Читать книгу We Can Do Anything: From sports to innovation, art to politics, meet over 200 women who got there first - Chuck Gonzales, Caitlin Doyle - Страница 29

GINGER ROGERS ONE OF THE BEST-KNOWN DANCERS OF ALL TIME

FULL NAME: Virginia “Ginger” Katherine McMath

BORN: JULY 16, 1911, INDEPENDENCE, MISSOURI, U.S.A.

DIED: APRIL 25, 1995, RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A.

NATIONALITY: AMERICAN

THE MAKING OF A STAR

Born Virginia McMath, the young star-to-be began using her nickname of “Ginger” early, because a cousin couldn’t pronounce “Virginia.” As a child, Ginger acted on stage. She won a Charleston dance contest and was awarded her own vaudeville tour, with her mother as manager. From there, she landed her first Broadway production.

Ginger did film work during the day and live stage work at night, before moving to Hollywood in 1931. Her first big movie was the 1933 musical classic, 42nd Street. The same year, she was cast in Flying Down to Rio—her first movie with Fred Astaire, with whom she would be forever linked. Their amazing dance chemistry dazzled studio bosses, and as the ultimate dance partnership of movie history, they went on to be cast together in a total of nine films, including Top Hat and Swing Time. Ginger starred in non-dancing roles, too, alongside such screen icons as Marilyn Monroe (see here), Cary Grant, and Katharine Hepburn (see here).

BACKWARDS IN HIGH HEELS

Ginger starred in more than 70 movies and won a leading actress Oscar for her role in the 1941 movie Kitty Foyle. For a time, she was the highest-paid woman in America. But it was for her incredible footwork with Fred Astaire for which she remains best known. Both Fred and Ginger looked stunning, but in any photographs you’ll see that Ginger is often wearing flowing, trip-hazard dresses and high heels—often dancing backwards. While each of the pair was a phenomenal dancer, Ginger is said to have made the comment that she did everything Astaire did, but “backwards in high heels.” The expression became famous and has come to describe the extra work women often need to put in to make their way in a male-dominated world just to achieve the same success as men. In 2007, a play called Backwards in High Heels, representing the life of Ginger Rogers, premiered in West Palm Beach, Florida.

FUNNY WOMEN

JOAN RIVERS

WHOOPI GOLDBERG

Phyllis Diller became the first female stand-up, and Lucille Ball the first female creator of a TV comedy—and today, the world of female comedians is wonderfully rich and varied.

With a career spanning six decades, Carol Burnett is one of the most respected TV humorists in history, alongside the incredible and audacious Gilda Radner, a Saturday Night Live stalwart. Joan Rivers became a household name for her biting humor and self-deprecating style. At the other end of the spectrum, Ellen DeGeneres is loved for a more kind-hearted brand of comedy. Wacky impressionist Maria Bamford ranks top among fellow comedians. Star of stage and screen, Lily Tomlin is renowned for her outrageous personas, which have already influenced several generations of comedians. Best known today for the talk show The View, Whoopi Goldberg is a tremendous comedian who has enjoyed crossover success in stand-up, film, TV, and on the stage. Another TV great, the beloved Betty White has had the longest TV career of any female entertainer. Contemporary stars such as Sarah Silverman, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, and Kristen Wiig are not afraid to use their humor to speak their mind on subjects including sexism and ageism. One such comedian, Amy Schumer, has used her comic platform to highlight gender inequality and social injustice. In recognition of this, Time magazine named her as one of their “100 Most Influential People.”

BETTY WHITE

LILY TOMLIN