Gwen has a special place in my heart. I worked with her on a movie, not long before her death. So we spent a couple months together in Florida. Honestly, i had no clue who she was, just another actor that I had to look after. But she was just the sweetest woman, and never once complained about the conditions. She was just a happy person. Then one day we were shooting at some old mans house, and he just went nuts over her, brought out all her albums, I mean seriously, it was as if he had Elvis at his house. She was so gracious to him, I guess it felt good to be remembered. Anyway, eventually i came home and I was with my dad and I told him I worked with Gwen Verdon, and that apparently she was a big deal at one point, and he says "Gwen Verdon????? Are you kidding me? Your mother LOVED her (My mom died when I was a kid) We went and saw her show live many times"
I’m going down a Bob Fosse rabbit hole after watching Fosse and Verdon (fantastic) anyway everything they both touched was pure magic!! It’s 2023 and I’m still mesmerized!
I miss when dance movies were made like this. You can see the choreography and see how talented they are. I feel like dance sequences now have too many cuts, making it impossible to see what the dancers are actually doing. I love watching these old movie clips!
I agree 100%. The costume Gwen's wearing makes you see how the abdominal muscles work during her dancing. I love watching dancing in old movies too. I'm not a dancer so I didn't realize what changed. I thought maybe the art of certain types of dance was dead. That being said I think modern dance is amazing too, just in a different way.
I agree. Maybe I am unfair, but I suspect the frequent cuts are in large part because the star dancers have their star status for things other than dancing and the cuts are to cover for inability to sustain a high level of performance for very long. And to change camera angles to make them look better than they are.
Probably because back then the big stars at least could often dance or being a great dancer made you a star. Now they seem to choose actors who can't even really dance.
In almost every dance scene with Bob Fosse, it's hard to take your eyes off him. He just stands out. But amazingly, Gwen Verdon is the showstopper here. Her body is so beautiful & her movement, lines & performance are absolutely sublime--perfect & exuberant all at the same time. She's an extraordinary dancer.
Yep, the first viewing I just looked at her. But that's why it's good to watch it again (and again) to shift to Fosse. He's not just a great dancer, he's freaking adorable. Whatever went on in their personal lives, you just have to look at this to feel like you get why they could never let go of each other.
Before watching, I was wondering who would steal the show. In my opinion, the winner is... ... ... BOTH! They're both amazing.I kept thinking, "Fosse choreographed it" so that makes him the one to watch to see how he wants the movements done. But Gwen is such a good dancer and so cute that she equally shines, even if she varies. Nowadays, Broadway is not this kind of material. What a shame.
She's the embodiment of the Fosse dancer - all those angles that would be ungainly on anyone else just flow perfectly. Even the over-the-top moves are somehow subtly unexpected and wonderful.
I adore Bob Fosse, but honestly, I couldn't take my eyes off Gwen. I guess that's star power. Amazing choreography, amazing performance, to a very weird song.😊
@@AnnabelleSkylar "They'll think it's a musical. But you'll know, and I'll know. That's what we do, isn't it? We take what hurts and we turn it into a big gag, and we're singing and we're dancing... And the audience, they're yukking it up. They're laughing so hard, they don't realize that all they're laughing at is a person in agony."
I literally have to put my hand over Gwen so I can watch Fosse properly because she really steals the show. Watching him he is so fluid, like he makes it look so easy and his limbs are made of water! I honestly could watch this over and over again for the rest of my life.
That’s me except the opposite. I can’t take my eyes off of Fosse! His choreo is fantastic and though Gwen is fantastic and gorgeous, I can’t stop watching him.
I think one reason she steals the show is because of her costume. You can see every single muscle of her move. She is so athletic but besides that she's an amazing dancer. The combination of the two of them is a dancing master class. I'd love to have seen this live.
While Michelle and Sam made a great effort it was not close to the original...watch how much lower Gwen and Bob’s backs were during the back to back portion...it would be impossible to gain 30 plus years of dancing expertise in the 6 months Michelle and Sam had...they did the best they could but nailed it? That’s unfair to Gwen and Bob who were brilliant. But I am LOVING Fosse Verdon don’t get me wrong.
@@JF-NYC-NJ-Girl The newer version will introduce Fosse and Verdon to a new generation. I am lucky to have remembered how brilliant he was and seen this again myself. A loved-one brought me here.
Their sense of "ensemble", down to the smallest nuance, is just sot terrific! And I love that the choreography is "uni-sex", all the moves look equally appropriate on man or woman. Fosse was not only a genius choreographer, but one hell of a performer of his own material.
Yes, the precision those two had in the dance was phenomenal. They are in sync in dance but in the acting too (facial expressions, etc.). I think this is practically perfect and I could watch this over and over again. I watched the Fosse/Verdon miniseries lately. This number really stood out in the series. Obviously, the two actors can't compare to the original. But they both did an excellent job.
Incomparable duo. Even though they separated, they never divorced, and they continued to collaborate, because neither of them had ever encountered anyone else as talented, nor who complemented them so perfectly.
@@triciajohansen9295 Indeed she was! She loved him and respected his talent, though not necessarily his behavior. In many ways she was his truest friend, even after they separated.
@Christine Mills You are so right, Gwen definitely contributed to Bob's success, pushing him to greater heights whether he wanted them or not. Unfortunately, she didn't quite achieve the legendary status he did. Bob Fosse is, more or less, a household name, but Gwen Verdon is not -- not outside of fans of Broadway, that is, even though she was every bit as talented as he was, if not more. That is so freaking unfair.
Nia Nia Here’s your homework: You Tube “Whatever Lola Wants” from Damn Yankees Movies Cocoon (Yes, that movie from the 80’s) Damn Yankees Now go have fun! 😉
Valley Girl Yes. She was in the original and the sequel. She played a sexy, classy older gal. Her character was Don Ameche’s girlfriend. She danced with him in the original. I don’t remember if there was any dancing in the sequel though. Gwen was the very definition of class. ❤️
Who's got the pain...I do. Danced all my life, still at it, of course the old bones, muscles and joints creak in the first 10 minutes. But there is no giving up. Thank you Bod and Gwen, unforgettable dancers, and so much more!
One of the absolute best musical song-and-dance routines EVER, choreographed - and danced - to perfection, by two true masters. The fun and joy they had performing this just SPILLS off the screen, even 50+ years later. I love RU-vid for making it so easy to experience the classic scenes so easily.
I should add that I enjoyed it, in spite of that. Knowing a little about their relationship gave this routine more meaning. It added significance, at least for me.
Patrick, I agree with you. The original Broadway production of DAMN YANKEES (1955) was where they first met and got together, and was the first time he choreographed her. Knowing that made watching this number more fun for me.
People complain about the internet. And with good reason (hate speech, charlatans, ads, etc.). But the one thing the internet has that makes it worth it for me is RU-vid. I grew up in the black and white TV days and the portable phonograph to play 45 rpm records. I thought it was wonderful to watch entertainment right in my house! Then came color TV - great! And then, like a bolt out of the blue, as Jiminy Cricket would say, comes RU-vid. Suddenly, I can watch the Beatles, Howdy Doody, and this dance routine whenever I want - almost instantly! Will miracles never cease? Kids growing up nowadays surrounded by technology have no idea what it was like to watch the Beatles on Ed Sullivan - and then to never watch that again unless there was a rerun. Now, the whole world of entertainment, lectures, instruction.... all the knowledge of humanity (almost) instantly available on RU-vid. And supplemented by written material for in depth reading. I'm an avid reader of 'the history of technology'. I'm fascinated that very few people alive remember a time before cars, electricity, planes, telephone, indoor plumbing, deodorant (lol), etc. I would not want to live in 'the good old days'. You can take away my internet and I would feel bad, but losing RU-vid would be horrible. What would I watch when my 400 TV channels all have shows aimed at the lowest common denominator (read, 'stupid') people. My only bit of doubt is that it's owned by Google. You know; the corporation whose motto is, "Be Evil"... er... oops! I got that wrong. Sorry. it's, "Don't Be Evil". There. Now I have it right. That's the real motto. Not kidding. How silly of me to get it wrong the first time! I should have researched the history of its motto on RU-vid.
To michelle williams and sam rockwell you did a phenomenal job portraying fosse and verdon bravo bravo this is one of my favorite shows on amc thank you for your extraordinary talent
I just love Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon and that has to be one of the best routines ever. He was an absolute master of his art and she was one of the best dancers ever. I have watched this video a dozen times and adore it.
She "helped" with a good deal of his choreography when he got stuck on how to achieve a movement he wanted. I personally saw an example of this at the rehearsal studios back in the 50's.
God must have been in a good mood the day he created Bob and Gwen. It's pure happiness watching this scene! And one wonders what the people who DON'T like this dance were looking for and preferr?
They were pure magic I never get tired of watching them perform. Just watched him in my sister Eileen. He was incredible and anything Gwen is in just magical ✨
I've watched this routine dozens of time over the years and it never gets old! It's a fantastic number and the connection between these two geniuses is palpable.
There really is something magical about watching two people who are fantastic at what they do... And they do it with such ease. Its simply enthralling, even with this being an odd song.
Yes, they are so amazing in this number. Sometimes you can see the love and devotion of the performer to his/her/they craft. You can't deny these two were made to dance.
This is so FUN! I've never seen this before. What a brilliant routine. Its comedic and amazingly difficult. I don't know how she's able to sing upside down and still sound great. Makes me want to see MORE!!!
Am pretty sure all the vocals are redone after the fact in a proper studio. That is pretty much standard operation procedure for any film. There are no mics on any of them and using boom mikes on a set like this would create a sound that would be filled with reverb.
Gavin Puckett I've been a fan of theirs since I saw ALL THAT JAZZ (1979) for the first time when I was 17. After I saw it I did lots of research, and listened to the soundtracks from some of their Broadway shows.
I knew about them, but have no idea what this TV show is people are mentioning. Of course, I haven't watched network TV since the 90s, and these days don't even bother with the documentary cable channels - I pretty much exclusively view streaming specialty programs and, well, RU-vid.
I don’t really watch TV, so havent seen the TV show but have seen Fosse’s work in Cabaret, All That Jazz, and Lenny and read the Fosse book. Saw this dance number on TV when I was a kid, thought this song was weird, haha. It has to be one of the very best dance routines I’ve ever seen - Rich Man’s Frug from Sweet Charity is best!!
This was my favorite moment in the movie. Fosse and Verdon were in perfect lockstep with one another as they cavorted across the stage, bringing the mambo beat to full life. (And no wonder-she was his wife-to-be. They married in 1960 but separated in 1971, but never divorced.) Thanks for posting this classic!
@@LadyCypher54 The movie is "Damn Yankees," the 1958 film version of the 1954 Broadway musical about a baseball fan who sold his soul to the devil to help the Washington Senators beat the Yankees for the American League pennant. Tab Hunter was the star.
Her control and understanding of at least 4 styles of genres... So founded in low moments of Modern dances influenced by everything in the americas. He’s no slouch.
Now that's dancing! The one and only Fosse and Verdon. They along with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly take my breath away when they dance. Wouldn't it be great if movies like this were made now. But I'm thankful we've got the classics.
God, I love watching this. It is so cute and sweet and the pure energy they have on stage with each other just vibrates with excitement and life. It is so fun seeing how much they enjoyed doing this number.
Ellyn MacGregor - yes, he clearly meant ‘chore’ as an abbreviation; it makes a lot more sense when you sound it out in your head as the first two syllables of choreography! 🤔😉
One of the delights of this couple is that they are perfectly matched. Almost exactly the same size and build. They stayed married till the end, despite all. One sees divine grace in this match and Nicole's family, sheer wholesomeness emerging triumphant despite all the tragedy and sewage they had to swim through.
I've been watching this every day. I love this. BOB Fossie and his shadow Gwen, Gwen Verdon and her shadow Bob!❤ Watching this dance number, just amazing, makes me feel good. The dancing is just fantastic. All these great dance numbers from Damn Yankees. Great movie. Next is Gwen as Siren Lola.
Seriously. How is it possible that 87 people actually voted thumbs down On a classic Bob Fosse number? I guess there are folks who are not fans of talent.
Wen Lyn - Sometimes I feel that the saddest, or angriest, internet loners are sitting at home, angry that their lives are passing them by with no momentous events/ memories to reflect upon. When they see talent or happiness (or a memorable era) they immediately click thumbs down because it'll never be a moment in their lives.
Honestly, the piece is gorgeous, but his talent is overshadowed by what a toxic person he was. He treated everyone in his life like they were disposable. Folks can find it hard to laud a person like that, you know?
Gwen Verdon did things with her legs and feet in this dance routine that seem inhuman... her timing and grace on stage were impeccable.. no wonder Fosse made her a star
Ignore those who need to try and imitate before they can appreciate what Fosse & Verdon did here. Such complexity and precision. The transitions that required complete synchronicity to not have one or the other falling on the floor are breathtaking. All this skill and they created a festive mood to boot! (Kudos to the costume designers for outfits as zany as the song.)
I love how happy Bob and Gwen look doing this side by side. XD I couldn't help but watch that and think "relationship goals." Also I love how when Bob gets offstage, he's actually referred to as "Fosse"
When I was a kid, I saw Gwen Verdon on B'way -- EVERY show she did. I WORSHIPPED her. But now, I watch Fosse dancing in different tapes, and I can SEE why Gwen was his one and only muse. But really, HE was the ONLY ONE who could REALLY do his steps to PERFECTION. He was BRILLIANT. No one can EVER be another Fosse.
I just watched this again. Bob Fossie and Gwen Verdon were so insinc with each other, dancing, it's so fascinating to watch them doing this number. A total classic. Glad I've gotten to see this. 🥰🤩
I've just watched this again. I just makes me feel so happy. Love this Dance number with Bob Fossie, and Gwen Verdon..Great dance, greater dancers. ❤🕊😇🎶❤
Dang. The two are just amazing. How they synchronize their moves, their incredible dancing; they are never out of rhythm. Bless them both for bringing joy to millions around the world. As a kid I saw this movie so many times that I knew the whole dialogue by heart and could sing all the musical numbers. One of the top 10 musicals ever made.
Lord, what synchronicity! Fosse's rubber-band elasticity and fluidity make me wonder what Jim Carrey might have done in the role. Though Sam Rockwell has been extraordinary in his own right.
??? The choreo is brilliant. It is rare to see such spirit and charisma in dancers/actors today. Most people just do it nowadays because they think they can--but real talent? Real passion? That is rare, and here it is. I love the classy style of vaudeville-broadway-jazz they had back then.