Song of the Day: Fred Astaire, “The Way You Look Tonight”

Song of the Day 1 Minute

Lyricist Dorothy Fields, who wrote over 400 songs for Broadway and movie musicals, was born on this day in 1904. She collaborated with composers such as Jerome Kern, Cy Coleman, Jimmy McHugh, and Irving Berlin, and she was one of the first Tin Pan Alley and Hollywood female songwriters. She wrote "The Way You Look Tonight" with Jerome Kern for the 1936 movie Swing Time starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1936.

Published by John Holton

Internet disc jockey, lover of old TV (especially the commercials), inveterate wise guy.

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8 thoughts on “Song of the Day: Fred Astaire, “The Way You Look Tonight””

  1. This is a great song and I love this scene when she comes out with her soapy hair. Even though Fred is known for his dancing, many of the big composers of the day loved his singing style from Berlin to Gershwin.

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  2. Pingback: The Post-Bastille Day Week That Was – The Sound of One Hand Typing

  4. I loved watching Fred Astair and Gene Kelly movies when I was growing up – they used to be on free-to-air (we had no other type of tv back then) on a Sunday afternoon (the matinee) (including this one). Although, I have to admit I am more of a Gene Kelly fan.

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    1. Did you ever see “That’s Entertainment”? MGM made two of them, clips from their movies, and Fred and Gene were co-hosts (along with a bunch of others). I think they dance together in one of them. Two great dancers with completely different styles: Fred was more elegant, Gene more athletic (which didn’t mean there weren’t movies where Fred was more athletic and Gene more elegant). I miss the Sunday matinees on TV: the movie channels came in and grabbed all the good movies and the TV stations couldn’t compete, especially not the independent ones. But that’s a subject for a future blog post…

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