Ginger and Fred Ginger and Fred Ginger and Fred () is a 1986 comedy/drama film directed by Federico Fellini and starring Marcello Mastroianni and Giulietta Masina. The title is a reference to the American dancing couple Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The two leads portray Italian impersonators of Astaire and Rogers who reunite after thirty years of retirement for a vulgar and bizarre television extravaganza. The film was the subject of a trademark claim in the United States by Ginger Rogers, who claimed in "Rogers v. Grimaldi" that the film violated her Lanham Act trademark rights, right of publicity, and was a "false
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.