It was so wonderful seeing my Dad in this movie again. I loved him so much. He is playing the Saxophone and is behind Ray Anthony (who is playing the Trumpet) My dad played in the Big Band Era and before he died he was Tom Jones music director. But he could play the Clairinet and Saxophone like no other
Today my comment will be number 504th. Can anyone say anything interesting after 503 comments? Hardly! Anyway, about the age of Fred in this dance as 56: his physical performance I can compare with how I felt, when I was at 47, when I became Kiev champion in Ballroom dance. It was hard. However, in the same year, when with my partner we won the third place in international competition, it was so hard, that after each of dances, (in particular, when we got into final), I was lying down on table in between dances to get full rest. How I would feel at Fred Astaire's age of 56, I can't imagine. Fred's stamina in this film is absolutely amazing! I would say that Fred Astaire had a single space in dance history - the first place!
Oh, a wonderful comment indeed! The great Fred Astaire was able to maintain a very high level in the "Art of Dance" for years - well into his sixties, in fact. His 1958 "television spectacular," called, "An Evening With Fred Astaire" ("live and in color") won a boatload of awards. He was brilliant - and his young co-star, Barrie Chase (who is still with us at age 90) became an overnight star. Congratulations, to you, Michael (and your partner) on your own happy achievement.
Today is January 20, 2023, and I wanted to pay tribute to the wonderfully talented band-leader (trumpeter) Mr. Ray Anthony. A good many of you might be surprised to know that Ray Anthony has turned 101 years old today (born in 1922) and by all accounts, is still going quite strong. Bless his strong heart - he is still working and living his life. Happy birthday dear Sir!
@@LL-oc1xw Yes true, thanks for your comment! As a fun aside, the very handsome and talented Mr. Anthony was once married to the beautiful actress Mamie Van Doren (who is now 93 and still going strong herself). The couple had a child together (Perry, born in 1956) who recently turned 68. Ray Anthony remarked to his son (in the last couple years) that "your parents" have close to 200 years of (combined) life experience. What an amazing thought!
+Bernardo Martinez I wouldn't watch a movie where a young twenty-something sponsored by a fifty-something ends up marrying him under dubious circumstances with your grandchildren... but that's just me.
As far as I’m concerned this was just another poorly executed novel adaptation that utilized popular actors with contemporary music thrown in. Hollywood never changes.
What I find truly amazing is that when Astaire made this film he was in the middle of mourning the recent death of his wife of 20something years. Leslie Caron said that between cheerful scenes like this Fred was off alone crying. The fact that he could put his grief aside to shoot upbeat scenes like this is proof of his acting ability and professionalism.
Yes she was classically trained, but she does look stiff in the neck here in this dance. Compare her to the ballerina Plisetskaya [whose neck was supple as a cat's [same era almost], and it's a night-and-day difference, .... Maybe it's just that this choreography is all set up to make Astaire look cool, but in fact it's not grateful for Caron. The color scheme tells us that she's the girl Astaire's gonna get, and there's a lot of attention to the surly guys who're miffed that the old man has outshone them.... and that's the point of the scene -- Astaire is forever young. so she has to look like one of the kids who just ended up by a fluke dancing with him. It's not a "star is born' set-up for her, and frankly, if I were her agent I'd have lodged a complaint about her choreography. She DOES look great in all the pictures from her days with Roland Petit's ballet company.
In spite of being intensely devastated over his wife's death Mr Fred Astaire had resolutely decided not to quit but to continue this romantic musical movie at the 20th Century Fox. It's truly venerable act of the master hoofer. In all his musical numbers - particularly this Sluefoot dance sequence - we can clearly notice and simply commend his expertness,faultlessness,nimbleness,sheerness,and zaniness.His adorable dancing partner Ms Leslie Caron,his co-choreographer Mr David Robel,Mr Ray Anthony and his Orchestra,and an ensemble of dancers are altogether fantabulous. Mr Fred Astaire is the Daddy Long Legs with a big heart.
At 56 Fred Astaire could still dance rings around anyone, What a great scene, they certainly don't make them like this anymore, simply because no one can do this anymore! There'll never be another Fred, Bing, Gene or Doris etc.
Fred Astaire was 56 when this movie was released. I'm in awe of his energy & perfectionism. And his ability to remember all the steps for a lengthy dance number. Astaire was an absolute genius, and one of the classiest stars who ever lived. What an amazing talent! ✴️🌟✴️
Take a look at him dancing at the 1970 Oscars. Sure, not as good as when he was younger, but he was 71 years old and still a better dancer than anyone today that I can think of.
They sure don't make them like that any more. What a fantastic dance. I am 61 and have loved the 50's all my life. My favourite is Gene Kelly, but I do love Fred.
It's so sad that his wife died while producing this movie so he was sometimes having red eyes from crying so much... I feel so sorry for him!!! But I'm so thankful he continued the movie because I simply love it!!!! Thank you so much Mr Astaire!!!!!!!
fred Astaire and Leslie Caron were among the greatest dancers in cinema history and certainly prove it here! A shame they did not work together more often. There just isn't anyone of their calibrer working today.
You´re probably not a dancer yourself, are you? “fred Astaire and Leslie Caron were among the greatest dancers in cinema history and certainly prove it here!.“ I could agree on that. There´s always the question of taste right? But... “There just isn't anyone of their calibrer working today.” That is simple not true. Just because you don´t know them, doesn´t mean they´re not there. ;-) I personally know dancers who could do this and a lot more, they just don´t get the attention and recognition Mr. Astaire got. In my days, about 30 years ago I, myself would probably have been able to come up and do a routine like that. Sure, in his days he was one of the greatest, he was also one of the first. Wich gave him an advantage. But there were hoovers who were better than him. Their problem was; They were black. Just saying...
@@peteraschaffenburg1 Sorry, 30 years ago i didn't see your name on any Marquee on the three continents i lived on..! About the POC dancers from the past the greatest was Mister Bojangles Bill Robinson...! He was more than a match for Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire...
@@dominiqueschaffner308 I‘m not quite sure what you’re saying with the first part of your comment but what I meant was that even I, as a nobody, could have performed a routine like that. For the second part we seem to agree. Am I right?
I danced this on my school 3 years ago, it was a part of a competition. I was Fred Astaire and it was such a challenge but I did it amazing. Damn, so many memories! I just love this.
Excelent music and dance its really an example of music of that time de 50´s, I enjoy It an remember clearly and makes me feel young again since I am 84 yesrs old. I was then about 20 GREAT
I first saw this dance number on a scrambled cable TV channel and even under those conditions this was something special. The excellence and talent came through. To watch these wonderful dancers, all of them, is to be inspired. "A thing of beauty is a joy forever."
This is light entertainment, not to be taken very seriously but to be enjoyed. It's not intended to be realistic. I've also noticed the use of color in this remarkable scene as you mentioned. Not only do the women other than Ms. Caron wear pastel shades they arre also wearing black crinolines or the insides of their skirts are lined with dark material. This scene has been very well thought out.
I think that Leslie Caron is great with Astaire in Daddy Long Legs; in this number, she is dancing out of her comfort zone [ she was a trained ballet dancer ] but she is doing fine. Astaire told her at the start of the film, "Leslie, I can't do ballet, so you're going to have to adapt to my style". Look at the pair dancing to Mercer's Something's Got To Give. Wonderful work!
Funny that some critics criticized Caron for "some upper body stiffness". I guess those critics weren't aware she's a classically trained ballerina. Posture is EVERYTHING! They are both terrific in this great dance!
keocntsy They were 200% correct. Look how stiff she looks! She doesn't move her arms or shoulders well at all! Rita Hayworth would have nailed this dance!
@@jordanbaker1647 I think Caron does just fine -- she was a far more technically skilled dancer than Astaire's most famous partner, Ginger Rogers was. Astaire apparently thought Caron was just fine too, as he specifically wanted her for the part, and 20th Century Fox had to borrow her from MGM (Darryl F. Zanuck had originally meant to cast Mitzi Gaynor). Rita Hayworth was too old, given the whole plot revolved around a rich older man falling for the young orphan girl he's sponsored through college -- and Hayworth was 37 when this film was made.
Jordan Baker don’t agree ballet is all about posture she matches Fred step for step he told I can’t do what you do Leslie Caron recalled meeting Fred Astaire after being cast as his co-star. About her ballet training he said, "Kid, you're going to have to do what I do, because I sure don't do what you do." I saw Leslie Caron repeat the above quotation on a television show about Fred Astaire; which one it was, I've forgotten.
Sorry, I just don't see the "upper body stiffness". (Speaking as the (former) husband of a dance teacher). She constantly matched Astaire, not only step=for-step, but in "fluid movements" as well. As a matter of fact, during the closing moments of this particular dance sequence, when the "backup dancers" lifted them both to their shoulders, you can see Astaire lean over and say something to Caron. What he reportedly said was "...you were/are beautiful" !! High praise from the Master !!
Certainly there is some tension in her shoulders, but she just wasn’t as well matched energetically as Hayworth was. She a better dancer than Hayworth just not a better partner to Him. Hayworth connected with him better but had sloppy hands.
In one way at least, it was the other way around. He told her, during filming, that she'd have to learn to dance in his style, because he couldn't dance in the classical ballet style she was trained in. But that said, there's no doubt Fred Astaire was a true genius in his field: he drew upon some ballet with ballroom dance, tap, and more, and combined it with a natural gracefulness that no one else had, to become one of the greatest of all time, and as much as his partners are complimented for doing it "backwards and in high heels" the truth is that Eleanor Powell is probably the only one who could match him step for step.
Fred had expressed doubts (to Leslie - according to her) that Leslie, a classical trained ballerina, could perform well the type of dancing required of this movie. This dance number was rehearsed for 6 weeks - prior to shooting it, of course. It was the first dance number they performed for the movie. Of course, it was performed flawlessly, by both of them, as well as the dance ensomble. If you notice, at the conclusion of the number, when the ensamble members lifted both of them on their shoulders, Fred leaned over - and said to Leslie "...you were beautiful" After that, of course, Fred's doubts about Leslie were gone.
Tempos maravilhosos de artistas e filmes que já não existem mais. Fred Astaire e Gene Kelly foram ícones dessa época, lembrando também do excelente Donald O'Connor no filme Cantando na Chuva.
+Jo Stockton Well so, I am 65, have worked as a heavy equipment mechanic all of my life, am still in damned good shape, and I don't chase after young chics.
It seems so odd to me that someone that age should have been paired with someone as young a Caron, especially as there was supposed to be some love interest between them. If he had been 25 years younger it would still have looked odd as he was no oil painting, could dance though......
Incredible that Fred was pushing near 60 during this movie. He moves like a 20 or 30 year old in his prime❗wonderful team dance...they dazzle together.🎯💛🎯💝
I enjoy this movie w/Fred Astaire & Leslie Caron even though there's a 32 yrs difference between them Fred Astaire still has class and it just shows you the moves he still has up to now.
Those were golden years for the big studios, TV was not serious competition yet, and big names such as Astaire, Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron could show their skill at ease.
In the genre of Big Band Jazz Fred was and still the best dancer in the hole world, his tecnique for dance awesome and reminds me when my mother was a preety youngster, classic of classics. 😃🎵🎵👍👍
Sou Cleuma Goulart. Como é bom ver esses vídeos de dança ! Fico pensando naquelas pessoas e músicos de dança de salão nesses tempos de pandemia! É lamentável!!!! (Mar 2021/ RJ/BR)
