WHEW!!!!! PURE GENIUSES , INNOVATORS N PROFESSIONALS!!!! Many tried to copy them later on. HOWEVER, They' were, "THE REAL' MCCOYS"!! Search engine that term please: " The REAL' McCoys".😊👍🏿
I have been in awe of how great of performers the Nicholas Brothers and Cab Calloway were. Blacks always were trend setters in entertainment. Whites would come to Black clubs to watch Blacks dance and listen to their music and put it in their films such as swing dance and music.
Though he didn't sing in it, Calloway was nicely featured in Janet Jackson's 'Alright' video, which also featured brief dance scenes with the Nicholas Brothers & Cyd Charisse and an awesome rap by the great Heavy D.
As a 40yr old white guy, and a lifelong fan of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, I can easily say NOBODY tops the Nicholas Brothers. That is hands down one of the greatest dance routines ever filmed. Glad you enjoyed it 👌
@@Terry-te1ij that's a fair question, and one I've often asked of others. I guess it's my way of fighting the pervasive idea of "racism" that exists today in our society. In that, I think the answer is not to deny our differences, and act like we're "all the same," but instead to acknowledge our differences and to simply accept them as part of what we are. However, it could also be said that by stating my color, I'm contributing to the very thing I hope to mitigate. But, such is the double-edged sword of all life's decisions...
The Nicholas Brothers grew up dancing like this from childhood. Their leg muscles had to have been like steel, enabling them with incredible control to dance like that without!! injury. Hollywood greats Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis Jr (along with other stars - Fred Astaire) were noted saying, no dancers in this era would be able to dance on the Brothers level today. I tend to believe that.
You guys just watched 3 of the greatest performers to ever live! Cab Calloway is the first of his kind. The first Black American to sell a million records with Minnie the Moocher in 1931. Artists such as James Brown, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Freddie Mercury and even Beyonce were highly influenced by Cab Calloway. The Nicholas Brothers in my opinion were the greatest dancers to ever live and never truly got the recognition they deserved.
I didn’t know one of the Nicholas Brothers was born here in NC! This should be celebrated more. They’re both legends and national treasures in my opinion and so is Cab Calloway.
When entertainment required TALENT and not computers!! The MONTHS they had to practice for this and the FLAWLESS performance. A true classic!! Cab Calloway and his orchestra were FORMIDABLE!! If you haven't already seen it, watch his performance of "Minnie The Moocher" on the Blues Brothers movie. Pure talent even at age 73 when they filmed the movie. The REAL respect in this performance MUST go to these dancers!! The music was excellent, the DANCE was INCREDIBLE!!
Witch trials happened in Salem, MA. The Nicholas Brothers were incredible dancers and athletes. They imbued every performance with their amazing style and stunning grace. Yeah, Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly were fantastic dancers, but I've never seen either of them turn in a performance to equal the Nicholas Brothers. Every time I see this clip, my knees ache for days after. Just the sheer physicality leaves me in awe of them, but they marry that with grace and style... Cab Calloway is one of the great band leaders and performers of all time! He and the Nicholas Brothers ooze genius! You should Check out Bo Jangles. Talk about control and style.
I saw them perform with Gene Kelley in The Pirate, and it's crazy, but they made him look like a klutz by comparison. They were much lighter on their feet.
@@wordforger I have to agree with you. I can't think of a dancer who could match them. Just think of the hours of practice they had to invest in their art. And they started performing when they were small children.
@@GuantanamoBayBarbie3 Guy in the video referred to it because one of the Nicolas Brothers is from Winston-Salem, and he thought it was Salem like in the Witch trials.
That is because they very rarely air old movies on stations that are popular. In the 60s I saw a lot of old black and white movies on tv. Mostly after 9:30 pm or at various times on the weekends. Only major old ones aired earlier than that. I gather a heck of a lot of film footage was lost before some started trying to preserve them in a better way. Can you even imagine how many great stage performances were never filmed? Now darn near anybody, with or without talent, can record what they do and put it out there. Day after day after day. Whoopee! They can paint their faces! They can walk! They can talk! Not necessarily make any sense, but they can talk! Even get famous and make big bucks without a 10th of the talent or smarts of hundreds of thousands of others. Past and present.
@@mr.smithgnrsmith7808 you didn't understand what I said dude, I never said no knows about them and they aren't respected. I said that its sad that there are a lot of people that don't know who they are. read carefully before responding
@@conniead5206 I first saw the Nicholas Brothers in the late 60s in a film short on television. The station showed Shirley Temple movies, the Little Rascals, etc. from my dad's childhood, so we watched them together. I remember being amazed at the talent of the Nicholas Brothers.
If you check out any more Cab Calloway, make sure you give a listen to "Minnie the Moocher" and "Reefer Man". He's always been one of my favorite old-school entertainers; he started in my grandparents' day and was still performing (albeit less frequently) when I was a little kid. Talk about longevity!
I love this! I’m a photographer in Los Angeles, and my father was a recording artist doing comedy records, and he put Fayard Nicholas on one of his last albums, and I had the pleasure of photographing him. Mr. Nicholas came into the studio and was like Yoda. He was very sweet, but quite elderly and fragile, we weren’t even sure if he was going to be able to move , much less dance. Well, we were wrong. Well, we were wrong. He threw down his cane and tapped like he was 30, despite him being in his 80’s. He blew us away! One take, nailed it. Professional and the maestro of dance. Lovely man.
Cab Calloway may have been one of the best dressed men in American history. The man did not follow fashion, fashion followed behind him with it's mouth open in awe.
What is great about the Nicholas Brothers is that they were 'Self Taught' Tap Dancers and this whole Performance was done/shot in ONE TAKE. Them and Cab Calloway are TRUE ICONS. And at 1:35 when you said "I ain't seen no black men together look that good in boy-ever." B/c now a days, most artists don't care. They truly don't.
My dad loved the Nicholas Brothers. Great athletes. Those jumps are amazing. The splits were great but the ability to come out of the split with sheer muscle control to upright position. As a former cheerleader, that’s incredible.
I saw an interview with one o f them where he was asked about those jumps. I was hoping to hear they were double-jointed or something else that might have meant the jumps were easy for them. But he just said "it HOIT!" Dang...
Actually, professionally trained actors are all trained in acting dancing and signing, but most break out in tv or film where there isn't a lot of call for the dancing and singing part. Which why occasionally tv shows will have a .one off musical episode. Even House MD had one. The actors love it even if it confuses the viewers.
Cab was the epitome of style, a masterful talent. The Nicholas Brothers were amazing. So rarely do we find people like this in entertainment these days.
I second that. As a Gen Xer who got to enjoy its revival in the late 90s I would love to see the younger generations get to experience it too. The music was awesome-like you said, “classy and fun”-and swing dancing is the best!
Fred Astaire, one of the greatest dancers ever who influenced the likes of Michael Jackson and many others, called this the greatest dance routine, ever. And all done in one take on top of that.
Bonjangles Robinson is first Black tap dancing Superstar, is who influenced FRED ASTAIRE ! GOOGLE IT. HE DANCED WITH SHIRLEY TEMPLE. He started it all.
Built like gymnasts, Harold had to be like 5'3 or 4 and Fayard 5'6 and they had no body fat. But it's not only the stamina and strength that impresses me but their grace, limberness and effortless execution. Wish there were more all-black movies with that much entertainment packed in one show.
@@victoriagoforth9748That is indeed what it says. I usually like to take artists at their word, but there are at least ten camera edits so I don't know.
It was so much fun to see your reactions. You were so blown away that you were all speechless. This was pure talent. It was all done live, with one take, no do-overs, no edits, no digital. Pure talent!
I'm 73 years old and white and growing u in Long Island we were able to watch all these musicians and artists. And I'm a southerner. We were brought up to respect everyone!!
One of the most legendary performances ever recorded!!! (Thankfully)..This is amazing...The Nicholas Brothers are in a class by themselves!!! There's no dancing duo like them. EVER.
I can't recall which movie it was, but the scene was one of them coming down a staircase, leapfrogging over each other & landing on each step doing the splits all the way down. They appeared to be very young in that film. To this day it STILL astounds me when I watch it.
No movie has ever been able to made of the Nicholas Brothers, because they could never find any two dancers able to duplicate their abilities!!! Dancing royalty...
The Nicholas Brothers are My all time Favorites. Great Athletes. I remember Them when They were older. Never to be duplicated. I have watched Their performances over and over for many years. Never tire of Them. One take also!
My father brought me up on this. You gents made me smile today. My Father played trombone and drums and Cab was his favorite entertainer. My pops was born in 1915 and now I'm the Grandpa. Give The Reefer Man by Cab a listen. Take care guys.
@@handsomeman-pm9vy I live in Oregon. I do not have to want. There is a dispensary on every corner and you’re allowed four plants per household. It’s no big deal.
This is so damn good it’s no wonder the artist inspired by them chose to build on what they created. In the 90s the Brian Setzer Orchestra combined swing and rockabilly and revived a ton of classic old school songs from this era. Check out their cover of Louis Prima’s “Jump, Jive, and Wail”. The official video is a beautifully done piece that showcases the band and a bunch of top notch swing dancing. Awesome vid. Cab Calloway is legendary for a reason. More of this kind of stuff, please.
I am 60 and back in those days, this was true talent. The smiles were real because music and dance was everything in those days. Cab Calloway was wonderful and Nicholas Brothers were jaw dropping extreme talent. They don't have anything even close today to that kind of talent. One of my favorite classic movies.
My dad was born in 1925 and when I was a kid in the 70s this was what he played around the house. These men were true musical heroes. There were no mixers or second takes. God bless these men
One of the most important overlooked aspects of this magnificent piece of history - THIS WAS DONE IN ONE TAKE. Cab is actually singing and the band is actually playing. It just doesn't get better than this. When movie trailers are being shown in theaters, this should be shown. Pure showmanship. 100% talent. The ending where it's all Black men and women dancing together, that's how it should be. Men dressed IN SUITS and women dressed APPROPRIATELY.
Yes Men Were So Dapper and Women So Elegant. I would love to be able to go to a Dinner and Dance with this level of Entertainment and Class in this day and age. It was the Club scene.
Almost every famous dancer for the last century says that they were the greatest dance team of all time. No contest. Love your guys reaction videos, keep them coming.
Harold Nickolas played the Choreography dance instructor in the 1991 movie called, "The 5 Heartbeats" And was once married to Dorothy Dandridge. I love this generation!!
Many of us white guys born in the 40's and 50' listened to Cab Calloway and watched him on TV. I am 78 and still enjoy watching this great entertainer.
I really seriously doubt this amazing dance sequence could be recreated... by anyone. MJ knew who they were, as I did a long time ago. Loved the reaction. Sometimes generations are in awe of what existed before...... but there always was.. something... before.
This movie is called "Stormy Wheather".Cab Callaway basically was the first rapper 🤣🤣🤣 and The Nicholas Brothers was just 🔥🔥🔥. I don't care what nobody say. Their choreography, style, grace, technique and dance was and still is second to none .🔥🔥🔥🔥
Cab Calloway was my father’s mother’s cousin. I never got to meet home but I have watched him dance, sing, direct bands and orchestras and act in TV, film and stage. He was also a fashion trend setter😊
The legendary Nicholas Brothers! Knowing they did this in one take is amazing, and they inspired more greats after. Even MJ learned from them back during The Jackson's variety show years.
I'm amazed you actually sat quietly and gave this the rapt attention it deserves! It seems you've been very deprived in your entertainment history -- so MUCH you haven't seen and so many legends you have yet to get to know. Well, you're doing it now! BTW, the name of the movie is Stormy Weather, though there is a song by the same name.
Cab Calloway... Nicholas Brothers... Sandman..Bill Robinson..Lena Horne....all the others .. pure elegance style and class. Love them forever❤❤❤❤.....today can't compare.
I had the absolute honor to meet and speak with this legend in High School. My Jazz Band ( I was Bary Sax ) was to open for Count Basie's band at UC Davis, however the Good Count fell ill and Cab Calloway subbed in! We played 3 songs, then they took the stage. A memory I will cherish till the day I die!!!
Also, Mardi Gras originally started in Mobile Alabama. New Orleans made it a bigger party. Thank you guys to showing respect to these great entertainers.
20 years ago we went into New York to score half price Broadway tickets.The thing was,there was only a few seats for each show,so by the time it was your turn,you never knew what show tickets were still available.We ended up get tickets to a show called 5 Guys Named Moe.We had no idea what it was.It turned out to be an all black cast of tap dancers.They blew us away with their talent! The eldest guy in the show must have been in his 80's,and was so smooth.What a treat!😁
These performances are pure talent! Back in the day when you had to be talented to make it as a dancer, singer, actor, or whatever. The movie, Stormy Weather is worth watching and this part is actually the end of the movie. The movie is one of the greatest classics because the talent pool is the best!
this performance is beautiful in a way .. that's hard to describe.. from the people to the performance... big props for reaching way back fellas .. LEMME SHOW YA SUMTHIN BWA!!!!
The Nicholas Brothers were loved here in the UK my darling Mum and Dad watched them live at the London Palladium way back when, and they NEVER stopped talking about them. I bought this movie on Tape then CD it was one of there greatest pleasures right up till then end- such talent such dedication, and such enjoyment ❤️
Wonderful! Thank you for watching, appreciating, and sharing this video! Keep increasing your knowledge about all talent! You kids are great. Love watching your expressions and hearing your comments.
*Hey, thanks for hitting MY SUGGESTION! Black Excellence for Black History Month. This was filmed in ONE TAKE, and is considered one of the greatest dance numbers on film. I wish Ross was there. The movie is Stormy Weather (1943), the singer is Cab Calloway, the dancers are Nicholas Brothers!* ❤️❤️❤️
Wow. Amazing. The discipline, stamina, and talent it takes to do something like this is unimaginable. And they made it look effortless. The band as well. Talk about a show stopper. They put artists of today butts right back in their seats. Excellent choice.
Cab Calloway and the Nicholas Brothers are National Treasures. I can listen to this music forever. I was a kid in the late 70’s when I begged my Dad to take me to a Duke Ellington concert. He didn’t even realize I knew who The Duke was. I fell in love with Jive at a young age, begging my elderly neighbor to teach me how to Lindy Hop.
I watch that dance routine by the Nicholas Brothers every once in awhile on UA-cam and I I'm still in awe of their talent and the production of that number in one take truly one of the greatest dance routines ever ever performed and filmed
I must have shown this clip to my tap classes a hundred times but it still gave me such joy to see you all enjoy these legends! By the way, check Janet Jackson's All Right video.... a nod to Cab Calloway.
I'm so glad y'all did this one! This is part of music and dance history, should be shown in every school. And remind the students that at that time these gentlemen were not allowed in a lot of clubs and restaurants because of their race!
Both have since passed away. Fayard (1914-2006 : stroke) and Harold (1921-2000 : heart failure) Even Fred Astaire said they were the best. Research said Fayard had double-hip replacement.
Cab Calloway was amazing!!! My 2nd Dad introduced me to Jazz n the Blues n my world changed!!! 🥰 RIP Dad 🥺🕊💞 Please play Blue on Black by Kenny Wayne Sheppard!!! 🙏🏻🙏🏻 Its my 2nd fav song 🥰
Great video Gentlemen. Yes Cab Calloway and the Nicholas Brothers are the backbone of African American entertainment. And yes the Nicholas Brothers had children there grandchildren are continuing the tap dancing entertainment. 🥰🥰 I Love You guys. Keep Grinding.
So glad you watched this! Now you're ready to watch Mikael Baryshnikov greatest ballet solos! Football players Jerry Rice and Barry Sanders are just a few who took ballet to improve their skills! Check out "The Turning Point" greatest Baryshnikov solos!
i get so much joy watching you discover what we grew up with. Saw that stair scene when I was a little girl, never forgot it. I am almost 70 - Nicholas Bros and Cab rocked it. Pure talent - AND NOTICE THEY WEREN'T WINDED!!!
Kudos to you guys for bringing such talent to your channel! The Nicholas brothers were SELF TAUGHT. They were one of the first acts to combine dancing with athletic talent. They ended up in NY with the wonderful Cab Calloway and, even while still very young, became headline performers at the original Cotton Club in Harlem. Dancer Fred Astaire said he’d never seen anything like Fayard and Harold Nicholas. Gregory Hines once said they could never do a film on the Nicholas brothers because in our day and age, there are no dancers who could replicate that talent. Info nugget: Harold Nicholas played Sarge in The Five Heartbeats (1991).
The Salem Witch trials were in Salem, Massachusetts, not Winston Salem, NC. But, you got the premise basically right.... a bunch of judgemental weirdos
There's been a bit of speculation for years now that there may have been ergot poisoning that played into it, which is basically a bunch of people unknowingly on LSD.
It was much more than that. Major economic changes were happening at the time. The seaport was becoming wealthy and gaining political power while the inland villages were losing economic and political power. Which at his time was represented a lot by the church. Money and political power was channeled through the churches The vast majority of the accusations were from the poorer inland towns against members of the richer seaport. It's not uncommon for people seeing their influence, wealth, etc... Being reduced to strike back in some way. At the time the best way was through the church since it had great influence on all aspects of life. Accusing them of anything else wouldn't have got as much of a response. But accused of being a witch, now that was a big deal. The church and public institutions absolutely had to take it serious. This wasn't a planned effort but when young girls did dumb young girls things or got sick, then it was pretty easy for the accusations to start flying. It was much more likely that the people loosing their influence would be the ones doing it.
Thank you guys for showing this. I’m a baby boomer white lady! In all sincerity, nobody can hold a candle to the talent of these extraordinary gentlemen! In my time, I loved watching Gregory Hines. Also love Mr. Bojangles!
My dad was born in 1927. I grew up listening to this music. My dad told me stories about when was 13-14 years old he would sneak in to local Jazz Clubs to listen to the black jazz musicians that would come through town. He would invite them back to the his house. My grandmother would fix every one spaghetti and meatballs. This was a regular occurrence. A lot of times they would sleep in the basement and in the morning move on to the next stop.
I have one thing to say about this particular performance by the Nicholas Brothers - ONE TAKE!!!!! Yes, they did this on one take. It has been documented. Even though there appears to be camera cutaways, etc, It was ONE FREAKIN' TAKE!!!!!!!
There was a Betty Boop cartoon from the 1930s set to Cab Calloway’s St James Infirmary. It used groundbreaking technology at the time. You guys should check that out.
It's really cool to see people enjoying talented performances that, while they definitely belong to a certain cultural context in terms of both Black culture in that moment and the overall trends of the day, are still clearly masterpieces to anyone who cares to look deeper than "I'm not familiar with this, therefore it sucks" (a failing seemingly shared equally between the old and the young). Thanks for checking out stuff that's a bit off the beaten path, and helping the rest of us appreciate it as well in the process!
Greetings.from Panama, Latinamerica. I am 62,.and.my parents taught me all of this, because we watch old movies on the TV. My parents.love this music,plus latin rythms,chachacha, rumba, conga, mambo, amd they knew how to dance, them
I know I'm a little late to reply to this video, but I thought you'd like to know: When I was in film school, this was one of the films that we had to study at various times. I remember them telling us that the Nicholas Brothers did this in a single take, without rehearsing it beforehand. They were essentially freestyling it the same way Cab Calloway was known to scat. This is, hands down, their greatest performance.
I am SO glad that you got to see Cab Calloway and his musicians. They were So Damn Good! Talk about talent! Cab was THE MAN - no question about it. I'm an old guy but not old enough to have seen Cab and his musicians. Wish I had. YOU guys are the best! Love your channel.
Thank you very much for showing this, I am 67 years old and I really enjoyed looking at some of this on TV it could have been before my time but I am so glad that you guys put it out for us to look at. Thank you😊
So much respect! Cab Calloway is great but I'm blown away by the Nicholas Brothers! Pure talent! It's a shame we don't have entertainment like that anymore!
The movie is Stormy Weather starring Lena Horne and Bill Robinson featuring Cab Calloway and the Nicholas brothers! Harold Nicholas married Dorothy Dandridge (1942-1951).❤❤
I love it when the younger generation sees true greatness, and they acknowledge it. Yes, the Nicholas brothers were the pride of our community . Still are❤
This video is even more incredible when you find out they did this in ONE take!
WHEW!!!!! PURE GENIUSES , INNOVATORS N PROFESSIONALS!!!! Many tried to copy them later on. HOWEVER, They' were, "THE REAL' MCCOYS"!! Search engine that term please: " The REAL' McCoys".😊👍🏿
Yassss!! So glad someone mentioned this! All these sequences in the golden age HAD to be done in one clean take. INCREDIBLE 🔥🫶🫶
@@bonitahobbs2374
I am an old guy. I know it means the original ones.
I have been in awe of how great of performers the Nicholas Brothers and Cab Calloway were. Blacks always were trend setters in entertainment. Whites would come to Black clubs to watch Blacks dance and listen to their music and put it in their films such as swing dance and music.
And it was not rehearsed
Cab was the first black musician to sell a million copies of one record, definitely a legend!
Cab was great in "The Blues Brothers"
@@billolsen4360 Yes, very old at that time but still great!
@@ComicHorder410 What a fest that movie was, Cab doing Minnie the Moocher, Ray Charles doing Shake A Tailfeather, and Aretha telling us to THINK!
Cab was a real badass back in his day. A real “hep cat” as they used to say in the hood. 😂
@@MsAppassionata
He was definitely "hep to the jive."
Even at 72 years old, he never lost that voice. He reprised Minnie the Moocher in the Blues Brother's Movie and stole the show!
And a lot of people still don't realise that Minnie the Moocher was all about drug abuse.
@@ChelseaPensioner-DJW nickles and dimes
".... she loved him even though he was cokey.. "
I was going to make the same comment about the Blues Brothers Movie.
Though he didn't sing in it, Calloway was nicely featured in Janet Jackson's 'Alright' video, which also featured brief dance scenes with the Nicholas Brothers & Cyd Charisse and an awesome rap by the great Heavy D.
As a 40yr old white guy, and a lifelong fan of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, I can easily say NOBODY tops the Nicholas Brothers.
That is hands down one of the greatest dance routines ever filmed.
Glad you enjoyed it 👌
My absolut favourite was James Cagney.
I saw the Nicholas brothers do a set on jack Benny that I think tops this one but not by allot and nobody but them can top them
Michael Jackson was no slouch, but these Brothers are amazing! I am a 70 year old white dude that grew up in a dancing family.
Why did you find it necessary to state your color?
@@Terry-te1ij that's a fair question, and one I've often asked of others. I guess it's my way of fighting the pervasive idea of "racism" that exists today in our society. In that, I think the answer is not to deny our differences, and act like we're "all the same," but instead to acknowledge our differences and to simply accept them as part of what we are. However, it could also be said that by stating my color, I'm contributing to the very thing I hope to mitigate. But, such is the double-edged sword of all life's decisions...
The Nicholas Brothers grew up dancing like this from childhood. Their leg muscles had to have been like steel, enabling them with incredible control to dance like that without!! injury. Hollywood greats Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis Jr (along with other stars - Fred Astaire) were noted saying, no dancers in this era would be able to dance on the Brothers level today. I tend to believe that.
Nicholas Brothers dance in Stormy Weather is considered to be one of the best dance numbers ever performed.
Is that the one where they literally leap off the upper deck and land in the splits position?
Yes.
Nicolas Brothers the 👌
The best in the words of Fred Astaire...so
The Nicholas Brothers are hands down, in my opinion, the greatest tap dancers who ever lived.
Best dancers period
Mr. Bojangles was the master tapper.
Eleanor Powell was awesome too❤
You guys just watched 3 of the greatest performers to ever live! Cab Calloway is the first of his kind. The first Black American to sell a million records with Minnie the Moocher in 1931. Artists such as James Brown, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Freddie Mercury and even Beyonce were highly influenced by Cab Calloway. The Nicholas Brothers in my opinion were the greatest dancers to ever live and never truly got the recognition they deserved.
Also Harold Nicholas had a child with the extremely talented singer/actress Dorothy Dandridge. The child was severely mentally handicapped.
Even Fred Astaire said they were the best tap team he had ever seen.
I agree. The Nicholas Brothers are INCOMPARABLE.
I didn’t know one of the Nicholas Brothers was born here in NC! This should be celebrated more. They’re both legends and national treasures in my opinion and so is Cab Calloway.
Scatman Curathers.
When entertainment required TALENT and not computers!!
The MONTHS they had to practice for this and the FLAWLESS performance. A true classic!!
Cab Calloway and his orchestra were FORMIDABLE!! If you haven't already seen it, watch his performance of "Minnie The Moocher" on the Blues Brothers movie. Pure talent even at age 73 when they filmed the movie.
The REAL respect in this performance MUST go to these dancers!! The music was excellent, the DANCE was INCREDIBLE!!
Witch trials happened in Salem, MA.
The Nicholas Brothers were incredible dancers and athletes. They imbued every performance with their amazing style and stunning grace. Yeah, Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly were fantastic dancers, but I've never seen either of them turn in a performance to equal the Nicholas Brothers. Every time I see this clip, my knees ache for days after. Just the sheer physicality leaves me in awe of them, but they marry that with grace and style...
Cab Calloway is one of the great band leaders and performers of all time! He and the Nicholas Brothers ooze genius!
You should Check out Bo Jangles. Talk about control and style.
I'm curious. Why the reference to the witch trials?
Actually, I'm curious about that too. I hope I'm not going crazy.
I saw them perform with Gene Kelley in The Pirate, and it's crazy, but they made him look like a klutz by comparison. They were much lighter on their feet.
@@wordforger I have to agree with you. I can't think of a dancer who could match them. Just think of the hours of practice they had to invest in their art. And they started performing when they were small children.
@@GuantanamoBayBarbie3 Guy in the video referred to it because one of the Nicolas Brothers is from Winston-Salem, and he thought it was Salem like in the Witch trials.
I don't care what anyone says, they had absolute pure talent and what's sad is there are many that don't know who they are. Great reaction
That is because they very rarely air old movies on stations that are popular. In the 60s I saw a lot of old black and white movies on tv. Mostly after 9:30 pm or at various times on the weekends. Only major old ones aired earlier than that. I gather a heck of a lot of film footage was lost before some started trying to preserve them in a better way.
Can you even imagine how many great stage performances were never filmed? Now darn near anybody, with or without talent, can record what they do and put it out there. Day after day after day. Whoopee! They can paint their faces! They can walk! They can talk! Not necessarily make any sense, but they can talk! Even get famous and make big bucks without a 10th of the talent or smarts of hundreds of thousands of others. Past and present.
Nobody said anything different dude…what…obviously, dudes a well known, respected legend
@@mr.smithgnrsmith7808 you didn't understand what I said dude, I never said no knows about them and they aren't respected. I said that its sad that there are a lot of people that don't know who they are. read carefully before responding
@@conniead5206 I first saw the Nicholas Brothers in the late 60s in a film short on television. The station showed Shirley Temple movies, the Little Rascals, etc. from my dad's childhood, so we watched them together. I remember being amazed at the talent of the Nicholas Brothers.
If you check out any more Cab Calloway, make sure you give a listen to "Minnie the Moocher" and "Reefer Man". He's always been one of my favorite old-school entertainers; he started in my grandparents' day and was still performing (albeit less frequently) when I was a little kid. Talk about longevity!
Cab was also one of the featured artists in the movie The Blues Brothers with Dan Akroyd and John Belushi
I want tell you a story about Minnie the Moocher!
He was sensational
I believe Minnie the Moocher was about heroin.
I love Minnie The Moocher. One of my all time favourite songs.
I love this! I’m a photographer in Los Angeles, and my father was a recording artist doing comedy records, and he put Fayard Nicholas on one of his last albums, and I had the pleasure of photographing him. Mr. Nicholas came into the studio and was like Yoda. He was very sweet, but quite elderly and fragile, we weren’t even sure if he was going to be able to move , much less dance. Well, we were wrong. Well, we were wrong. He threw down his cane and tapped like he was 30, despite him being in his 80’s. He blew us away! One take, nailed it. Professional and the maestro of dance. Lovely man.
Thank you for sharing this.
❤
Was your dad Stan Freberg?
I remember Stan Freberg.
@@capricioushorse yes. ❤️
The Nicholas Brothers were phenomenal. They were a huge influence on Breakdancing, and Michael Jackson loved them
Cab Calloway may have been one of the best dressed men in American history. The man did not follow fashion, fashion followed behind him with it's mouth open in awe.
What is great about the Nicholas Brothers is that they were 'Self Taught' Tap Dancers and this whole Performance was done/shot in ONE TAKE. Them and Cab Calloway are TRUE ICONS. And at 1:35 when you said "I ain't seen no black men together look that good in boy-ever." B/c now a days, most artists don't care. They truly don't.
Even when racism was way worse than today, these performers were very classy along with very talented.
....the only person that was INSANELY OBSSESED with STYLE in our time....was PRINCE....
🎯!! The young man is Right....This is Pure Showmanship!!
My dad loved the Nicholas Brothers. Great athletes. Those jumps are amazing. The splits were great but the ability to come out of the split with sheer muscle control to upright position. As a former cheerleader, that’s incredible.
imagine their hips and lower backs, joints were in pieces by the time they were old
@@sodapop83 yup. Remember Prince at the end....just looking for chemical relief for his hip pain.
I saw an interview with one o f them where he was asked about those jumps. I was hoping to hear they were double-jointed or something else that might have meant the jumps were easy for them. But he just said "it HOIT!" Dang...
Artists in the 30s-40s were truly talented. They sang, danced, and acted. I love older movies for this reason.
Yeah,the triple threat,now,all you need is a gimmick and social media clicks,likes/dislikes.
Actually, professionally trained actors are all trained in acting dancing and signing, but most break out in tv or film where there isn't a lot of call for the dancing and singing part. Which why occasionally tv shows will have a .one off musical episode. Even House MD had one. The actors love it even if it confuses the viewers.
One of the Nicholas brothers was married to the late actress Dorothy Dandridge.
Cab was the epitome of style, a masterful talent. The Nicholas Brothers were amazing. So rarely do we find people like this in entertainment these days.
The big band era was amazing. I wish it would become popular again. Classy and fun. Can’t help but want to dance to it.
We need more young people learning how to play instruments.
I second that. As a Gen Xer who got to enjoy its revival in the late 90s I would love to see the younger generations get to experience it too. The music was awesome-like you said, “classy and fun”-and swing dancing is the best!
Fred Astaire, one of the greatest dancers ever who influenced the likes of Michael Jackson and many others, called this the greatest dance routine, ever. And all done in one take on top of that.
Bonjangles Robinson is first Black tap dancing Superstar, is who influenced FRED ASTAIRE ! GOOGLE IT. HE DANCED WITH SHIRLEY TEMPLE. He started it all.
The Nicholas Brothers were ATHLETES!!!! Incredible stamina and strength.
Built like gymnasts, Harold had to be like 5'3 or 4 and Fayard 5'6 and they had no body fat. But it's not only the stamina and strength that impresses me but their grace, limberness and effortless execution. Wish there were more all-black movies with that much entertainment packed in one show.
Fred Astaire told the Nicholas Brothers that this was the best dance sequel he had ever seen because it was done in 1 take and pretty much perfection!
You're right about Astaire, but wrong about the "one take."
@@tomshea8382 I actually read that on their Wikipedia page that it was done in one take..
@@victoriagoforth9748That is indeed what it says. I usually like to take artists at their word, but there are at least ten camera edits so I don't know.
Well, I prefer to take them for their word and enjoy watching g all the incredible movies they left us with..
It was so much fun to see your reactions. You were so blown away that you were all speechless. This was pure talent. It was all done live, with one take, no do-overs, no edits, no digital. Pure talent!
I'm 73 years old and white and growing u in Long Island we were able to watch all these musicians and artists. And I'm a southerner. We were brought up to respect everyone!!
One of the most legendary performances ever recorded!!! (Thankfully)..This is amazing...The Nicholas Brothers are in a class by themselves!!! There's no dancing duo like them. EVER.
The Nicholas Brothers deserved their own movies. Serious talent, to say the very least. And they did it all in one take! GENIUS
I can't recall which movie it was, but the scene was one of them coming down a staircase, leapfrogging over each other & landing on each step doing the splits all the way down. They appeared to be very young in that film. To this day it STILL astounds me when I watch it.
No movie has ever been able to made of the Nicholas Brothers, because they could never find any two dancers able to duplicate their abilities!!! Dancing royalty...
The Nicholas Brothers are My all time Favorites. Great Athletes. I remember Them when They were older. Never to be duplicated. I have watched Their performances over and over for many years. Never tire of Them. One take also!
My father brought me up on this. You gents made me smile today. My Father played trombone and drums and Cab was his favorite entertainer. My pops was born in 1915 and now I'm the Grandpa. Give The Reefer Man by Cab a listen. Take care guys.
Do also want the Reefer?
@@handsomeman-pm9vy I live in Oregon. I do not have to want. There is a dispensary on every corner and you’re allowed four plants per household. It’s no big deal.
@@stevenkarner6872
To each his own, but I prefer vodka.
@@handsomeman-pm9vy To each his own but still…..gross. I prefer Cab Sav to fermented potato alcohol.
My grandpa was born in 1907 but im 21😅😂
This is so damn good it’s no wonder the artist inspired by them chose to build on what they created. In the 90s the Brian Setzer Orchestra combined swing and rockabilly and revived a ton of classic old school songs from this era. Check out their cover of Louis Prima’s “Jump, Jive, and Wail”. The official video is a beautifully done piece that showcases the band and a bunch of top notch swing dancing.
Awesome vid. Cab Calloway is legendary for a reason. More of this kind of stuff, please.
I am 60 and back in those days, this was true talent. The smiles were real because music and dance was everything in those days. Cab Calloway was wonderful and Nicholas Brothers were jaw dropping extreme talent. They don't have anything even close today to that kind of talent. One of my favorite classic movies.
My dad was born in 1925 and when I was a kid in the 70s this was what he played around the house. These men were true musical heroes. There were no mixers or second takes. God bless these men
I love your reactions....you said it...PURE TALENT, PURE SHOWMANSHIP, PURE CLASS...thrilled you all recognized and appreciated their legacy!
Greatness!! They did this in one take! I'm a tap dancer and had the pleasure of meeting them. RIP to Harold & Fayard
One of the most important overlooked aspects of this magnificent piece of history - THIS WAS DONE IN ONE TAKE. Cab is actually singing and the band is actually playing. It just doesn't get better than this.
When movie trailers are being shown in theaters, this should be shown. Pure showmanship. 100% talent. The ending where it's all Black men and women dancing together, that's how it should be. Men dressed IN SUITS and women dressed APPROPRIATELY.
Yes Men Were So Dapper and Women So Elegant. I would love to be able to go to a Dinner and Dance with this level of Entertainment and Class in this day and age. It was the Club scene.
Almost every famous dancer for the last century says that they were the greatest dance team of all time. No contest. Love your guys reaction videos, keep them coming.
Harold Nickolas played the Choreography dance instructor in the 1991 movie called, "The 5 Heartbeats" And was once married to Dorothy Dandridge. I love this generation!!
Many of us white guys born in the 40's and 50' listened to Cab Calloway and watched him on TV. I am 78 and still enjoy watching this great entertainer.
I really seriously doubt this amazing dance sequence could be recreated... by anyone.
MJ knew who they were, as I did a long time ago.
Loved the reaction.
Sometimes generations are in awe of what existed before...... but there always was.. something... before.
This movie is called "Stormy Wheather".Cab Callaway basically was the first rapper 🤣🤣🤣 and The Nicholas Brothers was just 🔥🔥🔥. I don't care what nobody say. Their choreography, style, grace, technique and dance was and still is second to none .🔥🔥🔥🔥
Cab Calloway was my father’s mother’s cousin. I never got to meet home but I have watched him dance, sing, direct bands and orchestras and act in TV, film and stage. He was also a fashion trend setter😊
It's not showmanship. Its talent that comes around once every 1,000 years
Ladies and gentlimen the incomperable NICOLAS BROTHERS-~~~!! And they performed this routine well into their old age
The legendary Nicholas Brothers! Knowing they did this in one take is amazing, and they inspired more greats after. Even MJ learned from them back during The Jackson's variety show years.
EXCELLENT showmanship! They started a whole movement of people wanting to learn tap. These men were the best ever!
I'm amazed you actually sat quietly and gave this the rapt attention it deserves! It seems you've been very deprived in your entertainment history -- so MUCH you haven't seen and so many legends you have yet to get to know. Well, you're doing it now! BTW, the name of the movie is Stormy Weather, though there is a song by the same name.
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Cab Calloway... Nicholas Brothers... Sandman..Bill Robinson..Lena Horne....all the others .. pure elegance style and class. Love them forever❤❤❤❤.....today can't compare.
To all the kiddos out there, this is authentic organic music performed by real entertainers.
Cab Calloway is legendary, glad you got to see the original artists like this. The Nicholas brothers, just incredible.
I had the absolute honor to meet and speak with this legend in High School. My Jazz Band ( I was Bary Sax ) was to open for Count Basie's band at UC Davis, however the Good Count fell ill and Cab Calloway subbed in! We played 3 songs, then they took the stage. A memory I will cherish till the day I die!!!
Also, Mardi Gras originally started in Mobile Alabama. New Orleans made it a bigger party. Thank you guys to showing respect to these great entertainers.
Without a doubt, the Nicholas Brothers are THE finest dancers of the 20th century. Hell, the 21st too. They deserve to be seen by all...
SO glad y'all found this! BEST DANCERS EVER!!!! And Cab was always one of the classiest men. Together? Unstoppable!
20 years ago we went into New York to score half price Broadway tickets.The thing was,there was only a few seats for each show,so by the time it was your turn,you never knew what show tickets were still available.We ended up get tickets to a show called 5 Guys Named Moe.We had no idea what it was.It turned out to be an all black cast of tap dancers.They blew us away with their talent! The eldest guy in the show must have been in his 80's,and was so smooth.What a treat!😁
Oh how cool was that!
These performances are pure talent! Back in the day when you had to be talented to make it as a dancer, singer, actor, or whatever. The movie, Stormy Weather is worth watching and this part is actually the end of the movie. The movie is one of the greatest classics because the talent pool is the best!
Talent. Sheer talent. None of the million-dollar entertainers today come anywhere near this level of grace, athleticism, and showmanship.
These men will never be equalled.. They are totally in a class all by themselves. We are so blessed to have this recorded!
Considered by many to be the best dance number on film. Even Fred Astaire said so. Combined with that ball of talent Cab Calloway.
this performance is beautiful in a way .. that's hard to describe.. from the people to the performance... big props for reaching way back fellas .. LEMME SHOW YA SUMTHIN BWA!!!!
You should see him perform 'Minnie The Moocher' in the movie 'Blues Brothers '.
The Nicholas Brothers were loved here in the UK my darling Mum and Dad watched them live at the London Palladium way back when, and they NEVER stopped talking about them. I bought this movie on Tape then CD it was one of there greatest pleasures right up till then end- such talent such dedication, and such enjoyment ❤️
Wonderful! Thank you for watching, appreciating, and sharing this video! Keep increasing your knowledge about all talent! You kids are great. Love watching your expressions and hearing your comments.
PURE AND TIMELESS TALENT!! Thank you for sharing this. This is the black talent and culture we need to bring back and strive for.
*Hey, thanks for hitting MY SUGGESTION! Black Excellence for Black History Month. This was filmed in ONE TAKE, and is considered one of the greatest dance numbers on film. I wish Ross was there. The movie is Stormy Weather (1943), the singer is Cab Calloway, the dancers are Nicholas Brothers!* ❤️❤️❤️
Wow. Amazing. The discipline, stamina, and talent it takes to do something like this is unimaginable. And they made it look effortless. The band as well. Talk about a show stopper. They put artists of today butts right back in their seats. Excellent choice.
Cab Calloway and the Nicholas Brothers are National Treasures. I can listen to this music forever. I was a kid in the late 70’s when I begged my Dad to take me to a Duke Ellington concert. He didn’t even realize I knew who The Duke was. I fell in love with Jive at a young age, begging my elderly neighbor to teach me how to Lindy Hop.
I watch that dance routine by the Nicholas Brothers every once in awhile on UA-cam and I I'm still in awe of their talent and the production of that number in one take truly one of the greatest dance routines ever ever performed and filmed
I must have shown this clip to my tap classes a hundred times but it still gave me such joy to see you all enjoy these legends! By the way, check Janet Jackson's All Right video.... a nod to Cab Calloway.
Not just a nod to Cab Calloway, as he was in the video, but the Nicholas Brothers were in it as well, tap dancing away!
I'm so glad y'all did this one! This is part of music and dance history, should be shown in every school. And remind the students that at that time these gentlemen were not allowed in a lot of clubs and restaurants because of their race!
I am literally speechless at this incredible, incredible dance routine. OMG!!!
Raw talent. I can't even think about the cardio it took to make it through that.
Both have since passed away.
Fayard (1914-2006 : stroke) and Harold (1921-2000 : heart failure) Even Fred Astaire said they were the best. Research said Fayard had double-hip replacement.
This never gets old. The talent, just out of this world 🔥💞❤✊🏾⭐👏🏾👏🏾❣
Cab Calloway was amazing!!! My 2nd Dad introduced me to Jazz n the Blues n my world changed!!! 🥰 RIP Dad 🥺🕊💞
Please play Blue on Black by Kenny Wayne Sheppard!!! 🙏🏻🙏🏻 Its my 2nd fav song 🥰
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I don't know how many times I have seen the Nicholas Brothers, but I have never seen any body better than these 2 guys. Simply fantastic.!!!
Great video Gentlemen. Yes Cab Calloway and the Nicholas Brothers are the backbone of African American entertainment. And yes the Nicholas Brothers had children there grandchildren are continuing the tap dancing entertainment. 🥰🥰 I Love You guys. Keep Grinding.
So glad you watched this! Now you're ready to watch Mikael Baryshnikov greatest ballet solos! Football players Jerry Rice and Barry Sanders are just a few who took ballet to improve their skills! Check out "The Turning Point" greatest Baryshnikov solos!
I have watched this about 15 times. It was fun to see these young ones faces and reactions when they saw this great performance of the 3.
i get so much joy watching you discover what we grew up with. Saw that stair scene when I was a little girl, never forgot it. I am almost 70 - Nicholas Bros and Cab rocked it. Pure talent - AND NOTICE THEY WEREN'T WINDED!!!
Kudos to you guys for bringing such talent to your channel!
The Nicholas brothers were SELF TAUGHT. They were one of the first acts to combine dancing with athletic talent. They ended up in NY with the wonderful Cab Calloway and, even while still very young, became headline performers at the original Cotton Club in Harlem. Dancer Fred Astaire said he’d never seen anything like Fayard and Harold Nicholas.
Gregory Hines once said they could never do a film on the Nicholas brothers because in our day and age, there are no dancers who could replicate that talent.
Info nugget: Harold Nicholas played Sarge in The Five Heartbeats (1991).
The Salem Witch trials were in Salem, Massachusetts, not Winston Salem, NC. But, you got the premise basically right.... a bunch of judgemental weirdos
There's been a bit of speculation for years now that there may have been ergot poisoning that played into it, which is basically a bunch of people unknowingly on LSD.
Everyone alive then were judgmental weirdos by today’s standards and they would think the same about us.
Exactly!!
It was much more than that. Major economic changes were happening at the time. The seaport was becoming wealthy and gaining political power while the inland villages were losing economic and political power. Which at his time was represented a lot by the church. Money and political power was channeled through the churches The vast majority of the accusations were from the poorer inland towns against members of the richer seaport. It's not uncommon for people seeing their influence, wealth, etc... Being reduced to strike back in some way. At the time the best way was through the church since it had great influence on all aspects of life. Accusing them of anything else wouldn't have got as much of a response. But accused of being a witch, now that was a big deal. The church and public institutions absolutely had to take it serious.
This wasn't a planned effort but when young girls did dumb young girls things or got sick, then it was pretty easy for the accusations to start flying. It was much more likely that the people loosing their influence would be the ones doing it.
Puritans
Thank you guys for showing this. I’m a baby boomer white lady! In all sincerity, nobody can hold a candle to the talent of these extraordinary gentlemen! In my time, I loved watching Gregory Hines. Also love Mr. Bojangles!
My dad was born in 1927. I grew up listening to this music. My dad told me stories about when was 13-14 years old he would sneak in to local Jazz Clubs to listen to the black jazz musicians that would come through town. He would invite them back to the his house. My grandmother would fix every one spaghetti and meatballs. This was a regular occurrence. A lot of times they would sleep in the basement and in the morning move on to the next stop.
I have one thing to say about this particular performance by the Nicholas Brothers - ONE TAKE!!!!! Yes, they did this on one take. It has been documented. Even though there appears to be camera cutaways, etc, It was ONE FREAKIN' TAKE!!!!!!!
There was a Betty Boop cartoon from the 1930s set to Cab Calloway’s St James Infirmary. It used groundbreaking technology at the time. You guys should check that out.
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Here it is: ua-cam.com/video/yHraXOoY39U/v-deo.html (Cab comes in at about 0:43)
It's really cool to see people enjoying talented performances that, while they definitely belong to a certain cultural context in terms of both Black culture in that moment and the overall trends of the day, are still clearly masterpieces to anyone who cares to look deeper than "I'm not familiar with this, therefore it sucks" (a failing seemingly shared equally between the old and the young). Thanks for checking out stuff that's a bit off the beaten path, and helping the rest of us appreciate it as well in the process!
Greetings.from Panama, Latinamerica. I am 62,.and.my parents taught me all of this, because we watch old movies on the TV. My parents.love this music,plus latin rythms,chachacha, rumba, conga, mambo, amd they knew how to dance, them
100% pure talent. Cab and the Nicholas Bros should be watched and appreciated by every generation.
My mum loved Cab Calloway and passed that onto me. I love all the old musical movies. The Nicholas Brothers were amazing.
I know I'm a little late to reply to this video, but I thought you'd like to know:
When I was in film school, this was one of the films that we had to study at various times. I remember them telling us that the Nicholas Brothers did this in a single take, without rehearsing it beforehand. They were essentially freestyling it the same way Cab Calloway was known to scat. This is, hands down, their greatest performance.
Blow your minds???? Stormy Weather name of movie this is from. Nicolas brother are AWESOME!!!!
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Don't forget the musicians. They are truly top professionals, and I say that as a retired professional musician.
So glad you are keeping our history alive. This I my favorite tap dance routine of all time. These are the originators everyone else imitators!
This was REAL!!!!! Real dancers and real music!
I am SO glad that you got to see Cab Calloway and his musicians. They were So Damn Good! Talk about talent! Cab was THE MAN - no question about it. I'm an old guy but not old enough to have seen Cab and his musicians. Wish I had. YOU guys are the best! Love your channel.
Now fellas,,you have just witnessed real true talent 👏 I have watched this several times over the years and I never get tired of watching it 👌
Thank you very much for showing this, I am 67 years old and I really enjoyed looking at some of this on TV it could have been before my time but I am so glad that you guys put it out for us to look at. Thank you😊
So much respect! Cab Calloway is great but I'm blown away by the Nicholas Brothers! Pure talent! It's a shame we don't have entertainment like that anymore!
The movie is Stormy Weather starring Lena Horne and Bill Robinson featuring Cab Calloway and the Nicholas brothers! Harold Nicholas married Dorothy Dandridge (1942-1951).❤❤
I love it when the younger generation sees true greatness, and they acknowledge it.
Yes, the Nicholas brothers were the pride of our community . Still are❤
The Nicholas Brothers nailed that after just one rehearsal. Amazing!!!