This is such an absolutely gorgeous number that's quite under-recognised and forgotten from "Ziegfeld Follies." Lucille Bremer was best known for "Meet Me in St. Louis" in 1944 with Judy Garland and "Till the Clouds Roll By" in 1946 as Sally. She was a fine dancer and it's wonderful to see her here before she left Hollywood. Fred Astaire is timeless and truly should be recognised as The Entertainer of the 20th Century. This is a wonderful dance with a lovely exotic setting, from a 1946 perspective, with its combination of East and West. The addition of the pearly kings and queens singing "Wot Cher! Knocked 'em in the Old Kent Road" adds a nice early 20th Century touch as well. Thank you so much for sharing.
@Bruce...Was there ever anything said by members of either the Bolshoi or Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo about the brilliant dancing techniques shown in the Hollywood musicals?
Lucille Bremer wears a cheong-sam in director Minnelli's favorite yellow. This was the most balletic number Fred had attempted. He had never received training- too busy hoofing in vaudeville with Adele- so he engaged Eugene Loring, a classical choreographer, to create the number. Similarly he worked with Michael Kidd on 'The Band Wagon' because he would have to keep up with Cyd Charisse, a ballerina.
@@ccaammiinniiito2 Balanchine repeatedly told interviewers that Fred Astaire was the greatest dancer of the century. Baryshnikov (or was it Nureyev?) said he was frightened of fleeing to the States bc he thought that it was full of dancers like Fred.
In 'The Band Wagon' (1953) Astaire is united with his old pal Jack Buchanan from London theater days in the Roaring Twenties. Buchanan and Gertrude Lawrence had made 'Limehouse Blues' a hit in a 1921 Charlot show.
The sequence cost $230,000 for 13 minutes, about $9 million in 2020 values. The bookends in Limehouse were directed by Robert Lewis, the rich little guy who cozies up to Lucille Bremer. The grinning Pearly King with the cigar leading the troupe at the start is Eugene Loring, one of the film's choreographers. The willow-pattern dream section was entirely designed- sets as well as costumes- by Metro's house couturier Irene Sharaff. She was a highly versatile artist who often created clothes for ballet companies. Her liking for reds is obvious here. The choreography was by Robert Alton. Fred admitted he needed help in a partnered dance, whereas he could create one of his 'sock solos' alone.
Thank you for the information. It's very interesting.I understand Vincent Minnelli liked reds, too. I wonder if the designer put them in for him, also?
this is so politically incorrect , but still fabulous - I hope it is taken by those seeing it , for the art work that it is ! still it is a shame that in a multicultural society east asians were so often held back !
Notice the contrast between timid, tragic Fred in Limehouse, who does not dance a step, and the almost arrogant fluidity of his fantasy alter ego. Never before or afterwards did Astaire flaunt his mastery so brazenly or look so haughty. Without ballet training, and having told interviewers in his RKO days that it held no interest for him, he now sets out to conquer it. Lucille Bremer had been schooled in classical ballet as a child, so he had someone to keep up with. From 10:40 he even cartwheels and spins like Eleanor Powell, another who began as a ballerina; indeed this dance is less a romantic partnership than a challenge, like the tap duet with Powell in 'Begin the Beguine'.
Are you seriously saying that Eleanor Powell started out as a ballerina? Her "ballet" in Broadway Melody of 1940 to one of Cole Porter's best songs, I Concentrate on You, was laughably bad, embarrassingly so. Only when she started the Harlequin part with Fred Astaire did it become sublime.
@@chattyroz2934 "Are you seriously saying that Eleanor Powell started out as a ballerina?" She began classes at 6 or 7 with Ralph McKernan, and later with the Fokines; but she was so self-willed and creative that she never danced professionally with a company. Powell always insisted that ballet was the foundation of all dancing. Despite her eclectic approach. she did barre practice as regularly as in other styles. I have suggested that 'I Concentrate on You' is the weakest of the BM40 numbers, but do not see a huge disparity in technique between the first part with the chorus and her duet with Astaire. Anyway, these are the top two we are talking about. I cannot stop watching even the worst of their work.
Here, Bremer exhibits great technique with the ballet. So if any musical she appeared in flopped, then it wasn't her fault. After all, you're only as good as your material. A coach is only as good as his players.
Filmo dos numeros musicales en este film y tambien con Fred "Yolanda and the thief"de Minnelli;al parecer no tuvieron exito.Se la vio luego en algunos numeros musicales en films de poco brillo.Una pena.
She was a fine dancer and a decent singer, but not much of an actress. Some sources I've read suggested Arthur Freed tried to push her career so hard between 1944 and 1946 because they were romantically involved.
@@WillScarlet16 AFAIK she never denied it. In 'Meet Me in St Louis' Judy and Margaret O'Brien took the acting honors, but besides Freed presumably Minnelli thought highly enough of Lucille; he directed both her segments of 'Ziegfeld Follies' with Astaire as well as 'Yolanda and the Thief'. She was not signed by Metro until she was 25. Many dancers think of hanging their shoes up at 30, and she was 29 when she did her last part in a big picture, 'Till the Clouds Roll By'. She was not a strong enough actress to continue in films- none of the major lady hoofers were, except Ginger and, intermittently, Leslie Caron.
Stunning! I miss the color and creativity of those old musicals so much .
I have been looking for this for sometime. This is my all time favorite!
This is such an absolutely gorgeous number that's quite under-recognised and forgotten from "Ziegfeld Follies." Lucille Bremer was best known for "Meet Me in St. Louis" in 1944 with Judy Garland and "Till the Clouds Roll By" in 1946 as Sally. She was a fine dancer and it's wonderful to see her here before she left Hollywood. Fred Astaire is timeless and truly should be recognised as The Entertainer of the 20th Century. This is a wonderful dance with a lovely exotic setting, from a 1946 perspective, with its combination of East and West. The addition of the pearly kings and queens singing "Wot Cher! Knocked 'em in the Old Kent Road" adds a nice early 20th Century touch as well. Thank you so much for sharing.
the choreography, visuals, music, everything is amazing!
@Bruce...Was there ever anything said by members of either the Bolshoi or Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo about the brilliant dancing techniques shown in the Hollywood musicals?
Lucille Bremer wears a cheong-sam in director Minnelli's favorite yellow.
This was the most balletic number Fred had attempted. He had never received training- too busy hoofing in vaudeville with Adele- so he engaged Eugene Loring, a classical choreographer, to create the number. Similarly he worked with Michael Kidd on 'The Band Wagon' because he would have to keep up with Cyd Charisse, a ballerina.
@@ccaammiinniiito2 Balanchine repeatedly told interviewers that Fred Astaire was the greatest dancer of the century. Baryshnikov (or was it Nureyev?) said he was frightened of fleeing to the States bc he thought that it was full of dancers like Fred.
In 'The Band Wagon' (1953) Astaire is united with his old pal Jack Buchanan from London theater days in the Roaring Twenties. Buchanan and Gertrude Lawrence had made 'Limehouse Blues' a hit in a 1921 Charlot show.
The sequence cost $230,000 for 13 minutes, about $9 million in 2020 values.
The bookends in Limehouse were directed by Robert Lewis, the rich little guy who cozies up to Lucille Bremer. The grinning Pearly King with the cigar leading the troupe at the start is Eugene Loring, one of the film's choreographers.
The willow-pattern dream section was entirely designed- sets as well as costumes- by Metro's house couturier Irene Sharaff. She was a highly versatile artist who often created clothes for ballet companies. Her liking for reds is obvious here.
The choreography was by Robert Alton. Fred admitted he needed help in a partnered dance, whereas he could create one of his 'sock solos' alone.
Thank you for the information. It's very interesting.I understand Vincent Minnelli liked reds, too. I wonder if the designer put them in for him, also?
@@magloyd4907He liked bright yellow too. Hence Bremer's cheongsam.
Great stuff
Quien cantara?👀🌹🌿🌹🌿🌹Bello y sorprendente numero de baile.❤🌠❤🌠❤🌠❤🌠❤🌠
more stars then Heaven,Don't see this no more
this is so politically incorrect , but still fabulous - I hope it is taken by those seeing it , for the art work that it is ! still it is a shame that in a multicultural society east asians were so often held back !
Notice the contrast between timid, tragic Fred in Limehouse, who does not dance a step, and the almost arrogant fluidity of his fantasy alter ego. Never before or afterwards did Astaire flaunt his mastery so brazenly or look so haughty.
Without ballet training, and having told interviewers in his RKO days that it held no interest for him, he now sets out to conquer it. Lucille Bremer had been schooled in classical ballet as a child, so he had someone to keep up with. From 10:40 he even cartwheels and spins like Eleanor Powell, another who began as a ballerina; indeed this dance is less a romantic partnership than a challenge, like the tap duet with Powell in 'Begin the Beguine'.
Are you seriously saying that Eleanor Powell started out as a ballerina? Her "ballet" in Broadway Melody of 1940 to one of Cole Porter's best songs, I Concentrate on You, was laughably bad, embarrassingly so. Only when she started the Harlequin part with Fred Astaire did it become sublime.
@@chattyroz2934
"Are you seriously saying that Eleanor Powell started out as a ballerina?"
She began classes at 6 or 7 with Ralph McKernan, and later with the Fokines; but she was so self-willed and creative that she never danced professionally with a company. Powell always insisted that ballet was the foundation of all dancing. Despite her eclectic approach. she did barre practice as regularly as in other styles.
I have suggested that 'I Concentrate on You' is the weakest of the BM40 numbers, but do not see a huge disparity in technique between the first part with the chorus and her duet with Astaire. Anyway, these are the top two we are talking about. I cannot stop watching even the worst of their work.
Here, Bremer exhibits great technique with the ballet. So if any musical she appeared in flopped, then it wasn't her fault. After all, you're only as good as your material. A coach is only as good as his players.
Filmo dos numeros musicales en este film y tambien con Fred "Yolanda and the thief"de Minnelli;al parecer no tuvieron exito.Se la vio luego en algunos numeros musicales en films de poco brillo.Una pena.
MGM considered she lacked sex appeal. She quit, married and ran a resort complex in Baja California.
She was a fine dancer and a decent singer, but not much of an actress. Some sources I've read suggested Arthur Freed tried to push her career so hard between 1944 and 1946 because they were romantically involved.
@@WillScarlet16 AFAIK she never denied it. In 'Meet Me in St Louis' Judy and Margaret O'Brien took the acting honors, but besides Freed presumably Minnelli thought highly enough of Lucille; he directed both her segments of 'Ziegfeld Follies' with Astaire as well as 'Yolanda and the Thief'.
She was not signed by Metro until she was 25. Many dancers think of hanging their shoes up at 30, and she was 29 when she did her last part in a big picture, 'Till the Clouds Roll By'. She was not a strong enough actress to continue in films- none of the major lady hoofers were, except Ginger and, intermittently, Leslie Caron.
Maybe with the worst dance duo Astaire ever performed.