Adele Astaire, 1927

Lady Charles Cavendish (September 10, 1896 -January 25, 1981) [1], better known as Adele Astaire was an American dancer and entertainer. She was Fred Astaire's elder sister. Her birthdate was often given as 1897 or 1898, but the 1900 U.S. census shows her correct birthdate to be 1896. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (407x633, 106 KB)Signed period publicity postcard c. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (407x633, 106 KB)Signed period publicity postcard c. ... September 10 is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years). ... 1896 (MDCCCXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... January 25 is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Balanchine[1] and Nureyev[2] rated him the greatest dancer of the 20th Century, and he is generally acknowledged to have been the most influential dancer in the history of filmed and televised musicals. ...

She was born Adele Marie Austerlitz in Omaha, Nebraska to an Austrian Roman Catholic named Frederick Austerlitz (September 1868 - 1924), a brewer from Vienna, and his wife, the former Joanna Gelius (December 1878 - 1975), a Lutheran who was born in the USA of German descent. She became an Episcopalian like her younger brother. [2] Nickname: Gateway to the West Location in Nebraska Coordinates: Country United States State Nebraska County Douglas Founded 1854 Incorporated 1857 Mayor Michael Fahey Area    - City 307. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Inhabitants according to official census figures: 1800 to 2005 Vienna in 1858 UN complex in Vienna, with the non-affiliated Austria Center Vienna in front - picture taken from Danube Tower in nearby Danube Park. ... The Lutheran movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity by the original definition. ... The word Episcopal is derived from the Greek επισκοπος epískopos, which literally means overseer; the word however is used in religious terms to mean bishop. ...

When she was five years old she had a successful vaudeville act with her younger brother Fred Astaire that developed into a celebrated adult stage career on Broadway and on the London stage. She was, in fact, the bigger star of the two during their time performing together, and was a special favourite of Britain's royalty. [3] [4] Vaudeville is a style of multi-act theatre which flourished in North America from the 1880s through the 1920s. ... Balanchine[1] and Nureyev[2] rated him the greatest dancer of the 20th Century, and he is generally acknowledged to have been the most influential dancer in the history of filmed and televised musicals. ... Broadway theatre[1] is often considered the highest professional form of theatre in the United States. ...

Fred and Adele in Stop Flirting, 1923

On May 9, 1932, after a successful stint with Fred in The Band Wagon on Broadway, she retired from the stage to marry Lord Charles Arthur Francis Cavendish (August 29, 1905 - March 23, 1944), the second son of the 9th Duke of Devonshire, and moved to Ireland, where they lived at Lismore Castle. She had three children, a daughter (in 1933) and twin sons (in 1935), all of whom tragically died soon after birth. Adele Cavendish married, on April 20, 1947, as her second husband, Col. Kingman Douglass, an American investment banker and Air Force officer who was an assistant director of the Central Intelligence Agency; he died in 1971. [5] Image File history File links Fred_and_Adele_Astaire_in_Stop_Flirting_1923. ... Image File history File links Fred_and_Adele_Astaire_in_Stop_Flirting_1923. ... May 9 is the 129th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (130th in leap years). ... 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will take you to a full 1932 calendar). ... August 29 is the 241st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (242nd in leap years), with 124 days remaining. ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... March 23 is the 82nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (83rd in Leap years). ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... The Duke of Devonshire As Governor General The Most Noble Victor Christian William Cavendish, 9th Duke of Devonshire (London May 31, 1868–May 6, 1938 Chatsworth House), was a Liberal Unionist Member of Parliament for West Derbyshire (1891-1908), Governor General of Canada (1916-1921), and Colonial Secretary (1922-1924). ... The Dukes of Devonshire are members of the aristocratic Cavendish family in the United Kingdom. ... Lismore Castle is a castle in County Waterford in the Republic of Ireland. ... April 20 is the 110th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (111th in leap years). ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an intelligence agency of the United States Government. ...

After Fred's success in Hollywood, Adele gave serious consideration in 1935 to making a musical film there - visiting Hollywood and appearing in January 1936 on the Music Variety Show - but admitted to feeling intimidated by her brother's reputation. During their partnership Fred, whose perfectionism earned him the nickname "Moaning Minnie" from her, had always been the dominant creative force. In 1937 she began filming in England with Jack Buchanan and Maurice Chevalier, but withdrew after two days. She later recalled: "Oh boy, if my brother Fred sees this--I'm gone". 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Jack Buchanan (April 2, 1891 - October 20, 1957) was a British actor and singer. ... French singer Maurice Chevalier with stars of Helizapoppin at Expo 67, in Montreal, Quebec. ...

Personal life

Mercedes de Acosta claimed to have a brief lesbian relationship with Adele, but, if true, it is believed that it was more of a bisexual 'fling' than her orientation, as no other reports of such relationships have ever surfaced. There is no denying her delightfully ribald personality. According to the memoirs of Richard McKenzie (husband of Fred's daughter, Ava), Adele, aka Dellie, was playing Scrabble with her brother when he noticed that she had started a word with the letters C-U-N. He protested at what appeared to be an emerging vulgarity, though Adele later told Ava, "I could have been spelling anything! Like cunnilingus." Mercedes de Acosta (March 1, 1893 - May 9, 1968) was an American poet, playwright, costume designer, and socialite best known for her lesbian affairs with Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Alla Nazimova, Eva Le Gallienne ([1]), Isadora Duncan, Katharine Cornell, Maude Adams, Ona Munson (Belle Watling in the movie Gone With... In human sexuality, bisexuality describes a man or woman having a sexual orientation to persons of either or both sexes (a man or woman who sexually likes both sexes; people who are sexually and/or romantically attracted to both males and females). ...

She died in Tucson, Arizona from natural causes at the age of 84. Nickname: The Old Pueblo Location in Pima County and the state of Arizona Coordinates: Country United States State Arizona Counties Pima Mayor Bob Walkup (R) Area    - City 505. ...

External links

• Recording of Adele Astaire's appearance on the Music Variety Show January 12, 1936

References

R. McKenzie: Turn Left at the Black Cow, Roberts Reinhardt Publishers 1997 (ISBN 1-57098-205-8)

John Mueller: Astaire Dancing - The Musical Films of Fred Astaire, Knopf 1985, (ISBN 0-394-51654-0)

The Astaire Family Papers, The Howard Gotleib Archival Research Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts. For the unrelated Jesuit university in Chestnut Hill, see Boston College. ...