Born on July 16, 1911, in Independence, Missouri, Ginger Rogers was an incredibly talented person who starred in over 40 different films, TV series, and Broadway shows. She was an actress, singer, and dancer with a long list of achievements and hits.
Rogers became active in the entertainment industry in 1925 and continued until 1987. She’s best known for her performances alongside another Golden Age of Hollywood actor, Fred Astaire.
As her birthday nears, let’s honor her by going through her best Golden Age performances. Although most are movies, we’ve included a few stage/theater shows!
Ginger Rogers’ Early Life
Although Rogers was born in Independence, she was raised in Kansas City and lived in Fort Worth, Texas. She was the only child of Lela Emogene Owens and William Eddins McMath.
Her acting and dancing career started early. At just age 14, Rogers won a Charleston dance contest, which helped launch her vaudeville career. She toured as Ginger Rogers and the Redheads.
Relationships
Ginger Rogers first got married at 17 to Jack Culpepper, another vaudeville entertainer. Two years later, they officially divorced, although they separated a month after the wedding.
Her second marriage was to actor Lew Ayres, but they divorced 6 years later. This didn’t deter her from love, as she entered her third marriage in 1943 to Jack Briggs, which lasted until 1950. Next, she married Jacques Bergerac in 1953, and they divorced in 1957. Her last husband was director and producer William Marshall. They remained together for about eight years before filing for divorce.
Notable Friendships
Ginger Rogers valued her friendships with other Golden Age actresses and legends. She was very close to Lucille Ball and Bette Davis. Another close friend of hers was Phyllis Fraser, who was also her cousin.
Works
If we tried to list all of Ginger Rogers’ works, we’d be here all day. She not only acted in movies and shows but also did work on radio and on stage. Listed in this slideshow are some of her best performances, although not nearly all!
“Hat Check Girl” (1932)
- Director: Sidney Lanfield
- Starring: Sally Eilers, Ben Lyon, Ginger Rogers and Monroe Owsley
- Running Time: 75 minutes
- Release Date: October 8, 1932
“42nd Street” (1933)
- Director: Lloyd Bacon
- Starring: Warner Baxter, Bebe Daniels, George Brent, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell and Ginger Rogers
- Running Time: 89 minutes
- Release Date: March 11, 1933
“Gold Diggers of 1933” (1933)
- Director: Mervyn LeRoy
- Starring: Warren William, Joan Blondell, Aline MacMahon, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell, Guy Kibbee, Ned Sparks and Ginger Rogers
- Running Time: 90 minutes
- Release Date: May 27, 1933
“Sitting Pretty” (1933)
- Director: Harry Joe Brown
- Starring: Jack Oakie, Jack Haley, Ginger Rogers, and Thelma Todd
- Running Time: 85 minutes
- Release Date: November 24, 1933
“The Gay Divorcee” (1934)
- Director: Mark Sandrich
- Starring: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Alice Brady, and Edward Everett Horton
- Running Time: 107 minutes
- Release Date: October 19, 1934
“Roberta” (1935)
- Director: William A. Seiter
- Starring: Irene Dunne, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Randolph Scott, Helen Westley, Victor Varconi and Claire Dodd
- Running Time: 105 minutes
- Release Date: March 8, 1935
“Stage Door” (1937)
- Director: Gregory La Cava
- Starring: Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, Adolphe Menjou, Gail Patrick, Constance Collier, Andrea Leeds, Samuel S. Hinds, and Lucille Ball
- Running Time: 92 minutes
- Release Date: October 8, 1937
“Bachelor Mother” (1939)
- Director: Garson Kanin
- Starring: Ginger Rogers, David Niven, and Charles Coburn
- Running Time: 82 minutes
- Release Date: June 30, 1939
“Primrose Path” (1940)
- Director: Gregory La Cava
- Starring: Ginger Rogers, Joel McCrea, Marjorie Rambeau, Henry Travers, and Miles Mander
- Running Time: 93 minutes
- Release Date: March 22, 1940
“Kitty Foyle” (1940)
- Director: Sam Wood
- Starring: Ginger Rogers, Dennis Morgan, and James Craig
- Running Time: 108 minutes
- Release Date: December 27, 1940
“Once Upon a Honeymoon” (1942)
- Director: Leo McCarey
- Starring: Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers, Walter Slezak, Albert Dekker, and Albert Bassermann
- Running Time: 117 minutes
- Release Date: November 27, 1942
“It Had to Be You” (1947)
- Directors: Don Hartman and Rudolph Maté
- Starring: Ginger Rogers, Cornel Wilde, and Ron Randell
- Running Time: 98 minutes
- Release Date: December 1947
“The Barkleys of Broadway” (1949)
- Director: Charles Walters
- Starring: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Oscar Levant, Billie Burke, Gale Robbins, and Jacques François
- Running Time: 109 minutes
- Release Date: May 4, 1949
“Monkey Business” (1952)
- Director: Howard Hawks
- Starring: Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers, Charles Coburn and Marilyn Monroe
- Running Time: 97 minutes
- Release Date: September 5, 1952
“Oh, Men! Oh, Women!” (1957)
- Director: Nunnally Johnson
- Starring: Ginger Rogers, Dan Dailey and David Niven
- Running Time: 90 minutes
- Release Date: February 22, 1957
“Hello, Dolly!” (1964)
- Role: Dolly Gallagher Levi
“Mame/My Best Girl” (1969)
- Role: Mame Dennis
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures.