WIFE'S FIRST TIME HEARING Jumpin Jive - Cab Calloway and the Nicholas Brothers REACTION 

The Famous Band Director, Singer, Dancer Cab Calloway was my grandmother’s cousin. The shortest Nicholas brother with the mustache was married to the famous history making actress Dorothy Dandridge💜 Many of the movies from back then have been restored. This is from a movie. They all knew each other and performed at the Cotton Club before becoming big stars ⭐️ but not always together. If you watch the 1984 movie Cotton Club they are depicted in scenes at the club. Great film by the way.

More talent in this video than any current top 10, combined

This was from a movie, so that explains the quality. The singer in the beginning is Cab Calloway, the dancers are the Nicholas brothers. They did not perform together regularly. Nicholas brothers were masters of their craft.

I’ve literally lost count of how many times I’ve watched this number. It’s so beyond anything I’ve ever seen before. Nicholas Brother’s were just legendary. No one before or after them.

One of the best performances in history! No one can duplicate the Nicholas Brothers. Beautiful humble men as well as amazing dancers/performers. Because they didn't just dance but performed. Made it look easy.

This level of talent cannot be replicated today. Not even close

Thank you for sharing this. Cab Calloway will always be a legend. So many stunning artists have existed, but I've never seen this. Thank you again.

This is so damn smooth, just oozes class and mega talent all around!

Many call this the best dance duo performance of all time. I agree.

Real musicians playing, singer is singing, dancers knockin it out of The park.

I'll never get tired of watching people watch this routine for the first time

Fred Astaire, one of the greatest dancers of the 20th century, called this the single greatest dance routine ever filmed. The quality of the video is good because this was shot on film. When it was converted to video recently it was done from a clean print. (Video cameras hadn't been invented when "Stormy Weather" was made.) The Nicholas Brothers were in quite a lot of films with many different bands. Here's a number from the film "Down Argentine Way." ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ecBAeN9yzOc.html And here are the very young Nicholas Brothers performing "Lucky Number" from the 1936 short "The Black Network." ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-7IBteauWsHA.html

Cab Calloway (much older) did Minnie the Moocher in the Blues Brothers movie. He played the part of a guy that brought them up in the orphanage (to be blues brothers like him).

Ya gotta see Cab Calloway - Minnie the Moocher

Gotta respect the OG and forefathers of all of this. Cab was amazing and the Brothers have influenced generations of dancers and performers Good look on check this out

Mind blowing, huh? The greatest dance team of all time.

This movie, Stormy Weather, has a nearly all black cast. Cab Calloway was one of a kind. The Nicholas Brothers were probably the best dance duo in American history.

One reason that the picture looks so crisp is that back then, people actually knew more about filming in Black & White than they did about filming in Color. The Technicolor process was still fairly new technology, and was too expensive to be used for most movies. Use of color changed nearly every part of a movie: they needed different lighting, costumes, makeup, sets and lots of other things. Special effects were nearly nonexistent, and filming had to be done in the controlled environment of a studio rather than outside or on location. And sequences like this particular one would never be done in color, because they had to cut the super-talented Black people out of the movie before they could show it in the South. The Technicolor company owned all the Technicolor cameras, and would rent them to the studios rather than selling them. The camera itself was much larger than a normal movie camera, and much more complicated as well. Therefore, every camera was accompanied by a Technicolor engineer (also employed by Technicolor), who serviced, adjusted and frequently ran the camera. Then the film itself had to go back to Technicolor to be processed, since their processing system was also copyrighted. Color was used only for the most prestigious movies a studio would make, since the hassle and expense would suck the budget right out of a smaller film. This remained true until the early 50's, when another new technology came along: television. Suddenly, the studios were competing with entertainment that didn't require putting on your pants and going to a theater. From the beginning, the movie studios had also owned all the theater chains, which guaranteed that whatever movie they made, there would be theaters to show it. A few years earlier, a Supreme Court anti-trust case forced the studios to sell all their theaters. Now they were competing with each other to place their movies in theaters that suddenly were able to choose what to show - or choose what not to show. Competition with TV forced the studios to either up their game or go out of business. Color was one thing that movies could do but TV couldn't, so more and more movies started being made in color. Also, the cost of color filming went way down when a rival system (EastmanColor) came out, which although it didn't look as good, was much cheaper and easier to use than Technicolor. The movies also developed a new feature that TV couldn't match: Widescreen. Figuring that it was only a matter of time before somebody figured out how to do Color TV, the studios made the movies themselves wider, in order to put more movie on the screen. This was ideal for Musicals, Action movies and Westerns set in huge landscapes. Directors would design shots which used the entire width of the screen, so they couldn't be shown on TV later. Comedies and Dramas didn't really need color, and neither did crime films, so these movies were mostly still done in Black & White. The studios considered TV the enemy, because it threatened every aspect of their business model. Eventually, they finally gave in to reality and started making television shows themselves. To their minds this was like making a deal with the devil, but it was either profit from TV or be killed by it. Color TV was slow to catch on, so most TV shows were still done in Black & White. Gradually, as the color TVs themselves got cheaper and better, color slowly crept in. It wasn't until the late 60's that all TV shows were made and broadcast in color. Nowadays, Black & White is a lost art form. It isn't used very often, so filmmakers today never get enough experience to use it well. All the people who were really good with Black & White are now either retired or dead, and mostly dead. They still teach the fundamentals of Black & White in film schools, but nobody teaching the classes has any real experience either. And Black & White classes in film school are like high-school algebra - you never use it after you graduate, so you soon forget everything you've learned. The reason that flashback sequences, for example, look like color film put through a Black & White filter is . . . because that's exactly what it is. And since it's all lit, costumed etc. like the color film that it is, it just doesn't look real or right in Black & White. The eye knows that something's wrong, but the mind can't quite figure out what it is. Oddly enough, movies like this one actually look better now than they did originally, since digital restoration is better and easier to do for Black & White than it is for color. Wow - that's a helluva lot more than you ever needed to know, isn't it?

The Nicholas Brothers had an incredible dance routine with Glenn Miller. Chattanooga Choo Choo from the film Sun Valley Seranade. It was the first gold record ever awarded.

When you watched this the first time, I'd seen 30 seconds of the dancing. When you played this, I realized Cab Calloway was better then I had realized; and the Nicholas Brothers were MASTERS. So this is a repeat for me. I got MORE goose bumps. 💞

Brilliant clip from a movie. There was a lot of spectacular tap dancing back in the 1930s and 40s... Fred Astaire is another name to look out for - Fred was multitalented, singer, drummer, and above all dancer.

The best dance routine of all time!!!!!

It was a rarity for them to perform together but when they did...oh my.

You should do Helllzapoppin’ with Whitey’s Lindy Hop dancers , very much along these lines and from same time period

I was very lucky to have met Fayard Nicholas a number of times. What a wonderful contribution to the tradition and art of the dance!

I am so impressed you went with this! Awesome! Love the real classics!

Cab Calloway was a band leader during the Big Band Era of the 40's, like Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, the Dorsey brothers, etc. This clip is from a movie, which is why the video is so sharp. From wiki: "Their performance in the musical number "Jumpin' Jive" (with Cab Calloway and his orchestra) featured in the 1943 movie Stormy Weather has been praised as one of the most virtuosic film dance routines of all time." You can see Cab Calloway in the 1980 movie The Blues Brothers, and the musical cast in that movie? Off the hook! (and you'll laugh your ass off!)

You all are a lovely couple. @Rome Life KUDOS to you Sir for seeking out the classics of ALL time, as Greatness has NO EXPIRATION Date. Sadly so many of these amazing artists and songs will soon disappear as so FEW 30, 20 somethings and teen agers simply do not seek it out or get exposure to this. Warmed our heart to see you all love it. Agree with many of your top posters. Tho Cab Calloway had a few hits Minnie the Moocher is his most famous of all his hits.

Everyone is blown away when they see this. Cab Calloway was a fine dancer in his own right, but the Nicholas Brothers were on another level. Try Minnie the Moocher.

When it was all about real talent! ❤️

Cab Calloway was the Prince of his time. The Nicholas Brothers are still untouched.

Brother dancing together since they were kids and together for most of their. You can see early clips of them on RU-vid. Considered by most modern tap dancers to perhaps be the greatest ever. Thsnks for sharing your reactions.

This is a clip from the movie musical "Stormy Weather" 1943, so was probably put together for the film, worth checking out though.

I second a vote on doing a reaction of the Hellzapoppin' Movie! That movie hits in so many levels it's jaw dropping!

The reason the quality is so good is that it was all done on film. Even then, the resolution of film stock was higher than current digital technology. The other cool thing is that if you look closely, it's one of the first examples on film of an integrated professional music group. Guys like Calloway would hire white musicians just like Benny Goodman would hire African Americans. They both understood that the music business was competitive enough that they couldn't afford to pass on a musician because he was the "wrong" color.

Look for Cab Calloway (and a bunch of other famous singers/band members) in the Blue Brothers movie from 1980 with John Belushi and Dan Akroyd. BTW, the Nicholas Brothers were about 22 and 29 in the film above from 1943. Plus, look for Lena Horne's version of Stormy Weather from that same movie.

"We are the coolest generation ever!" *Your grandparents just entered the chat*

Cab Calloway was the “Prince of Hi-Dee-Ho”, an extremely talented singer and entertainer who specialized in what was called scat singing and who had a knack for hiring top notch jazz musicians for his orchestra like Chu Berry. He was even knifed in a backstage argument with his, then very young, trumpet player Dizzy Gillespie. The genre of music you were just digging on was Swing, it was the golden age of American popular music and was enjoyed by hep people of the 1930’s and 40’s around the globe. Even Hitler couldn’t suppress big band swing...and he tried. There were so many great and varying types of swing bands back then; it’s truly rewarding to listen to them. A colossal American cultural onion.

As a trumpet player, just listen to that guy hold that high concert E flat at the end!! Damn!

It doesn't matter how many times I see that, it's still unbelievable. :)

Love this scene from the movie "STORMY WEATHER "starring Miss Lena Horne especially the end of this dance. If you've never seen the check it out. The Nicholas Brothers were on of a kind dancers. The video around called " Lucky Numbers" dancing when they were kids. Check it out. Artists perform together and on their own.

Cab Calloway was amazing and so were the Nicholas Brothers

The world famous NICOLAS BROTHERS - best two tap dancers that ever lived

I’ve seen this video a number of times. It still amazes me how the Nicholas Brothers do this routine. They are geniuses. I understand that they were still performing into their 70s.

This was a one time thing between the band and the dancers. But the Nicholas Brothers have been in many musicals and they do a lot of acrobatic moves in their dance routines.

You guys are so cute...Now see this is what I watched as a kid, great memories...Loved the reaction. Scat, gotta love it...Amazing Tap, Thanks guys

I thought it was so crazy to see Cab Calloway in "Blues Brothers" doing "Minnie the Moocher". He was active forever.

The dancers, called the NIcholas Brothers, and the bandleader, Cab Calloway, were separate, each with their own very successful careers. The Nicholas Brothers were in a number of movies in the 1930s and '40s, in addition to performing dance shows at famous theatres in major cities throughout North America and Europe. Cab Calloway had an even longer career, dating back to the 1920s, when he had several big hits, the biggest being "Minnie the Moocher." He was a great songwriter mainly, but he also helped create the kind of music that they played in this video, big band music or big band jazz, the main form of popular music in the 1930s and '40s.

It was a one time thing. Cab had a smokin band. Chick Webb played drums with hardcore scoliosis he also had the Johnny Dodds playing clarinet in his band who, next to Sidney Bechet, was the best. Duke Ellington said about Cab "He is so far out, he's in"

No they didn't always perform together. From the movie "Stormy Weather" (1943), which is also why it looks so good, 35mm film.

This number was the finale of the all-Black musical "Stormy Weather" (1943), which also featured Lena Horne, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Fats Waller, and the Katherine Dunham Dancers.

The Nicholas Brothers arct. probably the best tap dancers of all time. They were their own act. Cab Calloway was a spectacular bandleader. You may want to look at Gene Kellu and Donald O'Connor doing "Moses" in Singing in the Rain.

Search on Nicholas Brothers. They have always been unique.

It's from the 1943 movie Stormy Weather, they are the Nicholas Brothers and have appeared in many movies along with Cab Callaway. The routine you see here was not rehearsed but was done in one take. Fred Astaire and Gregory Hines said it was the best he have ever seen, and can not be duplicated, that says a lot.

They've done several shows together, various performers would hook-up with big bands back in the day, that was the only exposure for a lot of artist. There were a few films showing these African American big bands, unfortunately a lot of these things were not archived. Being African American and born in 1944, I was privy to lot of these shows early to mid 50's. We were privileged to have parents and other family members who not only played this music but taught us a lot about the various artists and their back grounds, (large family) having family members doing various types of jobs allow some contact. Born and raised in New Jersey and having fam. members living in Harlem, N.Y. was great exposure.

I think this was in the movie "Stormy Weather", which has been remastered. That is why its so good, you need to watch the movie Stormy Weathers with Lena Horne. Its a classic from the early 40s.

This was a one time performance for this movie. The Nicholas Brothers and the Cab Calloway Orchestra normally performed separately.

I never tire of watching this masterpiece. Classic. Your wife is a beauty and you make a good looking couple.🌷

One of my Mentor.To see & hear, I call him Mr.Entertainment & with The Nicholas Brothers, The Tap Dancing Kings of The 🌎.P💯R💯I💯C 💯E💯L💯E💯S💯S.

One take- Live- No “ CGI” From a different time on this Earth. Thank goodness we have proof .

they didn't normally perform together.. they were each their own act. Cab was a phenom until his final days. Ever see the Blues Brothers movie? He is prominent both as an actor and performer in that movie too

CAB CALLOWAY WAS THE SINGER, THE TOP LEVEL BAND LEADER/DANCER AT THAT TIME, EQUAL TO A PRINCE OR MICHAEL JACKSON IN OUR DAY, THE NICHOLAS BROTHERS WERE THE TOP LEVEL TAP DANCERS BACK THEN AND ENTERTAINED AT ALL THE HIGH SOCIETY CLUBS, SUCH AS THE COTTON CLUB ETC,ETC

Love Cab Calloway and this scene.

This clip is from the movie Stormy Weather from 1943. It features an ensemble cast starring Cab Calloway, the Nicholas Brothers, Katherine Dunham and others.

That clip is from a film called Stormy Weather also with Fats Waller, Lena Horn, Ada Baker and many other performers from that era

Every morning when I wake up, this is how I make my way downstairs for breakfast.

That was from Stormy Weather. Cab Calloway usually didn't perform with the Nicholas Brothers. They both had other performances with other performers. The music was Big Band Swing. Cab's Song was Jive from that same era..

this song is from the movie "Stormy Weather" is a 1943 American musical film produced and released by 20th Century Fox. The film is one of two Hollywood musicals with an African American cast released in 1943, the other being MGM's Cabin in the Sky.... You AND your wife should try reacting to "Movies" would be great mix up with the music

Cab Calloway and the Nicholas Brothers was also in Janet Jackson's all right video. The Nicholas brother with the mustache also played in the movie The Five Heartbeats he was a dance teacher.

The 2 Nicolas Brothers were dancers who performed with (and more often without) Cab Calloway. Definitely do more Cab Calloway - Minnie the Moocher is one to hit, but my vote is for "St James Infirmary" may be the most famous song of his. They used (1:44 min of) it in a Betty Boop cartoon! Cab Calloway in 1980 with the Blues Brothers: - Minnie the Moocher ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-u7ogK_unbqM.html

Y’all are so precious. I love how you bring your wife and your mom in. I was getting bored watching RU-vid but not anymore

The Nicholas brothers were killing it

First off, you should know that while they rehearsed the dance, they shot all of this for the movie "Stormy Weather", which came out in 1943. More importantly, they shot that entire scene IN ONE TAKE. No edits, no reshoots, nothing. No authority less than Gregory Hines (who was one of the best tapdancers of our time) said that if this routine were ever reproduced, it would be all from computer generation/CGI/green screen. This was from 77 years ago. The Nicholas Brothers put this routine together because they had to find a way to do one better than their previous routine, which was in the movie "Orchestra Wives", where they ended up dancing up walls in that one. Again, no CGI, so they did it all on their own. This was all from the Swing/Jazz/Big Band era, so you had those bands at that time: Cab Calloway, Tommy Dorsey, etc. Cab appeared in a lot of movies, including the Blues Brothers, The Cotton Club, and others. The Nicholas brothers taught Michael and Janet Jackson how to dance (case in point: React to Janet Jackson's video "Alright". Cab and the brothers are in it). They were also the dance instructors in the movie "The Five Heartbeats". They've done a LOT.

This is from a movie called Stormy Weather that starred Lena Horne. There are other amazing performances from this movie. Watch the entire movie. Also look up The Nicholas Brothers and you'll find other amazing routines.

Filmed in 1943 by 20th Century-Fox. It was shot in one take using multiple cameras. Fred Astaire (dancer; singer; actor) commented that this was the most amazing dance routine ever captured on film. Gab Calloway was huge in the 30's and 40's, so there's a lot of his performances captured on film. This was a sequence in the Fox musical "Stormy Weather". The Nicholas Brothers were popular as well. FILMS FEATURING THE NICHOLAS BROTHERS en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Brothers#Filmography GAB CALLOWAY FILMOGRAPHY en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cab_Calloway#Filmography

This came from a full length movie. I am surr they preformed together from time to time.

Cab Callaway & The Nicolas Brothers were two different acts, but sometimes performed together. The video quality is good, because it was filmed in 35mm, so it has decent resolution. It's from 1942, although Cab Callaway had been a star at least since the very early 1930's.

Cab invented cool, everyone since is still playing catchup👍

Cab Calloway is the "Hep Cat" that made the moonwalk famous !

Movie stormy weather. Cab and his big band were fantastic as were the nicholas brothers.

The video quality is because it was shot on film. Film has been able to capture very high quality footage for a very long time.

I was fortunate to have seen Cab Calloway in concert. The audience sang along with the band, the song "Minnie The Moocher".

You mentioned how crisp the video is. A lot of the old films have been digitally remastered. There's no way the quality would have been this good if it hadn't been remastered.

Cab Calloway and the Nicholas Brothers have prominent cameos in Janet Jackson’s video for the song Alright. In that video she is paying homage to these great artists of the past. You may want to react to that video.

If you've ever seen the movie Blues Brothers Cab Calloway is in that with many other legendary musicians. Watch Cab Calloway Minnie The Mooncher you might know parts of it.

Great reaction. The talent on the stagewas unbelievable. Seeing that you are interested in other worldly talent -, listen to Ela Fitzgerald singing Cry me a river

And in answer to your question - they performed together a few times, but Cab Calloway and the Nicholas Brothers were famous pretty separately. And anything by either of them is worth watching!

This is considered one of the best dance sequences ever. It looks so good because it was filmed for a movie, Stormy Weather (1943) a Hollywood musical with an all African American cast. Def check it out sometime if you can. The great Lena Horne plays lead and Cab Calloway, Fats Waller, and the Fabulous Flying Nicholas Brothers perform as themselves.

Brilliant Tap! The Nicholas Brothers got there first!

This is certainly something I've never seen before. Something you've never seen before Strawberry's Wake by Dance Gavin Dance. Come on man, lol my birthday is the 23rd so I need it by then.

Best dance duo ever🎤

Cab Calloway and the Nicholas Brothers DID perform a lot together at the COTTON CLUB in Harlem (NYC). Unfortunately, we have no videos of that (as far as I know). Like I said on other postings, this movie was essentially the COTTON CLUB going to Hollywood. You will see the Nicholas Brothers doing great routines in the Glenn Miller Band movies SUNRISE VALLEY SERENADE and ORCHESTRA WIVES. In Sunrise Valley, the Brothers appear in the "Chattanooga Choo Choo" sequence along with Dorothy Dandridge. Harold is flying (he is!). In Orchestra Wives, they appear in the "Kalamazoo" sequence. There, they run UP a vertical wall. Tragically, we were still in segregated times. Their act in those Glenn Miller Band movies are separated from the "white" acts... which is simply outrageous (no better word for it).

One of the Nicholas Brothers was married to Dorothy Dandridge.

Wow! Just wow!

They do have a color version of this performance. The Nicolas Brothers and Cab Callaway do not always perform together, they are separate acts.

I saw this particular clip first time from your channel, and shared it w multiple friends because.......the dancing oh my god, the mouth work with that dancing. I've allways been into old clips from the 40's and 50's so this is wonderful watching for me. Hugs from Sweden.

If you want to be impressed even more I agree with others who say that Hellzapoppin by Whitey's Lindy Hoppers is probably the best dancing ever by couples. The clip is from 1941 this clip with Cab Calloway and the Nicholas Brothers was from 1943.

Y'all need to watch Janet Jackson's homage to this time period. The video was called "Alright" it's from 1989 and Cab Colloway and the Nicholas Brothers are both featured in the video!

Yes!

First time together, they are the Nicholas Brothers