Movies by Fred Astaire

The Towering Inferno

The Towering Inferno

At the opening party of a colossal—but poorly constructed—skyscraper, a massive fire breaks out, threatening to destroy the tower and everyone in it.

On the Beach

On the Beach

In 1964, atomic war wipes out humanity in the northern hemisphere; one American submarine finds temporary safe haven in Australia, where life-as-usual covers growing despair. In denial about the loss of his wife and children in the holocaust, American Captain Towers meets careworn but gorgeous Moira Davidson, who begins to fall for him. The sub returns after reconnaissance a month (or less) before the end; will Towers and Moira find comfort with each other?

The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town

The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town

The Mailman decides to stop another deluge of letters by answering questions about the Easter Bunny: Sunny, a baby rabbit found and adopted by Kidville (a town of only kids--even a kid mailman). And when Sunny goes delivering eggs to the nearby town (which he has to dye to fool Gadzooks, the mean bear on the mountain), he discovers that there are no kids in the town, and that the rightful (kid) ruler is being suppressed by his aunt. But the young king likes Sunny's dyed eggs and jelly beans. So Kidsville, with the help of an old train engine...

Easter Parade: On the Avenue

Easter Parade: On the Avenue

This documentary tells the story of the making of Irving Berlin's Easter Parade.

Cole Porter in Hollywood: Begin the Beguine

Cole Porter in Hollywood: Begin the Beguine

An overview of Cole Porter’s musical contributions to the film Broadway Melody of 1940.

A Family Upside Down

A Family Upside Down

An elderly married couple find that as their physical and mental health deteriorates, they find themselves dependent more and more upon their grown children.

Twenty Years After

Twenty Years After

This short celebrates the 20th anniversary of MGM. Segments are shown from several early hits, then from a number of 1944 releases.

A Bing Crosby Christmas

A Bing Crosby Christmas

The program on this DVD is basically a retrospective produced in the early 1990s for public television that was originally called «A Bing Crosby Christmas: Just Like the Ones You Used to Know» that was narrated by Gene Kelly and hosted by Bing's widow, Kathryn Crosby. The program itself features clips from fifteen of Bing's classic television specials, concentrating on the period from the early 1960s onwards when he included Kathryn and their three children in the programs.

A Life in Technicolor

A Life in Technicolor

Alone in her apartment during the pandemic, Natalie turns to her favorite classic movies to keep her company. When her life in color gradually begins to turn to black-and-white, she takes a magical tour through film history, recreating a dazzling array of classic movie scenes.

Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1930s: Dancing Away the Great Depression

Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1930s: Dancing Away the Great Depression

A two-hour in-depth exploration into the Hollywood musicals of the 1930s.

Dance Crazy in Hollywood

Dance Crazy in Hollywood

American dancer and choreographer Hermes Pan recalls his life and work as he relives the glorious history of the Hollywood musical.

Let's Dance

Let's Dance

Years after the death of her husband, Kitty McNeil takes her son and flees from the home of her wealthy and controlling mother-in-law. Alone and jobless in New York, she runs into an old flame, her USO partner Donald Elwood, who agrees to help her fight for custody of the child.

Top Hat

Top Hat

Showman Jerry Travers is working for producer Horace Hardwick in London. Jerry demonstrates his new dance steps late one night in Horace's hotel room, much to the annoyance of sleeping Dale Tremont below. She goes upstairs to complain and the two are immediately attracted to each other. Complications arise when Dale mistakes Jerry for Horace.

Showbiz Goes to War

Showbiz Goes to War

While a few Hollywood celebrities such as James Stewart and Clark Gable saw combat during World War II, the majority used their talents to rally the American public through bond sales, morale-boosting USO tours, patriotic war dramas and escapist film fare. Comedian David Steinberg plays host for this star-studded, 90-minute documentary, which looks at the way Tinseltown helped the United States' war effort.

Stars of Cabaret

Stars of Cabaret

A collection of amateur films made by photographer Roderic Vickers and friends.

Perspectives: For the Love of Fred Astaire

Perspectives: For the Love of Fred Astaire

Strictly Come Dancing's Len Goodman shows his softer side in Fred Astaire tribute. Includes interviews with Astaire's daughter Ava as well as dance partner Barrie Chase.

In Full Swing

In Full Swing

A documentary on the making of the 1936 film Swing Time, featuring interviews with jazz and film critic Gary Giddens, dance critic Brian Seibert, and Dorothy Fields biographer Deborah Grace Winer. This is an all-encompassing feature covering the evolution of the Hollywood musical, Astaire's and Rogers' work, and the film's music, written by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields.

Cole Porter in Hollywood: Satin and Silk

Cole Porter in Hollywood: Satin and Silk

This documentary short subject details the making of the 1957 MGM musical, "Silk Stockings". Hosted by its star Cyd Charisse, the film gives behind-the-scenes glimpses of how this film was made with interviews by musical director Andre Previn and supporting actress Janis Paige.

The Man in the Santa Claus Suit

The Man in the Santa Claus Suit

The mysterious owner of a costume shop rents a Santa Claus suit to three very different men: a math teacher trying to get the nerve to propose, a homeless restaurateur trying to hide from the mob, and a harried political speech writer visiting with his estranged wife and son. Their lives are inexorably changed by their experience of playing Santa Claus.

Sid & Judy

Sid & Judy

Explore the dramatic career and personal struggles of the talented and tragically short-lived entertainer Judy Garland through rare concert footage, never-heard-before voice recordings and personal photos.