Ziegfeld Follies Astaire, Fred performer Kelly, Gene performer Bremer, Lucille performer Charisse, Cyd performer Film 1946-01-15 MGM Several fine tap dance numbers in this opulent musical revue consisting of fourteen skits and musical numbers unconnected by plot or story line. Astaire appears in four of the fourteen segments, the best "This Heart of Mine" a rounded playlet involving Astaire as a gentleman jewel thief who preys on the guests at a formal ball; he zeroes in on the beautiful Lucille Bremer and after a voluptuous duet with her that is designed in extensive rotating patterns-- circling, spiraling, swirling-- he is able to steal a kiss and her bracelet; when they are about to part, however, she calmly removes her necklace and gives it to him. In "Here's to the Girls/Bring On the Wonderful Men" Astaire appears with a stageful of showgirls with pink ostrich feathers and a twenty-one-year-old Cyd Charisse makes a brief appearance in a tutu and Astaire gallantly escorts her forward, sets her spinning into a solo dance, and then vanishes for the rest of the number. "The Babbit and the Bromide" (a George and Ira Gershwin song) is an amusing competitive duet with Gene Kelly (their only appearance together apart from co-hosting "That's Entertainment, Part 2" in 1976) in which they "improvise" a tap dance routine together ("like the routine they'd been rehearsing for two weeks" Kelly later commented) combines a lexicon of tap steps that includes sideways hops and shuffles, sliding back kicks, soft-shoe struts and scuffles, leg-over-leg jumps, vaudeville-style striding, and heel-clicking leaps. The difference in their dancing was well-expressed by director Vicente Minnelli: "Fred Astaire is very elegant, high up in the air and strange stops and so forth. Gene is very athletic and down-to-earth." Performing Arts Encyclopedia http://www.loc.gov/performingarts Frank, Rusty E.: Tap! The Greatest Tap Dance Stars and their Stories 1900-1955. New York, William Morrow. (1990). Mueller, John: Astaire Dancing: The Musical Films. New York: Knopf (1985). Tap Dance America http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/html/tda/tda-home.html Gene Kelly (biography) loc.music.tdabio.119 Fred Astaire (biography) loc.music.tdabio.16 tda IHAS 151216 loc.music.tda.252