Do you prefer to watch Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly movies? Why?
Oh, heck, alright then if you are, I suppose I'll have to say...": Thanks for the great answer, lin. I know what you mean about Gene Kelly’s athleticism and the sheer love of dancing that showed in his face. Those were very appealing qualities.
The youtube clips were delightful! You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen ‘Anchors Away,’ but the scene with him dancing with Jerry Mouse is indeed charming. Of course, the ‘Singing in the Rain’ scene and the ‘Babbit and the Bromide’ scene are two of my favorites.
But aren’t they everybody’s? But, to answer your question, much as I love Gene Kelly, if I had to choose between the two, I’d have to go with Fred Astaire. Astaire was such a virtuoso dancer, and, though he was famous for being a perfectionist, all his routines looked so natural and even effortless.
S singing wasn’t bad either. Though he never had a great voice, he was much admired for his diction, and several composers—perhaps most famously Irving Berlin, said he amongst the best interpreters of their songs. I especially love the early Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers movies.
I like the witty plots ( usually comedies of errors) and the sparkling dialogue in the better ones. The music by Berlin, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, and Cole Porter, is of course wonderful, too. I always enjoy looking at the art deco scenery and costumes, and I love the vast number of wonderful characters actors who appear alongside Fred and Ginger.
Edward Everett Horton, Eric Blore, Erik Rhodes, and Helen Broderick (Broderick Crawford’s mother! ) appear in more than one picture each, and they are wonderful, but if you watch the movies side by side you can also see fine performances by Victor Moore (‘Swing Time’), Edna Mae Oliver (‘The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle’), Jack Carson (‘Carefree’), Oscar Levant (‘The Barkeleys of Broadway’) and many more. One of my favorite Christmas presents this year was ’Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers: The Complete Film Collection’—a set of eleven DVDs of all the Astaire and Rodgers films with additional commentary.
I’ll enjoy watching those for many hours—not that I wouldn’t have welcomed DVDs of some the the more obscure Kelly films. Two very innovative dancers and great stars!
As I wrote above, Brigadoon is my favorite Gene Kelly movie. Which was in no small part due to Gene Kelly’s dancing, and his dancing with Cyd Charisse. I know that when Gene Kelly’s character went back to that bar in New York City, I could feel how much he wanted to return to Brigadoon.
I know I would have wanted to go to such a beautiful place, and dance amidst the heather on the hill with Gene Kelly. I bet in his arms even I could look like a dancer! Gene Kelly had a way of making those he danced with shine.
Of course, Cyd Charisse had the talent which only shone more in her dancing with Gene Kelly. Just as it did when she danced with Fred Astaire when they appeared in films together. Only there was one difference, Fred Astaire had the moves, but Gene Kelly had the entire package.
He was handsome, one could imagine a woman like Cyd Charisse falling in love with him. The chemistry between them when they were dancing and acting together was able to make me stop thinking about them as actors/dancers, but as lovers. It’s very strange, but whenever I watched Fred Astaire dancing or acting with a female love interest, I couldn’t get past thinking: "He’s not a good-looking man, he’s much too old to be the love interest of the female co-star."
I must say, when Fred Astaire danced alone that, to me, is when his true artistry as a dancer came through. Gene Kelly’s artistry as a dancer came through when he was dancing with his female love interests, when he was dancing alone, dancing with Frank Sinatra, even when he was dancing with Jerry Mouse the cartoon character in the movie Anchors Aweigh. Right now, I feel like going into my den and watching my DVD of Singin’ in the Rain, and fast-forwarding to his Dancin’ in the Rain .
I’ve included a few clips from Gene Kelly’s films and a special treat, too. I’m just sorry I couldn’t find any clips of Brigadoon on youtube. Well, tabbycat, Gene Kelly is my selection, who is yours?
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.
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Movies, movies, movies, movies, movies, movies, movies......?