They asked me how I knew my true love was true

Two "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" posts in a week might be a little much but I really do love this song. I know I'm not alone in this because there are multiple versions of it. Here are just a few examples:

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers performing it in Roberta (1935)


Gower Champion and Cyd Charisse in Till the Clouds Roll By (1946)


Marge and Gower Champion in Lovely to Look At (1952)


I'd never say one is better than the other. I like them all, really. It's just cool to see so many interpretations of this beautiful song, don't you think? And each from a different decade.

Gee, gee, gee...

It seems that photographers loved to take photos of Cyd Charisse at odd angles and interesting poses, but this one of her in a bathing suit is simply sweet and lovely. She was often cast in femme fatale type roles, like her performances in the "Broadway Melody ballet" from Singin' in the Rain, the "Girl Hunt ballet" from The Band Wagon, and the "Frankie and Johnny" number in Meet Me In Las Vegas, so this picture is a refreshing change. Cyd Charisse seems way too nice to have actually been much of a femme fatale, don't you think?

Photo from Doctor Macro

Do you really think we can dance together?

One of my favorite dances of all time. So amazing.

When we rode on the merry-go-round, I kissed Louisa.

This is one of my favorite songs from one of my all-time favorite musicals. I love it!! The only difficulty is that it's a little difficult to sing out of context. I mean, I can sing, "I'm singin' in the rain" and people might look at me funny because I'm singing out loud. But if I start singing, "How I love a glass of beer..." they might look at me funny for other reasons. Anyway, here it is:

She was such a lady

I love this crazy-cool photo of Cyd Charisse.

I found the photo here.

I'd love to make a tour of you...

Yay! I get to write to do my compare/contrast segment post (also known as my Old Hollywood/New Hollywood post, also known as my musical remakes post). I've been wanting to do another one for quite a while. It's so exciting!

There are several that I want to do but I think I'll go with comparing Ninotchka (1939) and Silk Stockings (1957). I watched the original a few months ago for the first time. Although, now that I think of it, "a few months ago" may very well have been January. Ah well. The truth is, I saw the remake first. And the first movie is usually the most dear, if only for sentimental reasons. Sometimes there are exceptions, but I've found that people are usually more attached to the first version of anything they've seen. That said, you can probably guess which of the two I prefer.

I think the original has many marks in its favor. A brilliant cast, for one. Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas are in fine form in this movie and both are delightful to see. The movie also has the benefit of being the original and, thus, the jokes are fresher and newer than they are in the remake.

Now, here are my problems with the movie. I don't like Ninotchka's transition. I don't think there is enough leading up to her change. She laughs and then, suddenly, she's a new woman. I suppose the laugh is a magical moment for her, but I have a hard time believing her new love and her new free spirit after just one luncheon. And, although this may sound odd, I do believe it in the musical, where the change arises from a dance. Again, not exactly a realistic approach, but a lot can come from music and a lot can be expressed in a dance. The "All of You" number shows her loosening and changing and, by the end of the number, we're as transported by the music as she is. That is the benefit of musicals - they get music and music has a magic all its own. What's more, the musical has Cole Porter music, which is in a class all its own. There are some fantastic numbers in this movie which is one of the major reasons I enjoy it.

As much as I like Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas, I have to confess that I love Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse more. Not saying they're better actors necessarily; I just happen to like them better. I love Cyd Charisse and I think she is adorable in her role. Ironically, neither Fred Astaire nor Melvyn Douglas are exactly the handsomest men around (in my opinion), but if I were to choose between them, I'd pick Fred Astaire. This probably comes as no suprise, really, but there it is.

However, I will say this about the original. I absolutely love the scene when Ninotchka first meets Leon. I enjoy the way she tolerates his flirtation.



Which do you prefer? The original or the musical remake? I'm posting a poll to the side so you can tell me there.

Sometimes toe-shoes

Spotlight on a costume! (Actually, this is going to be more like a spotlight on several costumes... I just can't resist!) It seems as though all of the actresses in that golden age got to wear really amazing costumes all the time. Cyd Charisse is no exception. I'm sure I could find at least ten of her outfits I absolutely must have in my dream wardrobe. This one here is one of those ten. She wears it in The Band Wagon in the scene where Gabrielle Gerard first meets Tony Hunter. I love this lacy dress with the green undertone - so classy and beautiful! [I also love this scene but that's another matter]




This movie has lots of fantastic outfits for Miss Charisse. I know I've discussed the matter with Emma Wallace (who I had the chance to interview the other day!) and she's quite partial to the dress Cyd Charisse wears at the end of the film (which can be found near the beginning of the trailer). Every time I watch the movie with my mom, she says how much she loves the dress in "Dancing in the Dark." And my sister has mentioned how incredible that see-through dress in "Girl Hunt Ballet" is (go to 5:00 to see the dress). And then, of course, there's the more famous red vixen dress which was, apparently, Cyd Charisse's favorite:



So, which one is your favorite?

Proving that the best things happen while you dance...

And now, for my completed list of favorite dancing couples...

1. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers
Favorite dance: impossible to answer
2. Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse
Favorite dance: the hoofer and the vixen from "Broadway Melody" in Singin' in the Rain
3. Danny Kaye and Vera Ellen
Favorite dance: "The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing" from White Christmas
4. Cyd Charisse and Ricardo Montalban
Favorite dance: "Dark Duet" from On An Island With You
5. Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse
Favorite dance: "Dancing in the Dark" from The Band Wagon
6. Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth
Favorite dance: "So Near, And Yet So Far" from You'll Never Get Rich
7. Vera Ellen and John Brascia
Favorite dance: "Abraham" from White Christmas
8. Bob Fosse and Carol Haney
Favorite dance: "From This Moment On" from Kiss Me Kate
9. Donald O'Connor and Mitzi Gaynor
Favorite dance: "It's Delovely" from Anything Goes
10. Shirley Temple and Bill Bojangles Robinson
Favorite dance: dance from The Littlest Rebel

Cyd Charisse and John Brascia
Favorite dance: "Frankie and Johnny" from Meet Me In Las Vegas
Ann Miller and Tommy Rall
Favorite dance: "Why Can't You Behave" from Kiss Me Kate
Fred Astaire and Jane Powell
Favorite dance: "How Could You Believe Me" from Royal Wedding
Gene Kelly and Rita Hayworth
Favorite dance: "Put Me To The Test" from Cover Girl
Donald O'Connor and Vera Ellen
Favorite dance: "Something to Dance About" from Call Me Madam


Thank you everyone for following with this list of dancers! I had a lot of fun making it! I'm going to start a new list in June. My schedule has been pretty darn crazy lately so I'm not sure if I'll be able to do the daily posts as much. It's been burning me out a bit. I hope no one minds me packing a few people into one post, like I did with this list. That worked out rather well and made the whole thing less stressful and more fun! So, that's what I'm planning to do with this coming list. I can't believe June is almost here already! It's all going by so fast! This is the first time I've been without school to sort of mile-mark the year for me. I feel as if I'm still in February or something. It's weird. Anyway, I hope everyone has a marvelous Memorial Day!

It's a lovely day today

Now, for my shorter list of dancers, the dancing teams that were paired but once - either for one film or for one number. I fear I must apologize for being inconsistent. You see, I put John Brascia and Vera Ellen in the longer list because they were in about 3 dances together and I figured that was enough. However, when I came back to look at this list later, I realized that Ann Miller and Tommy Rall and Fred Astaire and Jane Powell have also met that criteria. What do you think? Should I rearrange my list so tha John Brascia and Vera Ellen are moved to the shorter list? Or does it really matter? I suppose in the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter too much, but I'd like to be consistent. I'll think about it. In the meantime, the list in no particular order:

Cyd Charisse and John Brascia
Favorite dance: "Frankie and Johnny" from Meet Me In Las Vegas

Ann Miller and Tommy Rall
Favorite dance: "Why Can't You Behave?" from Kiss Me Kate
(which is, unfortunately, unavailable)

Fred Astaire and Jane Powell
Favorite dance: "How Could You Believe Me?" but since that one is not available, here is my second favorite which is also from Royal Wedding

Gene Kelly and Rita Hayworth
Favorite dance: "Put Me To The Test" from Cover Girl

Donald O'Connor and Vera Ellen
Favorite dance: "Something to Dance About" from Call Me Madam

More curves than a scenic railway

Let me preface this post with an acknowledgment that the above quote is actually not relating to the couple in question. Okay, now I can continue with a clear conscience. Phew!

2. Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse

Favorite dance: the hoofer and the vixen portion of "Broadway Melody" in Singin' in the Rain

Individually, they were beautiful dancers, athletic, graceful, and sexy. Together, they had a definite chemistry, whether in the hills of Scotland or in the famous jazz ballet.


(Can you tell I've been reading TCM books lately? I'm testing out their style. It's difficult to sound original, though, when you work your way through multiple amazing people. You end up using synonyms like "electrifying," "scintillating," or "sizzling." Okay, sidenote is over.) I had originally slated this couple is number 4 in my list. But when I started writing about them and started discussing how powerfully sexy and incredible their dancing was, I realized that I needed to rethink my list.

Any guesses on my number 1 couple? All right, all right. I know that they're probably a dead giveaway. But at least I can offer you a few surprises (hopefully) on the short list of once-paired dancing couples that will follow.

You appear like a radiant star

I've been debating what to do with my next post on dancing couples. I liked the whole two-fer thing and I thought of doing that again but, if I do, then I'll end up 6&5, 4&3, 2&1. And I really like counting down with 3, 2, 1 - it makes the whole thing more exciting, don't you think? So, instead, I think I'll do a three-fer feature instead, discussing couples 6, 5, and 4 - in that order.

6. Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth



Favorite dance: I'm always going back and forth on this one. On the one hand, I say the tap duet from You'll Never Get Rich and on the other hand, I say "So Near, Yet So Far," also from You'll Never Get Rich.

I love their elegance and sexiness. I like the way they look together as a couple. The more I watch their scenes together, the more I like them. I really think I need to revisit their movies.


5. Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse


Favorite dance: I am going to choose to waffle again (because waffles and waffling can be fun) and say that it's a toss up between "Dancing in the Dark" from The Band Wagon and "All of You (Reprise)" from Silk Stockings.

I think Fred Astaire was a very good balletic partner because he was always dependable and solid and Cyd Charisse was a perfect ballerina because she was graceful, fluid, athletic, and sexy. Thus, they made a perfect pairing. They could be sweet and gentle (as in "Dancing in the Dark"), fun and athletic (as in "All of You") or jazzy and dangerous (as in "Girl Hunt Ballet").

Now, for number 4... this bit is a little funny because I've actually changed this 3 times since I started this post. I originally had one couple but changed it because I was going on and on about how absolutely wonderful their dance was... and then I was talking about another couple and was wondering why they weren't in the top 3. So, after much deliberation, I've decided to rearrange a bit and make this couple number 4. They really are tied very closely to number 3 (who is tied, I might add, very closely to number 2).

4. Cyd Charisse and Ricardo Montalban



Favorite dance: Here I go again! Hmm... I'm thinking "Dark Duet" from On An Island With You is very close to being the top one. But their dance in Fiesta (of which I have shamefully forgotten the name) is remarkable as well.

They were two incredibly beautiful, athletic, and sexy dancers who should have been paired together more often, in my humble opinion. They were paired on several occasions, but not as often as I'd like. I don't think their romance was ever brought to the forefront of any plotline and so their dance routines were more like fillers, thrown into the movie as if as an afterthought. It's a shame, really because they were both so talented and I think they worked really well together. Maybe the producers didn't think they had any chemistry (although, goodness knows, that didn't stop them on other occasions). I'm not really a good judge of such things. In any case, I'm grateful for their dances together, however few they may be.
(Also, I love, love, love that photo of them. I want to hang it up on my wall.)

She was such a lady

I'm afraid I neglected my blog yesterday. My schedule has been a little irregular. Last night I got home late and I had to get up early this morning so I couldn't write a post. It was very sad. So, the 100 movies count-up will continue next week. In the meantime, without further ado.....

1. Cyd Charisse


I'm not even going to bother with solos because I can't think of many that she did and I just love so many of her dances, I'll just list my favorites in no particular order:

"Frankie and Johnny" from Meet Me in Las Vegas



I can't get enough of this song. It's so fun and funny and it makes me wish my legs would go that high. Sadly, they don't. One of the reasons Cyd Charisse is my favorite is because she was athletic without losing her femininity. She was graceful and sexy at the same time. She was most famous for being a sultry femme fatale in various jazz ballets but she could just easily dance her way into sweet, romantic, fun-loving roles.

"Broadway Melody (The Hoofer and the Vixen)" from Singin' in the Rain
This song is just classic. I love it. It's so sexy and amazing. The part where he grabs her and the music swells... gets me every time. I remember watching this movie with my grandparents. I had seen the movie tons of times before and loved this part. When this segment came up, my grandma said, "I don't remember this part of the movie. I guess I was young and innocent..." which I always thought was an odd thing to say. Anyway, whether or not I'm young and innocent, I love this part. It's one of my favorite scenes in the entire movie. I remember hearing that Cyd Charisse's favorite dance with Gene Kelly was "Heather on the Hills" from Brigadoon and I remember being rather aghast that she didn't say this one. Ah well.

"Dancing in the Dark" from The Band Wagon



I love this number. When people think of Cyd Charisse, they often think of her jazz ballets in Singin' in the Rain and The Band Wagon and her roles as vixens. If you Google Image her, most of the pictures you'll find will probably be from those two scenes. I love her dual roles in the "Girl Hunt Ballet" but I love this little number more. It's sweet, exciting, romantic, and sexy - all at the same time. I love it!

"All of You (Reprise)" from Silk Stockings



I'm planning to start writing posts on musical remakes one of these days and, when I do, this movie will be on the list. In the meantime, I just want to discuss this little number. It drives me crazy that it isn't on YouTube because it's fantastic. It's so fun. She looks so happy and free, obviously in contrast to her sternness at the beginning. This is the advantage musicals have over straight films. I found it hard to see the character shift in Ninotchka but with a musical, her character can (and does) grow through dance. And through dance we can see how great that change has been. I love this little number. Now that I finally have it up, I may talk more about it in the future. My favorite part is when he picks her up and she kicks. I don't know why, but I love it!



It really is a tough call between Cyd Charisse and Ginger Rogers. I like tap dancing more than I like ballet, generally speaking, which gives Ginger the advantage. However, as I said in my last post, it drives me crazy that I've only gotten to see Ginger with one partner. Cyd Charisse has that advantage. She's a different dancer, somehow, when she's dancing with Fred Astaire than when she's dancing with Ricardo Montalban. And with Gene Kelly she's a little different than when she's with Joe Brascia. We get to see more of her in her array of musicals. They really are extremely close and my favorites are in constant flux (I've been wanting to reorganize my Favorite Actresses list for months now!). But currently, this is how things stand for me. Do you agree? Disagree? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Thank you again for following in my daily posts. I truly appreciate it! I'm very excited about next month's set-up. I'll post a full list of lady dancers soon.

A pretty girl is like a melody

When I wrote my list of favorite 20 actors, I had so much fun that I couldn't wait to make a list of 20 favorite actresses. And then I realized that I should stretch out the fun and let it last all year long! So, the new plan is: every month I'll feature a new list. If you like the list, then please feel free to consider yourself tagged and make your own. So below is a list of my favorite 20 actresses and my favorite of their roles. Enjoy!

Oh, and a brief disclaimer: This aren't really in any particular order. Basically, the top ones are my favorites and the bottom ones are slightly less favorite. The top 5 or 6 are my tip-top favorites (I'm numbering them so that I can keep track of how many I have).

(Also, a second brief disclaimer: Grace Kelly is not on my list, despite the photograph of her here for the simple and shameful reason that I've only seen her in 1.5 movies, same goes for Barbara Stanwyck, who I've only seen in 1 movie. I plan to remedy the situation in each, I promise!)

1. Audrey Hepburn
Funny Face and My Fair Lady


2. Ginger Rogers
Roberta and Monkey Business


3. Myrna Loy
The Thin Man and Libeled Lady


4. Claudette Colbert
Midnight and It Happened One Night


5. Cyd Charisse
The Band Wagon and Silk Stockings


6. Olivia de Havilland
The Adventures of Robin Hood and Captain Blood


7. Kathryn Grayson
Thousands Cheer and Kiss Me Kate


8. Judy Holliday
Born Yesterday and It Should Happen to You


9. Marilyn Monroe
The Seven Year Itch



10. Julie Andrews
Mary Poppins


11. Irene Dunne
The Awful Truth


13. Donna Reed
It's A Wonderful Life


14. Sandra Dee
That Funny Feeling


15. June Allyson
Two Girls and a Sailor



16. Katharine Hepburn
Bringing Up Baby


17. Shirley Temple (okay, I know she's little, but I love her!)
Little Miss Broadway


18. Ava Gardner
One Touch of Venus


19. Natalie Wood
The Great Race
20. Ruby Keeler
Footlight Parade

I hereby declare my independence: Tony Hunter, 1776. Bless you.

So, let's start the ball rolling with my list of top 100 movies:

#3 The Band Wagon (1953)


I've had the good fortune this semester to take an Independent Study on Film History. Because it's an Independent Study, I've picked the movies I wanted to focus on, picked the text book, picked the way I wanted to talk about everything - which is all very liberating but also very intimidating. I do wish I could have talked more about some of my favorite movies. I'm showing Two Girls and a Sailor (1944) and Born Yesterday (1950) tomorrow night in a double feature and talking about how the films reflected their times and everything, which is really cool. It basically came down to Born Yesterday and The Band Wagon. In a way, I wish I'd gone ahead and done The Band Wagon as it is one of my favorite movies and illustrates my point beautifully. However, my professor voted for the non-musical as I was already showing one musical so I complied. As you all know, I like that movie anyway so it was no real heartbreak. Anyway, it's nice to be able to talk a little bit about The Band Wagon now. It's one of my favorite films. Every time I see it I remember how much I love it.

I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone for voting in the poll this week. Right now, the poll stands at 5 votes for The Philadelphia Story and 2 votes for Bringing Up Baby. There are still a few hours left so if you really love Holiday or Bringing Up Baby and want to pull them to the top then please feel free to do so. At this point, however, I think it's safe to say that The Philadelphia Story wins (my personal favorite of the three, as I think you already know). Thanks again for voting! I think I like the idea of having the poll be a reflection of the movie of the week, so I'll continue that theme today:

There is a pretty distinct difference between Fred Astaire of the 1930's musical


and Fred Astaire of the 1950's musical.



Now, one must take into account that 1930s musicals were practically pure escapism, so the plots were fluffier, the drama was lighter, and sets were more dazzling (sorry I can't continue the parallel structure there: dazzlinger?). Whereas the 1950s musicals were an effort to bring back the popularity of films in the face of the rising popularity of televisions. Back to the glory days, as it were. They were often steeped in nostalgia and the plots are a little heavier. Thus, 30s Fred Astaire (to my mind) is lighter, sillier, wackier, while the 50s Fred Astaire has a little more frustration, wisdom, maturity. What do you think? 1930s Fred or 1950s Fred? I'll post the poll tonight.

Oh, and one final note before I head out: Thank you to all of my wonderful, wonderful followers! I now have 10 of you! I had made that my goal, to reach 10 by Thanksgiving and I reached it! Hooray!! So thank you. I truly appreciate it!

Gosh, your lips look delicious!

It's November! November means Fall. Fall means cold weather (except in Florida, apparently, which is where I happen to be. darnit!). And cold weather means it's appropriate to listen to "Baby, It's Cold Outside" as much as is humanly possible. And "Baby, It's Cold Outside" means Ricardo Montalban!

Today's segment: spotlight on a performer. Lately, I've been spotlighting performers celebrating their birthdays. While I love this arrangement, and would like to keep it up, there are so many wonderful performers whose birthdays won't be around for a while!

Today, I'd like to talk about a recent favorite of mine: Ricardo Montalban. I say "recent" because I didn't really discover him until this past year. I listened to my recording of "Baby, It's Cold Outside," completely ignorant of the man singing it. Anyway, when I discovered him, I was in love. A beautiful actor, he sang, he samba'd, and, though I'm not sure whether or not he shouted, "ay, caramba," he did play the piano (be still my heart!). My only complaint with him is that he did not do very many musicals. He had such a talent for them, I think it is a sad loss to what could have been. He and Cyd Charisse made a great pair. They danced together on a number of occasions.


Sadly, my favorite number of is, "Baby, It's Cold Outside," (but you could probably guess that from my introduction) which is not available on YouTube, but I've tried linking a few others in the description above. I hope they will pique your curiosity if you've never seen him before or, if you have, you will enjoy revisiting them. If you have never seen any of his musicals, I thoroughly recommend them, with a warning: the plots are not always stellar and the films are often very light. But if, like me, you enjoy that sort of thing, then don't hesitate to check them out. Enjoy!

Feel like dancing down the street...

Okay, I promise I will not continue to add various sections to my blog. I have one more section to include and then I will return to the beginning of the cycle with some comparison/contrast next week. This week I thought I'd spotlight a sexy outfit featured in one of my favorite musicals of all time. I hope I don't ostracize any male readers I have, but I promise the fashion talk will be pretty brief.

The movie is Singin' in the Rain (1952). If you've seen the movie, you probably know which dress I'm talking about:



The dress sparkles, "drips with fringe," and oozes sexiness. Everything in the costume is green, from her jewelry and her dress to her stockings and shoes. It's a dream Halloween costume and I have yet to find a woman who sees the dress and doesn't want it. Perhaps we all hope that if we have the dress, we'll be able to pull off the cool, vixen attitude that Cyd Charisse adopts so effortlessly.