Musicals on Tap

[vickisilverwolf]

 

Semi-wild guess:

 

Donald O"Connor performing "Make 'em Laugh" in *Singin' in the Rain*

 

???

 

 

[lavenderblue19]

No sorry. As I wrote the scene involved other dancers. Donald performed Make 'em Laugh on his own.

 

 

 

clue: he was involved in the films choreography

[cujas]

Donald had a practice brace and rope on during that number and I don't blaim him.

 

A couple of weeks ago, I saw Gene Nelson in Tea for Two and he was flipping all over the place. Don't know if he did the choreography for the movie, but he obviously did his own stuff. He flip in several numbers.

[lavenderblue19]

cujas, you named 2 of my very favorites, but this is another guy. The key was that the critics made a fuss about how great this guy was in this film.

 

clue- It was a hit Broadway show, besides a 50's film. Remember I said he wasn't alone during this routine and I also asked what the beautiful song that he and the others were dancing to.

[lavenderblue19]

Yessiree - *Kiss Me Kate* - Bob Fosse and Carol Haney did that jazzy,sexy dance routine to From This Momemt On . Fosse did that amazing back flip in that routine. I have to say when Bobby Rall first does that high jump onto the floor in the beginning of that number with Ann Miller I'm always in awe.(Bobby Van is marvelous too) The whole dance routine to this song is a favorite of mine on film. *Kiss Me Kate* , *The Band Wagon* *Singin In The Rain* and *Easter Parade* my Favorite film musicals. (btw- I think Howard Keel with that beard and in his tights, SIGH, so gorgeous) Great work mr.6, your thread

[cujas]

When you say 1930's, saucy lyrics, revisions necessary--That can only mean Cole Porter. Only can think of Anything Goes--not to use all those great songs was definitely stupid.

[cujas]

Early musical by Ziegfeld star--music by Kern.

[MilesArcher]

I've got a couple of choices. Marilyn Miller in "Sally" in 1929, or Marilyn Miller in "Sunny" in 1930. The big hit song from "Sally" was "Look For The Silver Lining", which, I believe, was sung by Judy Garland as Marilyn Miller in "Till The Clouds Roll By", the Kern biopic. The hit song from "Sunny" was probably "Who", with the lyrics "Who stole my heart away?, Who makes me dream all day?".

[DownGoesFrazier]

The impression I got from my "secret" Broadway book was that Marilyn Miller was a monster star in the '20s. Almost forgotten today.

[cujas]

Fi--that's correct. She was the dancing star of Broadway. Fred & Adele Astaire thought they had really arrived on Broadway when they co-starred with her in a Ziegfeld show.

 

Marilyn Miller is only remembered today as a Broadway star that Judy portrayed in Kern's Bio-pic.

[cujas]

Miles, who stoled my heart away! When Judy found out she was pregnant with Liza; she was shooting this number with a chorus of guys and she thought that was funny. But in reality it was the director who was the lucky guy--Vincente.

 

Sunny is correct--so I picked it for you. One answer to a customer!

 

Miles, I defer to you--

[MilesArcher]

Thnks, cu. Both "Sally" and "Sunny" had been stage shows years earlier. I'll be back later with a new question.

[MilesArcher]

Here's Marilyn Miller:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WfmtinSDCU

 

and here's Judy:

 

 

 

Now, in the Kern biopic, who sang and danced to the oddly titled song "I Won't Dance"?

[cujas]

Van Johnson--who could take on George Brent in the arriere dept--with the beautous Lucile Bremer.

[MilesArcher]

Yes, It's Van and Lucille Bremer. It's funny, but she was a pretty good dancer and in "Meet Me In St. Louis", she never really got to show her dancing skills. Here is the number:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwjDSBqIMCc

 

Now, compare Van's dancing with Fred, dancing to the same song, from "Roberta" :

 

 

 

Of course, Lucille Bremer danced with Fred in "Yolanda And The Thief" Here is an example. Oh, by the way, the note says that the music is in 4/4 time and the dancers are moving in 5/4 time. Now, cujas, I don't know much about these things, but that sounds like it must have been very difficult to pull off. It's even dizzying to watch with a rippled floor pattern. Take a look.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zj4_jxy7zKU

 

 

Did you notice Leon Ames, who played Lucille's father in "Meet Me In St. Louis"? Ok, cujas, your turn now.

[cujas]

Miles--Miss Bremer was the only discovery of Arthur Freed's who turned out to be a dud. But Freed did ok with Judy, Gene Kelly & Lena Horne.

 

next--This dancer starred in the Ziegfeld Follies, but later became a prominent TV director.

 

Chez nous, his claim to fame is teaching beginning tap to one of Hollywood's Tap Legends.

[cujas]

Hint: danced on Broadway with a legend.

[MilesArcher]

Could it be Jack Donohue, who taught tap dancing to Eleanor Powell?

[cujas]

It could be and it is Jack Donahue--who taught Eleanor Powell her first tap lessons. But it was the Tsar's last Ballet Director, Fokine, who taught Ellie to dance.

 

Miles, it's time for your number!

[MilesArcher]

In what movie did a top Hollywood dancer do a song and dance number as portraits of George Washington and Abe Lincoln came to life? He also played Washington and Lincoln in the dance number, which was perfectly synchronized. Extra credit if you can name the song. By the way, the song is not listed in the IMDB summary for the movie.

[cujas]

Miles--at this point, I've forgotten more about Astaire than I once knew. But he does a minuet with Marjorie Reynolds in Holiday Inn for Washington's Birthday--so I'll have to go with that.

[lavenderblue19]

Ray Bolger - *April In Paris* ?? don't know the song name maybe The King Who Couldn't Dance ?

[MilesArcher]

Ray Bolger it is from "April In Paris". Check him out on Youtube for the song.

[lavenderblue19]

I didn't watch the last time the film was on TCM, it's forever since I've seen this film. Life Is Such A Pleasure ? is the song. I checked out youtube, not crazy about doing that since it always messes up my computer afterwards. I'll try to come up with one later.

[lavenderblue19]

There is a song and dance routine that's used in at least 2 very famous films. One film is a 40's film the other a 50's film. Both routines are performed by 2 different legendary performers. Can you name the song and the 2 actresses and the films ?????