An Evening with Fred Astaire

An Evening with Fred Astaire
Directed byBud Yorkin
Presented byFred Astaire
Starring
Narrated byArt Gilmore
Theme music composerDavid Rose
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producerFred Astaire
ProducerBud Yorkin
Production locationsColor City, Burbank, California
Camera setupMultiple
Running time58 minutes
Production companiesAva Productions, Inc.
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseOctober 17, 1958 (1958-10-17)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

An Evening with Fred Astaire is a one-hour live television special starring Fred Astaire, broadcast on NBC on October 17, 1958. It was highly successful, winning nine Emmy awards and spawning three further specials, and technically innovative, as it was the first major television show to be recorded on videotape in color.[a] It was produced at NBC's Color City studios in Burbank, California.

A sound recording of the show was released as an LP on the Chrysler Corporation label

Considered something of a comeback for the then 59-year-old Astaire, the special was his first starring role on television. It was directed and co-produced by Bud Yorkin and introduced Astaire's new partner Barrie Chase, whom he would later describe in Interview magazine in 1973 as perhaps his favorite dance partner.[1] The Jonah Jones Quartet and David Rose and his Orchestra provided the music, and the Hermes Pan Dancers appeared in the ensemble dance numbers. The announcer was Art Gilmore, who at the time was the voice of the Chrysler Corporation, the show's sponsor. Typical for advertising of the era, Chrysler's 1959 model year Forward Look cars featured prominently in the show; Astaire's final words were "I only hope the show is as good as the cars."


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