Holy Shmoley! This is the same CGI wizardry used by James Cameron to take us to Pandora to mine Unobtainium! No - wait. Never mind. It's just one of those Paul Whiteman tribute artists, so common during Great Depression. Darn it.
Paul Whiteman dancing is really vaudeville performer Paul Small (1909-1954) who looked and danced a lot like the lyricist Mack Gordon? For more of Mack dancing and singing with his partner Harry Revel. See the Paramount short "Hollywood Rhythm" (1934)
bravo!!!! bravo!!!!! now thats entertainement!!!! all three segments. now someone get out there and bring it all back agian! they had entertainers in those days not actors or singers or dancers or comedians. they did all of it. and did it great!
Jackie Gleason used to dance up a storm and do cartwheels on live television, and it was really him doing it. The amazement was that such a big guy could do that. I got a kick out of Whiteman's trick double business. though, although it's tough for me to make out the extra thinness in the dancer's face that several commenters mention.
I just watched all three parts of this amazing segment... jaw-dropping, all of it. And this was considered base-level competent entertainment back then... we sure are willing to setlle for less, now, aren't we?
After the Jazz Age faded, he toured with a smaller band and later became the musical director for ABC. And I think he'd welcome the comparison to the Beatles, since he had nothing but praise for them.
My jaw was on the floor when Paul pulled off that dazzling routine followed by a cartwheel! Then the REAL Paul came on. Even today I find this old film/movie extremely entertaining! Thanks for posting this , now I must find the whole movie!
What little I can find about him was that Paul Small (1909-1954) was an acrobatic dancer and apparently imitated Whiteman a number of times during the band's live performances. He was the same height and had similar facial features to Whiteman. Note how when the "real" Paul Whiteman peels off his mustache (1:30 - 1:32), the "fake" Paul Whiteman has a slightly narrower face. (There was another man named Paul Small who was a singer.)
Whiteman was 40 in 1930. He might have had some dancing ability, but that cart wheel looked professional. No trick photography. Just switched from Paul in the closeup to the fake in the full body shot that was doing the tough stuff. The dancer is taller by about 2 inches. His face is a bit thinner. Body was probably padded. At the end of the dance, real PW pulls off the dancer's fake mustache.
Maybe Paul was too fat and immobile to dance that way, but I don't think it's impossible for someone of his build to dance like that. The dancer's movements are consistent with a hefty build. There have been 'hefty' people who could dance quite well, they just can't keep up extreme output for long. It looks like Paul comes out and pulls off the guy's fake mustache, but the guy still looks exactly like Paul! If it's trick photography, it's very tricky, and the trick doesn't seem to end!
It's definitely not Pops Whiteman really dancing. That's a bit of trick photography, but quite well done for the time it was filmed. Pops was way too fat and immobile to possibly dance so well.
Thanks so much for posting 'happy feet'. But I hate to admit it, I'm confused. It wasn't Paul Whiteman dancing, right? But it looked like he was going to pull the mask off the other guy, and then he just tweaked the other guy's nose, and then it looked like twin brothers standing there. Anybody know any more about this?
Had me fooled!
BrianPicchi 2 months ago
Wow, that was fun. Last time I saw a large man dance on screen was "Ralph Kramden"
vmeister11 4 months ago
Holy Shmoley! This is the same CGI wizardry used by James Cameron to take us to Pandora to mine Unobtainium! No - wait. Never mind. It's just one of those Paul Whiteman tribute artists, so common during Great Depression. Darn it.
TheStockwell 5 months ago
Paul Whiteman dancing is really vaudeville performer Paul Small (1909-1954) who looked and danced a lot like the lyricist Mack Gordon? For more of Mack dancing and singing with his partner Harry Revel. See the Paramount short "Hollywood Rhythm" (1934)
ilprofessore10012 9 months ago
I had never imagined Paul Whiteman as a dancer before - he's amazing!
Gileohi 9 months ago
This was WONDERFULL! ...Thanks to Father Greg.
sammee6602 10 months ago
Never quite realized before that Paul Whiteman and Oliver Hardy were the same person.
ChristophePhilippe 1 year ago
@ChristophePhilippe Am I readi g right ?
fjbutch 1 year ago
bravo!!!! bravo!!!!! now thats entertainement!!!! all three segments. now someone get out there and bring it all back agian! they had entertainers in those days not actors or singers or dancers or comedians. they did all of it. and did it great!
TheBabyboomkidof53 1 year ago
Comment removed
colinwells4 1 year ago
Jackie Gleason used to dance up a storm and do cartwheels on live television, and it was really him doing it. The amazement was that such a big guy could do that. I got a kick out of Whiteman's trick double business. though, although it's tough for me to make out the extra thinness in the dancer's face that several commenters mention.
Impowers 1 year ago
ahahahahahah!!! Anybody knows if Bix was still in?
annanoli 1 year ago
@annanoli Bix was still in Whiteman's orchestra, but he does not appear in this film. This was filmed dring a time he was recovering from an illness.
TuberOnTheLoose 1 year ago
@annanoli dunno but i'd like to
tetrapiloctomy 10 months ago
In the movie HAPPY FEET, the penguin should've been dancing to HAPPY FEET from this movie.
baxterfilms 2 years ago 11
I guess "So help me Bob" was a substitute for "So help me God"
baxterfilms 2 years ago
I just watched all three parts of this amazing segment... jaw-dropping, all of it. And this was considered base-level competent entertainment back then... we sure are willing to setlle for less, now, aren't we?
tuxguys 3 years ago 18
Ahhh... I was hoping that was really him.
Kinemacolour 3 years ago
Paul Whiteman had more million selling recordings than the Beatles!
SouthTexasHam 3 years ago 5
After the Jazz Age faded, he toured with a smaller band and later became the musical director for ABC. And I think he'd welcome the comparison to the Beatles, since he had nothing but praise for them.
MrUnidyne 2 years ago
My jaw was on the floor when Paul pulled off that dazzling routine followed by a cartwheel! Then the REAL Paul came on. Even today I find this old film/movie extremely entertaining! Thanks for posting this , now I must find the whole movie!
cruddiestcrudever 3 years ago
According to the Internet Movie Database, Paul Whiteman's dancing double was Paul Small (1909-1954).
MrUnidyne 3 years ago
Split image to me i must have bad eyes explain this Paul Small fellow.
DanielKeithMorrison 3 years ago
What little I can find about him was that Paul Small (1909-1954) was an acrobatic dancer and apparently imitated Whiteman a number of times during the band's live performances. He was the same height and had similar facial features to Whiteman. Note how when the "real" Paul Whiteman peels off his mustache (1:30 - 1:32), the "fake" Paul Whiteman has a slightly narrower face. (There was another man named Paul Small who was a singer.)
MrUnidyne 3 years ago
died how?
DanielKeithMorrison 3 years ago
That's one of the things I can't find about him. He seems to have dropped out of sight when the Jazz age ended.
MrUnidyne 3 years ago
..and just a little taste of Oliver Hardy....?
ellerboda 3 years ago
Only Paul Whiteman would Want to out stage his band with the use of a stunt double - Zefren Adovocate of the Melbourne Shuffle
Zefrenm 4 years ago
Well, It's really very easy to explain.
PAUL WHITEMAN can't dance - so he sends in his "stunt double"
See, now that wasn't hard at all.
genekrupajr 4 years ago
Whiteman was 40 in 1930. He might have had some dancing ability, but that cart wheel looked professional. No trick photography. Just switched from Paul in the closeup to the fake in the full body shot that was doing the tough stuff. The dancer is taller by about 2 inches. His face is a bit thinner. Body was probably padded. At the end of the dance, real PW pulls off the dancer's fake mustache.
FoPo4 4 years ago
well done just the same...
louswire 4 years ago
Well, have you seen Oliver Hardy dance? He was very light on his feet. I don't think he did cartwheels, but he could dance!
zerdda 5 years ago
Maybe Paul was too fat and immobile to dance that way, but I don't think it's impossible for someone of his build to dance like that. The dancer's movements are consistent with a hefty build. There have been 'hefty' people who could dance quite well, they just can't keep up extreme output for long. It looks like Paul comes out and pulls off the guy's fake mustache, but the guy still looks exactly like Paul! If it's trick photography, it's very tricky, and the trick doesn't seem to end!
pudnbug 5 years ago
It's definitely not Pops Whiteman really dancing. That's a bit of trick photography, but quite well done for the time it was filmed. Pops was way too fat and immobile to possibly dance so well.
Ulysses61 5 years ago
Thanks so much for posting 'happy feet'. But I hate to admit it, I'm confused. It wasn't Paul Whiteman dancing, right? But it looked like he was going to pull the mask off the other guy, and then he just tweaked the other guy's nose, and then it looked like twin brothers standing there. Anybody know any more about this?
pudnbug 5 years ago
This is from the film "King of Jazz"- 1930. The Charleston was one helluva beautiful dance, huh?
drdee51 5 years ago
HOW EVER DID YOU GET THIS FOOTAGE?
broadway12 5 years ago