I Don't Care - Mitzi Gaynor

Clip from 1952 with Ms. Gaynor, Oscar Levant and David Wayne. Choreography by Jack Cole

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Mitzi
• Gaynor
• David
• Wayne
• Oscar
• Levant
• Jack
• Cole
• choreographer
• 1952
• Mi
• No
• Importa

[ludepei]

Please everyone, keep the words "Jack Cole, choreographer" front and center in your discussion of this sequence. No Cole, no fabulous Mitzi Gaynor performance, no color scheme, no stripper plumes, no guys in hats lurking at low levels, no vibrant primary colors, no ladder, no flames, no sexy fireman. It's all Jack Cole, all of it. He was a dance-on-film genius.

[varadero1839]

@ludepei Thanks so much for your tribute! You're absolutely correct! Jack Cole was the genius behind this, and many other Hollywood musicals. His abilities were unique, and not only in choreography! You'd run out of fingers and toes just trying to count his triumphs!

[tineblas]

Thanks a lot for this rare pleasure, varadero 1839. But my favorite Cole's dance ever is Johnson Rag. Could you to upload it here? I haven't seen it many years.

[ludepei]

I've written about Jack Cole. IMHO, this sequence is the ultimate. It is absolutely superb. The contender is the "Johnson Rag" from this same film. "No Talent Joe" for Betty Grable is also great. Then, his stuff for Rita Hayworth. My thread of Cole stories may be found on artsmeme.com.

Enjoy!

[varadero1839]

@lilypondlane Thanks so much! Aside from the wonderful score, I love the duplicitous, murderous wife of Karloff, whose name eludes me right now! Very grateful!

[lilypondlane]

@varadero1839 You can see "Charlie Chan at the Opera" on Youtube--the entire film!  Happy viewing!

[lilypondlane]

@varadero1839 I did a little investigating and found that the singer who dubbed for Karloff was named Tudor Williams. Williams was born Llewelyn Tudor Owens in Shropshire, England in 1896, and died in Los Angeles in 1971. He had quite a movie career. Check his film credits by going to the IMDb website. He was also a voice in another of my favorite movies, "The Girl Said No", starring Robert Armstrong and Irene Hervey. Excerpts from "The Mikado" were performed in that movie.

[varadero1839]

@lilypondlane Wish I had a copy of the tape! I love all Charlie Chan movies, and especially this one! As regards Mr. Karloff, you've every right to be scared! Wish I knew the "dubber" for his voice. I agree that the most frightening moments are of his eyes through the mask! Those, coupled with the cruel sneer, (pure Boris,) make/made this an incredible success! Mr. Levant as the composer just gives us some breathing room, and an elegant reason to sometimes relax, then be scared!! Thank You!

[lilypondlane]

@varadero1839 You must be psychic. I JUST FINISHED WATCHING "CHARLIE CHAN AT THE OPERA" on an old VCR tape that I made years ago!!! Then I get your reply!!! I watched the movie just to hear Oscar's opera!! (OK, I love Charlie Chan movies too!) Karloff was unbelievably scary in this. His eyes through the mask while he was singing was the stuff that nightmares are made of. His singing (not his I'm sure) scared the H. E. double hockey sticks out of me. Mitzi: spectacular!Oscar in drag: yikes!!