Fred Astaire Dances on the Ceiling — And Glee Pays Tribute

Posted on March 9, 2013 at 4:47 pm

I held out longer than most but am now among the many whose enthusiasm for “Glee” has wavered. But you know I loved this week’s tribute to classic songs from movies. The “Top Gun”/”Risky Business” mash-up was fabulous. And I got a special kick out of Will and Emma paying tribute to Fred Astaire’s classic dancing on the ceiling number from “Royal Wedding.”

That was filmed by creating a room that rotated. It was also the inspiration for this video from Lionel Ritchie:

A Royal Wedding: William and Kate

Posted on April 20, 2011 at 1:46 pm

Once in a generation, the heir to the Throne of England has a royal wedding out of a fairy tale. This week, Americans will get up before dawn to watch Prince William marry Miss Kate Middleton. To get ready for the big day, try William and Kate: Planning a Royal Wedding on DVD or the Lifetime movie, William and Kate: Let Love Rule. And keep up with all the details at the official site and fan blogs like William and Kate. You can even order a royal wedding comic or organize a Royal Wedding Sleepover!

William & Kate

William & Kate: Wedding of the Century

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In Honor of William and Kate: Royal Wedding

Posted on November 16, 2010 at 4:58 pm

Cheers to Prince William and his bride-to-be, Kate Middleton! Celebrate with a classic Fred Astaire musical that features glimpses of his grandparents’ wedding back in 1951.

Fred Astaire and Jane Powell play a brother-and-sister act (inspired by Astaire’s real-life vaudeville performances with his sister, Adele). They go to London to perform and both fall in love, her with handsome Peter Lawford and him with Sarah Churchill, in real life the daughter of the prime minister, Winston Churchill. It doesn’t have much of a plot, but it has some sensational musical numbers, including a dance with a coat rack (showing that he always makes his partner look graceful) and the famous number that has Astaire dancing on the walls and ceiling, along with brief shots of the wedding of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. We’ll get a feature film take on the queen as a little girl next month with “The King’s Speech,” based on her father’s struggles to learn to manage his stutter so that he could address his subjects on the radio.