On Tuesday I reminisced a bit about my chance encounter with performer Bobby Van just months before his untimely death at age 51. I was perhaps a bit dismissive of Van’s talents and intend to rectify that today by offering up what is probably his career highlight, the ‘hopping song’ as it’s generally referred to from ‘Small Town Girl’ (1953). (The song is actually called ‘Take Me To Broadway’.) If you’ve never seen it you literally won’t believe your eyes. If you have seen it it’s still hard to believe in the stamina, precision, charm and sheer athletic grace Van conjures. It’s shot in four long takes and not only is he constantly hopping (try hopping even four of five times and you’ll appreciate the impossibility of this) but he also has to deal with stunts—cars, stairs etc. Plus which he has to keep in strict time with the music! The whole thing ends with a dog walking on hind legs behind him and I can only imagine how many exhausting takes that must have required to pull off. Dig it…