Funny Face, the 1957 romantic musical comedy written by Leonard Gershe and Stanley Donen, stars the unlikely couple of Audrey Hepburn, a 28-year-old fresh-faced beauty, opposite Fred Astaire, a 58-year-old former Vaudeville dancer. An age gap like this might seem creepy today, but in the Golden Age of Hollywood, moviegoers were used to seeing on-screen…
Tag: Fred Astaire
Why Was “Easter Parade” a Blockbuster Success in 1948?
In 1948, Easter Parade was a box office sensation. The film grossed over $5 million, making it the highest-grossing movie of the year. But why was Easter Parade such a hit? Among the factors that made the film a blockbuster success were its all-star cast and its memorable musical score. Easter Parade tells the story…
Eleanor Powell: MGM’s Queen of Tap
According to insider talk, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was in danger of bankruptcy as the 1930s were drawing to a close, but the studio was saved thanks in part to the tap-dancing talents of Eleanor Powell, one of the greatest dancers of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Powell’s performance in Broadway Melody of 1936, her first starring role, was such…