Remembering Hollywood’s Golden Dancing Star Ginger Rogers
Her partnership with Fred Astaire catapulted her to stardom, starting with “Flying Down to Rio,” Rogers and Astaire made a total of ten films together, including classics like “Top Hat,”, “Swing Time” and “Shall We Dance”
Remembering Hollywood’s Golden Dancing Star Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers, was born Virginia Katherine McMath, on July 16, 1911, in Independence, Missouri. Raised by her mother, Lela Owens McMath, after her parents’ divorce, Rogers spent much of her early life in Kansas City, Missouri. Her mother, a theater critic and newspaper reporter, heavily influenced Rogers’ early exposure to the entertainment industry.
Rogers’ career began in vaudeville when she won a Charleston dance contest at the age of 14, leading to a vaudeville tour and eventually Broadway. Her big break came in 1930 with the Gershwin musical “Girl Crazy,” where her performance caught the eye of Hollywood producers. She moved to Hollywood and signed a contract with Paramount Pictures.
Her early film career included minor roles in movies like “Young Man of Manhattan” (1930) and “42nd Street” (1933). However, it was her partnership with Fred Astaire that catapulted her to stardom. Starting with “Flying Down to Rio” (1933), Rogers and Astaire made a total of ten films together, including classics like “Top Hat” (1935), “Swing Time” (1936), and “Shall We Dance” (1937). Their chemistry and impeccable dance routines made them one of the most iconic duos in film history.
Beyond her partnership with Astaire, Rogers enjoyed a successful solo career. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in “Kitty Foyle” (1940), demonstrating her versatility as an actress. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, she continued to star in a variety of films, including “Roxie Hart” (1942), “I’ll Be Seeing You” (1944), and “The Barkleys of Broadway” (1949), which reunited her with Astaire for one final film.
Rogers also made her mark on stage, starring in Broadway productions such as “Hello, Dolly!” and “Mame” during the 1960s and 1970s. Her work extended to television, where she appeared in several TV movies and series.
Ginger Rogers was married five times, though none of her marriages resulted in children. Her first marriage was to her dance partner Jack Culpepper, and her last marriage was to director and producer William Marshall. Despite her turbulent personal life, Rogers maintained a close relationship with her mother, Lela, who managed her career and served as her confidante.
Rogers retired from show business in the late 1980s and lived in relative seclusion in her Rancho Mirage home in California. She spent her later years painting and writing her autobiography, “Ginger: My Story,” published in 1991.
Ginger Rogers passed away on April 25, 1995, at the age of 83, in Rancho Mirage, California. The cause of death was congestive heart failure. Her death marked the end of an era, but her legacy as a trailblazing actress and dancer endures.
Look back at Ginger Rogers dancing solo in the 1936 movie “Follow The Fleet”
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