Saturday, January 15, 2022

Gwen Verdon

Movies, with their capacity for close-ups, favor the beautiful. In fact, the Hollywood industry is based on privileging highly-attractive people whereas other performing arts (e.g., theater, dance) don't care so much about physical beauty.

Personally I prefer to see a talented, ordinary-looking performer display skill instead of watching an attractive airhead make faces at a camera.

A good example of the former is dancer/actress Gwen Verdon. Her talent was extraordinary. Gwen was successful before, during and after her marriage to Bob Fosse, as shown in the terrific, award-winning 2019 mini-series "Fosse/Verdon" where she was portrayed by Michelle Williams.

In my opinion nobody should miss seeing Gwen Verdon perform "Whatever Lola Wants" in the 1955 musical film "Damn Yankees." She's absolutely masterful and entertaining. In fact, go to Amazon Prime right now, select the movie and fast-forward to 1:02. (The rest of the movie can be skipped.) You'll enjoy it.



5 comments:

  1. Her number in that show "Who's Got the Pain?" with Bob Fosse is priceless. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIiZuAVZH4w

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  2. I don't know it but I know what you mean about a talented person who doesn't fit the regular mould! (I would watch it but Amazon is evil so I don't offer them my service!)x

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  3. Thank you for sharing about Gwen. I will look her up. I have a great admiration and respect for dance as an art form. Sadly, dancers seem to be the least appreciated and most underrated artists. I feel like a lot of people don't take dance performances seriously. Dancers are often underpaid as well.

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  4. It is wonderful that you shine the well deserved spotlight on such a broad, diverse range of talented souls here, Ally - including some that many readers may not have encountered before.

    Autumn Zenith 🎃 Witchcrafted Life

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