The Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers Book

Customer Reviews:

The definitive study of a glorious pair!.......2004-01-18

At just 191 pages Arlene Croce's FRED ASTAIRE & GINGER ROGERS BOOK is a gem. This is a classic work from the 1970'

Lots of fun, lots of information.......2001-05-15

The Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers Book is both entertaining and informative. Croce provides insightful commentary on the two stars' careers, their films, and individual dances to compliment the delightful pictures throughout the book. The top corners of the pages can even be used as a flip book so you can see a sample of Fred and Ginger dancing. This book has a wealth of information and is fabulous for anyone interested in the history of dance on film.

Astaire and Rogers (Film and Culture Series)

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UNBELIEVABLY BAD...
Dead Astaire and Ginger
What a waste
A Look at Two Careers and Images
An Unusual Premise

Astaire and Rogers (Film and Culture Series)
Edward Gallafent
Manufacturer: Columbia University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0231126271

Book Description

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers endure in the American imagination. The charm and grace of their dancing in the ten films they made together, including Top Hat and Swing Time, elicit nostalgia today. Most books about the Astaire-Rogers films focus exclusively on the music and dance scenes, but this book shows that the films are much more than the sum of those scenes, which after all only account for approximately one-third of their films' running times. Gallafent argues that, contrary to received opinion, the musical numbers are not discrete, generic moments dropped in to enliven the films. Instead, the music and dance routines advance the movies' themes.

Gallafent shows how dialogue, plotting, and the audience's perception of this striking professional couple affect the context, and thus meaning, for the song and dance routines. The book examines how the Astaire-Rogers musicals, which were produced and originally viewed as a series, relate to one another and to other musicals of their day. Gallafent also provides an illuminating account of the films Astaire and Rogers made separately during the 1940s before their final reunion in The Barkleys of Broadway. Astaire and Rogers concludes by

tracing the development of their star personas both together and apart, and shows how the films were designed around those personas.

Customer Reviews:

UNBELIEVABLY BAD..........2007-01-06

I agree with Meriam -- this book is SO DRY, SO UNBELIEVABLY ANALYTICAL it's ridiculous. In fact, I would suggest that if anyone who has never seen an Astaire/Rogers film managed to get through this book, they would never WANT to see one. How anyone could write about Astaire and Rogers without expressing the sheer joy, fun, and overall entertainment value of their work is beyond me, but Gallafent has managed to do it big time. And verbose? The author uses 100 words to describe what could be said in 10. What a complete waste of print, paper, and time.

Dead Astaire and Ginger.......2004-02-07

I adore Fred Astaire and his artful genius. Nobody does it better. Ginger is his best dance-partner, for certain. But this book is the dryest, most boring recitation of dead data that I have ever read. It is almost worthless, even for the most avid Astaire devotee. These two vibrant stars deserve better than this dismal book. And they get it; if you can find, "Astaire Dancing" by John Mueller, the ultimate Astaire/Rogers book, (pricey but spectacular) buy it. It is everything the Astaire/Rogers fan could possibly want.

What a waste.......2002-12-30

As a huge Astaire/Rogers fan I found this book to be nothing more than a collection of over analyzed run-off with a few interesting tidbits thrown in. There's very little entertainment in the reading. One get's the impression this book was authored by Sigmund Freud. Different maybe, but yuck.

A Look at Two Careers and Images.......2002-08-21

This book is more about the careers and images of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers from 1934-49 than it is a study of their movies together and their dancing. If you are a dance enthusiast and want to read a detailed account of their dances, this is NOT the book for you.

However, I am not a dance person, but I like classic Hollywood films, and I found this book interesting. It shows how the Fred&Ginger films share some concerns with screwball comedy, how World War II affected the images of both stars, and how stars age in the public eye. Gallafent isn't the most graceful of writers, and I got confused in his discussion of "Once Upon a Honeymoon," but I thought he did a good job connecting the Fred&Giner phenomenon to other developments and careers in classic Hollywood.

An Unusual Premise.......2002-06-10

Gallafent reviews the films of Astaire and Rogers, both those they made separately and those they made together, from their first pairing through the late forties. Gallafent makes a plausible case for continuity and development from one musical to another. Even as you find his arguments logical and believable, you know Hollywood doesn't work that way. Few people expect or want anything more from an A & R movie than the unalloyed pleasure of the singing and dancing. Gallafent even manages to connect the films Rogers did without Astaire (of which there were many more than I had realized). In spite of his quirky premise, Gallafent is interesting and entertaining throughout, and the book is chock full of stills from the films.

The Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers Murder Case

Average customer rating:

Dance Until You Drop
An Enjoyable, if Implausible, Read
odd, yet...

The Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers Murder Case
George Baxt
Manufacturer: St Martins Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0312151292

Customer Reviews:

Dance Until You Drop.......2004-04-20

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers were a wonderful on-screen pair and everyone loved their simple charm. I think Baxt captures that charm in this little book. Like all of his celebrity mysteries, this is a satire, and I think it portrays the McCarthy hearings quite well. Life in Hollywood in 1953 was difficult and everyone looked at everyone else to try to figure our whether or not they were "commies". In this book we see Fred and Ginger smack in the middle of a Russian espionage scam. Ginger's therapist dies and Villon and Mallory know that he was poisoned. What's his background and history? They find out and its a world of double agents, family rivalries and Communist underworld. Of course Villon figures it out, but even he is surprised to find out who the "kingpin" is.

An Enjoyable, if Implausible, Read.......2003-03-14

I picked up this book because I have always loved Astaire and Rodgers. However, when I started reading, I was dissapointed. The plot seems a little farfetched. I think there were too many characters, and I kept wondering why everybody knew each other. Russia is a large country, but reading this book makes it seem like a small town. However, this book did manage to keep me interested in what happened at the end. I would read it for distraction because it is by no means great literature.

odd, yet..........1999-06-11

Like many of Baxt's novels, this one goes a little off-track with all the characters and spies, et cetera. However, that, in this humble reader's opinion, is part of the charm. These mysteries were obviously not written for deep, critical analysis, but for simple enjoyment. All the characters, and there are many, are fleshed out, and if the plot lacks bits that are shoved in a bit too hurriedly at the end, well that's just part of the charm. Another three cheers for George Baxt. And for Fred and Ginger.

Astaire and Rogers (Leisure personality series ; LB380DK)

Average customer rating:

Astaire and Rogers (Leisure personality series ; LB380DK)
Susanne Topper
Manufacturer: Leisure Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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Follow The Fleet Danish Program
Fred & Rogers, Ginger Astaire
Manufacturer: R.K.O. Pictures
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000JTAIEU

Product Description

vg+. 20pg. 8 1/8" x 5 3/4" Danish program for Art Deco Navy musical. Beautiful red & blue artwork frnt. wrap. Nice. Binding is sm. wraps.

Average customer rating:

Roberta Danish Program
Fred & Rogers, Ginger Astaire
Manufacturer: R.K.O. Pictures
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000JTCDMA

Product Description

vg+. Superb 12pg. 7" x 5 3/4" Danish program w. beautiful red & brown Art Deco artwork on frnt. Illus. w. stills & song lyrics in English. Binding is sm. wraps.

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Great chemistry by Marilyn Horowitz
Bold, Daring, Innovative

Screen Couple Chemistry: The Power of 2
Martha P. Nochimson
Manufacturer: University of Texas Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0292755791

Book Description

Astaire and Rogers, Tracy and Hepburn. Just the mention of their names evokes the powerful chemistry between these screen couples, which utterly transcended the often formulaic films in which they appeared together. Indeed, watching the synergistic flow of energy between charismatic screen partners is one of the great pleasures of cinema and television, as well as an important vehicle for thinking through issues of intimacy and gender relations. In this book, Martha P. Nochimson engages in a groundbreaking study of screen couple chemistry. She begins by classifying various types of couples to define what sets the synergistic couple apart from other onscreen pairings. Then she moves into extended discussions of four enduring screen couples--Maureen O'Sullivan/Johnny Weissmuller, Myrna Loy/William Powell, Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers, and Katharine Hepburn/Spencer Tracy. Using theories of neuroscience, she demonstrates that their onscreen chemistry is a very real phenomenon, powerful enough to subvert conventional formulations of male/female relations. Material she has uncovered in the infamous Production Code Administration files illuminates the historical context of her contentions. Finally, Nochimson traces the screen couple to its present-day incarnation in such pairs as Woody Allen/Diane Keaton, Scully/Mulder of The X-Files, and Cliff/Claire Huxtable of The Cosby Show.

Customer Reviews:

Great chemistry by Marilyn Horowitz.......2004-08-23

Screen Couple Chemistry was a fascinating read that provided me with new insights into the underlying structure of romantic relationships in the Hollywood pantheon. This was particularly helpful in my work as a writer and teacher of screenwriting at NYU. I recommend this book to anyone interested in movies or about to write a screenplay with a romance in it. Nochimson's view of Hollywood hypocrisy is an eye opener and a doorway for any writer who wants to find something new and original to write.

Bold, Daring, Innovative.......2004-07-26

Interested in the phenomenon of couples onscreen? No one has written about this subject with such insight and specificity previously. I never thought about how many different kinds of couples there are before this read. Or how the way popular culture uses couples has changed with time. Take a look!!

Average customer rating:

Swing Time
Fred & Rogers, Ginger Astaire
Manufacturer: Picturegoer Weekly
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000QZYRW6

Average customer rating:

Swingtime Danish Program
Fred & Rogers, Ginger Astaire
Manufacturer: R.K.O. Pictures
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000JTCMDK

Product Description

fine. Beautiful 20pg. 8 1/8" x 5 3/4" Danish program for the George Stevens-Jerome Kern Musical. Great red & blue Art Deco wrap. Binding is sm. wraps.

Average customer rating:

Top Hat Danish Program
Fred & Rogers, Ginger Astaire
Manufacturer: R.K.O. Pictures
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000JT9QFM

Product Description

fine. Outstanding 8" x 5 3/4" 14pg. Danish program for one of teams best films. Lyrics by Berlin in English. 6 stills.Deco design. Binding is sm. wraps.

Book Description

Learning musical notation can be intimidating. But regardless of instrument or proficiency in reading music, there's hope and help for all musicians in this practical guide. Writing in a friendly manner that puts readers at ease, author Dave Stewart starts with the basics: staves, clefs, and how to find the notes. He then advances step by step through rhythm, key signatures, chords and intervals, and how to write it all down. This book is useful for novices, seasoned players who never learned to read music, and pros seeking a refresher course.

Customer Reviews:

It's a start. Just........2005-12-14

This book will get you started on understanding musical notation and elementary chord theory, and for some readers it might be just enough. It's a short book. It doesn't cost much. But there might be something better that is no more difficult to follow and that takes you further than this book. This is the only book I've currently got on music theory. If you are a guitar player looking for an introduction to music theory, this probably isn't focused enough for you, and as I said, it doesn't take you very far.

in plain English.......2003-10-15

This book explains the basics in plain English for non- musicians. I bought it for my high school aged daughter who has had almost no musical training.

Solid attempt at explaining a complex topic..........2002-08-16

Of the music notation guides I've seen, this one is hands down the best. By carefully reading and studying the first three chapters alone, you'll be able to read a lot of basic music in standard notation.

However, in trying to keep the book brief & witty, a lot of helpful detail is left out. For example, in the chapter on intervals, there is no explanation of the nomenclature. Why is a Perfect Fifth called a Perfect Fifth, for example? I think a little more detail would help in some areas without detracting from the intention of the book. In other areas, a few more examples (e.g., explaining the intervals with a key other that C major) may help.

In order to get the most out of this book, readers will have to come up with their own exercises & study methods. I'm a guitarist, so I've been taking simple tunes & hymns and converting them (on paper) from standard notation to tablature, thus helping me learn where the various notes are located on the fretboard. The author does not make any suggestions for how to actually learn this material, so readers will have to be somewhat creative. It's not a book to be read and put down...think of it more as an outline or study guide.

Overall, I like the book very much. A little more detail, coupled with suggestions for exercises, would have made for a 5 star rating. Be prepared for a lot of memorization, and taking a lot of things for granted.

A great price for priceless knowledge.......2000-11-01

I am a self taught musician, who wants to learn as much as possible about music. This book is an awesome, affordable way to gain the knowledge. Dave Stewart uses a some what humurous approach, without messing up the integrety of the book. I enjoyed every second and I learned so much from reading. I recommend this book to anyone interested in furthering their knowledge of music.

Average customer rating:

A great book

I Know 10 of the People Mentioned in This Great Book

This is a book of fiction, no mention of craps strategy

The Captain rolls 147 Numbers - Dice Control is REAL

Adventures in DEFEATING the Casinos

Craps Underground: The Inside Story of How Dice Controllers are Winning Millions from the Casinos!
Frank Scoblete
Manufacturer: Bonus Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Golden Touch Dice Control Revolution! How to Win at Craps Using a Controlled Dice Throw!

Forever Craps

Get the Edge at Craps (Scoblete Get-the-Edge Guide)

Beat the Craps Out of the Casinos, 2nd Edition: How to Play and Win

Wong on Dice

ASIN: 1566252172

Book Description

In a revealing, no holds barred style, America's best--selling gamblilng author shares the exciting inside story of the new advantage players. Frank introduces us to the fascinating Runyonesque characters who are out there beating the system.

Customer Reviews:

A great book.......2005-12-18

I read this book after I read the Scoblete / Dominator Golden Touch Craps Dice Control Revolution! and it is a great companion book to go with that one. The first shows you exactly how these great dice controllers develop the skill to beat the casinos at their own games and this book is the great stories of the great dice controllers such as the Arm, the Captain who has the world record of 147 throws in a row before sevening out, and the Lee Brothers who head a band of professional players.

Scoblete is a great writer and these two books are great together.

I Know 10 of the People Mentioned in This Great Book.......2005-08-27

Chalon Jackson has written a phoney review. I know ten people from this book as I took a Golden Touch Dice control course.

Frank Scoblete, Dominator, Dave the barnacle, Mr. Finesse, Howard the Rock 'n Roller, Stickman, Street Dog, Bill Burton, Jerry Patterson, No Field Five.

Two of the above have played with the Captain and one student from the class I was in also played with the Captain - so the Captain is real and not a fiction. You can read about his great roll of 147 at golden touch craps.com if you want.

The book was not advertised as the manual for dice control but as the story of the great dice controllers and that it sure is. You will meet the Captain, the Arm, Jimmy P., the Lee Brothers, the great Golden Touch shooters such as Dominator.

The last chapter of the book is supremely interesting - a 16 day diary of Frank's adventures (and they were some adventures for sure) in Las Vegas.

Don't let shills for other authors guide you away from this masterpiece. Check out all the reviews of the Craps Underground and you'll see that almost all are five stars. This book deserves that many for sure.

This is a book of fiction, no mention of craps strategy.......2005-08-20

This book is more of an advertisement for Scoblete's other books, his writing buddies other books, and his golden touch craps siminar. This book gives no mention of how the reader can acomplish dice control, which is the reason I bought this book. The book is rather a collection of stories. Scoblete tells of people he met playing craps but he forgets to tell how to play craps. It would not surprise me at all if the characters in the book are made up, especially the Captain, the authors ultimate craps hero. I couldn't even finish this book. It was boring and repeated the same type of uninteresting stories all the way through, and left the reader with no knowledge gained. If you are interested in a good casino book I recomend something by Avery Cardoza or a book published by his company.

The Captain rolls 147 Numbers - Dice Control is REAL.......2005-07-23

This book is the great stories of the greatest dice controllers in the casinos, including the Captain, who just rolled 147 numbers!!!! You can read about this great roll at golden touch craps web site under the world records. This book takes you on an adventure into the world of the greatest advantage-players of all time - the Captain, Dominator, Sharpshooter, the Lee Brothers, and the great shooter who ever lived, THE ARM.

This is a must for all dice players and those interested in a great book!!!!

Adventures in DEFEATING the Casinos.......2005-07-01

Frank Scoblete has been involved with dice control since the late 1980s and this book is a culmination of his experiences with the greatest advantage craps players in the world. You will meet the Dominator, the Captain, the Arm, Sharpshooter, Howard "Rock 'n Roller," and many other great ones in this exciting and fascinating book.

Scoblete recounts his true adventures in the casinos since the late 1980s, practicing a way to beat the house at the game of craps, dice control. He wrote about dice control in 1991 and 1993 in his first two books and then wrote Forever Craps in 2000. These three books lay the groundwork for the Captain's method of dice control which is featured in The Craps Underground.

You will love Scoblete's true adventures on the A&E television show, in his diary of 16 days of play in Las Vegas, in his setting up with Dominator of the Golden Touch craps dice control seminars.

This is a book that is a must read for all craps players looking to see what the great ones have been able to accomplish.

Book Description

On Friday, May 18, 1934, radio columns in the New York press announced that Bert Parks of CBS would be "relinquishing his status as N.Y.'s youngest Network Staff Announcer to the newly appointed George Ansbro on the NBC Announcing Staff." Ansbro's successful audition led to a career that included work on Young Widder Brown, Manhattan Maharajah and Dr. I.Q., the television show from which the book's title line is taken. Fifty-five years after his broadcast beginning, he was hailed as a pioneer who in terms of service held the honor of being the oldest employee of any network.

From his role as an NBC page in 1931 to his career as a network announcer, Ansbro recalls a career that includes a who's who of early radio and Hollywood stars, and a transition from what was known as the Blue Network and its beginnings at Rockefeller Center to the massive radio and television organization now known as ABC. Along with such names as Howard Cosell, Bob Hope, and Mary Pickford, Ansbro helped shape the modern entertainment world.

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