Sitting Dance

February 5, 2011 7:48 PM

Sitting Dance. Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor.

Bonus Gene Kelly: With Fred Astaire, dancing on roller skates, playing the tapping game with Julie Andrews.

posted by kmz (33 comments total)

Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor are outta this world.

Their outta-this-worldness is in no way dimmed by the fact that (in this clip, as in many classic films from Astaire on down) the tapping sounds are pre-recorded. At several points in this video, it's clear that there are no taps on the soles of their shoes.

Still great dancing, though!
posted by Pallas Athena at 8:08 PM on February 5, 2011

Whenever I need a little cheering up, I watch that clip with Julie Andrews. It is the very definition of charming.
posted by Mizu at 8:11 PM on February 5, 2011

Any post that gives me an excuse to link to this is a great post.
posted by marxchivist at 8:14 PM on February 5, 2011 [1 favorite]

mystery meat labelling: a youtube video of Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor tap dancing while sitting on chairs. (From Pontiac Star Parade?)
posted by zamboni at 8:15 PM on February 5, 2011

And for those of you who don't follow corporate marketing, the first link (from 3:09 to 3:23) was repurposed to sell you a a car.
posted by persona at 8:19 PM on February 5, 2011 [1 favorite]

That was some clever dancing.
posted by oddman at 8:20 PM on February 5, 2011

heh, Marxchivist, I was just about to link to the same thing. The most committed (in both senses) performance in the history of motion pictures.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 8:22 PM on February 5, 2011

All dance movie directors take notice: One camera. No editing. No quick cuts. A single take. That's how you do, and shoot dancing.
posted by Faze at 8:22 PM on February 5, 2011 [4 favorites]

And for those of you who don't follow corporate marketing, the first link (from 3:09 to 3:23) was repurposed to sell you a a car.

I'm going to take a wild guess and say that Pontiac Star Parade wasn't trying to sell you potatoes.
posted by zamboni at 8:23 PM on February 5, 2011 [2 favorites]

I had no idea that Kelley and Astaire had ever. One time I went to IMDB and did a "show me all films which have these two guys in them" search, and came up empty.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 8:27 PM on February 5, 2011

...had ever worked together. ... (sheesh)
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 8:27 PM on February 5, 2011

Oh wow marxchivist thanks for the forgotten memories. I saw Singing In The Rain for the first time as part of a drama course in High School ( I went to a ...different school) and I think I can draw a direct line from me shaking my calves on stage for kicks to watching this scene on a crummy VHS in a dark room at 11am on a Wednesday.
posted by The Whelk at 8:43 PM on February 5, 2011

I had a friend in LA who once had to babysit Mickey Rooney and Donald O'Connor for a day, back about 1998 or thereabouts, when both were senior citizens.

"What was it like?" I asked him.

"Exhausting," he said.
posted by Astro Zombie at 8:49 PM on February 5, 2011 [10 favorites]

For the past several months, our not-quite two year old's bedtime routine involved him sitting on my lap, watching Moses Supposes, Make 'em Laugh and/or Puttin' on the Ritz (though lately he's preferred Fred Astaire's Hat Rack dance).
posted by fings at 8:51 PM on February 5, 2011 [3 favorites]

When I was young - 12 or 13 young and only beginning to explore or understand such things - I thought this was the most breathtakingly sexy thing I had ever seen on film.

Nearly 20 years later, I still think it is.
posted by Windigo at 8:57 PM on February 5, 2011 [4 favorites]

Gah, Windingo, if you ever want a low-security backdoor exploit of my lizard brain, that clip is probably it. I soaked in a lot of old movies growing up. All hail VHS!

I gotta get back to dancin'. Fencing isn't doing it, despite the cool little poses
posted by The Whelk at 9:05 PM on February 5, 2011 [1 favorite]

oh man this made my night. i definitely agree w/ this youtube comment for that clip:

Back when stars were stars for a reason. Back when you were famous for your talent. Back when being known took talent.

posted by cristinacristinacristina at 9:36 PM on February 5, 2011 [4 favorites]

True story: friends were at LAX one drizzly day in the late 80s, dancing with an umbrella and singing "Singin' in the Rain." Then they turned a corner and ran into Mr. Kelly.
posted by therewolf at 10:20 PM on February 5, 2011 [6 favorites]

Now I remember why Singin' In the Rain is my all-time personal favorite movie. Those two were astonishing.
posted by That's Numberwang! at 11:09 PM on February 5, 2011

I thought this was the most breathtakingly sexy thing I had ever seen on film.

That'll be because of the cigarette smoking.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 12:34 AM on February 6, 2011 [1 favorite]

I don't know what's up with me today. I look at this and all I can think is 'sandwich'. That's where my mind is today, I guess.

Oh, thanks for the post. Dance is one of the most wonderful things there is. Almost as good as sex.
posted by Goofyy at 1:20 AM on February 6, 2011

It's funny, as a kid I watched many if not all of the Francis the Talking Mule pictures, but I don't know that I've even seen Donald O'Connor's dance pictures.
posted by orthogonality at 3:45 AM on February 6, 2011

I miss repression.
posted by thinkpiece at 5:13 AM on February 6, 2011 [1 favorite]

Interesting if a bit bizarre - fast forward to 6:53.

(Or if you're a glutton for punishment, watch the whole thing.)
posted by MexicanYenta at 6:19 AM on February 6, 2011

Windigo, more Cyd Charisse.
posted by Pendragon at 6:20 AM on February 6, 2011

Worth noting: in the OP's clip, Gene Kelly is almost 50 years old and going step-for-step with O'Connor, who was about 20 years younger.

I am almost 50 years old and have all I can do to get out of bed some mornings.
posted by briank at 6:42 AM on February 6, 2011 [1 favorite]

Okay, this isn't dancing - but Louis Armstrong and Danny Kaye doing "When the Saints Go Marching In" in The Five Pennies. I have a whole new respect for Danny Kaye.

Football game? There's a football game today?
posted by MexicanYenta at 6:44 AM on February 6, 2011 [1 favorite]

I can see myself at work Monday: "What is this Super Bowl you speak of? I spent all day Sunday watching clips from old musicals with my internet friends."
posted by marxchivist at 7:21 AM on February 6, 2011 [2 favorites]

@Faze

I've got to take issue with the one take, no editing rule.

Fosse did some nice work with chairs.
posted by brookeb at 8:45 AM on February 6, 2011 [1 favorite]

Geniuses. I never get tired of watching all these clips.
posted by jeffamaphone at 10:49 AM on February 6, 2011

Now I remember why Singin' In the Rain is my all-time personal favorite movie.

Watched it just the other night. For the Nth time. Just ... perfect.
posted by chavenet at 2:39 PM on February 6, 2011

Hate to go all Fred Astaire on everyone, but this is just lovely. So much grinning.
posted by you're a kitty! at 5:25 PM on February 6, 2011

See instead of war, Osama and Obama should do this dance off.
posted by stormpooper at 8:40 AM on February 7, 2011