Yes, really lovely dancing, but the charm Fred had with Ginger is missing. Ginger added so much to Freds dancing, this is lovely but Ginger was unique.
@@Jenifer_GAlso Fred with Rita Hayworth in You were Never Lovelier. Beautiful dance sequence in that and Fred just looks glowingly at Rita. It was all wonderful, Ginger and the great Eleanor Powell. You will never top all that in my humble opinion.❤️
What can you say? Just brilliant. And thank you so much for the high quality clip. You can pick up the smallest nuance of their expressions. Because it's not just a dance, it's a connection between two people.
The dance style reflects an increasing 'Latinization' of musicals which was about to bust out all over when Eleanor's friend Alice Faye starred in 'Down Argentine Way'. In 'Ship Ahoy' Ellie does a Flamenco-inspired solo, 'Matador', and had planned a duet in with Jose Greco, but it was dropped. Pity, bc the aggressive call and response would have suited her 'attack' mode.
The remarkable Eleanor Powell, who was so good that she usually danced solo because few partners could match her. The equally-remarkable Fred Astaire was among the few who could, though. Two of the very bes in the business, at the peaks of their careers.
This is a super athlete, by any definition in sports, dance, or art. Famous for her gravity defying speed, physical strength and power, she layed down some of the most intricate rhythms in tap and dance history. Considered by many of the greatest dancers, to be the greatest of them all. Taught by one of the greatest tap dancers of all time, gifted with supernatural energy, natural beauty and charisma, is the greatest dancer of all time, who made it all look easy, sexy, and happy. Eleanor Powell.
@jeryd2003 Both of them had routines in their repertoires that were fast, intricate, precise, etc. They didn't need to prove it with every single dance. Dancers will always have slower routines too, for variety if nothing else. And slower routines might seem simpler, but they come with their own challenges (but good dancers will make them seem effortless).
@jeryd2003 Your comment isn't comprehensible. Both Astaire and Powell could dance a lot faster than this, together and in their solo routines, but this part isn't meant to be a fast dance. I don't know what being humble has to do with it.
I know what you mean. She is perfection in this whole sequence. Those spins are identical even though her feet are in different positions when she does the high kick. Her arms are in an unusual position, her feet are beautifully positioned as she completes the double spins. Even her head tilt is the same after each spin. Such attention to detail. I'm obsessed with that backward climb up the incline like she is floating. @2:28. It is on the diagonal and she curves it as she approaches the upper dance floor. Incredibly, the axis thru her hips is parallel to the floor when she is moving up the slant. Another beautiful gesture from Powell comes at the beginning of the alternating turns @3:42. While Astaire gives a small clap of his hands and flicks his wrist as he points, Eleanor gracefully touches her right forefinger to her chest/heart then points. Her turns are smooth and effortlessly gorgeous.
@@leonie9003 The more I study Powell, the more I realize that although her individual moves were inspired and usually flawless, it is the way she traces the line of the dance- the seamlessness of it all- that distinguishes her. She never does a bit of busking or filling in so you can take time out to admire a move; you are compelled to go with her through a design that composes not only a pattern but a transit from A to B. There is always a solid substratum of thought behind the design. Thanks to the renewed availability of her work and the technology which lets one analyze it as you have done, we notice the details more easily than original viewers did. Then we must stand back and try to take in each work in full to see why Powell now seems to obsess cognoscenti like no other dancer, popular or classical, of the past century except Astaire. Ann Miller, whom I love, can blaze through a spectacular routine, but it will not acquire a larger meaning. It remains a specialty, a break in the action, a tasty snack. Eleanor's motion conveys, not a message or a doctrine of dance, but an atmosphere- what Jerry Ames, the dance historian, called a 'radiance of joy'- that elevates it above momentary beauty or excitement. It is the difference between immensely gifted and dedicated performers who were for hire and a creator whose ideas luckily turned out to be marketable enough that whole expensive movies could be arranged round her and her alone. The London Times obituarist wrote 'There was never anyone remotely like her', and that verdict stands. Really she was a mystic, possibly a saint; but she could not have conveyed her vision without reserves of imagination and determination one can only wonder at.
@EandMetal if astarie was the greatest dancer then he should have coreagraphed some dancing routines to prove that: that means very fast, precise, sharp, smootheness, ease of movements & intricate dance steps.
I have never seen this part of the Begin the Beguine dance. I've only seen the famous other part that is in That's Entertainment. Both are mind-boggling. Ms Powell was spectacular in her technique, timing, posture and presence. No one ever danced as well with Astaire. I know Ginger is wonderful, and Rita was lovely, but Powell is on another level entirely.
It is striking that in this, in the second (tap) duet and in the second part of 'I Concentrate on You', Eleanor summons Fred from the back or leads him on to the floor. She had always been her own dance director at MGM; Fred at Radio had always collaborated with Hernes Pan, but now had to fend for himself. The story is about a male dancer trying to keep up with a female headliner, and these scenes rub Astaire's nose in it. Never before or after would he appear in a professionally subordinate position. Moreover, in the picture's big romantic number, he is ousted by George Murphy, who could manhandle a girl as scrawny Fred could not. Did Ellie choreograph 'Between You and Me' knowing that Fred could not cope? So there was a risk he would be humiliated, in the eyes both of the studio folks and his wavering fandom. In Leo the Lion's den, Fred was surrounded by Ellie's loyal collaborators and admirers. Later he would become Metro's chief ornament, long after Powell had retired. But in 1939, Gingerless and recently named as box office poison, he was on dangerous ground. Ellie's incorrigible if subconscious determination to boss the show can be glimpsed throughout BM40: it is a 'challenge dance' film, not a romcom- unlike any other in the canon of musicals. All the more reason to admire Fred for being up to the test. His career got fresh impetus from it. He was no longer Adele's junior or Ginger's senior partner but a solo star who came through the sternest ordeal in movie hoofing: he held his own against the best.
Eleanor Powell was on equal footing with Astaire if you watch. His other partners weren’t. They were impeccable but they danced with him. Miss Powell is on her own
I think I was born too late, because I LOVE the music of the 30s and 40s. As a kid my parents "forced" me to watch Welk.... and I pretended to not like it.... but inside I knew that I wanted to hear more of the great era of music.... 400 and something CDs later... I haven't even made it to the 60s...
I never tire of watching this spectacular performance! It really demonstrates that tap is both a visual and truly musical form of dance! The tap rhythms in this number are superbly related to the orchestration! A feast for the eyes and the ears!
Это так красиво,что кажется каким то сказочным сном...И не хочеться просыпаться...Как же необыкновенно прекрасно умели в то время снимать кино!А в наши дни одна пошлость.Спасибо за это видео!!!
Музыкальные постановки тех лет поражают красотой, великолепием, блестящим исполнением, поистине золотой век Голливуда. А какие таланты! Это касается и фильмов с другой тематикой. Можно пересматривать бесконечно. К сожалению, уже давно, американский кинематограф неинтересен, за редким исключением, нет интересных фильмов и актёров, всё какое-то примитивное и однообразное, это касается всех жанров и так происходит и с европейским кинематографом. Дело доходит до абсурда, когда во все фильмы запихивают представителей сексуальных меньшинств и расовых пренадлежностей, где надо и не надо, уже тошнит от этого. Из серии переборщили ребята, надо знать меру, поэтому интерес к кино упал, неправдоподобно всё. Разве могла быть Анна Болейн негритянкой? Я об этом. Снимают чушь несусветную. Это не значит, что отношусь неуважительно к народам, очень люблю и уважаю всех, я касаюсь только проблем кино.
This is the GOLDEN ERA...will never have stars like that..EVER....Powell.was Heaven sent....simply poetry in motion...l think this number is one OF THE BEST....ever on screen.....two fabulous dancers.....
I just lost a friend who loved, Begin The Beguine. He loved the disco version with Johnny Mathas. After listening to that version, I am finding all these incredible renditions.
Does anyone know why they only ever made the one movie together? They are certainly well-matched talent-wise. Got nothing against Ginger Rogers but I would have loved to see these two in other productions.
Powell was willing to make another film, but Astaire said no. There are different reasons given for why he declined. Publicly, he stated that he didn’t think their styles were a good match and that they had done all that they could do together. (They danced four duets in this film.) He also didn’t want to be teamed with someone as he had been with his sister and then Rogers for most of his career up to that time. He told Powell that she worked him too hard. Privately, Hermès Pan, his frequent collaborator, added that Astaire thought he looked second best when tapping with Powell. Astaire also told Roddy McDowall years later that he had been scared to death of working with her because “she was the best woman dancer probably in history.”
While other movies were initially planned for the two, it was ultimately Astaire's decision not to continue. Not only due to their different styles, but his comfort level in habits of choreography, moves that showed his personal technique to the best advantage, etc. He had so much admiration for Ellie's talent, and also wise enough to know he had to struggle, even being the master he was, to match it. We're currently working on an in-depth biography of Ellie, one which is long-deserved, which will delve into many of these interesting issues. Watch for it late next year from Kentucky Press.
I know Miss Powell received recognition. Just not enough. She was remarkable after she stopped dancing. She received more awards for her unstoppable volunteer work. I just love this woman.
This must be one of the most subtly complex numbers ever filmed. Mirrored walls and floors, turntables, that massive curtain... I recall reading that MGM could not find a manufacturer willing to make that mirrored floor - so they did it themselves!
It was made by a firm that specialized in giant astronomical telescopes, and transported by train from the East- slowly and carefully. Wonder what became of the floor after shooting?
A time when music, movies and America was a kinder gentler nation with people who had class. People who appreciated Astair and Powell. Sadly, that time is gone, and we will never see anything as close to it. Requiescat In Pac
kitch! two sublime artists who dance tip tap mixed with modern dance a piece of beguine? WELL! excellent caviar canapes soaked in excellent coffee with milk. the choreography? ... to forget but let's break a lance we are in 1940 if I'm not mistaken and the dancers did not know barbie ...
Powell was extraordinary. Many have stated she " attacked" the routines instead of danced. She was very athletic & few, including Astair, could match her. Also, I have read she was limited in her acting abilities,which limited her range. Powell had sort of a funny shaped body. She was quite wide in the hips, sort of muscular and slightly bowed legged. Was this because of dancing or did her body shape contribute to her ability. The first two reasons & her marriage to Glen Ford, resulted in her having a relatively short(& limited) movie career. She tried for a comeback after divorcing Ford but, her time had come & gone. Sad really, she was great.
Her comeback after divorce (1961-4) was limited to cabaret shows produced by herself. It drew rave reviews and SRO audiences everywhere from Vegas to Broadway, but she was 51 in 1964 and had had enough. She spent her last 18 years in charitable work and as a minister of religion.
