That was amazing. I'm 81 years old, and there's no way in this world I could get to see all the wonderful talent that's available. Thank you so much for posting this.
Lindy Hop Dancers-William Downes (uniform) and Frances “Mickey” Jones (maid). Norma Miller and Billy Ricker (chef's hat). Al Minns (white coat, black pants) and Willa Mae Ricker. Ann Johnson (maid) and Frankie Manning (overalls). Several of the dancers taught Lindy Swing dancing to a new generation when fans of the dance looked them up. They were revered in world wide circles of Dance
Both Frankie Manning and Norma Miller taught new generations how to Lindy Hop in '90s and '00s. I got to meet Frankie once, he was truly the nicest man in the world. They've all passed away now, but their spirit of dance lives on.
@@jdw5678 I met him, too, at the Century Ballroom, in Seattle. He'd fallen into an anonymous existence with the U.S. Postal Service, until the neo-swing movement pulled him back into the spotlight.
I had the exact same thoughts about rehearsing for the dance numbers...my legs were tired from just watching it....I think the dances from that era were much more energetic than today....I am enjoying this a lot. My dad played a stand-up bass in a combo in the 40's & 50's and he would often bring it home to play along with the radio, so I have always had an ear for that sound, which I love!
Fun, fun, fun! Really enjoying your swing and jazz series of reactions, Harri. Don't forget about Cab Calloway and his band, Maybe listen to Minnie The Moocher or You Gotta Ho-Di-Ho, or maybe The Jumpin' Jive. Thanks for sharing this one! 🙂
Harry, I'm 62 and my grandparents were of that swing generation. When my sister and I were 11 or 12, we were at my older Polish cousin's wedding that had a live band that played polkas (of course) but also some fantastic swing music. My grandfather had my sister out on the dance floor (after Grandma's advice to "just hang on".) He threw her over his shoulder and caught her between his legs. She was screaming the whole time and she and I still sometimes laugh about that to this day. Wild. That was a really special generation.
Slim "McVouty" Gaillard on piano and guitar is an incredible talented eccentric musical genius (singer, songwriter, guitarist, pianist tenor saxophonist, vibraphonist) actor, comedian, trickstar. The all around performer. Saw him '80. Best known for "Cement Mixer"and "Flat Foot Floogie" Great vid, never seen this color 👍
That would have to be Slam Stewart on the upright bass. Slim & Slam were a terrific jazz and comedy duo, who often played with a band, probably the guys here. FFF was originally a Slim & Slam hit, from around 1939-40.
Yes, Slim Gaillard was a fairly well known musician/ entertainer in the '40's and '50's. In Jack Kerouac's novel "On the Road" there's a good description of watching him perform in a club in San Francisco.
This is a segment of the movie HELLZAPOPPIN (1941), starring Olsen and Johnson, who produced and starred in the original Broadway stage production (1938-1941).
That is always great to watch. The dance troupe was called Whitey's Lindy Hoppers. The Lindy Hop was a style of dance back in the late thirties and forties. The only thing not great about this clip you watched is that it's been colorized so the colors look strange. The original black-and-white looks more natural and shows more detail.
A Day at the Race has an earlier dance scene from Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, backed up by Duke Ellington's band. The choreography got an Oscar nomination.
Great piece! I have to think the musicians were from some of the big bands of the era. Amazing performances by the dancers, too. Reminds me of some of the mind-blowing stunts by the Nicholas Brothers.
Thank you! I have been wanting to see reaction to Hellzapoppin for years, and you didn't disappoint. More people need to know this music. It's such high energy that you can't help feeling good, no matter what else is going on in your life
The choreographer, Frankie Manning, was one of the dancers as was stated in the credits. The style of dance is called the Lindy Hop... with some added Hellzapoppin hot Black Harlem spice
If you haven't already discovered them, you should check out the Nicholas Brothers (dancers). They appeared in many wonderful movie musicals in the 1930s and 1940s, and they sometimes danced with other dancers like Gene Kelly, and performed with orchestras such as Cab Calloway's. Many people consider their performance of Jumpin' Jive in the movie Stormy Weather to be their best performance ever on screen. And note that it was filmed all in one long take, and they did it perfectly in JUST ONE TAKE! You really need to check that one out and feature it here on your channel!
The musicians were part of the New York jazz scene at the time. They were hired for the movie Hellzapoppin', rather than being a regular band. The three best known were Slim Gaillard (piano and guitar), Slam Stewart (bass), and Rex Stewart (trumpet). Slim and Slam performed a lot together, both in person and on record. Rex Stewart was in Duke Ellington's orchestra. The dancers were billed as Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, but off screen they were known as the Harlem Congeroos. They were professional dancers in Harlem at the time. The movie Hellzapoppin' is very weird. It's based on the stage play of the same name. Give it a watch if you want to see something really strange and off-beat.
Dancers called Hot Chocolates and famous lindy hoppers. Frankie Manning in overalls made series of dance videos onto his 90s. Danced with Duke Ellington at the famous Cotton Club in the 30s.
The documentarian Ken Burns has a miniseries simply called “Jazz” that is terrific. My favorite episode is all about the Lindy hoppers who danced like you see here, specifically the ones at The Savoy in NYC. They even interview two of the dancers, who have tons of wonderful stories about literally wearing out the dance floor (it had to be replaced regularly) to the music of Chick Webb and his orchestra.
Saturday afternoon movies on TV in the 1950s. Lots of great scenes. The movie, same name as you listed, tied all the musical scenes together. Thanks for reminding me of my childhood.
I was a young boy the first time I watched this movie, I remember sitting with my mouth wide open. This is one of the greatest dance sequences ever, and the multi-talented musicians were phenoms. Just a shame they colorized it because the original black & white is a much sharper picture. One of the evils that Ted Turner did. Thanks Harri...good stuff!
Ted Turner had nothing to do with DeOldify which is being used for colorization here. Films under Turner's ownership were always colorized by experts, by either some company within a studio or an independent company. Then the colors were absolutely excellent, even though in some cases the colors were guessed. Check out the color version of "Holiday Inn" and you will swear it was originally filmed in Technicolor.
The guy playing guitar & piano & singing at the beginning was Slim Gaillard. B.B. King cited him as one of his influences on guitar. Writer Jack Kerouac put him as one of his heroes and wrote about him. I think they should do a movie on his life, because some of it's details is beyond belief. The part of his life that stands out for me is that when he was around the age of 12, his parents took him on holiday to Greece, and accidentally left him there by mistake. When he eventually made his way home (Something like 6 months later I don't recall), he was completely independent, and was working for the local mob as a money runner (I believe). His music act was Jazz and comedy combined. There is allot of good footage of him on YT. I suggest you check out the songs "Cement Mixer" & "Dunkin' Bagel" for a good example of his craft. I love it when he throws in a Latin tinge in his music, and his fake (I'm Guessing) Spanish or Italian speaking in some of the songs. He has whit not just in his songs but his Solo's too. Good reaction.
Olsen and Johnson were lunatics. My Mom saw the live stage version of the play in New York City. Their movie GHOST CHASERS is pretty funny, with lots of cameos from famous people. You should try to watch the movies sometime. So bizarre!
This style of dancing originated in Harlem, New York City when people there took the Charleston and added moves and cartwheels, etc. to it, creating the Lindy Hop, named after Charles Lindbergh (Lindy) , who had at the time "hopped" across the Atlantic, becoming the first flyer to cross the ocean nonstop .
I went back and watched the dance sequence for where they cut from one shot to another. There were quite a few spots, and I think the longest span between is from 5:12 to 5:39.
In 2009 I saw a guy in YT doing my dance, invented in 1975 in West Hollywood. My research informs me that some kid in Compton, California claimed credit for the style in 1990. Amazing. If you think we should have a dance off, please reply. Each dancer chooses his music. I won't tell you the name of the style as Compton is one train plus one bus ride away. I mean it, dance-off, bring your own amp (my little 5-watt Cube) and an i-pod. The dancers are not limited by physics, apparently. I'm glad it's documented. Dance to good music, folk.
Wow! That was incredible!! They needed safety nets, about to throw them gals through the walls! The dancing was crazy , intense! My grandmother was a young lady during that time. She was a young country gal that went to Laurence Welk barn dances. This would have been too fast for her! LOL But I do know she would have had a "fit" seeing those girls in skirts so short! That was VERY scandalous in the 1940's. Seeing "spanks" surprised me. Such talent watching them! 🥳
Harri, another great reaction! In the credits it showed Routine music done by "Charles Previn". en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Previn He was the father of Andre Previn!: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Previn who was a multi-talented classical and Jazz pianist, composer, conductor. Here is a link to his collaboration CD from 1989 "After Hours" a nice recording of standards! m.th-cam.com/play/OLAK5uy_kVetJnRb9tbd76dOPfh6iGyPmu6JsUwGc.html&playnext=1&index=1
Great music and some pretty good dancing 😏 but if you want to see the real thing, check out the Ross Sisters, “Solid Potato Salad”. I believe this is their only surviving recording. You will not be disappointed !
In the 40's there was a vibrant black American film industry but United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc., 334 U.S. 131 (1948) destroyed it. It was an antitrust lawsuit, and it killed the studio systems.
#GabrielHenrique I leave as a suggestion for your reaction, the talented Gabriel Henrique, with covers by Stevie Tyler, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson and much more. Each cover is a surprise.
You missed the best part, all the white people leaving for a smoke break or something at the beginning and then peeking back in to see all the black "help" with the real talent.
That was amazing. I'm 81 years old, and there's no way in this world I could get to see all the wonderful talent that's available. Thank you so much for posting this.
Lindy Hop Dancers-William Downes (uniform) and Frances “Mickey” Jones (maid). Norma Miller and Billy Ricker (chef's hat). Al Minns (white coat, black pants) and Willa Mae Ricker. Ann Johnson (maid) and Frankie Manning (overalls). Several of the dancers taught Lindy Swing dancing to a new generation when fans of the dance looked them up. They were revered in world wide circles of Dance
Yes they taught during the swing dance revival of the early 1990s.
Norma Miller taught dance till she was quite elderly.
Both Frankie Manning and Norma Miller taught new generations how to Lindy Hop in '90s and '00s. I got to meet Frankie once, he was truly the nicest man in the world. They've all passed away now, but their spirit of dance lives on.
@@jdw5678 I met him, too, at the Century Ballroom, in Seattle. He'd fallen into an anonymous existence with the U.S. Postal Service, until the neo-swing movement pulled him back into the spotlight.
This is so fun!
Another you can't miss is Cab Calloway "Jumpin Jive" featuring the Nicholas Brothers. Some of the most amazing dancing ever.
I think he checked that one out recently.
This one was fantastic. The dancing energy was almost beyond belief.
I had the exact same thoughts about rehearsing for the dance numbers...my legs were tired from just watching it....I think the dances from that era were much more energetic than today....I am enjoying this a lot. My dad played a stand-up bass in a combo in the 40's & 50's and he would often bring it home to play along with the radio, so I have always had an ear for that sound, which I love!
So much talent, you could feel their love of the music.
The greatest single thing that as humans we can always find joy in is music.
Saw 'Hellzapoppin' ' in my teens at a hip cinema in Toronto. Unbelievable talent on display and audible. Great fun, great reaction, Harri, cheers 🍻 😊❤
I've seen many old movies but never dancing like that - WOW !!!!!
Fun, fun, fun! Really enjoying your swing and jazz series of reactions, Harri. Don't forget about Cab Calloway and his band, Maybe listen to Minnie The Moocher or You Gotta Ho-Di-Ho, or maybe The Jumpin' Jive. Thanks for sharing this one! 🙂
Love this video, thank you 😀
Jivving and lindy hop, my Mum's favourite!
Harry, I'm 62 and my grandparents were of that swing generation. When my sister and I were 11 or 12, we were at my older Polish cousin's wedding that had a live band that played polkas (of course) but also some fantastic swing music. My grandfather had my sister out on the dance floor (after Grandma's advice to "just hang on".) He threw her over his shoulder and caught her between his legs. She was screaming the whole time and she and I still sometimes laugh about that to this day. Wild. That was a really special generation.
Goddamn! What joy of life! If these were my people I would explode with pride! Such creativity! Insane!
Slim "McVouty" Gaillard on piano and guitar is an incredible talented eccentric musical genius (singer, songwriter, guitarist, pianist tenor saxophonist, vibraphonist) actor, comedian, trickstar. The all around performer. Saw him '80. Best known for "Cement Mixer"and "Flat Foot Floogie"
Great vid, never seen this color 👍
That would have to be Slam Stewart on the upright bass. Slim & Slam were a terrific jazz and comedy duo, who often played with a band, probably the guys here. FFF was originally a Slim & Slam hit, from around 1939-40.
@@jdw5678 great info, thanks a lot!
Atomic Cocktail is another classic by Slim Gaillard. He's so worth doing a deep dive into!
Yes, Slim Gaillard was a fairly well known musician/ entertainer in the '40's and '50's. In Jack Kerouac's novel "On the Road" there's a good description of watching him perform in a club in San Francisco.
..."and a floy, floy!"
This is a segment of the movie HELLZAPOPPIN (1941), starring Olsen and Johnson, who produced and starred in the original Broadway stage production (1938-1941).
That was awesome! Those dancers had so much energy and style
That is always great to watch. The dance troupe was called Whitey's Lindy Hoppers. The Lindy Hop was a style of dance back in the late thirties and forties. The only thing not great about this clip you watched is that it's been colorized so the colors look strange. The original black-and-white looks more natural and shows more detail.
My late mother in law was a champion Lindy hopper in her teens. She showed us some of her moves in her San Diego kitchen ❤️
A Day at the Race has an earlier dance scene from Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, backed up by Duke Ellington's band. The choreography got an Oscar nomination.
Thank you. I watch/listen to this every so often and it is just incredible! Such talent and ability and heart and fun and just crazy good times!
So amazing. I had this on a list but thought you had seen it already. I want to dance like that!!
Great piece! I have to think the musicians were from some of the big bands of the era. Amazing performances by the dancers, too. Reminds me of some of the mind-blowing stunts by the Nicholas Brothers.
Imagine that dance scene on stage, every day, sometimes twice .... exhausting!
that was so spectactular its beyond words
Some of the best dancing you'll ever see.
Thank you! I have been wanting to see reaction to Hellzapoppin for years, and you didn't disappoint. More people need to know this music. It's such high energy that you can't help feeling good, no matter what else is going on in your life
talk about talent!
The choreographer, Frankie Manning, was one of the dancers as was stated in the credits. The style of dance is called the Lindy Hop... with some added Hellzapoppin hot Black Harlem spice
If you haven't already discovered them, you should check out the Nicholas Brothers (dancers). They appeared in many wonderful movie musicals in the 1930s and 1940s, and they sometimes danced with other dancers like Gene Kelly, and performed with orchestras such as Cab Calloway's. Many people consider their performance of Jumpin' Jive in the movie Stormy Weather to be their best performance ever on screen. And note that it was filmed all in one long take, and they did it perfectly in JUST ONE TAKE! You really need to check that one out and feature it here on your channel!
The musicians were part of the New York jazz scene at the time. They were hired for the movie Hellzapoppin', rather than being a regular band. The three best known were Slim Gaillard (piano and guitar), Slam Stewart (bass), and Rex Stewart (trumpet). Slim and Slam performed a lot together, both in person and on record. Rex Stewart was in Duke Ellington's orchestra.
The dancers were billed as Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, but off screen they were known as the Harlem Congeroos. They were professional dancers in Harlem at the time.
The movie Hellzapoppin' is very weird. It's based on the stage play of the same name. Give it a watch if you want to see something really strange and off-beat.
Dancers called Hot Chocolates and famous lindy hoppers. Frankie Manning in overalls made series of dance videos onto his 90s. Danced with Duke Ellington at the famous Cotton Club in the 30s.
The documentarian Ken Burns has a miniseries simply called “Jazz” that is terrific. My favorite episode is all about the Lindy hoppers who danced like you see here, specifically the ones at The Savoy in NYC. They even interview two of the dancers, who have tons of wonderful stories about literally wearing out the dance floor (it had to be replaced regularly) to the music of Chick Webb and his orchestra.
Saturday afternoon movies on TV in the 1950s. Lots of great scenes. The movie, same name as you listed, tied all the musical scenes together. Thanks for reminding me of my childhood.
Whew...my feet were just moving...I need to catch my breath😂
Love this 🎷🎵🎶
The original Hellzapoppin' was a theatrical musical show...
This is fantastic Harri. What a delightful performance. Thanks for sharing this Harri 🌺✌️
The dancers are "Whitey's Lindy Hoppers".
Spectacular
Classic lindy hop
I was a young boy the first time I watched this movie, I remember sitting with my mouth wide open. This is one of the greatest dance sequences ever, and the multi-talented musicians were phenoms. Just a shame they colorized it because the original black & white is a much sharper picture. One of the evils that Ted Turner did. Thanks Harri...good stuff!
Ted Turner had nothing to do with DeOldify which is being used for colorization here. Films under Turner's ownership were always colorized by experts, by either some company within a studio or an independent company. Then the colors were absolutely excellent, even though in some cases the colors were guessed. Check out the color version of "Holiday Inn" and you will swear it was originally filmed in Technicolor.
Thanks Harri.I enjoy watching your reactions.
The guy playing guitar & piano & singing at the beginning was Slim Gaillard. B.B. King cited him as one of his influences on guitar. Writer Jack Kerouac put him as one of his heroes and wrote about him. I think they should do a movie on his life, because some of it's details is beyond belief. The part of his life that stands out for me is that when he was around the age of 12, his parents took him on holiday to Greece, and accidentally left him there by mistake. When he eventually made his way home (Something like 6 months later I don't recall), he was completely independent, and was working for the local mob as a money runner (I believe). His music act was Jazz and comedy combined. There is allot of good footage of him on YT. I suggest you check out the songs "Cement Mixer" & "Dunkin' Bagel" for a good example of his craft. I love it when he throws in a Latin tinge in his music, and his fake (I'm Guessing) Spanish or Italian speaking in some of the songs. He has whit not just in his songs but his Solo's too. Good reaction.
Olsen and Johnson were lunatics. My Mom saw the live stage version of the play in New York City. Their movie GHOST CHASERS is pretty funny, with lots of cameos from famous people. You should try to watch the movies sometime. So bizarre!
I love this video. I have been hoping someone would see it and do a review. Glad you liked it.
I can’t imagine trying to choreograph the dancing.
The pianist/guitarist was Slim Gaillard and the double bass was Slam Stewart.
I have watched this many times before and when I first saw it I thought, Damn!!! I didn't know humans could move like that!
This style of dancing originated in Harlem, New York City when people there took the Charleston and added moves and cartwheels, etc. to it, creating the Lindy Hop, named after Charles Lindbergh (Lindy) , who had at the time "hopped" across the Atlantic, becoming the first flyer to cross the ocean nonstop .
Damnnnn
Can't watch this without a big silly grin on my face. Unbelievable.
Part of the greatest generation helped save the world young people with a heavy load
Kids don't even know what there grandparents generation did. lol
Hell a Pop in is a full length movie and the first time, stop motion was used in a movie. This is the Lindy Hop dance sequence from the movie. 😅
6:09 Is this the origin of flash mob? Also watch zaouli dance from ivory coast. Movie to watch hidden figures.
The only thing needed to do the Lindy Hop was energy and these dancers had lots of it
Slim Gaillard!
I went back and watched the dance sequence for where they cut from one shot to another. There were quite a few spots, and I think the longest span between is from 5:12 to 5:39.
I think my dad told me that the band members & dancers were all from the cotton club roster ... I think it's true ...
They were So Great!!
Fantastic
I recomend Cab Calloway and The Nicholas Bros diog the Jumping Jive. A little movie clip that will blow your mind!
break dancing before break dancing
This is awesome!❤❤
In 2009 I saw a guy in YT doing my dance, invented in 1975 in West Hollywood. My research informs me that some kid in Compton, California claimed credit for the style in 1990. Amazing. If you think we should have a dance off, please reply. Each dancer chooses his music. I won't tell you the name of the style as Compton is one train plus one bus ride away. I mean it, dance-off, bring your own amp (my little 5-watt Cube) and an i-pod. The dancers are not limited by physics, apparently. I'm glad it's documented. Dance to good music, folk.
Jesus Tap-Dancing Christ! If that don't put a smile on your face, nothin' will !
Interestingly after they finished the dance the first time, the director asked if they could speed it up. This is what we got.
Wow! That was incredible!! They needed safety nets, about to throw them gals through the walls! The dancing was crazy , intense! My grandmother was a young lady during that time. She was a young country gal that went to Laurence Welk barn dances. This would have been too fast for her! LOL But I do know she would have had a "fit" seeing those girls in skirts so short! That was VERY scandalous in the 1940's. Seeing "spanks" surprised me. Such talent watching them! 🥳
If you enjoy the dancers, you can also check out The Marx Brothers "Day at the Races".
That’s a professional dance troupe performing the Lindy Hop. Not something you can just do off the cuff.
A real Toe-Tapper😎
Harri, another great reaction!
In the credits it showed Routine music done by "Charles Previn".
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Previn
He was the father of Andre Previn!:
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Previn
who was a multi-talented classical and Jazz pianist, composer, conductor.
Here is a link to his collaboration CD from 1989 "After Hours" a nice recording of standards!
m.th-cam.com/play/OLAK5uy_kVetJnRb9tbd76dOPfh6iGyPmu6JsUwGc.html&playnext=1&index=1
Great music and some pretty good dancing 😏 but if you want to see the real thing, check out the Ross Sisters, “Solid Potato Salad”. I believe this is their only surviving recording. You will not be disappointed !
The Lindy Hoppers.
In the 40's there was a vibrant black American film industry but United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc., 334 U.S. 131 (1948) destroyed it. It was an antitrust lawsuit, and it killed the studio systems.
This is the ultimate for the period....Fred Astaire's favorite dancers.
Oops forgot the link...lol...th-cam.com/video/IoMbeDhG9fU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=QdfiRB3h5gMBDhsx
I'm seeing many future hip replacements!
welp, didnt expect this one to pop up on ur radar lol
The music may have been just really good studio musicians rather than a known band.
Wow!I get tired watchin those dancers...Did we ever have that much energy in our youth???
Insane stuff...
no one asking bout their payment, work conditions or drug use...just dance or serve at world war two, too.
you should react to Flor d’Luna by Santana and Oye Como Va
#GabrielHenrique I leave as a suggestion for your reaction, the talented Gabriel Henrique, with covers by Stevie Tyler, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson and much more. Each cover is a surprise.
And the stars of today think they can dance!?
swing dance is mostly spontaneous? i have seen this sort of thing unchoreographed. but they do list a choreographer...
This is the colorized version
We've evolved from dancing and swing music to raping and twerking. Perhaps it was a devolution not an evolution.
You missed the best part, all the white people leaving for a smoke break or something at the beginning and then peeking back in to see all the black "help" with the real talent.
The colorization is crap.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellzapoppin%27_%28film%29