Ruth Leon recommends… Begin The Beguine – Eleanor Powell and Fred Astaire

Begin The Beguine – Eleanor Powell and Fred Astaire

 I know you know who Fred Astaire was. Everybody does. But it’s possible you may not have come across Eleanor Powell.

 She was simply the greatest female tap dancer in the history of movie dancing, the most versatile and powerful female dancer of the Hollywood studio era. Powell appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in a series of movie musical vehicles tailored especially to showcase her dance talents, including Born to Dance (1936), Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937), Rosalie (1937), and Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940).

She retired shortly after starring in Broadway Melody of 1940 because her husband, Glenn Ford, was jealous that she was a bigger star than he and so, in the interest of domestic harmony, this great, great dancer gave way to lesser mortals.

Ginger Rogers, yes, I know you’ve heard of her too, couldn’t hold a candle to Eleanor Powell. Katharine Hepburn quipped about Astaire and Rogers that ‘he gave her class and she gave him sex appeal’ but when you watch this effortless blending of Astaire with Powell, you can see the difference in quality between a good dancer (Rogers) and a great dancer (Powell).

If you don’t believe me, watch this classic clip. It comes from Broadway Melody of 1940. The introduction is a performance of Cole Porter’s Begin The Beguine in a hilarious and unrecognisable version by a group called The Music Maids. But stay for the main event, Eleanor Powell and Fred Astaire, two perfect dancers at the top of their form. 
 
My authority is unimpeachable, the immortal Fred himself. He told Eleanor Powell’s son, ‘Your mother is a much better dancer than me!’ And it was true.

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