Movies 'Til Dawn Blog

‘THE ALOOF’–A BOB FOSSE JOINT

Dig this crazy/cool Fosse dance sequence from ‘Sweet Charity’. Set to the go-go-ized strains of ‘Big Spender, the dance known as ‘The Aloof’ is a masterful creation, Fosse at his most crypto-sexual and controlled, with a centerpiece dancer who is nothing short of phenomenal. (Who is she? Is she out

Read More »

TONIGHT SHOW BAND PT. 2–THE ERNIE TACK DANCE PARTY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SOpqyg5fpUhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkOpHJ_PgDk In yesterday’s post I mentioned how the members of the ‘Tonight Show’ band (aka ‘Doc Severinsen and the NBC Orchestra’) lent their own comedic talents to the show. One of the strangest examples is that of trombone player Ernie Tack. The show would occasionally do a ‘Stump The Band’

Read More »

THE BOBBY BANAS SHOW

On Friday I posted a clip from the musical variety show ‘Shivaree’ featuring the extraordinary dancer Bobby Banas in a performance he choreographed himself set to ‘A Taste Of Honey’. I mentioned also that Banas became an unlikely YouTube star a few years back when a clip of him dancing

Read More »

‘SHIVAREE’–A BOBBY BANAS JOINT

‘Shivaree’ was a Los Angeles-based music variety show that ran in syndication from 1965 to 1966. It was created and hosted by KFWB-AM personality Gene Weed, LA’s top nighttime DJ at the time. Although it had only a brief run it attracted an enviable roster of talent, featuring performers such as James Brown, The

Read More »

JOAN McCRACKEN: ‘PASS THAT PEACE PIPE’

Here’s a knockout dance number from the MGM 1947 version of ‘Good News’, featuring the great and mostly now-forgotten dancer/performer/personality/actress Joan McCracken. The original Broadway show, a big hit in the late 1920s, had long been on producer Arthur Freed’s list to adapt as a movie musical at MGM and

Read More »

BACKSTAGE WITH GERSHWIN IN 1929

Here’s an extraordinary piece of film. Apparently in December 1929, footage was captured of George Gershwin at rehearsals of his show ‘Strike Up The Band’, complete with chorus girls and a pre-rehearsed patter with star comedians Bobby Clark and Paul McCullough. We see George playing the piano as well as

Read More »

DANCE THE FOX-TROT LIKE YOU MEAN IT

What exactly is the ‘Foxtrot’? It’s the dance you see couples doing in movies of the 30s/40s/50s when they’re on the dance floor of a nightclub or restaurant and talking to each other and not really dancing. In other words, its the faceless and pointless ‘wallpaper’ of dancing, the blandly

Read More »

ANN-MARGRET DANCE PARTY

YouTube mash-ups are generally not my thing but this exceptionally well crafted combo of Ann-Margret dancing from three different movies to ‘Shot Gun’ by Junior Walker and The All-Stars is a major exception. The clips are from ‘The Swinger’, ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ and ‘Viva Las Vegas’. As this video amply

Read More »

THE ART OF ECCENTRIC DANCE PT. DUEX–AL ‘RUBBERLEGS’ NORMAN

Here’s a production number from the 1930 version of ‘Good News’, adapted from the hit 1927 Broadway musical of the same name by DeSylva, Brown and Henderson. The lead singer/dancer is Penny Singelton who later played ‘Blondie’ in the Columbia Pictures series of that iconic comic strip. Here she does

Read More »

Subscribe for updates

And get a free copy of my book:
"City Island" & "Two Family House" Two Screenplays

Twitter

'The Aloof' is Bob Fosse at his best, a #Dance number from 'Sweet Charity' that truly kills. Give it three minutes and change the complexion of your Monday for the better. #dancers #Broadway #MUSICAL #FilmTwitter #TCM https://raymonddefelitta.org/the-aloof-a-bob-fosse-joint/

Dig some Three Stooges action this Sunday with 'Loco Boy Makes Good', an exceptionally good Curly short with an exceptionally sad story about it's writer Clyde Bruckman. #comedy #filmtwt #TCM https://raymonddefelitta.org/saturday-stoogefest-16/

This weekend's Three Stooges offering is an excellent Curly vehicle called 'Loco Boy Makes Good' (1942). Enjoy it and enjoy my tale of how the film led to the suicide of one its writers, Clyde Bruckman. Jesus! #comedy #FilmTwitter #TCM #slap #Violence https://raymonddefelitta.org/saturday-stoogefest-16/

1080 Lexington Avenue pictured yesterday afternoon and in 1940. The old dame has seen a lot of NewYork passing by over the years. But it appears she’s finally meeting her end as we all do.

Watch a couple of early 1940s soundies featuring the teenage pre-#MGM Cyd Charisse. Fascinating viewing, IMHO. #Dance #MUSICAL #TCM #FilmTwitter https://raymonddefelitta.org/cyd-charisse-the-pre-mgm-years/

Load More