Top news | Sports | Local news
Movie Nation
Feet first

Mar 17, 2012 06:12 PM

In the April 5 issue of The New York Review of Books Arlene Croce considers two new Astaire volumes, Todd Decker's "Music Makes Me: Fred Astaire and Jazz" and Kathleen Riley's "The Astaires: Fred and Adele." (Adele Astaire, her kid brother's first dance partner and, until her retirement, in 1932, by far the more celebrated of the two, is now largely forgotten.) Anyone who cares about Astaire -- which means anyone who cares about movies? -- will want to read it. Croce first came to widespread attention as author of the quite-marvelous "Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers Book," in 1972. The next year she started her remarkable run as dance critic for The New Yorker. One of the pleasures of reading James Wolcott's recent memoir, "Lucking Out," is learning that Croce's "archangel arrival" at the magazine (Wolcott's splendid phrase) came as a result of Pauline Kael lobbying for her hire. As it happens, Croce delivered one of the more memorable eulogies at Pauline's 2001 Lincoln Center memorial service.  



More Movie Nation news  »
Cinemania: Before "After Earth" -- the best Will Smith roles
'Man of Steel' advance tickets on sale May 18
Summer movies preview: 'The Lone Ranger,' 'After Earth,' more
Cinemania: Best 'morning after' films without 'Hangover' in the title
Cinemania: Inspired by 'Star Trek Into Darkness,' the five best sci-fi sneak attack scenes
insights INSIGHTS ON LOCAL BUSINESSES »
Text size A A A