From the film 'My Gal Sal' (1942) Mi Chica Favorita [DVD] amzn.to/3lUoVEm Nunca hubo una mujer como Rita Hayworth (Book) amzn.to/3h4o4gS El universo de Rita Hayworth (Book) amzn.to/32277iA
Hermes! ❤ I cannot tell you how much I love Hermes Pan. So glad we got to see him dance, and not just behind the scenes. He moves beautifully. What a lovely human being.
I admire HERMES PAN and have enjoyed his work on the great Hollywood Musicals for many years. He choreographed so many of the dance numbers in the heyday of screen musicals. It is a privilege to see him in front of the camera in the few clips which we have. Here he dances with his friend Rita. Lovely!
Hermes Pan was a great dancer in his own right, met up with Fred and they became good friends as well as choreographers for many of Fred and Ginger's early RKO movies. There is a terrific series called "The RKO years" and one of the segments featured Fred and Ginger at RKO and had an extended interview with Hermes Pan. One of the most humble, genial and nicest guys. No wonder Fred liked him, he was a lot like Fred. Very humble, no prima donna, but a great talent.
Thank you for posting. Absolutely fabulous timing, coordination, grace, elegance and beauty. So nice that every generation will have the opportunity to view her versatile spirit.
This was a Fox musical and the only film where Hermes Pan dances with Rita Hayworth.........( an excellent number displaying the great dancing talent of both)...he did a few numbers with Betty Grable in a few other Fox musicals. He always displayed his dancing partners quite well.
My Gal Sal was a great musical and the life story of songwriter Paul Dresser. Someone decided that Dresser didn't have enough well known hits, so they added additional songs from Ralph Rainger and Leo Robin. This is one of them. Victor Mature played Dresser and Rita was Sal, a fictional character. Love that last line---All right, you in the trick suit, OUT. Pan was of Greek heritage, real name Hermes Panagiotopoulos.
This is a great stage musical melody and arrangement. The time is similar to "Be Our Guest" from BEAUTY & THE BEAST." Hermes Pan show biz name was based on his much longer Greek name. The name is derived from two Greek god names as well. Clever.
Mr. Pan was a master craftsman. I understand from Fred Astair's biography that it is Hermes steps you hear in the 1930 musicals and not Ginger Rogers. Apparently in those days the taps had to be added later, hence the hours and hours of rehersal.
Interesting how Hermes Pan supports and lets Hayworth really shine. This was one of the few times he was featured on screen and even then he sublimated his ego in the service of a star. Would Fred Astaire have been as good as he was without his "idea man", Mr. Pan working so hard behind the scenes?
bbcisrubbish, you make a good point! The sound systems of day were rather crude so pretty much all sounds were dubbed in post production -- even singing! Even now the majority of ambient sound is dubbed -- digitally, of course! Pan would also rehearse Fred's partners to get them up to speed and ready to work with Fred. Since Fred already knew the dances (by virtue of co-creating them), he had a head start!
@bbcisrubbish, helpful details! I wasn't aware that Pan expressed dissatisfaction with the arrangement -- though it makes sense. There has always been a huge discrepancy in the paychecks for on and off screen talent; true 'stars' command a premium price. Pan worked with Astaire on 17 of his 31 films and won an Academy Award and an Emmy. Of course he did a lot of non-Astaire work -- even a Belgian TV show with the Ikettes (Tina Turner's back-up group)! IMO, his best was 'Kiss Me Kate'.
@YouzTube99. I read Fred Astaire's biography and Hermes Pan did most of the work, including dubbing Ginger Rodgers taps. He was paid $75 per week where the other two got $1,500 and $1,200. I understand he was not pleased.
