tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post6805556469021281600..comments2024-03-16T05:27:55.183-04:00Comments on Java's Journey: How Classic Movies Use the Conga, the Mambo and the Waltz to Shape the StoryJavaBeanRushhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05653117187583244224noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-23773198104973699502014-02-26T11:09:58.330-05:002014-02-26T11:09:58.330-05:00Jacqueline T. Lynch,
There might be more. Ever not...Jacqueline T. Lynch,<br />There might be more. Ever notice the Cha Cha, the Rhumba, the Tango and the Polka in movies? The sensuous Tango seems to be the most up-to-date dance in period pieces set in the early 20th century, but they poke fun at it a bit.<br /><br />Note in Singin' in the Rain (1952), Olga, the sultry actress with the dead-looking date and the spider silhouette woven into her dress doing the Tango at R.F.'s party. Her gravity is a source of amusement for us in the audience; she will soon be obsolete once the talkies come in.<br /><br />Like the Flapper, the Tango is kind of suspended in time in classic movies, the symbol of a bygone era.<br /><br />Thanks for your comment.<br /><br />MC,<br />".... I'd never really thought about it before." <br />Thank you! You just made my day!<br /><br />Thanks for mentioning two other examples. I thought of Hawaiian Gidget, but couldn't remember what the dance was. Thanks for clarifying which dance it is.<br /><br />I remember the end of Make Way for Tomorrow, but I've never watched the whole thing. Thanks again.<br /><br />Caftan Woman,<br />The earlier non-musical version of MY SISTER EILEEN is WONDERFUL TOWN, I believe. And yes, there is a Conga. Thanks for dropping by.<br /><br />--- JavaJavaBeanRushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05653117187583244224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-61279974144503927762014-02-20T17:26:44.395-05:002014-02-20T17:26:44.395-05:00Very interesting stuff. Really enjoyed your artic...Very interesting stuff. Really enjoyed your article.<br /><br />I've always taken umbridge when the Waltz gets picked on and told to slink away to the corner where it belongs. Does anything look better than the Merry Widow Waltz in the 1934 Lubitsch film?<br /><br />The earlier non-musical "My Sister Eileen" also ends with that incredible Conga line. What fun!Caftan Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05936895555808823221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-86040387912838476612014-02-19T15:58:25.439-05:002014-02-19T15:58:25.439-05:00What a fun post! You're so right about the wa...What a fun post! You're so right about the way these three dances are used in movies, though I'd never really thought about it before.<br /><br />Two other examples came to mind as I read your post. One is Deborah Walley and Michael Callan dancing the mambo in "Gidget Goes Hawaiian," when Gidget is trying to stick it to her ex-boyfriend, Moondoggie (James Darren), by flirting with another guy.<br /><br />Another is the scene in the heartbreaking "Make Way for Tomorrow," when the old couple goes to a hotel for dinner and dancing. The hotel staff stops the boisterous swing music to play a waltz so the sweet, old-fashioned couple can have a whirl around the floor.Melissa Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09867200392531626189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-4269728322693172502014-02-19T14:15:52.456-05:002014-02-19T14:15:52.456-05:00A charming post, and such fun. I like the observa...A charming post, and such fun. I like the observations you've made and how you fit each dance into historical context, with some wonderful movie examples. Great job.Jacqueline T. Lynchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11047941886908178350noreply@blogger.com