I always enjoy seeing young people watch this. I'm glad that this performance was filmed and is still available to watch. No one would believe it if they didn't see it.
Yes. 1930 to the late 50s. That's what they called it. But in reality, it was a complete sham that did not reflect the reality of the world we lived in. And at least some movies should in every generation. Thanks to the Catholic Decency League (an oxymoron if ever there was one), movies of that era were heavily censored.
It just gets better every time you watch it, doesn’t it? I’m 68, and this was made before I was born, but I could watch this every day and not get tired of it. And it feels so good to share it with someone else who hasn’t seen it, doesn’t it? That’s why people watch reaction videos. We enjoy getting to share it with someone new to it. 😀
In their later years the Nicholas brothers taught dance. Janet and Michael Jackson were two of their students. Now you know where Michael got some of his moves. Cab Calloway and the Nicholas brothers had cameos in Janet's 1990 music video 'Alright.'
Movies during this time were glamorous and had songs and dancing. Escapism from the aftermath of the depression in the US before WW2. It looks effortless because of all their hard work and dedication.
Cab Calloway's maternal grandmother was my grandmother's nanny when she was a small child in the 1930s. I still have the pure vinyl album she gave my grandmother in the late 1930s. It is 72 rpm and one of my most precious possessions.
This era was amazing, the glamour, the music, the musicians, the dancing, the elegant clubs. It was before my time but must have been so much fun going out.
I'm 62 years old and this was totally my parent's Era. So these types of musicals and their music were always on in our house growing up. The Hollywood studio MGM made hundreds of great musicals with amazing dancing and singing throughout the 1940s and 50s. Thanks for reminding us!
The big band era! I used to babysit for a man who was a drummer in a big band. He had great music and was really fun to know. Their moves and poses, including their shadows were in old black and white cartoons.
What you’re watching is from the peak of genuine entertainment culture in America. This was the end of the great Vaudeville era where live acts went on the circuit to theaters across the country, honing their acts to perfection or else sinking! Those audiences in some places might throw tomatoes or something. Those acts started flooding to Hollywood and took roles as leads, bit players or spotlight numbers. Cab and the Nicholas Brothers (very young here!) did some of this but also had residency at the infamous Cotton Club in Harlem, all black acts for white customers n run by the mob. As young as everyone is, they are immaculate, perfectly trained and honed and FULLY ADULT! No slacker shite. An awesome, standard-setting time capsule of a bygone time, yet not that long ago!
The Nicholas brothers were absolutely fantastic! However, I will say this was not ahead of that time, this WAS a great example of that time. My parents’ generation and I grew up watching these types of movies. My mom always said that people dressed up back then, even to run a quick errand.
Mate, again, love your cultural exploration. Nicholas Brothers dancing is amazing. Yet, knowing that they lived until the early 2000s is astonishing. Fred Astaire was brilliant, but these chaps? They are tops, full stop!
This was done in one take. They were running out of film for the movie and didn't have any other time left for filming. This was and is truly amazing!😊
THIS WAS NOT DONE IN ONE TAKE!!! That is a LIE. It is OBVIOUS where the 8 different takes are spliced together. Pay attention, it is SO obvious! They were the best, but they were not superhuman. And it would be foolish not to record it over and over and then take the best bits for your movie. Just stop with the lies. The Nicholas Brothers do not need embellishing.
I don't care what age you are, who you are, this is great music, great performance. Great music spans time and space. And those dancers? This is REAL talent. No mumbling, autotuned fakery here. LOVE IT~
And lers not forget that not only was Cab Calloway an amazing star in the forties but he was still a star forty years later staring in the film the blues brothers.
The Nicholas Brothers were the "BEST" tap dancers in the world. No one and I mean no one in 2024 could even come close to pull this off. This was nothing but GOD given talent.
You guys are young so I'll simply smile at being surprised people in the 1940's had style etc. Today mostly just morphs things from the past .. hundreds of years ago princes would woo actresses, musicians were admired by Kings and Queens (some Kings were also Queens ... but that is another story). Talent has been recognized for as long as we have written records. Remember .. culture, science all that changes .. but people are pretty much people wherever and whenever.
I think the dance the people are doing at the end is called "The Lindy Hop". Fred Astaire told the brothers that the “Jumpin' Jive” number in Stormy Weather was the greatest number he had ever seen on film. He would have been more impressed had he known that the choreography was filmed all in one take.
You need to watch Tap with Gregory Hines. It is the ultimate tribute to Hoofers of the day. One of the Nicholas brothers is in it as well as Sammy Davis, Jr, Sandman Slim, Jimmy Slide, and others. AND the first appearance of Savion Glover when he was 13 or 14.
The Swing Years, Big Band and the Harlem Renaissance. This wasn’t ahead of their time. This was THEIR time. Incredibly sophisticated and classy compared to today.
I always enjoy seeing young people watch this. I'm glad that this performance was filmed and is still available to watch. No one would believe it if they didn't see it.
The young lady is correct. This era was the golden age of Hollywood.
Yes. 1930 to the late 50s. That's what they called it. But in reality, it was a complete sham that did not reflect the reality of the world we lived in. And at least some movies should in every generation. Thanks to the Catholic Decency League (an oxymoron if ever there was one), movies of that era were heavily censored.
It just gets better every time you watch it, doesn’t it? I’m 68, and this was made before I was born, but I could watch this every day and not get tired of it.
And it feels so good to share it with someone else who hasn’t seen it, doesn’t it? That’s why people watch reaction videos. We enjoy getting to share it with someone new to it. 😀
Back when entertainment included talent and class!!!!!!
In their later years the Nicholas brothers taught dance. Janet and Michael Jackson were two of their students. Now you know where Michael got some of his moves. Cab Calloway and the Nicholas brothers had cameos in Janet's 1990 music video 'Alright.'
Fortunately, they lived long enough (2000 and 2006) for them to be properly appreciated for their talent.
Movies during this time were glamorous and had songs and dancing. Escapism from the aftermath of the depression in the US before WW2.
It looks effortless because of all their hard work and dedication.
Best dancers in Hollywood and their best routine. Love them!
Cab Calloway's maternal grandmother was my grandmother's nanny when she was a small child in the 1930s. I still have the pure vinyl album she gave my grandmother in the late 1930s. It is 72 rpm and one of my most precious possessions.
Wow.
This era was amazing, the glamour, the music, the musicians, the dancing, the elegant clubs. It was before my time but must have been so much fun going out.
One of the most incredible performances that I've ever seen! Also great reaction thanks for bringing some real classic entertainment.
I'm 62 years old and this was totally my parent's Era. So these types of musicals and their music were always on in our house growing up. The Hollywood studio MGM made hundreds of great musicals with amazing dancing and singing throughout the 1940s and 50s. Thanks for reminding us!
They did this in one take.
The big band era! I used to babysit for a man who was a drummer in a big band. He had great music and was really fun to know.
Their moves and poses, including their shadows were in old black and white cartoons.
Great entertainment never dies.
What you’re watching is from the peak of genuine entertainment culture in America.
This was the end of the great Vaudeville era where live acts went on the circuit to theaters across the country, honing their acts to perfection or else sinking! Those audiences in some places might throw tomatoes or something.
Those acts started flooding to Hollywood and took roles as leads, bit players or spotlight numbers.
Cab and the Nicholas Brothers (very young here!) did some of this but also had residency at the infamous Cotton Club in Harlem, all black acts for white customers n run by the mob.
As young as everyone is, they are immaculate, perfectly trained and honed and FULLY ADULT! No slacker shite.
An awesome, standard-setting time capsule of a bygone time, yet not that long ago!
When entertainment was entertainment.
Every time the Nicholas Brothers perform the splits, I’m hurting! 😅
My knees and hips hurt just watching.
The fitness, flexibility,strenth, mobility and takent involved is ridiculous.
They have a dance number with gene kelly in the pirate a 50's mivie.
She is correct. The 1930s were considered the golden age of cinema.
The 30s through the 50s.
Lena Horne's performance of the song "Stormy Weather", from this movie, is one of my favorites of all time. You should check it out. . . . .
Me and my brother made sure his boys and the nephews and nieces watched and learned this and other stuff when they were very young. They KNOW.
The Nicholas brothers were absolutely fantastic!
However, I will say this was not ahead of that time, this WAS a great example of that time. My parents’ generation and I grew up watching these types of movies. My mom always said that people dressed up back then, even to run a quick errand.
Mate, again, love your cultural exploration. Nicholas Brothers dancing is amazing. Yet, knowing that they lived until the early 2000s is astonishing. Fred Astaire was brilliant, but these chaps? They are tops, full stop!
Fred Astaire himself said this sequence was the greatest dancing he had ever seen on film.
This was done in one take. They were running out of film for the movie and didn't have any other time left for filming. This was and is truly amazing!😊
THIS WAS NOT DONE IN ONE TAKE!!! That is a LIE. It is OBVIOUS where the 8 different takes are spliced together. Pay attention, it is SO obvious! They were the best, but they were not superhuman. And it would be foolish not to record it over and over and then take the best bits for your movie. Just stop with the lies. The Nicholas Brothers do not need embellishing.
😯 I don’t have a blue heart! I could watch The Nicholas Brothers all day. ❤
I believe this scene was recorded in one take.
Yall need to check out a clip from 1941's Hellzapoppin of the Lindy Hoppers to see the bruhs and sistas do some serious dancing
Seconded.
I enjoyed watching you two react together. 💙
I don't care what age you are, who you are, this is great music, great performance. Great music spans time and space. And those dancers? This is REAL talent. No mumbling, autotuned fakery here. LOVE IT~
There was some great dancers around in those days.
And lers not forget that not only was Cab Calloway an amazing star in the forties but he was still a star forty years later staring in the film the blues brothers.
The Nicholas Brothers were the "BEST" tap dancers in the world. No one and I mean no one in 2024 could even come close to pull this off. This was nothing but GOD given talent.
You only get that energy level if you've been at the Colombian marching powder...Hell yea
You guys are young so I'll simply smile at being surprised people in the 1940's had style etc. Today mostly just morphs things from the past .. hundreds of years ago princes would woo actresses, musicians were admired by Kings and Queens (some Kings were also Queens ... but that is another story). Talent has been recognized for as long as we have written records. Remember .. culture, science all that changes .. but people are pretty much people wherever and whenever.
I think the dance the people are doing at the end is called "The Lindy Hop". Fred Astaire told the brothers that the “Jumpin' Jive” number in Stormy Weather was the greatest number he had ever seen on film. He would have been more impressed had he known that the choreography was filmed all in one take.
Looks like swing dancing. Super athletic. Add in the tap. Check out couple doing swing dance, please 🙏.
James Brown... Night Train, one to watch, you guys will love it.
The singer was cab calloway
You need to watch Tap with Gregory Hines. It is the ultimate tribute to Hoofers of the day. One of the Nicholas brothers is in it as well as Sammy Davis, Jr, Sandman Slim, Jimmy Slide, and others. AND the first appearance of Savion Glover when he was 13 or 14.
Concerning the filming: this dance was done in ONE Take! No stops! And I've read there wasn't a great deal of rehearsal, if any.
💙
Fred Astaire said their routine in the film Stormy Weather was the best he'd ever seen on film.
Cab Calloway
Those are a solid 2.5 foot steps and they CRUISE up them.
They both must’ve had 45 inch plus verticals.
NBA level athleticism.
This wasn't the era where "baby boomers were having babies", boomers WERE the babies being born in the 50's and early 60's, to the Silent Generation.
The Swing Years, Big Band and the Harlem Renaissance. This wasn’t ahead of their time. This was THEIR time. Incredibly sophisticated and classy compared to today.
Janet Jackson’s favorite artist.
The great Cab Calloway.
This was filmed in ONE take. Fred Astaire called it the greatest dance routine ever filmed.
back in those days you had to have talent to be in hollywood
The Golden Age of Hollywood.
Need to watch Lena Horne sing Stormy Weather from this same movie
Imagine an average person now just walking up those stairs.
6:03 Your actually right. It wasn't Rehearsed. All in 1 take. They we're like that.
Done in one take 8:07
That kind of singing is called scat singing if you want to see modern day scat singing react to Edgar and Johnny Winter performing Tobacco Road live
When people tell you yesteryears folks weren’t as athletic as the modern era show them this video .
Sir Isaac Newton took one look at the Brothers and said, "Forget everything I wrote about the laws of physics!", and tossed his book in the river
This video is from a movie
filmed originaly in Black and white , that was how black people dressed
Please watch Gregory Hines tribute to Sammy Davis Jr.
Tap is the best tribute Gregory Hines ever made.
Small wonder they never had children!
Have you thought of watching the movie?
When the Nickolas Bros do the splits down the stairs every guy thinks hell no.
I struggle getting out of a chair, those Nickolas Bros piss me off.
Who invented rap? My man Cab.
💙