contents
Starting the Stair-Dance business p. 6
… enters Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson p. 10
documents
A / Portable Staircase
1 / Bill Robinson
Bill Robinson Stair Dance «Harlem Is Heaven» p. 17
> classical Robinson staircase - 4 steps leading up to a platform
from «Harlem Is Heaven» (May 27, 1932)
Bill Robinson «Stair Dance» p. 31
> classical Robinson staircase - 4 steps leading up to a platform
unidentified footage from the documentary «It Just Happened»
1a / Bill Robinson style
Eleanor Powell «Robinson's Stair Dance» p. 33
from «Honolulu» (MGM, February 3, 1939)
unidentified tap dancer «ABC, die Liebe tut nicht weh» p. 44
> classical Robinson staircase - 4 steps leading up to a larger top
> Buck on Pointe
from «Die Bräutigamswitwe» (Richard Eichberg Film Gmbh, Germany, April 17,1931)
Sammy Lewis in black-up «The Musical Beauty Shop» p. 48
> classical Robinson staircase - 4 steps leading up to a platform
André Charlot Productions, UK, 1930 / June 1, 1930 (USA)
Louis Douglas «Stair-Dance» p. 61
> classical Robinson staircase - 4 steps leading up to a platform
from «Niemandsland » (Resco Filmproduktion, Germany, December 10, 1931)
Audrey & Wesley Catri «Stair-Dance» p. 67
> classical Robinson staircase 4 Steps leading to the top (4x as large as the Steps)
from «Trouble In Toyland» (Vitaphone, Aug (?), 1935)
Jane Withers «Take A Tip from A Gypsy» p. 73
> 3 tambourines as Steps
from «Rascals» (20th Century-Fox, May 20, 1938)
dances staged by Nick Castle
Jack Imel, Bo Wagner & Cubby O’Brien
«Parade of the Wooden Soldiers» p. 78
> Military Stair-Dance / Three portable staircases: 2 steps leading to a larger top
from The Lawrence Welk Show - Welk Family Christmas (December 24, 1958)
The Twin Tones «Five Foot Two» p. 82
> 2 portable staircases > 2 Steps leading up to top
«Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour» ( October 29, 1961)
Arthur Duncan «Doin' The New Low Down»
from several Lawrence Welk Shows
> 2 steps leading up to larger top
The Lawrence Welk Show «My Blue Heaven Theme» (1964) p. 88
The Lawrence Welk Show «Musical Memories» (January 25, 1969) p. 98
The Lawrence Welk Show « Tahoe Highlights» (November 4, 1972) p. 108
The Lawrence Welk Show - Season Premier (September 18, 1976) p. 116
The Lawrence Welk Show «Salute to Song and Dance Men» (October 22, 1977 p. 124
The Lawrence Welk Show «Songs of Jimmy McHugh» (February 16, 1980 p. 132
The Lawrence Welk Show «All Time Favorites» (March 27, 1982 p. 141
George Hillman «Someday Sweetheart» p. 151
> Henry LeTang Staircase: 3 steps leading up to top
from «Black & Blue» (Paris, 1985)
Savion Glover «Someday Sweetheart» p. 157
> Henry LeTang Staircase: 3 steps leading up to top
from «Black & Blue» (Paris, 1985)
Henry LeTang «Doin' The New Low Down» p. 163
> Henry LeTang Staircase: 3 Steps leading up to top
Victor Cuno Personal Routine, New York, April, 1989
Carol Lawrence «Tribute To Bill Robinson» p. 176
staircase with 4 Steps leading up to a platform
choreography: Henry LeTang
Savion & Cid Glover & Dormeshia Sumbry
«Rhythm Is Our Business» p. 181
«Black and Blue (Broadway 1989)»
special combination staircase: 5 Steps leading up to top > front & side
Gregory Hines & Girl Ensemble «Doin’ The New Low Down» p. 227
> Henry LeTang staircase: 3 Steps leading up to top
Tap Choreography: Henry LeTang
from «The Cotton Club» (December 4, 1984)
Anne Schley Duggan «Steppin’» p. 232
> Rhythm-Buck Stair-Routine
> classical Robinson staircase - 4 steps leading up to a platform
from «Tap Dances For School and Recreation» / A.S.Barnes & Company, New York, 1935
Leslie ‘Bubba’ Gaines / Buster Brown
«Tea For Two - Stair-Dance» p. 238
> 2 Steps leading UP to top
from the DOC «Greats Feats Of Feet»
Frances Nealy «Stair Dance» p. 246
> 2 Steps leading onto a larger top
YouTubeClip «in-memory-of-frances-nealy-pt-1»
B / One-Side only Staircase
Wilson, Keppel & Betty «London’s famous Clubs and Cabarets p. 248
Charles B. Cochran’s «Revels In Rhythm» at the Trocadero Restaurant, London»
> 5 Steps leading to a larger top
Pathetone Weekly No 164 (British Pathé, (May 15, 1933)
Eleanore Whitney «Where Is My Heart» p. 252
> 4 steps
from «Three Cheers For Love» (Paramount, June 26, 1936)
Ginger Rogers «New Lease For Life» p. 254
from «In Person» (RKO, Nov 22, 1935)
choreographer: Hermes Pan
Hal Menken «Stair-Dance» p. 255
«Piccadilly Theatre Of Varieties» (British Pathé, January 23, 1936)
Rhythm-Dance
Arthur Boran (?) «Music In The Morgan Manner» p. 259
> classic, but miniature portable staircase / 3 steps leading up to a larger top
US, 1941 (?)
Steve Condos & Jerry Brandow «Star Spangled Revue» p. 266
> classic, but miniature portable staircase / 3 steps leading up to a larger top
a Bob Hope Show (NBC, May 27, 1950)
Steve Condos, Jerry Brandow & Patricia Wymore
«One Step Ahead» p. 273
from «She’s Back On Broadway» (Warner Bros., March 11, 1953)
C / frontal staircase
1 / Bill Robinson
Bill Robinson «Mr. and Mrs. Sippi» p. 277
from «Dixiana» (RKO, August 1, 1930)
Bill Robinson Stair Dance «The Little Colonel»
(20th Century Fox, February 22, 1935)
1 / Bill Robinson solo p. 281
2 / Bill Robinson & Shirley Temple p. 290
Bill Robinson «One Mile From Heaven» p. 293
(20th Century Fox, Aug 13, 1937)
Bill Robinson & Shirley Temple «The Toy Trumpet» p. 298
from «Rebecca Of Sunnybrook Farm» (20th Century Fox, March 18, 1938)
Bill Robinson «A Cappella Stair Dance» p. 301
from «Up The River» (20th Century Fox, December 9, 1938) DVD
2 / other dancers
Toots, Marty and Mack / Chorus (24 dancers) p. 306
«A Little from ‘Hold Everything’»
«the new musical comedy at the Palace Theatre in London»
from «Eve’s Film Review 422» (British Pathé, July 4, 1929) MUTE
Three unidentified girls (wh) «Boop-Boop-A-Doop» p. 315
> Stair-Dance on pointe
from «Kiddie Revue» (MGM, March, 1930)
Dick & Edith Barstow «Buck & Stair-Dance on pointe» p. 323
full routine: "Variety Act"
(British Pathe,1932 - material not issued - mute)
Dick & Edith Barstow «I’ll Have The Same» p. 328
from «The Gem Of The Ocean» (Vitaphone, November 19, 1934)
The Four Astaires «House Full» p. 334
(British Pathé, Jan 01, 1938)
Grace McDonald «Stair-Dance» p. 345
from «What’s Cookin’» (Universal, February 20, 1942)
dances staged by John Mattison
O'Connor / Peggy Ryan / Jack Oakie «Stair-Dance» p. 348
from «The Merry Monahans» (Universal, September 15, 1944)
3 / Ensemble Routines
Girl-Chorus «Stair Dance» p. 355
Broadway Brevities «The Song Of Fame» (Vitaphone, July 7, 1934)
Girl Chorus «Wash Your Step» p. 361
(Vitaphone, March 30, 1936)
Girl Ensemble «Service A La Swing» p. 372
«Hotel A La Swing» (Vitaphone, March 13, 1937)
Michael Bell Ensemble (wh)
«Five and Ten Cent Soldiers on Parade» p. 377
from «Toyland Casino» (Vitaphone, October 15, 1938 - UK)
bits and pieces
Jack Hulbert & Cicely Courtneidge «I Want To Cling To Ivy» p. 384
from «Jack’s The Boy» Gainsborough Pictures, UK, October 17, 1932
James Cagney «Out of the Blue» p. 387
«Something to Sing About» (Zion Meyers Productions, September 30, 1937)
James Cagney «Yankee Doodle Dandy»
from «Yankee Doodle Dandy» (Warner Bros., Jan 2, 1943)
Marika Rökk «Land in Sicht» p. 389
frontal stairs with 11 steps leading to the top (N° 12)
from «Eine Nacht im Mai» (UFA, Germany, September 14, 1938)
Betty Grable & Girl Chorus «Marching To A Love Song» p. 393
from the short «All Star Bond Rally» (20th Century Fox, May 10, 1945)
reedited footage from «Footlight Serenade» (1942)
Kelly / Reynolds / O’Connor «Good Morning» p. 394
from «Singin’ In The Rain»
Ken Berry «Bye Bye Blues» p. 397
«The Carol Burnett Show» S4.E5 (October 12, 1970)
Gene Kelly & Frank Sinatra «Nice’N’Easy» p. 401
from the TV Special «Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back»
