Fred Astaire Dancing to Michael Jackson's Smooth criminal.
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- Опубліковано 12 вер 2024
- What can I say other than two masters Fred Astaire in his movie "putting on the Ritz" and Michael Jackson's song "Smooth Criminal" fused together to make a more potent or should I say modern version of a great song and dance routine.
Fred Astaire
Date of Birth
10 May 1899, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Date of Death
22 June 1987, Los Angeles, California, USA (pneumonia)
Michael Jackson
Date of Birth
29 August 1958, Gary, Indiana, USA
Date of Death
25 June 2009, Los Angeles, California, USA (homicide)
![Fred Astaire in SMOOTH CRIMINAL [short film]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3Q4H8kzekuY/mqdefault.jpg)
A question which seems to "pop up" every so often is "how did Fred Astaire make the cane rise up from the floor".
Astaire wrote in his autobiography that the cane was shot off the floor with compressed air. I read somewhere that the air was forced out through holes in the floor. As you can see when video is paused at 1:46. A dark vertical substance can be seen shooting out from the floor which sends the cane zooming upwards.
Thanks for ruining this for me. What next? Are you going to ruin the FUN and MAGIC of Astaire's ceiling dance? EVERYONE KNOWS HOW TO USE SEARCH ENGINES!!! You could have at least said ***SPOILER ALERT*** before ruining the fun and magic that Astaire was. I am the nicest person you will ever meet, and am all about tolerance and acceptance, but shame on you. Your haste just ruined one of my favorite videos. You coukd learn a lesson on how to respect the fact that not everyone isn't looking for a genius to explain the world (in my opinion), and they enjoy mystery. I have said my piece. Good luck to you, and I hope you enjoy the remainder of your days, and let them be filled with happiness. Peace. ✌
Thanks for this! I thought it was real, you know, like squirting soap out of your hands or something.
Man, I might of spent *hours* trying to do that!
I wondered how he did that. Thanks, John Cambridge.
I always figured the whole shot was quite simply printed in reverse. Backwards. No need for any special effects.
Good point, Susan A.. It was by today's standard not much of a special effect, but he didn't need them for this to be great. At another point in this sequence it looks like someone tossed the cane back to him.
Fred called Michael the night after MJ first performed the Moondance, to tell him he admired his moves. What a great compliment from one incredible artist to another!
+pam appleton Moondance lol
+pam appleton I meant to say moonwalk of course!
Very true. I saw a video of Michael commenting about this. Michael didn't know his own genius after that initial Billie Jean performance, thinking it wasn't as great as it could have been. But after getting accolades from the likes of Fred Astair, he became much more confident. Talk about iron sharpening iron!
Astaire was a class act both on and off the stage.
pam appleton I remember MJ saying that in a interview
Fred astaire is pretty much one of mj's inspirations. Its sad that only few people appreciate these type of dances, when in fact several of our idols/artists like michael jackson drew inspiration from them. Glad my relatives exposed me to these classic movies as a kid, i got to see the evolution of dance, and who got the moves from who
that's y I m glad I have the mother I do. Fred Astaire is my favorite entertainer ever. and yes MJs top inspirations
+dolly l Not only that, did you notice the white socks. Michael stated that he danced with and studied with FA and Astaire taught him many of his move. Dancing and singing cross racial barriers. If you are good, you are good.
+Dicky Cecil and i'm not holding it against you, it is that good in my opinion, i have watched classic movies such as these since i was a kid, so to the young generation i'm not holding against them either if they don't like it, and i respect that. Well i like it anyway, and so did the rest of the generations of dances.
+Zyon Cetshwayo loool people who cant appreciate good footwork smh
Fred...the master!
Wow, I totally see the influence of Fred Astaire on MJ, it's so obvious. Both were such beautiful, fluid dancers.
@Nob the Knave Good to know about the tribute. Being some wanna throw hate at Michael. Whom like any other professionals. Sometimes see other Great dancer's moves ,and may do them, putting their twist in them.
He loved so much fred astaire
Jackson = J. Brown / f. astaire / mime marceau / breakdance / travolta
Fred Astaire bit-off Michael Jackson - it's in his will somewhere...he said he studied Michael Jackson's moves for the longest and made-it his #FACTS
But only one was a diddler
@@thekongstocks Fred was a famous and celebrated dancer long before Michael was even born.....
Amazing!! Fred Astaire was way ahead of his time in dance. Michael Jackson kept Freds legacy alive. Fact!
Pure class. The greatest dancer that ever lived. RIP Fred
Thanks. As a dancer & actor his precision of execution is remembered. He performed over 150 solo & partnered dances on stage & in film. As great as he is when you watch his films, he always let his partners shine! A true gentleman that let his dancing speak for itself.
Well said. There will never be another like Astaire.
Without question Fred Astaire hands down is beyond great.
Feeling every beat and the tempo changes and before our eyes a miracle dances.
Goosebumps ❣️
In a way, Michael ensured Fred's legacy was kept alive through his own
MJ's Smooth Criminal video is my favourite modern dance video. The only to surpass MJ? The sublime Fred Astaire......genius! Both genius's just generations apart.
FANTASTIC♥️
We miss both of them. How wonderful it would be to see Michael and Fred Astaire, in their youth, dancing this number together.
Fred was a beautiful human being
Fred Astaire's dancing is AWESOME
Definitely...one of the greatest dancers that ever lived!👍👌👏😊
You don't see dancers like this anymore...look at this incredible talent
You do though
Yes u do
The Best Dancer of all time! NO way! A masterpiece Man ever! NO words for his work! BRAVO! Emmanuel from Paris France
Here's an interesting fact: When Michael Jackson did the moonwalk for the first time on television, Fred Astaire was so impressed that he called him up and congratulated him.
Another interesting fact: Very few people know the Fred Astaire was Jewish and was born Fred Austerlitz.
Jeanette Wittstein I read that
Jeanette Wittstein I didn't know he was jewish! Cool to know!
Austrian
Did you also know MJ was not the one who invented the Moonwalk.
@gasman279 MJ said that he saw a version of the moonwalk done by some kids in the street and that inspired him to create his own version of it.
Fred Astaire dancing to any music is a masterpiece!!!
Michael would have LOVED this!
FRED would have loved this too!
Wow, Fred Astaire's classic "Puttin' On the Ritz" dance to MJ's "Smooth Criminal"! What an awesome fusion! MJ pays respect to FA in his "Smooth Criminal" video, and in this vid, FA honors MJ. So cool!
Fred Astaire is the man. His moves still work today 🤘🏻
Fred Astaire was one of the best dancers EVER to grace the stage...So SMOOTH, so classy...Got to love watching him dance!
Michael Jackson studied the dance moves of James Brown, Sammy Davis Jr. AND Fred Astaire. Most of his choreography and dance moves highlighted the influence of James Brown. When Michael wrote his book, "Moonwalk," he dedicated it to Mr. Astaire. It's pretty clear that "Smooth Criminal" was Michael's homage to Fred Astaire!
He got many of his moves from Gene Kelly and Bob Fosse as well.
Michael went on record saying Jackie Wilson was his first influence as a kid.
Lisa Redd Yeah, Fred Astaire, Jackie, and Gene!!!!!!
Another major influence on MJ with developing his signature moves was Jeffery Daniel. He's possibly the guy who showed him how to moonwalk.
nemoran
I never stated Daniel's invented the moonwalk (backslide). I'm aware of the Bill Bailey footage from '55. Daniel's, Jaxson, and Candidate, taught MJ more than just how to perfect the backslide! I think you need to re-watch the soul train footage of them (as Jeffery and Eclipse) from 1979, and Daniel's performance to "Shalamar, a night to remember" on top of the pops, from 1982. MJ has taken a good number of moves from those three pop and lock dancers. Obviously the west coast Electric Bogaloo and lockers dance crews had influenced them beforehand; and obviously plenty of other people have influenced MJ.
I think Fred Astaire would have loved this........ he did not take himself too seriously. By putting modern music to it, you don't see this as a dated piece of footwork, you can admire the timeless skill and great humour he put into his routines
I wonder if I would have enjoyed it as much with the original music....
DATED? I suppose you think Shakespeare's dated...
I think he’d look for a million ways to make it better. Astaire was a perfectionist who felt he never got it just the way he wanted. But more like it just being close enough. You can see the results though.
I also see that the beat is the best and when a dancer catches it, it’s always on time. I’m envious but I’m in awe.
I've always loved watching Fred...We all had to be inspired by someone.
Fred Astaire was amazing!!! Such talent....could watch him dance for hours.
When my mom used to talk about Fred dancing took no notice, then I saw this. He was so silky smooth and graceful, imaginative and relaxed. The Michael Jackson overlay is genius. Well done.
Fred Astair was ahead of his time. He was a very good singer too.
As a die hard MJ fan i can definitely see where the smoothness in his dancing came from :) R.I.P. to both of them!!!
It's so wonderful to read all of the comments and how many people loved this! And a lovely way to end my day, thank you so much for making this incredible video!
This man was simply the greatest dancer of all time , there really is no comparison
Not true
@@desmondred6460 Then you haven't seen enough of him
Danny F'n K
@@jasonallred244 There were many of that era (which was my parents era) but Fred clearly was a "step above" in my opinion.
@@slyspy9819I think Gene Kelly and Bob fossey too .See these dancers could do something others can't .mj can do it .When they dance their heads will stay in one place and their entire body will revolve around it .That's what made their moves impeccable and different .
Fred Astaire was actually a big fan of Michael's.
You mean the other way around.
This is the coolest dance video I ever saw. Magnificent. Fred Astaire was something else!
This is fabulous- Fred Astaire and Michael Jackson together! WOW!
Such a brilliant dancer; you can clearly see where Michael J got his moves from. I fell in love with FA when I was 5 years old. Brings back a lot of great memory...TFS!
Such utter class and style. Brilliant.
Simply the Greatest of all time !! Never will there be another like him. Thanks for posting.
WOW!!! That's BRILLIANT! I could see how Astaire also had a big influence on Michael 😂🙂👍
Fred could kill 1000 zombies with this dance alone!
Don't Touch My Silver mainly wih his cane alone
Amazing how well that mashes up. Fred Astaire is one of the best dancers in history. Just look at how intricate are those dance steps and how long the number goes on! Mikhail Baryshnikov was a huge fan to Astaire's and called him one of the greatest dancers he had ever seen.
The greatest of them all…Untouchable .
Class is absolute class is also ageless ......... absolute class
Inspired idea!
Fred Astaire - the original, the master.
He moves like he's weightless, perfect core control. Like all experts, he makes all he does look so effortless. I think that maybe is what many people don't notice now. Putting his moves to a more recent dancing icon is communicating this so well. He owns his body, owns the routine. He's so slick that today's audience can miss the expertise. He didn't do large athletic moves, that wasn't his style. He always danced with a partner or prop, and led them to look as good as he was.
Imagine a contest between him & Diversity. Two very different styles, but all dancers who know their niche & choreograph so well. That would be amazing. Could you make that work? Thank you for this insightful feast for the eyes.✓✓✓✓✓🥰
This video should be recommended to anyone that might be feeling down and out....or a bit old.......move with the beat and the performers.......you will feel young again and your bones and joints will thank you ~ Micheal, Fred, and many, many others had the answer
Everyone thats a fan of mj knows mj always talked about Fred and how much he inspired him so I don’t know why people would say anything different
Wow. He really is the man. that was darn near hypnotic. don't much about ins and outs of dancing but I know greatness when I see it. He's not 25 or 30 there either (born 1899).
Fred, a class act.💜
Fred Astaire... He was (and still is!) an inspiration to us all.
Amazing performance. Great!!!
I love love love this video! Fred Astaire's flawlessly beautiful dancing and Michael Jackson's music - an unbeatable combination!!!
Wow that was fun ... The King of Smooth dancing to the King of Pop -- perfect lol. :-)
Bravo Bravo !!!I thank you for sharing ! It takes talent to create what you have done and I thank you !!!!!
BLOWN AWAY! I keep watching over and over again, being a dancer myself. Both artists are/were phenomenal!! Thank you and this platform being able to watch such great content.
The world only gets one fantastic dancer and Fred was it. There was never one like him and there will never be another like him. ❤ You can set his dances to all these modern songs and they still fit so well! He was simply a class act 🥰
Sorry to all the haters, but this is too cool. Love MJ and has always loved Freddie.
Fred always said Michael was his dancing successor.....Smooth Criminal Video was heavily influenced by The Band Wagon! Amazing video!
Caz D Smooth Criminal was a tribute to Astaire if I’m not mistaken
Fred Astaire dancing to "Smooth Criminal" really illustrates what a truly amazing dancer he was - so smooth, so nimble - a class act...
Lorraine Ashby -- I agree, and how did he kick that cane up to his hands ? That's the part that amazed me the most. :-)
Lorraine Ashby l
ORagnar It had to be magic, he didn't touch it. The magic of cinematography.
Love him, reeks with class. Now I know I was born in the wrong era.
It was shot up with compressed air. It must have been quite a job to be able to put it down so precisely and still dance even more so.
Truly so great, this is what real talent is
Absolutely phenomenal!
When two "outlandishly" talented figures manage to have a wand wave a time warp! Great work /share John Cambridge. Many thanks!
As soon as he kicked open the mirror I was like this is an MJ video. They both hold their poses the same way similiar footwork if Fred was faster they'd be identical.
I'm in my late fifties, but I watched old Fred Astaire movies when I was young. I was always floored at how graceful & effortless he made it all look. Liked Gene Kelly too, but Astaire was my favorite. Seeing this video proves that Michael Jackson studied from the best. RIP both...And thank you both.
Fred was indeed an amazing dancer.
AWESOME!! One of the best vids I've seen!! Michael would love it!!
Fred Astaire was the first of the best dancers,he was a perfectionist! He was so cool!🤗❤
Fred Astaire is why I decided to take tap dancing lessons as a kid. Guy is brilliant and you can clearly see how much he influenced MJ.
OMG!! Was that smooth or what. Only the magic of Fred Astaire could produce something so smooth and magically performed. Thank you for that.
The original "smooth operator". Best dancer ever!!
Wow amazing I'm blown away I love Fred Astaire movies and the way he danced being a dancer myself I was left speechless I love it Fred Astaire was one Michael Jackson's hero s too bet they are dancing up a storm now thanks for sharing I love it
Love Fred and Ginger always have and always will! God bless them both! Joan and Keith Bates
A lot of people are singing the praises of Fred Astaire who I myself was a great fan of. But you should all bear in mind he got his inspiration from others. He also was guided by professional instructors. Their were other great dancers who came before him equally if not more talented who didn't get the recognition they deserved. I've never seen any dancers of any era match the Nicholas Brothers for talent and moves that seem nearly supernatural to me.
That's every dancer. The difference is, Fred, like Michael, Prince, etc. All made it their own.
Genius! I swear if I weren't looking at Fred Astaire's face and just focused on the body movements it feels like Michael Jackson is dancing here. Now we know where MJ got some of his moves from: Fred is one of the all time masters of dance.
This is so great. Freaking love both Fred and Michael
Well done to the genius who put this together
Was there anyone like Fred Astaire, no I don't think there was and never will be. He was magnificent.
Well, they always said Ginger Rogers could do everything Fred Astaire could do, only she did it backwards and in high heels.
And don't forget Gene Kelly, both were *amazing*!
Re: Ginger, not really. If you watch the old movies she rarely wore high heels, except in a few numbers, and they were usually not the really difficult ones. And as a solo artist, Fred often did a helluva lot more then he did in his numbers with Ginger. And she rarely did any moves backwards-most often she danced alongside Fred and mirrored his moves beautifully. Don't get me wrong, I love Ginger's dancing, but that statement always rankled me because it paints an inaccurate picture of their teamwork.
I love Fred, but Michael Jackson is the king.
I am Old school .I remember seeing Fred in a movie ,dancing in rain. Iwas the Black kid that noticed this man dance genius. And tried to catch every movie this man was in. While other kids rather go on and play outside. These type old movies were all we had. Being there was no cable at the time. Michael is from my era. I know Michael watched Fred movies faithfully too.
And Michael already had the dance in him to do Fred moves. Michael just added Soooul to some of Fred moves. Modernizing them into our time and era. Continue RIParadise, Beloved ,Geniuses of dance, Fred and Michael.
There's an almost-MYSTICAL SYNCHRONY between Fred Astaire's moves and Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal"--great upload--ingenious!!!
+Denise Simpson You must be watching some other video
+John Iacono I don't see the synchronicity at all, but love watching Astaire. It could be a Pepsodent commercial (is anyone old enough to remember Pepsodent?), I don't care. Just watching him walk is like visual poetry. Take a look at him at the 1970 Academy Awards show with Bob Hope...and remember, he's 71 in that video. In 1970, 71 was a lot older than it is now (lol).
aldalynne1 you'll wonder where the yellow went when you brush your teeth with pepsodent
Fred Astaire 🔥...il miglior"ballerino"di tutti i tempi...un"perfezionista"🌟... non ci sarà mai uno come lui 🌹❤️ per Michael ,Fred e stato una "fonte" d'ispirazione nella sua carriera artistica ✨
Fred Astaire was one of Michael Jackson's greatest Inspirations, and the music video for Smooth Criminal was created as a tribute to Astaire dying a year earlier, so It's nice to see him dancing to a song that was made because of him. RIP Michael Jackson and Fred Astaire
Absolutely splendid, what a beautiful dance style 🎩✨
That was excellent and amazing what a dancer this man was.
Michael once said Fred Astaire was the greatest influence in his dance. This video exemplifies that.
What a dancer Fred was, he was a master of technique and suggestion by a simple move or touch. fantastic and a great video, wonderfully edited.
there'll be no more like him
daniel mccafferty Either of them.
We'll eventually get another Michael Jackson just not Fred astaire
daniel mccafferty I disagree, Gabe is right. None of the performers today, who are so clearly descendants of Michael Jackson and heavily bite off of him, are anywhere near the dancer he was. There is a reason why Michael was and is the first, and to date, only dancer from this arena to be inducted into the Dancer's Hall of Fame. He is cited as an example in dance academies for not only his innovations but his precision and execution. All dancers admire him, regardless of their style of dance, including Baryshnikov who also knew him personally.
He fused different styles of dance together into a style of dance never done before and it is what everyone is now doing in some form or other...he changed dancing in the pop world. He did everything, such as tap, ballroom, salsa, you name it, unlike most pop performers today. He had an elegance, style, and the delivery...drama, like Fred Astaire, that you just don't see today.
It is also the reason why Fred himself admired him so and told him as much. Something which was the highest of praise for Michael, according to him. He had always listed him as one of his influences and someone he admired. After Motown 25, Fred Astaire called him to congratulate him and praise him. Fred's choreographer has gushed about him and how Fred felt, as well. They knew each other and were friends, just as he was with James Brown. Both men admired and were fond of Michael Jackson. Jackson dedicated his autobiography to Fred in 1988.
So no, maybe you should learn more about him, there is no one like him now and I can't see it either, just for impact alone. He had 6000 plus dancers come from all over the world to audition for his O2 concerts, just to have the honor of dancing with him, when many in the general public of USA had written him off. Not so for anyone in either the music industry nor the world of dance. There is footage of how emotional the dancers were over it, much like Michael might have been to dance with Fred.
This is my opinion based on what I know and, of course, you're entitled to yours.
Nina Benjamin Very well said. :)
A masterpiece & an entertainer. I know he's still dancing somewhere...
Amazing - I had always hope somebody would do this and my hat goes off to you and they also believe Fred Astaire would have been highly flattered as well as Michael I miss them both terribly
Michael Jackson said that Fred Astaire was one of the people who influenced his dancing skills
OMG! I admire both dancers but to see MJ's music applied to FA's dance style is amazing! Thank you. That was very entertaining.
Thank you Russ. I now see that the magic of two great artists can still entertain long after they're gone. Cheers.
I think I remember a video of the great Fred Astaire walking against the wind with an umbrella many years ago. He was a huge influence on MJ, just like a James brown & Jackie Wilson. I always love Fred since I saw Santa claus is coming to town as a kid! He was epic
Actually I was thinking of gene Kelly
Great Mix
Fred and Michael
❤️🦋🦋🦋
It's all about the music's tempo.great observation.
I love this. What a great idea! It was fun to imagine what they might have created together. The syncopation was perfect.
Another fun fact: that classic look Michael Jackson had wearing a red shirt, black pants, and white socks was a tribute to Gene Kelly. He remembered Kelly mentioned in an interview how wearing dark, high water pants and white socks helped viewers focus on the dance moves even from long distances. That kind of technique goes back to the days of vaudeville when performers had to make sure patrons in the balcony seats could see the performance as if they were in the front row! It's the little details that made for greats like Gene, Fred, and Michael to grace the big times.🇵🇷🇺🇸😉
Michael was such a genius, he studied and remembered everything
Gene Kelly is my other favorite
Original outstanding foot work at it's finest 💯💃🕺
Brilliant thanku ❤
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I agree Lisa and Pam. God how I miss them both. This video was so well done. Both Fred Astaire and Michael Jackson were both perfectionists. I'm sure they would have enjoyed it. God Bless!
My Mom was a teen in the 1050s and I in the 1980s. I remember when this was on MTV and we watched it together. After that, Mom never minded listening to my MJ Albums.
Thanks for the video. Looking forward to seeing more.
No only is Fred's dancing talent incredible he also had an incredible athleticism. The man moved like a panther.
Brilliant. Smooth, intelligent dance
Fred was a bad muthafuka.. I always enjoy watching him dance. Every movement had a deliberate purpose. He never wasted moves.
Thank you for publishing this and doing a SUPERB JOB!!! I was almost in tears... This is AMAZING💎💞💝💜🎊🎉🎆🎇