Fred Astaire danced his way to stardom, enjoying a successful career on stage and in films for 76 years. His appeal to fans around the world has not worn off, and he was even named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute. Exuding originality, Astaire possessed a quality not yet seen by other stars dominating the stage at the time. Throughout the 1920s, Astaire on his family danced their way to stardom with such incredible triumphs as "Funny Face," "Lady, Be Good!" and "The Band Wagon." Of course, this was just the beginning. Fred Astaire would become one of America's most popular stage and screen dancers, especially when he partnered with leading lady Ginger Rogers.

Astaire and Rogers teamed up together in several circumstances and made nine musicals together between 1933 and 1939 with RKO Pictures. Their musicals turned out to be some of the biggest money makers of the Great Depression. Both were skilled on their feet, as they swung and swirled and tap danced their way into the hearts of devoted fans around the world. Some of their biggest hits include The Gay Divorcee, Top Hat, Swing Time and Shall We Dance. Their partnership on the screen is often looked upon as the greatest match-up in the movies, and their flow and coordination as they glided across the screen is long remembered even after the credits roll.

After their huge success on the screen, Astaire and Rogers parted ways and Astaire focused on freelancing his efforts with Never Get Rich and You Were Never Lovelier. After some other lackluster performances seemed to doom his popularity at the box office, Astaire decided to retire from motion pictures. Fortunately for his many fans, retirement bliss would not last. Fred Astaire returned with a true zest for really dancing the night away. Some of his later performances included The Barkleys of Broadway alongside Ginger Rogers, Royal Wedding, Silk Stockings and Funny Face. Fred Astaire continued to wow the industry with his incredible genius on the dance floor and only retired when he lamented that his age impeded him from performing on a level up to his par.