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Russ Tamblyn’s Unforgettable “Shovel Dance” from THE FASTEST GUN ALIVE | Mad About Musicals | TCM
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- čas přidán 14. 08. 2024
- Legendary actor and dancer Russ Tamblyn initially resented being cast in THE FASTEST GUN ALIVE because he felt his role wasn’t interesting or challenging but changed his mind when he was told he’d be allowed to do his own dance number on screen.
Glenn Ford assumed the number would be the kind of brief musical interlude that often appeared in musicals but when he saw Tamblyn’s extraordinary routine, he was astonished. Ford, who was married to esteemed tap dancer and actress Eleanor Powell, was fond of dance numbers but felt Tamblyn’s number was out of place in the film.
As Tamblyn later recalled Ford said “This is a little western here and this guy is coming in and trying to do a Donald O’Connor all over the walls.” Ford tried to get the number cut from the film and it was said to have been cut from the preview but the credits still contained a reference to Russ Tamblyn’s dance number and the audience demanded to see it.
The number was reinserted into the picture and ended up being one of the highlights of the film.
#MadAboutMusicals #RussTamblyn #TCM
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Russ Tamblyn’s Unforgettable “Shovel Dance” from THE FASTEST GUN ALIVE | Mad About Musicals | TCM
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As TCM enthusiasts, we probably say this about a lot of people, but Russ Tamblyn should be better remembered than he is.
Agreed. Weat Side Story is my strongest memory of his early work.
@@wendybutler1681 Lmao, I remember him from War of the Gargantuas. I will only watch the English version with his real voice...I don't know why they felt they needed to dub over him for the European run.
Is it because he came on the scene when musicals were getting less popular? Hollywood did stop doing them for a while.
@@alisonponce8337 That's very possible. He could've been great in action movies doing his own stunts, and he was great with suspense/horror in The Haunting.
One of faces from my fave movies, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
As of now, he's alive, and 89 years old! What a dancer, and SO good-looking! ❤️❤️
👍
Too bad all the ‘men’ now are wearing face diapers (beards, and mustaches) hiding their beautiful features.
Clean shaven has always been and will always be better looking and more sanitary!
Amazing! He’s terrific!
@@SMtWalkerS Clean shaven is always better looking!!
@@GlowingMpdNot to me, but to each their own! Certainly he was a good looking man without a beard, though. And so talented!
What an incredible athlete he was. I loved him in West Side Story and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers!
Think I'm gonna have to go watch Seven Brides. Been a while. Recently reminded of Here Come the Brides, a sitcom based on shipping in a bunch of potential brides for the lonely loggers working around Seattle way back when, a variation of the theme.
Agree
He was in " The Haunting"
I've never seen this clip before, amazing. Seven Bride's for Seven Brothers was my father's favorite movie. Made me smile to think of it.
I remember him commenting in an interview that he was actually more of an athlete than a dancer, but he would put most modern dancers to shame.
My husband likes to say that when you see Russ Tamblyn's name in the credits, expect a dance fight to break out. 🤠
true that!!
“what am I gonna do?” Then proceeds into a full dance routine that seemingly introduces parkour!
Reminds me of that SNL "Please don't make me sing" sketch.
@@sinisa5567Yes i know that one!
And a little bit of "Poppin" in the beginning.
That was insane. That was INSANE!! What a ridiculously talented guy!
Watch the original west side story! You'll blow a gasket! Haha😂
@@user-tv1qb6vf5r I just watched some clips a few days ago, and I did!
IT WAS INSANE!
That’s an athlete! And do it all with a smile and without breathing hard. Make it look easy.
Well there are cuts which helps with not breathing hard . But no doubt he is a great the athlete and talented dance and fun to watch
About 1 minute in I was like: What's the big deal? Then: Holy smokes how come I have never seen this before? The Shovel Dance! Whoulda' thunk? Impressive.
Great clip TCM
Agree
He was SO TALENTED!! I never saw this one before. My favorite was always his dancing in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers! He was always sensational!
Agree
I don't remember ever seeing this routine before now either.
Dance scenes in films "of a certain era" had much fewer cuts than most equivalent scenes today, more a performance than a series of creatively assembled edits. Love this!
It's called actually being able to perform. Live. Something that few of us get to enjoy much now 😢
Often the real thing doesn't exist today.
Fred Astaire had it in his contract that his dances were one continuous take so that he could go through his entire routine without interruption. The routines were filmed with multiple cameras and edited later, versus multiple takes edited together.
@@ThomasGilmore-fi6gb They have Broadway shows if you want that.
I ran into Russ in Hollywood, when I was working there as an actor/ screenwriter and he was a joy to behold. First thing he did was flash that beaming smile of his. What a talent! They broke the mold when they made him. Hollywood could take a lesson.
Forever young..
What a lovely memory
@Sarah, Thank you for your lovely note. Indeed, seeing Russ was very special. A million best wishes, Sarah.
@@BeauDare-ov7pyas GenX, I remember boys thought in high school dancing was uncool for men.
Um…we didn’t see this.
@David, Indeed, after seeing Russ, dancing was very cool. All best wishes.
Now that is ENTERTAINMENT! Thanks TCM.
The physical power to do that was incredible 💪💪🔥🇺🇸🇺🇸
Agree
The athleticism of Gene (Kelly and Nelson) and the creativity of Fred Astaire. Bravo!
Wow! That was incredible!!!
I'm 76 and have seen all kinds of musicals and dance numbers. I've never seen this before!! Amazing!! Russ Tamblyn was a great dancer!
Me neither. Now I'm going to watch the movie. He's terrific isn't he.
You probably missed it because it wasn't actually in a musical. It was a single musical interlude in an otherwise grim (but gripping) western gunfight drama (with Glenn Ford, Broderick Crawford and John Dehner). One of my favorite westerns, also one of Glenn Ford's best.
They don't make 'em like Russ anymore. He was a fantastic dancer..
Agree
Creative coreography and acrobatics. As a kid I remembered him from "Tom Thumb".
I'd almost forgotten! It came on tv around Christmas every year. Thanks for reminding me.
Oh yes forget about that yes I remember now Blessings from Pennsylvania 🎚🙏🇮🇱🇺🇸 John 3:16 😊
He was originally a gymnast, you know.
Oh yeah, Tom Thumb!!!!! ❤️
Me too...... one of my faves growing up..
The Yawning Man song really worked 😴
WOW!! I have enjoyed Russ Tamblyn in Seven Brides for years but I just saw this timeless masterpiece for the first time!!
Me too!
Same!
Me too
Never can forget this !! His WHOLE dance is IRREPLACEABLE ! I wish they let him dance in EVERY show he was in. He is Just TOP NOTCH ! 🤠🖖♨️
He didn't get to dance in "Cabin Boy," but I think that's because his half man/half shark character didn't have legs. =(
I’m not sure a dance off in ‘The Haunting’ would’ve worked.
He was incredible in West Side Story, too. He does a standing back flip off a concrete step that blows my mind every time I watch it.
Agree
And credit,please, for unsung choreographer, Alex Romero. He assisted and/or danced in many of the classic musicals-The Bandwagon, On The Town and many more.
This is where Russ invents Parkour.
My kitties do parkour. Duck!
Yes!!
I thought the same thing! Barn parkour! Lol
It does look that way, doesn't it!?
Very impressive. I never saw this before.
I ALWAYS loved Russ Tamblyn since I was little (Tom Thumb) and a teen (West Side Story) he's great❤
wow! what an athlete! What a dancer!
He was so talented yet underrated. I'm happy to have seen this and to be reminded of that and of his incredible energy.
He was great in seven brides for seven brothers! And who can forget Riff in west side story?
Agree
WOW!!!! No one quite like Russ Tamblyn~! What an amazing energy and talent! He should have an honorary Oscar. His role as Riff as leader of the Jets in West Side Story is LEGEND!
This sheds new light on his scenes in Twin Peaks: The Return 😆
And he never got breathless ! Truly amazing innovative gymnastics. Russ was also great in ' Hit the Deck" and the musical movie "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers" ....Don't miss watching it !
@@user-dy4wd8yy6j trust me as a trained dancer he got breathless we just breathe when you don't see it
INCREDIBLE. Russ is indeed one of the masters of dance, and yet he is undersung. This is spectacular!
Agree
❤. Nice! Really cool. Thank you! Amazing that Russ Tamblyn is still alive and still going strong at 89 years old!
❤️😍
@@jmpomerleau Thank you! Definitely.
Russ Tamblyn did his core exercises I am respectfully in awe😮
He did ALL his exercises! That was a display of great strength and agility. 💯
So great to see his talent front and center for a change!
Love Russ in West Side Story
And 7 Brides for 7 Brothers
@@marytheresejacksonlutz2533He even did a few moves in “The Haunting” when he bailed out of the rickety spiral staircase.
Real athleticism. Great useful and youthful! feel- and they wouldn't let him sing it in WSS. Brutal. Typical shortsighted. If you hear his original done live on set - as a terrific dancer - his breath control made it sound totally real.and credible. But no....
When you do you own stunts and there is no splicing going on.😉👍🏻💕🙏
A genius of the dance. Impossibly light on his feet!!
Yes, I would say that's "kicking your heels up." Tamblyn was always one of the most athletic dancers, but also one of the handsomest, no?
Wow! Talk about athletic and in good physical shape, with amazing dancing!!! You don’t see talent like that nowadays.
I don't know why you don't see it, you must not be looking.
Oof, that floor must have gotten so many divots! The balance to be able to do that though, wow!
I kept thinking about that floor too lol wondering if the studio had to replace it..
.
@@user-tv1qb6vf5r Probably if the set was built on a sound studio.
russ tamblyn a great dancer more people should know about him so inventive.
Applause!!!
Yow! What a talent. As much a gymnast as a great dancer!
He is so young here and SO amazing! I haven't seen this before - truly a breathtaking dance. Such a talented man!
Wow!! So much of this is just one long take. Only a few cuts. Amazing!
He puts a.whole new meaning to Parkour dancing!!!
What in LIVID HECK did I just see? And why have I never seen this before? OMG!
RUSS TAMBLYN is the "Street Dancing MASTER." **********
In more recent years, Russ the legend continued to perform as Dr. Jacoby in Twin Peaks and Twin Peaks the Return.
Most creative use of props ever.
Dancer, gymnast, and stuntman all rolled into one!
I’ve been a Russ Tamblyn fan for decades but that was the first time I saw this dance… Flat-out amazing!!!
This is spectacular! I cannot believe I never saw it before. Thank you!
Russ honestly was underrated as a dancer!
Agree
Footloose and Billy and so many others owe Russ and his Olympian Choreographers a big time lunch.
Whoever choreographed this is a genius!
According to IMDb, Alex Romero was the choreographer of the film. However, lead and especially eccentric dancers often choreographed their own routines or the routine was choreographed around their ideas (and/or tricks). I wonder how many takes they needed for this.
@@laurencefinston7036 Fred's perfectionism required so many retakes that Ginger said her feet bled.
@@BeachsideHank I'm not surprised. I think she may have been referring to the routine on roller skates. I can't even skate, let alone dance on skates.
His sister is said to have cancelled a return to the stage or possibly movies because she thought her dancing wasn't up to his standards. He wasn't acrobatic or an eccentric dancer, but there some nice tricks in some of his routines (besides being a great dancer).
@@laurencefinston7036 Wasn't there a similar sequence in Singin' in the Rain? I don't think it was the same dancer, but he jumped continuously for about 10 minutes!
@@ferociousgumby I've seen clips from that movie, but I don't think I've ever seen the whole thing. It must have been Donald O'Connor, who was also a very athletic eccentric dancer. Gene Kelly, who starred in the movie, was also very athletic but not the same kind of dancer.
My favorite eccentric dancer was Ray Bolger. I really prefer the dancing (and "hoofing") in the earlier movie musicals, like "Footlight Parade" and "42nd Street", to the later more spectacular and acrobatic dancing in the later ones. I'm not a big fan of George Balanchine or Agnes DeMille.
I had no idea he was so talented. My feet hurt just watching him on those shovels!!!
Thank you for not colorizing it. Nothing ruins a classic more effectively than adding color to a B&W film.
I completely agree.
Yes!!
I disagree. Black and white make the past seem sad, distant, and unreal, and color makes it relatable. Russ Tamblyn was a wonderful actor and dancer. I loved him in Cat Ballou!
@@cherylthompsonlt8321 Not with you on this one Cherry. Sorry.
I lived in that past. Black & White does not seem sad or distant at all.(I did not see a colour TV until I was nearly a teen, nothing sad or distant about my childhood...70 year ago feels like last week). Additionally, the technology is still not there and colourized media looks artificial. It pulls me out of the story by reminding me that I am consuming something that has been heavily re-processed. (The same way I feel watching a heavily CGI'd battle scene in the MCU or DCU, or the worst - an "fx-enhanced" original Star Wars. Yecch!))
Filmakers working in black & white used set-ups and lighting that worked best within the limitation of grayscale. Those efforts are lost, or worse, ignored, with colourization.
We should never edit away our pasts. That is a form of lying. We should appreciate and respect what came before to better appreciate what we have today.
We cannot move forward if we falsely colour our pasts. Rose coloured glasses only work by falsifying what you see.
@@cherylthompsonlt8321 I have to agree with @PeBoVision's response to this, and Russ Tamblyn was not in Cat Ballou.
👋 Wow. Imagine doing a thing like that and the lead actor has it cut from the film. Good for the preview audiences for demanding to see it.
Incredible athleticism and I thought the West Side Story dance was difficult !
Ford wanted to cut that Epicness??? Shame on him. That was amazing!!!
THAT IS, THE MOST INSANELY AWESOME dancing/choreography I have EVER SEEN! BRAVO!
The exuberance of the dancing is perfect! The old-school foley work is fantastic! And cuts only when camera position changes. Glorious!
He was only 22 years old here, an unbelievable talent ❤
And always with that beautiful smile
Explains shovel of truth in Twin Peaks !
My first thought! Shovel yourself out of the S****!
Just thinking the same thing!
What an athlete!
Such a fabulous dancer! Thanks for the video.
The strength and stamina! These dancers are truly athletes!
Thanks very much! Fantastic dance! Love Russ in Hit the Deck and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
I'm waiting for more! 🥰
Love the shovel dance.
Thanks TCM.
HE WAS AMAZING!!!!!!!! Russ!
One of my favorite oldies!!
Russ is an utter badass! I adore him.
Loved him in the best “west side story” (1961)
Wow! Parkour before we knew what that was! Excellent!! 🤩
Nice shovelry!
😆🤭♥️
Good one.🙂
😂
Shovelry is not dead
Dig it…
Just - WOW!!
I never thought I’d sat this: He out does anything that Astaire of Kelly ever did!
This is simply astonishing …. leaves me breathless for words!!
Russ Tamblyn taught Elvis Presley how to dance in “Jailhouse Rock”, as Presley didn’t have a clue about what to do. The director, upon discovering that fact, sent him to Tamblyn for instruction.
Very underrated actor, dancer, acrobatics, choreographer, and all around talent! He gave us so much since a young age. I’m glad he has a STAR on Hollywood Blvd. Thank you Russ! 👏👌♥️🏆
Wow! Crazy moves! I have never seen 1/2 of those moves. The shovels! The pull ups to the top level. Very original!
Can never get enough, good stuff thank you Russ
That's funny Ford thought he was pulling a Donald O'Connor 😂
It's very reminiscent of Donald O'Connor's "Make 'Em Laugh."
@@meh8982 definitely!
Tamblyn is so awesome and one of my favorites from this period. People don’t really understand the level of fitness and acrobatics that go into his numbers and back then you had to do these things usually in one or two takes. It was the same for everyone because they actually had talent then. But his stamina and how he makes it look so easy is fairly unique to him. My favorite thing about this number is always that see-saw bit. It’s so cartoonish and daring but so light and effortless. Even the rope swing… idk if anyone has ever tried to swing point a-b on a rope before but it’s not easy, let alone graceful. He’s truly a gem from this era.
Incredible!
The sky is phenomenal this is an incredible act right here very professional very fluid he acts like it's not a big deal just doing something he does every day I love this movie excellent
Graceful, agile and strong! A fabulous dancer!
Two generations of this family have been a pleasure to watch - Russ first, and now his daughter, Amber. Amazingly talented family.
Always loved watching him dance, especially in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
TCM is the greatest. Great video
I agree. They really love and respect these and artists and films as much as we do.
Wow! Always liked him……had NO IDEA he had that much talent! Very controlled and fun movements. 😊
What a talent. Fantastic performer. I got a huge kick out of his performances in "Twin Peaks" television show. Especially the bit he did with the hula skirted tie. I laugh about it to this day, don't know how he got away with it yet he did. Once you're a Jet you're a Jet all the way.... All my best Mr.Tamblyn.
As a former actor (far down the totem pole from New York or Hollywood), I've long been a fan of all things musical from before the "modern era"... think Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Howard Keel, etc.... Was always enamored of the Kodachrome 70mm movies from that period and especially movies of the caliber of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. However, had never seen this scene, and not sure I've ever seen The Fastest Gun Alive. However, I will hunt that one down. Never saw a fella dance on a shovel before (let alone two of 'em). Thank you so much for posting this and helping fill in a gap in my movie appreciation quotient.
As soon as I saw him in Seven Brides I had the biggest crush! I was about 5/6 years old What an incredible athlete and dancer and actor!
This movie was made in '56. It's more years removed from us in 2024 than the movie was removed from the 19th century time period (1889) in which it was set. Amazing.
it's amazing how he is so in consonance with the beat.
Me knees are screaming just watching this.
That was by far one of, if not THE, hardest routines, executed flawlessly that I’ve ever seen! Tops Bojangles, tops Nicholas Brothers, Buddy Ebsen and tops many routines that Fred Astaire did. Only dancers I can think of that are close to that in athleticism are some of the routines Danny Kaye, Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor did, with the latter of those three being the closest in the sheer strength & power department that it took to pull those combination of movements off so smoothly.
BRAVO!!
Geez. When you see something like this done nowadays it’s obviously impressive (say Americas got talent as an example) but when you see it done 70 odd years ago it’s sublime. Such skill, talent, athleticism and it’s all real, no CGI foolery.