Steppin’ Out : Fred Astaire’s Footwork Comes Through On Home Video

Fred Astaire entertained people for more than three-quarters of a century in vaudeville; on Broadway, records, radio and television, and in nearly 40 motion pictures (more than 30 are available in home video), including the greatest dance musicals ever made.

The second volume of a two-volume RKO Home Video set is an erratic collection, featuring Astaire post-Ginger Rogers. It features Astaire’s never-duplicated movie dances, along with interviews with Gene Kelly, choreographer Hermes Pan and others.

Joanne Woodward narrates the hourlong program, which logically features Astaire’s amazing solos-his devilish Fourth of July firecrackers number from “Holiday Inn,” leading the Artie Shaw band in “Second Chorus,” his piano dance from “Let’s Dance.”

Some of the dazzling array of actresses Astaire whirled around the set are also featured: Rita Hayworth, Leslie Caron, Audrey Hepburn and Betty Hutton.

A full banquet and yet, there is not one dance from Astaire’s 10 MGM musicals-- perhaps his finest film work after the RKO-Rogers triumphs. Two MGM/UA releases, however, offer a summary of Astaire’s MGM days: “That’s Dancing” and “That’s Entertainment, Part II.”

Better yet are the MGM films themselves.

“Easter Parade” with Judy Garland (MGM/ UA tape and disc)--This 1948 Irving Berlin musical is one of the best post-Rogers-Astaire musicals, featuring Astaire and Garland as hobos in “A Couple of Swells,” Astaire’s solo spectacular (“Steppin’ Out With My Baby”) and the evergreen title song.

“The Band Wagon” (MGM/UA tape and disc)-This backstage musical gets better with each viewing. Encore scenes include Astaire and Cyd Charisse’s duet (“Dancing in the Dark”), Nanette Fabray and Jack Buchanan joining Astaire in the novelty number, “Triplets,” and the elaborate Mickey Spillane dance spoof, “The Girl Hunt.”

“Silk Stockings” (MGM/UA tape and disc)-This musical remake of Greta Garbo’s “Ninotchka” features music by Cole Porter. Astaire and Charisse dancing “All of You” make up for the tiresome plot.

“Royal Wedding” (MGM/UA tape and disc)-Jane Powell gave new dimensions to the word “perky.” The number that still amazes is Astaire’s sensational solo in which he dances on the walls and the ceiling.

Other memorable Astaire films include the two he made with Hayworth, his smoothest partner since Rogers: The 1941 “You’ll Never Get Rich” (RCA-Columbia Pictures tape and disc), with music by Cole Porter, and the 1942 “You Were Never Lovelier” (RCA-Columbia Pictures tape and disc), with music by Jerome Kern and Johnny Mercer.

Hayworth didn’t have Roger’s down-to-earth sexuality, but she had an ethereal quality that brought out the tenderness in Astaire’s dancing. Porter’s “So Near and Yet So Far” and Kern-Mercer’s “I’m Old-Fashioned” are delicate masterpieces.

Astaire’s most lovable partner turned out to be Bing Crosby. “Holiday Inn” (MCA tape and disc) has one of Berlin’s most joyous scores, including a song for just about every holiday (the film marked the debut of “White Christmas,” sung by Crosby).

In “Funny Face” (Paramount tape and disc), Astaire returns to Gershwin, this time with Hepburn in tow. “He Loves and She Loves” proves that Astaire could turn any graceful actress into a dancer overnight.

More than 25 years later, Astaire starred in his last full-length musical, “Finian’s Rainbow” (Warner tape and disc), the Burton Lane-E.Y. Harburg musical fantasy about racial injustice. The wide-screen format doesn’t translate well to television. Francis Ford Coppola was the director, and he used every inch of the wide screen. Wait for the letter-box version.

The Astaire musicals appeal to everyone, young and old. Astaire was apparently the only exception. Before his death, he told a reporter that he rarely watches his old films because “the mistakes still bother me.”