Musical Mondays Week 23 Top Hat

[Quasar Sniffer 4174]

If I can weigh in on the Gene Kelly characterization discussion, I think a lot of his style and his career trajectory was in response to the public perception of male dancers, that they were this cadre of effete, un-masculine homosexuals, the kind you see prancing about in the studio backlot sequence at the end of Blazing Saddles. So much of his dancing was to show the audience, to force them to see, that dance could be daring, athletic, powerful, sexy, and yes, even masculine, as well as artful, emotional, and elegant. That was probably what led to him being a demanding collaborator (and downright cruel to Debbie Reynolds at times, which he later admitted), since he wanted to imbue all of his dance sequences with all of these elements, which he could do because he's motherfucking GENE KELLY, just not everybody is. It also led to him creating those elaborate sequence of just dance in his films that have nothing to do with the story. When things are flying on all cylinders, I find myself almost enraptured by him at times, and he's certainly allowed to make something like Invitation to the Dance if he wants to, but that's a biiiiiiit much for me. Even something like the long "Broadway Melody Ballet" from Singin' in the Rain takes me out of the movie with its separateness from the rest of the film, especially me not being a dancer, though I admire it for how wonderful it is as a piece.

[Quasar Sniffer 4174]

And about smoking and dancing in these movies:

 

From Wikipedia

Donald O'Connor had to stay in bed in the hospital for several days after filming the "Make 'Em Laugh" sequence, due to his smoking up to four packs of cigarettes a day

[Cam Bert 8145]

From the stories/articles I've read-- it seems like Fred and Ginger only worked together and weren't that friendly off screen. Which is bizarre to me, I would have never guessed that.

In Japan most comedy is performed in duos and have great chemistry. When you hear them talk and interviewed most freely admit to not knowing the others contact information, where they live, or ever seeing them outside of work.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

But...he had a condition.

That's the weird part. They were in NYC, not Mexico. I thought only Montezuma's Revenge made you dance like that.

 

Update: LONDON, not NYC.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

And about smoking and dancing in these movies:

 

From Wikipedia

To be fair he started smoking as a way to cope with with a mule talking to him.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

If I can weigh in on the Gene Kelly characterization discussion, I think a lot of his style and his career trajectory was in response to the public perception of male dancers, that they were this cadre of effete, un-masculine homosexuals, the kind you see prancing about in the studio backlot sequence at the end of Blazing Saddles. So much of his dancing was to show the audience, to force them to see, that dance could be daring, athletic, powerful, sexy, and yes, even masculine, as well as artful, emotional, and elegant. That was probably what led to him being a demanding collaborator (and downright cruel to Debbie Reynolds at times, which he later admitted), since he wanted to imbue all of his dance sequences with all of these elements, which he could do because he's motherfucking GENE KELLY, just not everybody is. It also led to him creating those elaborate sequence of just dance in his films that have nothing to do with the story. When things are flying on all cylinders, I find myself almost enraptured by him at times, and he's certainly allowed to make something like Invitation to the Dance if he wants to, but that's a biiiiiiit much for me. Even something like the long "Broadway Melody Ballet" from Singin' in the Rain takes me out of the movie with its separateness from the rest of the film, especially me not being a dancer, though I admire it for how wonderful it is as a piece.

Gina Lollobridgida thought that was very well written. (Gina! Hah! Get it? Gina? Gene? I'll show myself out.)

[Quasar Sniffer 4174]

Gina Lollobridgida thought that was very well written. (Gina! Hah! Get it? Gina? Gene? I'll show myself out.)

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

If I can weigh in on the Gene Kelly characterization discussion, I think a lot of his style and his career trajectory was in response to the public perception of male dancers, that they were this cadre of effete, un-masculine homosexuals, the kind you see prancing about in the studio backlot sequence at the end of Blazing Saddles. So much of his dancing was to show the audience, to force them to see, that dance could be daring, athletic, powerful, sexy, and yes, even masculine, as well as artful, emotional, and elegant. That was probably what led to him being a demanding collaborator (and downright cruel to Debbie Reynolds at times, which he later admitted), since he wanted to imbue all of his dance sequences with all of these elements, which he could do because he's motherfucking GENE KELLY, just not everybody is. It also led to him creating those elaborate sequence of just dance in his films that have nothing to do with the story. When things are flying on all cylinders, I find myself almost enraptured by him at times, and he's certainly allowed to make something like Invitation to the Dance if he wants to, but that's a biiiiiiit much for me. Even something like the long "Broadway Melody Ballet" from Singin' in the Rain takes me out of the movie with its separateness from the rest of the film, especially me not being a dancer, though I admire it for how wonderful it is as a piece.

This is excellent and I hadn't thought of any of it. I never really thought of Fred Astaire as effete but maybe because he usually had really good chemistry with his partners (or utterly charming in his tribute to Lionel Richie's music video). I admit thinking it about Danny Kaye because he never seemed to have much chemistry (like with Vera-Ellen in White Christmas). Weird. I need to think about this some more.

 

I'm torn between feeling bad for Gene or admiring him more. It can be hard to dance with a chip on your shoulder but to have such balance and artistry at the same time? WOW!

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

Unrelated to any of this, is anyone else having problems with the website refreshing a lot and/or playing short clips of odd music or ads?

[EvRobert 1684]

Unrelated to any of this, is anyone else having problems with the website refreshing a lot and/or playing short clips of odd music or ads?

 

I had that happen yesterday once.

[PollyDarton 1807]

Also found a couple stories about the "Cheek to Cheek" scene in Top Hat but on IMDb it says:

 

For the Cheek to Cheek number, Ginger Rogers wanted to wear an elaborate blue dress heavily decked out with ostrich feathers. When director Mark Sandrich and Fred Astaire saw the dress, they knew it would be impractical for the dance. Sandrich suggested that Rogers wear the white gown she had worn performing "Night and Day" in The Gay Divorcee (1934). Rogers walked off the set, finally returning when Sandrich agreed to let her wear the offending blue dress. As there was no time for rehearsals, Ginger Rogers wore the blue feathered dress for the first time during filming, and as Astaire and Sandrich had feared, feathers started coming off the dress. Astaire later claimed it was like "a chicken being attacked by a coyote". In the final film, some stray feathers can be seen drifting off it. To patch up the rift between them, Astaire presented Rogers with a locket of a gold feather. This was the origin of Rogers' nickname "Feathers". The shedding feathers episode was recreated to hilarious results in a scene from Easter Parade (1948) in which Fred Astaire danced with a clumsy, comical dancer played by Judy Garland.

 

 

They were right about the dress. I get why she wanted to wear it, because it can give her this lighter than air feeling and yet simultaneously is really heavy looking and overpowers her many times during the course of their number. Like here where it covers her face.

 

 

Thank god it is backless or else she would be buried under there.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

OK, OK. We all agree Astaire and Rogers are charming and delightful, yadda, yadda. I think we know what the definitive version of Cheek to Cheek is.

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[Cam Bert 8145]

OK, OK. We all agree Astaire and Rogers are charming and delightful, yadda, yadda. I think we know what the definitive version of Cheek to Cheek is.

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Did TACO do nothing but cover old musical numbers?

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

The Green Mile has forever flavored Cheek to Cheek for me.

 

 

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[Cinco DeNio 5290]

The Green Mile has forever flavored Cheek to Cheek for me.

 

 

ETA: With a cameo from the late Harry Dean Stanton

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[Cinco DeNio 5290]

A quick non-Top Hat note: Repo! is available for HD streaming purchase on Amazon for $4.99.

 

Repo!

[Cameron H. 23786]

Thanks again, Quasar, for the amazing pick!

[Quasar Sniffer 4174]

Thanks again, Quasar, for the amazing pick!

Thank YOU! I really appreciate that everyone was willing to jump in to this movie, an unknown quantity to even me, and that they enjoyed it. You people are the coolest!