Betty Grable was a good dancer. She trained from childhood. Her mother was determined to make her a star. She could dance, but she didn't care for those over the top dance routines like Fred and Ginger. She was beautiful on the technicolor screen. A song a dance and a little romance was her usual forte. She was the top female Box office star of the 1940s. She kept spirits up during a dark time. No Davis or Crawford as an actress but something to keep the guys enterained during the war. I love Betty Grable.
Betty was the top female star during the war and beyond. Beautiful to look at, that was what people wanted to see during that dark time in history. The technicolor musicals helped raise the spirits in a difficult time. Pleasant and nice to look at. And she herself didn't understand what all the fuss was about her movies. Modest,humble and I heard a great sense of humor. Big fan.
CatMan yeah, Betty Grable was a pin up girl during the war. Men away at war took her pictures with them. She did make appearances during the war with the USO. She was a great gal. Love, love, love this movie. Has a wonderful cast. Have you seen Some Like It Hot, with Marilyn Monroe? That’s a great movie too, Very nostalgic.
Choreographer Hermes Pan did a number of such good production numbers with Betty Grable in films. He also did a nice number with Rita Hayworth in "My Gal Sal". He was such a great dancer and choreographer and had a good relationship with Fred Astaire. Betty was not only a wonderful talented dancer, but a good singer too. She was a true technicolor queen and always lit up the screen in her films.
Oh, is Betty Grable in this number? I was too mesmerized by Hermes Pan's dancing. He is a dead ringer to Fred Astaire's dancing style and that's because he worked on the dance numbers to 19 Astaire films.
I'm talking of all of it being high energy.... not just in the movies! The War, people living like there was no tomorrow, doubt, fear, death, soldiers leaving loved ones, some never coming back, lost loves, war bonds, rationing, supporting the war effort, supporting the troops, hot swing music, acrobatic dancing... Everything about the time is high energy!
It's always neat to check out all the media in your early years to see what the mood and environment was when you were born. Pretty crazy and high energy time, I'd say!
Hermes said he hated doing this scene with Betty. He didn’t think she was a great dancer and preferred to act as the choreographer but none of the men Hermes picked Betty and this were second big pic and he agreed to do it. Fred Astaire would tell you Hermes taught him to dance in later years. Hermes lived up on Cherokee and was a truly wonderful man. He worked very hard and made dancing look effortless
It is weird that Pan's first tasks as a pro entertainer were singing in Broadway shows. He had trouble getting hoofing gigs, and when the family relocated to Hollywood he failed auditions; at some he was rejected by Berkeley, whom Pan felt had 'pets'. Hermes spent two years in a cheap touring show before going back to pictures. Dave Gould, who like Buzz was not really a dancer, was drilling the chorus at RKO. Gould deputed Pan to assist Fred Astaire in creating a routine for 'Flying Down to Rio'. And so, almost by accident, the greatest collaboration in modern dance came about.
Betty was a trained dancer since childhood. She was a good dancer but I read she didn't like the strenuous dance routines like Fred and Ginger or Elonore Powell and whoever. Jack Cole put her to the test on a few of her last films. Check out Meet Me After The Show '51, The Farmer takes a Wife '53 and Three for the Show '55. He had Gwen Verdon work with her too. Betty Grable is my favorite movie blond.
Mary Dougherty he said she insisted on his dancing with her. He also felt she was not a great dancer. If you watch him you’ll see why he trained Fred Astaire on many steps and was Fred’s choreographer
I find his head to be a little 'too large'...LOL Also it's clear he's the better dancer of the two... I don't think Betty's first skill is dancing. She 'aced it', but not as graceful as I'd like her to be in places.
Mary, that is Hermes Pan and I am am mesmerized by his dancing. To say he's light on his feet is an understatement: he dances like he has bubbles on his shoes. What a dazzling display of artistry!
One of the rare appearances of Hollywood's greatest dance director. He was best friends with Rita, Ginger, Betty and Ann Miller, but was almost pathologically modest, insisting that his job was to devise and teach routines. Betty was the least technically gifted (and laziest) hoofer of the four, which is why she persuaded Pan to join her most often. He was often offered small speaking parts but always rejected them. Characteristically our first glimpse at 0:25 is of Hermes beating a retreat stage right. But at the end he shines with several deft twirling lifts of Grable. He was stronger than his lifelong buddy and collaborator, Fred Astaire.
Thank God that amid the Latin influences on dance in the 1930s and 1940s, the conga craze was short-lived. Its jerky, thumping rhythm only suited chorus flashmobs acting jolly in night clubs. As soon as Hermes Pan shows up to partner Betty, he turns it into a more attractive blend of tap and ballroom, and the band turns down the volume.
Betty Grable 💗 was such a lovely to look at 😍 a ray of high and fantastic energy ⚡ here is another great example of full power czcams.com/video/1fW0cwp1YlE/video.html
You can see from the repeated lifts at the end that Hermes Pan was strong- stronger than Astaire. Fred had problems carting Ginger around, and she was more elfin than Betty. I should love to have seen Pan partner Eleanor Powell. George Murphy coped well as a supporter, but Pan might have done better yet. He was such a gentleman, on and off screen. Their personalities would have meshed.
My grandfather behind in the lime green shirt on the left.. he was a musician and the choreograph guy in many of the old movies..
Betty Grable was a good dancer. She trained from childhood. Her mother was determined to make her a star. She could dance, but she didn't care for those over the top dance routines like Fred and Ginger. She was beautiful on the technicolor screen. A song a dance and a little romance was her usual forte. She was the top female Box office star of the 1940s. She kept spirits up during a dark time. No Davis or Crawford as an actress but something to keep the guys enterained during the war. I love Betty Grable.
Betty was the top female star during the war and beyond. Beautiful to look at, that was what people wanted to see during that dark time in history. The technicolor musicals helped raise the spirits in a difficult time. Pleasant and nice to look at. And she herself didn't understand what all the fuss was about her movies. Modest,humble and I heard a great sense of humor. Big fan.
CatMan yeah, Betty Grable was a pin up girl during the war. Men away at war took her pictures with them. She did make appearances during the war with the USO. She was a great gal. Love, love, love this movie. Has a wonderful cast. Have you seen Some Like It Hot, with Marilyn Monroe? That’s a great movie too, Very nostalgic.
Choreographer Hermes Pan did a number of such good production numbers with Betty Grable in films. He also did a nice number with Rita Hayworth in "My Gal Sal". He was such a great dancer and choreographer and had a good relationship with Fred Astaire. Betty was not only a wonderful talented dancer, but a good singer too. She was a true technicolor queen and always lit up the screen in her films.
I've never seen Hermes Pan dance.....Wowwww!!! Beautiful!!!
Maravilloso Betty Grable y Hermes Pann ❤
I love this movie, huge Betty Grable fan! I absolutely adore Carole Landis in this film
My favorite Betty Grable dance from my favorite Betty Grable movie.
Oh, is Betty Grable in this number? I was too mesmerized by Hermes Pan's dancing. He is a dead ringer to Fred Astaire's dancing style and that's because he worked on the dance numbers to 19 Astaire films.
I'm talking of all of it being high energy.... not just in the movies! The War, people living like there was no tomorrow, doubt, fear, death, soldiers leaving loved ones, some never coming back, lost loves, war bonds, rationing, supporting the war effort, supporting the troops, hot swing music, acrobatic dancing... Everything about the time is high energy!
It's always neat to check out all the media in your early years to see what the mood and environment was when you were born. Pretty crazy and high energy time, I'd say!
Hermes said he hated doing this scene with Betty. He didn’t think she was a great dancer and preferred to act as the choreographer but none of the men Hermes picked Betty and this were second big pic and he agreed to do it. Fred Astaire would tell you Hermes taught him to dance in later years. Hermes lived up on Cherokee and was a truly wonderful man. He worked very hard and made dancing look effortless
It is weird that Pan's first tasks as a pro entertainer were singing in Broadway shows. He had trouble getting hoofing gigs, and when the family relocated to Hollywood he failed auditions; at some he was rejected by Berkeley, whom Pan felt had 'pets'.
Hermes spent two years in a cheap touring show before going back to pictures. Dave Gould, who like Buzz was not really a dancer, was drilling the chorus at RKO. Gould deputed Pan to assist Fred Astaire in creating a routine for 'Flying Down to Rio'. And so, almost by accident, the greatest collaboration in modern dance came about.
Betty was a trained dancer since childhood. She was a good dancer but I read she didn't like the strenuous dance routines like Fred and Ginger or Elonore Powell and whoever. Jack Cole put her to the test on a few of her last films. Check out Meet Me After The Show '51, The Farmer takes a Wife '53 and Three for the Show '55. He had Gwen Verdon work with her too. Betty Grable is my favorite movie blond.
So cute!
I read that is Hermes Pan she is dancing with
Mary Dougherty he said she insisted on his dancing with her. He also felt she was not a great dancer. If you watch him you’ll see why he trained Fred Astaire on many steps and was Fred’s choreographer
I find his head to be a little 'too large'...LOL Also it's clear he's the better dancer of the two... I don't think Betty's first skill is dancing. She 'aced it', but not as graceful as I'd like her to be in places.
Mary, that is Hermes Pan and I am am mesmerized by his dancing. To say he's light on his feet is an understatement: he dances like he has bubbles on his shoes. What a dazzling display of artistry!
One of the rare appearances of Hollywood's greatest dance director. He was best friends with Rita, Ginger, Betty and Ann Miller, but was almost pathologically modest, insisting that his job was to devise and teach routines. Betty was the least technically gifted (and laziest) hoofer of the four, which is why she persuaded Pan to join her most often.
He was often offered small speaking parts but always rejected them. Characteristically our first glimpse at 0:25 is of Hermes beating a retreat stage right. But at the end he shines with several deft twirling lifts of Grable. He was stronger than his lifelong buddy and collaborator, Fred Astaire.
Thank God that amid the Latin influences on dance in the 1930s and 1940s, the conga craze was short-lived. Its jerky, thumping rhythm only suited chorus flashmobs acting jolly in night clubs. As soon as Hermes Pan shows up to partner Betty, he turns it into a more attractive blend of tap and ballroom, and the band turns down the volume.
TBSWWB - Time Before She Went Wicked Blonde ... goosey, goosey gander ...!
Betty Grable 💗
was such a lovely to look at 😍
a ray of high and fantastic energy ⚡
here is another great example
of full power
czcams.com/video/1fW0cwp1YlE/video.html
You can see from the repeated lifts at the end that Hermes Pan was strong- stronger than Astaire. Fred had problems carting Ginger around, and she was more elfin than Betty.
I should love to have seen Pan partner Eleanor Powell. George Murphy coped well as a supporter, but Pan might have done better yet. He was such a gentleman, on and off screen. Their personalities would have meshed.
Does anyone have the lyrics for this?
You'll have to transcribe them!
Just now noticed she only makes 'eyes' at the men as she conga's past them, skips making eye contact with the women!