Hollywood Rivals Fred Astaire vs. Gene Kelly
Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly were sublime dancers, choreographers, singers and actors. Unsurpassed in the 1930s, Fred Astaire found his heir apparent in Gene Kelly, when he arrived in Hollywood in the 1940s.
Graciously retiring aged 47, Astaire left the stage clear for Kelly - 13 years his junior - but made a triumphant temporary comeback to replace an ailing Kelly in 1948 opposite Judy Garland in Easter Parade. The legendary partnership with Ginger Rogers began in 1933, resulting in ten magical dance films, including the divine toe-tapping Top Hat (1935).
