Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson - Stair-Dance (EN)

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»