Let me fill you in on Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers - the most famous Hollywood dance team, who made ten films together. An add-on of Lew Ayres, who was married to Ginger. And winding up with the cute (but intolerable, to me) Jeannette MacDonald and her frequent co-star in eight films, Nelson Eddy. Wrapping up with some wry and salacious stories of famous men associated with Jeanette .

Fred Astaire was one of the first 10 autographs I ever received when I started collecting in 1979.  This is how and when I started collecting … 

When I wrote to Fred Astaire in 1979 it was mainly because my fellow autograph collector friends told me that he answered very quickly and I knew that he was a famous dancer. But I had not seen any of his movies. Fred was great through the mail. My letter to him was sent on July 12th, 1979 and my response with autographs from Mr. Astaire was received on July 18th, 1979. (I think my neighbor and close friend Nancy W. also wrote to Fred and got an equally quick response.) He signed the postcard that I sent him, and included his own 5x7. This is an example of a fantastic autograph, unique and artistic. People just don't sign autographs like that anymore.

As for his actual work, I think that I knew him from being in the Towering Inferno because I loved all of those disaster movies and I also saw him on the amazing Dobermans. It wasn't until many many years later that I watched him on film, and it was because I was watching everything Joan Crawford related. Technically my first full Fred Astaire movie recall was his scene dancing with Joan Crawford and dancing lady from 1933. 

I've seen clips of him and ginger dancing together, but honestly other than the dancing scenes I'm really not a big fan of musicals and I don't think that I've seen any of their co-starring vehicles all the way through. Of course they danced beautifully together and I remember Ginger Rogers saying something along the lines of I had to do everything that he did but backwards and in heels.  When it comes to Old School dancers I know that there are two camps of elegant Astaire vs athletic Kelly, and I guess I fall in the latter. 

Great compilation of Fred and Ginger 

Being a big Cole porter fan I was surprised that Fred Astaire was the person who made night and day a popular song, but I can't say that I love his thin, reedy voice singing it in the movie.  I know it was the style of the day and I know he was an amazing dancer, I may yet come to appreciate him more if I can force myself to sit through more musicals.  I think I should tackle the bandwagon with him and Cyd Charisse since their dance scenes as highlighted and clips, look pretty amazing. 

Although Fred Astaire's address was pretty easy to find because it was on virtually every map of the Hollywood stars homes, Ginger Rogers was a different case. I wrote to Ginger at her home in Oregon I think? It took a while for me to hear back from her and I got a letter from her secretary first saying that Ginger would sign when she got back. And ultimately I did get all of the pictures that I sent to Ginger Rogers back, duly signed. Ginger Rogers is another one with an incredibly unique and beautiful autograph. Puts all of today's scribblers to shame. Her signature is just a work of art! 

In regards to Ginger's work, I've already mentioned above how I feel about her nine movies with Fred Astaire. Some great dancing clips, but I just haven't sit through any of them all the way through. I did see her Best Actress oscar-winning role from 1940 as Kitty Foyle way back in the day. And I thought it was just okay. I remember having to really have to suspend disbelief to embrace her character in part of the film as a teenager. Since she was 29 at the time. 

The goss about Ginger Rogers was that HER mother was the mother of all stage mothers. Lela Rogers made damn sure that her daughter was disciplined and worked hard and became a star. Also she was known by photographers and makeup crew for having heavy peach fuzz all over her face which had to be touched up in photographic negatives and covered up in makeup for film.  But I don't think I've read or heard in any of the Hollywood biographies or lore that I know of that she was difficult or bitchy. 

BUT. I think that my favorite all time Ginger Rogers moment is a very brief scene in Black Widow from 1953 where she confronts Peggy Ann Garner about sleeping with her husband and when Peggy and Garner turns away, Ginger very quickly grabs her by the scarf around her neck to choke her. "You're the one that's going to get out of here and get out of New York too if you know what's good for you" Ginger says that she menacingly and slowly walks towards Peggy Ann before the choking. Now THAT was interesting and out of character. I loved it! 

I also saw her playing Jean Harlow's mother, Mama Jean, in one of the two 1965 Harlow biographies- the one starring Carol Lynley - but I wanted it to be better than it was. The other version of Harlow was campier and more glamorous. As per usual, Ginger did her best job with the limited screen time and not so great script that she had to work with. 

Now I've got to see Roxie Hart. Looking up her credits I see that she starred in the version of Chicago before it was Chicago the musical?!? Okay I'm going to check that out. 

Rogers and Astaire - Hollywood legends, and top box office Stars of the mid 30s. Ginger died with a net worth of $20 million, no kids and no husband, and Fred died with a net worth of $10 million, two kids from his first marriage and a much younger wife who had been a jockey (and who I had personally thought was a lesbian before they got married).   My point here is that the one who was single with no kids had more money LOL. 

Oh but wait I''ll add on one more person. Ginger Rogers was married five times, never more than 6 years. So I don't know whether or not that attests to anything about her compatibility, or maybe that some people are just better off single. But it's interesting to note that her first husband was Lou Ayres also known as "Dr. Kildare" in 9 movies (I've seen none of them, but writing this reminded me that I like the novelty song about "Dr. Kildare" called The Cure from the '60s).  The associated image for "The Cure" by Smitty Williams is simply a visual that should make you feel better, regardless of the malady.

They were married for 6 years, but separated for three of those so I'm not sure. Maybe she was hard to get along with. 

But I bring it up because I wrote to Lew Ayres without seeing any of his films, I don't think I've seen any to this day. Damn, he worked a lot from 1926 all the way through the 90's and I think the only thing I saw was maybe "Salem's Lot" which I don't remember him being in. And I saw the 1926 film "Kiss" with Greta Garbo but I don't remember him in that either. Clearly my memory sucks sometimes. Or he just wasn't memorable in either film since his role was small in both. I should watch "All Quiet on the Western Front" which I think was the movie that made him famous and is a classic and award winner.  Oh and he was nominated for an Academy Award in "Johnny Belinda" for which Jane Wyman won best actress as a deaf rape victim... but she kind of bugs so I avoid most of her films.  Bottom line is I have seen none of the films for which Lew Ayres is most famous. Shrug. For some reason I wat​ch weird random obscure, cult or campy films but often overlook the most obvious big ones. 

I wrote to Lew Ayres simply because I had some good pictures of him. Especially the profile shot that was cut out of John Kobal Hollywood portraits. He was a great signer through the mail.

Lastly, I'm going to close out with another famous movie duo - Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy. I prefer nails on a chalkboard to watching their movies. Jeanette was attractive, took many great photos and had an interesting diva personality earning her the tile of "Iron Butterfly".

Instead of my own vituperative text about Jeanette, I laughed out loud when I came across the attached page (shown here) on Miss MacDonald from "Did She or Didn't She" by Mart Martin. My esteemed friend and Hollywood Historian, Mark Vieira, may not approve of my disparagement of Jeanette. My excuse is that these aren't even MY words or observations, but the content is priceless. And I'm displaying autographs of the gentlemen (?) involved.

"Jeanette was the easiest lay in Hollywood" - Rouben Mamoulian

"I never thought she had much of a sense of humor" - Maurice Chevalier (And BTW - can you imagine an old man in today's age having a hit song called "Thank Heaven for Little Girls"?!?! WOKE ALARM!

"Gene Raymond spent his honeymoon with Jeannette ... having sex with Mary Pickford's husband, Buddy Rogers, while they were on a joint honeymoon cruise together". Whether this is fact or fiction, I was howling. Lots more to come on Pickford, Buddy, Fairbanks, Pickfair and Pia Zadora. Yes, they're connected.

So in summary: I love Fred and Ginger - legends. Lew Ayres is a nice footnote. But watching the prima donna Jeanette and benign Nelson Eddy singing into each other's face ... I. JUST. CAN'T.

"When I'm callling you ....ewww ewwww ewwww"

Maybe I'll appreciate Jeannette when I'm 85.

And deaf.