美国名人电影演员、舞蹈家弗雷德·阿斯泰尔.docx

美国名人电影演员、舞蹈家弗雷德阿斯泰尔FredAstaire,1899-1987:HisActing,SingingandDancingChangedtheAmericanMotionPictureMusicalplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-16:07repeatByNancySteinbach2007-6-30ANNOUNCER:PEOPLEINAMERICA-aVOASpecialEnglishprogramaboutfamousAmericansofthepast.Today,HarryMonroeandKayGallanttellthestoryofdancerandmoviestar;FredAstaire.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:Theyearisnineteenthirty-two.TheUnitedStatesissufferingthegreatesteconomicdepressioninitshistory.Jobsarehardtofind.Oneyoungmanisattemptingtogetajobdancinginthemovies.Earlier,heandhissisterhadmadeashortfilmshowinghowtheydancedandsang.Amotionpicturecompanyofficialwatchesthefilm.Hewritesthisabouttheyoungman:"Can'tact.Can'tsing.Slightlybald.Candancealittle."Evenwiththispoorreport,theyoungmanstillgetsajobinthemovies.And-intime-hisacting,singinganddancingchangedtheAmericanmotionpicturemusical.HisnamewasFredAstaire.(MUSIC:"IWanttoBeaDancingMan")VOICETWO:FredAstairewasbornintheMiddleWesterncityofOmaha,Nebraska,ineighteenninety-nine.HewasthesecondchildofanAustrianbeermaker,FrederickAusterlitz,andhiswife,AnnGeliusAusterlitz.Fredandhissister,Adele,learnedtodancewhentheywereveryyoung.TheirmothertookthemtoNewYorktostudydance.TheyperformedintheirfirstprofessionalshowwhenFredwastenyearsoldandAdelewastwelve.Later;asteenagers,thetwodancedinmanyshowsthroughouttheUnitedStates.TheirfirstbigsuccesswasonBroadwayinnineteenseventeen.OnecriticwrotethatFreddancedasifhehadnobones.VOICEONE:TheAstaires-astheywereknown-quicklybecameBroadwaystars.Duringthenineteentwenties,theysanganddancedinelevendifferentshows.TheyalsoperformedinEngland.Innineteenthirty-two,AdeleAstairemarriedaBritishman,andstoppedperforming.Criticshadalwaysconsideredherabetterdancerthanherbrother.ButFreddidnotgiveup.Hewouldgoonalone,inthemovies.Manyyearslaterinthefilm,"TheBandwagonz"heplayedamaninasimilarsituation.(MUSIC:"ByMyseltAlone")VOICETWO:OneofFred'sfirstfilmswascalled"FlyingDownToRio."ItwasinthismoviethathefirstdancedwithayoungwomannamedGingerRogers.FredandGingerwerenotthestarsofthepicture.Butwhentheydancedthisdance,TheCarioca,everyoneknewthatsomethingimportantwashappeningintheworldofmoviedancing.(MUSIC:"TheCarioca")VOICEONE:FredAstaireandGingerRogersmadeninemoviestogether.Theirdancingwasconsidered-andstillisconsidered-thebestballroomdancingintheworld.DancecriticArleneCrocewrote:"AstaireandRogersbecamethemostpopularteamthemovieshaveeverknown.Theirdancingwasavehicleofseriousemotionbetweenamanandawoman.Itneverhappenedinthemoviesagain."ManygreatAmericansongwriterswantedtowritesongsforFredandGinger.AmongthemwereJeromeKern,IrvingBerlin,ColePorter,andGeorgeandIraGershwin.TheylikedthewayFredsangasong.Hediditsimply,withrespectforthewords.OneofthesesongswasColePorter's"NightandDay."FredsangittoGingerinthemovie"TheGayDivorcee."(MUSIC:"NightandDay")VOICETWO:FredAstairemadefortyotherfilms.InadditiontoGingerRogers,hedancedwithmanyothertalentedwomen.RitaHayworth.EleanorPowell.JudyGarland.CydCharisse.LeslieCaron.Fredalsodancedaloneinsomeveryunusualplaces.Hedancedupwallsandontheceilinginthefilm"RoyalWedding."Hedancedonrooftopsin"TheBelleofNewYork."Hedancedonrollerskatesin"ShallWeDance?"Andhedancedwithfirecrackersexplodingathisfeetin"HolidayInn."VOICEONE:FredAstairemadeallthislookeasy.Butitwasnot.Criticshavesaidhistechnicalskillwasthegreatestinthehistoryofthemoviemusical.Hesaid:"Dancingisasweatjob.Youcannotjustsitdownanddoit.Youhavetogetuponyourfeet.Ittakestimetogetadanceright,tocreatesomethingmemorable.IalwaystrytogettoknowmydancesowellthatIdonothavetothink,'whatcomesnext?'Everythingshouldfallintoline.AndthenIknowIhavegotcontrolofthefloor."VOICETWO:Beforeeachmoviewasfilmed,FredAstaireandhispartnerworkedforasmanyassixweekstoplaneachstepandmovement.Healsoplannedhowthecameraswouldphotographthem,sothatasmuchdancingaspossiblecouldbefilmedatonetime.Earlier,moviedirectorshadphotographeddancersshowingonepartoftheirbodyatatimeastheydanced.Fredwouldnotpermitthis.Hewantedmoviegoerstoseehiswholebodyatalltimes.Andhewouldnotpermitanycameratrickstomakehisdancingappearsmootherorfasterthanitwas.Innineteenforty-nine,FredAstairewonaspecialawardforhisfilmworkfromAmerica'sMotionPictureAcademy.Healsowonawardsfromthetelevisionindustryforanumberofhistelevisionprograms.VOICEONE:Fredstoppeddancinginnineteenseventy.Hewasmorethanseventyyearsoldatthetime.Hesaidadancercouldnotcontinuedancingforever.Hesaidhedidnotwanttodisappointanyone,evenhimself.Hedancedagaininpubliconlyonceafterthat.Itwaswithanothergreatmaledancer,GeneKelly,inthemovie"That'sEntertainment,PartTwo".Freddidnotalwaysappearasadancingman.Hehadadramaticpartinthemovie"OnTheBeach"innineteenfifty-nine.Andhestarredinanon-dancingtelevisionseriescalled"ItTakesaThief".VOICETWO:FredAstaireandhisfirstwife,Phyllis,raisedthreechildren.Phyllisdiedinnineteenfifty-four.Twenty-fiveyearslater,FredmarriedracehorseriderRobynSmith.FredAstairediedonJunetwenty-second,nineteeneighty-seven.Hewaseighty-eightyearsold.Hewascalledthegreatestdancerintheworld.Hisdancingwascalledperfect.Andmoviegoerseverywherewillrememberhimasagreatperformerwhoseworkwillliveforeverinhisfilms.(MUSIC:"IWanttoBeaDancingMan")ANNOUNCER:YouhavebeenlisteningtoPeopleInAmerica-aprograminSpecialEnglishontheVoiceofAmerica.ThisprogramwaswrittenbyNancySteinbach.KayGallantandHarryMonroewerethenarrators.mShirleyGriffith.