Very interesting to read hajune's comment below. If the average person spent their entire lifetime practicing this they probably wouldn't be able to do it half as well. WHAT A TALENT was Eleanor Powell!.
Nov 21th- Happy 98th birthday Ellie. You were the very best as Sammy Davis said. Hope you're in Heaven entertaining everybody. If you are that will make it Heavenly.
Ellie truly was in a class by herself. Hope some of you look at Eleanor Powell at the Variety Arts. It's in 9 parts. Very interesting! I have a list of 33 celebrities/dancers who call her as the greatest dancer ever. To this day she is the ONLY person who was doing grand pirourettes . Not only did she do them but super humanly tapped at the same time. Fred , Fayard Nicholas, Toscanini, Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Ann Miller and MANY more were in total AWE of her. Called the greatest tapper ever at 16.
Wow! I am in awe of Eleanor's amazing talent-- tap-dancing while jumping through a spinning rope can't be easy! She's so smooth when she takes the ropes from the men too. **Lifts jaw from floor**
Eleanor was probably the best dancer ... period. She could tap and be an equal of Astaire. She could do ballet (and even be en pointe). The girl was even acrabatically athletic. She could let men literally throw her through the air, and she would come down like a feather, She was the only one to match taps(and the gruelling work ethics of Astaire)...too bad their height difference was such an issue. They were cordial, liking working together well enough. The jukescene in B'wayMelody TOPS!
Elllie was so far removed from any other tapper it was no contest. Spin moves are not commonly taught in tap. Ellie learned her super human spin moves while doing Ballet. Not only could she spin like no other and as many as 3 spins per second but she TAPPED while spinning. It is unmatched even today. It would take to long to show the difference between her and all others, but gifted viewers can see it immediately. Ellie could still woo em (minus the speed of her spin moves) even in her 60's.
There were side bets as much as $50 whether Ellie could do this routine in one take. It would only take one slip up and another take would have been needed. AMAZINGLY Ellie pulled it off in just one take. Sam Garrett , her rodeo expert teacher wanted her to go on the rodeo circuit even before the movie was made. He was in awe of her ability and could not believe she could pick up roping in only 6 weeks and also tap, do acrobatic moves etc. He said she would have been the next Annie Oakley.
I'm a trickroper & have been entertaining people for almost 20 years. The rope trick that had the big vertical loop has a brass eye called a honda. Sam Garrett started the rope & he handed it to her. The trick where she jumps back and forth thru it is called the Texas Skip. The other tricks where she spins the loop around her body is called a Wedding Ring. I sell these ropes on my website DukeWhips com I've hit my head w/ the brass honda & it hurts when doing the Texas Skip
@CowboyBobDuke Interesting info. Ellie wore a helmet and shoulder pads while practicing this routine. She got knocked out one time from the steel threads. She remained lifetime friends with Sam Garrett. He begged her to do the rodeo for the summer and could not believe she could pick up the roping tricks in the 3 months he taught her.( It actually was 7 weeks.)
@hajune There are no steel threads. Its a cotton rope, but that vertical loop where she jumps side to side thru it has a brass honda (eye) that the rope runs thru. That is what hit her. I have a book by Sam Garrett about his trickroping.
I am not surprised how fast Eleanor picked up the art, as talented as she was.
@CowboyBobDuke Thanks for info.I read several times that they were steel threads. I accept your statement . Do not know much about rope tricks and ropes but love watching a professional doing the tricks. It's a great art form. It would have been interesting to see Ellie go on the tour. Sam said she would have been as big of a draw as Annie Oakley. Most do not know she was extremely popular in this era. According to Ann Miller she saved MGM from bankruptcy twice (-Broadway Melody of 1936 & 1938.
Sam Garrett taught Ellie how to handle a rope. They had 3 months together , 1/2 learning to handle the rope and !/2 to choreograph the moves. She really only had 6-7 weeks to learn. I read old articles from mags. and newspapers to pick up additional information. Ellie learned all the rope moves except one. You can see the cowboy hand her the rope toward the end of this routine. It was the only one she could not master.
Ellie almost never became a tap dancer.Did not think it elequent enough. Before her 15th birthday she appeared at Carneigie Hall as a ballot dancer. Reviews were very positive" The grand dancer who does grand pirourettes as no other. You must see this teenage sensation.' She was always asked whether she tapped she decided to get 10 lessons. 11 months later she was culled "The Queen Of Tap" in the east. When she arrived in Hollywood (20)the Dance Masters unanimously gave her the same title.
I've watched a lot of great classical musicals and until this segment of the this movie, I thought Singin' in the Rain contained the best dancing in film history. I was wrong. Eleanor Powell is incredible and this is technically the most amazing dance number I have ever seen. And her smile. Just awesome.
@Lufgow- Ellie got knocked out rehearsing this. Rope had steel threads. She wore a football helmet after that. She chorelographed the whole number.The rodeo expert who taught her had 6 weeks to teach her.He told her it would be all but impossible to learn. He was stunned at how fast she picked it up. He begged her to do the rodeo that summer and said she would be the biggest hit of the year.
@hajune I have read every post on here and several bit of information that you've posted. thanks for the insight. I haven't managed to see this film yet, but I slavishly check the TCM schedule to see whenever they are playing one of her films. I really wish they had these available on DVD.I have seen a lot of classic films, I feel horrible for having discovered Eleanor Powell only in the last 6 months. I adore her. Still one of the most technically sound bits of dancing I've seen ever.
@Lufgow Rumor is they will be releasing all her films soon. I post a lot about her. I promised my dieing mom who wrote and received 9 letters from her as a kid I would promote her. The more I find out the more I enjoy doing so. She was a great lady who later in her life taught a children's religious TV program . She won 5 emmys. Her philosophy and practice was unconditional love and forgiveness to all. She treated the public with absolute respect and full attention.
@Lufgow You are welcome . If you google Daily Motion you can find the filming of Fascinating Rhythm + some other EP clips. Over 300 helpers . You get to see how they were tearing down the setting as she was dancing to make room for the cameras. Very interesting.
l agree "the genius's of dance".lve seen many a show in the west end..a lot of them have not wowed me at all .they just dont have that " X " factor. powell was great ,,but so were many more..
Ellie was an extremely hard worker and only made one picture a year while having control of the choreolography. She was as versatile as any dancer on the silver screen with a broad array of routines.She danced 12 hours daily and was the master at creating complex dancing steps that she performed so smoothly that a novice did not realize what she pulled off. Great performers make the difficult look easy. I have a list of over 25 performers who call Eleanor Powell the very best. I agree with them.
@Shurayuki18481 You are welcome. When Ellie held the impromptu dance sessions in that the likes of Robert Osbourne attended and Fayard Nicholas and Ann Miller sometimes taught, Fayard oft times said that Ellie was the best dancer ever. She created complicated moves she taught him and were used in his movies. He would not learn the forward piroutte moves because as he laughingly said, " I did not want public to know how much better she was then the rest of us .
@hajune nicely said-wouldve like to know why she got replace by garland in 2 ofher pictures later on-looking at her work -she was a heck of her dancer-artist-sometimes she looked a bit mature in the routines-but the queen of the dance steps-and complex choreography -only she could do that--judy was a good dancer--a bit sloppy at times-lazy-in her footsteps-not anywhere near eleanor powell--we are seeing her movies on tcm again-after a long time --i agree with hajune and the other comments here.
continued- The highly acclaimed Broadway Melody of 1940 had the highest of expectations. The famous "Begin The Beguine" final number took 9 months of planning for the setting. So good was Ellie that Fred did not not get into the scene until 2:40 after Ellie. They wanted to show her off and since she could do things nobody else could do( including Fred), such as her deep back bends and machine gun tapping , she got that time to herself. That scene still remains the pinnacle of all dance routines.
Though she was not a "Hollywood type person" her movies were moneymakers and according to Ann Miller she saved MGM from bankruptcy twice. In 1940 it was agreed she would do a movie with Fred Astaire. Fred had done 9 movies with Ginger and the last 2 lost money. The movie "Broadway Melody Of 1940" was the first million $ dancing picture and Fred was totally intimitated by the idea of dancing with Ellie but bravely took the challenge. As he stated in his book she danced in a class by herself.-cont
In Jan of 1928 she appeared on Broadway and danced to the famous song 'Bottom Up Your Overcoat" which found its way onto Carnegie Hall dancing to Paul Whiteman's band which was the most famous in the world at the time. She was now given the title "Queen Of Tap" on the east coast because of her machine like tapping, yet graceful style and dynamic dance ability. The year she came to Hollywood that title was extended to the whole country as audiences were wooed by her versatility. (cont above)
He forced her to tap close to the floor unlike females of the day. This technique was a breakthru for females and was and is called "rhythm tap dancing". Within a year of learning to tap she made her Broadway debut in the " optimists" in 1928 perfoming under famous orchestra leade r" yasa yasa yasa' leader Ben Bernie. It is mind boggling and can not be understated her rise to the top when she just learned to tap. Audiences were mesmerized by her ability and athleticism. ( cont above)
It was there that Ellie met the incomparable Bill "Bojangles" Robinson who immediately knew she was special . They soon performed at charities and Manhatten parties together but Ellie still did not know how to tap. At age 16 she enrolled under Jack Donahue at $3 a lesson and had 10 lessons. She took to tapping like a swan to water and soon was helping him teach. She was taught tap dancing by hanging heavy sand bags to her side with a belt tied to her waist and rivoted to the floor ( cont above )
Born prematurely ( 11-21-1912.) Ellie was born with no hair , eye brows, or fingernails . Her mom and dad divorced ( he had a social disease) and Ellie was raised by her mom Blanch. Tall for her age she was extremely shy and her mom enrolled her in dancing school where she learned ballot and acrobatic dancing but not tap. On a trip to Atlantic city she was discovered by Gus Edwards the famous producer of children's shows and was performing for $7.50 a week during the summer. ( continue above)
@marcxopoco You likely got the info from the wiki summary about Toscanini.They watered it down somewhat. He was invited to the Broadway Melody of 1940 Astaire/ Powell movie. A grandstand had been built so an audience could watch. Comment was made when he saw Ellie rehearse as he was being interviewed. He was moved to tears watching her.
Eleanor Powell wrote back to my mom when mom sent her letters. My mom always wanted to be Sonja Henne who was the first super star in skating, Ellie encouraged her to go for it. Never lose your dream and practice hard. Good fortune to you. You are looking at the right stuff. Ellie practiced 12 hours a day.
Wow ! What a simply incredible ATHLETE Eleanor Powell was... not to even mention the very epitome of painstakingly schooled and practiced choreographic PERFECTION !, on those absolutely amazing nimble feet of her's : ).
Arturo Toscanini the famed conductor once said ; Three things I will carry thru life. The glory of a sunset, the spendor of the Grand Canyon and Eleanor Powell dancing.
29 pirouttes in 18 seconds at the end of this remarkable routine. Do you know of any dancer who could do that? Did them in a circle then in a straight line to the camera. She makes it look so easy 1 does not realize she is doing the near super human. As she said when she honored Fred in his Lifetime Acheivement Award, the reason they worked so hard is to make it look easy. She danced 12 hours a day and said she would rather dance then eat. As Fred and Sammy said she danced in a class by herself.
I saw once that an amature practices till they get it right. A professional practices till they can't get it wrong. My question: How much practice did they all do to get that scene!!!!!! Holy cow!!
Ellie worked on this for 6 weeks. She created the choregraphy. She constantly was getting brised learning to handle the rope. She practiced in a fooball helmet and shouder pads. As I have said her rope twirling adviser thought she could not learn to this in 6 weeks. He taught many people but she was his prize student.
CRIKEY! How many takes INDEED? And it's interesting that despite many changes in standards of beauty, body shapes, etc. - Eleanor STILL looks great today...
Drblooter. It only took one take.This routine was done in about 13? or so takes but in most cases it was because the rodeo ropers did not have the timing correct . She could not do one of the rope twirls. You can see which one. It's toward the end. What her teacher was amazed by was she was doing the whirls while dancing. That is why he asked her to perform in the rodeo for the summer. He told her it would be the biggest rodeo hit ever! Problem was she was making $5000 a week at the studio.
No wonder Fred mad the comments about her being the best dancer. Everytime I see her dance it is amazing. I know it's not but she makes it look so easy. I had no idea she did her own rountines. That is awsome. She is really the versitle Queen of tap. I say versitle becuase she does different dancing while doing her tap dances. If you know what I mean. She is one of my favorites. I'm sure you could tell that.
Eleanor Powell amazes me every time I see her dance. I have noticed that she is very versitle dancer to. I love learning facts about her. She is one of my favorites.
Ellie had to wear a football helmet and shoulder pads when rehearsing. The rope was made with steel fiber and would bruise her. Notice the lassoing of the saddle. She did it 8 times in a row! There was no camera break! For an amatuer it is roughly equivilant to making a foul shot in basketball. Great stuff! Few if any could have pulled this off. Ellie was the only dancer to my knowledge who choreographed her own routines. Fred had total freedom to do the same but always had a partner help him.
I'd never heard this song, "So Long Sarah Jane," before someone posted this video on YouTube. It really is a terrific song, and Bob Eberly is a terrific singerr. Not sure why it never made it into the "Great American Songbook." Perhaps they only had room for one "Western" song? If so, "Dont' Fence me In" would have to take precedence.
Ellie created the whole routine. She had to learn to handle a rope in 6 weeks. An all but impossible task, her trainer said would likely not be likely.When all was said and done she was asked to perform at the rodeo.All were amazed at her talent and ability to learn quickly. She only had 10 formal tap lessons at ages 15/16. Yet by age 17 she was given the title Queen of Tap. Whether it was Astaire the Nichlaus brothers , Ann Miller etc. all had deep respect for her.She richly deserves the title
Once in a while when I feel burned out and just plain beat from life's daily interactions; I watch this! Aside from the amazing Eleanor Powell - the team work that went into this 4 minute "dance number" should be able to get even the most dishearten and depressed moving...
As Frank Sinatra remarked in, "That's Entertainment," when commenting on Ms. Powell's collaboration with Fred Astaire in "Begin the Beguine" - you can wait around and hope.... but you'll never see the likes of this again. Awesome.
Bob's brother, Ray Eberle (the original spelling of the family surname), was a popular singer with the Glenn Miller Band, and later fronted his own band.
Absolutely unbelievable. I've seen well known Russian ballerinas who can't do pirouettes any faster or cleaner than that. Then add the roping....she was something else! And who is the man singing? He has a beautiful voice and style...much better than the typical singing cowboys of the time. Great clip, thanks!
She had 6 weeks to learn how to twirl a rope. The rodeo expert who was hired laughed and said do you have 6 years. He worked with her and when this routine was finished he begged her to travel the rodeo being amazed at her ability to grasp the difficult twirls and routine. He told her she would be the most famous rodeo star of all. She had to wear a fotball helmet when learning because of the steel threads in the rope. Rodeo hands were hired because the extras could not get it. SHE WAS AMAZING.
Oh! You got the shoes! I saw them on the auction and wanted them soooo badly. Did you also bid on the steamer trunk - what a neat piece that was. But the shoes - from BM 1940, too. Such history! They looked pretty well worn - she must have had feet of steel!
The auction house didn't post what the winning bid was - would you feel comfortable sharing? Congratulations!
I too wanted to bid for those tap shoes, but they were just too expensive. I know how much they went for, as you have to be a member of the auction house to find out the price. In their latest auction I was lucky enough to win the photo of Ellie sitting next to her tap shoes from the Broadway Melody of 1938. I wanted that photo so much.
I'm sure she could have been a rodeo star. That scene (uncut!) where she nails eight throws, one after the other, is one of the most incredible things I've ever seen.
According to her biographer Alice Levin, Sam Garrett spent 3 months helping EP learn to do the rope tricks. Because the rope included "a metal thing that's very heavy" she eventually resorted to wearing a football helmet and shoulder pads while practicing. Garrett, who became a lifelong friend, felt she could have become a rodeo star.
My info also comes from the Schultz bio-bibliography: All the men handling ropes in the routine were real cowboys. EP had tried to use dancers, but they were unable to master the techniques of rope spinning. The cowboys, however, had a difficult time staying in rhythm. The routine required 32 takes for a "print".
Holy shit! Is there anything this woman couldn't do?
Kaiserin1 3 months ago in playlist More videos from Shurayuki18481
This has been flagged as spam show
beautiful clip i like it .. thanks for posting
ehunter63 4 months ago
This was real talent!
skoggit 7 months ago
watching this while listening to eagles of death metal
rauloviajero 7 months ago
Holy Moly! We used to call this trick photography!
ecam222 7 months ago
Very interesting to read hajune's comment below. If the average person spent their entire lifetime practicing this they probably wouldn't be able to do it half as well. WHAT A TALENT was Eleanor Powell!.
Hotwok191 7 months ago
Comment removed
TabithaCrazy 8 months ago
was there anything this woman couldn't do?
longlivethe80s 9 months ago 2
I get exhausted just watching her!
fanorama1 10 months ago
Back then you had to be talented to be in pictures :)
TheHurricosLevel 1 year ago 4
Nov 21th- Happy 98th birthday Ellie. You were the very best as Sammy Davis said. Hope you're in Heaven entertaining everybody. If you are that will make it Heavenly.
hajune 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Was there anything she couldn't do???? She is espectacular!!!
crisgranda 1 year ago
Was there anything she couldn't do??? She es really awesome...!!!
crisgranda 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Marry a beautiful Russian lady gettop5.info
zahara4r 1 year ago
Ellie truly was in a class by herself. Hope some of you look at Eleanor Powell at the Variety Arts. It's in 9 parts. Very interesting! I have a list of 33 celebrities/dancers who call her as the greatest dancer ever. To this day she is the ONLY person who was doing grand pirourettes . Not only did she do them but super humanly tapped at the same time. Fred , Fayard Nicholas, Toscanini, Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Ann Miller and MANY more were in total AWE of her. Called the greatest tapper ever at 16.
hajune 1 year ago
Wow! I am in awe of Eleanor's amazing talent-- tap-dancing while jumping through a spinning rope can't be easy! She's so smooth when she takes the ropes from the men too. **Lifts jaw from floor**
HM0880 1 year ago
Eleanor was probably the best dancer ... period. She could tap and be an equal of Astaire. She could do ballet (and even be en pointe). The girl was even acrabatically athletic. She could let men literally throw her through the air, and she would come down like a feather, She was the only one to match taps(and the gruelling work ethics of Astaire)...too bad their height difference was such an issue. They were cordial, liking working together well enough. The jukescene in B'wayMelody TOPS!
youhavegottabejoking 1 year ago
Elllie was so far removed from any other tapper it was no contest. Spin moves are not commonly taught in tap. Ellie learned her super human spin moves while doing Ballet. Not only could she spin like no other and as many as 3 spins per second but she TAPPED while spinning. It is unmatched even today. It would take to long to show the difference between her and all others, but gifted viewers can see it immediately. Ellie could still woo em (minus the speed of her spin moves) even in her 60's.
hajune 1 year ago
There were side bets as much as $50 whether Ellie could do this routine in one take. It would only take one slip up and another take would have been needed. AMAZINGLY Ellie pulled it off in just one take. Sam Garrett , her rodeo expert teacher wanted her to go on the rodeo circuit even before the movie was made. He was in awe of her ability and could not believe she could pick up roping in only 6 weeks and also tap, do acrobatic moves etc. He said she would have been the next Annie Oakley.
hajune 1 year ago
what a talented woman- puts modern day so called "stars" to shame!!!
Paulatwin1 1 year ago
i'm speechless !!!!
robotabob 1 year ago
Western acrobatic Eleanor is in her athletic epitome. Great western rodeo and circus style extravaganza.
eijigosen 1 year ago
I'm a trickroper & have been entertaining people for almost 20 years. The rope trick that had the big vertical loop has a brass eye called a honda. Sam Garrett started the rope & he handed it to her. The trick where she jumps back and forth thru it is called the Texas Skip. The other tricks where she spins the loop around her body is called a Wedding Ring. I sell these ropes on my website DukeWhips com I've hit my head w/ the brass honda & it hurts when doing the Texas Skip
CowboyBobDuke 1 year ago
@CowboyBobDuke Interesting info. Ellie wore a helmet and shoulder pads while practicing this routine. She got knocked out one time from the steel threads. She remained lifetime friends with Sam Garrett. He begged her to do the rodeo for the summer and could not believe she could pick up the roping tricks in the 3 months he taught her.( It actually was 7 weeks.)
hajune 1 year ago
@hajune There are no steel threads. Its a cotton rope, but that vertical loop where she jumps side to side thru it has a brass honda (eye) that the rope runs thru. That is what hit her. I have a book by Sam Garrett about his trickroping.
I am not surprised how fast Eleanor picked up the art, as talented as she was.
CowboyBobDuke 1 year ago
@CowboyBobDuke Thanks for info.I read several times that they were steel threads. I accept your statement . Do not know much about rope tricks and ropes but love watching a professional doing the tricks. It's a great art form. It would have been interesting to see Ellie go on the tour. Sam said she would have been as big of a draw as Annie Oakley. Most do not know she was extremely popular in this era. According to Ann Miller she saved MGM from bankruptcy twice (-Broadway Melody of 1936 & 1938.
hajune 1 year ago
Absofuckinglutalystunning !
jumpdance24 1 year ago
Thank you so much for the upload...for me Eleanor is one of the greatest dancers of all time!
Amazing presence and charm besides her super human timing&dance technique:O
EmmaEgypt 1 year ago
this woman is just amazing
theblackstarmansion 1 year ago
Sam Garrett taught Ellie how to handle a rope. They had 3 months together , 1/2 learning to handle the rope and !/2 to choreograph the moves. She really only had 6-7 weeks to learn. I read old articles from mags. and newspapers to pick up additional information. Ellie learned all the rope moves except one. You can see the cowboy hand her the rope toward the end of this routine. It was the only one she could not master.
hajune 1 year ago
Ellie almost never became a tap dancer.Did not think it elequent enough. Before her 15th birthday she appeared at Carneigie Hall as a ballot dancer. Reviews were very positive" The grand dancer who does grand pirourettes as no other. You must see this teenage sensation.' She was always asked whether she tapped she decided to get 10 lessons. 11 months later she was culled "The Queen Of Tap" in the east. When she arrived in Hollywood (20)the Dance Masters unanimously gave her the same title.
hajune 1 year ago
I've watched a lot of great classical musicals and until this segment of the this movie, I thought Singin' in the Rain contained the best dancing in film history. I was wrong. Eleanor Powell is incredible and this is technically the most amazing dance number I have ever seen. And her smile. Just awesome.
Lufgow 1 year ago
@Lufgow- Ellie got knocked out rehearsing this. Rope had steel threads. She wore a football helmet after that. She chorelographed the whole number.The rodeo expert who taught her had 6 weeks to teach her.He told her it would be all but impossible to learn. He was stunned at how fast she picked it up. He begged her to do the rodeo that summer and said she would be the biggest hit of the year.
hajune 1 year ago
@hajune I have read every post on here and several bit of information that you've posted. thanks for the insight. I haven't managed to see this film yet, but I slavishly check the TCM schedule to see whenever they are playing one of her films. I really wish they had these available on DVD.I have seen a lot of classic films, I feel horrible for having discovered Eleanor Powell only in the last 6 months. I adore her. Still one of the most technically sound bits of dancing I've seen ever.
Lufgow 1 year ago
@Lufgow Rumor is they will be releasing all her films soon. I post a lot about her. I promised my dieing mom who wrote and received 9 letters from her as a kid I would promote her. The more I find out the more I enjoy doing so. She was a great lady who later in her life taught a children's religious TV program . She won 5 emmys. Her philosophy and practice was unconditional love and forgiveness to all. She treated the public with absolute respect and full attention.
hajune 1 year ago
@hajune They both sound like very special ladies. Can't wait until a DVD release, she is totally deserving. Watching this again still makes me happy.
Lufgow 1 year ago
@Lufgow You are welcome . If you google Daily Motion you can find the filming of Fascinating Rhythm + some other EP clips. Over 300 helpers . You get to see how they were tearing down the setting as she was dancing to make room for the cameras. Very interesting.
hajune 1 year ago
I just LOVE her smile
ImmortalChaos 1 year ago
l agree "the genius's of dance".lve seen many a show in the west end..a lot of them have not wowed me at all .they just dont have that " X " factor. powell was great ,,but so were many more..
cydneylola123 1 year ago
Ellie was an extremely hard worker and only made one picture a year while having control of the choreolography. She was as versatile as any dancer on the silver screen with a broad array of routines.She danced 12 hours daily and was the master at creating complex dancing steps that she performed so smoothly that a novice did not realize what she pulled off. Great performers make the difficult look easy. I have a list of over 25 performers who call Eleanor Powell the very best. I agree with them.
hajune 1 year ago 9
@hajune Thanks very much :) It's time that people around the world come to realize this lost genius's contribution to dance.
Shurayuki18481 1 year ago 5
@Shurayuki18481 You are welcome. When Ellie held the impromptu dance sessions in that the likes of Robert Osbourne attended and Fayard Nicholas and Ann Miller sometimes taught, Fayard oft times said that Ellie was the best dancer ever. She created complicated moves she taught him and were used in his movies. He would not learn the forward piroutte moves because as he laughingly said, " I did not want public to know how much better she was then the rest of us .
hajune 1 year ago
@hajune Thank you for this knowledge. I fully appreciate the level of intensity put in here and her great contribution to the dancing art.
eijigosen 1 year ago
@eijigosen You are quite welcome. Ellie is deserving of the highest praise. she was an amazing athlete and an a even more amazing person.
hajune 1 year ago
@hajune I cant think of the words to discribe this woman,but I'll try, two legged overtalanted bombshell.
critchley3819 1 year ago
@hajune nicely said-wouldve like to know why she got replace by garland in 2 ofher pictures later on-looking at her work -she was a heck of her dancer-artist-sometimes she looked a bit mature in the routines-but the queen of the dance steps-and complex choreography -only she could do that--judy was a good dancer--a bit sloppy at times-lazy-in her footsteps-not anywhere near eleanor powell--we are seeing her movies on tcm again-after a long time --i agree with hajune and the other comments here.
64downtown 3 months ago
continued- The highly acclaimed Broadway Melody of 1940 had the highest of expectations. The famous "Begin The Beguine" final number took 9 months of planning for the setting. So good was Ellie that Fred did not not get into the scene until 2:40 after Ellie. They wanted to show her off and since she could do things nobody else could do( including Fred), such as her deep back bends and machine gun tapping , she got that time to herself. That scene still remains the pinnacle of all dance routines.
hajune 1 year ago
Though she was not a "Hollywood type person" her movies were moneymakers and according to Ann Miller she saved MGM from bankruptcy twice. In 1940 it was agreed she would do a movie with Fred Astaire. Fred had done 9 movies with Ginger and the last 2 lost money. The movie "Broadway Melody Of 1940" was the first million $ dancing picture and Fred was totally intimitated by the idea of dancing with Ellie but bravely took the challenge. As he stated in his book she danced in a class by herself.-cont
hajune 1 year ago
In Jan of 1928 she appeared on Broadway and danced to the famous song 'Bottom Up Your Overcoat" which found its way onto Carnegie Hall dancing to Paul Whiteman's band which was the most famous in the world at the time. She was now given the title "Queen Of Tap" on the east coast because of her machine like tapping, yet graceful style and dynamic dance ability. The year she came to Hollywood that title was extended to the whole country as audiences were wooed by her versatility. (cont above)
hajune 1 year ago
He forced her to tap close to the floor unlike females of the day. This technique was a breakthru for females and was and is called "rhythm tap dancing". Within a year of learning to tap she made her Broadway debut in the " optimists" in 1928 perfoming under famous orchestra leade r" yasa yasa yasa' leader Ben Bernie. It is mind boggling and can not be understated her rise to the top when she just learned to tap. Audiences were mesmerized by her ability and athleticism. ( cont above)
hajune 1 year ago
It was there that Ellie met the incomparable Bill "Bojangles" Robinson who immediately knew she was special . They soon performed at charities and Manhatten parties together but Ellie still did not know how to tap. At age 16 she enrolled under Jack Donahue at $3 a lesson and had 10 lessons. She took to tapping like a swan to water and soon was helping him teach. She was taught tap dancing by hanging heavy sand bags to her side with a belt tied to her waist and rivoted to the floor ( cont above )
hajune 1 year ago
Born prematurely ( 11-21-1912.) Ellie was born with no hair , eye brows, or fingernails . Her mom and dad divorced ( he had a social disease) and Ellie was raised by her mom Blanch. Tall for her age she was extremely shy and her mom enrolled her in dancing school where she learned ballot and acrobatic dancing but not tap. On a trip to Atlantic city she was discovered by Gus Edwards the famous producer of children's shows and was performing for $7.50 a week during the summer. ( continue above)
hajune 1 year ago
The best there ever was.
Thanks for all the info on her.
marcxopoco 1 year ago
@marcxopoco You likely got the info from the wiki summary about Toscanini.They watered it down somewhat. He was invited to the Broadway Melody of 1940 Astaire/ Powell movie. A grandstand had been built so an audience could watch. Comment was made when he saw Ellie rehearse as he was being interviewed. He was moved to tears watching her.
hajune 1 year ago
I so am wanting to learn to dance like this...the extreme old fashioned! So creative. I would like to try tap dancing on ice!
MissYoungClassic 2 years ago
Eleanor Powell wrote back to my mom when mom sent her letters. My mom always wanted to be Sonja Henne who was the first super star in skating, Ellie encouraged her to go for it. Never lose your dream and practice hard. Good fortune to you. You are looking at the right stuff. Ellie practiced 12 hours a day.
hajune 2 years ago
Wow ! What a simply incredible ATHLETE Eleanor Powell was... not to even mention the very epitome of painstakingly schooled and practiced choreographic PERFECTION !, on those absolutely amazing nimble feet of her's : ).
sweetparvardi 1 year ago
Arturo Toscanini the famed conductor once said ; Three things I will carry thru life. The glory of a sunset, the spendor of the Grand Canyon and Eleanor Powell dancing.
hajune 2 years ago
CORRECTION:
Toscanini said
"There are three things I will remember FROM MY VISIT TO THE WEST COAST, the sunset, the Grand Canyon, and Eleanor Poweill's dancing."
marcxopoco 1 year ago
Comment removed
hajune 2 years ago
29 pirouttes in 18 seconds at the end of this remarkable routine. Do you know of any dancer who could do that? Did them in a circle then in a straight line to the camera. She makes it look so easy 1 does not realize she is doing the near super human. As she said when she honored Fred in his Lifetime Acheivement Award, the reason they worked so hard is to make it look easy. She danced 12 hours a day and said she would rather dance then eat. As Fred and Sammy said she danced in a class by herself.
hajune 2 years ago
I saw once that an amature practices till they get it right. A professional practices till they can't get it wrong. My question: How much practice did they all do to get that scene!!!!!! Holy cow!!
Fire21ccfd 2 years ago
Ellie worked on this for 6 weeks. She created the choregraphy. She constantly was getting brised learning to handle the rope. She practiced in a fooball helmet and shouder pads. As I have said her rope twirling adviser thought she could not learn to this in 6 weeks. He taught many people but she was his prize student.
hajune 2 years ago
Thanks, hajune, for the info. She was truly a wonderful dancer. Unlikely we will ever see anyone like her.
Fire21ccfd 2 years ago
CRIKEY! How many takes INDEED? And it's interesting that despite many changes in standards of beauty, body shapes, etc. - Eleanor STILL looks great today...
morpheusatloppers 2 years ago
Good God, how many takes did she need to lasso that post?
Drblooter99 2 years ago
Drblooter. It only took one take.This routine was done in about 13? or so takes but in most cases it was because the rodeo ropers did not have the timing correct . She could not do one of the rope twirls. You can see which one. It's toward the end. What her teacher was amazed by was she was doing the whirls while dancing. That is why he asked her to perform in the rodeo for the summer. He told her it would be the biggest rodeo hit ever! Problem was she was making $5000 a week at the studio.
hajune 2 years ago
No wonder Fred mad the comments about her being the best dancer. Everytime I see her dance it is amazing. I know it's not but she makes it look so easy. I had no idea she did her own rountines. That is awsome. She is really the versitle Queen of tap. I say versitle becuase she does different dancing while doing her tap dances. If you know what I mean. She is one of my favorites. I'm sure you could tell that.
lizzyvance 2 years ago 10
Eleanor Powell amazes me every time I see her dance. I have noticed that she is very versitle dancer to. I love learning facts about her. She is one of my favorites.
lizzyvance 2 years ago 2
Ellie had to wear a football helmet and shoulder pads when rehearsing. The rope was made with steel fiber and would bruise her. Notice the lassoing of the saddle. She did it 8 times in a row! There was no camera break! For an amatuer it is roughly equivilant to making a foul shot in basketball. Great stuff! Few if any could have pulled this off. Ellie was the only dancer to my knowledge who choreographed her own routines. Fred had total freedom to do the same but always had a partner help him.
hajune 2 years ago
Happy 97th Ellie.( Nov 21th) Thanks for entertaining us with your special gift.
hajune 2 years ago
I'd never heard this song, "So Long Sarah Jane," before someone posted this video on YouTube. It really is a terrific song, and Bob Eberly is a terrific singerr. Not sure why it never made it into the "Great American Songbook." Perhaps they only had room for one "Western" song? If so, "Dont' Fence me In" would have to take precedence.
DoggieMI 2 years ago
Ellie created the whole routine. She had to learn to handle a rope in 6 weeks. An all but impossible task, her trainer said would likely not be likely.When all was said and done she was asked to perform at the rodeo.All were amazed at her talent and ability to learn quickly. She only had 10 formal tap lessons at ages 15/16. Yet by age 17 she was given the title Queen of Tap. Whether it was Astaire the Nichlaus brothers , Ann Miller etc. all had deep respect for her.She richly deserves the title
hajune 2 years ago 2
Who are you really?
Can you call her Ellie?
Is she 97 and Gone!
Knew Ann Miller Ginger Rogers & Cyd Charisse!
Did not Know ELLIE!
Just saw her in the Dance Compilation,
(THE ORIGIN OF THE MOONWALK!
She is Better than the Others! MORE VERSATILE! The Rope dance was Incredible, Impossible! Could never be replicated, BY ANYONE!
jor99912 2 years ago 2
she must have been dizzy. =]
dearestcaroline 2 years ago
Once in a while when I feel burned out and just plain beat from life's daily interactions; I watch this! Aside from the amazing Eleanor Powell - the team work that went into this 4 minute "dance number" should be able to get even the most dishearten and depressed moving...
drbuzzmann 2 years ago 7
the tip of the rope is 100% Mexican
hhreaal 2 years ago
the tip of the rope is 100% Mexican
hhreaal 2 years ago
that guy who lassos her at 2:58 is pro
zejoro 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
WOW WOW WOW> LUV HER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
mkmih01 2 years ago
As Frank Sinatra remarked in, "That's Entertainment," when commenting on Ms. Powell's collaboration with Fred Astaire in "Begin the Beguine" - you can wait around and hope.... but you'll never see the likes of this again. Awesome.
ventnor43 3 years ago 4
Bob's brother, Ray Eberle (the original spelling of the family surname), was a popular singer with the Glenn Miller Band, and later fronted his own band.
JudithIN410 3 years ago
Bob was not a singing cowboy (he was for this amazing scene) - he was the lead male singer with the Jimmy Dorsey orchestra, at the time.
RJMCCLOUD 3 years ago
OK. I just watched it again and saw the credits at the beginning. It's Bob Eberly, which explains a lot...he was very good indeed.
stefakamelpash 3 years ago
Absolutely unbelievable. I've seen well known Russian ballerinas who can't do pirouettes any faster or cleaner than that. Then add the roping....she was something else! And who is the man singing? He has a beautiful voice and style...much better than the typical singing cowboys of the time. Great clip, thanks!
stefakamelpash 3 years ago 4
Mexican roping techniques combined with tap dancing: nice
vaquero7x 3 years ago
She had 6 weeks to learn how to twirl a rope. The rodeo expert who was hired laughed and said do you have 6 years. He worked with her and when this routine was finished he begged her to travel the rodeo being amazed at her ability to grasp the difficult twirls and routine. He told her she would be the most famous rodeo star of all. She had to wear a fotball helmet when learning because of the steel threads in the rope. Rodeo hands were hired because the extras could not get it. SHE WAS AMAZING.
hajune 3 years ago 2
how did she do that with so few edits?? How many takes must that've taken.
She rocks though...
smeloise 3 years ago
Ellie herself stated that this was done in ONE take. She was a marvel.
netwitt1 3 years ago
But it took 30-something trys!
gingerszabo21 3 years ago
The greatest dancer ever!
hajune 3 years ago 2
Absolutely amazing!!! That has got to be the most technically difficult musical routine I've ever seen. Eleanor Powell was one badass babe!
Robbie62819 3 years ago 2
I love his voice :-)
gingerszabo21 3 years ago
In all of these videos I can't help but notice how big her feet really were, especially in the Honolulu video.
gingerszabo21 3 years ago
Comment removed
canoga1958 3 years ago 3
Oh that's amazing how did you ever get them? What size are they if I may ask? :)
Shurayuki18481 3 years ago
Comment removed
canoga1958 3 years ago 3
Oh! You got the shoes! I saw them on the auction and wanted them soooo badly. Did you also bid on the steamer trunk - what a neat piece that was. But the shoes - from BM 1940, too. Such history! They looked pretty well worn - she must have had feet of steel!
The auction house didn't post what the winning bid was - would you feel comfortable sharing? Congratulations!
netwitt1 3 years ago 2
Comment removed
canoga1958 3 years ago 3
I too wanted to bid for those tap shoes, but they were just too expensive. I know how much they went for, as you have to be a member of the auction house to find out the price. In their latest auction I was lucky enough to win the photo of Ellie sitting next to her tap shoes from the Broadway Melody of 1938. I wanted that photo so much.
RJMCCLOUD 3 years ago
awesome dancing. very impressive. "dancing with the stars" has nothing on this routine.
by the way, "I Dood It" was a song written in 1942 by Jack Owens, the Cruising Crooner.
GreenTea200 3 years ago
I'm sure she could have been a rodeo star. That scene (uncut!) where she nails eight throws, one after the other, is one of the most incredible things I've ever seen.
praguephotog 3 years ago 2
Amazing!!and she has the prettiest smile I've ever seen!!!!!
skoggit 3 years ago 4
Wow! very nice video, nice tricks with the lasso and good dancer.
tyronelaner 3 years ago
Yeeha! Once again she actually manages to make it all look sooooo easy. Thirty-two takes, sheesh! What a superb athlete!
netwitt1 3 years ago
This woman was a natural athlete...how can she pick this stuff up in a few weeks just for a movie...
Gobbleknoll 3 years ago
That was the most amazing trick roping I have ever seen! Very, very impressive...
oldwildwestfan 3 years ago
According to her biographer Alice Levin, Sam Garrett spent 3 months helping EP learn to do the rope tricks. Because the rope included "a metal thing that's very heavy" she eventually resorted to wearing a football helmet and shoulder pads while practicing. Garrett, who became a lifelong friend, felt she could have become a rodeo star.
JudithIN 3 years ago 3
Is that the First Lady of Dance Biography?
Shurayuki18481 3 years ago
My info also comes from the Schultz bio-bibliography: All the men handling ropes in the routine were real cowboys. EP had tried to use dancers, but they were unable to master the techniques of rope spinning. The cowboys, however, had a difficult time staying in rhythm. The routine required 32 takes for a "print".
JudithIN 3 years ago 4
Thanks to you for the info and thanks tu Shurayuki for the video. :)
frustrado 3 years ago
This is the greatest trick roping dancing routine ever done. Amazing!
jimbayliss 3 years ago 2
Yes it certainly is :)
She came up with this routine herself and spend hard weeks in MGM's back lots learning how to handle lariats.
Shurayuki18481 3 years ago
I wonder who the other trick ropers were. I believe one was Sam Garrett.
jimbayliss 3 years ago
OMG!!!! She is amazing!!!! Thanks for posting this...I just love EP!
jameszerukjr 4 years ago 2