Princess of Tap

I know this from That's Enertainment in the mid-70s. It was in the Judy Garland section that Liza Minnelli narrated. It's called Every Sunday. The point of the narration was that it was talking about how they have these two girls at MGM under contract who were singers. One was obviously operatic, then the other one was obviously popular, more modern. And what Liza said in so many words was that they let Deanna Durbin go because Arthur Freed and Roger Edens, and people like that were staunch Defenders of Judy's Talent and potential. Whenever they would say some people or some producers begged Mayer not to let Judy go, that's who they meant-- Arthur Freed and Roger Edens.

My favorite Clark Gable films are: GWTW Boomtown San Francisco It Happened One Night China Seas The Misfits Band of Angels Mogambo Any number Can Play Dancing Lady I don't know about the mean Gable but he is sexy-- A Free Soul Night Nurse Gable was a great movie star. He always gave a first-rate professional performance. He never lost his sexual magnetism throughout his career. Certainly his last film The Misfits displays that very well. He knew how to handle women on screen. He made the women in the audience want to be on the screen with him. Fred Astaire had that same ability when he danced with a woman.

Jaragon-- You need a little historical perspective here. It's not funny that people pretended to be straight in Hollywood - - they didn't do it because they were forced to by the studio-- they did it so that they would have a career and so that they could be in Show Business. Also you need to remember that there were a number of actors pretending to be white people, who were actually something else - - they did that so that they would have a career as well. Civil rights for all people in the United States is something relatively new-- Really only appearing in the latter latter part of the twentieth century. And, by the way, you're right--Howard Hughes was just strange.

Yes, Star-- but I think they found that out sooner with Singin' in the Rain. Star, you're up--

Hint#2: In addition to his movie career, this tap dancer often appeared on television. He was a summer vacation/ replacement host for Milton Berle on the Texaco Star Theater TV show.

Basil Rathbone was a luminary of the British colony in the Golden Age of Hollywood when Gladys Cooper was the doyenne.

"You either have it Or you've had it"-- The Merm definitely has it! Next-- Shirley MacLaine or Gwen Verdon

Dargo-- it's great to see you back! I was above you and I couldn't help but see a reference to tap dancing. Did you know that Shuffle off to Buffalo is not just a tune but is actually a tap step? It's an exit step that is usually executed travelling to the right or to the left. It can also be executed turning. So I wonder that when they play this song does Bugs actually do the Shuffle off to Buffalo tap step? I certainly would like to see that. With his feet he wouldn't need taps.

All jokes aside - - Joan Crawford was a great movie star. Possibly the greatest female movie star of the golden era-- which included her great comeback in Mildred Pierce. (Hold your horses, I didn't say she was a great actress. Movie star and actress are not necessarily the same thing.) If there's anybody on this website who has not seen Humoresque, I will simply say that Joan Crawford's exit in this movie is the most beautiful exit I've ever seen in a Golden Age motion picture. She's great but she didn't do it alone. Movie stars never do anything alone; it only looks that way. Joan Crawford's magnificent exit was assisted by the following: Jean Negulesco-- the director Ernest Haller-- the cinematographer Clifford Odets-- the screenplay writer ( original story by Fannie Hurst) Adrian - - the costume designer Perc Westmore--make-up artist Gertrude Wheeler-- the hair stylist Franz Waxman-- the music conductor Isaac Stern - - the concert violinist Richard Wagner-- the music composer and many more.....

That reminds me of how Howard Hughes ruined Jane Greer's film career because she wouldn't marry him and worse than that she subsequently married another man. People who have seen her in Out of the Past with Robert Mitchum can't figure out why she wasn't a great movie star. Well, Howard Hughes owned her contract and he saw to it that she was off the screen for several years after Out of the Past. Previously Hughes had quite a reputation with the ladies. The two that I can recall--who we're close to actually marrying him as well were- - Katharine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers. From 1957 to 1971 Hughes was married to the largely forgotten actress Jean Peters.

Ray-- I don't want to be a broken record-- but by all indications-- Katharine Hepburn did what she pleased in every situation and in some of those situations there are certainly a number of men involved. I know the book you're talking about; I've got it on audio play-- But in terms of this woman, I think we'd have to look at not just audio play but her whole life. However, I guess you could say that some bisexuals are indeed, closeted.

The woman who wrote "oh, Bojangles of Harlem, you dance such hot stuff!"-- Miss Dorothy Fields Next: which Gene Kelly dance assistant would you want to meet? Jeanne Coyne or Carol Haney

I was going to say The Rose with Bette Midler and that was Janis Joplin, but I don't know what the third one is.

Paul Douglas Donna Douglas Kirk Douglas

Tallulah Bankhead

Hin: This tap dancer had a long and varied movie career.

" The Father of Film Music" He was most noted for these movie scores: Gone with the Wind, Casablanca, Now Voyager and King Kong The score for Gone With the Wind is ranked number two on the AFI list. Steiner won an Oscar for his Now Voyager score, as well the scores for The Informer and Since You Went Away. He was nominated 24 times for the Oscar. He scored movies for Warner Brothers starting with The Charge of the Light Brigade, 1936 to Two on the Guillotine, 1965. Prior to that he was the Music Director at RKO, where he composed music for Katharine Hepburn movies and conducted the orchestra for Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers' musicals. He composed scores for over 300 movies at these two Studios.

Yes, Star-- and neither one of them looks very Russian to me.LOL Star, it's your turn--

Fra-- Judy Garland has two daughters in Show Business who are both great singers. Were you referring to Lorna or Liza?

I was born in Russia of Eastern European extraction, but but there's nothing about me that would lead you to think so. I played leads and supporting and character roles. And in some films, sometimes you might not recognize me. My brother is an actor too. Do you know me?

Eburne, Maude

I guess he danced in the Rain in Spain, but I really don't see Rex Harrison as a dancer. But he won the Tony and the Oscar for portraying Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady on Broadway and in the movie.

My Dear Lady, Unless it's Kentucky Straight Bourbon, you can't even kill the germs.

Dobie Gillis' Mr. Pomfritt is dead at 93 HelenBaby-- if you're older than dirt, then I'm older than mud! When I heard William Schallert had died, I was looking for a thread that said Mr. Pomfritt of Dobie Fame has passed on. Well I guess this is it. William Schallert characterized his role as a high school teacher with true dignity, devotion and tolerance in the teaching profession and that's how I will always remember him. But you have to be tolerant when you have Maynard G Krebs in your classroom! And if creating all those acting roles wasn't enough, he was the Screen Actors Guild president who created the committee to serve disabled actors and actresses. Helen, just think like this-- do you have any idea how old the Hickman brothers and Tuesday Weld must be? Compared to them, we're just babies!

Fra-- it's true that Terry produced Thr Byrds at Columbia Records, but that's not how he made all that money. Terry made all that money producing Paul Revere and the Raiders. He knew that Paul Revere and the Raiders were a Good Thing. Have you got Good Thing, Kicks or Hungary on your playlist?