Honolulu Cut Routine

This dazzling and princely routine was cut from her MGM 1939 musical 'Honolulu' (for some very strange reason I don't know) but was later added to the 1946 MGM film 'The Great Morgan' specifically intended for European audiences only so US audiences never got a chance to see this technical delight.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Eleanor
• Powell

[HurricaneRhonda]

The bandleader is Phillip Terry (one of Joan Crawford's husbands) which confirms it as "Honolulu" also the reference book "Hollywood Song" by Ken Bloom credits the number to "Honolulu" and he got his info from the music cue sheets at Metro.

[Shurayuki18481]

@HurricaneRhonda Thank you for this bit of information! I've wondered a many times who the genius is behind this orchestration.



[LkOutMtnMan]

How did she dance in those heels?

[Shurayuki18481]

@LkOutMtnMan Practise and feminine prowess :P

[PugetSoundFlyer]

I just watched Honolulu last night with the wife. The characters in this segments cutaway were not in that movie.

[Shurayuki18481]

@PugetSoundFlyer No they weren't they were from a movie called 'The Great Morgan' which contained Frank Morgan and another family star. I think it's beautiful that it was cut away as it makes this routine ever more intriguing.

[broxmouth]

This is verging on the very edge of superhuman in terms of athleticism, technical skill and speed - if tapdancing were an Olympic sport this performance would have won gold. But, as someone else has said - it is the dramatic intensity and emotional brio that she infuses into every phrase, every gesture - that makes this a pinnacle of dance achievement. Modern dance has NEVER come close to the excitement or emotional intensity of this - the skills seem to have faded away.

[skyler6290]

I love how she dances with her hands, exressions, and her feet !!

[PtolemyJones]

Wow, beautiful... both the dancing and the lady. Legs to die for!

[Hotwok191]

With those beautiful legs of hers on such display doing a magnificent tap-dance routine, it is beyond me why this was cut from the movie Honolulu. Eleanor Powell's dancing here is so wonderful to watch I would have kept this & maybe scrapped the rest of the movie!.

[ilprofessore10012]

It was common editorial practice in Hollywood after preview that if a film ran too long, or the audience was antsy to cut out or shorten one or more of the musical numbers, as they were the easiest to trim or eliminate without destroying the flow of the narrative. Lest we forget Louis B. Mayer, head of MGM, wanted to cut "Over the Rainbow," from "The Wizard of Oz" but was persuaded by Arthur Freed and others not to do so.

[TheMaisie80]

Terrific.She was one of the Best tappers ever....

[hajune]

@broxmouth You are an excellent writer. The ole professor gives you an A+. Nice to see writing skills like yours.