Cyd Charisse’s favorite dance — and mine
I’m a huge fan of Hollywood musicals, and one of my favorite numbers has long been “Dancing in the Dark,” from the Band Wagon (with Cyd Charisse and Fred Astaire). Turns out it was her favorite too....
View ArticleCoffee Time — old Hollywood style
One of the lesser known gems of MGM’s great musical era is a 1945 Fred Astaire movie called Yolanda and the Thief, with Fred as the thief and Lucille Bremer as Yolanda. (Lesser know, probably, because...
View ArticleJust Because — Fred & Ginger
I was reading the news — none of it good — and desperately felt the need for a little joy and beauty. This number, from the 1936 movie Swing Time, beautifully brings together one of America’s great...
View ArticleJust Because Music — Fred Astaire singing Irving Berlin’s “We saw the sea”
Follow the Fleet (1936) is one of my favorite Fred and Ginger movies. Since I belong to the Navy League, and often post about the wonders of the U.S. Navy, I thought that this wonderfully clever...
View ArticleWhat Occupy could have looked like — if Hollywood organized it in 1933
I am reading a delightful book about Fred and Adele Astaire, one that offers a little insight into a long-vanished world. Along the way, the book mentions Eddie Cantor. That reference reminded me of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How could you believe me when you know I’ve been a liar all my life?
By now, you already know about the 2007 tape of Obama speaking which was released yesterday in full, rather thane expurgated form. In it, Obama affects a vaguely black accent; says that blacks are...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Americans used to have guns without shame
There are very few bad Fred Astaire movies, but there are a few. You’ll Never Get Rich definitely falls into that category. Even Rita Hayworth, who is at her most lovely, cannot save this pathetic...
View ArticleIrving Berlin’s “Puttin’ on the Ritz”— a joyous walk through almost a century...
My recent post about the best flash mob ever reminded me of a post I did in 2009 about Irving Berlin’s “Puttin’ on the Ritz” a song that lives on and on, around the world. Today seems like a good day...
View ArticleJust Because Music: Waltz in Swing Time
The headlines are so depressing I’m shying away from processing everything enough to write about it. I’m hoping that a little Fred and Ginger will fortify me:
View ArticleClik here to view.
It’s time for trigger warnings for classic Hollywood musicals
To make classic Hollywood musicals today, you’d need serious trigger warnings to cover everything from gun violence, to misogyny, to rape and kidnapping. I’ve always adore classic Hollywood musicals....
View ArticleClik here to view.
[VIDEOS] 90 years later, Irving Berlin’s “Puttin’ on the Ritz” is still a hit
In 1927, Irving Berlin wrote Puttin’ on the Ritz. In the 90 years since then, this song about style has never fallen out of fashion. In 2009, I first posted about the fact that Irving Berlin’s Puttin’...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Something completely different: Why wasn’t Gene Nelson a huge star?
Gene Nelson, a singer and dancer from Hollywood’s golden age, reminds us that talent isn’t always enough. You need an intangible extra to be a star. Gene Nelson with his ex-wife Miriam Nelson, who was...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Bookworm Beat 2/24/19 — the Billy Porter illustrated edition
Billy Porter’s Scarlett O’Hara attire at the Oscars thrilled fashionistas and depressed me, so it’s the lead entry in tonight’s illustrated edition. The post Bookworm Beat 2/24/19 — the Billy Porter...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A reminder that we are blessed with very good people in America
I took a little time away today from politics and social commentary and, instead, concentrated on some uplifting, amusing, or entertaining videos. I felt perfectly fine today, but I was mentally limp....
View Article
