Ginger Rogers Young: From Traumatic Childhood to Hollywood Star

Ginger Rogers, who is remembered best for her on-screen partnership with the king of dance, Fred Astaire, was a star in her own right during the golden age of Hollywood. The blonde beauty starred in nearly 100 productions throughout her career and made a name for herself after her breakout role in 42nd Street (1933).

The Academy Award winner began her acting career in the 1930s but worked hard to become one of the era’s biggest stars. Following a bit of a traumatic childhood, Rogers made her film debut at age 19. It didn’t take long for Rogers to become one of the favorites.

Ginger Rogers young

Born Virginia Katherine McMath on July 16, 1911 in Fort Worth, Texas, the actress was the daughter of mother Lela Rogers and William McMath. Her parents separated soon after their daughter’s birth, frequently fighting over the custody of their child, with Rogers’ father even kidnapping his daughter multiple times.

The actress, however, remained close to her mother over the years, sharing her appreciation for her mother in the autobiography, Ginger Rogers: My Story (1991). “Of the many gifts bestowed on me, there is one I treasure above all others—my dear mother Lela.”

The actress explained the situation with her father in the autobiography, noting that her mother saved her from her father after the kidnapping. The mother-daughter duo went on their way, working together in Hollywood.

Rogers made her stage debut in 1924, which was written by her mother. It wasn’t long before the actress became a Hollywood star.

Ginger Rogers makes film debut

In 1930, Rogers made her film debut in Young Man of Manhattan. Following that role, Rogers went on to appear in The Sap from Syracuse (1930), Queen High (1930), Honor Among Lovers (1931) and Hat Check Girl (1932).

By 1933, Rogers starred in her breakout film, 42nd Street, as Ann Lowell. That same year, Rogers was paired up with her longtime dance partner, Fred Astaire, for their first film together, Flying Down to Rio (1933). Following the movie, Astaire and Rogers went on to star in nine more films together.

Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire spark romance rumors

Rogers and Astaire became a dynamic duo in Hollywood, appearing in 10 films together over the years, including The Gay Divorcee (1934), Swing Time (1936), Follow the Fleet (1936), Shall We Dance (1937) and The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939). 

But while the two danced away on screen, they were sparking rumors of a romance off-screen. While they maintained that they were never an item over the years, Rogers confirmed in her autobiography that the two had something. 

“If I had stayed in New York, I think Fred Astaire and I might have become a more serious item,” she wrote in the book. “We were different in some ways, but alike in others.”

Astaire was married to Phyllis Potter from 1933 to 1954, while Rogers was married to her second husband, Lew Ayres, from 1934 to 1940, so they never did get together officially. The two wanted to challenge themselves and their careers, so they split as partners and began taking on different types of roles.

Rogers later career

Rogers went on to star in the movie, Kitty Foyle (1940) as the lead. Rogers won her first and only Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Over the next few years, the actress starred in multiple films, including Tom, Dick and Harry (1941), Roxie Hart (1942), Tales of Manhattan (1942) and Girl Crazy (1943).

Following a decade of consistent movies, Rogers began spacing out her roles. She appeared in the 1944 movie, I’ll Be Seeing You and 1947’s It Had to Be You. Throughout the 1940s, Rogers was married to Jack Briggs, until 1949. 

Rogers received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1992 for her lifetime of contributions to the entertainment industry and American culture.  

Unfortunately, Rogers passed on April 25, 1995 of a heart attack at age 83. The star is remembered as a wonderful stage actress, as well as a film and television star.

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