Now, THAT’S Dancin’!

In the marvelous Kiss Me, Kate (1953, dir George Sidney), the brilliant dancers of the present day collide with the brilliant taste-makers of tomorrow. Here, MGM temptress/hoyden Ann Miller steps lively with Tommy Rall, Bobby Van mixes with Jeanne Coyne, but watch for a young Bob Fosse mixing it up with Carol Haney (around 2:30 or so). Miller was in her prime, but was about to fade; Rall made sporadic film appearances through the late 1960′s, Van was a master – often overlooked – and Coyne is gone, gone, gone. But! Fosse is Fosse, and Haney holds a place dear in all theater=goers hearts. This is where they shine.

Two Pros

In The Seven Little Foys (1955, dir Melville Shavelson), Bob Hope played Eddy Foy, Sr, progenitor of the wondrous vaudeville troupe that Foy fathered and took on the road. There is an equally astonishing bit, in which James Cagney repeated his role of George M Cohan, from Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942, dir Michael Curtiz) for a brief dance-off from two old pros, playing two old pros.

Wordsmanship

Again, in Shakespeare’s Henry V (1989, dir Kenneth Branagh) we see the brilliant wordplay that Shakespeare introduced into the English language. While staged here as a semi-comic device (the long list of descendants required a massive understanding of history available to the literate only), there is the nice mirror effect of the twists and turns the Tudors (the then-present monarchs occupying the throne) took to justify their sovereignty.

What A Girl From Flatbush Can Teach Us About Broadway

Valley of the Dolls is a mess of a film (1967, dir Mark Robson), and in it Susan Hayward tells off Patty Duke — yes, that Patty Duke — in no uncertain terms. It’s from the very messy J Susann novel. 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.

Take Your Teeth Out, Dad

In 1948′s The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (dir, John Huston), Walter Huston does an inspired bit of business to accentuate his contempt for his fellow gold hunters, played by, of course, Humphrey Bogart and Tim Holt. Walter and John won Oscars for the film, and moviegoers everywhere still enjoy that dance.

There Is Hope For You Yet

. . . if you get this clip from Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964, dir Robert Mulligan).  It is brilliant in a demented sort of way.

George & Martha, Neat.

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966, dir Mike Nichols) qualifies near the top in the category of best movie lines EVER — I swear if you existed I’d divorce you —. It has definitely got my vote.

La Grande Lucia

It will be difficult (er, “dwefful diffy”) to convey how brilliant this adaptation of Benson’s novel is, but I urge you to see the serialization of “Mapp & Lucia” as soon as possible.

The Unending Mystery

I am an inveterate follower of the William Desmond Taylor murder case. This video shows the major participants in the case, who may have done it, and the consequences that this yet-to-be-solved murder case had on so many lives.

Kenneth Williams In A Heated Argument

God, is there anyone quite like Kenneth? Watch the “Carry On” movies to find that, no, there is no one like him.