I Want to Be Happy

[MerleOberon]

Our Ruby still had it in the 70s

[thespianalb]

She betta werk!

[paulcrees1]

I worked as a scenic artist at the Theatre Royal,Drury Lane in London and painted the scenery for the London production with Anna Neagle,she was no Ruby Keeler,and did more of a soft shoe shuffle,however the show was great,and I used to stand in the wings to watch this number at every matinee,the audience reaction was fabulous.Happy days.

[sarmadasco]

Ruby Keeler had very fortunate feet! In her autobiography, she states that it was all her feet and her forever ingenue face that made her. She states that she did not have a singing voice nor was truly an actress...but she could move! I agree with this. Looking at here here, in her late 60's....is amazing. Seeing early films, 'Gold Diggers', '42nd St', etc.you wondered always why she was there, until she danced, when you realized why! Never made it to Rogers heights, but did make an impression.

[gf1001]

What a wonderful clip always loved Ruby that gal could dance even aged 61 fabulous thanks for sharing.

[MerleOberon]

Gotta love our Ruby!

[trov85]

you go girl so them how it's done

[JudgeJulieLit]

A pro and a star ... just love her ! Exuberance, all American creative optimistic youthful buoyant spirit & her je ne sais quas .

[strykertool]

REVIVE this musical!!!!!

[sebasj1978]

This is just amazing, sooo cute! I will never get tired of seeing it! Ruby Keeler rocked!

[ChristophePhilippe]

What a thrill! I have to say--she'd have to be that good to get on the same stage as Helen Gallgher.

[rainbowbob100]

Why wasn't she nominated for a Tony for this :((

[sebasj1978]

Ruby Keeler is by far my favorite girl in musicals. Since I saw her in "4snd Street" (1933) I just fell in love with her. She was so sweet, pretty and charming!

[vertxxgg]

adorable Ruby Keeler

[MrDasher01]

Look at Ruby go!! She's amazing. She holds her dress just like she did when she danced in her movies.

[ChristophePhilippe]

@mrspatrickcampbell It's something to be doing that at 61 if you've been away from performing for more than 30 years and never expected to come back.

[mrspatrickcampbell]

was this from the tony awards or was it the actual show?

[coteyankee1]

I was there that night at the '71 Tonys! I also had seen No, No on Broadway a month before the Tony Awards. I thought Ruby did a GRAND job, considering she was almost 61 years old! I also saw it when it came around my area during the summer stock season in the summer of '71, and she was still starring! I'd also like to see Bobby Van and Helen Gallagher do You Can Dance With Any Girl At All. That was, without a doubt, the most amazing choreography I've ever seen! I'd die to see it again.

[harleymnnyc]

what is this from?

[alamaboy]

Thank you so much for posting this . I saw Yvonne De Carlo do this role in Sydney back in 1973 , i love the show but i love this video Ruby keeler has such style , shame about that obscene comment from the moron Obama can Suck My Ass is there really call for such behaviour , but again many many thanks , you made me very happy

[josephgoodrich]

Do you have Bobby Van and Helen Gallagher doing "You can dance with any girl at all"?

[an7iguy]

I do, but I can't seem to upload it. It's on bluegobo, which is where this was lovingly taken from.

[OldieMusicMan]

Awesome! I love how well the sixty-plus year old Keeler was, and yet she more than held her own with these much younger dancers.

[folliesfanatic]

i do have an audio bootleg of the act 1 of the original that i would love to post. helen gallagher was great live singing too many rings around rosie. the audience reaction to the whole happy number including ruby's "bow" afterwards is thrislling

[briarpatch2]

I saw this when it was originally broadcast in '72 (or '73) and thought I'd never see it again. What a treat to get to see it after all these years. I can't help but smile when I realize that Ruby Keeler was 62 when she was doing this. Just amazing. Thank you for posting it.

[tapdancegirl88]

mmm her pretty shoe metal look and sounds sure knows how to make a person feel good and hard

[folliesfanatic]

I do have an audio tape of the first act of the original 1971 production. I will try to post some of it as the songs sound great, especially Helen Gallagher. Also, you get to hear Patsy Kelly's hillarious dialogue!

[astrofiasco]

I have never heard of this show and bought the broadway cd and I LOVE IT> THe songs are catchy and Dammit.. PUT IT ON BROADWAY>> we need some happiness.

[scottfwtx]

never heard of it? where have you been living?

[astrofiasco]

huh?

uve been smokin and lifting weights man?

[johnyzero2000]

Is there any footage of the original Broadway show from 1971?

[an7iguy]

I've been trying to work on that for a while. Audio bootlegs from the the time are somewhat uncommon, but getting video for anything that early other than television spots is almost unheard of. I'm sure it could exist somewhere, its just a matter of finding it.

[johnyzero2000]

I think it is tragic that so many Broadway shows were never filmed or videotaped! Goddamn Equity! Some shows at least were audio recorded but those are like looking for a needle in a haystack. The biggest mistake Broadway ever made was never filming Laurette Taylor in the Glass Menagerie.

[bobbobato]

When Laurette Taylor was in the Glass Menagerie, The cameras were not teeny tiny things with unlimited recording times, instead they were huge and expensive. To film a Broadway show would have taken quite an investment, and not worth the effort, since there wasn't a large audience for filmed plays.

[folliesfanatic]

see my comment on my audio bootleg. i also have Sugar, pre-Broadway, Chicago -Pre Broadway, Hello Dolly with Channing and some others

[folliesfanatic]

by the way, you've posted some incredible stuff. thank you

[folliesfanatic]

@johnyzero2000 I do have the first act of the original cast live recording on tape It's great to hear Patsy Kelly which you don't appreciate from the cast album. Too Many Rings Around Rosie, Call of the Sea, and Happy are in their full version, not abridged as on the album. I recorded it during a performance on B'Way when I was a kid.

[vincentpoe1]

I saw this show in the 70s on Broadway. What a cast! In addition to Ruby Keeler, there was Bobby Van, Jack Gilgord, Patsy Kelly and Helen Gallagher. It was awesome! I saw it in London a few years later with Anna Neagle in the Ruby Keeler role. it was very good, but not as good as the original!

[vincentpoe1]

Sorry, - I meant Jack GilFord.

[ferrierepc]

I am having one of those 'feel good' moments, having seen this video. I have seen Ms Keeler in interviews throughout her life where she stated that she was so out of her league back in the "Gold Digger" days but that she eventually caught up to her reputation. In watching the old films, she was no a good actress, nor could sing well, or even dance, but she had something and she will ever be remembered in those Berkeley films with Joan Blondell, Ginger Rodgers, Bebe Daniels..etc. Brava!!

[busby1959]

Couldn't dance? Then what the hell is she doing in this clip?

[ferrierepc]

Please do not be offended. I did not say that she could not dance, she said she could not dance, in the interview. However, if you are going to make it relative, in comparison to, let me say, Ann Miller, Gwen Verdon, Eleanor Powell...she could not keep up but she knew this. I applaud the video, her, all of it, please do not misunderstand. I enjoy the performances indeed I have them all on dvd. OK?

[jbactr]

I actually believe the whole point to her career was that she indeed couldn't really sing or act, but she COULD tap up a storm.

[ferrierepc]

Ok....! I am, if nothing else, open minded, I think. All I was doing, I swear, was referring to an article that I read about what she herself, said. I would really be unhappy if people misunderstood me and thought that I was not enchanted by her and her films, which I own. I especially like her in 'GD 1033", which is so sweet, innocent, different from anything we could even imagine today (except for the 'Forgotten Man' scene). i really enjoy the old fims where we did not have to be miniFreuds.

[RoninSea]

Awesome! I saw the show last May in NYC with Sandy Duncan & Rosie O'Donnell. So great to see the ORIGINAL!! Thanks for posting.

[Chronic2112]

retarded.

[an7iguy]

Thank you for your input. Your opinion is important to us.

[brocklinehan]

@Chronic2112 Nobody asked about your own mental state, but thanks anyway.

[daughterrevolution]

Yeah but she called Al Jolson "the dirty Jew" in front of her own son and Al's. That's not something someone with real class would do.

[busby1959]

Where did you get your information? I knew Ms. Keeler, am in the process of writing a book about her, and have interviewed a number of people who knew her or worked with her...and that absolutely does not sound like anything she would ever have said.

[AngelaLansburyFan]

I saw her in this performance on Broadway and she was fantastic. I got goose bumps when she came on stage and tapped danced, She was great.

[dancesong4]

AHHHHHHH!!!!!  THANK YOU!!!!!!!!

[scottfwtx]

Wow how did she do that?

[lajillycat]

This video owns me. ^_^

[wattever333]

what does that even mean???

[Dirkdebruyne]

been wanting to see this for YEARS!

[busby1959]

Ruby Keeler was just incredible! I'd do anything to have this entire production on tape - it was the first Broadway show I ever saw. Wonderful.

[folliesfanatic]

I agree, it was just a fantastic production. It would be great to see the who show on video. Somoeone out there probably has it.

[folliesfanatic]

I have been waiting for years for someone to post this video. I saw it at the Lincoln Center Library and of course saw her in the original Broadway production. Thanks so much for a touch of nostalgia from the 20's and 70's!