Day 15 – Tappity Tap Tap …
We’re checking out 2 submissions today!
We had never heard of the American TV series “No Soap, Radio” from the 80s. Apparently it only aired 5 episodes but we thoroughly enjoyed this ridiculous clip!
Then we check out some Fred Astaire from the 30s! It’s quite the mix today! 🙂
You can check out the original videos here:
“No Soap, Radio” – Basketball Head
Fred Astaire Kills It on Drums
We’re the opposite of movie buffs and have hardly seen any black and white classics. So today we’re asking you to help us out a bit and send us some gems we have possibly (or likely!) missed.
See you tomorrow!
Mona & Lisa
Well, thankfully I missed the “No Soap, Radio” growing up. Sorry, I guess I killed too many brain cells in the 70’s. 😉
I did like the tapping and drums, though. 🙂
Hey Mona and all, check out Karen Carpenter showing her drumming skills! Man could she play! https://youtu.be/sdHyzGXAJPg?t=89
Loved the body percussion – maybe you should do a YouTube video of it on April 1st as you’ve got some great rythm and skills!
Have you ever watched the movie “Caveman” with Ringo and his wife Barbara? It is free on YouTube in good quality. This is a funny clip where they start jamming using primitive instruments.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYBNoFcvcWI Maybe you or club members can share your favorite movie clips with Beatles in them. Just a thought. Merry Christmas.
Speaking of Tappity Tap Tap, rhythm, music and dance, I had to throw Flamenco into the mix. Hardly a short-form style of presentation, an ancient but amazing genre none-the-less. Possibly the origin of modern tap dancing?
Here is a sample:
https://youtu.be/elPlcVOby-8
Also you might enjoy this modern artist with strong flamenco influence to his music. Jesse Cook: https://youtu.be/gcKcuPWDwxc
I’m a huge fan of classic, old movies. I have three to suggest:
1. Random Harvest – 1942. This is a very unique romance story with two of my all-time favorite classic actors – Ronald Colman and Greer Garson. One critic said that the English language has never been spoken more beautifully. Plus, I think it’s near impossible for a guy to watch this movie and not fall in love with Greer Garson.
2. Stagecoach – 1939. This is a wonderful Hollywood western that became a prototype for many, many westerns to follow. It was directed by John Ford and the film made a star out of John Wayne, both of which became icons of the genre. I’ve included the first couple of minutes of John Wayne’s entrance in the movie here: https://youtu.be/HuzVtt9sXPg.
3. Top Hat – 1935. This is probably my favorite Fred Astaire movie and he’s paired with his most famous dance partner, Ginger Rogers with great music by Irving Berlin. If you don’t have time for the whole movie, check out their dance routine to the song “Cheek to Cheek” here: https://youtu.be/ILxo-TUkzOQ.
Top Hat is my favourite Astaire movie too. “Cheek to Cheek” is such a beautiful dance. If anyone had danced with me like that, I’d have fallen for him then and there!
You’ve said before that watching a movie is time that you’re not always sure you want to spend, but here are a couple not to be missed:
“Casablanca”, particularly Ingrid Bergman, she simply emotes so well
“The Philadelphia Story”, pay close attention to Cary Grant any time he’s onscreen, but not speaking. Just too funny!
Well this is in my wheel house Mona and Lisa, DRUMS!!! And I never seen this video, I see he is holding the drum sticks like I do, wow. And the first video was very funny to me but this one had me zero in, wow so talented and to move like that is so cool. And to see you both have fun and breaking it down was totally awesome and fun. Speaking of fun? I love the drummer you both had ( charlie I believe ) at the Cavern Club, man was he having fun. Twilling his sticks and smiling. I have to admit when I am playing my drums and in a band playing live the feeling is so cool and I move back and forth to the music and it just feels so good to me it is kind of hard to explain. So thank you thank you thank you so much for this fun video and can’t wait for tomorrow’s video.
Love and Hugs from Bill and Maddie Isenberg
I agree Bill. I also really enjoyed watching the drummer at the Cavern Club. It is nice to see someone on stage who is really having fun & enjoying what they are doing.
He did a great job.
Bobby
Sorry I’m late joining this one. What can I say Fred Astaire the best. I think watching you both drumming at the end that you should try doing a similar routine with drums ( Mona?).😉
how about Mona trying to do that with the drums, didn’t you girls say you took dance? would be great and fun even something small and quick
Thoroughly enjoyed today’s show. I was not familiar with No Soap Radio, it was hilarious, my type of comedy. Reminds me of some British comedies like Keeping Up Appearances.
I really liked your body drumming. I bet your were bruised up.
Not sure if you get the Turner Classic Movie channel in the UK, but it has plenty of musicals like the one you watched. Astaire was a perfectionist, he choreographed all his numbers, and he rehearsed them over and over, that’s why it looks so perfect. Ginger Rodgers, his most popular partner, said they would practice until her feet would bleed. But when you look at their films it looks so effortless and elegent.
If you want to see some drumming, checkout Gene Krupa’s drumming on Benny Goodman’s “Sing, Sing, Sing. Peace Be
Wow Joe, I didn’t hear the name Gene Krupa in quite a long time. A great drummer.
My oldest brother, who was a dancer, danced at a Club in NYC called the Metropole. Gene Krupa was the drummer with the band there for a while.
How about Buddy Rich? Some consider him to be the best drummer of all time.
Bobby S.
Robert, that’s great, I would’ve loved it seeing him live. Later in his career, Gene and Buddy used to perform together. Sort of duelling drums. I be it was wild.
Check out my comment. I found a YouTube of Buddy and Gene in a drum battle.
Thanks for the link. Really wild.
You’re welcome.
Hi Mona and Lisa and MLT members …I adore Laurel and hardy black and white comedy films from 1930’s…I have the colourised versions too but still watch black and white as they were originally shown in cinemas ….I’m sure you’ve seen “it’s a wonderful life” from 1940s but it’s a true classic all the same …..one I really love is Metropolis ,a 1927 German expressionist science-fiction drama film directed by Fritz Lang,this is amazing for its time…take care lots of love xxx
Bill, I too love L and H. If you live in the states, Turner Classic Movies shows mostly films from the “Golden Era.” In my view, “Make Show” has elements of the silent cinema (German Expressionism) – their movements, the use of contrast, distortions and fade in/out close-ups. It really blows me away.
I do not remember this tv comedy at all, but if it was only on a short time, I guess I could have easily missed it.
I love old black and white movies, especially the dramas. I also enjoy your black and white videos. When you film in color, the vibrancy is off the charts.
Btw, I love your new haircut Mona!
Anyway, I find the best part of these videos is watching you two smile. It makes me really happy as nobody enjoys pretty girls more than me😍
I swear that Why? made me think of a soundtrack before you said anything of the sort. I know you could do an awesome soundtrack. Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane wanted to make a soundtrack album. She did not let the lack of a movie stop her. In 1974, she released “Theme from the Movie Manhole”. Sadly, the concept was better than the product, but I wouldn’t let that deter you.
All this talk of drums can’t go by without a word from the professor. https://youtube.com/watch?v=LWRMOJQDiLU
Wow! Amazing! I love the overhead shots.
That was amazing body percussion at the end! Do you have a practitioner of the “Schuhplattler” as an ancestor 😉 ? Or is that a purely Bavarian rather than Austrian custom?
First video extremely funny.
The second video with, Fred Astaire, what an Amazing Amazing dancer !!
Mona & Lisa he was born in my home state , Omaha Nebraska.
I didn’t how that, I learned something new.
I really enjoyed your drumming towards the end of the video.
Outstanding Outstanding !!!
I can’t believe it is Dec 15th already. It’s sure flying by, like a bird up in the sky.
I never watched No Soap, Radio when it aired. It did not do well, that is why it was only on for 5 episodes. However, there were a lot of stars who were on the program, such as, Steve Guttenberg, Jerry Stiller, Gary Owens, Bill Dana, and lots of others.
Fred Astaire is one of the best dancers ever. Besides dancing, he sang and acted.
He was also an accomplished drummer and pianist. He practiced a lot at home.
I think the best part of today’s video was watching & listening to Mona & Lisa playing drums on their bodies – or body percussion as it may be called.
Hope everyone enjoys the rest of this day. It is a dreary, cloudy day here in NY.
Rain is coming this afternoon, this evening and tomorrow. But I guess it is better than snow. We may get snow at the end of next week?
Some of you might say that you like snow. Well, it can be fun & pretty if you can stay at home. But if you need to go out and shovel, clean off your car, and perhaps drive to work or the store or anywhere it can be treacherous at times – especially when the roads get icy & slippery.
Take care,
Bobby S.
Hi Bobby, We’ve had a day of freezing rain here in Ontario. Very unpleasant! Good day to stay inside and chat.
Hi Jeannette,
I have never been to Canada. I hear that some cities are very beautiful.
I am not a cold weather sort of person, so I do not know how I would do there in the wintertime.
Some folks here in NY, go down south (usually to Florida) for winter. And some move there permanently, when they are seniors.
Bobby
I think Canada is beautiful but of course, I am more than a bit biased. And I don’t mind the cold – for a little while. Some folks from here also go to Florida for holidays or, if they are retired, for the winter. We call them Snowbirds! If you visit Canada in the summer, you will find plenty of hot, humid weather.
Yes, we call them Snowbirds also. That could be a good title for a song lol. Maybe I’ll write some lyrics.
I don’t mind the heat too much in the summer, but can you hold back the humidity?
I lived in Northern California for a few years where the temps sometimes were in the 100’s, during the summer, but it was mostly dry heat (like in Arizona?) One day, my friend had an outdoor wedding and it hit 114 degrees F. As soon as the ceremony was over, the bridal party and most guests changed quickly into t-shirts & shorts lol.
I don’t like the humidity either. I don’t think I could handle even dry heat at the temperatures you mentioned! Heat saps my energy. Give me a good cool, crisp autumn day – now that is energizing!
I like the song idea!
I hope the sun will come out for you soon! It’s been unusually cold here in the UK too but unlike you we haven’t had any real snow yet in our neck of the woods. We hope you’re enjoying your day, too! 🙂
I remember Gary Owens played a talk show host in a No Soap Radio sketch. At one point he looked into the camera and said, “We’ll be right back after this.” Then they showed just one or two seconds of footage of some African tribal dance, and then… “We’re back!”
The main storyline of NSR, about an elegant old hotel that had fallen on hard times, wasn’t terribly memorable. It was the zany unrelated cutaway sketches that made the show. You can find a few of them on YouTube.
Buster Keaton (along with Charlie Chaplin) is one of the true pioneers of early film comedy. Although this clip is a bit academic, it does convey how influential Keaton was to generations of film makers. https://youtu.be/72FQIV-jpEk
Buster Keaton is amazing to watch. I love those early movies!
Buster Keaton was the man!! That video was so interesting, well researched and put together. Thanks for sharing!
I can’t imagine how you are drinking from this fire hose… It appears that you have put all normal life on hold for 25 days to bring this Advent Caledar to life. It is amazing to watch. I can spend hours and only look at a fraction of the traffic you are handling with your typical grace and charm. I hope the disruption is an inspiration. Wowcool!
Picking up on what was said… Dana wants to send you a picture of some art she did in her college art class. There were art majors in the class and she got an A! The instructor said she made more of an effort than others who were more experienced drawing. We will see if we can get it to you 😘
Gotta love Fres Astaire! Here’s one I found called Movie Stars Dance To Uptown Funk. Don’t know who did this but it’s cool! https://youtu.be/M1F0lBnsnkE
I was just about to post the same video. Great minds think alike. Lol. It’s really cool if you turn the CC (Closed Caption) ON. It shows you the title and year of each film. Mona and Lisa, if you haven’t seen this before, it’s amazing!
Ha, that’s really well put together! I turned on the captions and realised I haven’t seen a single one of those movies. They all look so fun!
Hello Ladies
Below is a black and white of old stars dancing to Uptown Funk
https://youtu.be/M1F0lBnsnkE
Here is a Three Stooges Black And White Called the Curly Shuffle. Clips of several Shorts (short films) Unfortunately after about 15 Shorts, Curly suffered a series of strokes and didn’t perform with them again. Larry was a friend while Moe And Curly were brothers. Curly got his name when he shaved his head and Moe said “Hey its Curly ”
https://youtu.be/u4_ApvtdSzg
Today’s submissions were very enjoyable. Everyone is coming up with great videos.
Have a super Groovy Day
Rick Ross
Loved your impromptu drumming
Whoever put that dance medley together did a great job! Loved those clips, thanks Rick!
one more clip shirley temple and bill robinson.
https://youtu.be/wtHvetGnOdM
I love Shirley Temple with Bill Robinson. Wasn’t he the dancer called “Mr. Bojangles”?
Bobby
Bill Bojangles Robinson is the name he went by.
That was SO good! And Shirley Temple as a little girl was adorable 🙂
Fred Astaire was the absolute master at dancing! He could dance with inanimate objects (like a coat rack) and make them come alive. Google the Mills Brothers for more outstanding tap dancing. And I have to mention my favorite movie of all time Casablanca starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Here’s looking at you, kids.
Hi Michael,
I was never a Bogart fan, although he was a really good actor. But when you mention Ingrid Bergman, it gets me going lol. I have seen Casablanca several times.
After watching Ingrid in films like Notorious, Gaslight, Indiscreet, and a few others, I fell in love with her. So, I started borrowing DVDs from the library to watch as many of her films as I could. I was able to watch about 40 of her films, including her early ones in Swedish (with subtitles) and the ones made in Italy. I even read a good biography about her (the first book I had read in a long time lol).
Hope I didn’t bore you. Take care,
Bobby S.
I’ve always enjoyed it whenever the Our Gang/Little Rascals did music dance routines, etc in the movie short episodes , here is another of my all time fave Our Gang ones :
https://youtu.be/7JUN8zeRPMo
The Our Gang Follies of 1938 was, at one point, a rarely seen episode. It was the last time that Hal Roach did a two-reel production with them. In fact, they had stopped doing the two-reel productions but they did this as a special of sorts.
As a kid, I always watched them on television but many of the episodes were extremely edited. The Follies of ’38 was never on television but was included in a set that was sold through QVC in the mid 1990s. I was glad to see it and the unedited versions of other shorts.
Not what you were asking for, but I was inspired to share these. Tap dance, drums, and a surprise.
Buddy Rich & Gene Krupa. at least it’s black & white. I wish Sammy had danced.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu1teeixmpw
and now for a little guitar. (sorry about the ads)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9r-NxuYszg
and a little tap dance.
Gene Kelly with Tom & Jerry. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHCsOFWuIb4
Laurel & Hardy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSkDpzz6DHs. comes with a yodel!
That drum battle was so much fun. I think I’ve seen it many years ago but I’m glad you shared it! That Tom & Jerry clip melted my heart, how adorable and wholesome!
Thankyou for Day 15 and your impromptu Drum Session , and your commentary, enjoyed it all , brought sunshine to a dreary dull cold-ish morning outside….
Are you getting freezing rain like we are in London, Ontario? Soooo dreary.
I’m in western Mass near the NY border. We supposedly have snow — a lot — coming. They keep pushing back when it starts. They say we’ll have 6 or more inches when it stops tomorrow. Then the same thing next week.
Oh my! We haven’t seen anything like that yet this year. I hope you don’t get dumped on as heavily as Buffalo did a while ago!
We haven’t seen anything like that yet either. This storm fizzled out.
Great submissions today , although never seen that comedy show from 80s , but the trick of using basketball etc as a pretend person has been used in otger tv shows/movies ( Ferris Bueller’s Day Off as an example )… nor I had ever seen that Fred Astaire clip, that in itself was awesome…!!!!
Laurel & Hardy & Charlie Chaplin stuff are good as well …Buster Keaton too
When I think black/white movies… Little Rascals/Our Gang stuff comes to mind, here’s a YouTube clip of one of my fave episodes from Little Rascals/Our Gang, Wee Spanky has to babysit:
https://youtu.be/EXNBtEHRGYI
Our Gang is what first came to mind for me, too, but which one to post/recommend? So many. I think my favorite might be “Hide and Shriek” (https://youtu.be/_xL1IkdPT2k)
Hmm– a black and white classic..
A hard days night with the Beatles!!
(I bet you’ve seen that)
My dad was a movie projectionist (and tech) in the 1940s and 50s.
He was also a musician
So we always got subjected to the old musicals when they came on tv
This time of year you ought to be able to catch “Holiday Inn” and/or “White Christmas” (both with Bing Crosby)
A much newer (and it seems much hated) movie Xanadu, had Gene Kelly (and old “hoofer” from the black and white days in it)
I liked the move– how can you go wrong with Gene Kelly, Olivia Newton John, and ELO?
Here’s Bing in “Holiday Inn”
https://youtu.be/GJ36gbGlm8Y
Holiday Inn also featured a great tap dance scene – the firecracker dance in which Fred Astaire danced among lit firecrackers
Yes, we’ve seen “A Hard Day’s Night” several times! We watched it in German first so they were all overdubbed! Thanks for the movie suggestions, I’ve written them down. That “Bing Crosby” clip was beautiful!
Loved the basketball head clip. I have never seen that before. You girls make me laugh with your drumming session. That was really funny. Can’t wait until tomorrow!
Here’s a classic dance routine from Singing in The Rain,you may enjoy.There were a few good dance numbers in this classic film.
Gene Kelly,Debbie Reynolds,and Donald O’Connor
https://youtu.be/hhW-kL5fZS8
Definetly my favorite day of the calendar so far!! Love to see those smiles early in the morning,just gets the day off to a great start.
Haha, I was smiling throughout all of that! Perhaps I should set that as my alarm clock ringtone?
Hello everyone. Like I said before, I was a TV babby being born in 1958. Been awhile since I’ve seen that one. Fred and Ginger was clasic dancing. Always loved seeing their grace. This reminds me of the now. A guilty pleasure I have is watching Dr K playing Boogie Woogie in London public pianos. Here’s a very cute clip of a self taught little girl tap dancing improve with him. So darn cute.
https://youtu.be/tZMipZ0pNEE
Also, because of the season I love Ave Maria. I dust off my Deutch Gramophone record of it when I’m home. Here is Dr K in an impromptu finding a operatic girl off street and doing a pretty nice and special rendition. Here’s that special link.
https://youtu.be/cw3MK6UDFlQ
Hope you all enjoy.
Peace. God Speed. Stay Groovy! ❤️🌹🤘
The impromptu hand percussion session you two did was really cool. Even after following your music for a long time, you gals still sometimes amaze me with how much talent you have. Perhaps some tap shoes in the Twins future?
I loved the “Basketball Head” video, just plain ridiculous fun. It’s always good to laugh!
Another great demonstration of his talent at the end of the video.
They surprise me more and more.
Your drumming performance made this Advent video! Well-done!
I actually posted that first clip in the comments for yesterday’s video, not expecting to get a second turn at this game. Thanks for checking it out!
I saw that Astaire routine once before. What incredibly impressive and imaginative dancing was featured in movies back then! You just don’t see that sort of thing anymore.
Over 30 years ago I was flipping through the cable channels and stumbled upon the following scene from an old movie that has since become one of my very favorites. No dancing, but a fine example of the 1930’s “screwball comedy”, starring two of the biggest names of that era.
Bringing Up Baby (4/9) Movie CLIP – I Just Went Gay All of a Sudden (1938) HD – YouTube
One of the funniest movies ever made! Another screwball comedy with Cary Grant that I love is Arsenic and Old Lace. Absolutely hilarious!
Fred Astaire was not just a phenomenal dancer, but what an athlete and what body control! Best part easily was your self percussion routine and seeing you having such fun and laughing. Seeing your joy every morning is the best part of the Advent Calendar for me.
Best black and white movie to me: AHardDay’sNight -hope it’s never colorized.
A couple of great romantic comedies in B+W are It Happened One Night starring Clark Gable( versatility plus), and Claudette Colbert – The first movie to sweep the Oscars. Also it was directed by Frank Capra, same director as It’s a Wonderful Life, also a great B+W. My little know favorite is called Comrade X, which stars the stunning Hedy Lamarr and Clark Gable.
Hope you get some to sit with some popcorn and enjoy!
What a fun way to start the day!
I’d never seen the Basketball Head thing before. Not quite slap stick but bordering there.
Fred was the master of the tap for sure, but proves that rhythm is still the foundation of music. Without the “beat”, there would be no song.
Groucho Dances , You Bet Your Life. https://youtu.be/ulXoQG0FKrA
I forgot to mention that Mona, you are right to use the word percussion in connection with tap dance. My dance studio is called the Percussion Arts Dance Studio. The types of dances taught there are all rhythmic – tap, clogging, and step dancing. And I loved the amazing body percussion sequence the two of you improvised!
I choked on my coffee watching the first very absurd and hilarious clip. What kind of a brain comes up with something like that?! Too bad there were only 5 episodes!
I loved watching your reactions, Mona and Lisa, to the tap sequence. And Lisa, you are quite right – Fred’s birth surname was Austerlitz and his father was Austrian. Such talent seems to flow from your native land!
Fred did that sequence in one continuous shot utterly amazing when one considers the complexity of the footwork combined with the drumming. He was an amazing dancer and athlete! Apparently he was a perfectionist and laboured over every step of a dance both in its creation and in his practice. For one film, I don’t remember which, after shooting the dance, the director decided he didn’t like the sets in the background so they filmed it again. When the two scenes were screened side by side for a later TV special, the dance performances were absolutely identical, right down to the most minute detail! Another interesting detail: in the 1930s, when this film was made, the tap sounds had to be dubbed in. Fred would dance on a wooden floor to create a sound track that had to match what the audience would see in the film. Incredible!
For anyone particularly interested in novelty tap scenes, check out Fred Astaire’s fire cracker dance, and his dance with a hat rack! The last is an incredible display of his athleticism – he was 52 at the time!
(2) Fred Astaire “Say It With Firecrackers” – YouTube
(2) Dancing With A Hat Rack 1951 (Fred Astaire) – YouTube
Loved the impro hand, body and head drum part girls- As you say drumming can be so much fun and you’ve just proved it!
I’ve seen Fred Astairs video before- he’s my tapping idol. I tried tap dancing 10 years ago, and I was useless ha ha. Although I once tapped a routine whilst singing Chicago with my Big Band, and 6 tap girls from my class flashmobbed and joined me one by one- it was so much fun, although challenging trying to sing and tap dance at the same time!!
Looking forward to opening tomorrows advent calendar- This is the best advent calendar i’ve ever had x
I took up tapping a few years ago. It was something I had wanted to do since childhood – because of all those Fred Astaire movies! He is my dance idol too! I was limited earlier in my adult life by having no dance schools for adults anywhere near me. Luckily a few years ago, I found someone willing to teach me. It is the best thing I ever decided to do! So much fun and so satisfying to create rhythm with my feet! I find that my feet are tapping where ever I happen to be – probably drives people crazy. I can’t imagine singing and tapping at the same time! That would definitely be a challenge. I’ve read that dance is one of the best ways to keep one’s brain healthy!
Yes, it’s a great form of dance- I just wish I’d been better at it haha. But as you say you can start it at any time of life. I’m quite fortunate that there are a number of adult tap classes locally. It is great for mental health- not only the dancing itself but the social side too. I also did two tap dancing shows with our tap group, I was the only guy so they used me as a central figure during our ‘singing in the rain’ routine where I had to tap a solo😬. I love dance generally, did ballroom for 8 years and Argentine tango for a couple of years. It’s lovely to chat with a fellow tapper 👍😊
I bet you were the centre of attention as the only male tap dancer in your group! Not much pressure! Good for you for having the guts to be that lone male AND to do a solo! Ballroom dance is something I’ve long wanted to pursue. Interestingly, here in London, Ontario, we have a Fred Astaire school of ballroom dance! Guess I should go enroll. Argentine tango sounds like fun too. Do you still dance?
Yes you should definitely enrol on the Fred Astaire ballroom dance course, you won’t regret it. Two people dancing as one feels fantastic you’ll love it. I don’t dance anymore, but it will never leave me- I feel confident enough to get up and dance with a partner. At a band gig the other week whist my female singer was singing I did a Cha Cha Cha and a ballroom jive with a lady in the audience- it all came flooding back😊
Nice drumming! Thank you for another fun episode of the MLT Advent Calendar!
Hi Mona and Lisa, wow that was an awesome demonstration of your percussion skills with your hands, human Cajon! Loved it! You are both amazing, and I am sure that was a lot harder to do than it looked. A couple of really interesting and fun videos, as was yesterdays. I’ve never seen tap dancing with a drum kit, just as amazing as what you both did.
It’s interesting the point you made about back in those black and white film days, there was no easy retake of a performance, everything was done in one shot, it takes a lot of skill and talent to do that I am sure. There is something to be said about virtuosity. These days with a computer it is so easy to type, and erase of what you wrote as you compose something, but in the old days with pen and paper, or even type writers, you had to do it right the first time more often than not, forcing a little more focus, thought and quality into each physical action. Software writers in the old days of computing were the same, the code had to be so much more efficient and better written than today where there is so much more hardware horsepower with more powerful chips, but the software code is not as efficient and elegantly written. It seems music of the 60s was like that compared to the techno pop music in the top 20 charts today.
In that vein, some of the old black and white classics had to make it on the quality of it’s story telling and acting compared to films of today with so much special effects and amazing action scenes that Hollywood flicks are so well known for. A couple black and white classics, I could recommend are by Orson Welles, 1953 “War Of The Worlds” (the original 1938 radio live broadcast is even better), some how much more impactful and substance than the later versions like the one by Tom Cruise. It was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the US Library Of Congress. The other is considered the Hey Jude and Stairway to Heaven of music, in film making and that is the 1941 “Citizen Kane”. “A movie that taught generations how to make movies”. I watched it a few years ago after hearing much praise about it, and it was awesome. It lived up to it’s praise and hype, really enjoyed it.
CITIZEN KANE: 75th Anniversary Trailer
Thanks so much for these daily Advent videos, you are both troopers! 👍 💛 ❤ Loving them. Way to go on your starting up of the work outs. What is that saying, “no pain, no gain”.
Hi Jung,
you are right: the film pioneers of the early days created true wonders with the means of their respective epochs. I think for example of Fritz Lang and his masterpiece “Metropolis” or the French film producer Georges Méliès. Both born at the end of the 19th century. And yet their work is actually not that different from today’s filmmakers. Scenes were rehearsed and repeated until the right shot was in the can. There was tinkering and trickery until the illusion was perfect. No wonder, Georges Méliès first appeared as a magician and illusionist in variety theaters. His movies, which often contained science fiction and fantasy elements (although they weren’t called that at the time), were also based on special effects that don’t have to hide behind those of today. His heroes flew to the moon (as Jules Verne described it), fought fire-breathing dragons or evil skeleton warriors. No, they didn’t have CGI effects back then, but they did have scissors and glue, brushes and paint with which to manipulate their celluloid strips. And the sets and costumes of the time were just as intricately made then as they are in today’s films. Lang and Méliès were masters of illusion and they had visions that would come true in a similar form decades later. I don’t know if you have seen the movie „Hugo“ by Martin Scorsese. It is a tribute to the pioneers of early cinematography. Although this film describes its own entertaining story, in the course of the plot you learn in an exciting way how work was done back then in the childhood of film history. A film worth seeing, about the history of entertainment movies long before Hollywood existed.
“Le Voyage dans la lune” de Georges Méliès 1902 film complete
https://youtu.be/apWTcPQVB6o
Metropolis (1927) / Trailer
https://youtu.be/gdtZv3XROnc?t=9
Thanks Jurgen for the videos and info about Georges Méliès and magician and illusionist aspects. These old silent classics has a charm and enjoyable unique experience. The visual story telling, and the music creating the mood and tension in absence of speech is really top notch and skillfully done. Certainly the great movies to follow with sound/speech benefited from the visual and musical story telling craftsmanship from the early films with the added dimension of sound.
Upon viewing the Advent video again, I guess the ask was for B & W film of music and dance. Missed that part, and just tuned in on what I read movie buffs and “black and white classics”. Sorry.
That little improv part at the end was brilliant! I can totally imagine you two at home and at school always making up sounds and rhythms whenever you could! I also found your drum act with the wooden spoons and tables, also very entertaining!
Good Morning Girls…what a way to wake up to that Fred Astaire dance and drum combo…I really enjoyed that and then the M & L Encore at the end…I guess that’s what being a twin is to just spontaneously rip into something and the other is right in step….beautifully done❤️🧡
Brilliant, you two are so much fun or dare I say Crazy!!!!!!! x
Yes, you dare, you dare! Also acceptable: goofy 😋, zany 😜, kooky 🤪, and uncountable others!
I totally agree with both of you, and I might add “refreshingly real people” to the list How many entertainers out there can one say that about?
Love the drumming video, maybe Mona could try to recreate such a routine! Also loved the impromptu Mona/Lisa drumming at the end, that should help you keep warm on these cold mornings.
I don’t really know any old black/write musical routines (other than the piano in Casablanca) but have watched many of the classic musicals such as West Side Story, Singin’ in the Rain, Seven Brides etc, but I don’t recall too much tap dancing (maybe in Singin’).
Great morning entertainment as usual and so great you had a music teacher that let you use your imagination and gave you freedom to express yourselves – see where its led you!!!
Great clips again, thank you. The MLT impromptu percussion session was worth the year’s membership on its own.
Haha thanks Alan ♥
Mona is the just bees knees.
She sneaked in the phrase “More Cowbell”. Did you hear that? LOL
Woohoo! That was funny. 😉
Thanks for sharing the videoclips. It’s real fantastic and fascinating what some people can do with their feet…
https://youtu.be/E8gVXz8ZlHI
Great footwork indeed
I’ve seen clips of these brothers before but never a long video like this. It’s so much fun to watch! Thanks for sharing.
MORE COWBELL
That was great!
Your percussion skit is really great. So much fun and inventive. It reminded me of a trip I made to Brazil as a teenager and got on a public bus. The whole bus started taping on anything and it became a mind-blowing groove, I didn’t want to get off the bus!!
I would think the Fred Astaire dance was choreographed by him and done with the band live. I don’t think it was ever more than two or three takes, as he would be too tired to keep that high energy! It was a different time.
Thank you!
You’ve referenced Charlie Chaplin in your videos, here’s one with all his physical comedy: The Pawnshop (1916)
Wow, that sounds like a magical mystery kind of bus ride 🙂
Love the Charlie Chaplin clip. They made 25 minutes of no talking entertaining as can be.
I think Mona is exactly right…. he could have used a little more cowbell.
LOL
You guys are thinking “What talent! What rhythm!” And while that’s true, I’m thinking, “What an athlete!”
I could watch you play yourselves all day. Fantastic! LOL
Blue Man Group is amazing. Saw them a couple times.
Here’s a classic Stan & Oliver. It doesn’t get much better:
https://youtu.be/xIWcfBWrQlk
Thats an epic movie, we used to watch it over and over again! I allmost forgot that
This was fantastic, Fred Astair was great, but i liked your drumsession better, and what joy Rythm gives to people, this reminds me of another fantastic Rytm clip, not in Black and white, as you requested, but in colour . Its a smal piece from teh performers of Riverdance, the Rythm in this piece and the moves they make a really, fantastic to watch. By the way Ladies i was surprised by the moves you made during your rythm sessions they were GROOVY!!!
Take a look at reayly tapping moves:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMD_f02gelM&list=RDWMD_f02gelM&start_radio=1&rv=WMD_f02gelM&t=20
Hello Eric,
I find the ease with which the dancers move very impressive. Everything seems so effortless, relaxed and elegant. Have you seen Riverdance and Lord of the Dance as a live show? Unfortunately I never got the chance and I think that is a pity.
Hello Jurgen I ve had the pleasure once to visit Riverdance and I can tell You it was wonderfull. I had a seat next to the Orchestra/ Band. I could even talk to the violinist!
Where did you see the show? I seem to remember that you live in the south of the Netherlands. It’s round about 35 kilometers from me to Venlo.
Hello Jurgen, i saw the show at the Ahoy In Rotterdam
That was incredible!! The musicians included!! Thanks for sharing ♥