged.

In fact, when he first began to appear as a solo after Adele's retirement, critics were harsh in their belief that he should have hung up his dancing shoes, as well. I wish it had been a little more balanced, but still enjoyed reading about the theater in the 20's and 30's - names which are well-known now, but were just getting their starts back then the Gershwins, Cole Porter, etc. Mar 27, Valerie rated it it was amazing. Richly detailed information on the Austerlitz, later Astaire, family.

Much was seen and so much was expected of Fred and Adele, as they became stars of stage both here in the USA and over in the UK, after starting out in vaudeville as children. A tireless work ethic rests behind Fred's performances looking so effortless, both with Adele and later without her in his films -- when Adele retired upon marriage into European royalty. The book also clears up lazy misperceptions that the pair played aw Richly detailed information on the Austerlitz, later Astaire, family. The book also clears up lazy misperceptions that the pair played awkward love interests in their stage musicals -- Riley's wealth of details on all of their stage productions, American and British, assures you they did not.

The pair's bond with George Gershwin is fleshed out, as is the story of their parents meeting, marriage, and later divorce in quiet Nebraska, as their mother eagerly and happily oversaw every step of their career take the three of them further and further away from the staid Midwest and into sparkling high society and Buckingham Palace Mama Rose has nothing on Mama Astaire. Includes certainly not widely seen photos of Fred and Adele in their shows, along with some of the more detailed rave reviews.

An important bridge between nineteenth and twentieth century entertainment history! Jun 11, Patty rated it liked it. This was a tough read. Lots and lots of technical details and an assumption that everyone knows the 's theatre and vaudeville as well as the author. Although the book is title The Astaires: You can't write about Adele without Fred since they appeared together for every show that Adele did, but often Fred was in the background while Adele glittered and captured the audiences.

She was more pushy and more ungoverned than Fred and thus e This was a tough read. She was more pushy and more ungoverned than Fred and thus early on was the lead in the pairing. Being a few years older also meant she was the lioness, protecting those who underestimated his skills. The early family life is mostly glossed over, born in Omaha, started in vaudeville and early dance lessons for Adele that soon included Fred. The book ends with a chapter or two on Fred alone but truly this book is a love story for Adele.

I wish it had been a bit more balanced between the two but it wasn't. It does, however, make me want to watch more of Fred's movies.

The Astaires: Fred & Adele

Jun 26, Bill Branley rated it really liked it. What amazes me about Fred Astaire's life is how much dancing and entertaining he did before he ever made his first movie. He and his sister were child stars on the vaudeville circuit and then as young adults became sensations on the stages of New York and London. This book is very detailed and scholarly and informative.

That is not necessarily a bad thing, but it's very different from Fred's own autobiography, Steps In Time, which is more freewheeling and, in my opinion, a bit more entertaining. Kathleen Riley no doubt did a lot of careful research, but unfortunately I am still confused as to the birth date of Adele Astaire. I believe Riley places it in , which would make her almost three years older than Fred. But in Fred's book and in other sources Adele is described as being somewhere between a year and a year-and-a-half older than Fred. I recommend this for Fred Astaire fans. Sep 24, Jessica rated it it was amazing Shelves: This was a fascinatingly indepth biography about the creation of two cultural icons.

While everyone knows the name of Fred Astaire, mostly from his screen pairings with the indomitable Ginger Rogers, fewer people realize that he made his theatrical debut as part of a team which included his older sister Adele. At the time of their greatest success Adele was actually considered the more talented of the two- a great comedic talent with a charismatic presence, her early retirement from the theatre This was a fascinatingly indepth biography about the creation of two cultural icons.

At the time of their greatest success Adele was actually considered the more talented of the two- a great comedic talent with a charismatic presence, her early retirement from the theatre was considered a great loss. Although a bit dry at times, there is no doubt that Riley did a phenomenal amount of research and anyone who is interested in the history of Broadway or the Astaires should make a note of this work.

The book allows the reader a glance into a time period that has not been recorded on film and paints a vivid picture of a remarkable duo. Apr 12, Jen rated it liked it Shelves: It was a bit of a chore to get through this book as it was so heavily focused on technical details and a detailed account of everyone involved from the stage managers to choreographers, etc, etc. I thought it was an interesting and well researched book but Adele and Fred did come out of it somewhat flat with no focus on anything other than their professional career.

Also, I felt that it began with the prologue in the middle of the story and then went to the beginning for the first chapter. That It was a bit of a chore to get through this book as it was so heavily focused on technical details and a detailed account of everyone involved from the stage managers to choreographers, etc, etc.

It ended a bit disappointing as well, quite abruptly talking about the rest of their nearly 40 years in maybe 30 pages. With that though, I learned a lot and it was fun to read about vaudeville and Broadway. Mar 19, Scilla rated it liked it. This is a very readable biography of sister and brother Adele and Fred Astaire. I hadn't realized how important Adele was at the start of their careers I'm not sure I even knew Fred had an older sister. The book begins with their early life in Omaha, Nebraska of humble origins.

They began taking dancing lessons at an early age.

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