Editing Fred Astaire (section)

==Personal life==
=== Marriage and family ===
Astaire married 25-year-old Phyllis Potter in 1933 (formerly Phyllis Livingston Baker [1908–1954]), a [[Boston]]-born New York socialite and former wife of Eliphalet Nott Potter III (1906–1981), despite the objections of his mother and sister.<ref name="nyt" /> Phyllis's death from lung cancer at the age of 46 ended 21 years of marriage and left Astaire devastated.<ref>Niven, David: ''Bring on the Empty Horses'', G. Putnam 1975, pp. 248, 255: "The combination of Fred and Phyllis was a joy to behold&nbsp;... Theirs was the prototype of a gloriously happy marriage."</ref> Astaire attempted to drop out of the film ''[[Daddy Long Legs (1955 film)|Daddy Long Legs]]'' (1955), offering to pay the production costs to date, but was persuaded to stay.<ref>Billman, p. 22: "Astaire's intense professionalism—and the memory that Phyllis had wanted him to make the film—made him report back for work. The first few weeks were difficult, with most of the time being spent on Leslie's ballets and requiring as little as possible from the grieving man. Caron remembered, "Fred used to sit down during a rehearsal and put his face in his towel and just cry."</ref>
[[File:Fred Astaire & daughter 1959.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Fred Astaire and his daughter Ava at a debutante ball (1959)]]
In addition to Phyllis Potter's son, Eliphalet IV (known as Peter), the Astaires had two children, Fred, Jr. (1936), and Ava (1942). Astaire's son appeared with him in the movie ''[[Midas Run]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-07-24 |title=LOOK: Can You Guess Which Icon's Son This Is? |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/fred-astaire-photo-dancing-with-son_n_3645283 |access-date=2024-01-22 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}</ref>

[[File: Fred Astaire Grave.JPG|thumb|Grave of Fred Astaire, at Oakwood Memorial Park]]
[[File:FredAstairesFeet.jpg|right|thumb|Astaire's hand and footprints at Grauman's Chinese Theater]]

On June 24, 1980, at the age of 81, he married a second time. [[Robyn Smith]] was 45 years his junior and a jockey who rode for [[Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt Jr.]] (she also dated Vanderbilt in the 1970s),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://people.com/archive/another-vanderbilt-break-up-and-a-pretty-robyn-bobs-onto-the-scene-vol-3-no-13/|title=Another Vanderbilt Break-up, and a Pretty Robyn Bobs Onto the Scene|website=People|access-date=October 18, 2019}}</ref> and appeared on the cover of ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' on July 31, 1972.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-06-09-ca-6202-story.html|title=Astaire's Last Partner Copes With Life After Fred|last=Champlin|first=Charles|date=June 9, 1988|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=April 6, 2017|issn=0458-3035}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.si.com/vault/2000/04/17/278495/robyn-smith-trailblazing-jockey-july-31-1972|title=Robyn Smith, Trailblazing Jockey July 31, 1972|last=Moss|first=Deborah|magazine=Sports Illustrated|access-date=April 6, 2017}}</ref>

Astaire's life has never been portrayed on film.<ref>In 1986, [[Federico Fellini]] released ''[[Ginger and Fred]]'', which, although inspired by Astaire and Rogers, portrays an Italian ballroom dancing couple. In 1996, his widow allowed footage of him to be used in a commercial for [[Dirt Devil]] vacuum cleaners in which he dances with a vacuum. His daughter stated that she was "saddened that after his wonderful career he was sold to the devil." cf ''[[Royal Wedding]]''</ref> He always refused permission for such portrayals, saying, "However much they offer me—and offers come in all the time—I shall not sell."<ref>Satchell p. 253</ref> Astaire's will included a clause requesting that no such portrayal ever take place; he commented, "It is there because I have no particular desire to have my life misinterpreted, which it would be."<ref>Satchell p. 254. Billman (p. 26) believes Astaire couldn't countenance the portrayal of his first wife, who suffered from a [[Speech disorder|speech impediment]].</ref> On December 5, 2021, [[Tom Holland]] announced that he would be portraying Astaire in an upcoming [[biopic]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=December 6, 2021|title=Fred Astaire fans criticise 'bizarre' casting of Tom Holland in new biopic|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/tom-holland-fred-astaire-dance-b1970427.html|access-date=December 11, 2021|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref>

=== Interests and beliefs ===
Intensely private, Astaire was rarely seen on the Hollywood social scene. Instead, he devoted his spare time to his family and his hobbies, which included horse racing, playing the drums, songwriting, and golfing. He was good friends with [[David Niven]], [[Randolph Scott]], [[Clark Gable]] and [[Gregory Peck]]. Niven described him as "a pixie—timid, always warm-hearted, with a penchant for schoolboy jokes." In 1946, his horse [[Triplicate (horse)|Triplicate]] won the [[Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes|Hollywood Gold Cup]] and [[San Juan Capistrano Handicap]]. He remained physically active well into his eighties. He took up [[skateboarding]] in his late seventies and was awarded a life membership in the National Skateboard Society.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Engvalson |first=Audrey |date=2024-09-04 |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/audreyworboys/wild-facts-about-old-hollywood-stars |title=17 Amazing Facts About Old Hollywood Stars |work=[[BuzzFeed]]}}</ref> At 78, he broke his left wrist while skateboarding in his driveway.<ref>(Thomas p. 301) Astaire was awarded a life membership in the National Skateboard Society (Satchell p. 221). He remarked, "Gene Kelly warned me not to be a damned fool, but I'd seen the things those kids got up to on television doing all sorts of tricks. What a routine I could have worked up for a film sequence if they had existed a few years ago. Anyway, I was practicing in my driveway." (Satchell p. 221)</ref>

Always immaculately turned out, Astaire and [[Cary Grant]] were called "the best-dressed actor[s] in American movies".<ref name="schwarz20070102">{{cite news |last=Schwarz |first=Benjamin |date=January–February 2007 |title=Becoming Cary Grant |newspaper=[[The Atlantic]] |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2007/01/becoming-cary-grant/5548/ |access-date=January 18, 2011}}</ref> Astaire remained a male fashion icon even into his later years, eschewing his trademark top hat, white tie, and tails, which he hated.<ref>Astaire, Steps in Time, p. 8: "At the risk of disillusionment, I must admit that I don't like top hats, white ties and tails.</ref> Instead, he favored a breezy casual style of tailored sport jackets, colored shirts, and slacks—the latter usually held up by the distinctive use of an old tie or silk scarf in place of a belt.

Astaire was a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] and a charter member of the Hollywood Republican Committee.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1947-10-20 |title=Film Notables Open Drive for G.O.P. President |pages=8 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref>

=== Death ===
Astaire died of pneumonia on June 22, 1987, at the age of 88. His body was buried at [[Oakwood Memorial Park Cemetery]] in [[Chatsworth, Los Angeles|Chatsworth, California]].<ref>[[Ginger Rogers]], who died on April 25, 1995, was buried in the same cemetery.</ref>