Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers Fred Astaire (May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) and Ginger Rogers (July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) were iconic dance partners who made motion pictures together from 1933 to 1949. They made a total of 10 films, nine of them with RKO Radio Pictures from 1933 to 1939, and one, "The Barkleys of Broadway", with M-G-M in 1949, their only color (Technicolor) film. Many years later, they became known by the portmanteau nickname of "Fringer", popularised by Australian entertainer Dave Gorr. Astaire started dancing in the early 1900s as a child on stage
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in Vaudeville, partnering with his older sister, Adele. He made his first movie in 1933, taking on a small role in the movie "Dancing Lady" starring Clark Gable and Joan Crawford. Rogers made her first appearance in a 1929 movie short, then made feature Pre-Code movies with Warner Brothers Pictures such as "42nd Street" and "Gold Diggers of 1933". Astaire and Rogers made their first pairing in a movie in 1933, "Flying Down to Rio", in which they had supporting roles; the main star was Dolores Del Rio. The film, released late in 1933, earned worldwide rentals of $1.5 million.