tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post4566175389984038972..comments2024-03-16T05:27:55.183-04:00Comments on Java's Journey: Dancing With the Stars - Marge and Gower Champion in the "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" Number (Update: Marge's Documentary) (Update 2: Why The Champions Divorced)JavaBeanRushhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05653117187583244224noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-1599766416002831842016-07-24T22:27:01.433-04:002016-07-24T22:27:01.433-04:00Thanks for letting us know, Anonymous.Thanks for letting us know, Anonymous.JavaBeanRushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05653117187583244224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-33663177878793543862016-07-24T13:31:13.062-04:002016-07-24T13:31:13.062-04:00Everything I Have is Yours starring the Champions ...Everything I Have is Yours starring the Champions is available on Amazon now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-72223513987215097212015-04-21T16:10:19.354-04:002015-04-21T16:10:19.354-04:00Java, Thank you! This is an excellent source! I ...Java, Thank you! This is an excellent source! I did find this Dinah Shore Show (full show) with the Champions as guests on You Tube:<br /><br /> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhtvHqSUTI8 <br />Many of the movies are available. I am just very interested in their work on television. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-48286606779533384692015-04-20T10:19:06.376-04:002015-04-20T10:19:06.376-04:00Anon,
The Champion's shows are probably not co...Anon,<br />The Champion's shows are probably not commercially available.<br /><br />You might contact the New York Library. They keep rare TV and Broadway performances in their catalog. https://catalog.nypl.org/<br /><br />I will keep your question in mind.<br /><br />Thanks.JavaBeanRushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05653117187583244224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-47235660219766211222015-04-16T15:19:52.952-04:002015-04-16T15:19:52.952-04:00Are there any available tapes to the public of the...Are there any available tapes to the public of the Marge and Gower Champion Show, guests appearances on various TV variety shows, and the Accent on Love show directed by Gower Champion?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-45971995087748338352015-04-07T17:52:58.359-04:002015-04-07T17:52:58.359-04:00I just rediscovered the Champions after watching T...I just rediscovered the Champions after watching Three For the Show. It led to searches for videos of their dance routines. So entertaining. Wish I could back and soak in everything that they did. They were brilliant, and what a delight Marge Champion is at 90+ years of age. I just viewed a routine that she and her youngest son, Blake, did at Jacob's Pillow at a tribute to the late Gower Champion in 1986. It was the year before Blake died. It was soooo touching. Your last entry was 08/11 and now it is 04/15. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-37540252756449768902013-12-20T10:47:42.807-05:002013-12-20T10:47:42.807-05:00According to the Marge Champion-approved biography...According to the Marge Champion-approved biography BEFORE THE PARADE PASSES BY by John Anthony Gilvey, as Champion began fixing Broadway plays on the East Coast, Marge and the children were still on the West Coast filling up their lives without him. <br /><br />"Each time they get back on the same side of the country, it takes a little bit longer to meld because each one has filled in those periods of separation and loneliness with other activities." <br /><br />Champion was away from his wife most of the time, also having a mid-life crisis during the sexual revolution - more temptation. All of this didn't help their marriage. They would eventually divorce.<br /><br />Yes, there was a chorus girl who was to debut as a star in 42ND STREET under Champion's direction on the day that he died.<br /><br />***I highly recommend the book.<br />***Here's a PEOPLE Magazine article about Champion and the chorus girl: <a href="http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20077450,00.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20077450,00.html</a> JavaBeanRushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05653117187583244224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-56606519412542404362011-08-30T21:15:18.504-04:002011-08-30T21:15:18.504-04:00Dear Anonymous,
It is thrilling to know there are ...Dear Anonymous,<br />It is thrilling to know there are fellow Champion fans out there! Thank you so much for leaving a note.<br /><br />You might be interested to know that Marge is still going strong. The dancer was recently seen in the audience of a Tommy Tune show. The following BroadwayWorld.com article has a picture of her from August 2011:<br /><br /><a href="http://boston.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo-Coverage-Tommy-Tune-Steps-in-Time-at-The-Colonial-Theatre-20110812" rel="nofollow">http://boston.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo-Coverage-Tommy-Tune-Steps-in-Time-at-The-Colonial-Theatre-20110812</a> <br /><br />You'll have to scroll down the page to about halfway.JavaBeanRushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05653117187583244224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-66300143910150873932011-08-30T13:36:55.629-04:002011-08-30T13:36:55.629-04:00Just watching "Lovely to Look At" on TCM...Just watching "Lovely to Look At" on TCM. Came to the dance "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" and wanted to look up something about Gower and Marge. So nice to see other people have appreciated their talent!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-65055847867498269782010-12-21T21:29:18.947-05:002010-12-21T21:29:18.947-05:00Thanks Rick.Thanks Rick.JavaBeanRushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05653117187583244224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-34549907398796453012010-12-18T23:12:11.434-05:002010-12-18T23:12:11.434-05:00Java, how nice to see a tribute to the Gowers! The...Java, how nice to see a tribute to the Gowers! They get overlooked too often when folks discuss the great dancers of the classic film era.Rick29https://www.blogger.com/profile/08358116647815569722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-12778313536061248642010-12-18T00:51:19.843-05:002010-12-18T00:51:19.843-05:00Laura,
You are right - it is romantic. I think kn...Laura, <br />You are right - it is romantic. I think knowing that they are actually married, a team, enhances that bliss.<br /><br />Your teenager has good taste, by the way. :)<br />-------------------------------<br />Jacqueline, <br />What kind words. Thank you.<br />-------------------------------<br />joem18b, I hadn't heard that she was teaching dance in NYC. That would be a thrill. <br /><br />I had heard that she is still dancing and has made a documentary called <a href="http://elitedance.com/blog/2009/12/30/keep-dancing-marge-champion-donald-saddler/" rel="nofollow">"Keep Dancing"</a> with Saddler.<br />----------------------<br />Clara, <br /><br />They are so cute and funny in the "I Won't Dance" routine. I'm glad you like it. <a href="http://www.streetswing.com/histmai2/d2chmpn1.htm" rel="nofollow">Here's a little more about the Champions from Streetswing.com.</a> <br />----------------------------------<br />jnpickens,<br />According to <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=TkhPTdy9qqUC&printsec=frontcover&dq=gower+champion+glorious&hl=en&ei=nUYMTdToHMuUnAfl_oH6DQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=one-man%20assault&f=false" rel="nofollow">John Anthony Gilvey's bio of Gower Champion - Before The Parade Passes By </a> [which I highly recommend for its detail in describing the numbers themselves], the Champions broke up due essentially to their leading separate lives. By the late 1960s, Gower had a bi-coastal career, and Marge was raising the children alone in California.<br /><br />Marge says in her interview with Gilvey that leading separate lives is very dangerous for a marriage. She continues, "Each time [that we] get back on the same side of the country, it takes a little bit longer to meld because each one has filled in those periods of separation and loneliness with other activities. At that point, you really don't see what's important and what isn't."<br /><br />It all gets worse for their family after that - he doesn't see his children much; they separate; he gets into the counterculture movement and experiments with everything and everyone, including other women.<br /><br />Start with Chapter 13, page 202 on this subject.JavaBeanRushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05653117187583244224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-32589224603042766282010-12-17T21:37:45.232-05:002010-12-17T21:37:45.232-05:00Gower and Marge were such a beautiful dance duo. I...Gower and Marge were such a beautiful dance duo. I often wonder why they divorced. I've never been able to find anything on them, but a dance teacher of mine-who danced with greats like Merce Cunningham- said he was playing around with a show girl.<br /><br />It's a shame because I can never find many of their dance numbers on Youtube.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-63179225223221513722010-12-17T19:57:25.835-05:002010-12-17T19:57:25.835-05:00I had never heard of the Champions before. I loved...I had never heard of the Champions before. I loved the clip you posted and also the related clip from the same movie, "I won't dance" :)Clara Fercovichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04247553895885558509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-12349832895680774302010-12-17T19:24:21.608-05:002010-12-17T19:24:21.608-05:00Gower has been gone for 30 years, in spite of bein...Gower has been gone for 30 years, in spite of being two years younger than Marge, but last I heard, she was still teaching dance in NYC. Give somebody a lesson for Christmas!<br /><br />(Well, maybe a master class. Marge and Donald Saddler hang out together, I think.)joem18bhttp://joem18b.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-67107171310415746882010-12-17T07:42:13.387-05:002010-12-17T07:42:13.387-05:00Lovely clip, and your description is terrific, so ...Lovely clip, and your description is terrific, so right on the mark. Such artistry. Thanks for this.Jacqueline T. Lynchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11047941886908178350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-56272524557129102012010-12-17T02:30:38.435-05:002010-12-17T02:30:38.435-05:00One of my all-time favorite dances. So blissfully...One of my all-time favorite dances. So blissfully romantic! Thanks for reminding me of it tonight. :) It's a very enjoyable film -- my teenager loves it so much I got her a Warner Archive copy for Christmas. (Shhhh!)<br /><br />Best wishes,<br />LauraLaurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09626109831176745957noreply@blogger.com