Sitting Dance
February 5, 2011 7:48 PM Subscribe
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.
Bonus Gene Kelly: With Fred Astaire, dancing on roller skates, playing the tapping game with Julie Andrews.
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
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]
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
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]
posted by persona at 8:19 PM on February 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
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
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]
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'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
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
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
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]
"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]
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]
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]
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]
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
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]
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
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
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]
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
(Or if you're a glutton for punishment, watch the whole thing.)
posted by MexicanYenta at 6:19 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]
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]
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]
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]
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
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
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
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
posted by stormpooper at 8:40 AM on February 7, 2011
« Older She was known as The Little Pepper | "I've Been Thrown Out of Some of the Best Churches... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
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