Another Evening with Fred Astaire
[ Cast ] [ Crew ] [ Production Company ] [ Technical Information ]
[ Musical Numbers ] [ Soundtrack ] [ Reviews ] [ Trivia ]
Cast
| Fred Astaire |
| Barrie Chase |
| The Jonah Jones Quartet |
| Ken Nordine |
| Alvin Stoller |
| Bill Thompson Singers |
| The Hermes Pan Dancers: |
Bea Busch |
|
Darlene Engle |
|
Gretchen Hauser |
|
Lee Irwin |
|
Larri Thomas |
|
Becky Varno |
|
Nick Covacevich |
|
Fred Curt |
|
Roy Fitzell |
|
Jimmy Huntley |
|
Bert May |
|
Frank Radcliffe |
|
Jack Tygett |
| David Rose and his Orchestra |
Crew
| Director |
Bud Yorkin |
| Producer |
Bud Yorkin |
|
Fred Astaire (Executive) |
| Screenplay |
Bud Yorkin |
| Special Material |
Herbert Baker |
| Choreographer |
Hermes Pan |
| Assistant Choreographer |
Gino Malerba |
|
David Robel |
|
Pat Denise |
| Art Director |
Edward Stephenson |
| Costumes |
Ray Aghayan |
|
Jean Louis (Barrie Chase's gowns) |
| Music Director |
David Rose |
| Choral Director |
Bill Thompson |
Production Company
Ava Productions
Technical Information
| Premiere: |
November 4, 1959, NBC-TV |
| Repeated: |
May 9, 1960 |
| Runtime: |
60 minutes |
| Country: |
USA |
| Language: |
English |
| Color: |
Color |
Musical Numbers
 | "Like Fast/The Afterbeat"
Performed by Fred Astaire
|
| "That Face"
Performed by Fred Astaire and Barrie Chase
|
| "Drum Solo Dance"
Performed by Fred Astaire and Alvin Stoller (drums)
|
| "My Blue Heaven/A Gal In Calico"
Performed by The Jonah Jones Quartet
|
| "Man with the Blues"
Performed by Fred Astaire, Barrie Chase and the Hermes Pan dancers
|
| "Night Train"
Performed by Fred Astaire, Jonah Jones Quartet and the Hermes Pan
dancers
|
| "My Baby/Word Jazz"
Performed by Fred Astaire and Barrie Chase
Narrated by Ken Nordine
|
| "Waltzing Matilda"
Performed by the Hermes Pan dancers
|
| "Sophisticated Lady"
Performed by Fred Astaire, Barrie Chase and the Hermes Pan dancers
|
| "Fascinating Rhythm/Dancing In The Dark/The Way You Look
Tonight/Dearly Beloved/Steppin' Out With My Baby/Let's Face the Music and
Dance/The Carioca/The Continental/One For My Baby/By Myself/Puttin' On The
Ritz/Top Hat, White Tie and
Tails"
Performed by Fred Astaire |
Soundtrack
·
“Like Fast/The Afterbeat”
Written by Astaire
·
“That Face”
Written by Astaire, Chase
·
“Drum Solo Dance”
Written by Astaire, Alvin Stoller (drummer)
·
“My Blue Heaven/A Gal in Calico”
Written by Jonah Jones Quartet
·
“Night Train”
Written by Astaire, Dancers, Jones Quartet
·
“My Baby/Word Jazz”
Written by Astaire, Chase,
narrated by Ken Nordine
·
“Waltzing Matilda”
Written by Dancers
·
“Sophisticated Lady”
Written by Astaire, Chase, Male Dancers, Medley
·
“Fascinating Rhythm/Dancing in the Dark/The Way You Look Tonight/Dearly
Beloved/Steppin’ Out with My Baby/Let’s Face the Music and Dance/The
Carioca/The Continental/One for My Baby/By Myself/Puttin’on the Ritz/Top Hat,
White Tie and Tails”
Written by Astaire
Reviews
- Hollywood
Reporter, 11.06.59, Hank Grant - “Thoughts that Fred Astaire might be
hard to match, let alone surpass, the excellence of his first spec last
season went out the window before 15 minutes had elapsed in his second
milestone Wednesday night…This was not just solid entertainment but GREAT
entertainment.”
- Variety,
11.11.59: “Back for another 60-minute special this fall after bowling over
the critical fraternity with his first outing on TV last season, Fred
Astaire fashioned another nifty stanza of lacquer-polished
entertainment…Although it lacked some of the excitement and consistent
excellence of Astaire’s TV bow, this show was marked by the same savvy
pacing and production fitnesse…Off-key with the main tone of the show was
the idea of having Astaire appear as Alfred E. Newman (the Mad
magazine character) in the ‘Sophisticated Lady’ number…There was also
a more off-and-looking plug for the Astaire dance studios which perhaps
could have been edited out.”
Trivia
- In
talking about working on the special, Hermes Pan stated, “I have been
finding out things. I saw that the extreme depth of focus of the television
cameras made it possible to create tremendously exciting effects, illusions
of space or nearness that could add to the dynamics of the dance. Also, by
staggering the arrangement of the dancers – maybe one or two in front, and
the rest fanning out behind them – you could make more meaningful
patterns…My entire company consisted of eight boys and eight girls. In the
‘Night Train’ number, however, I think we produced an illusion of a
really crowded, busy railroad station with less than twenty people. It’s a
fascinating medium.” At the time, TV had the capability of being taped and
Pan “admitted to approving of the process insofar as it eliminated such
production problems as quick changes of sets or costumes; but he feared that
it might encourage the innumerable takes and retakes of the movies, thus
eliminating the sense of immediacy and spontaneity which he considers the
special charm of television” (B167).
- “Night
Train” was considered being dropped from the show because of its opening
lyrics about “My sweetie’s left me.” “As soon as ‘sweetie’ got
on the train, the number was over for all practical purposes.” Pan rewrote
the lyrics to state that “sweetie” was coming back on the night train.
The number stayed and was one of the highlights on the show.
- The
show won both the Arbitron and Trendex ratings for the night and the week,
the TV Guide Award and Astaire won the Dance Magazine Award in
1959.
|
Ads by Google
|
