I have never seen this part of the Begin the Beguine dance. I've only seen the famous other part that is in That's Entertainment. Both are mind-boggling. Ms Powell was spectacular in her technique, timing, posture and presence. No one ever danced as well with Astaire. I know Ginger is wonderful, and Rita was lovely, but Powell is on another level entirely.
The remarkable Eleanor Powell, who was so good that she usually danced solo because few partners could match her. The equally-remarkable Fred Astaire was among the few who could, though. Two of the very bes in the business, at the peaks of their careers.
I never tire of watching this spectacular performance! It really demonstrates that tap is both a visual and truly musical form of dance! The tap rhythms in this number are superbly related to the orchestration! A feast for the eyes and the ears!
Yes, really lovely dancing, but the charm Fred had with Ginger is missing. Ginger added so much to Freds dancing, this is lovely but Ginger was unique.
@@Jenifer_GAlso Fred with Rita Hayworth in You were Never Lovelier. Beautiful dance sequence in that and Fred just looks glowingly at Rita. It was all wonderful, Ginger and the great Eleanor Powell. You will never top all that in my humble opinion.❤️
It is striking that in this, in the second (tap) duet and in the second part of 'I Concentrate on You', Eleanor summons Fred from the back or leads him on to the floor. She had always been her own dance director at MGM; Fred at Radio had always collaborated with Hernes Pan, but now had to fend for himself. The story is about a male dancer trying to keep up with a female headliner, and these scenes rub Astaire's nose in it. Never before or after would he appear in a professionally subordinate position. Moreover, in the picture's big romantic number, he is ousted by George Murphy, who could manhandle a girl as scrawny Fred could not. Did Ellie choreograph 'Between You and Me' knowing that Fred could not cope? So there was a risk he would be humiliated, in the eyes both of the studio folks and his wavering fandom. In Leo the Lion's den, Fred was surrounded by Ellie's loyal collaborators and admirers. Later he would become Metro's chief ornament, long after Powell had retired. But in 1939, Gingerless and recently named as box office poison, he was on dangerous ground. Ellie's incorrigible if subconscious determination to boss the show can be glimpsed throughout BM40: it is a 'challenge dance' film, not a romcom- unlike any other in the canon of musicals. All the more reason to admire Fred for being up to the test. His career got fresh impetus from it. He was no longer Adele's junior or Ginger's senior partner but a solo star who came through the sternest ordeal in movie hoofing: he held his own against the best.
Eleanor Powell was on equal footing with Astaire if you watch. His other partners weren’t. They were impeccable but they danced with him. Miss Powell is on her own
The dance style reflects an increasing 'Latinization' of musicals which was about to bust out all over when Eleanor's friend Alice Faye starred in 'Down Argentine Way'. In 'Ship Ahoy' Ellie does a Flamenco-inspired solo, 'Matador', and had planned a duet in with Jose Greco, but it was dropped. Pity, bc the aggressive call and response would have suited her 'attack' mode.
A time when music, movies and America was a kinder gentler nation with people who had class. People who appreciated Astair and Powell. Sadly, that time is gone, and we will never see anything as close to it. Requiescat In Pac
This is the GOLDEN ERA...will never have stars like that..EVER....Powell.was Heaven sent....simply poetry in motion...l think this number is one OF THE BEST....ever on screen.....two fabulous dancers.....
Aside from the obvious perfection of the dancing-that is one beautiful, fantastical, Deco set. It is beautifully filmed in black and white. I love B&W films for reasons like this segment.
Это так красиво,что кажется каким то сказочным сном...И не хочеться просыпаться...Как же необыкновенно прекрасно умели в то время снимать кино!А в наши дни одна пошлость.Спасибо за это видео!!!
I just lost a friend who loved, Begin The Beguine. He loved the disco version with Johnny Mathas. After listening to that version, I am finding all these incredible renditions.
What can you say? Just brilliant. And thank you so much for the high quality clip. You can pick up the smallest nuance of their expressions. Because it's not just a dance, it's a connection between two people.
I think I was born too late, because I LOVE the music of the 30s and 40s. As a kid my parents "forced" me to watch Welk.... and I pretended to not like it.... but inside I knew that I wanted to hear more of the great era of music.... 400 and something CDs later... I haven't even made it to the 60s...
This is a super athlete, by any definition in sports, dance, or art. Famous for her gravity defying speed, physical strength and power, she layed down some of the most intricate rhythms in tap and dance history. Considered by many of the greatest dancers, to be the greatest of them all. Taught by one of the greatest tap dancers of all time, gifted with supernatural energy, natural beauty and charisma, is the greatest dancer of all time, who made it all look easy, sexy, and happy. Eleanor Powell.
I live Astaire’s apparent ease of body movement. “Apparent” because it looks like he just threw the dance off, when behind the moves is one of the most hardworking, perfectionists ever.
I know what you mean. She is perfection in this whole sequence. Those spins are identical even though her feet are in different positions when she does the high kick. Her arms are in an unusual position, her feet are beautifully positioned as she completes the double spins. Even her head tilt is the same after each spin. Such attention to detail. I'm obsessed with that backward climb up the incline like she is floating. @2:28. It is on the diagonal and she curves it as she approaches the upper dance floor. Incredibly, the axis thru her hips is parallel to the floor when she is moving up the slant. Another beautiful gesture from Powell comes at the beginning of the alternating turns @3:42. While Astaire gives a small clap of his hands and flicks his wrist as he points, Eleanor gracefully touches her right forefinger to her chest/heart then points. Her turns are smooth and effortlessly gorgeous.
@@leonie9003 The more I study Powell, the more I realize that although her individual moves were inspired and usually flawless, it is the way she traces the line of the dance- the seamlessness of it all- that distinguishes her. She never does a bit of busking or filling in so you can take time out to admire a move; you are compelled to go with her through a design that composes not only a pattern but a transit from A to B. There is always a solid substratum of thought behind the design. Thanks to the renewed availability of her work and the technology which lets one analyze it as you have done, we notice the details more easily than original viewers did. Then we must stand back and try to take in each work in full to see why Powell now seems to obsess cognoscenti like no other dancer, popular or classical, of the past century except Astaire. Ann Miller, whom I love, can blaze through a spectacular routine, but it will not acquire a larger meaning. It remains a specialty, a break in the action, a tasty snack. Eleanor's motion conveys, not a message or a doctrine of dance, but an atmosphere- what Jerry Ames, the dance historian, called a 'radiance of joy'- that elevates it above momentary beauty or excitement. It is the difference between immensely gifted and dedicated performers who were for hire and a creator whose ideas luckily turned out to be marketable enough that whole expensive movies could be arranged round her and her alone. The London Times obituarist wrote 'There was never anyone remotely like her', and that verdict stands. Really she was a mystic, possibly a saint; but she could not have conveyed her vision without reserves of imagination and determination one can only wonder at.
I know Miss Powell received recognition. Just not enough. She was remarkable after she stopped dancing. She received more awards for her unstoppable volunteer work. I just love this woman.
But for pioneering religious TV for kids, not for dancing. She never got a 'lifetime achievement' Oscar like Astaire or Kelly. Hollywood never gave musicals their due, but IMO they are the synaesthetic pinnacle of 20th century art, and Ellie is its champion dancer.
@jeryd2003 Both of them had routines in their repertoires that were fast, intricate, precise, etc. They didn't need to prove it with every single dance. Dancers will always have slower routines too, for variety if nothing else. And slower routines might seem simpler, but they come with their own challenges (but good dancers will make them seem effortless).
@jeryd2003 Your comment isn't comprehensible. Both Astaire and Powell could dance a lot faster than this, together and in their solo routines, but this part isn't meant to be a fast dance. I don't know what being humble has to do with it.
@@esmeephillips5888 and ends up exactly across from the reflection of Fred . I wonder how many times she had to do that to arrive just at the right moment from the ending of the singer. It must have been hours
This must be one of the most subtly complex numbers ever filmed. Mirrored walls and floors, turntables, that massive curtain... I recall reading that MGM could not find a manufacturer willing to make that mirrored floor - so they did it themselves!
It was made by a firm that specialized in giant astronomical telescopes, and transported by train from the East- slowly and carefully. Wonder what became of the floor after shooting?
Does anyone know why they only ever made the one movie together? They are certainly well-matched talent-wise. Got nothing against Ginger Rogers but I would have loved to see these two in other productions.
Powell was willing to make another film, but Astaire said no. There are different reasons given for why he declined. Publicly, he stated that he didn’t think their styles were a good match and that they had done all that they could do together. (They danced four duets in this film.) He also didn’t want to be teamed with someone as he had been with his sister and then Rogers for most of his career up to that time. He told Powell that she worked him too hard. Privately, Hermès Pan, his frequent collaborator, added that Astaire thought he looked second best when tapping with Powell. Astaire also told Roddy McDowall years later that he had been scared to death of working with her because “she was the best woman dancer probably in history.”
While other movies were initially planned for the two, it was ultimately Astaire's decision not to continue. Not only due to their different styles, but his comfort level in habits of choreography, moves that showed his personal technique to the best advantage, etc. He had so much admiration for Ellie's talent, and also wise enough to know he had to struggle, even being the master he was, to match it. We're currently working on an in-depth biography of Ellie, one which is long-deserved, which will delve into many of these interesting issues. Watch for it late next year from Kentucky Press.
I agree. Ginger Rogers wasn’t the best dancer technically, but her style and her physique was perfectly matched to Astaire’s. This is excellent as a one-time piece on its own, but Astaire and Powell could never have been a couple. Powell’s style was best suited to solo dancing, it was very personal and individualistic. Some say that Astaire was outshone here-I will slightly agree with the caveat that Astaire himself said that pure tap wasn’t his strong suit while it was Powell’s strength-but as an all-around dancer with a grace and smoothness and lightness which still remained masculine, he was one of a kind. He was also an innovator, without being gimmicky, which alone puts him on a plane by himself. He was also never a one-trick pony.
Fred Astaire was right about Eleanor Powell when he said that "She dances like a man." I would agree with that. She could do manuevers that would break a weaker person's back, and she could manaintain her balance, but she didn't have the smooth elegance of Ginger Rogers or the feminine allure of Rita Hayworth.
It seems Powell was incapable of ceding control on her own turf at MGM. Half this sequence is her solo, with female support to greet her; then she summons Fred from the wings, as befits the plot in which Clare is the name over the title and Johnny the upstart gifted an unforeseen break. The ensuing duet, like the tap pairing which follows, is a meeting of equals, not a seduction. In the last moments she looks as if she is chasing him off the stage. Reviewers who complained of their lack of chemistry were right, if by that they meant that the normal musical story arc is ignored: no meeting-cute, misunderstanding, froideur, gradual realisation of the man's sincerity by the woman and final submission to him. BM40's writers seemed to grasp that the RKO template would not suit Powell. I can think of no other Astaire picture which keeps him in a suppliant position all through. No wonder he felt one bout with Ellie was enough.
![[HQ] Why Oh Why (Hit the Deck-1955)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/rirwG887SwI/mqdefault.jpg)
![[HQ] Why Oh Why (Hit the Deck-1955)](/img/tr.png)
The singer, the orchestration, dancers, and scenery, that set it all up for Fred and Eleanor, they deserve admiration too.
I think this is the only movie where Mr. Astaire's gorgeous dancer's behind is shown to such advantage!!!
MGM at its best, tremendous b&w art direction, amazing scale and such artistic talent in front of the camera. The best tap pas de deux ever...
This should have been filmed in Technicolor! Delightful!
I do not think that I can ever get tired of watching them dance to this number. It is magical.
I have never seen this part of the Begin the Beguine dance. I've only seen the famous other part that is in That's Entertainment. Both are mind-boggling. Ms Powell was spectacular in her technique, timing, posture and presence. No one ever danced as well with Astaire. I know Ginger is wonderful, and Rita was lovely, but Powell is on another level entirely.
The remarkable Eleanor Powell, who was so good that she usually danced solo because few partners could match her. The equally-remarkable Fred Astaire was among the few who could, though. Two of the very bes in the business, at the peaks of their careers.
I agree
Si...si...si...vero.
Wonderful
No where the charm of Ginger, good dancer for sure but only a soloist was Eleanor.
Fred said she was too good. Eleanor was so athletic that Fred it was like dancing with a man.
There's nothing like the sound of good tap dancing - let alone from two legends like Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell. Holy cow.
She was the best dancer ever!!! Love her. RIP Eleanor🙏💙
I never tire of watching this spectacular performance! It really demonstrates that tap is both a visual and truly musical form of dance! The tap rhythms in this number are superbly related to the orchestration! A feast for the eyes and the ears!
Too great😮!
This is pure magic. Fred and Eleanore are amazing.
Yes, really lovely dancing, but the charm Fred had with Ginger is missing. Ginger added so much to Freds dancing, this is lovely but Ginger was unique.
@@Jenifer_G a me piace più Eleanor Powell... I suoi tempi mi sembrano più perfetti ma... I gusti son gusti... Un saluto dall'Italia... 👍👍
@@Jenifer_GAlso Fred with Rita Hayworth in You were Never Lovelier.
Beautiful dance sequence in that and Fred just looks glowingly at Rita.
It was all wonderful, Ginger and the great Eleanor Powell.
You will never top all that in my humble opinion.❤️
Superb dancing technique. A joy to watch. Thank you
Fred was great in this dance mumber. Like always ❤❤❤❤❤
We will never see dancing like this ever again. Mr. Skylark is correct, this is when Hollywood had class! An era that will remain in the 20th Century.
It is striking that in this, in the second (tap) duet and in the second part of 'I Concentrate on You', Eleanor summons Fred from the back or leads him on to the floor. She had always been her own dance director at MGM; Fred at Radio had always collaborated with Hernes Pan, but now had to fend for himself.
The story is about a male dancer trying to keep up with a female headliner, and these scenes rub Astaire's nose in it. Never before or after would he appear in a professionally subordinate position. Moreover, in the picture's big romantic number, he is ousted by George Murphy, who could manhandle a girl as scrawny Fred could not. Did Ellie choreograph 'Between You and Me' knowing that Fred could not cope?
So there was a risk he would be humiliated, in the eyes both of the studio folks and his wavering fandom. In Leo the Lion's den, Fred was surrounded by Ellie's loyal collaborators and admirers. Later he would become Metro's chief ornament, long after Powell had retired. But in 1939, Gingerless and recently named as box office poison, he was on dangerous ground.
Ellie's incorrigible if subconscious determination to boss the show can be glimpsed throughout BM40: it is a 'challenge dance' film, not a romcom- unlike any other in the canon of musicals. All the more reason to admire Fred for being up to the test. His career got fresh impetus from it. He was no longer Adele's junior or Ginger's senior partner but a solo star who came through the sternest ordeal in movie hoofing: he held his own against the best.
In my opinion this is the greatest dance number ever recorded. Pure talent at it's best.
Greatest dancer that ever lived in my humble opinion :-)
Eleanor Powell was on equal footing with Astaire if you watch. His other partners weren’t. They were impeccable but they danced with him. Miss Powell is on her own
I agree, he was debonair and sophisticated
@@AuntieMamieso was Ginger
Pure magic....Rosa Larsen
To underline Eleanor Powell’s talent, she is dancing with Fred Astaire and you still cannot take your eyes off her!
Awesome, part Flamenco, part almost ballet, spectacular art deco sets, Fred and Eleanor fantastic duo, evenly paired in their incredible talent!
3mt..
The dance style reflects an increasing 'Latinization' of musicals which was about to bust out all over when Eleanor's friend Alice Faye starred in 'Down Argentine Way'. In 'Ship Ahoy' Ellie does a Flamenco-inspired solo, 'Matador', and had planned a duet in with Jose Greco, but it was dropped. Pity, bc the aggressive call and response would have suited her 'attack' mode.
No Ellie was better
A time when music, movies and America was a kinder gentler nation with people who had class. People who appreciated Astair and Powell. Sadly, that time is gone, and we will never see anything as close to it. Requiescat In Pac
NO WORDS, ONLY ADMIRACIÓN
This is the GOLDEN ERA...will never have stars like that..EVER....Powell.was Heaven sent....simply poetry in motion...l think this number is one OF THE BEST....ever on screen.....two fabulous dancers.....
Aside from the obvious perfection of the dancing-that is one beautiful, fantastical, Deco set. It is beautifully filmed in black and white. I love B&W films for reasons like this segment.
Breathtaking video showcasing breathtaking talent! Many thanks for sharing this treasure.
Lovely. Two stellar dancers.
WoW! Very impressive. Great dancers , Hooray! I love this show.
Thumbs up.
Это так красиво,что кажется каким то сказочным сном...И не хочеться просыпаться...Как же необыкновенно прекрасно умели в то время снимать кино!А в наши дни одна пошлость.Спасибо за это видео!!!
I just lost a friend who loved, Begin The Beguine. He loved the disco version with Johnny Mathas. After listening to that version, I am finding all these incredible renditions.
Talents of these two artists in full display.
This was when Hollywood had TALENT.
The golden age of Hollywood when they made wonderful movies like these !! ❤❤❤
Per sognare ad occhi aperti...la meraviglia è servita!
Could not be better ❤️
Just beautiful
Wonderful !
What can you say? Just brilliant. And thank you so much for the high quality clip. You can pick up the smallest nuance of their expressions. Because it's not just a dance, it's a connection between two people.
Fantásticos espectáculos, con auténticas estrellas!! Únicas
Glorious! And the way her skirt flowed was divine.
I think I was born too late, because I LOVE the music of the 30s and 40s. As a kid my parents "forced" me to watch Welk.... and I pretended to not like it.... but inside I knew that I wanted to hear more of the great era of music.... 400 and something CDs later... I haven't even made it to the 60s...
They were just the very best. I love this video.
Eleanor Powell dances so well with Astair! Great pair!
@@patriciahelms8036 u have that backwards
this is my favorite dance routine what an amazing dancer she was then paired with Fred Astaire just amazing, thank you.
Me encanta,esta musica 🤗👏
Delightful in high quality; thanks!
Mesmerizing!
Maravillosos.!!
Beautiful! 💜
Fantastic dancers!!!
Con su baile, Elenor y Fred hacen que la música asuma su forma, comenzando por el comienzo... sin nunca terminar.
This was when Hollywood had Class
Absolutely right you are !!!
the sweet and splendid
Mais um espetáculo de Eleanor & Fred.
Amazing!
Desde jovencito vi a fred y creo no he visto otro igual!!
You just did. She was better. She created her own routines, and this one, Fred had a choreographer
Timeless rendition of Cole Porters great standard.
che splendore, che classe
BRAVO!!!
Beautiful
Very Very Very Good
This is a super athlete, by any definition in sports, dance, or art. Famous for her gravity defying speed, physical strength and power, she layed down some of the most intricate rhythms in tap and dance history. Considered by many of the greatest dancers, to be the greatest of them all.
Taught by one of the greatest tap dancers of all time, gifted with supernatural energy, natural beauty and charisma, is the greatest dancer of all time, who made it all look easy, sexy, and happy. Eleanor Powell.
I live Astaire’s apparent ease of body movement. “Apparent” because it looks like he just threw the dance off, when behind the moves is one of the most hardworking, perfectionists ever.
Beautiful and classy.
Cole Porter's wordplay echoed in the set's play with mirrors.
I am a big MGM musical fan. The B&W's were the best.
4:48 love those shy glances at each other
Che bellezza guardarli ❤❤
Tínhamos Ginger Rodgers, mas tambem a inigualável Eleanor Power. Maravilha.
Элегантно, мило, нежно!!!
..amazing..
The greatest dancer i ever saw
Splendid
Also is exceptional the singer
Los ví de niño me recuerda bellos momentos hoy qué soy abuelo
GRANDES E INOLVIDABLE PAREJA DE BAILE
I’m obsessed with the two sets of spins she does at 2:00. They are just perfect.
I know what you mean. She is perfection in this whole sequence. Those spins are identical even though her feet are in different positions when she does the high kick. Her arms are in an unusual position, her feet are beautifully positioned as she completes the double spins. Even her head tilt is the same after each spin. Such attention to detail.
I'm obsessed with that backward climb up the incline like she is floating. @2:28. It is on the diagonal and she curves it as she approaches the upper dance floor. Incredibly, the axis thru her hips is parallel to the floor when she is moving up the slant.
Another beautiful gesture from Powell comes at the beginning of the alternating turns @3:42. While Astaire gives a small clap of his hands and flicks his wrist as he points, Eleanor gracefully touches her right forefinger to her chest/heart then points. Her turns are smooth and effortlessly gorgeous.
@@leonie9003 The more I study Powell, the more I realize that although her individual moves were inspired and usually flawless, it is the way she traces the line of the dance- the seamlessness of it all- that distinguishes her. She never does a bit of busking or filling in so you can take time out to admire a move; you are compelled to go with her through a design that composes not only a pattern but a transit from A to B. There is always a solid substratum of thought behind the design.
Thanks to the renewed availability of her work and the technology which lets one analyze it as you have done, we notice the details more easily than original viewers did. Then we must stand back and try to take in each work in full to see why Powell now seems to obsess cognoscenti like no other dancer, popular or classical, of the past century except Astaire.
Ann Miller, whom I love, can blaze through a spectacular routine, but it will not acquire a larger meaning. It remains a specialty, a break in the action, a tasty snack. Eleanor's motion conveys, not a message or a doctrine of dance, but an atmosphere- what Jerry Ames, the dance historian, called a 'radiance of joy'- that elevates it above momentary beauty or excitement.
It is the difference between immensely gifted and dedicated performers who were for hire and a creator whose ideas luckily turned out to be marketable enough that whole expensive movies could be arranged round her and her alone. The London Times obituarist wrote 'There was never anyone remotely like her', and that verdict stands. Really she was a mystic, possibly a saint; but she could not have conveyed her vision without reserves of imagination and determination one can only wonder at.
Lnolvidable, mágica pareja de baile.!!!
I know Miss Powell received recognition. Just not enough. She was remarkable after she stopped dancing. She received more awards for her unstoppable volunteer work. I just love this woman.
@@AuntieMamie she won an emmy
@ as I said… she was recognized
But for pioneering religious TV for kids, not for dancing. She never got a 'lifetime achievement' Oscar like Astaire or Kelly. Hollywood never gave musicals their due, but IMO they are the synaesthetic pinnacle of 20th century art, and Ellie is its champion dancer.
Semplicemente meravigliosi!!!!!
Two talented with beautiful song., when Hollywood was Hollywood.
Credit for the soprano needs to be in the description!
Hollywood at his best 👌.
Eleanor Powell was the best tap dancer of the 20th Century. Bar none!
It looks like the hem is slightly weighted. So the flow is more controlled.
@jeryd2003 Both of them had routines in their repertoires that were fast, intricate, precise, etc. They didn't need to prove it with every single dance. Dancers will always have slower routines too, for variety if nothing else. And slower routines might seem simpler, but they come with their own challenges (but good dancers will make them seem effortless).
They practiced the arm movements for three weeks
@jeryd2003
Your comment isn't comprehensible. Both Astaire and Powell could dance a lot faster than this, together and in their solo routines, but this part isn't meant to be a fast dance. I don't know what being humble has to do with it.
Vaya elegancia
2:28 She is in a long dress and heels, going backwards uphill... and she moves as if on castors. Unbelievable.
@@esmeephillips5888 and ends up exactly across from the reflection of Fred . I wonder how many times she had to do that to arrive just at the right moment from the ending of the singer. It must have been hours
This must be one of the most subtly complex numbers ever filmed. Mirrored walls and floors, turntables, that massive curtain... I recall reading that MGM could not find a manufacturer willing to make that mirrored floor - so they did it themselves!
It was made by a firm that specialized in giant astronomical telescopes, and transported by train from the East- slowly and carefully. Wonder what became of the floor after shooting?
Bravo 👍
What rapture serene
Does anyone know why they only ever made the one movie together? They are certainly well-matched talent-wise. Got nothing against Ginger Rogers but I would have loved to see these two in other productions.
Powell was willing to make another film, but Astaire said no. There are different reasons given for why he declined. Publicly, he stated that he didn’t think their styles were a good match and that they had done all that they could do together. (They danced four duets in this film.) He also didn’t want to be teamed with someone as he had been with his sister and then Rogers for most of his career up to that time. He told Powell that she worked him too hard. Privately, Hermès Pan, his frequent collaborator, added that Astaire thought he looked second best when tapping with Powell. Astaire also told Roddy McDowall years later that he had been scared to death of working with her because “she was the best woman dancer probably in history.”
@@partycentralsales Thanks for the info. Quite interesting....
@@partycentralsales -- Eleanor Powell: "the best woman dancer in history"? Probably true! 👍😁
@@partycentralsales Fred Astaire particularly liked the way Rita Hayworth danced, I guess she had her own style.
While other movies were initially planned for the two, it was ultimately Astaire's decision not to continue. Not only due to their different styles, but his comfort level in habits of choreography, moves that showed his personal technique to the best advantage, etc. He had so much admiration for Ellie's talent, and also wise enough to know he had to struggle, even being the master he was, to match it. We're currently working on an in-depth biography of Ellie, one which is long-deserved, which will delve into many of these interesting issues. Watch for it late next year from Kentucky Press.
Verdade , também gosto.
In those days, The Greatest Generation. In those days, warning to the Germans and the Japanese: Don't touch the Americans.
sadly we have nothing even close to their talent....
Of course they are both very good. But they are 2 dancers dancing at the same time rather than with each other, as he did Ginger.
Souvenir souveNIN ET NOSTALGIE
The chemistery is not there as Eli danced mainly solo style where as Ginger anc Fred were a couple.
I agree. Ginger Rogers wasn’t the best dancer technically, but her style and her physique was perfectly matched to Astaire’s.
This is excellent as a one-time piece on its own, but Astaire and Powell could never have been a couple.
Powell’s style was best suited to solo dancing, it was very personal and individualistic.
Some say that Astaire was outshone here-I will slightly agree with the caveat that Astaire himself said that pure tap wasn’t his strong suit while it was Powell’s strength-but as an all-around dancer with a grace and smoothness and lightness which still remained masculine, he was one of a kind.
He was also an innovator, without being gimmicky, which alone puts him on a plane by himself. He was also never a one-trick pony.
Fred Astaire was right about Eleanor Powell when he said that "She dances like a man." I would agree with that. She could do manuevers that would break a weaker person's back, and she could manaintain her balance, but she didn't have the smooth elegance of Ginger Rogers or the feminine allure of Rita Hayworth.
❤❤🧸❤❤
Once upon a time you could make a living dancing if you were good at it
It seems Powell was incapable of ceding control on her own turf at MGM. Half this sequence is her solo, with female support to greet her; then she summons Fred from the wings, as befits the plot in which Clare is the name over the title and Johnny the upstart gifted an unforeseen break. The ensuing duet, like the tap pairing which follows, is a meeting of equals, not a seduction. In the last moments she looks as if she is chasing him off the stage.
Reviewers who complained of their lack of chemistry were right, if by that they meant that the normal musical story arc is ignored: no meeting-cute, misunderstanding, froideur, gradual realisation of the man's sincerity by the woman and final submission to him. BM40's writers seemed to grasp that the RKO template would not suit Powell.
I can think of no other Astaire picture which keeps him in a suppliant position all through. No wonder he felt one bout with Ellie was enough.