George Gershwin

Today is the 107th birthday of George Gershwin. Of course, the careers of the Gershwins and Fred Astaire are closely linked. Fred and his sister Adele appeared in three Gershwin musicals on Broadway, including Lady Be Good and Funny Face. Ginger Rogers starred in the Gershwin musical Girl Crazy and Fred helped coach her for the dancing in the show.

The Gershwins also wrote music for two films in which Astaire starred - Shall We Dance and A Damsel in Distress. "Damsel" is one of my favorite films. It has dancing by Astaire, comedy by Burns and Allen, and is based on a book by Wodehouse. What more could you ask!