What chance have you with love when you fall for an honest-to-goodness princess? Singing, dancing and... cracking the balloons seem to be the best remedy for a broken heart... From Call Me Madam (1953)
Donald O'Connor took dancing to an entirely different level. He defied the law's of gravity. In my opinion, he was head and shoulders above them all. He was smooth, flawless, admirable and adorable. His many talents had no boundaries. And he's been doing this since he was three. Thank you for keeping his memory alive. He by definition, was America's male sweetheart.
I totally agree! Gene Kelly even realized how fantastically talented Donald O'Connor was when making Singin' in the Rain, so he put in "Make 'Em Laugh" because he deserved a solo! I love all three of those classics for their different acting strengths and O'Connor's strength was definitely tap dancing along with comedy!
only a select few of the greatest performers could dance this wonderfully, while still seeming so drunk. Donald O'Connor doesn't get as much acknowledgement as he deserves. This wonderful man was a legend.
He never loses the 'drunk' act throughout the entire performance. A true talent a true professional actor and dancer. Amazing. How did manage to break the balloons on the first kick every time??
AMAZING! Donald was boyishly cute and talented, Kelly was mannishly handsome and talented, Astaire was average looking but supremely talented. They were all great entertainers.
Actually, to be fair, you should compare 1930s Fred to 1950s Kelly and Donald because that would them the same age. For me, 1930s Fred was far more good looking than both and yes, he had so much chemistry with lots of partners! Donald comes the second for me, he is super underrated!!!!!
With all due respect, Fred is homely looking. If a women was homely looking like Fred, she would be a never was. In this World, a man doesn't have to be even slightly good looking to succeed. Women on the other hand are Judged by their looks.
For me after Astaire and Kelly the best dancers were O Connor funny good singer and talented Gene Nelson elegant Bob Fosse criative dancer and choreographer with an unique style and Tommy Rall both an athletic dancer and an excelent tenor .
Who even thought this up? And how hard they must have worked to set out the balloons and design the xylophone. And how much rehearsing and retakes would this take? Just brilliant. Donald O’Connor, the most likeable star of all, is effortlessly thrilling here. He usually was.
I had the BIGGEST crush on this guy when I was a tot. He was funny, talented and very cute. A funny guy is always the first thing on my list Why couldn't I have been alive in the fifties?
In a interview, Debbie Reynolds asked Donald how in the world did he do all those wall flipping and dance routines in Singing In The Rain, he said...I had a shot of whiskey, after that I couldn't remember anything else except I knew that I was flying around the set. Meaning, he wad dancing and jumping on the walls and did the back and front flip! LOL
All this talk of who's better, Donald or Gene, when we could be talking about how fantastic they were as a pair! They had great chemistry for starters, and I always thought that they contrasted brilliantly; you've got Gene's athletic figure alongside Donald's leaner physique, and Gene's very masculine style alongside Donald's walking-on-air sort of flair. Both show serious talent in their performances, and compliment each other wonderfully!
AGGRREEEEEEED!!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃 SOOOOOOO AMAZING. I was orn in 76' but i LO LOV LO V and respect all this a d jts beautiful and now look at world 👎👎👎👎👎👎😛😛😛😛😛
+Sasha S. This gentlemen was certainly lighter on his feet - which i think owes to his slightly smaller form. I also notice that when they dance in pairs; O'Connors movements are less lumbered and more precise. So i'd have to say technically he's a better dance.
+Daniel K personally I have the opposite opinion. I think Gene was the more technical dancer whereas Donald was more carefree and loose. Neither was better than the other in my opinion but Donald was the master at telling a story with dance - no doubt he was the most expressive dancer there ever was on the silver screen.
@ Carole Jensen - You are spot on. He could carry a movie every bit as good as Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. Have never EVER understood why he never got star billing--he was a match and then some compared to the other two (whom I also liked). He most definitely had the whole package, dancing, singing, acting and as you said, he was so cute and adorable. and yes....LOVEABLE!!
@@Scathingly To add to that, he was in movies since age 12. In vaudeville since 3. He's more we'll rounded overall, than Kelly or Astaire. I will never understand it either.
@@shelleywantiez7964 ...Thanks cuz I hadn't been aware that he'd started so young. Well, we 've got our fan club of 3 musketeers ....let's hope we can see it grow! 😊
When I was twenty years old I met Donald when I was working at a hotel . He was in the parking lot when I approached him for an autograph ! It was my birthday. The autograph said. Happy of all birthdays Love Donald O’Connor !! It sure made my day ! He’s the sweetest man.Also told me I was beautiful,of course that was sixty years ago !
I read that he loved making this movie, and thinks of it as his best work. It was a great role (really, he was the second lead), he got to work with Vera-Ellen, who he admired greatly as a dancer, and I think he actually got along with Ethel Merman, which is an achievement in itself. This tune isn't from the original "Call Me Madam" musical, but from another show; they wanted a number to give him a solo, and it works beautifully. A delightful movie, with great acting, singing, and dancing, fabulous songs, and a smart, zingy, satirical script that still resonates today.
You and so many of us...how we LOVE Donald!!!!!! He does romance soooooo perfectly....see Walking My Baby Back Home and Anything Goes, too:)))) On a T.V. show, 5 Hollywood actresses said Donald was the best kisser in Hollywood - we can tell:)))) He was such a beloved and wonderful gentleman, and family man, so importantly.
He always made it look like he was enjoying himself and I always love the musicals that had lot of dance routines... when you was not feeling good or even feeling good always perked me up. . Watching them was reason I lived dancing and still do.... I'm 75 almost 76....Help keep you young.
so young...so sweet!! so fluid, his every move, even just walking, is music to the eyes. dancing while (pretending) to be drunk.....what talent!! and now i want to see the off camera prop guy taping the 'fallen' balloons to the floor for Donald to dance with!! watch, you can see Don carefully watching off camera making sure the balloons are ready for him!!! such greatness, thank you
I was blessed enough to have my house as a child and my grandparent's home...playing these classics. I grew up on Danny Kaye, Donald O'Connor. Loving Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire as well. Although these greats were a bit before my time..I still recall my grandparents and my parents watching and enjoying these movies and me doing so right along with them. As a child of the 60s..I also watched Danny's television show each week and have fond memories of it *smile*
oh mary, i grew up with them too, but from my mums influence, im 34 and our house was and is always full of wonderful movies such as this one.you were so lucky to have watched these wonderful shows the first time round x
If somebody blares this song in my head, for ten hours, despite people arguing with me that I'd be exhausted of hearing it, I'd only be more delighted, and would cry upon seeing the ten hours were over.
The most underrated dancer in film! I bet when Fred Asatire saw this routine, probably said the only idea I didn't think of...balloons!!lol His dancing reminds me of the Nicholas Brothers, well I think every male dancer from Astaire to Kelly learned from (and borrowed) that just made the brothers reputation greater...what dancers, brilliant artists..
Donald O'Connor you were my hero. I loved him in Singin' in the Rain and I cried so hard when I heard about his death. This is honestly an era and a style of musical that I wish they'd bring back sometime because it's just so nostalgic and amazing...and I wasn't even born yet when these movies were coming out.
I was in the theaters to watch Singin' in the Rain on my language, and I was both surprised fascinated and proud to find, that the man playing Cosmo Brown could almost match Donald O'Connor in dance style, dance temper, and acting. I was truely relieved to see that there still exist people with such kind of dance talent. They should make more movies like this. Not all cursing and swearing they do. It doesn't help anybody. But dancing does. Donald O'Connor dancing does. It makes you smile.
Don't get me wrong I love all.of this. Now that I've had a few years in the hospitality industry, my sympathies are with the owner just trying to go home. 😂
I saw him in a "Francis the Talking Mule" movie when I was a kid. There was a scene in a high school gym even more amazing. The most coordinated human I've ever seen.
One of MGM's most amazing and talented actors was Mr Donald O'Connor.In Call Me Madam he had performed his memorable and sensational solo number - Mr Irving Berlin's What Chance Have I With Love - in precise,hilarious,vigorous,and exuberant manner.I can't help but to notice how well-rehearsed and well-prepared he was particularly when he'd popped the balloons in perfect timing with the music and his dance steps.He's really intoxicated with high spirits and fascination in his number.
It does exist. Look around in your local theaters. Just about every town has at least one small theater company that cranks out great shows every year filled with local talent. Real talent. Look for them and give them your support!
He was a wonderful dancer and I feel was never quite given the recognition for its fabulous precision of his timing and dance artistry...he was pretty wo derful actually...
No one could do these complex novelty dances filled with physical comedy as well as O'Connor. Unfortunately, he was not given the best songs to sing and dance to as a solo. Ever heard anyone sing this song outside of this film? Great respect for his talent.
ok so i'm pretty sure 2020 is the wrong time to realize that Donald O'Connor is my soulmate and why I cant find anyone else cause the bar is too freaking high.
