Puttin' on the Ritz: Fred Astaire and the Fine Art of Panache, a Biography - Hardcover

Fred Astaire always seemed to be the dapper guy dancing across the screen; but, he wasn't always Mr. White Tie and Tails. In "Puttin' on the Ritz", Peter Levinson looks at the creation of America's greatest dancer and how he grew from a Nebraska boy, with family roots in the late 19th century Austrian Jewish community, into the personification of panache on the dance floor as he partnered a bevy of beautiful women including his sister, Adele, Ginger Rogers, Cyd Charisse, Judy Garland and Rita Hayworth. At first, people thought he was too aloof; but once he learned to tap and bought his first Brooks Brothers suit, everything changed. He left his mark on Hollywood with films like "Swing Time" and "The Bandwagon." His friendship with the Gershwin's, Porter and Berlin created classic American songbook interpretations. And, on NBC in 1958, "An Evening with Fred Astaire" made history by presenting an hour of Astaire dancing live on television and winning nine Emmy awards. Levinson looks at all of Astaire's career - his genius as a dancer, his limitations as a singer, his feelings about his partners and the history-making television specials to create a surprising new look at a Hollywood icon who learned how to use the fine art of 'panache' to create a legend.

PETER LEVINSON (1934-2008) was a highly respected music publicist and author of the critically acclaimed biographies "Trumpet Blues, September in the Rain, "and" Livin' In a Great Big Way. "