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I got through all of last year and I'm here
I can see I will have to watch It's Always Fair Weather (1955) from the top, because I turned on TCM1 and first there was Gene Kelly drawing a crowd on a New York City street by tap-dancing in roller skates (even in New York City, people notice that) and then there was Dolores Gray in a nightclub performing "Thanks a Lot, But No Thanks" while literally dynamiting her would-be suitors off the stage (sample lyrics: "Thanks for losing your mind / But I've got a guy who's Clifton Webb and Marlon Brando combined") and I just want to know what the rest of the musical looks like. Cursory internet research indicates it was a commercial flop whose cynical theme of post-war disillusion played weirdly with its exuberant dance numbers, but none of that sounds to me like a reason not to find out.
For better or worse, it turns out that I recognized Dolores Gray from seeing Kismet (1955) during the period of my childhood when I watched all the movie musicals available to me, including the ones I can probably never watch again.2 When I went looking for her other work, I found this performance of "I'm Still Here." The presentation format looks like the Tonys, but Yvonne de Carlo originated the role of Dorothy in Follies (1971) on Broadway, so it must be the Oliviers—Gray played the role in the first West End production in 1987. And she knocks the song out of the park. I know it's identified with Elaine Stritch, but Gray might be my definitive version.
[edit] My mother just sent me Donald O'Connor dancing in roller skates. This world is a beautiful place.
1. I am spending the night in Lexington so as to be able to shovel out my mother in the morning. The current forecast thinks it's going to snow until Tuesday.
2. Fortunately for people who want to watch just the barn-raising dance from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954), it's on YouTube.
For better or worse, it turns out that I recognized Dolores Gray from seeing Kismet (1955) during the period of my childhood when I watched all the movie musicals available to me, including the ones I can probably never watch again.2 When I went looking for her other work, I found this performance of "I'm Still Here." The presentation format looks like the Tonys, but Yvonne de Carlo originated the role of Dorothy in Follies (1971) on Broadway, so it must be the Oliviers—Gray played the role in the first West End production in 1987. And she knocks the song out of the park. I know it's identified with Elaine Stritch, but Gray might be my definitive version.
[edit] My mother just sent me Donald O'Connor dancing in roller skates. This world is a beautiful place.
1. I am spending the night in Lexington so as to be able to shovel out my mother in the morning. The current forecast thinks it's going to snow until Tuesday.
2. Fortunately for people who want to watch just the barn-raising dance from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954), it's on YouTube.
no subject
If I'm remembering correctly, I was disappointed in It's Always Fair Weather, largely because it had both Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse and I was waiting for them to dance together and they never did. Also the print I saw had terrible colour. I look forward to learning what you make of it.
no subject
You're very welcome. I love Donald O'Connor. The movie is I Love Melvin (1953), which these days seems to be independently famous for a show-within-a-show number in which Debbie Reynolds plays a football. I was linked to it earlier this morning and fortuitously I had an explanation!
If I'm remembering correctly, I was disappointed in It's Always Fair Weather, largely because it had both Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse and I was waiting for them to dance together and they never did. Also the print I saw had terrible colour.
It was filmed in Eastmancolor, so I'm not surprised; that film stock fades like nobody's business, which is really sad considering it's the process the studios threw Technicolor over for. Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse not dancing together sounds like more of a sticking point. What an interesting decision to make.
I look forward to learning what you make of it.
I'll let you know! I am behind on my movie reviews. One of the reasons for all these short posts is a lot more pain than usual.