Fred Astaire was an American dancer, choreographer, singer, musician and actor, who revolutionised the American musical films Fred Astaire - Choreographers, Birthday, Childhood - Fred Astaire Biography He was honored with the Film Society of Lincoln Center tribute in 1973, the Kennedy Center Honors in 1978, and AFI Life Achievement Award in 1980. Four of Hollywood's most distinguished statesmen (Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and John Houseman) join forces against a paranormal nemesis in Ghost Story, based on the terrifying novel by best-selling author Peter Straub. Astaire also appeared in the first two That's Entertainment! As a dancer, he was known for his uncanny sense of rhythm, creativity, and tireless perfectionism. Although Astaire worked well with several leading ladies throughout his career, his partnership with Rogers had a special chemistry. And when we think of Astaire, who died 25 years ago today, we tend to picture him with Ginger Rogers. When his mother took sister Adele to New York in 1904 for professional . His body was buried at Oakwood Memorial Park Cemetery in Chatsworth, California. His first post-Ginger dance partner was the redoubtable Eleanor Powell, considered the most exceptional female tap-dancer of her generation. He was one of the first Kennedy Center Honorees in 1978. In 1933 he was married to 25-year-old Phyllis Potter, who died from lung cancer at age 46. Whitney was born on August 17, 1904, in Ellsworth, Maine, Whitney was a descendant of John Whitney, a Puritan who settled in Massachusetts in 1635, as well as of William Bradford, who came over on the Mayflower.His father was Payne Whitney, and his grandfathers were William C. Whitney and John Hay, both presidential cabinet members. Finding his way to the heart of the strictest critic, he played dozens of memorable roles and won many prestigious awards and prizes. In 1980, he married Robyn Smith. I don't want to look like a little old man dancing out there. She really knocked out a tap dance in a class by herself. Famously wore a necktie around his waist instead of a belt, an affectation he picked up from his friendship with actor. [65], In addition to Phyllis Potter's son, Eliphalet IV (known as Peter), the Astaires had two children. Was born on 21 January 1936. (h/t Reddit user thetoristori) Earlier on Huff/Post50: Minden idk legjobban fizetett sznszei kz tartozik, filmjei sszesen majdnem ktmillird dollros bevtelt rtek el s tucatnyi olyan filmben szerepelt, amely vilgszerte tbb mint 200 milli dollrt termelt. Astaire, Fred. History; Mr. Fred Astaire; FAQs; Careers; Studios. Fred Astaire Biography. Astaires immensely popular dancing style appeared relaxed, light, effortless, and largely improvised. Sa sur ane, Adele, y prend des leons de danse l'cole Claude Alviene. "[24] While in London, Fred studied piano at the Guildhall School of Music alongside his friend and colleague Nol Coward;[25], and in 1926, was one of the judges at the 'Charleston (dance) Championship of the World ' competition at the Royal Albert Hall, where Lew Grade was declared the winner. Astaire left RKO in 1939 to freelance and pursue new film opportunities, with mixed though generally successful outcomes. Astaire's father was born in Linz, Austria to Roman Catholic parents who had converted from Judaism.[1][9][10][11]. I had some ballet training but didn't like it. He described himself as nervous about singing with her, while she said she was worried about dancing with him. Kelly endured a 103-degree fever . He and his partner, Adele Astaire, made the show pause early in the evening with a beautiful loose-limbed dance. It's nice that all the composers have said that nobody interprets a lyric like Fred Astaire. I never used it as an outlet or as a means of expressing myself. married to Phyllis Potter 11 July 1933 until her death 13 Sept 1954. married to Robyn Smith from June 1980 until . He "over-dubbed" his taps - recording them live as he danced to the previously recorded taps. He was awarded 49 Honorary Oscars for his dancing and choreography (Gene Kelly got 51, Jerome Robbins got 61 and Oona White 68. [30] He is credited with two important innovations in early film musicals. Can't act. You have to think of some step that flows into the next one, and the whole dance must have an integrated pattern. His effortless lightness and grace may never be seen again. Let's add the looks later. [citation needed], His next partner, Lucille Bremer, was featured in two lavish vehicles, both directed by Vincente Minnelli. [14], They were taught dance, speaking, and singing in preparation for developing an act. If the dance is right, there shouldn't be a single superfluous movement. But, ultimately, he said "Excuse me, I must say Ginger was certainly, [uh, uh,] the one. Johanna planned a "brother and sister act", common in vaudeville at the time, for her two children. Somehow or other I always blame myself, because I say, 'Well, I could have found the time; why the hell didn't I do it? Can dance a little.". Save 50% on 1 when you buy 2 Shop items. In the second compilation, aged seventy-six, he performed brief dance linking sequences with Kelly, his last dance performances in a musical film. [24]:123,128 In his heyday, Astaire was referenced[47] in lyrics of songwriters Cole Porter, Lorenz Hart and Eric Maschwitz and continues to inspire modern songwriters. When Adele retired after marrying Lord Charles Cavendish in 1932, Astaire made a screen test, reportedly receiving an unencouraging verdict from executives: Cant act, cant sing. He was named the fifth Greatest Male . Astaire disguised his very large hands by curling his middle two fingers while dancing. | Web In 1980 Fred Astaire who had been a widower since 1954 and who had just turned 81 married Robyn Smith who was 35 and one of the first and most successful woman. When time approached for the shooting of a number, Astaire would rehearse for another two weeks and record the singing and music. He enjoyed displaying his skills in his films, examples include an impressive ragtime piano performance in Follow the Fleet (1936), a genre of music that was particularly difficult to master due to the syncopated nature of the playing style, and a tap dance that incorporated a drum kit in the film A Damsel in Distress (1937). She couldn't tap and she couldn't do this and that but Ginger had style and talent and improved as she went along. He was an accomplished musician, adept on both piano and the drum kit. They achieved international fame with stage hits that included For Goodness Sake (1922), Funny Face (192728), and The Band Wagon (193132). She got so that after a while everyone else who danced with me looked wrong. All except Ginger. Web Fred Astaire Jr. Fred astaire jr. wiki. He was powerless to prevent the reuse of the footage from. It represented a notable departure for Astaire from his usual charming, happy-go-lucky screen persona, and confused contemporary critics. He first presented Jerome Kern's "The Way You Look Tonight" in Swing Time (1936), the Gershwins' "They Can't Take That Away from Me" in Shall We Dance (1937), "A Foggy Day" and "Nice Work if You Can Get it" in A Damsel in Distress (1937), Johnny Mercer's "One for My Baby" from The Sky's the Limit (1943), "Something's Gotta Give" from Daddy Long Legs (1955); and Harry Warren and Arthur Freed's "This Heart of Mine" from Ziegfeld Follies (1946). This can lead to the completely misleading impression that Astaire merely performed the choreography of others. Throughout this period, Astaire continued to value the input of choreographic collaborators. TV Shows. Early Life. [66] He also had an interest in boxing and true crime. Since then, Robyn Astaire has notr remarried and works . Their partnership elevated them both to stardom; as Katharine Hepburn reportedly said, "He gives her class and she gives him sex appeal. However, this was almost always confined to the area of extended fantasy sequences, or dream ballets. Luce stated that she had to encourage him to take a more romantic approach: "Come on, Fred, I'm not your sister, you know. Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 - June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. One would be a solo performance by Astaire, which he termed his "sock solo". Fred Astaire, original name Frederick Austerlitz, (born May 10, 1899, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.died June 22, 1987, Los Angeles, California), American dancer onstage and in motion pictures who was best known for a number of highly successful musical comedy films in which he starred with Ginger Rogers. His stage and subsequent film and television careers spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films and several television special . He was interested in playing Willy Wonka in. His effortless lightness and grace may never be seen again. He maintained a racing stable of four or five horses which competed at racetracks in California. They lent him for a few days to MGM in 1933 for his significant Hollywood debut in the successful musical film Dancing Lady. Fred Astaire Jr Wiki Biography. [22] Fred had already been hunting for new music and dance ideas. In the latter film, he began his highly successful partnership with Ginger Rogers, with whom he danced in 9 RKO pictures. [15] In November 1905, the goofy act debuted in Keyport, New Jersey at a "tryout theater". The son of rancher Fred Astaire Jr. and landscape painter and photographer Carol Astaire, John Astaire was 7 or 8 when his family moved from Los Angeles to San Luis Obispo. ", "Cheek to Cheek", and "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails" in Top Hat (1935); "Let's Face the Music and Dance" in Follow the Fleet (1936); and "Change Partners" in Carefree (1938). With all the preparation completed, the actual shooting would go quickly, conserving costs. The Astaires broke into Broadway in 1917 with Over the Top, a patriotic revue, and performed for U.S. and Allied troops at this time as well. While all music and songs were known to be dubbed (recorded before filming), his tap dancing was dubbed also. As Mikhail Baryshnikov observed at the time of Fred Astaire's death, "No dancer can watch Fred Astaire and not know that we all should have been in another business.". The son of Austrian immigrant Frederic "Fritz" Austerlitz and his second generation Prussian-American wife Johanna "Ann" Geilus, Astaire developed into a frail and deeply serious boy, whom his mother urged into dancing classes at the local Chambers Dance Academy with the . Fred entered show business at age 5. Several of Astaires most-famous dance routines appear in these films, such as the slow-motion dance in Easter Parade (1948), which also featured Judy Garland; the dance with empty shoes in The Barkleys of Broadway (1949), which was his 10th and final film with Rogers; the ceiling dance and the duet with a hat rack in Royal Wedding (1951); and the dance on air in The Belle of New York (1952). Balding. Public demand compelled RKO to feature the pair in a classic series of starring vehicles throughout the 1930s, with The Gay Divorcee (1934), Top Hat (1935), and Swing Time (1936) often cited as the best of the lot. His final film was the 1981 adaptation of Peter Straub's novel Ghost Story. In an interview, Astaire's daughter, Ava Astaire McKenzie, observed that they often put Fred in a top hat to make him look taller. He was amused by my piano playing and often made me play for him. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The two Austerlitz children proved extraordinarily talented and the family moved to New York, where the children continued their training . On the Beach. The first film, You'll Never Get Rich (1941), catapulted Hayworth to stardom. Although possessing a rather thin-toned tenor voice, Astaire received much praise from jazz critics for his innate sense of swing and his conversational way with a song. Even then, most of his dance partners towered over him if they wore high heels. Barrie Chase (1957-1961) [26], According to Hollywood folklore, a screen test report on Astaire for RKO Radio Pictures, now lost along with the test, is reported to have read: "Can't sing. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. He starred in more than 10 Broadway and West End musicals, made 31 musical films, four television specials, and numerous recordings. "[citation needed]. Movies. Anyway, I was practicing in my driveway." "[24]:16. What a routine I could have worked up for a film sequence if they had existed a few years ago. Fred Astaire (1899-1987) was a preeminent dancer and choreographer who worked in vaudeville, revue, musical comedy, television, radio, and Hollywood musicals. For example, with his sister Adele, he co-introduced the Gershwins' "I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise" from Stop Flirting (1923), "Fascinating Rhythm" in Lady, Be Good (1924), "Funny Face" in Funny Face (1927), and, in duets with Ginger Rogers, he presented Irving Berlin's "I'm Putting All My Eggs in One Basket" in Follow the Fleet (1936), Jerome Kern's "Pick Yourself Up" and "A Fine Romance" in Swing Time (1936), along with the Gershwins' "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" from Shall We Dance (1937). Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. By the age of four, he was dancing as a vaudeville act with his sister Adele. It featured a duet to Kern's "I'm Old Fashioned", which became the centerpiece of Jerome Robbins's 1983 New York City Ballet tribute to Astaire. Fred Astaire Bio, wiki, Age, Career, Height, Weight, Family. Astaire and Rogers were, and are, quite simply the most famous dance team of all time. Billman (p. 26) believes Astaire couldn't countenance the portrayal of his first wife, who suffered from a, Learn how and when to remove this template message, the most interesting, the most inventive, the most elegant dancer of our times, a genius a classical dancer like I never saw in my life, Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, Mr. & Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney Hall of Fame, "Fred Astaire (18991987) aka Friedrich Austerlitz", "The Religious Affiliation of Adele Astaire", "Frederick Austerlitz (1899-1987): An American with Austrian Roots", "Two-Step: 'The Astaires,' by Kathleen Riley", "Information on this footage in the Fred Stone Collection of the Broadway show Gay Divorcee (1933)", "A kaleidoscope of legs: Busby Berkeley's flamboyant dance fantasies", "For Michael Kidd, Real Life Is Where The Dance Begins", q:Fred Astaire#Singers and songwriters on Astaire, "About: Liberty's Musical Comedy Star of the Century! This episode marked the final time that he danced on screen, in this case with Anne Jeffreys. Following his death, he was interred at Oakwood Memorial Park in Chatsworth, California, where longtime dancing partner, The evaluation of Astaire's first screen test: "Can't act. He also helped raise her son from an earlier union. He is often called the "greatest popular-music dancer of all time". The best of Astaires films during this period was The Band Wagon (1953), often cited as one of the greatest of film musicals; it featured Astaires memorable duet with Cyd Charisse to the song Dancing in the Dark.. "Yeah, I am.". Satchell pp. The producer of the AstaireRogers pictures, Pandro S. Berman, claimed he had never heard the story in the 1930s and that it only emerged years afterward. All songs were performed by. Each featured Barrie Chase, with whom Astaire enjoyed a renewed period of dance creativity. Fred Astaire had one more chance at romance, however. [citation needed], Always insecure and believing his career was beginning to falter, Astaire surprised his audiences by announcing his retirement during the production of his next film, Blue Skies (1946). Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. The former film is memorable for his virtuoso solo dance to "Let's Say it with Firecrackers". They had 2 children, Fred (86) and Ava (80).. About. He was good friends with David Niven, Randolph Scott, Clark Gable and Gregory Peck. He was voted the 23rd Greatest Movie Star of All Time by Premiere magazine. People think I was born in top hat and tails. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute. Astaire, Steps in Time, p. 8: "At the risk of disillusionment, I must admit that I don't like top hats, white ties and tails. The actor, 25, confirmed . Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers pretty much owned the 1930s, pumping out 9 hits from 1933 to 1939 at RKO including classics like Top Hat and Swing Time. Working in collaboration with legendary choreographer Hermes Pan for his films with Rogers, Astaire eschewed the then-popular Busby Berkeley approach to filmed musicals and its emphasis on special effects, surreal settings, and chorus girls in ever-changing kaleidoscope patterns. Astaire shed his white tie and tails to play an Irish rogue who believes that if he buries a crock of gold in the shadows of Fort Knox the gold will multiply. Tom Holland has confirmed he is set to play Fred Astaire in an upcoming biopic, 13 years after landing his big break playing aspiring dancer Billy Elliot in the West End.. His second film with Hayworth, You Were Never Lovelier (1942), was equally successful. Furthermore, Astaire choreographed all the routines during his Broadway career with his sister Adele. They were a sensation, stealing the picture from stars Delores del Rio and Gene Raymond. Still, it's never as bad as I think it is. She faked it an awful lot. The first of these programs, 1958's An Evening with Fred Astaire, won nine Emmy Awards, including "Best Single Performance by an Actor" and "Most Outstanding Single Program of the Year". He is an actor, known for Midas Run (1969). Web Fred Astaire born Frederick Austerlitz 10 Mey 1899 22 Juin 1987 wis an American dancer sangster an actorHe wis the maist famous stage movie an . [13] Phyllis's death from lung cancer, at the age of 46, ended twenty-one years of marriage and left Astaire devastated. 3162 W. M.L.K, Jr Boulevard | Fayetteville, AR 72704 P: 479-332-5327 fayetteville@fredastaire.com Dance Crazy Inc. Corporate. In 1954, Astaire was about to start work on a new musical, Daddy Long Legs (1955) with Leslie Caron at 20th Century Fox. Unsplash. The partnership, and the choreography of Astaire and Hermes Pan, helped make dancing an important element of the Hollywood film musical. Astaire was so bereaved that he wanted to shut down the picture and offered to pay the production costs out of his pocket. "[citation needed]. The hardest job kids face today is learning good manners without seeing any. [citation needed], Intensely private, Fred Astaire was rarely seen on the Hollywood social scene. He is particularly associated with Ginger Rogers, with whom . Fred Astaire, original name Frederick Austerlitz, American dancer of stage and motion pictures who is best known for a number of highly successful musical comedy films in which he starred with Ginger Rogers, was born on May 10, 1899 in Omaha, Nebraska, the son of Johanna "Ann . Updates? He always thinks he is no good. "[24]:8 However, he was persuaded by the apparent public appeal of the AstaireRogers pairing. 1936) and Eliphalet (Peter) Potter IV (stepson), and a daughter Ava Astaire McKenzie . He is regarded by many as the greatest popular-music dancer of all time. Height: 5'9" (175 cm), 5'9" Males. He was named the fifth . "[citation needed], In 1976, British talk-show host Sir Michael Parkinson asked Astaire who his favorite dancing partner was on Parkinson. Looks, Research, Easy. 1975: Golden Globe for "Best Supporting Actor", 1978: National Artist Award from the American National Theatre Association for "contributing immeasurably to the American Theatre", 1982: The Anglo-American Contemporary Dance Foundation announced creation of the Astaire Awards "to honor Fred Astaire and his sister Adele and to reward the achievement of an outstanding dancer or dancers", 1987: The Capezio Dance Shoe Award (co-awarded with, 1987: Inducted into the National Museum of Dance's, 1991: Posthumous induction into the Ballroom Dancer's Hall of Fame, 1999: "Just Like Fred Astaire", a single by the English rock band, 2000: Ava Astaire McKenzie unveiled a plaque in honor of her father, erected by the citizens of, 2004: The "Adele and Fred Astaire Ballroom" added on the top floor of, 2006: "Fred Astaire" single released by the California rock band Lamps, 2011, 2013: "Fred Astaire", a song, in a Portuguese and a later English version by, 2012: "Fred Astaire", a single and video by, TBA: An untitled biopic is in development at, This page was last edited on 14 February 2023, at 21:51. Appeared in 4 films in a dramatic role, (No singing or dancing ) Notable performance as scientist Julian Osborne in the film "On The Beach" which he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award For Best Supporting Actor but lost to Stephen Boyd. The first few weeks were difficult, with most of the time being spent on Leslie's ballets and requiring as little as possible from the grieving man. Fred Astaire Jr. Wiki Biography. [December 2013]. [citation needed]. Official Sites, Ending an active dance sequence by calmly strolling off, Ranked #73 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [citation needed], Astaire and Rogers made nine films together at RKO: Flying Down to Rio (1933), The Gay Divorcee (1934), Roberta (1935, in which Astaire also demonstrates his oft-overlooked piano skills with a spirited solo on "I Won't Dance"), Top Hat (1935), Follow the Fleet (1936), Swing Time (1936), Shall We Dance (1937), Carefree (1938), and The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939). The choice had a controversial backlash because many believed his dancing in the special was not the type of "acting" for which the award was designed. But when it comes to selling records I was never worth anything particularly except as a collector's item. [citation needed] From vaudeville dancer Aurelio Coccia, they learned the tango, waltz, and other ballroom dances popularized by Vernon and Irene Castle. Later in his career, he became a little more amenable to accepting the direction of his collaborators. lm. On his return to RKO, he got fifth billing after fourth-billed Ginger Rogers in the 1933 Dolores del Ro vehicle Flying Down to Rio. Astaire and his first wife, socialite Phyllis Baker Potter, married in 1933 and had two children together, Fred Jr. and Ava. They starred in Broadway Melody of 1940, in which they performed a celebrated extended dance routine to Cole Porter's "Begin the Beguine". Sir Arthur John Gielgud OM CH (14 Nisan 1904 - 21 Mays 2000) Liyakat Nian ve Onur Madalyas sahibi, Emmy, Grammy, Tony ve Oscar dll tiyatro ve sinema oyuncusu. [68] Instead, he favored a breezy casual style of tailored sport jackets, colored shirts, and slacksthe latter usually held up by the distinctive use of an old tie or silk scarf in place of a belt. [citation needed], Astaire revolutionized dance on film by having complete autonomy over its presentation. He is an actor, known for Midas Run (1969). "[24]:420 Astaire maintained this policy from The Gay Divorcee in 1934 until his last film musical, Finian's Rainbow in 1968, when director Francis Ford Coppola overruled him. His legs were insured for one million dollars. [24]:15, Although Astaire was the primary choreographer of all his dance routines, he welcomed the input of collaborators and notably his principal collaborator Hermes Pan. Dancing is a vertical interpretation of a horizontal intention. III shows the two performances side by side in split-screen. A restoration of the program won a technical Emmy in 1988 for Ed Reitan, Don Kent, and Dan Einstein. Quotes By Fred Astaire Actors. In a recent profile for GQ, Oscar-nominated . He took up skateboarding in his seventies and was awarded a life membership in the National Skateboard Society. Starred in three Oscar Best Picture nominees: Never starred in a film which won the Academy Award for Best Picture. He was successful both in vaudeville and on Broadway in partnership with his sister, Adele Astaire. 6162, "You're All the World to Me" originated (with different lyrics) as "I Want to Be a Minstrel Man" in the, Thomas, p. 135: "I'd love to have been able to do more with my music, but I never had the time. Omissions? Volume Two, 1986-1990, pages 36-38. "[74] On December 5, 2021, Tom Holland announced that he would be portraying Astaire in an upcoming biopic, which attracted criticism due to the clause.[75]. I didn't like some of the small-time vaudeville, because we weren't going on and getting better. In fact, he often believed that he had no business being a dancer despite his reputation as Hollywood's greatest dancer. His dances are economical yet endlessly nuanced. I've just managed to live down one partnership and I don't want to be bothered with any more. ", Astaire made the comment in a 1980 interview on, The only other entertainer to receive this treatment at the time was, Coppola also fired Hermes Pan from the film. [70][71], Astaire's life has never been portrayed on film. Caron remembered, "Fred used to sit down during a rehearsal and put his face in his towel and just cry. He negotiated with RKO to strike out on his own with A Damsel in Distress in 1937 with an inexperienced, non-dancing Joan Fontaine, unsuccessfully as it turned out. Astaire did not retire from dancing altogether. 21 Mays 2000 (96 yanda) Buckinghamshire, ngiltere. I'm just a hoofer with a spare set of tails. Despite the sumptuousness of the production and the good reviews from critics, it failed to make back its cost. Frame for frame, the two performances are identical, down to the subtlest gesture. He is referenced in the "Bob Burgers" episode "Tappy Tappy Tappy Tap Tap Tap" (Season 10, Episode 18). Let's Dance with Betty Hutton was on loan-out to Paramount. Studio RKO famously paired Fred Astaire with Ginger Rogers in 1933's "Flying Down to Rio," and the rest was history. Extremely modest about his singing abilities (he frequently claimed that he could not sing,[45] but the critics rated him as among the finest), Astaire introduced some of the most celebrated songs from the Great American Songbook, in particular, Cole Porter's: "Night and Day" in Gay Divorce (1932); "So Near and Yet So Far" in You'll Never Get Rich (1941); Irving Berlin's "Isn't This a Lovely Day? "[23], Adele's sparkle and humor drew much of the attention, owing in part to Fred's careful preparation and sharp supporting choreography. Fred Astaire's second marriage would last up until Astaire's death in 1987 from pneumonia. They would work with a rehearsal pianist (often the composer Hal Borne) who in turn would communicate modifications to the musical orchestrators. Only oncein Carefree (1938)did Astaire and Rogers share an on-screen kiss, and then only in a dream sequence. Fred Astaire died in 1987 from pneumonia, at the age of 88. During these years, he was also active in recording and radio. Similarly, Astaire's next project his final musical at MGM, Silk Stockings (1957), in which he co-starred with Cyd Charisse also lost money at the box office. Actor, Dancer, Singer, Entertainer. [citation needed], Occasionally Astaire took joint screen credit for choreography or dance direction, but he usually left the screen credit to his collaborator. Fred Astaire is widely considered one of the greatest dancers of all time. Born Frederick Austerlitz Jr. in Omaha, Nebraska, the son of an Austrian immigrant father and an American mother of Lutheran German descent, he entered show business at the age of 5, working in both vaudeville and Broadway in partnership with his older sister, Adele. 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