Darryl Maximilian Robinson Salutes Fred Astaire's Oscar-Nominated Performance In 1974's "The Towering Inferno"

Your Humble Servant In The Theatre, Darryl Maximilian Robinson, Notes A Truly Memorable Performance By An American Cinematic Icon.

The late great actor, singer and dancer extraordinaire Fred Astaire received only one Academy Award nomination for his decades-long, illustrious career in film. In 1975, he won a Best Supporting Actor nod for his portrayal of a charming con man opposite an equally charming Jennifer Jones as a wealthy female mark in Irwin Allen's 1974 disaster movie "The Towering Inferno".

Some critics and fans may have thought Mr. Astaire should have been nominated for a lead performance in his acclaimed roles in his musical and comedy films from the early days of his career.

And I wholeheartedly agree.

His roles from "Top Hat" in the 1930s through "Royal Wedding" in the 1950s do define the work of an Oscar worthy American master.

But it is the moviegoing audiences' knowledge of Astaire's work that makes his role in "Inferno" even more poignant.

When Fred Astaire first appears in "The Towering Inferno" we do not immediately see his face. Initially, we do not see him entering the doomed skyscraper. What we see are the feet of someone rather interestingly walking, then strutting, and then, very subtly, dancing down a city street.

And, perhaps from our collective screen memory, we realize we are looking at some of the most famous moves and feet in the history of cinema.

I witnessed this moment from "The Towering Inferno" as a teenager sitting in a packed movie theatre in Chicago.

And when the camera panned up to reveal the feet belonged to Fred Astaire, the audience instantly burst into applause and cheered his appearance on the screen. And he hadn't even said his first line.

So, I think Fred Astaire definitely earned and deserved his Oscar nomination for his performance as Harlee Claiborne in "The Towering Inferno", and it's a shame he didn't receive more.