Shall we Dance?

[msmvnj]

I think Donald was more comfortable in this format, he's a comedian and a dancer, whereas Gene was a dancer and an actor. Dancing wise, Gene had more training and as someone else mentioned, went for perfection while O'Connor was a hoofer. They were both incredible, just had different styles. For looks, however, I'd take Gene in a heartbeat. He was hot.

[faith4094]

@msmvnj Loads of us think Donald is the hot one:)))))) Check out my channel for videos, montages, and tributes to Donald, too, by other great fans:))))) I have to say that Donald was a terrific actor....comedic, with his incredible timing, as well as dramatic. He won the Golden Globe as Best Actor in a comedy or musical. He made his first movie, in 1938 at age 12, with Bing Crosby. He made terrific movies, as a teen, and was a teen idol. He could do it all...He also won the Emmy.

[2004dale]

i adore donald!

[faith4094]

@2004dale There's no one like Donald!! What a doll!:))))))

[practicalmagic4]

u just cant take ur eyes off him!!! donalds  just wwaayy too addictive

[paramedicEmergency51]

I'm in my computer skills class watching this lol

[SISAPIS]

@paramedicEmergency51 LOL, nice thing to do on computer class )))

[KatyLuchers]

whats the year of this? :)

[Vanderpost97]

Gene Kelley is still a very good dancer but I still have to go for Donald O'Connor! I just seem to find that Gene looks a little more forced than Donald who seems to be more graceful and casual when he dances. Donald has a load more of personality in his dancing rather than Gene does, and - i know it was the style back then but still- i find Gene looks WAY too happy! its almost creepy to me ... overall they are both great dancers but in my opinion, i would choose Donald O'Connor any day. (:

[faith4094]

@Vanderpost97  I'm soooo with you - LOVE DONALD!!!!

[Vanderpost97]

@faith4094 Ahaha I am addicted, all day at school im thinking "hmmm I would much rather be at home watching Donald O'Connor" lol i know i know, im such a bad student lol

[faith4094]

@Vanderpost97 I know exactly how you feel - loads of us are addicted to Donald, but we don't want a cure!!!:))))

[Vanderpost97]

@faith4094 for sure !! I DONT WANT A CURE!!!!

[practicalmagic4]

@Vanderpost97 LETS MAKE A CLUB!!! I DONT WANNA CURE EITHER!!!

[Vanderpost97]

@practicalmagic4 ahahhah you just maybe need to be my best friend :)

I will never in my life want to be cured of Donald O'Connor , he makes my day , brightens my moods and helps get me through things. no cures please and thank you ! (:

[MiyuGoreLivingDead]

@Vanderpost97 100000000000000% agree with you, we think the same.. I soooo Love Donald ♥

[Vanderpost97]

bromanceeee ......

I still lovee Donald though XD

[bossyboots55]

in my opinion they were thebest. i didnt particularly like fred astaire. i still sigh when i see that scene with gene and donald in singing in the rain...fantastic...the one where they dance 'on the wall'

[bossyboots55]

in my opinion they were thebest. i didnt particularly like fred astaire.

[faith4094]

Donald's sooooooo sexy!!!!!!!!:))))))))))))

[0arial0]

kelly's so sexy <3<3<3

[Lalai44]

1:19 - 1:26 SWAG!

[paramedicEmergency51]

I recorded singing in the rain onto DVD from the VHS copy. I'm glad I did

[CLAUDIAINXS]

SIENTO QUE LA MUSICA ES UNIVERSAL, NO TIENE FRONTERAS, ES UN IDIOMA UNICO. OJALA TODOS TUVIESEMOS EL DON QUE TUVO GENE, POR LO MENOS ME QUEDO CON LA VERTIGINOSA SENSACION DE VERLO BAILAR, DE ESCUCHARLO CANTAR A VECES, DISFRUTAR DE SABER QUE HAY OTRAS PERSONAS EN ESTE MUNDO INMENSO QUE SIENTEN COMO SIENTO YO. ES MAGIA. GENE KELLY TRAJO MAGIA A ESTE MUNDO, ESTAMOS EN EL AÑO 2011 Y AUN PODEMOS DISFRUTAR DE ESTE PRODIGIO. ABRAZOS!!!

[MrPoupard]

Two masters but is it only me who feels that - perhaps - the whole is less than the sum of the part?. Still wonderful to watch tho.

[lillywyatt]

Today's entertainers just don't come close to the dizzying heights of these men, and indeed so many others of Hollywood's Golden Age.

[crunchyyellowlion]

Donald is just more animated both are equally amazing :)

[CLAUDIAINXS]

YO TAMBIEN ADORO A GENE. SALUDOS DESDE ARGENTINA.

[MrPoupard]

@CLAUDIAINXS Muchas gracias desde Escocia!

[AngelioDonaja284]

löl_Î_fÈêl_sò_lÒÑélý_tôDãY

[iamnotdikkie]

:D My two favourite dancers! I've loved them since my granddad brought home a VHS tape of Singin' in the Rain. LOL, the family's worn out several copies since. Good thing DVDs aren't expensive (and they come in box sets!). <3

[toefeather]

cutest bromance ever :)

[p215j]

Donald O'Connor was smooth as silk, he really outshone Gene Kelly here. Great perfomance.

[faith4094]

@p215j I agree completely! Donald - smooth as silk - love him!!!!

[practicalmagic4]

@p215j  absolutly! real grace

[bexbeckyxx]

Donald O'Connor in my opinion is ten times better then than gene kelly and he doesn't gat half the credit he deserves, and i'll put up his famed duet with Ethel Mermen from Call Me Madam to prove it!

[faith4094]

@bexbeckyxx You are so right!! Love Donald!!

[mjwells100]

Donald O'Connor just shines in this dance routine. It saddens me that he wasn't recognized more for his phenomenal talent!  He also has a beautiful voice. It goes without question that Gene Kelly was very good too, but Donald was every bit as good -- and in my humble opinion -- better. Look how effortlessly Donald moves in this video. He was an amazing performer!!

[faith4094]

@mjwells100 You are soooo right! Donald was the BEST!!! Donald won the Golden Globe for his performance in Singin' and he was huge on T.V. in the 50's winning an Emmy as Best Male Star. He made wonderful movies like Call Me Madam, There's No Business Like Show Business, Anything Goes. He also made great earlier movies in the 40's. He was also a teen idol in the early 40's. When Gene came to Hollywood in 1940, he was 28 and was at powerful MGM. Donald was only 15 and was signed by Universal

[faith4094]

@mjwells100 where he did great routines in many movies. But Universal wasn't MGM. Thank goodness he also made those big movies at MGM, Fox, and Paramount. Just as he was making all of these big movies, the studio system and the big musical were, unfortunately, on the decline, so Donald wasn't able to take full advantage of it.

Donald grew up on the stage and loved performing before an audience. He loved to improvise and could think really fast on his feet; he could turn mistakes into

[faith4094]

@mjwells100 into something funny and memorable. If a mistake didn't happen, he made one because he knew the audience loved it. He had loads of success in Vegas etc. And, Donald had a gorgeous voice. He made recordings with Bing and Doris Day, also. His duet with Ethel Merman, from Call Me Madam - the first one where Donald sings the slower part - that part is not on Youtube- is fabulous and was a showstopper. They released it as a record. He was so at ease.

[faith4094]

@mjwells100 He was known for his "legendary cool" on stage. You can really see it in this clip. Effortless style and grace. And, he really was a quintuple threat - brilliant dancer, singer, actor, comedian, and pratfall artist!!!

LOVE, DONALD!!

[practicalmagic4]

@faith4094  dont forget his acrobatics!!!

[ShadowPouncy]

Both are such phenomenal dancers.So talented and graceful, as well as always spot on with each other. O'Connor I do think was more...fluid I think than Kelly, but Kelly had just as much strength as well as a great singing voice. They both did. Practically equal with one another.

I will forever love these two.

[MikaylaG22]

i love the song they sing at the beginning

[TheJasperAlice]

wow...what a subtlety of dance! it sure iz awesome!!.......relaxed but fabulous!!

[MsBedwell]

Love Donald O connor to bits ever since he made me laugh at the age of 10 - but Gene Kelly will always be my number one -he was dead gorgeous.

[SaxtonStopMotion]

What a pair! :')

[CrazyKnutsch]

omg this is to take a dump xD

[JohnStevens1958]

O'Conner was at his best here he outshines Kelly by miles.

[schillerforme1]

Bravissimo

[catwomanpl1]

Sorry, I don't keep my promises! I've been thinking hard for the last two hours (as you can see) and that's what has come of it - when dancing, Donald was like a twig in the wind, Gene - like a branch. What do you think?

[SISAPIS]

@catwomanpl1 Excellent allegory! ;)

[catwomanpl1]

@SISAPIS Thank you, thank you, thank you ('Singin' in the rain' - remember?). I hope it's a praise, not a laugh? Because I'm very proud of myself.... And, to the disappointment of many, I do prefer the twig!

[mindysioux13]

@catwomanpl1 I like twigs too lol

[faith4094]

@catwomanpl1 Good analogy. Donald is so adorable and a natural on stage with an audience. He's really relaxed and smooth and his moves just breeze along. What charisma and talent! I'm so glad this and the sitting dance were posted.

[rolandbutter88]

@catwomanpl1 I see what you're saying (just offering my two cents), and while I know the public is more in favor of Gene Kelly (and I'm not saying he's not absolutely amazing), Donald O'Connor was much lighter on his feet. I actually think he had more finesse to his dancing than Gene did. But that's my opinion, I know others will think differently.

[catwomanpl1]

@rolandbutter88 But I DO agree with you! Absolutely! Definitely! Always!

[rolandbutter88]

@catwomanpl1 HA! Oh my gosh, shows how much I comment on videos (almost never). I really should read your other comments before posting my own. I'm glad you agree!

[catwomanpl1]

@rolandbutter88 I'm all for Donald, forever and ever, for life! I've seen quite a few of his films lately and he's amazing in all of them. His movies weren't as widely known as Kelly's so many people don't even know who he was, let alone admiring his dancing, acting and singing skills... And these were incomparable....

[faith4094]

@rolandbutter88 The public has seen more of Kelly and that is completely due to T.V. I love Donald, too, and I think he is fabulous and had incredible wide-ranging talents. Donald had huge movie success in the 50's. He was also a big star on T.V., winning an Emmy. (He won a Golden Globe for Singin'). T.V. HAS BEEN THE KEY for successive generations to appreciate the brilliance of the movie's Golden Age of which Donald was a part. He was a lot younger than Kelly and wasn't able to reap the

[faith4094]

@rolandbutter88 the full benefits before the studio system and the musical declined. His own generation certainly knew and loved him and continued to support and appreciate him in all of his Vegas etc. shows. My generation also, always knew Donald. Unfortunately, we didn't see him on T.V., in his movies, as much ( We saw him on T.V. shows more.) due to legal song issues, lack of release etc. Although, some of his movies were shown more locally. Once people see, not only his brilliance in

[faith4094]

@rolandbutter88 in Singin', but also in Call Me Madam, There's No Business Like Show Business, Anything Goes, and so many of his earlier movies that have wonderful routines, they will be enamored, too. I was!!!!!

Completely!! His talent, charisma, and charm are amazing!! With more movies being shown and released, and the advent of Youtube, there is an incredible amount of interest and discussion about our Donald and his great talents. He was experiencing a lot of this, himself, in the 90's

[faith4094]

@rolandbutter88 when he was receiving numerous honors for his great work. The younger generations who had MISSED OUT are now starting to FIND OUT about and appreciate this consummate artist - the one and only, Donald O'Connor!

[kendi59]

@catwomanpl1 so true! Love 'em both 

[catwomanpl1]

the last, I promise - I love them at 3:00 - just fantastic!!!!!

[catwomanpl1]

sorry for that 'undertand' - of course it should be 'understand'

[catwomanpl1]

I've read all the comments about Gene's and Donald's dancing styles and, though I adore them both, I'd say that Gene was so much concentrated on doing his routines perfectly, faultlessly, gracefully that he sometimes became a bit rigid (don't kill me for that!) whereas Donald was more spontaneous, flexible, did his routines in a more relaxed way - I hope I used the right words and you'll undertand my point of view.

[ispollytong]

i love them!

[Lalai44]

i always scream at 1:23

How effing cool and awesome is that???

[HaWkBeAtLeSnElSoN]

how could you not like this?!

[masefu0]

great

[masefu0]

The greatest of all times....unsurpassed when dancing alone....as Fred Astaire was the greatest with a partner.

[CLASSICAListheWAY]

Ah....back when America was innocent.

[ashleighd13]

it's amazing how gene has so much energy yet at the same time be so graceful and composed. true legend, absolutely one of a kind <3 :)

[judyrusso]

Donald O'Connor was a talented dancer in his own right. This dance number was perfect. And Sisapis, I adore Gene too.  He had a smile that was so amazing and a girl could get weak knees. Charm oozed off of this man.

Thanks for posting.

[sweetbrightsea]

I also admire Donald O'Connor! Wonderfull dancer and comedian.

[D94ab]

What's the song starting at 2:20 ? I love it. It's been stuck in my head for couple of days now : D

[D94ab]

I wish these kind of things still were on TV. I'm sure there's a lot of people who would like to see this. I'm 16 and I have few friends that would love it.

[moroccansunshine]

I looovvvve Gene Kelly. Never get bored of him. Donald is so sweet next to Gene

[mikemcgee]

what was this tv show what channel did it appear and what year ?

[globaleye8]

What a great pair of hoofers - we shall not see their like again.

[enylah]

Wow. How great to be able to see this. It's hard enough trying to get their movies on region 2 DVD, let alone sequences like this one. I wish they'd put all these clips on DVD for the fans, I'm sure there are enough of us out there to make it a profitable venture!

[catwomanpl1]

@enylah Amen to this! If only someone out there in movie business would listen to us, poor victims of region 2!!!!

[jazzyuyu80]

I do wish that the TV would have this kind of shows on a sat night. Dance, music, talented people and intelligent conversations. I wonder if people would still love to see this kind of shows?

[marcusgael]

I'd watch 'em! Today's television is full of talentless idiots!

[enylah]

@jazzyuyu80 Definitely!

[TheBrightWindows]

@jazzyuyu80 It would be great if they brought all this sort of stuff but I doubt they will. Even if they did, I bet the intelligent conversations and talent would be lost on far too many people. Moreover, how many people can hoof and do stuff like this? I know there are still dancers around but none like this that I've ever seen

[practicalmagic4]

@jazzyuyu80 what makes me sad is talented pple are overlooked nowadays an just crap is thrown on tv, untalented pple are shoved in the spotlight.... ik

[swordfish1929]

wonderful dance and mum dosn't have to clean the foot-prints off the wall

[AnakinISD]

so cool

[860313]

I adore both Gene and Donald! <3 <3 <3

[silviaoe1234]

at the end donald looks a bit like dany kaye

[Ebooknetworking]

Beautiful timing wow

[cbgflygirl]

0:30 is the movie that made me a fan of both of them!

[CieloChic]

What charm!!

[lotrlovermr]

well Gene Kelly is a more sweeping and masculine dancer with a lot of ballet training, but for me Donald adds a lot more personality to the tap dances. They both add a bit of their personalities to it and thats whats important

[bossyboots55]

@lotrlovermr

they have different styles....which is great.

[silviaoe1234]

please someone write down from 35 sec. till 1 min. the text maybe i understand than

[dancinggiraffe]

G: You know, we havent danced together since Singin in the Rain.

D: Yeah, I know, Im still drying out.

G: Well, wet or dry, you look like youre in good shape, to me. [Audience laughs] Yeah, yeah.

D: Well, you know, I should be I got a good trainer.

G: Who?

D: You. You know how many taps Ive worn out since weve been rehearsing?

G: Well, I admit, weve been laying down a little iron.

[dancinggiraffe]

(Part 2 of the transcription silviaoe1234 requested)

D: A little iron! Are you kidding? Last week, U.S. Steel went up 4 points. [Audience laughs] U.S. Steel went up 4 points. [Audience laughs] You told me to say it. I thought it was [inaudible]. But listen, lets get serious. Lets go right to work.

G: Well, whatll we do?

D: Well

[Music starts]

D: [Singing] Shall we dance?

[babyinblack]

They are both spectacular :)

[bxrgirl]

I wish they had done more movies together than just "Singing in the Rain". They're my favorite duo.

[evenatomato]

loved the last few seconds

[lilpnkstrawberry]

don't you wish people still danced like this???

[oldstuff43]

yes I do, and they DO! Evan and Ryan Kasprzak are doing a great job bringing this classic style of dance back to the world of entertainment. Keep an eye on Ryan in season 6 of So You Can You Dance.

[lilpnkstrawberry]

i don't usually watch tv cuz i don't get many channels and usually don't have time. can i watch them anywhere else???

[oldstuff43]

you tube has clips of Evan from sytycd season 5 and some featuring both of them during auditions. To see Ryan teach, go to podcastgo, and to see a short film featuring Evan, choreographed by Ryan check out 'After hours' also on you tube. We really need to encourage these two, they represent a style that is loved and they do it with grace and humility. That's why I love em!

[yongCE08]

GENE and Donald are the best..

look at their choreography, its just BRILLIANT!

[Chattee41]

Gene, Fred, and Donald were the best.

Gene's choreography couldn't be surpassed, Fred's classiness with a woman when dancing, and Donald's ability to make you laugh as you sat in awe as he danced.

THIS is true entertainment, something my grandchildren could sit and watch without a worry....oh for those days!

[acaba0]

Oh how I love this performance. Donald O'Conner is so under-estimated but here he will pack them all in along with Gene Kelly. They are a true couple together. Thank you so much for posting this one!

[westlifefan123]

These two for me are the best duo ever!!!!! They are both gorgeous and they can dance, sing, act, do anything!!!

[TruChristian94]

i love those two together (especially in Singin' in the Rain)!!!!! i also really like that little thing they do at 3:56.

[jdpotc123]

GENE IS A HOTTIE!! WITH TALENT!!!

[bugglemuggle]

and donald o'connor isn't bad lookin' himself!! XD

[bigsquare88]

Donald's timing for comedy is way better than Gene's, in my opinion.

[bugglemuggle]

yes, i agree. however, it's pretty obvious that gene's a much better dancer. but i give props to donald for keeping up :D

[thegreatalphonse]

An obvious much better dancer?

DON'T BE RIDICULOUS!!

[bugglemuggle]

i, and pretty much every dancing critic and instructor i've ever met or seen interviewed, think donald is a FANTASTIC dancer, but gene is just better. at that time, and even now, gene and fred astaire were/are considered the two greatest dancers in american cinema history.

[yongCE08]

i say Donald is better than Gene in dancing.. When donald dances you can see that his movement is more clean..

look at this scene:

@ 3:09, Donald's foot is really extended which is makes it look good.

@ 3:16 Donald's moves his head together with his feet which emphasizes the move.

if you have watch singin' in the rain you can tell that Donald is better than Gene.. But im still a GENE fan, no matter what.. :)

just pointing out that Donald is a bit better than Gene in dancing.. :)

[bxrgirl]

I agree. It also helps that he's smaller than Gene. It's easier to execute steps.

[Alumita]

they are just so damn snazzy...i LOVE them!

[Millionsofme]

I adore Donald!

[Veggieman87]

Throw in Fred Astaire, maybe get Sammy Davis Jr., then we've got a Rat Pack of dance.

[wenglishsal]

Just sublime...lovely and makes me smile all the way through, I hope they were good friends off screen, because they sure do look like good friends on it... Thanks for posting such a little gem :)

[musicalqueen101]

Where can I get a copy of these? I love the numbers written for TV shows like these bc they're so adorable. I imagine they're a bit like vaudeville numbers used to be. THANKS for posting!!! :D

[summerarietta]

When Donald O'Connor and Gene Kelly dance together, I am always amazed at how tightly Donald rotates compared to Gene. Donald occupies so much less space than Gene when they dance together, and he is so much more careful with his arm movements. I'm not a dancer, so I have no idea why this is; but that's my opinion. Any dancer care to explain it to me?

[heartmusicdance]

Probably a question of style and technique...though I think style has more to do with it than anything in his case. Gene I think operated under the notion of "taking up the whole stage" when he danced, while Donald seems more aware of himself performance-wise. I hope that's a good explanation =)

[BelovedCaptain]

Also Donald was known for dancing. Gene more for his singing,

[beopanacea]

Please pardon my saying so, but I believe that Kelly was actually better known as a dancer. He was and is one of the most famous and quintessential American dancers, choreographers, and showmen in general. His reputation holds today.

And, of course, O'Connor was equally dynamic - just look at him here!  Kelly and O'Connor were a great comedic team. I think that it's a shame they didn't work together on more projects, and that O'Connor is less often recognized in his own right.

[practicalmagic4]

@beopanacea hes soo good an his grace, smoothness and naturalty makes it look very easy, let me tell u those (optic spins) are REALLY HARD he makes it look badass cool! i did them, the first couple of times i fell on my face!! but he makes them look easy hes awsome!

[cambryn]

What?! Gene Kelly never was known MORE for his singing...

[jbdanfan]

I'm no dancer, but I've noticed a few things watching Gene. He sometimes seems a little awkward when dancing with a smaller man, just because he had more body to move around (look at their size difference.)In the move at 3:13 Gene takes off like a rocket and yes, does look a little out of control compared to Donald. But Gene does a solo Spanish dance on this same special where his movements are very crisp and precise. So I think it's the big man/little man theory.

[bibbsish13]

I heard once that Donald was originally trained as a hoofer, so when he and Gene got together for Singin' in the Rain, Gene had to basically teach him how to use his arms as part of the dance.

[Sadielou001]

They came from different traditions - Gene had ballet training while Donald was a hoofer. You'll see Gene bring his foot to his knee in the turns (ballet) while Donald keeps his on the ankle. Ballet trains for the grand move, flexibility, springyness (is that woid?); hoofing is more upright, rigid and trains for speed, precision and close floor work. They admired each other's styles which complimented and provided interesting visual contrast.

[babyinblack]

Yeah, I don't like saying one is better than the other, they just have a different way of doing the same move, for example. Gene might be a little more graceful and classic whereas Donald attacks moves with more power and precision... i suppose.

[BeecroftA]

Those two are brilliant together! They really should have done more movies together!

[YNGR]

At times Donald seems to be channeling Bing a little bit, LOL.

[mightyminimoose]

I watch this almost every day, I love it. They were both absolutely amazing. Thank you for uploading it.

[Trinityeva]

Oh Gene, i will always love for the rest of my life...

[nomilktoday2]

What does Gene say at the very start?

[mightyminimoose]

Now in a show, after boy meets girl, it always helps the situation to have a few laughs and a change of pace.

[nomilktoday2]

Oh, thank you! :)

[meganallenby]

I love Donald, he is honestly my hero. Does anyone know where I can get his movie "I Love Melvin"? I cant find it anywhere...

[nomilktoday2]

I managed to find a VHS on Ebay but it's pretty rare eh? The seller sent me a DVD copy too. Message me..

[nomilktoday2]

Just to clear that up, my comment yesterday was referring to a VHS of I Love Melvin (what's wrong with YouTube's reply system lately?)

[meganallenby]

is it worth wanting, i love movies with Donald so yah. I read somewhere that it wasnt very good, but it tends to be that the reviews and me have different opinions when it comes to movies, so how is it?

[fyncara]

Thank you so much for posting this! Is this program available anywhere or is the rest of it somewhere? Thanks again for posting this wonderful show. It is so cheerful and uplifting!

[ShesAnIndieCindi]

what show is this?

[SISAPIS]

Pontiac Star Parade, 1959

[ShesAnIndieCindi]

oh i see the show that has the chair dancing in it too.

[ShesAnIndieCindi]

lol

i swear Donald's jacket is waayy too big for him

[nomilktoday2]

That's beacuse he lost 10kg through rehersals lol

[ShesAnIndieCindi]

shit seriously!?

[hawkssens]

Of course not!

He/she's kidding!

[OSCEG]

the 2 greatest tap dancers. I just can't get enough of them dancing together!!!

[YNGR]

Thanks so much for this. SIGH--if only the music rights didn't keep such shows from being rebroadcast more than they are.

[nomilktoday2]

Ahh Donald is so gorgeous!!!!

[judygenefan]

How fabulous is this!! Thanks so much for posting!

[Kubelsky39]

They're such a wonderful team! I can't believe the studios only put them in one movie together.

[Renatamcm]

Love'em, thanks for posting.