IT
HAD TO BEGIN SOMEWHERE
Astaire
& Rogers.
Rogers
& Astaire.
It
all began by accident in 1933.
It was supposed to be Fred Astaire and
Dorothy Jordan as the supporting players in
"Flying Down to Rio." Astaire &
Jordan.
But
just before production began, Jordan eloped
with Merian C. Cooper (the producer of "King
Kong") and left show biz.
Rogers
was a last-minute replacement.
We've
got the very first Astaire & Rogers
dance for you waiting in the wings.
You'll
enjoy it once you've scrolled through the
website items we're featuring today:
Coincidentally,
today is the 92nd anniversary of "Flying
Down to Rio's" premiere at Radio City Music
Hall.
The
movie caused two sensations:
One was Astaire & Rogers' debut as a
dancing pair in "The Carioca." Public
reaction was massive and wildly
positive. A re-teaming in the future
was a no-brainer.
The
second sensation?
The airborne finale, which -- for 1933 --
was thrilling with a capital "T."
Audiences had never seen anything like it.
And
here's a bonus:
Fred & Ginger saluted in a Warner
Brothers' cartoon from 1937, entitled
"September in the Rain."
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