Fred Astaire: Puttin' On The Style

Radio 2's Dance Season continues with Robert Lindsay celebrating a legendary hoofer whose poise and perfection lit up the silver screen.

We tend to remember Fred Astaire immaculately dressed in a top hat and tails but he hated wearing formal dress and regarded ordinary work clothes as his signature costume. And it was more than just appearance with Fred Astaire - it was his elegance, his sophistication and, most of all, his unique talent that set him apart.

It's through the testimony of partners like Eleanor Powell, Leslie Caron, Joan Fontaine and, of course, Ginger Rogers, that we explore his career and his style - using archive interviews, film clips and songs. There are also interviews with his daughter Ava Astaire-McKenzie, his former dancing partner Barrie Chase, film critic David Thomson, record producer Ken Barnes and Lionel Blair.

This documentary first broadcast in 2004, opening a five-part series on screen stars with style.