Truly the golden age of Hollywood - both in Eleanoe Powell's sublime artistry, and in the technical challenges required to film this sequence. BRAVO! I'm always in awe watching this.
she was a genius and a totally wonderful person. Did you know that after she retired she had a religious youth tv show. she had some african american children in the mix one week. a pastor complained about having the dark skinned children, she promised to improve on that. the next week ALL the children were african american. totally great person
Bob....Great info!.. she also insisted early in her career that the Afro American piano players be shown in the movies.. quite a bound move for THAT era!! R.I.P. Ellie .....the greatest female tap dance of all time. IMHO.
She HATED the racism from her time period. She also become friends with some of the African-American entertainers of her time...Ethel Waters, Bill Robinson, etc.
I’m just discovering this very talented woman and humanitarian. My mom told me today was tap dancing day, and she hoped that Eleanor Powell was mentioned. I didn’t know her until I found this video!! Amazing dancer and to know she supported African American dancers in the business is a blessing too. I’m sure she was aware of the great contributions African Americans made to tap dancing, and Ms. Powell’s contributions are legendary too. Thanks for keeping her memory alive.
Eleanor Powell is my favorite female dancer from any era. She's mesmerizing to watch. And she didn't need Hermes Pan to dub in her taps later on. She did it all herself. I have a ton of respect for her.
Wow just wow. I can hardly walk and chew gum. She has all this going on around her and dancing like she’s the only one in the room . A standing ovation. Love the old musical’s
Busby Berkeley said by the time this number was done, Powell was black and blue all over from being tossed again and again down that row of arms. She still made a point to thank him for creating such a fabulous showpiece for her. He said he’s never known such a gracious performer. It is astonishing the mechanics of these numbers. How was that curtain, with what must have been hundreds of pounds of material, manipulated so smoothly? I recall reading that, for the “Begin the Beguine” number, MGM could not find a company to make the mirror floor they wanted - so they made the mirrors themselves! Nothing spared.
Absolutely bloody incredible dancing. Watching her on UA-cam videos are wonderful, but to have seen her on the big screen in a cinema must have been totally immense 😯.
Busby Berkeley wrote that Powell was exhausted and bruised all over by the time this number was in the can, yet still thanked him for creating such a terrific showpiece for her. Equally interesting would be a look at the mechanism that so smoothly retracted what had to be several hundred pounds of curtain.
you do not appreciate the greatness of these entertainers until you see all of the support folks behind the scenes doing what has to be done to make this work.
It is amazing to think how much work went into these numbers. The choreography, rehearsing, costumes.Add to that, the music tracks were laid down separately as were the "tap" tracks which Eleanor recreated and recorded after the filming. She sure worked hard!And yes - I too wonder how that hat stayed on.Fascinating woman!
you see here just how much work goes into making movie musical, right from the original script through set design and construction, choreography, rehearsals, who knows how many run throughs to get the timing and camera angles right, days of practice and it all comes down just over a minute of screen time. of course the great Eleanor Powell's fantastic dancing, bravo.
How the heck did I miss Eleanor Powell dancing when I was younger. What an absolute gem. Her innate rhythm & timing were impeccable. This was tremendous. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Wow, seeing the sets move, a piano appear, dancers appear, enormous curtain silently swooshing along and movint into a circle like a tornado, and she keeps going and going and ends with all those spins. That's really spectacular. Was it as powerful and amazing on the film, when it could simply be she isn't going very far at all, but curtains are moving behind her? Because showing the the entire soundstage like that was spectacular. They really made big movies back then.
Now THAT's entertainment! What skills and talent for artistic, truly artistic dance. When dance was decent and worthy of show. Powell was a real icon of this art form and discipline. Compare it to some of today's "dance" showoffs.
Uncle Buzz was a severe task master. He kept everybody up until 1:00, 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning just to "get it right." In this film, he made Miss Powell dance so long she was covered with bruses. And she still continues to smile... Amazing.
He had Ginger Rogers feet bloody and blistered in a film, can't remember which one, but he was a perfectionist and they were true performers and dedicated to their craft.
Great comment. In the age of cgi it’s good to be reminded of how much they worked back then to design, innovate, build train, and execute such lavish productions. I’m glad that they filmed the effort to produce such a feat!!! Eleanor is spectacular in the performance as well. Such a physical routine; especially the finale!
As if her performance wasn't incredible enough, she did it with all that distracting set and camera movement going on around her. No student of dance here, but even I can see that she was so good they had to have her dance solo because no one else could have kept up with her.
I was just watching this, and wondering what was going on all around her to create this effect of this "maze of curtains"... and I got my wish! It's more involved than I thought! It was quite a journey to get from one side of the stage to the orchestra! LOL and I LOVE that extreme angle and view from above at 3:14!
Imagine doing that over and over. Allegedly Berkeley had them working into the early morning hours and Eleanor's feet were literally bleeding, but (also allegedly) after she saw the finished film she thanked him.
Her top hat remains on her head AND her hair remains perfectly in place after being flipped end-over-end repeatedly. Maybe that's the most amazing part.
Yes, interesting that you say that. She actually had a long time scar from indentations of top hats worn tightly during filming! The joys of being a star :)
There are some very brief behind-the-scenes clips in color of the second half of this number in the documentary “Peter Ford: A Little Prince,” available on Amazon.
Such talent. Enormous potential of being a superstar. Love the Lasso exhibition she did. That was just amazing. Whatever happened to her after her career ended?
She married Glenn Ford in the early 40s and gave up her career to be a wife and a mother. There's a documentary by their son on Netflix (I think it's Netflix, maybe HBO Max) in which he talks about growing up with famous parents. There's some great, but short, clips of color film taken of this number from behind the scenes. Fascinating!
@@TheJudyRoomVideos After she and Ford divorced, she went back on stage, from 1961-64, continuing her dancing. But she decided she was getting a little too old to keep it up the way she wanted (she was a perfectionist) and decided to retire for good.
Vera Ellen is amazing, one of my favorites, but she doesn't project sheer power like Eleanor Powell. Maybe Anne Miller is close. Her height and power and skill are crucial, because those qualities are saying essential things to women in the 1930s that they might not hear elsewhere. Thank you Eleanor!!!🦋🎵🎶🦋
The first time I saw Eleanor dance I wondered what a duet between her and Gregory Hines would have been like? Do you think he would have been a good "partner" for her?
Damn! Accolades asides, a petty note. The spotlight hadn't centred her at 3:58. Imagine a gruelling retake if the lighting technician took a sneeze. And another note. She was married to that womanizing heel, Glen Ford.
They filmed the sequence using a playback record of the pre-recorded music. The final mix of the music was added after it was edited together, in post production. She was tapping live of course, but then had to go into the studio and basically do the dance all over again on a "tap pad" that was then added into the final cut. It was quite the complicated process!
4 роки тому+1
*Those "mules" were probably electric like golf carts.*
Truly the golden age of Hollywood - both in Eleanoe Powell's sublime artistry, and in the technical challenges required to film this sequence. BRAVO! I'm always in awe watching this.
she was a genius and a totally wonderful person. Did you know that after she retired she had a religious youth tv show. she had some african american children in the mix one week. a pastor complained about having the dark skinned children, she promised to improve on that. the next week ALL the children were african american. totally great person
Bob....Great info!.. she also insisted early in her career that the Afro American piano players be shown in the movies.. quite a bound move for THAT era!! R.I.P. Ellie .....the greatest female tap dance of all time. IMHO.
Sou fã dessa atriz, talentosa demais. A rainha do sapateado.
She HATED the racism from her time period. She also become friends with some of the African-American entertainers of her time...Ethel Waters, Bill Robinson, etc.
I’m just discovering this very talented woman and humanitarian. My mom told me today was tap dancing day, and she hoped that Eleanor Powell was mentioned. I didn’t know her until I found this video!! Amazing dancer and to know she supported African American dancers in the business is a blessing too. I’m sure she was aware of the great contributions African Americans made to tap dancing, and Ms. Powell’s contributions are legendary too. Thanks for keeping her memory alive.
😉👍
Really a high point of the Hollywood musical. The technical aspects of this shoot are astounding.
Eleanor Powell is my favorite female dancer from any era. She's mesmerizing to watch. And she didn't need Hermes Pan to dub in her taps later on. She did it all herself. I have a ton of respect for her.
Did Hermes dub Astaire’s taps? Or just others’?
Wow just wow. I can hardly walk and chew gum. She has all this going on around her and dancing like she’s the only one in the room . A standing ovation. Love the old musical’s
this is truely a VERY rare behind the Scenes look from that era. This tap Dance number still rocks.
Busby Berkeley said by the time this number was done, Powell was black and blue all over from being tossed again and again down that row of arms. She still made a point to thank him for creating such a fabulous showpiece for her. He said he’s never known such a gracious performer.
It is astonishing the mechanics of these numbers. How was that curtain, with what must have been hundreds of pounds of material, manipulated so smoothly? I recall reading that, for the “Begin the Beguine” number, MGM could not find a company to make the mirror floor they wanted - so they made the mirrors themselves! Nothing spared.
Absolutely bloody incredible dancing. Watching her on UA-cam videos are wonderful, but to have seen her on the big screen in a cinema must have been totally immense 😯.
Eleanor was the best female tap dancer ever and an absolute joy to watch.
Eleanor Powell tappin and Busby Berkely directly, both the greatest talents ever.
The absolute definition of movie magic. It takes a lot of work and planning to make it appear so effortless.
I LOVE HER....God bless you, Miss Elle🤩🤩😍
She was so gifted. See her dance never gets old, and always brings joy.
Busby Berkeley wrote that Powell was exhausted and bruised all over by the time this number was in the can, yet still thanked him for creating such a terrific showpiece for her. Equally interesting would be a look at the mechanism that so smoothly retracted what had to be several hundred pounds of curtain.
and no cgi!
She always made it look SO EASY!! Incredible talent.
This was an incredible team effort, highlighted by Eleanor Powell's impeccable performance.
you do not appreciate the greatness of these entertainers until you see all of the support folks behind the scenes doing what has to be done to make this work.
It is amazing to think how much work went into these numbers. The choreography, rehearsing, costumes.Add to that, the music tracks were laid down separately as were the "tap" tracks which Eleanor recreated and recorded after the filming. She sure worked hard!And yes - I too wonder how that hat stayed on.Fascinating woman!
remember: without any computer and CGI crap
I regret that I have probably already seen all of Eleanor Powell's movie dances. I'd love to again have the thrill of seeing them for the first time.
What a lady ! What a talent ! And a lady who treated all as equal ......easier said than done ! ❤
Almost unbelievable. In just about every way. Love, love, LOVE Eleanor Powell. Never bettered.
you see here just how much work goes into making movie musical, right from the original script through set design and construction, choreography, rehearsals, who knows how many run throughs to get the timing and camera angles right, days of practice and it all comes down just over a minute of screen time. of course the great Eleanor Powell's fantastic dancing, bravo.
How the heck did I miss Eleanor Powell dancing when I was younger. What an absolute gem. Her innate rhythm & timing were impeccable. This was tremendous. Thanks for sharing it with us.
I agree 100% with all you say and concur.
Wow, seeing the sets move, a piano appear, dancers appear, enormous curtain silently swooshing along and movint into a circle like a tornado, and she keeps going and going and ends with all those spins. That's really spectacular. Was it as powerful and amazing on the film, when it could simply be she isn't going very far at all, but curtains are moving behind her? Because showing the the entire soundstage like that was spectacular. They really made big movies back then.
Eleanor is SUCH a shining beauty.. she had a smile that could stop a charging elephant dead in its tracks :)
Now THAT's entertainment! What skills and talent for artistic, truly artistic dance. When dance was decent and worthy of show. Powell was a real icon of this art form and discipline. Compare it to some of today's "dance" showoffs.
WOW! Incredible. And the joy she obviously feels in dancing is part of her charm as well!
Stunning and those flips at the end my goodness me I’ve never seen the like!
Uncle Buzz was a severe task master. He kept everybody up until 1:00, 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning just to "get it right." In this film, he made Miss Powell dance so long she was covered with bruses. And she still continues to smile... Amazing.
He had Ginger Rogers feet bloody and blistered in a film, can't remember which one, but he was a perfectionist and they were true performers and dedicated to their craft.
No she wanted the last take at 2
The greatest female dancer ever.
I agree. Not Astaire's ideal partner but amazing.
@@jamessmithe5490 Even Astaire was intimidated by her & said he could not keep up no man could
I think the greatest dancer of all time!
totally friggin amazing
My head spins after watching this!! How did she do it & still keep an even keel? Wow.
The woman was a marvel!
She simply takes your breath away when you watched her lay down them taps. Nobody even came close. Wow...
Only Busby Berkeley could visualise & direct a number like that. Great precision.
remember: it's great entertainment - without any computer/CGI
Great comment. In the age of cgi it’s good to be reminded of how much they worked back then to design, innovate, build train, and execute such lavish productions. I’m glad that they filmed the effort to produce such a feat!!! Eleanor is spectacular in the performance as well. Such a physical routine; especially the finale!
Only The BEST She was the Best I Miss Her.
This is my favorite of hers. And I'm so loving that outfit! 😊
she seems almost super human❤
Breathtaking, best in the world, never be another like her
WOW. She is wonderful.
That is fascinating and excellent historical record, giving such a special eye view of the talents at work. Thanks so much for posting.
That was wonderful!
She was one of a kind.
An amazing talent that is second to no one. She makes it look so easy.
now you've started something, it's after 2am and I just want to watch more!
Awesome performance!!
Amazing dancer and human being.
She was wonderful.
I study dancers. She was the best!
I half think she was way better than Astaire--- he needed a woman to complete his dancing-- Eleanor Powell needed only herself. Magnificient!
@@sherriefox8838 fwiw Fred Astaire once told Peter Ford, Eleanor's son, that his mother was better than him.
So very great!
Simply the Best!!!
Magnificent!
Wow...just wow!
As if her performance wasn't incredible enough, she did it with all that distracting set and camera movement going on around her. No student of dance here, but even I can see that she was so good they had to have her dance solo because no one else could have kept up with her.
I was just watching this, and wondering what was going on all around her to create this effect of this "maze of curtains"... and I got my wish! It's more involved than I thought! It was quite a journey to get from one side of the stage to the orchestra! LOL and I LOVE that extreme angle and view from above at 3:14!
Imagine doing that over and over. Allegedly Berkeley had them working into the early morning hours and Eleanor's feet were literally bleeding, but (also allegedly) after she saw the finished film she thanked him.
I heard about Busby Berkeley and his perfectionism! It doesn't surprise me.
@@gregoryagogo Thanks for the info....Eleanor was also a perfectionist so I'm sure she understood.. all the great ones are!
Fantastic.
Fabulous tapper
Incredible.
Eleanor Powell is the best dancer
INCREDIBLE I’ve always wondered how they did this one shot
That take was at two in the morning after having done it multiple times at her insistance
Her top hat remains on her head AND her hair remains perfectly in place after being flipped end-over-end repeatedly. Maybe that's the most amazing part.
The best female dancer ..ever ~
That's Facinatin'!
Eleanor Powell es inigualable. No hay con que darle. Es la perfección absoluta en baile!
The best female dancer
I don't know how I've never heard of her! She's insanely good! It's ridiculous! 😮😮😮😮 I'm amazed!!!!!
Eleanor was amazing. This chick hit the genetic jack Pot!!
And the hardest work to take that to the highest level.
Wow! She was fantastic.
AMAZING!!!!
Wonderful!
Can you imagine how men on the set must've fallen for her? She would've owned me.
I worship this talent
She outdanced Astaire.. she certainly earned her title THE QUEEN OF TAP
This woman was absolute dynamite!
Wow! That's amazing! I'll bet her hat was glued on though! x x
Yes, interesting that you say that. She actually had a long time scar from indentations of top hats worn tightly during filming! The joys of being a star :)
The greatest
Eleanor Powell was ahead of her time--she was insistent on hiring black artists in many of her films, and this during the era of de jure segregation.
amazing! how to do so many flips, then spins and still show off white pearls
I love the back heel kick @1:49
Sensacional! Incrível, em 1942 já tinham essa "tecnologia" de filmagens!
Extraordinary! Wow, what a difference with the unsufferable junk of these times.
What a tap dancer!
wow wow wow!
There are some very brief behind-the-scenes clips in color of the second half of this number in the documentary “Peter Ford: A Little Prince,” available on Amazon.
She's Good!
No. She's the GOAT!
No she’s great
Such talent. Enormous potential of being a superstar. Love the Lasso exhibition she did. That was just amazing. Whatever happened to her after her career ended?
She married Glenn Ford in the early 40s and gave up her career to be a wife and a mother. There's a documentary by their son on Netflix (I think it's Netflix, maybe HBO Max) in which he talks about growing up with famous parents. There's some great, but short, clips of color film taken of this number from behind the scenes. Fascinating!
@@TheJudyRoomVideos After she and Ford divorced, she went back on stage, from 1961-64, continuing her dancing. But she decided she was getting a little too old to keep it up the way she wanted (she was a perfectionist) and decided to retire for good.
Eleanor Powell and Rita Hayward were the best and gene Kelly ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
and ginger Rogers
And fred Astaire from Wien/Erdberg/Vienna!!!!! Absolut High Class !!!!!!!!!😎
Ann Miller and Vera-Ellen, too!
Vera Ellen is amazing, one of my favorites, but she doesn't project sheer power like Eleanor Powell. Maybe Anne Miller is close.
Her height and power and skill are crucial, because those qualities are saying essential things to women in the 1930s that they might not hear elsewhere. Thank you Eleanor!!!🦋🎵🎶🦋
Kelly wouldn’t dance with Ellie. She was too good. Hell he even had to ask the Nicholas bros to slow down.
The first time I saw Eleanor dance I wondered what a duet between her and Gregory Hines would have been like? Do you think he would have been a good "partner" for her?
All those flips at 4:10 were making me very worried for her hat!
Mercy me wowed!
Always looking at her routines, as well as another "great"..Ann Miller!
Miller didn’t do her own choreography
Damn! Accolades asides, a petty note. The spotlight hadn't centred her at 3:58. Imagine a gruelling retake if the lighting technician took a sneeze. And another note. She was married to that womanizing heel, Glen Ford.
Best female tap dancer ever......puts Ruby Keeler to shame!
Bravissimo!
Only at MGM!
Like Fred Astaire said of her..." she could put down those taps like a man...! " (and out-tap him )
You can see her early ballet training. 🙂
She's the only tap dancer that sort of intimidated even Fred Astaire!
Sort of? She did!
He said she was better than he was
Amazing how those machine used to move the sets made no noise.
They filmed the sequence using a playback record of the pre-recorded music. The final mix of the music was added after it was edited together, in post production. She was tapping live of course, but then had to go into the studio and basically do the dance all over again on a "tap pad" that was then added into the final cut. It was quite the complicated process!
*Those "mules" were probably electric like golf carts.*