Make It Big. Make It Good. And Give It Class.
August 6, 2022
Ron
Old Movie Stars Dance to Uptown Funk
"Footloose" — Dancing In The Movies
Movie stars dancing to "I'm So Excited!'
THE ORIGINAL
"Begin the Beguine" — Eleanor Powell and Fred Astaire from "Broadway Melody of 1940" (1940)
["Make it big. Make it good. And give it class." That was Louis B. Mayer's directive for movie-making at MGM.]
"Begin The Beguine" — Eleanor Powell and Fred Astaire from "Broadway Melody of 1940" (1940)
[A dance comparison. Well done!]
[I like Sinatra's intro to this version of "Begin the Beguine" from 1974's "That's Entertainment", a movie which had a profound impact on my life. ("The last of the big black and white production numbers starring Eleanor Powell and Fred Astaire. Cole Porter’s music; the sets and camera work; the direction by Norman Taurog; the incredible tap dancing by these two — well, it all seemed to come together in ‘Broadway Melody of 1940’. You know, you can wait around and hope, but I'll tell you, you'll never see the likes of this again." And Frank was right.)]
"Begin The Beguine" — Eleanor Powell and Fred Astaire from "Broadway Melody of 1940" (1940)
[Colorized. The stunning black and silver original photography, however, is part of what makes the number so great.]
HOW THEY DID IT
"Fascinating Rhythm" — Eleanor Powell from "Lady Be Good" (1942)
[Truly fascinating behind-the-scenes view of the massive army of technicians involved in bringing to life a number of this scale.]
HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY
"Shakin’ the Blues Away" — Ann Miller for "Easter Parade" (1948)
"Singin' in the Rain" — Gene Kelly from "Singin' in the Rain" (1952)
"Get Happy" — Judy Garland from "Summer Stock" (1950)
"Broadway Melody Ballet" — Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse from “Singin’ in the Rain” (1952)
“Pick Yourself Up”— Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers from "Swing Time" (1936)
"Too Darn Hot" — Ann Miller from "Kiss Me Kate" (1953)
"The Worry Song" — Gene Kelly and Jerry Mouse from "Anchors Aweigh" (1945)
"Who's Got the Pain" — Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon in "Damn Yankees" (1958)
"Be a Clown" — Gene Kelly and the Nicholas Brothers from "The Pirate" (1948)
"I Gotta Hear That Beat" — Ann Miller from “Small Town Girl” (1953)
"Cheek-To-Cheek" — Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers from "Top Hat" (1935)
"Moses Supposes" — Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor from "Singin' in the Rain" (1952)
"I Got Rhythm" -- Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney from "Girl Crazy" (1943)
Tap Dancing Scene — Shirley Temple and Bill “Bojangles" Robinson from “The Littlest Rebel” (1935)
“Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” — Marilyn Monroe from "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" (1953)
AND OTHER ANOINTED GEMS
"The Babbitt and the Bromide" — Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire from "The Ziegfeld Follies of 1945"
"When the Midnight Choo-Choo Leaves for Alabam" — Judy Garland and Fred Astaire from "Easter Parade" (1948)
"Shall We Dance" — Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr from "King and I" (1956)
"Let's Face the Music and Dance" — Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers from "Follow the Fleet" (1936)
"When Love Goes Wrong, Nothing Goes Right" — Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell from "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" (1953)
Final Dance — Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers from "Swing Time" (1936)
"Heat Wave" — Marilyn Monroe from "There's No Business Like Show Business" (1954)
"Jailhouse Rock" — Elvis Presley from "Jailhouse Rock" (1957)
"Ballin' the Jack" — Judy Garland and Gene Kelly from "For Me and My Gal" (1942)
“Ain't There Anyone Here For Love” — Jane Russell from "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" (1953)
Tap Routine — Eleanor Powell from " As Thousands Cheer" (1943)
Duet — Bob Fosse and Tommy Rall from "My Sister Eileen (1942)
Dancing Pianos — from "Gold Diggers of 1935"
"Night And Day" — Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers from "The Gay Divorcee" (1934)
“Minnie From Trinidad” — Judy Garland from “Ziegfeld Girl” (1942)
"From This Moment On " — Ann Miller, Carol Haney, Bob Fosse from "Kiss Me Kate" (1953)
"The Barn Dance" — Judy Garland and Gene Kelly from "Summer Stock" (1950)
"I'll Take Tallulah" — Buddy Rich, Eleanor Powell, Tommy Dorsey, Ziggy Elman from "Ship Ahoy" (1942)
Tap Routine — Eleanor Powell and Fred Astaire from "Broadway Melody of 1940" (1940)
"Bouncing The Blues"— Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers from "The Barkleys of Broadway" (1949)
"Slaughter On Tenth Avenue" — Gene Kelly and Vera Ellen from "Words And Music" (1948)
"The Lady In The Tutti Frutti Hat" — Carmen Miranda from "The Gang's All Here" (1943)
"Let Yourself Go" — Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers from “Follow The Fleet” (1936)
"Swanee" — Judy Garland "A Star is Born" (1954)
“Two Little Girls From Little Rock” — Marilyn Monroe & Jane Russell from "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" (1953)
"The Pirate Ballet" — Gene Kelly from "The Pirate" (1948)
Tap Dancing Stair Scene — Shirley Temple and Bill “Bojangles" Robinson from “The Little Colonel” (1935)
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