Threaded Order Chronological Order
| Jack Whiting, very under-rated singer-dancer along with the wonderful Jessie Matthews | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 12:31 pm EDT 07/08/21 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 12:18 pm EDT 07/08/21 | |
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| in a clip from one of her movies. Whiting appeared in many Broadway shows and in London; his last show was "The Golden Apple". He also appeared in "Hazel Flagg", which had him introducing "Every Street's a Boulevard in Old New York". He was really quite good, and he had fine chemistry with the lovely British triple-threat Ms. Matthews. Her films deserve to be rediscovered, with "First a Girl" being an early version of "Victor/Victoria" and "Evergreen", probably her biggest film hit in its time. | |
| Link | Jack Whiting and Jessie Matthews |
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| re: Jack Whiting, very under-rated singer-dancer along with the wonderful Jessie Matthews | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 01:20 pm EDT 07/08/21 | |
| In reply to: Jack Whiting, very under-rated singer-dancer along with the wonderful Jessie Matthews - PlayWiz 12:18 pm EDT 07/08/21 | |
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| Whiting actually has 27 Broadway credits. Besides the 2 shows you mentioned, his inimitable voice can be heard on the Of Thee I Sing '52 revival cast album. Jessie Mathews was indeed a delightful musical comedy performer and one of the great screen dancers. AMC, when it was hosted by Bob Dorian, occasionally showed her film musicals. I agree that Evergreen is quite good. |
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| Did the UK produce another female star triple-threat on the level of Jessie Matthews? | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 01:47 pm EDT 07/09/21 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 01:46 pm EDT 07/09/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Jack Whiting, very under-rated singer-dancer along with the wonderful Jessie Matthews - BroadwayTonyJ 01:20 pm EDT 07/08/21 | |
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| On Broadway, there was Marilyn Miller, Adele Astaire (with her brother Fred) and later Chita Rivera, Donna McKechnie, Ann Reinking, and the biggest box-office triple-threat star of all, Gwen Verdon. Marilyn Miller was on par by herself box-office-wise probably in selling tickets with Verdon, though Verdon's career lasted longer. | |
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| Julie Andrews | |
| Posted by: shocktheatre 05:05 pm EDT 07/09/21 | |
| In reply to: Did the UK produce another female star triple-threat on the level of Jessie Matthews? - PlayWiz 01:46 pm EDT 07/09/21 | |
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| Her career has endured eight decades. | |
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| re: Julie Andrews | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 05:26 pm EDT 07/09/21 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 05:19 pm EDT 07/09/21 | |
| In reply to: Julie Andrews - shocktheatre 05:05 pm EDT 07/09/21 | |
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| Of course Julie Andrews is a huge star, but she was not known as a Gwen Verdon-type triple threat, even though she moved well and did dances in some of her films. Elizabeth Seal was a fabulous dancer, as some video clips will attest. Here's "Hey! Look Me Over" from "Wildcat" around the time she appeared on Broadway in "Irma La Douce". A real triple-threat with great twirls and splits especially, and a strong singing voice |
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| Link | Elizabeth Seal - |
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| re: Julie Andrews | |
| Posted by: keikekaze 06:16 pm EDT 07/09/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Julie Andrews - PlayWiz 05:19 pm EDT 07/09/21 | |
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| Of course Julie Andrews is a huge star, but she was not known as a Gwen Verdon-type triple threat, even though she moved well and did dances in some of her films. Gwen Verdon danced brilliantly and sang and acted competently. Julie Andrews sings brilliantly and acts and dances competently. Judi Dench acts brilliantly and sings and dances competently. What's the difference? All are "triple threats" in my book. I don't expect the miracle of anyone being able to do all three things brilliantly. I believe a "triple threat" is someone who does all three things with professional competence at a Broadway/Hollywood level, and (preferably) at least one of them with brilliance. |
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| re: Julie Andrews | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 06:37 pm EDT 07/09/21 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 06:33 pm EDT 07/09/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Julie Andrews - keikekaze 06:16 pm EDT 07/09/21 | |
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| I would classify Verdon's dancing and acting as both brilliant. She studied with Sanford Meisner, and her Anna Christie in "New Girl in Town" was reviewed favorably with Greta Garbo's. Her Roxie Hart, acting-wise was also brilliant. I've never seen Dench dance, though she has certainly done musicals ("Cabaret", "A Little Night Music", "The Good Companions"), though nothing I'm aware of that called for complex or difficult choreography. Andrews' acting has been more than what you call competent; her "My Fair Lady" reviews called out her acting and overall performance in addition to her singing. I think the term "triple threat" refers more to someone who can do all three, but I think it's the dancing par excellence in which the term is most expressly used, at least on Broadway and in films. It can be over-used, too, by PR people when someone is good at at least one of those skills and might take part in a musical number or two and at the very least does some movement. Of course, there's Lina Lamont in "Singin' In the Rain" -- as Cosmo calls her out -- "Can't sing, can't dance, can't act. A triple threat!" So there! :) |
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| re: Julie Andrews | |
| Posted by: shocktheatre 05:25 pm EDT 07/09/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Julie Andrews - PlayWiz 05:19 pm EDT 07/09/21 | |
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| "Moved well" I think she deserves a bit more than that. |
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| re: Julie Andrews | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 05:27 pm EDT 07/09/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Julie Andrews - shocktheatre 05:25 pm EDT 07/09/21 | |
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| She danced well, but didn't usually do choreography as difficult like Verdon, Rivera, Elizabeth Seal, etc.were capable of doing. | |
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| re: Julie Andrews | |
| Posted by: shocktheatre 05:40 pm EDT 07/09/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Julie Andrews - PlayWiz 05:27 pm EDT 07/09/21 | |
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| I'm not a dancer, so I can't answer that, but she did some great stuff especially in films like "Mary Poppins", "Star" and "Victor/Victoria" to name just a few. She made it look easy. | |
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| re: Julie Andrews | |
| Posted by: Erik_Haagensen 12:19 pm EDT 07/10/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Julie Andrews - shocktheatre 05:40 pm EDT 07/09/21 | |
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| Andrews also did a surprising amount of full-out dancing on her TV series. She may not have had the terpsichorean capabilities of a Chita Rivera, Gwen Verdon, or Leslie Caron, but she was much better than someone who just moves well. | |
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| Elizabeth Seal? (nmi) | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 04:48 pm EDT 07/09/21 | |
| In reply to: Did the UK produce another female star triple-threat on the level of Jessie Matthews? - PlayWiz 01:46 pm EDT 07/09/21 | |
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| Anna Neagle??? nm | |
| Posted by: FleetStreetBarber 04:08 pm EDT 07/09/21 | |
| In reply to: Did the UK produce another female star triple-threat on the level of Jessie Matthews? - PlayWiz 01:46 pm EDT 07/09/21 | |
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| re: Anna Neagle??? nm | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 05:21 pm EDT 07/09/21 | |
| In reply to: Anna Neagle??? nm - FleetStreetBarber 04:08 pm EDT 07/09/21 | |
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| Did Anna Neagle sing well? I've never been sure if she sang in her films that I've seen; it seems like she sang a little and mostly concentrated on the dancing. | |
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| re: Jack Whiting, very under-rated singer-dancer along with the wonderful Jessie Matthews | |
| Posted by: Snowysdad 01:02 pm EDT 07/08/21 | |
| In reply to: Jack Whiting, very under-rated singer-dancer along with the wonderful Jessie Matthews - PlayWiz 12:18 pm EDT 07/08/21 | |
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| F A N T A S T I C !! Thanks so much for sharing. |
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| Glad you liked. Try this one which actually seems to foreshadow "West Side Story" and some other later choreography | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 10:38 pm EDT 07/08/21 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 10:25 pm EDT 07/08/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Jack Whiting, very under-rated singer-dancer along with the wonderful Jessie Matthews - Snowysdad 01:02 pm EDT 07/08/21 | |
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| like "On the Town" and "Slaughter on 10th Avenue", certainly already doing some stuff Gene Kelly seemed to take credit for in the latter two and his later work. It's a fairly long dance on film with action that propels a story. The set, supposedly on a stage, is huge considering the area that Ms. Matthew and Mr. Whiting cover. It's quite well done. It's a real shame that she wasn't allowed by her studio to come to the U.S. to co-star with Fred Astaire in "A Damsel in Distress", but Mr. Whiting was quite a good partner for her here. | |
| Link | More Jessie Matthews and Jack Whiting doing |
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