Ruth Leon recommends… Begin The Beguine – Eleanor Powell and Fred Astaire
Ruth Leon recommendsBegin The Beguine – Eleanor Powell and Fred Astaire
I know you know who Fred Astaire was. Everybody does. But it’s possible you may not have come across Eleanor Powell.
She was simply the greatest female tap dancer in the history of movie dancing, the most versatile and powerful female dancer of the Hollywood studio era. Powell appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in a series of movie musical vehicles tailored especially to showcase her dance talents, including Born to Dance (1936), Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937), Rosalie (1937), and Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940).
She retired shortly after starring in Broadway Melody of 1940 because her husband, Glenn Ford, was jealous that she was a bigger star than he and so, in the interest of domestic harmony, this great, great dancer gave way to lesser mortals.
Ginger Rogers, yes, I know you’ve heard of her too, couldn’t hold a candle to Eleanor Powell. Katharine Hepburn quipped about Astaire and Rogers that ‘he gave her class and she gave him sex appeal’ but when you watch this effortless blending of Astaire with Powell, you can see the difference in quality between a good dancer (Rogers) and a great dancer (Powell).
If you don’t believe me, watch this classic clip. It comes from Broadway Melody of 1940. The introduction is a performance of Cole Porter’s Begin The Beguine in a hilarious and unrecognisable version by a group called The Music Maids. But stay for the main event, Eleanor Powell and Fred Astaire, two perfect dancers at the top of their form.
My authority is unimpeachable, the immortal Fred himself. He told Eleanor Powell’s son, ‘Your mother is a much better dancer than me!’ And it was true.
Always loved her. I was intrigued by vertical lines in the background of the singers and concluded that they are mirrors?
Wow! This is phenomenal! I love Eleanor Powell!!
A famous clip, always worth re-seeing. The Music Maids singing group was pretty famous at the time, and appeared in other films, and in recordings with the likes of Bing Crosby.
Perhaps an equally impressive side of Eleanor Powell is this famous dance duet to the tune Lady Be Good where her partner, supposedly trained by herself is the charming dog Buttons. Supposedly the movie set was made to look exactly like her living room where she and Buttons rehearsed so the pup would be comfortable and familiar during filming.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP0ogCn7f2I
Cute.
Disagree about Powell being the greatest. That moniker belongs to Cyd Charisse.
IMO you can’t beat either this song or the performance/dancing of it. Oh god, if only modern song-writers were even half as clever and sophisticated as Cole Porter!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rV1iM_3FBI
On another note, the director of ‘Gay Divorcee’ was Mark Sandrich who was felled at 44 by a heart attack!! Appalling.
Look and learn:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8QmkDzD8Sk&t=258s
Eleanor certainly reigned supreme among female tap dancers, but weren’t Cyd Charisse’s movements more balletic and “graceful”? Shame Cyd didn’t get to dance with Fred in his prime
Eleanor Powell’s dance numbers are easy to find on YouTube. As you watch them you’ll see she performs almost exclusively as a soloist with ensemble casts, as her athletic style would have overwhelmed any male partner. She and Fred Astaire only made one movie together, “Broadway Melody of 1940”, which includes the famous “Begin the Beguine” tap duet, probably the greatest tap dance ever filmed not by the Nicholas Brothers. Compare it, for example, with Fred and Ginger Rogers doing the wonderful “Pick Yourself Up” tap from “Swing Time” (https://youtu.be/sCJb5bCbnco?t=306). Fred and Ginger perform as a couple, while Fred and Eleanor perform as side-by-side virtuosos.
Magnificent. Utterly astounding.