Eleanor was 40 when she performed this routine. She was a star in the true sense of the word. The camera loved her. She had that smile that mesmerised you.
She said at the time she hoped this guest shot would lead to her own TV series, but she was diverted into creating and presenting 'The Faith of Our Children'. Her next appearance on the tube IIRC was on Ed Sullivan in 1961, when she was beginning her comeback in cabaret.
Eleanor Powell was the equal of Astaire and Kelly, and this live TV appearance showed off her precision and elegance. She trained in ballet as well as tap, so many viewers who are looking only at her feet miss the full artistry. I was privileged to know her, and brought her up to UCSB in 1975 to speak to a class after a viewing of Melody of 40. She spoke...and then stepped out from behind the podium to demonstrate a couple of steps. Pure class all the way.
+James Scott Bell How wonderful! (She made a special trip to Santa Barbara to talk to your class?) She was a lovely person, wasn't she? I discovered Eleanor Powell by accident a couple of months ago (on "Ship's Ahoy" -- the pool scene with Buddy Rich is still my favorite number of hers), and I've been scouring RU-vid for performances of her ever since. I looked for a biography of her, and it's incredible to me that nobody has written one yet. Her only child has promised the world a proper website for her, but he seems to me mostly focused on his father, Glenn Ford, who outlived Powell by many years. Eleantor Powell was an incredible talent -- she was gorgeous and a good actress, too! -- and it seems that she is finally getting her due... or she will have, once somebody writes a (proper) book about her!
You are lucky to have known her, was she as nice a person as I imagine she would be? This is one of my favorites...ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-MOOKAVwcuEQ.html
@@ShirleyDeeDesigns AC Lyles, the veteran producer, said when Ellie died that she had been the most popular woman at MGM during her time under contract there. She had none of the airs and graces of Garbo, Crawford et al. Louis B Mayer, who thought his stars should behave like divinities, reproved her for eating with the extras and crew in the commissary instead of sitting at the VIP table.
Who are the haters who gave this breathtaking clip "thumbs down"? JEALOUS! This is a standard setter for all time, when talent EARNED their applause in sweat equity.
I know at least one of the haters who gave this clip a thumbs down...that was Ann Miller. Ann Miller was always being compared to Eleanor Powell and I guess Miss Miller had had enough of that.
@@jackanthony976 Ann said that her mom took her to see 'BM of 36' when she was 13. At the end Mother said 'That is the best tap dancer in the world.' Ann burst into tears, ran up the aisle and hid in the ladies' restroom. The rest of her life was spent alternately idolizing Ellie, imitating her and trying to outdo her on speed.
@@jackanthony976 How can you know that? It doesn't tell who voted thumbs down. Anne Miller died in 2004. This wasn't even posted till 2012, 8 years later!
Eleanor Powell appeared in this TV-show as good as in her beginning career 💐 to me, she always will remain as the best dancing star ever 🌟 with the most beautiful smile 😄 I thank You very much for sharing this amazing video 🌺 Mark
Eleanor Powell was always my favourite female dancer of the era. She was easily able to keep up with Fred Astaire and had a tangible vivacity about her that was thoroughly infectious. :-)
She was brilliant, and I can't see any less talent or technical ability in this clip than in her youth. Personally, I always thought that 200-watt smile of hers in the old movies added a lot of very singular appeal, and although she smiled beautifully for TV, it wasn't quite as overwhelming as in years gone by. That's the main difference I see. Her looks had matured. Her dancing remained youthful and impressive.
It is surprising how often in her earlier pictures such as 'Rosalie' she is frowning and pursing her lips: often a bit spiky and rarely acting the sweet little ingenue. I think she did it so the contrast of that million-watt smile was greater. Off-screen she was one of the most beloved stars in Hollywood among co-workers at all levels.
Watching this clip again, I think it's impossible to compare Powell's "movie smile" with this "TV smile" -- the photography of Danny Thomas' show is about 5% of the quality as any film she was ever in. There are *no close-ups* and shadows are falling on her face in this very grainy reproduction. I'm grateful that this clip wasn't discarded (as much of early TV was), but you must admit that the quality of film to 1952 TV is like comparing an Ansel Adams photo with one taken on a 2000s-era flip phone.
Welcome to the fan club, besides many other wonderful dance films featuring Powell, catch "Born To Dance" simply thrilling! And, the very amazing finish of "Broadway Melody of 1940" with Fred Astaire. Best of the best...outstanding!
Me too! If it was not for a doco by Gregory Hines who mentioned her as the best I probably may never have had the joy of watching her. Thank the universe!!!!!!!!!!
I agree. But you have to see her in the movies. So natural. She looked like a real person having fun. No heavy make up etc. She even learned to spin a rope an lasso and did that while dancing too.
I'm 70, yes I"ve heard her name mentioned a few times, never seen any of her movies, but this lady is off the charts. Nobody, Fred, Sammy, Kelly or The Nicholas Brothers!!!!! Wow
Begin the Beguine with Fred is the apogee of American tap. Heaven. Fred said she was the only other partner he was a little intimidated by. That is a compliment.
*Tony, I see that the MACHINE, PUT an Accidental. in your Sentence!!!* *I Suffer that Myself* *I have to Keep Going back & Fixing it!!!* *NO!!! I do NOT Hit the Period Key!* *I Think that this Machine Glitch, did it to you!*
This show didn't do her justice!!! - She had her son 7 years before this was recorded which possibly had an effect on her body but she was still an awesome dancer aged 40!!
I remember watching the Danny Thomas show as a kid, and then his daughter is show years later. There commitment to St Jude’s Hospital for children reminds us what qualities a true leader has, vision, dedication, and generosity.....for others.
She doesn't have the spring in her step that she had in the 30s, but when you see how long she keeps going, her endurance is amazing. And when she does those spins at the end, there are not many dancers a lot younger that can do that. They say that on a woman, 'the legs are the last to go.' Well, in her case, nothing had 'gone' yet. Great clip.
Same was true of Ann Miller, who never retired- her husbands were, though;-). In her 60s Ann's legs were like a twenty-something's. Dancing is the best exercise.
I loved her in "Lady Be Good" especially the dance with the dog and the Boogie Woogie scene ! The dog dance is on U tube but not the Boogie Woogie Scene.
The great, brilliant, and multi-talented Eleanor Powell, the Queen of Tap! She would have been wonderful playing key roles in later musicals such as "Damn Yankees" and "Chicago" as Roxie Hart in the 1970's. I believe Chita Rivera played Vera Kelly in "Chicago" on Broadway around the age of 60. Turner Classic Movies (TCM) used to feature Eleanor Powell film festivals in the early '90's and were rare events!
Ellie was offered the lead in 'No, No, Nanette' years after her second retirement in 1964; but she passed it on to Ruby Keeler, who got raves for her comeback.
She was so fit! At that age those spins were so AMAZING! They were really good when she was younger. In the true sense of the word she was UNIQUE! There never will be another like her. I only wish I could have been around@ the time. That lady EARNED her merits. 👏 PJS.
Fayard Nicholas called her a musician that is high praise from a fellow tap dancer. She also learned from Bubbles and Mr. Bill Robinson She had the respect of the greats.
The "problem" Eleanor Powell had was she was too good,, no one (man or woman) could do what she did which was dance her ass off, and a excellent singer and actress also,,
Loved seeing for the first time. In some ways, the classic, over the top MGM numbers almost make you feel they're some sort of cartoon, that humans can't possibly move like that. This is like watching Powell just having fun with solid tap and a wood floor. No need to worry about spinning 300 times, then have 50 guys throw you back and forth, and landing on a cannon shooting fireworks. Just the shoes, and experimenting with sounds and rhythm. And then, the required endless spinning at the end, just to let you know she hasn't lost that either. And the powerful fists slammed on her hips with the last pose, to show she's strong as ever.
Yes- at heart she remained a live attraction despite all the stunts and Hollywood craftsmanship of her films. She preferred having an audience. MGM put stands around the sound stage so people could watch her rehearse. Had Mayer refused Powell's contractual demands in 1935 and not paid off Lee Shubert, she would probably have succeeded Adele Astaire and Marilyn Miller as the queen of stage musicals. Her occasional comebacks were for live audiences. Already in 1948, four years after quitting pictures, she had done a concert tour which grossed $150,000, about $5m in today's money. Her return in cabaret in the early Sixties was SRO in Vegas and New York when she was 50. Ellie could always electrify spectators at the drop of a foot, as well as when she jumped ropes or hoofed with a dog or horse.
“Variety” reported Shubert turned down MGM’s offer to buy out Powell’s contract for “At Home Abroad,” which premiered in September 1935. As you are aware, Powell withdrew from the show in late January 1936 when she was briefly hospitalized for exhaustion and ordered to rest. There was a dust up in the press when a reporter claimed she left the show because of feuds with Ethel Waters and Bea Lillie. Powell asked for the article to be retracted and sent telegrams to both women to apologize. She gave an interview to correct the misapprehension, saying she had left the show because she had been battling a severe foot infection that began when she lost four toe nails during the filming of the “Lucky Star” number in “Broadway Melody of 1936.” Her foot had swollen so much that some nights she was worried that she wouldn’t be able to put on her tap shoe. Her doctor told her she was in danger of developing a permanent heart murmur if she didn’t take time off. She was replaced in the show by Mitzi Mayfair but the show closed on Broadway on March 6. The show went on tour after closing on Broadway. Was Powell contracted as part of the touring company and is that the contract MGM bought out?
@@partycentralsales Eleanor certainly made a full recovery if she was able to do 'Swingin' the Jinx Away' by fall '36. I wonder if her collapse was brought on by the shock of meeting her father after believing him dead since she was a kid.
@@esmeephillips5888 While meeting her father was certainly a shock, her collapse was brought on by exhaustion. Production on Broadway Melody of 1936 had run overtime and they were working 15-16 hour days for weeks to try to complete everything so she could go to NY to honor her contract. The Shuberts were so upset by her delays that when she finally arrived (two weeks late - and the opening date had already been postponed because MGM hadn't released her), they didn't even give her a day to rest. She went immediately into a 14-hour rehearsal. Never having recovered from that, in early October she added a weekly radio show to her plate, in addition to the occasional personal appearance to promote the film that premiered the day before At Home Abroad opened. She definitely burned the candle at both ends. That, coupled with another foot infection, finally sent her over the edge in January 1936. She was supposed to return to MGM to start work on Born to Dance as early as March, but she wasn't well enough. Fortunately for all (including us!), she made a full recovery. I am the co-author (with Paula Broussard) of the Eleanor Powell biography coming out next year. One thing that has struck us during our time researching and writing this book is Ellie's relentless dedication to the perfection of her art, with all the lost toenails and physical exhaustion that entailed! She never did anything halfway. It's no wonder she was the absolute best.
@@eleanorpowellborntodance So glad to hear from you and to know the bio is on its way. I have a hunch that tap began to decline in the Forties partly bc postwar America wanted to fade down the 'machine gun', V for Victory kind of booster routine, making musicals more about melodic prettiness in Technicolor. You can associate that with women going back into the home and with the increasing crossover of classical into the hit parade, plugged by movies such as 'Fantasia' and 'Humoresque'. The corresponding trend in dance was away from stark jazz syncopation towards balletic modes, and the increasing participation of classically trained men such as Salinger and Previn at MGM facilitated it. 'An American in Paris' is the poiht of no return, with a finale whose orchestration de-jazzes Gershwin and casts his tone poem- intended to evoke Paris in the 1920s- back into the Belle Epoque. The painterly backdrops seem closer to Offenbach's and Bizet's era than those of Antheil and Les Six. Kelly of course was a would-be ballet man who had to tap, but whose novelty solos- his best work IMO- seem to owe more to the comic turns aging danseurs such as Helpmann would adopt. Another argument is simply that tapping had attained such heights of refinement and skill in 'Begin the Beguine' and 'Fascinating Rhythm' that it had nowhere to go but down. Vera-Ellen was the only star to emerge after BM40 who made tap a big part of her repertoire, and Cyd and Leslie Caron never did. Newer performers might have felt that Astaire and Powell were insuperable. Maybe they rather than Agnes de Mille killed tap- unintentionally. It is noteworthy too that when black performers began to revive tap as a stage attraction, they deliberately reverted to a far heavier and noisier 'street' style. Hines, Glover etc were looking back before the delicacy of Robinson and Sublett, recreating how they imagined challenge dance-offs might have been on the levees with the testosterone overflowing. Hunching, stomping and staring at your feet are a far cry from Fred and Ellie!
Not only was she a force to be reckoned with on the dance floor but she was a champion of civil rights. Something I just recently learned. She would insist on the hiring of Black people on her productions. She was friends with Bill Robinson when they were hired as dancers during the early part of her career, going into the back door entrances with him. After a dance when she was offered a glass of water, she would say "I'm sure Mr. Robinson would like a glass of water as well." Later, when she had her TV show, 'The Faith of our Children' she had children of all races included. She was contacted by a famous religious leader who said he was 'concerned about the number of colored children on her show.' She said she would make sure to address that on the upcoming episode. And when it aired, ALL the children were Black on that episode. I have found it interesting to see the number of Old Hollywood actors who did what they could to advance equality.
Early TV can't hope to stand up against her work on film (purely because the latter was much more technically advanced, less blurry, better lit, etc.). But she herself is still amazing.
Yes, I just wrote a comment to that extent above, in response to someone claiming that her smile had lost its luster. With television in its infancy, it could in no way compare!
+Star buono Fred himself said she was better than he was. In fact he said she intimidated him. That's certainly not taking anything away from Fred, it's just that she was that good. She was 40 years old when she did this dance. How many women have legs like that at 40?
That band … it seemed so syrupy, nothing in comparison with those movie bands. She is a new discovery for me, too. Lord, what she did in the movies, like Ship Ahoy. Incomprehensible.
That clip from Ship Ahoy is just incredible! I must have watched it 40 times by now. I just found a new clip that is "brighter" than the one I've watched before: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-eTN5pMghddo.html
This was the only one as a dancer until the early 1960s. I suspect she was put off by the low technical standards and production values of early television compared with Golden Age MGM, where she had all she wanted. Instead, she produced and presented 'Faith of Our Children'.
With all due respect to some others here, I suggest you guys miss the point. Eleanor, even in 1952, could out dance anyone out there at that time. The fact that all other dancers from the 30s and 40s were not even contemplating appearing on tv should give you a clue. America, much to our dismay, had moved on from the fabulous movies and dancers of the last decade, and now looked to the "new stuff". Such was the roll of tv in our lives. Full props to Danny Thomas, and one or two others who knew where it was at.. but in the end.. it was really the ignorance of the American public, that sank her career.
Not true. Ann Miller could tap faster than Powell, and could spin and tap at the same time. Show me a clip where Powell spin while tapping as fast as Miller and I'll shut up. :) Not saying Powell wasn't AMAZING -- she was, especially in her numbers with Astaire -- just disagree that she could as you say 'out dance anyone out there at that time'.
GABRIEL ANTINOUS Well, we'll have to respectfully agree to disagree. I still contend that Miller could do what Powell couldn't, and yet of course agree that Powell was an amazing dancer, esp w/Astaire. :)
GABRIEL ANTINOUS Millions of talented singers and dancers never get the attention they deserve, not to detract from Astaire and Kelley, Powell and Miller, but they hogged the stage. The Nicholas Brothers for instance, incredible.
Dennis Sheridan I suppose that's why they called TV "the small screen". I mean, maybe TV wasn't the right medium for this sort of beautiful talent. Blurry videotape, crappy sets, slow and sloppy camerawork. Maybe there's a reason why you didn't see those stars from the decades before take this challenge, because they were bigger than the technology. They were made for "the big screen", for the perfection of motion pictures. God bless Danny Thomas for giving Miss Powell her due, and I hope her being in the living rooms of a few million people got them off their duffs and back in the theatres. The sad truth I'm trying to say is, television wasn't in their league, not in 1952 at least.
Flag Coco Maybe not in 1952, but Miller and others did fine on television later in the decade, and Fred Astaire won 9 Emmys for his first appearance in 1958.