Andrew Sullivan posted this video on his column this week as a “mental health break”. It comprises old movie clips of great dancing, all set to Steely Dan’s “Only a fool would say that.” Wikipedia says this about the song:
“Only a Fool Would Say That” is a song with lyrics rumoured to mock John Lennon’s 1971 song “Imagine“. In 2024, American Songwriter claimed that the lyrics were chiding Lennon for “being out of touch with reality.”
But it’s a great song, and there’s some great dancing below. How many can you recognize? Still, I prefer the originals. The first clip of Astaire and Rita Hayworth is one of my favorites (see the original, ” The Shorty George”, here). And I hope you recognize Cagney in “Yankee Doodle Dandy.” Finally, one of the greatest movie performances of dance was the Nicholas Brothers, shown young and old. The original is here.
They don’t dance like this no more. And why has dancing disappeared from the movies? Would people rather see car chases and shootings?