… is …
To those who do not know him (shame on you; shame on me coz as of lately I did not know him either), it’s Fred Astaire. Now why do I say that according to imdb he is the best all-time actor? The answer is very simple – look closely at the provided link – especially at its last part: nm0000001. He was the first actor to be added to the imdb database when it was being created. This cannot be just pure coincidence!
PS: Unfortunately, the first added movie (with 0000001 index) is some 1894′ 1 minute short called Carmencita (1894) and it’s not widely known.
Well, there’s this American passion for musicals, much stronger than anywhere else in the world. They’re the best at it. This is their genre. They cannot live without it, cannot breathe. But he was a decent guy and a talented one as well. Who could have danced better?
Well, there was Gene Kelly.
Gene Kelly’s art evolved from Astaire’s work.
Fred is the first actor on the data base, but even he would not say he was the best. He was an adequate actor who sometimes seemed forced…but he was also the most superlative dancer and choreographer. An eternal poet of graceful and natural movement.
In acting, the actress who aided Fred immensely in the beginning of his film career, was Ginger Rogers. She was an A-Level actress who gave Fred, with his less-than-leading-man looks, screen credibility. If this gorgeous young woman loved him, then the audience could not fail to too. And when they danced, something unique to film happened…pure magic.
In regard to who was the better dancer, Fred or Gene… here’s a quote from George Balanchine: “Fred Astaire was the greatest dancer of the 20th century.”. Period. And in regard to Ginger he said: “The reason I came to America was because of wonderful dancers like Ginger Rogers.”. Both Fred and Ginger had almost no formal training. They were natural dancers, just as they were natural actors. It was never an impediment to them. Their work is timeless.
@Rich: well said. Thank you!