RE: Blackface. Cantor was a person of his times, as are we. 100 years from now people will look back at us and say, "How could those people back then let 18,000 children die each day from dirty water and/or malnutrition and at the same time they spent big money on armaments and space adventures?"
Something else about Cantor is that he plays the same character whether he's in blackface or not. He doesn't put on the makeup and then turn into someone unrealistically stupid, or some other insulting stereotype. He's always just being Eddie Cantor. It's a good thing times have changed, but even in those times, Cantor wasn't demeaning. (And I agree with you about those future generations!)
I absolutely LUV this "Swing Is Here To Stay"number-starring Eddie Cantor,Jeni Le Hon and The Peters Sisters..this has to be some of Jeni Or Bob's best rhythm tap work..Her rhythm tapping is just as incredible &beautiful as her legs and complete being and presence! And the Peters Sisters not only had incredible voices and harmonies..but they can really swing and tap too! And the all-black male chorus that backs up Cantor in this number all have such incredible range and such beautiful and hip harmony..and there vocal impressions of various musical instruments during their singing of this number is so hip and wonderful! I am now a huge fan of Eddie Cantor,Jeni Le Gon and The Peters Sisters..since I've now seen this number for the first time! I wish television would just dump most all the unrealistic"Criminal Minds"type of serial killer&crime shows and most of the cop shows(except for"Blue Bloods"&"48 Hours")..and replace them with the type of entertainment I just saw in the Eddie Cantor"Swing Is Here To Stay"number!
By 1937, Cantor was a major radio star, but he had been doing numbers like this for 30 years on the stage. The earliest film of Cantor seems to be that 1923 short with the synced sound. What he must have been like - the energy of his performance - on the stage between 1910-1920 as a young man, we can only imagine. This is but a taste of that.
The solo dancer, Jeni Le Gon, had a dance studio in 1950's L.A. where she was training young dancers. I watched a rehearsal with my mom at the old Ebony Showcase Theatre on Washington Blvd. The students were moving diagonally across the stage practicing transitioning to flying leaps from walking : 3 steps then leap, etc.
I used to have this on tape... thank you for sharing what is one of the most wonderful songs of all times.;Eddie and Friends really show us young ones how to rock!
Swing was a huge fad starting around 1936, and just like the lyrics of this song say, it was loved internationally. About 20 years later, rock & roll achieved the same thing - if not more so.
Před 2 lety+4
I wish swing could be loved internationally again ...
SUPERB... one of Eddie Cantor's best numbers. It incorporates all his stage schtick into a terrific musical number. The dancer is Jeni Le Gon (who is still alive) and the fabulous Peters Sisters. Just a wonderful song and dance number that lampoons popular dance crazes of the era: Struttin', Peckin', and the Suzy Q. Cantor was one of the biggest stars of this time, famous of black face and dancing. His renditions of "If You Knew Suzy" and "Whoopee" were among the biggest songs of the time.
When AMC showed Ali Baba Goes To Town they left out The beautiful song that Tony Martin sang to the Daughter princess of the Sheik (Gypsy Rose Lee's Sister was her name June Lang).
There is an episode of Pee Wees Playhouse where Pee Wee Herman Paul Reubens is looking through The magic glasses and a Clip of a man dancing in Bagdad looks like Eddie Cantor .Cowboy Curtis also Looks through the magic glasses and sees the same Old movie clip. I wonder if that old movie clip is from Ali Baba Goes To Town? The name of the Pee Wees Playhouse Episode is Just Another Day At the Playhouse.
A redeeming feature of this pre-code number is having a major white star appearing with black performers in the same number. This is something that virtually disappeared after the production code kicked in.
This isn't pre-code. The Hays Code went into effect in 1934 and this movie was made three years later. And there was no ban on a white performer appearing with a Black one in the same number - keep in mind that Shirley Temple and Bill Robinson danced together in films repeatedly at this time, for example. What WAS prohibited were scenes of interracial romance or implied sex, none of which occurs here.
There was a time when a "white" man singing "black" music was illegal so when an entertainer wanted to sing "black" music he went "black face". It was meant as appreciation not degredation
because it was a an homage to blacks not a mockery of them you dummy. lightskin blacks wore blackface too. it was an artform - like wearing whiteface as a mime or geisha. the stigma is recent and a re-write of history to divide the races and increase hatred of the white jews most famous for wearing it - like jolson and cantor.
RE: Blackface. Cantor was a person of his times, as are we. 100 years from now people will look back at us and say, "How could those people back then let 18,000 children die each day from dirty water and/or malnutrition and at the same time they spent big money on armaments and space adventures?"
Something else about Cantor is that he plays the same character whether he's in blackface or not. He doesn't put on the makeup and then turn into someone unrealistically stupid, or some other insulting stereotype. He's always just being Eddie Cantor. It's a good thing times have changed, but even in those times, Cantor wasn't demeaning. (And I agree with you about those future generations!)
I absolutely LUV this "Swing Is Here To Stay"number-starring Eddie Cantor,Jeni Le Hon and The Peters Sisters..this has to be some of Jeni Or Bob's best rhythm tap work..Her rhythm tapping is just as incredible &beautiful as her legs and complete being and presence! And the Peters Sisters not only had incredible voices and harmonies..but they can really swing and tap too! And the all-black male chorus that backs up Cantor in this number all have such incredible range and such beautiful and hip harmony..and there vocal impressions of various musical instruments during their singing of this number is so hip and wonderful! I am now a huge fan of Eddie Cantor,Jeni Le Gon and The Peters Sisters..since I've now seen this number for the first time! I wish television would just dump most all the unrealistic"Criminal Minds"type of serial killer&crime shows and most of the cop shows(except for"Blue Bloods"&"48 Hours")..and replace them with the type of entertainment I just saw in the Eddie Cantor"Swing Is Here To Stay"number!
The Peters Sisters are WONDERFUL AND EXTREMLY SWINGING
I love the way Eddie moves in his performances and his facial expressions. he sings and dances in such a crazy cartoonish way lol
By 1937, Cantor was a major radio star, but he had been doing numbers like this for 30 years on the stage. The earliest film of Cantor seems to be that 1923 short with the synced sound. What he must have been like - the energy of his performance - on the stage between 1910-1920 as a young man, we can only imagine. This is but a taste of that.
The solo dancer, Jeni Le Gon, had a dance studio in 1950's L.A. where she was training young dancers. I watched a rehearsal with my mom at the old Ebony Showcase Theatre on Washington Blvd. The students were moving diagonally across the stage practicing transitioning to flying leaps from walking : 3 steps then leap, etc.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery - Oscar Wilde.
Thank you for sharing. Eddie Cantor is amazing!
Amazing performers, voices and dancers...
I used to have this on tape... thank you for sharing what is one of the most wonderful songs of all times.;Eddie and Friends really show us young ones how to rock!
ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!!!
Swing was a huge fad starting around 1936, and just like the lyrics of this song say, it was loved internationally.
About 20 years later, rock & roll achieved the same thing - if not more so.
I wish swing could be loved internationally again ...
SUPERB... one of Eddie Cantor's best numbers. It incorporates all his stage schtick into a terrific musical number. The dancer is Jeni Le Gon (who is still alive) and the fabulous Peters Sisters. Just a wonderful song and dance number that lampoons popular dance crazes of the era: Struttin', Peckin', and the Suzy Q.
Cantor was one of the biggest stars of this time, famous of black face and dancing. His renditions of "If You Knew Suzy" and "Whoopee" were among the biggest songs of the time.
drednm Thanks for those names . I look them up. ? Im amazed that anybody can identify black actors, many times uncredited.
Cab Calloway: the universal language understood by black people throughout history
The trio is the Peters Sisters...
When AMC showed Ali Baba
Goes To Town they left out
The beautiful song that
Tony Martin sang to the
Daughter princess of the
Sheik (Gypsy Rose Lee's
Sister was her name
June Lang).
There is an episode of
Pee Wees Playhouse where
Pee Wee Herman Paul Reubens is looking through
The magic glasses and a
Clip of a man dancing in
Bagdad looks like Eddie Cantor .Cowboy Curtis also
Looks through the magic glasses and sees the same
Old movie clip.
I wonder if that old movie clip is from Ali Baba Goes To Town? The name of the
Pee Wees Playhouse Episode is Just Another Day
At the Playhouse.
Admiring the talent and insulted at the same time. Damn.
exactly!
This is from the 1937 movie Ali Baba Goes to Town. I googled it.
WHo're his back-up dancers? The really heavy-set woman has a fanastic rhythm-sense, and does hte most wonderful things with her shoulders and head.
A redeeming feature of this pre-code number is having a major white star appearing with black performers in the same number. This is something that virtually disappeared after the production code kicked in.
This isn't pre-code. The Hays Code went into effect in 1934 and this movie was made three years later. And there was no ban on a white performer appearing with a Black one in the same number - keep in mind that Shirley Temple and Bill Robinson danced together in films repeatedly at this time, for example. What WAS prohibited were scenes of interracial romance or implied sex, none of which occurs here.
I would like to see this movie someday...does anyone know where I could see this? thanks,
Ali Baba Goes to Town.
Thank you Alina
Sue Elias You're welcome.
There was a time when a "white" man singing "black" music was illegal so when an entertainer wanted to sing "black" music he went "black face". It was meant as appreciation not degredation
Really?
It's hard to believe that no one back then saw anything wrong with Black face.
Or with ridiculing Jews, Italians, Germans, Irish ... It was a better time with no PC and far less sensitivity and much more good humor.
because it was a an homage to blacks not a mockery of them you dummy. lightskin blacks wore blackface too. it was an artform - like wearing whiteface as a mime or geisha. the stigma is recent and a re-write of history to divide the races and increase hatred of the white jews most famous for wearing it - like jolson and cantor.
@@______638 It is not what is on the Head,or the face, or body, but what is in the Heart that counts, THIS IS PURE ENTERTAINMENT!! nothing else!
Oy vey. Eddie. I love Cantor but by that time, he should have know better.