Eleanor Powell at PRIVATE Hollywood party for Movie Stars

[eleanorpowell2007]

99 years today since the birth of Eleanor Powell. Thanks Eleanor for all the exhilarating happiness you provided the world with your craft.

[fernandoferrazdance]

Carmen Miranda!!!!!

[HurricaneRhonda]

A bit of research: This was filmed at a daytime reception for visiting Navy Admirals from Latin American countries on a "Good Neighbor Policy" tour sponsored by the State Department. It was held at MGM in middle May 1941, Norma Shearer acted as hostess. The Admirals were also treated to a night at Ciro's and a party at the home of Constance Bennett and Gilbert Roland. They were given souvenir books with pictures of themselves with the Hollywood glamour girls.

[HurricaneRhonda]

The lady next to Cary Grant is Ann Sothern. It's from June 1941, the brunette woman next to Grant is Joan Bennett and it looks like Darryl Zanuck next to her. I can't link to the picture I found from this for some reason. otrr.org and check out OTR Art and search under Ann Sothern.

[popscj2a]

Women on right at 0:35 is Lucille Ball, she was super hot then checkout the movie

Du Barry was a Lady.

[FabFeetOnline]

very cool.. she's soooo good

[2reeler]

Nobody has identified the Actress at 51 seconds. Thats Rosalind Russell. The one with Cary Grant looks more like Ann Sothern than Lucille Ball. As the actresses are seated with servicemen, I'd guess this was a World War II USO type show! Awesome tap dance by my fave, Eleanor! Thanks for this incredible clip

[Mamasan41]

Thank you SO much!

[sciaccadani]

That's absolutely Ann Southern sitting next to Cary Grant; can't see the brunette on the other side of him well enough to make a guess. At the end of the video it's Carmen Miranda in her turban and Marlene Dietrich closest to us.

[deserthues]

It seems like I've seen the lady next to Cary Grant in a million movies, but I can't remember even one right now. Didn't she always play the acerbic best friend of whomever the main actress was? It seems like she usually played the funny supporting roles.

[patsysisk1]

A lot of people think the woman at 00:35 is Lucille Ball. But I dont think Lucille Ball would have been a big enough star between 1936-1938 to sit beside Cary Grant. I think it is Ann Southern. She had stared in plenty of films by 1938.

[jlive111]

I'm surprised there is any room for doubt about the woman at 00:35. It is clearly Lucille Ball.

[hajune]

@jlive111 Girl in the video is Ann Southern not Lucy. I can say that with great clarity Lucy was just a bit player and did a 3 stooges film in this period. She looks somewhat like Lucy but it is not.

[hajune]

Great stuff. Thanks for posting. Ellie danced with Bill "Bojangles" Robinson when younger ( ages 15-16) at Manhatten parties. He taught her much. She had but 10 formal lessons that her mother paid $30 . How good was she? She earned the title" Queen of Tap" at the tender age of 17 while only have learned tap dancing at 14. Her mother got her ballot lessons and more conventional dancing lessons, but not tap when very young. She did so to help her with her shyness. Ellie danced 12 hours a day.

[suttonguy]

god you were fabulous eleanor powell! - the best female tap dancer in the business.

[cheesenedd]

it's not often you see live video of music before television was invented, it's amazing the differences in sound quality between the movies and the live performances of the time.

[jdfox1]

Nice. :)

[dearestcaroline]

the girls eating looked jealous. =]

[harryoakley]

That's Georgie Stoll directing the band.

[Tap2323]

Wow, where did find this?!?! Awsome, Thanks for uploading!

[TL250Rider]

THIS IS THE BEST

WHAT CAN I SAY......

[legitimateJunkiee]

perfection !

[geraldoeuclide1940]

Eleanor Powell, wonderful, I love you!

[Dayniac4324]

Terrific !! Thanks !

[blinko656]

Video response is a video I made with a short clip of the classic stars including The Great Eleanor Powell. Oh George Raft is in it dancing this guy could move...

[cushtichavi]

where can i find gorgeous georgie?

[greenstboy]

DEfintely Lucille Ball next to Cary Grant. Roz Russell between military men. Carmen Miranda and Claudette Colbert at end.

No Marlene.

[netwitt1]

Wow! Ellie flies through this routine like a hyperactive hummingbird! Where are the easy steps? This is 2:11 of in-your-face dexterity from the best!!

[classicmoviegirl]

The first is Ann Sothern with Cary Grant. The next is Roz Russell between the two military guys. The last two are hard, but I think by the smiles that the lady on the right is Carmen Miranda and the one on the left is Claudette Colbert.

[sharuthie]

holy cow ... sorry guys but you must be young movie buffs. The blond in the upsweep with Claudette Colbert is none other than Carmen Miranda when she was starting out.

[eleanorpowell2007]

I'm sure we all know Carmen Miranda, she cannot be mistaken for anyone else, it is the other woman at 00:35 we are a bit dubious about.

[danceinhamburg]

the woman on the right could be marlene dietrich, she looks very similar to her.. when was it filmed?

[pat7893]

It looks like Eve Arden.

[canajaneh]

@eleanorpowell2007

That was Lucille Ball.

[gatolupas]

@eleanorpowell2007 Marlene???

[absynthe1972]

@eleanorpowell2007

Looks like Lucille Ball...

[MayorConnie]

@sharuthie ...sorry folks you're both wrong..thats none other than Lucille Ball sitting next to Cary Grant

[Ianey11]

@sharuthie I don't see Carmen MIranda but the blonde is actually Ann Sothern sitting next to Cary Grant.

[a07002]

Savon Glover and his followers have disdain for this kind of dancing, perhaps because they lack the grace and flair to pull it off.

[eleanorpowell2007]

Hah, quite true, Savion Glover might be like a machine capable to tap (or make noise) really fast, but he makes tap dance look horrid and his 'style' or lack of it is a disgrace. I personally know some people who have seen him live and left his show after a while because they couldn't stand the show, plus I've also read of many more who have done the same. He has his upper body bent looking at his feet!! Precision, speed and agility are adjectives he can use, but certainly not grace and flair.

[Shurayuki18481]

You're so right!!

[dggd]

@a07002 Hallo!!! lol

[manflower13]

is that Lucy at 00:35?

[eleanorpowell2007]

Certainly the woman is very similar to Lucille, the hair does look like hers, but the quality of the video image is so bad that I cannot be 100% sure. There's something in her eyes and cheekbones that reminds me of Claudette Colbert, but Claudette hardly was seen as a blonde with long hair, only for a few films. The glass in front of her face doesn't help much.

[bootsamou]

Yes, that is completely unmistakably Lucille Ball, sitting next to Cary Grant of course.

[mypetard]

I'm pretty sure that is Ann Sothern. She did guest star on Lucille Ball's show a number of times...

[eleanorpowell2007]

Gosh, it shows how terrible the image quality is, haha, 3 different people eeach one being convinced the woman is a different artist...Lucille Ball, Claudette Colbert and now Ann Sothern. Who is next?  :)

[TheMerryArtist]

Don't worry, it isn't that bad... I think the confusion merely lies with the lady next to Cary Grant. Marlene Dietrich and Claudette Colbert are shown sitting one seat away from each other, right? So the question is whether the other woman is Ann Sothern or Lucille Ball! Personally, I think it looks more like Ann Sothern.

[snowwhiterosered]

Ah, I think you're right about it being Ann Southern.

[snowwhiterosered]

No, it isn't. She wouldn't have been at such a party at least until the mid-40's.

It looks a bit like Marlene Dietrich.

[mypetard]

You should go by your first instinct -

This 'party' is a typical studio pr event which up and coming actors would be seen mingling with the stars of the day. Ann Sothern was just starting getting featured and starring roles in the early 1930's. IMBD her....

Of course, this isn't important but it is fun!

[mypetard]

oops - meant IMDB

[eleanorpowell2007]

Actually Marlene Dietrich is in other bit of the video, with different costume and hair style.

[eleanorpowell2007]

??.....but I have the 3 DVDs (part I, II and III) and it is not in there.... Doesn't matter.

[zzindorf]

She was the queen of tap. This is in one of the movies like That's Dancing, those MGM tributes. If only tap had rhythm like that today.

[eleanorpowell2007]

I have a DVD copy of 'That's Dancing' and this is not in there. It was taken from a Hermes Pan special. But you're right about the way tap is being performed nowadays, there's no grace or class, it seems most tap dancers are only concerned with speed and many forget about the importance of the upper body. I can't stand when they look at their feet, with half body bent forward. No flair, no substance.

[zzindorf]

Then it's That's Entertainment, or That's Entertainment II or III.

[jameszerukjr]

Very, very, very cool!

I love EP!!!!

[eleanorpowell2007]

Yes, it was from her nightclub revue show.

[Machineguntapdanza]

the tune at 1.53 was a regular tune on most of her ofscreen numbers.....

[bjnevin]

One similar to it was used in her cameo in Thousands Cheer, I think.

[Shurayuki18481]

Do you have any more rare footage of Ellie!?!

[RJMCCLOUD]

IT'S GREAT............absolutely BRILLIANT!!!!

[smileandsha]

oh. my. god. this is amazing, i ADORE eleanor powell! where did you get this??

great post!

[Shurayuki18481]

eleanorpowell2007 got it from a video tribute to Hermes Pan. This is the ONLY clip about Eleanor in that video. Is'nt she great!?!