Tag Archives: Fred Astaire

“A Damsel In Distress” (1937)

Posted on September 5, 2014 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: A musical comedy co-written by P.G. Wodehouse, with music and lyrics by the Gershwins, and starring Fred Astaire is pretty much essential viewing for me. Although the film is usually regarded as one of Astaire’s post-Rogers flubs, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies, Performers | Tagged Fred Astaire, George Burns, George Gershwin, George Stevens, Gracie Allen, Ira Gershwin, Joan Fontaine, Musicals, P.G. Wodehouse, Romantic Comedy | 5 Comments

Quote Du Jour: Virginia Postrel on Glamour

Posted on May 4, 2014 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: For theatrical grace, the audience must not know, or must be willing to overlook, the effort behind the effortlessness. Sprezzatura is an illusion. Even in the naturally gifted, it requires cultivation. “She’s disciplined,” said Humphrey Bogart of Audrey … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Performers | Tagged Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, glamour, Grace Kelly, longing, Sean Connery, sprezzatura, theatrical grace | 4 Comments

Douglas Fairbanks and “When the Clouds Roll By”

Posted on December 16, 2012 by Fabrizio del Wrongo

Fabrizio del Wrongo writes: This Douglas Fairbanks project, the first directing effort of Victor Fleming, stands at the nexus of a number of popular art traditions. It dates from 1919, a year prior to Fairbanks’ swashbuckling debut in “The Mark … Continue reading →