Er, These What?

Dedicated to none other than Keith H, who I can still see doing the shimmy to this song all these years later. From “Lust in the Dust” (1985, dir Paul Bartel).

They Called Her A Saloon Singer

And in this video you can see why and hear what the term means. Dorothy Loudon had a hit on Broadway in “Annie” just before her turn in “Ballroom,” from which this song comes. Sentimental odes to marital infidelity don’t come around that often, much less sympathetic ones, but Loudon pulls it off.

I Don’t Know If I Ought

The slattern. Of course she doesn’t, but she does it anyway. Here, the estimable Ginger Rogers does the infamous Black Bottom in Roxy Hart (1940, dir William Wellman), the basis for the musical play and Oscar-winning film Chicago.

Two Pros

Two American cultural giants — Mary Martin (l) and Ethel Merman (r), of course — perform during the legendary production put on to commemorate Ford’s 50th anniversary in 1953. It is safe to say that we shall never see the like again.

She Wonders Where Her “Easy Rider” Has Gone!

So she does, does she? Even an old pro like West (who by the time this has been filmed had been on the stage for thirty years) can get nervous (“I hope they tuned that pie-anny”). This most captivating of women puts on a little show for the likes of sailors (note how modern-day handsome the cigar smoking fellow is [during the audience pan]). In She Done Him Wrong (1933, dir Lowell Sherman), we even get a glimpse of the young Cary Grant — as a Salvation Army missionary bent on saving Mae. Who — for the love of Christ! — is to save whom?

What A Flatbush Girl Can Teach Us All About Broadway

In this mess of a film (1967, dir Mark Robson), Susan Hayward tells off Patty Duke — yes, that Patty Duke — in no uncertain terms. From a very messy novel. And everyone is a mess. Helen Lawson is based on Judy Garland, of course (note the sequined pantsuit so reminiscent of JG’s 60s ensembles). Hayward was the second choice for the role; they actually wanted the real Garland to play her on-screen self. Good Lord, what a mess it all was.

Serendipity

I love this number, but I have no idea who these performers are, or why there are subtitles. Furthermore, I don’t know even know what language those subtitles are in (Swedish? Danish?). Just one of those oddly watchable Internet discoveries I guess.

Mashup

Two of my favorite television memories: Carol Burnett’s takeoff on Gloria Swanson in “Sunset Boulevard” and the Dean Martin roasts. If you are a child of the 1970s you know just what I mean.

Oh No She Di’n't

And I don’t know to whom I’m referring.  Rock Hudson and Mae West light up the legendary 1957 Academy Awards.  Here the two, um. . . friends spark to “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.”  Fantastic!

Thirty And Counting

Thirty is at least the number of times I have seen this episode of The Golden Girls, in which Dorothy’s younger brother Phil (a cross-dresser) dies. Brenda Vaccaro is aces as Phil’s widow. While the entire episode is funny and touching, it is this last scene that gets me every time. Great direction and expert comic timing by all five women are hallmarks of this installation. I see no end to this ever being able to make me well up.