I am fortunate to have met Gwen Verdon in an airport around 1993. She seemed genuinely touched that I knew her name when I told her I loved her work. She was still slim, beautiful and very gracious.
She was not great, just relatively well trained; take a look at some professional ballet dancers from that era, they were much better. It was not her field of expertise, she excelled at something entirely different.
@@joeapple100 If you are asking me what Verdon's professional field of expertise was, take a look at the dance routines choreographed for her by Bob Fosse. She was no Fonteyn, Plisetskaya or Makarova, though; her strength used to lie elsewhere.
She had a glow that was entirely natural, she had sincerity, whereas the showgirls were acting. She was real. And the ballet training! Luckily she found her real talent - or Fosse found it for her.
By today's standards, this is really creepy, even with the wonderful Gwen Verdon. She was 16 and absolutely looked it, especially compared to the highly stylized, intentionally doll-like chorus girls parading past the old guy singer while he glances at each one until Gwen appears, al youthful innocence and perkiness. - The "male gaze" demonstration and the song lyrics - OMG.
MOST great jazz/modern dancers have ballet as a base. That is the something extra that makes them so versatile. If you are competent at ballet there is pretty much no genre of dance you cannot do.
HE would have been the Emcee at a follies show. It was not meant that he was cruising the gals, but that he was presenting the girls of memory. Check out "Those Beautiful Girls" from Follies. th-cam.com/video/-e_v_dTBgU4/w-d-xo.html
Yes, I agree. She seemed very awkward, but then again I was a " studio" mom for a good 15 years. This may have been her first " real" job and her nerves where getting the best of her?
Classical ballet was not her forte, for sure she was no Margot Fonteyn material ;-) On the other hand, the technique of ballet dancers has changed beyond recognition since then so her performance can be compared only to that of her peers.
I noticed that also, but as a mom of a former competitive dancer you must remember she was only 16 and probably awkwardly trying to be " perfect" in her movements. She also looks as if they didn't know how to choreograph her to show her at her best. I think Fosse, since he knew her body did her talent justice
Most great jazz/musical theater dancers have a strong ballet foundation. Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor were great because of their own core ballet training.
@@MrCrowebobby Yes he did. They all had basic training. How do I know? My dance teacher worked with him on several shows. Basic ballet training was a requirement for professional dancer in the movies. Even Astaire had basic ballet training.
@@lohphat He may have taken a few classes, but he had no core ballet training and it certainly didn't affect his tap dancing. I was also a professional dancer with tap as my specialty. I also had many ballet classes, but they never affected my tap in any way. A "little ballet" doesn't go a long way, as you'll know if you've studied it. And O'Connor was never under contract as a "dancer."
Imagine being a never-handsome never-talented male singer on his downward spiral. Walking home from this gig to his sixth-floor walkup and sprinkling King of Kings whisky on his cornflakes.
@@pertelote4526 I get that. But it looks creepy. I have been a performer and director. It doesn't matter what their personal lives were. I would never put a 49 year old and 16 year old together on stage like that, no matter how good they are. Just looks creepy. Just my humble opinion
@@jan2224 I respect your opinion and your professional choices but I beg to differ because I am trying to see a broader cultural context here. I remember I did have a slightly odd feeling while watching Astaire and Hepburn in "Funny Face" (30 years' difference), Bogart and Hepburn in "Sabrina" (the same) or Chevalier and Caron (43 years) but I accepted those somewhat mismatched couples as part of the then entertainment convention. On the other hand, I have never batted an eyelid watching an operatic performance in which the lead tenor/bass was middle aged but the corps de ballet, by its very nature, was much younger. Regards :-)
I am fortunate to have met Gwen Verdon in an airport around 1993. She seemed genuinely touched that I knew her name when I told her I loved her work. She was still slim, beautiful and very gracious.
She stands out even at 16.
So talented at 16! But, wow, the creepiness of that old guy and all those young girls.
YEah. The "Good old days". yikes.
Nothing has changed. :-(
She was just perfect.
Yes. That's all. Perfect. Sigh...
First time I ever saw her do ballet-she was great
Graceful executing traditional moves, but mechanical and predictable as a musicbox figurine.
She was not great, just relatively well trained; take a look at some professional ballet dancers from that era, they were much better. It was not her field of expertise, she excelled at something entirely different.
@@pertelote4526 WHAT WAS THAT?
@@joeapple100 If you are asking me what Verdon's professional field of expertise was, take a look at the dance routines choreographed for her by Bob Fosse. She was no Fonteyn, Plisetskaya or Makarova, though; her strength used to lie elsewhere.
@@joeapple100 She was a famous child tap dancer.
She had a glow that was entirely natural, she had sincerity, whereas the showgirls were acting. She was real. And the ballet training! Luckily she found her real talent - or Fosse found it for her.
Lola's not sure what she wants yet.
Seems correct, Andrew. That came later.
Dear Andrew, 5 years after your comment, you've given me a great laugh. Thank you!!!!!
By today's standards, this is really creepy, even with the wonderful Gwen Verdon. She was 16 and absolutely looked it, especially compared to the highly stylized, intentionally doll-like chorus girls parading past the old guy singer while he glances at each one until Gwen appears, al youthful innocence and perkiness. -
The "male gaze" demonstration and the song lyrics - OMG.
Absolutely wonderful and such grace and beauty.
Exactly the sort of number that Sondheim referenced in "Beautiful Girls" near the beginning of "Follies."
And In the musical singing in the rain
This is AMAZING! 😍 Thank you for sharing this!
Gwen is perfection.
She looked like music box ballerina 🩰 ❤️🙏🏼
How lovely and classical.
Bob Fosse would sometimes call her Miss VerDUN. Now I know why. They misspelled her name in the credits. Thanks.
It may also be in reference to the WWII battle at Verdun -- they did have some epic quarrels.
@@lohphat The battle was in 1916 :-)
@@pertelote4526, so, then, it was a battle in WWI.
She was mature looking for a 16-year-old. And you can see that she definitely studied ballet before she moved on to modern dance.
She was a child tap dancer even before that.
She was so lovely and talented. Her whole body and every movement is graceful.
MOST great jazz/modern dancers have ballet as a base. That is the something extra that makes them so versatile. If you are competent at ballet there is pretty much no genre of dance you cannot do.
Gospel truth ❤
You are exactly right!!
She was great. Hope the singer in the film did not see her as the “girl of his heart”. He looked like he could be her grandfather.
He was 49 at that time.
He may have only been 49, but she was 16. Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Ugh. 😱
Ikr? So creepy. Lol
HE would have been the Emcee at a follies show. It was not meant that he was cruising the gals, but that he was presenting the girls of memory. Check out "Those Beautiful Girls" from Follies. th-cam.com/video/-e_v_dTBgU4/w-d-xo.html
This is amazing!!!!❤️❤️
did you ever notice the music back that day all sounds like a "Little Rascals" show?
Okay, Gwen Vernon was the best thing in here. I recognized her right away. She seems really young here and unsure. Everything else seemed forced.
Yes, I agree. She seemed very awkward, but then again I was a " studio" mom for a good 15 years. This may have been her first " real" job and her nerves where getting the best of her?
What a wonderful ballerina
Love the costumes
She's wonderful; the rest is dreadful but it's (presumably) what was popular at the time.
A Busby Berkeleyesque mannequin parade.
@@JudgeJulieLit Such parades of beautiful girls were very common in musicals in the 1940s and 1950s.
@@pertelote4526 Even before then; Florenz Ziegfeld had such shows on Broadway in the 1910s & 1920s.
The final close up ~Awkward! Neither of them look comfortable. LOL
What a gem...what a hoot!
It’s too bad nobody thought of getting a commentary from Ms. Verdon while she was still around. I think it would have been fascinating.
So sweet !
The watermark was unfortunately placed
I shudder to think of how fast she had to grow up. This looks earlier than 1941.
Classical ballet was not her forte, for sure she was no Margot Fonteyn material ;-) On the other hand, the technique of ballet dancers has changed beyond recognition since then so her performance can be compared only to that of her peers.
I noticed that also, but as a mom of a former competitive dancer you must remember she was only 16 and probably awkwardly trying to be " perfect" in her movements. She also looks as if they didn't know how to choreograph her to show her at her best. I think Fosse, since he knew her body did her talent justice
Had no idea she did pointe
Most great jazz/musical theater dancers have a strong ballet foundation. Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor were great because of their own core ballet training.
What a surprise. Didn’t know she did pointe either. And the following year her life would change forever.
@@lohphat You're talking uneducated nonsense. O'Connor had no ballet training.
@@MrCrowebobby Yes he did. They all had basic training. How do I know? My dance teacher worked with him on several shows. Basic ballet training was a requirement for professional dancer in the movies. Even Astaire had basic ballet training.
@@lohphat He may have taken a few classes, but he had no core ballet training and it certainly didn't affect his tap dancing. I was also a professional dancer with tap as my specialty. I also had many ballet classes, but they never affected my tap in any way. A "little ballet" doesn't go a long way, as you'll know if you've studied it. And O'Connor was never under contract as a "dancer."
Not her best but she found her rhythm when she was paired with her future hubby Bob Fosse.
She was great before she met him, just not yet famous.
A year later she had a kid
Courtesy of a family "friend"
❤❤❤❤❤❤
I am guessing this was a "short" to be shown before the main feature. Looks under-rehearsed. But fun the see a young Gwen Verdon in the spotlight.
Once a cutie, always a cutie
The inevitable Roscoe...
Isn't that a bit young for the guy singing?
Imagine being a never-handsome never-talented male singer on his downward spiral. Walking home from this gig to his sixth-floor walkup and sprinkling King of Kings whisky on his cornflakes.
She is best in burlesque
That was really creepy.
can hardly recognize her.
That would be child molestation now.
Kindy of creepy with the old guy.
But he is only 49 here, he was born in 1892; ok, perhaps he is old by your standards ;-)
49 with a 16 year old? Yeah. CREEPY.
@@jan2224 They were not together as a couple, I believe, they performed in the same featurette :-)
@@pertelote4526 I get that. But it looks creepy. I have been a performer and director. It doesn't matter what their personal lives were. I would never put a 49 year old and 16 year old together on stage like that, no matter how good they are. Just looks creepy. Just my humble opinion
@@jan2224 I respect your opinion and your professional choices but I beg to differ because I am trying to see a broader cultural context here.
I remember I did have a slightly odd feeling while watching Astaire and Hepburn in "Funny Face" (30 years' difference), Bogart and Hepburn in "Sabrina" (the same) or Chevalier and Caron (43 years) but I accepted those somewhat mismatched couples as part of the then entertainment convention.
On the other hand, I have never batted an eyelid watching an operatic performance in which the lead tenor/bass was middle aged but the corps de ballet, by its very nature, was much younger. Regards :-)
Pedophilia was a thing then?
She didn't look and wasn't suppose to be 16 in the film . . . and that wouldn't count as pedophilia in any case.
lol women walking with their arms open like that looks ridiculous
Classic Showgirl walk
Classic ZIGFELD SHOWGIRL! WALK!! TO SHOW OFF ! USUALLY! ELABORATE! And HEAVY! COSTUMES!!!!!
You know, not everyone likes this stuff.
Watch something else.
Isnt this considered paedophillia these days?