Donald was at the top of his adorableness during this time period. He is so loose and relaxed he just flows from head to foot. He has such a remarkable style.
Donald O'Connor just shines in this dance routine. It saddens me that he wasn't recognized more for his phenomenal talent! He also has a beautiful voice. It goes without question that Gene Kelly was very good too, but Donald was every bit as good -- and in my humble opinion -- better. Look how effortlessly Donald moves in this video. He was an amazing performer!!
I've always thought that Donald was a better dancer than Gene Kelly. He has that effortless quality that you mentioned, his movements are so very fluid, and he has a flexibility that Kelly never had.
"Singin' In the Rain" was a masterpiece because of the chemistry between these two, and it's evident here as well... Why, oh why didn't some producer see in them the next Hope & Crosby, and put them in a bunch of vehicles? Look at this: They dance as if they are actually great friends, and their banter has the magic of seeming to be improvised.
They did cast Donald in White Christmas, but he was too sick to do it. They claimed he caught a bug from Francis the Talking Mule, so they hired a non-dancer instead. But I would have loved to see him paired with Vera Ellen one more time. He gave her credit for helping him with his dancing. DannyKaye was amusing but he wasn’t the dancer Donald was!
@@AllanMasri If it's a toss-up as to whether Astaire or Kelly was the "greatest," I absolutely believe O'Connor was awfully damn close to both of them.
Only Donald O'Connor could keep up with Gene Kelly. They dance so wonderful together. I love this. Thank you for the Post. I am now in love with Donald O'Connor.
Donald said that he was 118 pounds filming singin in the rain , Kelly was 145! And they’re about the same height . Donald looks like he’s dancing on air, but it’s amazing how graceful a “bulldog” like Kelly made all his routines so athletic yet so beautiful and balletic. Great dance team !
Love Donald's style. Nothing against Gene's remarkable talent, but Donald seems so much more natural and fluid to me. He takes over every scene I've seen him in. :)
Both are such phenomenal dancers.So talented and graceful, as well as always spot on with each other. O'Connor I do think was more...fluid I think than Kelly, but Kelly had just as much strength as well as a great singing voice. They both did. Practically equal with one another. I will forever love these two.
I think Gene Nelson was a better dancer than either of them. He had Astaire's grace and elegance combined with Gene Kelly's athleticism and ballet training. He was perfect.
Everybody has their opinion as to who's better. To me, it's simply the two of them together. They are both amazing, and each one has his own style, which compliments the other. These guys were giants, legends. The best at their trade....period.
I don't any other singing and tap dancing duo that could outdo these two. They inspired me to start tapping, and while I'm not on par with them, I do pretty god
you are so lucky to know how to tap dance. I tried to learn the basic moves from youtube video and failed. but you right, these two unmatched. couple of days ago, a lecturer in the university asked us to write what is our fav movie, and was pretty shocked from the fact that I wrote Singin' in the Rain. his loss,
@rolandbutter88 I'm all for Donald, forever and ever, for life! I've seen quite a few of his films lately and he's amazing in all of them. His movies weren't as widely known as Kelly's so many people don't even know who he was, let alone admiring his dancing, acting and singing skills... And these were incomparable....
Donald O'Connor was absolutely smooth, flawless and adorable. I think he was actually the best of all. Over four minutes of pure bliss. Two wonderful and talented Irishman 🤗! This was the synchronized swimming of dancing.
i loved the you tube. Gene and Donald work very well together. They are having a great time. I love Gene and Donald is cool, I love to watch them in anything that they perform in.
Gene, Fred, and Donald were the best. Gene's choreography couldn't be surpassed, Fred's classiness with a woman when dancing, and Donald's ability to make you laugh as you sat in awe as he danced. THIS is true entertainment, something my grandchildren could sit and watch without a worry....oh for those days!
Donald O'Connor, The Fantastic! I just ADORE him! He was way too underrated for all the talent he had... singing, acting, dancing, drama & comedy actor .. and just so DANG adorable & lovable! I really enjoyed this performance. Thanks so much for posting it! We don't get entertainment like that anymore ... fun, clean, true talent! :D
I do wish that the TV would have this kind of shows on a sat night. Dance, music, talented people and intelligent conversations. I wonder if people would still love to see this kind of shows?
I heard once that Donald was originally trained as a hoofer, so when he and Gene got together for Singin' in the Rain, Gene had to basically teach him how to use his arms as part of the dance.
awsome!! u no what? to everyone else who's an O'connor fan, im really lookin at donald an DUDE HE"S quick! had moves! it looks like he could make moves so fast u wouldnt no it, slick cool, fun,!
Just sublime...lovely and makes me smile all the way through, I hope they were good friends off screen, because they sure do look like good friends on it... Thanks for posting such a little gem :)
They were more colleagues than buddies- that was true of Kelly and almost all who worked with him, alas. Both were in career declines and Donald's nicotine addiction was taking its toll. They are cashing in on TV audience's memories of musicals from everyone's younger days.
:D My two favourite dancers! I've loved them since my granddad brought home a VHS tape of Singin' in the Rain. LOL, the family's worn out several copies since. Good thing DVDs aren't expensive (and they come in box sets!).
Wow. How great to be able to see this. It's hard enough trying to get their movies on region 2 DVD, let alone sequences like this one. I wish they'd put all these clips on DVD for the fans, I'm sure there are enough of us out there to make it a profitable venture!
Kelly was very domineering and competitive. He might not have wanted to risk comparison with Donald again, especially in tap, though that style was becoming outdated.
I've read all the comments about Gene's and Donald's dancing styles and, though I adore them both, I'd say that Gene was so much concentrated on doing his routines perfectly, faultlessly, gracefully that he sometimes became a bit rigid (don't kill me for that!) whereas Donald was more spontaneous, flexible, did his routines in a more relaxed way - I hope I used the right words and you'll undertand my point of view.
Oh, what pure joy to see these 2 guys together again. Class, talent and they look so completely comfortable dancing here. I wish there were more tap dancers NOW !
well Gene Kelly is a more sweeping and masculine dancer with a lot of ballet training, but for me Donald adds a lot more personality to the tap dances. They both add a bit of their personalities to it and thats whats important
One reason they work well together is that both Donald and Gene preferred doing their spins to the left (counterclockwise) 3:35 - 3:47. Others like Ann Miller would mostly spin clockwise.
SIENTO QUE LA MUSICA ES UNIVERSAL, NO TIENE FRONTERAS, ES UN IDIOMA UNICO. OJALA TODOS TUVIESEMOS EL DON QUE TUVO GENE, POR LO MENOS ME QUEDO CON LA VERTIGINOSA SENSACION DE VERLO BAILAR, DE ESCUCHARLO CANTAR A VECES, DISFRUTAR DE SABER QUE HAY OTRAS PERSONAS EN ESTE MUNDO INMENSO QUE SIENTEN COMO SIENTO YO. ES MAGIA. GENE KELLY TRAJO MAGIA A ESTE MUNDO, ESTAMOS EN EL AÑO 2011 Y AUN PODEMOS DISFRUTAR DE ESTE PRODIGIO. ABRAZOS!!!
P.S. I may be just a bit prejudiced. Like many people commenting on this video, I suffer from acute Donald-itis. Actually, I don't suffer at all. No cure for me either, please!!!
@beopanacea hes soo good an his grace, smoothness and naturalty makes it look very easy, let me tell u those (optic spins) are REALLY HARD he makes it look badass cool! i did them, the first couple of times i fell on my face!! but he makes them look easy hes awsome!
O'Connor - August 28, 1925 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Died September 27, 2003 (aged 78) Kelly - August 23, 1912 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. Died February 2, 1996 (aged 83) Kelly was 13 years older than O'Connor. They probably celebrated their birthdays together!
Please pardon my saying so, but I believe that Kelly was actually better known as a dancer. He was and is one of the most famous and quintessential American dancers, choreographers, and showmen in general. His reputation holds today. And, of course, O'Connor was equally dynamic - just look at him here! Kelly and O'Connor were a great comedic team. I think that it's a shame they didn't work together on more projects, and that O'Connor is less often recognized in his own right.
G: You know, we havent danced together since Singin in the Rain. D: Yeah, I know, Im still drying out. G: Well, wet or dry, you look like youre in good shape, to me. [Audience laughs] Yeah, yeah. D: Well, you know, I should be I got a good trainer. G: Who? D: You. You know how many taps Ive worn out since weve been rehearsing? G: Well, I admit, weve been laying down a little iron.
They both look in good shape to me: this was before O'Connor piled on the pounds and Kelly aged, which he did rather shockingly fast. But neither had a creative spark any longer; the musical's collapse as a genre had left them stranded. They are on TV appealing to the people who used to queue up to see them on the big screen- tribute acts to themselves.
I recently read that Arthur Freed considered re-teaming Kelly & O'Connor in 'Brigadoon' but they couldn't make it work, apparently due to scheduling conflicts. Shame.
Yeah, I don't like saying one is better than the other, they just have a different way of doing the same move, for example. Gene might be a little more graceful and classic whereas Donald attacks moves with more power and precision... i suppose.
@jazzyuyu80 what makes me sad is talented pple are overlooked nowadays an just crap is thrown on tv, untalented pple are shoved in the spotlight.... ik
Donald was at the top of his adorableness during this time period. He is so loose and relaxed he just flows from head to foot. He has such a remarkable style.
Perfect comment 👍👌
Donald O'Connor just shines in this dance routine. It saddens me that he wasn't recognized more for his phenomenal talent! He also has a beautiful voice. It goes without question that Gene Kelly was very good too, but Donald was every bit as good -- and in my humble opinion -- better. Look how effortlessly Donald moves in this video. He was an amazing performer!!
Jeanette Wells I couldn't agree more :)
I've always thought that Donald was a better dancer than Gene Kelly. He has that effortless quality that you mentioned, his movements are so very fluid, and he has a flexibility that Kelly never had.
I'm with all of you. Can't take my eyes off Donald. He's just so adorable, smooth and flawless. The best of the best, in my opinion.
I'm in love with Donald O'Connor.
Same here. I watch "Call Me Madam" over and over. He was adorable and oh so talented.
"Singin' In the Rain" was a masterpiece because of the chemistry between these two, and it's evident here as well...
Why, oh why didn't some producer see in them the next Hope & Crosby, and put them in a bunch of vehicles?
Look at this:
They dance as if they are actually great friends, and their banter has the magic of seeming to be improvised.
Gene would have to be Bing and get the prettiest girl while Donald's Bob would be wisecracking on the side.
Showed in the concern when Gene went little off balance after his ballet pose
The wise men of the studios thought Donald had better chemistry with a dubbed mule.
They did cast Donald in White Christmas, but he was too sick to do it. They claimed he caught a bug from Francis the Talking Mule, so they hired a non-dancer instead. But I would have loved to see him paired with Vera Ellen one more time. He gave her credit for helping him with his dancing. DannyKaye was amusing but he wasn’t the dancer Donald was!
@@AllanMasri If it's a toss-up as to whether Astaire or Kelly was the "greatest," I absolutely believe O'Connor was awfully damn close to both of them.
Only Donald O'Connor could keep up with Gene Kelly. They dance so wonderful together. I love this. Thank you for the Post. I am now in love with Donald O'Connor.
I don't think Donald O'Connor needed to keep up with anyone. He was truly the GOAT. Multi talented,
Donald said that he was 118 pounds filming singin in the rain , Kelly was 145! And they’re about the same height . Donald looks like he’s dancing on air, but it’s amazing how graceful a “bulldog” like Kelly made all his routines so athletic yet so beautiful and balletic. Great dance team !
I also admire Donald O'Connor! Wonderfull dancer and comedian.
u just cant take ur eyes off him!!! donalds just wwaayy too addictive
they are just so damn snazzy...i LOVE them!
Love Donald's style. Nothing against Gene's remarkable talent, but Donald seems so much more natural and fluid to me. He takes over every scene I've seen him in. :)
Both are such phenomenal dancers.So talented and graceful, as well as always spot on with each other. O'Connor I do think was more...fluid I think than Kelly, but Kelly had just as much strength as well as a great singing voice. They both did. Practically equal with one another.
I will forever love these two.
I think Gene Nelson was a better dancer than either of them. He had Astaire's grace and elegance combined with Gene Kelly's athleticism and ballet training. He was perfect.
Donald O’Connor is the greatest actor, dancer, and singer. Ever
Tell that to Sammy Davis Jr.
@@jakela671 no thanks. I’m pretty happy having my own opinion
Everybody has their opinion as to who's better. To me, it's simply the two of them together. They are both amazing, and each one has his own style, which compliments the other. These guys were giants, legends. The best at their trade....period.
I don't any other singing and tap dancing duo that could outdo these two. They inspired me to start tapping, and while I'm not on par with them, I do pretty god
you are so lucky to know how to tap dance. I tried to learn the basic moves from youtube video and failed. but you right, these two unmatched. couple of days ago, a lecturer in the university asked us to write what is our fav movie, and was pretty shocked from the fact that I wrote Singin' in the Rain. his loss,
Oh I don't really know how, but I just my best to try and keep up with them.
the 2 greatest tap dancers. I just can't get enough of them dancing together!!!
@rolandbutter88 I'm all for Donald, forever and ever, for life! I've seen quite a few of his films lately and he's amazing in all of them. His movies weren't as widely known as Kelly's so many people don't even know who he was, let alone admiring his dancing, acting and singing skills... And these were incomparable....
They are really great tappers!
Donald O'Connor was smooth as silk, he really outshone Gene Kelly here. Great perfomance.
Agreed
Love Donald O connor to bits ever since he made me laugh at the age of 10 - but Gene Kelly will always be my number one -he was dead gorgeous.
Kelly and O Conner.The greatest dance team,sublime.
Astaire and Rodgers?
Donald O'Connor was absolutely smooth, flawless and adorable. I think he was actually the best of all. Over four minutes of pure bliss. Two wonderful and talented Irishman 🤗! This was the synchronized swimming of dancing.
O'Connor pointing out the lame US Steel joke was awesome! He was so natural on the stage, picking up feelings from the audience.
Sorry, I didn´t get this part. Could you please explain in to me. :)
@@BlakbunnyxD
Taps are made of steel.
They wore out so many taps during rehearsals, that stock in steel went up
Gene Kelly will always be my choice for most handsome man 🤩
i loved the you tube. Gene and Donald work very well together. They are having a great time. I love Gene and Donald is cool, I love to watch them in anything that they perform in.
Gene, Fred, and Donald were the best.
Gene's choreography couldn't be surpassed, Fred's classiness with a woman when dancing, and Donald's ability to make you laugh as you sat in awe as he danced.
THIS is true entertainment, something my grandchildren could sit and watch without a worry....oh for those days!
I certainly agree with you about Gene's choreography, it was always innovative, and fresh.
i adore donald!
me two darlins, Gene and Donald. I;m always happy to see you both in your movies or shows. That never happens again.
They were very good friends
i love those two together (especially in Singin' in the Rain)!!!!! i also really like that little thing they do at 3:56.
Two of the most athletic dancers…..ever! 😲😊😄👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏😉👍👍
i love the song they sing at the beginning
Donald O'Connor, The Fantastic! I just ADORE him! He was way too underrated for all the talent he had... singing, acting, dancing, drama & comedy actor .. and just so DANG adorable & lovable! I really enjoyed this performance. Thanks so much for posting it! We don't get entertainment like that anymore ... fun, clean, true talent! :D
I do wish that the TV would have this kind of shows on a sat night. Dance, music, talented people and intelligent conversations. I wonder if people would still love to see this kind of shows?
I adore Donald
GENE and Donald are the best..
look at their choreography, its just BRILLIANT!
I heard once that Donald was originally trained as a hoofer, so when he and Gene got together for Singin' in the Rain, Gene had to basically teach him how to use his arms as part of the dance.
I wouldn't believe that, DC was dancing since a toddler. His training goes way back.
awsome!! u no what? to everyone else who's an O'connor fan, im really lookin at donald an DUDE HE"S quick! had moves! it looks like he could make moves so fast u wouldnt no it, slick cool, fun,!
Just sublime...lovely and makes me smile all the way through, I hope they were good friends off screen, because they sure do look like good friends on it... Thanks for posting such a little gem :)
They were more colleagues than buddies- that was true of Kelly and almost all who worked with him, alas. Both were in career declines and Donald's nicotine addiction was taking its toll. They are cashing in on TV audience's memories of musicals from everyone's younger days.
:D My two favourite dancers! I've loved them since my granddad brought home a VHS tape of Singin' in the Rain. LOL, the family's worn out several copies since. Good thing DVDs aren't expensive (and they come in box sets!).
Wow. How great to be able to see this. It's hard enough trying to get their movies on region 2 DVD, let alone sequences like this one. I wish they'd put all these clips on DVD for the fans, I'm sure there are enough of us out there to make it a profitable venture!
Donald is just more animated both are equally amazing :)
I wish they had done more movies together than just "Singing in the Rain". They're my favorite duo.
Kelly was very domineering and competitive. He might not have wanted to risk comparison with Donald again, especially in tap, though that style was becoming outdated.
They are both so short
two tiny powerhouses
I watch this almost every day, I love it. They were both absolutely amazing. Thank you for uploading it.
I've read all the comments about Gene's and Donald's dancing styles and, though I adore them both, I'd say that Gene was so much concentrated on doing his routines perfectly, faultlessly, gracefully that he sometimes became a bit rigid (don't kill me for that!) whereas Donald was more spontaneous, flexible, did his routines in a more relaxed way - I hope I used the right words and you'll undertand my point of view.
What a duo!!
Oh, what pure joy to see these 2 guys together again. Class, talent and they look so completely comfortable dancing here. I wish there were more tap dancers NOW !
Donald's timing for comedy is way better than Gene's, in my opinion.
Thank you. I always love a dance,
well Gene Kelly is a more sweeping and masculine dancer with a lot of ballet training, but for me Donald adds a lot more personality to the tap dances. They both add a bit of their personalities to it and thats whats important
I adore both Gene and Donald!
They are both spectacular :)
Wow A maze ing this made me smile never seen it before but love their work musical artistry by two elite dancers
the last, I promise - I love them at 3:00 - just fantastic!!!!!
They work so well together to Gene's choreography. I adore Gene
One reason they work well together is that both Donald and Gene preferred doing their spins to the left (counterclockwise) 3:35 - 3:47. Others like Ann Miller would mostly spin clockwise.
I recorded singing in the rain onto DVD from the VHS copy. I'm glad I did
Must have liked each other as they danced a number of performances together. Still miss Donald not dancing with Francis the Talking Mule.
The greatest of all times....unsurpassed when dancing alone....as Fred Astaire was the greatest with a partner.
Class
Now this is dancing!
SIENTO QUE LA MUSICA ES UNIVERSAL, NO TIENE FRONTERAS, ES UN IDIOMA UNICO. OJALA TODOS TUVIESEMOS EL DON QUE TUVO GENE, POR LO MENOS ME QUEDO CON LA VERTIGINOSA SENSACION DE VERLO BAILAR, DE ESCUCHARLO CANTAR A VECES, DISFRUTAR DE SABER QUE HAY OTRAS PERSONAS EN ESTE MUNDO INMENSO QUE SIENTEN COMO SIENTO YO. ES MAGIA. GENE KELLY TRAJO MAGIA A ESTE MUNDO, ESTAMOS EN EL AÑO 2011 Y AUN PODEMOS DISFRUTAR DE ESTE PRODIGIO. ABRAZOS!!!
Throw in Fred Astaire, maybe get Sammy Davis Jr., then we've got a Rat Pack of dance.
Gene Kelly had it all.
P.S. I may be just a bit prejudiced. Like many people commenting on this video, I suffer from acute Donald-itis. Actually, I don't suffer at all. No cure for me either, please!!!
Now in a show, after boy meets girl, it always helps the situation to have a few laughs and a change of pace.
0:30 is the movie that made me a fan of both of them!
@beopanacea hes soo good an his grace, smoothness and naturalty makes it look very easy, let me tell u those (optic spins) are REALLY HARD he makes it look badass cool! i did them, the first couple of times i fell on my face!! but he makes them look easy hes awsome!
I'm in my computer skills class watching this lol
O'Connor - August 28, 1925
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died September 27, 2003 (aged 78)
Kelly - August 23, 1912
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died February 2, 1996 (aged 83)
Kelly was 13 years older than O'Connor. They probably celebrated their birthdays together!
how could you not like this?!
donald-itis is uncurable,but astonashingly enough, makes u FEEL BETTER rather than opposite... :)
Golden age
i love them!
GENIALES !!!!!!
GENE IS A HOTTIE!! WITH TALENT!!!
YO TAMBIEN ADORO A GENE. SALUDOS DESDE ARGENTINA.
Please pardon my saying so, but I believe that Kelly was actually better known as a dancer. He was and is one of the most famous and quintessential American dancers, choreographers, and showmen in general. His reputation holds today.
And, of course, O'Connor was equally dynamic - just look at him here! Kelly and O'Connor were a great comedic team. I think that it's a shame they didn't work together on more projects, and that O'Connor is less often recognized in his own right.
wonderful dance and mum dosn't have to clean the foot-prints off the wall
Please note that Gene Kelly has perfect rhythm.
G: You know, we havent danced together since Singin in the Rain.
D: Yeah, I know, Im still drying out.
G: Well, wet or dry, you look like youre in good shape, to me. [Audience laughs] Yeah, yeah.
D: Well, you know, I should be I got a good trainer.
G: Who?
D: You. You know how many taps Ive worn out since weve been rehearsing?
G: Well, I admit, weve been laying down a little iron.
They both look in good shape to me: this was before O'Connor piled on the pounds and Kelly aged, which he did rather shockingly fast. But neither had a creative spark any longer; the musical's collapse as a genre had left them stranded. They are on TV appealing to the people who used to queue up to see them on the big screen- tribute acts to themselves.
Okay, they knew how to film dancing back then.
Gene Kelly is my dream.
i always scream at 1:23
How effing cool and awesome is that???
I recently read that Arthur Freed considered re-teaming Kelly & O'Connor in 'Brigadoon' but they couldn't make it work, apparently due to scheduling conflicts. Shame.
❤ the O'Connor
I agree. It also helps that he's smaller than Gene. It's easier to execute steps.
adorable!!
@enylah Amen to this! If only someone out there in movie business would listen to us, poor victims of region 2!!!!
Yeah, I don't like saying one is better than the other, they just have a different way of doing the same move, for example. Gene might be a little more graceful and classic whereas Donald attacks moves with more power and precision... i suppose.
don't you wish people still danced like this???
Gene Kelly was a god.
*Lina Lemont dislikes this*
Nobody cares. Who is Lina Lemont?
@@jimbosan710 Lina Lamont, from Singing in the Rain:
villains.fandom.com/wiki/Lina_Lamont
But Calvin liked it, and so did Coolidge.
@@jimbosan710 Seriously?
@rolandbutter88 But I DO agree with you! Absolutely! Definitely! Always!
so cool
@catwomanpl1 so true! Love 'em both
@jazzyuyu80 what makes me sad is talented pple are overlooked nowadays an just crap is thrown on tv, untalented pple are shoved in the spotlight.... ik
Ah....back when America was innocent.
great
@p215j absolutly! real grace
1:19 - 1:26 SWAG!
@CLAUDIAINXS Muchas gracias desde Escocia!