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It's about ... oldish films

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barney:
Comments I've seen here lead me to believe a few of you might be able (i.e., old enough  ;D) to help me out.  At the moment The Band Wagon (Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse) is distracting me from the Web code I should be writing.  And it has brought to mind a couple of questions. 

First is whether Fred actually did his own singing. 

Second is a rumour I've heard in the past that Fred did a movie with a female dancer who out-danced him to the point that he refused to work with her again.  If that's true, what was her name?  'Twasn't Cyd, methinks, for she was in at least one (1) other movie with him that I can recall (although not the name  :().  (Or am I remembering her with Gene Kelly  :-\?)

Anybody have any recall on either question?

superboyac:
My mom used to make me watch Fred Astaire movies as a kid.  I always thought he was overrated. I never understood the hype.  I liked that Danny Gatton guy.  There was this movie from those days where the 'new' jazz guys were teaching the classical musicians how to improvise.  I'd love it if someone remembered the name of that movie. :)

barney:
My mom used to make me watch Fred Astaire movies as a kid.  I always thought he was overrated.
-superboyac (September 01, 2012, 09:17 PM)
--- End quote ---

Pretty much.  Gene Kelly was better, methinks.  But Fred did have his moments.  Loved his movies with Ginger Rogers (watching now, The Barkleys of Broadway) - you know the joke, I'm certain:  she did everything he did, but backwards and in high heels.  (Also had better hip swing  :P.)

40hz:
Second is a rumour I've heard in the past that Fred did a movie with a female dancer who out-danced him to the point that he refused to work with her again.  If that's true, what was her name?
-barney (September 01, 2012, 07:41 PM)
--- End quote ---

I think that's a rumor that grew in the telling about Eleanor Powell, "Queen of Tap," who was the only female dancer Fred ever publicly acknowledged was better than him - although he restricted his compliment to tap dancing. Lovely girl with an adorable personality and an unbelievable tap dancer. (Note: I've heard the same story told about the stunning Juliet Prowse.)



Her performance with Fred in the Begin the Beguine number from Broadway Melody is her signature piece. Good article about her here.



P.S. You don't have to be that old. All thats needed is a mother and father who loved to dance and watch all the old musicals. I must have seen most of those movies from the 30s and 40s at least a dozen times each when I was growing up. :mrgreen:

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Note: agree w/barney - Kelly was much better than Fred. And so was Danny Kaye, who is probably the most underrated Broadway hoofer of them all. Danny could do it all - from classic ballet to soft shoe - and all points in-between. :up:

Addendum: Check out Danny w/Vera Ellen in this number:



 :Thmbsup:

barney:
Note: agree w/barney - Kelly was much better than Fred. And so was Danny Kaye, who is probably the most underrated Broadway hoofer of them all. Danny could do it all - from classic ballet to soft shoe - and all points in-between. :up:
-40hz (September 01, 2012, 10:00 PM)
--- End quote ---

+1.
Definitely concur.  Seems to me that Danny was much more accomplished than Fred, but Fred had all the attention at that time, and Danny's ventures into comedy created much more attention than his dancing.  I recall seeing him doing a couple of ballet routines ... very graceful, indeed ... and he could hold his own with Astaire & Kelly, methinks, in just about any venue.

Thanks for the reference about Eleanor Powell.  I remember her, I think, and remember (after being reminded) Fred's semi-tribute (I really think he was jealous/envious  ;D).  I'd much rather it have been Juliet Prowse, though ... had a teenage letch for her well past my teenage years  :-[ :P.  I remember her being praised as having the best legs in show-business, but that may just have been a Frank Sinatra quote I'm remembering  :-\.  At any rate, Juliet Prowse, Cyd Charisse, Ginger Rogers, and Mitzi Gaynor are the female dances I recall most - and all were teenage lust objects for me  :-*... I was a dirty old man before my time  :P :P

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