King of Jazz: Happy Feet: Scene 2 of 3

[tohtorigyro]

i do this every friday after work, on my way to my car, in my car, on my way to my appartment and in my appartment.... while i masturbate.

[RaynerTheBassist]

Everyday I'm shufflin'

[roboyurch88]

now somebody put this to dubstep......

[helldogify]

Funnyjunk

[dubboy9001]

dont mind us, just funnyjunk passing by

[helldogify]

@dubboy9001 go to funnyjunk(.)com

[mattoo77]

INB4 FUNNYJUNK

[jamezbond45]

@mattoo77 What's a Funnyjunk?

[JounathxD]

Michael jackson hahaha

[JounathxD]

What year?

[chem100]

@JounathxD 1930...not kidding...1930.

[1NationUnder1God3in1]

and with a suit on for crying out loud!! ha ha!!! Wonderful :D

[MisterEvasion]

The effort to make the heels of the chorus girls precisely match a set height is the stuff of perfectionists! I love the Happy Feet number scene. The whole thing is a triumph of early cinematography. Because it is already in two tone technicolor, this film could be restored to a dazzling feast for the eyes and ears.

[vicecitymayor]

This is what Michael Jackson wished he could do.

[luvureally]

@vicecitymayor Please, this dude lifted Earl "Snakehips" Tuckers entire act, though not close to being as great as Tucker was. And Michael was a much better dancer.

[Violetxbool]

what the hell is he doing with his feet? This is amamamazing! *stares*

[19florydory00]

How wonderful to have captured this fellow on film so we could marvel at him 80+ years later. : )

[tuxguys]

Will the real Ralph Dibney please stand up?

[chem100]

@louswire Yes, very true.

[TheMaxx111]

Why is the resolution so low? Does it have to do with the Technicolor ?

[AprylZA]

I LOOOVE THIS!!!  =0)

[louswire]

Just sayin'... now we know where Micheal Jackson got his moves... XD... and the dancing troup went on to become the NYC Rockettes lots of stars were in this movie.

[louswire]

Michael Jackson, eat your heart out... 

[actorjdwilliams]

Looks kinda a 1960s color TV program

[BeMyBigHero]

WOW!!! Very HOTTT Band!!! 

...and girls in the 1960s never had Hotpants any shorter than these in 1929!!

[0Alcina0]

great

[TheBabyboomkidof53]

this guy moonwalked long before michael jackson. and better!

[MelinaLuna]

WOW!!!!

[Impowers]

Here's exactly where Steve Martin got the "Happy Feet" business when he used to do standup comedy at the height of his career.

[Spacesurfer1977]

The first guy's like dance steps (especially around 00:30-00:50) are *definitely* the base for lot's of today's house dancing styles (even since 90s)... simply amazing :-D

[MisterEvasion]

This is trippy. You can't understate the production efforts in this movie. The girls are exactly the same height.  They must have custom made their heels for each individual girl to get them to be so precise.

[luvureally]

Earl "Snakehips" Tucker much better!

[zanzia74]

così deve essere il finale!!!! :-)

[arvelllewis]

this is some real dancing! OMG.... and it's not a special effect... i wonder if the man have actual bones in his legs...lol

Arvell Lewis, MCEC

P.S. I'm Dancing online, making money from my computer! No Joke. . Happy fingers.... happy feet when I make a sale and get a paypal payments.... Today is commission from Worldprofit..... happy happy happy!

[webecu]

What great dancers there was, -once upon a time---

ecwho

[ghbook]

At 1:11, very reminiscent of the beginning of Broadway (Féjös Pàl)

[OriginalShirker]

Michael Jackson aint got NOTHING on that cat

[salesforlife]

I want to thank who ever posted this..It is my father . Gone 5 years now ,but he never had a dance lesson and he danced til he passed away at 98..Thank so much he would never beleive it!!!

[ringbolt9]

fantastic!

[goldenoldiesPete]

Great dancing with amazing, probably "uncopyable" moves, to a song (a great song) that is very difficult to dance to, mainly due to its excessive speed. Thoroughly enjoyable video accompanying wonderful, euphoric music.

[c3cubed]

Well said.

It makes me sick they won't do this sort of thing any more (or can't)

The genesis of the talented " IT " folk, and that has nothing to do with the meaning of the current acronym. Authentic, original Hollywood at its vintage best - and to think this was only the beginning.

[78timothy]

I am sure that Al Norman was quite popular with the ladies ;-) Watch him w/Nancy Carroll in Paramount on Parade w/Abe Lyman's Orchestra. He was Double Jointed.

[GeminiNightOwl]

Dethroned by whom? Are you going to compare vintage Jazz to the jazz of today? Benny Goodman was the king of swing, but in vintage music lovers circles, I think most will agree that Paul Whiteman retains that title, along with greats like Bix Beiderbeck, Louis Armstrong and so many others. The era has many fans, although it is a shame that much of the music has been forgotten by the mainstream...Still to those who love it, there is no comparison...

[warneka]

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G

[MisterEvasion]

A lot of people are amazed at this. But this is just the tip of the iceberg for the entertainment of the late 20s and early 30s. Paul Whiteman has long since been dethroned as the King of Jazz by the age of political correctness. Not only was he dethroned, but his era of great work is ironically is now the least recognised in Jazz music circles.

This is the start of popular music folks. It is a de facto music video. And it is good.

[xurbancampx]

awsome stuff, that rubberman owned

[GeminiNightOwl]

So if you don't think Al Norman is a good dancer, how do you explain all that footwork? Come on, there's no question he's a talented dancer - just so happens he did this scene for the movie and maybe as great as Whiteman is, he wasn't into the synchronicity of the dance, but just the campy way it was done. Guess you don't appreciate it and that's too bad...

[mrdogwalker2009]

mcheal jackson? my ass!

[ZOLedHeadSO]

How the hell...?!

[MrUnidyne]

He must have had knees and ankles made of latex!

[GirugaMarc]

that ain't falco

[GeminiNightOwl]

James Brown was a major talent - but Al Norman was a much better dancer, no question about it.

[sonofthedestroyer]

Al Norman as great as his flexibility is, he does not move in rhythm to the music very well. Thus he does not fit my criteria as a great dancer but more of a stunt man.

Dancing is all about timing and synchronity to the music

[datapro007]

I believe this is one of the most incredible dance numbers ever filmed. That aside, part of the perceived syncronization issue may be due to the technology at the time. Remember that the "talkie" was only three years old in 1930, and the syncronization of the sound track with the video was not always spot on.

Personally, I think Al is very much in rythym and is simply unbelievably talented.

[c3cubed]

Spot on remark, and to think all this done without the use of amphetamines? Or, maybe yes - hard to tell, but I feel the need for one right now, just to keep up with the euphoric pace of it.

[GeminiNightOwl]

Paul Whiteman and his orchestra, Al Norman and all the dancers - how much better does it get? By the way, the turn of the century was only 30 years earlier than this movie. 50 years earlier would have been in 1880 and I doubt very much that they danced like this let alone not having jazz.

[HappyChucklez]

One of the best clips from ANY 30s film musical, Great sound transcription. This was the beginning! Nice job, great legs, slick dancing.

[SyberkaPL]

Al Norman is similar to young James Caan.

[hep2jive]

DODGE BROTHERS!

[OldMovieDude]

1:54-2:16: the dancers & orchestra, now united as one, totally ROCK.

[celebraxia]

woah.

[rudebwoy70]

You can see that a young James Brown studied this guy's foot work.

[KhemuLuxons]

rudebwoy70 if James Brown studied anyone it would have been Earl "Snakehips" Tucker.

[bounce510]

This style of dancing was done through out the South by various performers of TOBA. JB would not have needed to study this guy, he grew up seeing this kind of dancing.

[srvinfinity]

M.J. does'nt have a thing on this guy! And that was some hard hitting hoofing with the chours girls. Gave me blisters just watching. Outch!

[greatsea]

This guy doesn't even have ACLs to tear.

[dothejive]

AMAZING guy!!

[louswire]

they didn't call him 'crazy legs' for nothin'

[MrUnidyne]

He was also known as "Rubber Legs".

[webboffin]

0:57 to 1:03 WOAH!!!!!

Never seen a human do that until now. Amazing.

Best I have seen.

[saanzacs]

Doesn't get any better than this!

[SouthTexasHam]

the original "Moon Walk" !!!!

[dancingwithfrogs]

The very best performance I´ve ever seen in my life.

[salesforlife]

dancers today cant do this!!great pick...

[dancingwithfrogs]

Top entertainment at it´s best! Never seen something like that!!!

[robgems2]

al norman was billed as legmania dancer not rubber legs.

[Rollich]

Alas, King of Jazz is not yet on DVD. What a loss for all of us.

Thanks for posting!

[louswire]

I think it's still available on VHS

[perfectjazz78]

After the Depression, Universal became VERY economical. They re-used these King Of Jazz chorus girl costumes in their only musical release of 1932, "Night World". The chorus girls in that film are a bit thinner, so they don't fill out the costumes as well.

[chem100]

Did you know that the Rockettes "pounded" regularly on the stage of Radio City Music Hall through the 1930s. Goodness I wish they would pound again in their live shows at the Music Hall. It amazes me just how historical that act is, and the fact that we can watch it live in 2007. This film taught be a great deal about the late 1920s/early 1930s. "A picture (or film) is worth a thousand words."

[scotpens]

That Al "Rubber Legs" Norman was amazing. How is it possible for a human being to move like that? The guy was a living, breathing cartoon.

[MrUnidyne]

I'll bet there are breakdancers who wish they had his moves!

[neoroxx]

lol he pwns most of the modern shuffles!! LOL!!

[Zefrenm]

I been dancing the "Melbourne SHuffle" ANd it's Striking the simularities between the two Zefren The Advocate of the Mlebourne SHuffle

[wildaboutdolly]

Are these girls Ziegfeld Follies? If so, my cousin was one and married Charlie Teagarden, brother of famous trombone player Jack Teagarden. He was in the PW orchestra in 1933 -1939.

[nedsparks]

The girls are Russell Markert's girls. In 1925 Markert (1899-1990) created the 'Missouri Rockets.' In 1927 their home base became New York's legendary Roxy Theatre, named for the extraordinary Managing Director/showman Samuel L. (Roxy) Rothafel (1882-1936), who revised their name to 'Roxyettes." When Rothafel managed and directed Radio City Music Hall, Russell Markert became Chief Choreographer and the group name was eventually changed to 'Rockettes.'

[wildaboutdolly]

Thanks 4 the info! My inlaws were good friends with Bob Jani who was the producer of Radio City in the late 70's. He saved the Rockettes/Radio City. I am trying to look up my own NY theatre history as my 3rd cousin was a Ziegfeld Follie. Know anything facts on Arnold Rothstein and William Fallon?

[askal31]

that's some cool history!

[bingcrosby1903]

I agree with hep2jive, there's just no hope for some people... *sigh, goes to play some 78's

[hep2jive]

KLKL2001 it shows that youre not of the era...because stuff like the ''godzilla'' thing is just something you dont question...ah whats the use you'll never get it.

[louswire]

isn't th charleston a wonderful dance?

[louswire]

Too bad about the stage-mounted Mic...pounding feet of the chorus-girls... lol

[doctorkazoo]

what are you talking about??  The "pounding feet" are GREAT! And that's NOT the Charleston . . . people like you drive me CRAZY!

[camerond47]

I agree with you.

[Rapealo]

que bacannnnnnnnnnnnnn

[penelopedesouza]

INCREDIBLE.

[klkl2001]

What I don't get is the 10-second "Godzilla" scene. What's the point? I'm guessing that there were some pretty pissed set builders when they found out that it was all for musical bridge.

[hannahdonnelly]

I guess thats his party trick

[harriter88]

Look at this he's doing the space walk Fifty years before MJ.Just proves there is nothing new under the sun.

[creamofcardstv]

Hi, I like your video and have rated it as awesome. Please check out my vid clip of some rare jazz musicians and dance band Leaders cigarette cards, issued in 1936. They include Paul Whiteman, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington and many more.

[pudnbug]

These happy feet videos have definitely made my day! The 'eccentric dancer' blew me away, and I really liked the girls too. It looks to me like most of the steps they're doing are right out of Irish Competition Step Dancing. Any comments?

[drdee51]

We used to call this "Eccentric Dancing". This guy is just too damned good at it.

[ellerboda]

Fantastic, and I think his wide trousers looks the legs to take odd angles.?

But still -those feet are happy. Thanx for posting.

[Hashnew]

Amazing...

[warehouselarry]

stellar production, kid!

[bentonetc]

its fake

[cabbitzilla]

It's real. You're just a nitwit. Film editing and modification as most are familiar with today didn't exist when this piece was put together; people still relied on actual talents and skills to do things.

[Nexxorcist]

what are you talkin about?? those legs are totally CGed!

[louswire]

it's what you call...TALENT!

[CousinDupree]

Not bad for a white guy

[bjnking17]

lol at 1:05 or so, you can see the origins of the crip walk.

[bounce510]

Actually the steps that make of the crip walk are about 50 years older than this easy. You can see them in clips of Buck dancing from the turn of the century.

[singer101]

jazz legs!

[Sactreats]

Man, I wish I could move like that!

[gregwaits]

LOL, I wonder if Michael Jackson studied this shit.

[tryp2nite]

holy shit i totally see where boogin' comes from now!