Bob Fosse & Tommy Rall: "My Sister Eileen" (1955)

I do not only concentrate on Classical Ballet. I love Modern Dance, Contemporary, Tap Dance and even an occasional Musical. There are beautiful “jewels” in Hollywood films and (old) Broadway musicals. The Search and the Research are worthwhile. This all comes from a time when the Ballet “Gods”, such as Balanchine was doing (also) musicals and, in the case of Jerome Robbins, even Vaudeville. They have surely influenced whole generations. I am not a fan of the U.S.A., but I do admire their “attitude” towards “Show Bizz”: Much more open-minded and prejudiceless than their European colleagues! But South Americans are the worst: I knew once a “Ballerina” who would frown at the mention of “Broadway”. Well, everybody remembers the Cole Porter, Lorenz and Hart, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe musicals… and who remembers her?

Researching a bit about Bob Fosse, I came up with this scene of “My Sister Eileen”, a quite forgettable movie if it weren’t for Fosse’s first full-movie choreography (He had done a single scene, “From this moment on”, partnering lovely, jazzy Carol Haney, in “Kiss me Kate”) and had just choreographed “The Pajama Game” (A huge success on 1954 Broadway).

Well, one thing is sure: When Bob found something good, something that “worked”, he stuck to it.

Pay attention to the hats, the Chaplinesque remembrances, the turned-in posture… Yes, a (great) style had just been born. Bravo, Bob!