Movies: The Worst Dancing in a Movie?

[dancepig]

There have been several terrific topics about the good dance movies. I have to post about the worst dancing in a movie that I can recall - the name of the movie is "The King Steps Out". Okay, it's an old movie, 1936, but still, the technique is so very bad, it makes me feel better about my own performance!

[Mel Johnson]

The King Steps Out was a Josef von Sternberg (his first?) Hollywood movie, based on Cissy, an operetta with music by Fritz Kreisler, which had once served as a stage vehicle for Fred and Adele Astaire. While there's a lot not to like in it, it does show us a lot about show business in the 30s. You can't cover weak dancing in a movie the same way you can onstage. Key here is a featured dancer, Gwen Verdon (!), who is used as what they used to call a "pony dancer". They really weren't much to look at, and they were small, even tiny, but they could dance everything, more or less. Verdon's ballet technique was less, but she was 11 years old fercryinoutloud! This show demonstrates what the American film audience believed about ballet, and still, to an appalling extent, do!

[Serendipity]

Now I'm going to have to find that film. I like Gwen Verdon - bad dancing or not! :-D

[dancepig]

Thank you Major Mel for the information, I was hoping you would be familiar with this film - she was eleven years old? Wow, then it's not so bad, but the others, wow - so many bent knees en pointe, and no pointed feet? But I can see what you're saying as to dancing everything. Serendipity - the movie was on early this morning on TCM.