My 10 Favorite Dance Scenes in Classic Movies

I was inspired to write this post after watching the Marilyn Monroe/Jane Russell classic Gentlemen Prefer Blondes this weekend. The film features the famous and often imitated scene of Marilyn singing and dancing with a bevy of handsome gentlemen to the song "Diamonds Are a Girls Best Friend". I love a good song and dance number and many of my favorite movies are a favorite because of a charming dance scene.

Here is a quick list of my 10 favorite classic movie dance scenes - some are big flashy numbers with a sea of performers and others are short and sweet but charming. I'm sure I'm missing one or two from the list. What are your favorites?

10. Dorothy Malone in Written on the Wind (1956)

I love this scene in the Douglas Sirk melodrama starring Malone, Rock Hudson, Lauren Bacall, and Robert Stack. The whole movie is filled over-the-top drama and Malone wildly dancing as her father falls down the stairs perfectly sums up the bizarreness of this campy film. She won an Oscar for this performance.
 

9. "Puttin' on the Ritz" - Fred Astaire in Blue Skies (1946)

A whole troop of dancing Astaires. What's not to love?

8. "Fit as a Fiddle" - Gene Kelly & Donald O'Connor in Singin' in the Rain (1952)

Crazy green plaid matching suits, charming coordinated dance moves, and a catchy song - one of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite movies.

7. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)

This scene is a longtime favorite. I love the brothers bright rainbow-coloured shirts, and the two groups of guys trying to outdo one another to impress the girls. Watch it till the end to see the guys dancing on two long wooden planks, it's the best part!

6. "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" - Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

One of the most famous Marilyn Monroe scene, it's so pink, so sparkly, so filled with handsome guys.

5. "Hand Jive" - Cast of Grease (1978)

Grease was the first musical I fell in love with. There are a lot of great scenes to choose from but I was always particularly fond of the big dance off. The pervy dance-off judge, Kenickie and Rizzo trying to make one another jealous, Danny's pink shirt, socks, and pocket square, ChaCha's hoochie dance moves stealing the show - it's all fantastic!

4. "Step in Time" - Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins (1964)

Fact: Every time I listen to this song it gets stuck in my head and for the rest of the day and everything I do is stepped in time... Open the fridge - step in time, into the shower - step in time, out to the car - step in time. I hate it actually.

(Can't find this video - how can this not be on YouTube yet!?)

3. "Broadway Melody" - Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain (1952)

Gotta dance. This is a fantastic example of a large-scale big budget musical production that paid off.

2. Esther Williams in Million Dollar Mermaid

Not a traditional dance scene but it is definitely worthy of a place on this list. Esther Williams was known for her elaborate water ballets and this scene from Million Dollar Mermaid does not disappoint. What I would have given to see a show like this live.

1. Rock Hudson & Gina Lollobrigida in Come September (1961)

This is a clip from my favorite movie of all time. Rock Hudson has dance moves like you've never seen before, Gina Lollobrigida is gorgeous and her dress is to die for, and I love the commentary from the kids, Sandra Dee, Bobby Darrin and Joel Grey - how does he do it? This clip makes me smile every single time I watch it which is why it is my favorite.

Honorable Mentions
 

"You're All the World to Me" - Fred Astaire in Royal Wedding (1951)

This is a super famous, classic dance scene that features Fred Astaire dancing on the walls and ceiling because he has fallen in love with a beautiful woman who also loves to dance. The only reason this didn't make the list is because I haven't actually seen the movie so I didn't feel it should qualify.

"Tequila" - Pee Wee Herman in Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)

This one was not quite old enough to officially make the list, the movie was released in 1985 but it is definitely one of my favorite dance scenes of all time.

Show & Tell w/ John & Lindsay from Bird and Cleaver

 

Hello and welcome to another week of Show & Tell. This weeks guest bloggers are John and Lindsay from Bird and Cleaver...

Hello, L&R readers! Were John and Lindsay from Bird and Cleaver, and we are thrilled to be a part of this Show and Tell!

We like stuff, and we have a lot of it! Which is fun for us, however, it makes times like these sort of difficult. "We love all of our little treasures, which one(s) do we choose?"

It made sense to us to choose something that really says "Show and Tell". Toys! As kids, we were both very fond of collecting trinkets and treasures. This is a trait we have definitely passed on to both of our boys. This collection is one that just kind of happened. It was one of those thrift trips were you dig something out of a bin and say "Holy S#@T, I totally had this guy! I have to have him!". And then it just snowballed.......... "Mr. T looks lonely, you know who should keep him company, John Rambo. Oooh ooooh and Macho Man. And on and on and on....................

How awesome is that collection?! This is definitely one of my favorite entries so far. Thanks so much Lindsay and John!

Every Tuesday I ask one of my favorite bloggers to show us something they love from their home and tell us a bit about it (show & tell was one of my favorite things ever in school). Check out the previous posts here and email me if you'd like to participate!

Etsy Shop of the Week: Dear Golden

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Dear Golden is a vintage shop that offers high quality, hand-selected garments from the 1920s through the 1980s. The prices are quite high but most of the dresses are in mint condition. They also have a blog. 

I can't decide which of these dresses I love the most. I guess number two is my favorite with the unique gathered bust and double arrows. You can't really tell in that picture but the double arrow is beaded. I love the triangular cutouts in number five and the colour of number six. Check them out for tons of other gorgeous pieces.

Much Love Monday: Wardrobe Test Shots

Honestly I don't know a lot about wardrobe test shots. Common sense tells me these were taken to see how a particular costume or make-up/hair style looked behind the camera. They were usually taken with the actor or actress posing beside a sandwich sign with the scenes the costume would appear in written on it. They were never really meant to see the light of day but I have to admit I love coming across recognizable ones from my favorite movies. Keep reading for nine more recognizable wardrobe test shots.

 

Audrey Hepburn, Sabrina

This post is part of Anna's Much Love Monday series - weekly blog posts, intended to start the week off with some positivity instead of the typical Monday blues! To join in, visit Anna's blog for details.

Tag It Vintage: Week 5 - Vintage Ladies

1) Butterfly girl ca. the 20s

2) Portrait of an unknown woman ca.1918
3) The Young Woman's Republican Club ca. 1941
4) Dancer, Charlotte Greenwood demonstrating her flexibility at MGM studios in 1928
5) A frightened looking Mamie Van Doren
6) Girl with cat eye glasses playing on a playground
7) Girl resting on a dock ca. the 40s (love her dress)
8) Beauty school at the beach

Every week I choose a handful of Tumblr pictures tagged "vintage" and share them here with you. Sometimes there is a common theme and sometimes they're just a group of pictures that made me smile. They all link back to their sources.

Weekend Links: Mid-Century Offices and Ballroom Dancing Lessons

1) Mad Men is coming! Mad Men is coming! I love this post from Velvet & Shag about mid-century modern offices

2) Check out this amazing reproduction of the heart and arrow dress Ginger Rogers wore in the 1938 film Carefree on Tuppence Ha'penny Vintage

3) A cute ballroom dancing for beginners instructional video from 1926 via Tea With the Vintage Baroness

4) A look at Jackie O (not Kennedy)'s style from Fancy That Vintage

Midnight Movie Marathon: Doris Day's 60s Sex Comedies

I love classic movies and I've been wanting to incorporate them into the blog since it started. Unfortunately I suck at writing movie reviews so I had to come up with another idea.

I've mentioned I live in a fairly small town in Ontario. There is nowhere to rent classic films besides a handful of the really well known ones we've all seen on TV 100 times (Casablanca, Ben Hur, Breakfast at Tiffany's, etc). So it really sucks when I hear about an interesting old movie I'd like to watch but then can't find the darn thing anywhere.

The internet has been a godsend and with a bit of hunting you can usually find what you're looking for online (Aaaarrrrgggghhhh!) So for those of us without the luxury of a decent rental place, TCM, or a fat wallet to buy a ton of DVDs - I bring you the first MIDNIGHT MOVIE MARATHON!!! Every once and a while on Friday nights at midnight I'll post 3 great classic movies (in full!) with a common theme for you to enjoy. They're all courtesy of YouTube so obviously the quality is not the greatest. If you like them buy the DVD for a better viewing experience.

This week's theme is Doris Day's 60s Sex Comedies. I am a huge fan of Doris Day, and so was everyone else in the sixties. She was the most successful female box office star of the decade. Doris was best known for her "sex" comedies. They were basically just rom-coms but it was considered super racy to even imply a couple was having sex back then, so they were given the risque sounding name. These are three of my favorites. Be advised they are a little cheesy and if you are a hardcore feminist you should probably just avoid them all together unless you can have a sense of humor about the old fashioned values. Anyway hope you like them, have a great weekend!

Plot: Jerry Webster and Carol Templeton are both in the advertising business, but for different agencies. Annoyed by Jerry's methods of using alcohol and women to ensure contracts for his agency, Carol tries to get him thrown out of his profession. To avoid this Jerry bribes the girl who'd testify against him, by starring her in a TV commercial for a product named VIP that he's just made up. By accident these commercials are broadcasted and to keep his job, Jerry has to come up with VIP for which he enlists the help of Doctor Linus Tyler. Carol goes to see the Doctor to try and get the VIP account, but because she and Jerry have never met, she mistakes Jerry for the Doctor. Jerry then takes advantage of this situation to win her. (IMDB)

Starring: Doris Day, Rock Hudson, Tony Randall, and Edie Adams
Directed by Delbert Mann
Written by Stanley Shapiro and Paul Henning

Released in 1961

Plot: Five years to the day after his wife Ellen disappeared in the sea after a plane crash, lawyer husband Nicholas has her declared legally dead, remarries and sets off to Monterey with new wife Bianca. The same morning, Ellen arrives home after being rescued by the Navy from a desert island and follows to try and prevent the honeymoon developing further. Nick, still in love with Ellen, is delighted to see her but finds he still can't break the news to Bianca, while Ellen equally hasn't got round to telling the children she is their mother. Could get complicated. (IMDB)

Starring: Doris Day, James Garner, Polly Bergen, and Thelma Ritter
Directed by Michael Gordon
Written by Bella Spewack, Sam Spewack, Leo McCarey, Hal Kanter, and Jack Sher

Released in 1963

 

Plot: Axel Nordstrom manages a glass-bottom boat tourist operation in the waters of Santa Catalina Island, California. His widowed daughter, Jennifer Nelson, occasionally helps by donning a mermaid's costume and swimming underneath his boat for the passengers' amusement.  One day, Jennifer accidentally meets Bruce Templeton when his fishing hook snags her costume. He reels in the bottom half of her mermaid costume, leaving the irate Jennifer floating in the water without pants. Jennifer later discovers that Bruce is the main manager of her part-time place of employment, an aerospace research laboratory.  Mr. Templeton later sees Jennifer again at work and recognizes her, and with a hidden purpose, he hires her for a new full-time assignment: to be his "biographer" and to write his life story. His hidden purpose is to make an attempt to win Jennifer's affections. There is a problem. The laboratory's security chief, Homer Cripps, concludes that Jennifer is a Soviet spy, and to prove his suspicions, he has Jennifer surveilled. When she learns of the notion, Jennifer disproves the bumbling Cripps. (Wiki)

Starring: Doris Day, Rod Taylor, Paul Lynde, and Dom DeLuise
Directed by Frank Tashlin
Written by Everett Freeman

Released in 1966

The Friday 5: Vintage First Aid Kits

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My fella and I just signed a lease to a new apartment which means goodbye dark and musty basement and hello sunny dream home. It's at the other side of town which means a way longer commute to work and the babysitters but it is in my absolute favorite part of the city and just two blocks from where I grew up.

The apartment is an old century home that's been turned into a triplex. It's on a quiet little dead end street and is a stones throw away from a lake, 2 beaches, 3 parks, 4 playgrounds, a skating canal, the longest bike trail in the country, a massive sledding hill, a 50+ year old bakery, the best diner in town, a great sushi place, and all the other essentials (grocery store, gas station, bank). Also it's close enough to downtown that in the summer we'll be able to watch fireworks from our front porch twice a week (there's a summer music festival with fireworks downtown twice a week).

We're not moving in till the first of May but I've already started decorating the new place (in my mind) and I've decided our new apartment must have a proper first-aid kit. What better way to house first-aid essentials than in a neat vintage first-aid kit. I actually couldn't find quite what I was looking for but I might end up settling for one of these five.

Classic Hollwood Stars on Twitter

Hi everyone. I just started a Twitter account! Actually it's a really old account created for the sole purpose of trying to contact John Stamos... but that's besides the point. Anyway I didn't want to just slap up a boring old follow me post so I thought I'd provide you with a list of all the old Hollywood stars who tweet so you can follow them too. It's obviously a short list and I considered anyone in movies from the seventies and back as a "classic" star. (And obviously Elizabeth Taylor's account is no longer active but you can read her archives.)

Did I miss anyone?

This post got me thinking about which classic stars twitter accounts I would have followed if you know, twitter, the internet, and computers had been around decades ago. Who do you think would have had the most entertaining feeds? For some reason Danny Kaye comes to mind, I don't know why! And I'm sure Tallulah Bankhead would have been great too.

 

Images

Cloris: 1 / 2 / 3 

Debbie: 1 / 2 / 3 

Diane: 1 / 2 / 3

Don: 1 / 2 / 3 

Elizabeth: 1 / 2 / 3 

Faye: 1 / 2 / 3 

Gina: 1 / 2 / 3 

Jane: 1 / 2 / 3 

Joan: 1 & 2 / 3 

Mamie: 1 / 2 / 3 

Mia: 1 / 2 / 3 

Nancy: 1 / 2 / 3 

Peter: 1 / 2 / 3 

Raquel: 1 / 2 / 3 

Shirley 1 / 2 / 3