Colgate Comedy Hour Very rare 35mm segment starring Donald O'Connor singing/dancing "Fascinating Rhythm" at the Hollywood Bowl, as broadcast on NBC on October 5, 1952. Also stars Scatman Crothers.
Anton, You are so right. I grew up during that period and loved every one of them. Just imagine the hours of rehearsals to perfect their talent. They were hard workers. I would add Ann Miller and Rita Hayworth, but, the list keeps getting longer and I don't want to leave anyone out.
IMO he literally saved every thing he ever appeared in although rarely top billing he made the others shine and I don't think he ever got the credit he deserved.
This amazing performance isn't listed in the IMDB list of performances for either Donald O'Connor nor Scatman Crothers. It is incredible that such a terrific performance could be done for a 1952 weekly television show, where 50+ minutes of entertainment had to be produced every week.
Of the well-known trio of that marvelous era (O'Connor, Astaire, Kelly), Donald O'Connor was the most talented. Beautiful tenor voice with perfect relative pitch, light as air in on his feet with those dance moves (courtesy of his being a boxer (swift, light foot moves) most of his life starting when he was 5 y/o), suspended in air when he leaped, acrobat non-pareil, and HE choreographed his dances. A perfectionist trained up from birth in vaudeville and the circus, he was the underrated 'Best of them all,' IMHO. I believe it was his small stature and average sweet-boy-next-door looks that kept him from fully taking the foreground. While we have seen the likes of Kelly in several dancers, we have never seen the likes of O'Connor, or Astaire.
Ok it’s always a treat to see Don - a boy is this a rarity. And it was great to see Scatman below retirement age. But I must draw the line at the Rhythmic but Strangely Hostile Pixies. What in the world was the director smoking?😆
Donald was the greatest all the rest were very good but for my money I’ll take Donald . Gregory Hines gene Kelly Fred Astaire so many greats but Donald is number one for my taste.
I think Gene Nelson was better than all of them (but O'Connor comes the closest). Nelson could tap dance, was a wonderful ballroom dancer and a great dance partner; he could do lifts absolutely effortlessly. He was also had ballet, ice skating, and gymnastics training...and he could sing. He was also a terrific actor, unlike most of the screen dancers. He also had that "wow" factor due to some of the absolutely stunning athletic feats he performed while dancing. Watch the routine he did in a gym or the tapdance on a staircase and railing sometime. Merv Griffin once said that Nelson would jump down from a rooftop, run through a burning building, swing down on a curtain, and then dance...and he wasn't really exaggerating. And it wasn't just dancing pyrotechnics. The man really could dance. Above all, I don't think I've ever seen a more graceful human being than Gene Nelson. He could make you think he was floating on air.
What a great pleasure it was for me as a youngster to accidentally happen upon the great Donald ‘O Connor at a once beautiful, though now defunct nightclub in South Philadelphia ! He was very nice to me 😊 .
Thank you for this video. Donald O'Connor never ceases to amaze me. His talents knew no boundaries. Overall, the best out of all of them. What a treasure chest of memories he left us.
Thank you so much for this video, I have never seen it. It was a cute number very well done, of course. I am such a fan of Donald O'Connor, this was a treat at the end of my day.
You are saying it! I'm a tapdancer by myself (1h per week class) - that's wonderful what we can see here. Thanks for the upload of this handsome 35mm shot! (I'm a Filmfan too, S8mm, N8mm and 16mm) Best wishes, Géréon
Scatman's so young here, he still had hair! No mistaking that great voice of his. Most people nowadays only know him from his role in the movie "The Shining", but he was a great talent for so many years! He did it all; singing, dancing, comedy, and acting.
Ni idea en qué pero me hizo acordar al magnífico baile de Zorba el griego. Ya de paso sumo reconocimiento a los tantos ya dichos a su creador ( su música) ante su fallecimiento reciente.
