I'm not gaping - I always look this way!

I had thought to take a brief Sabbatical on my normal segment posts. But, honestly, I'm only highlighting 15 dancers and there are more than 15 days in the month of March. My only concern is that everyone will tire of me posting all the time. But we'll make March a test run and see how it goes. So, on to the spotlight on a musical number!

This musical scene is from Three Little Words. It's such an incredible scene. In case you haven't seen this movie (and you really should - it's a rarity: a happy fictionalized biography! I've never understood why people bother to make fictionalized biographies depressing; they are fictionalized after all!), I'll give a brief run-down of the plot thus far. Bert Kalmar (Fred Astaire) has a great dance team with his girl, Jessie (Vera-Ellen). However, when he bangs his knee backstage, his dancing career takes a backseat until his knee mends. Meanwhile, Jessie goes on to work elsewhere. Bert makes money by writing songs with plugger Harry Ruby (Red Skelton) and the two start writing hit songs. However, when Bert learns that Jessie might team up with a new dance partner... this scene follows.



This little scene is, to my mind, a testimony to the emotion that can be shown through dance - even a solo dance. You see him thinking, you see him feeling successful and the consequent joy. Brilliantly done, in my opinion. And don't be distressed by the ending to the scene - the movie ends very happily!