I post this for no other reason than it makes me happy.
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Recent Posts
- Substack: An interview with screenwriter Bonnie Gross about her script Lady Parts
- “I would rather take a photograph than be one.” — Lee Miller
- When proud-pied April, dressed in all his trim, / Hath put a spirit of youth in everything …
- Substack: On Radu Jude’s latest, Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World
- “After all, when God created Adam and Eve, they were stark naked. And in the Garden of Eden, God was probably naked as a jaybird too!” — Bettie Page
- “Good acting is thinking in front of the camera. I just do that and apply a sense of humor to it. You have to trust the audience to get it.” — Charles Grodin
- “What is important is to continue believing in the Irish language as a vibrant creative power while it continues to be marginalised in the process of cultural McDonaldisation.” — poet Michael Davitt
- March 2024 Viewing Diary
- “I don’t really know why, but danger has always been an important thing in my life – to see how far I could lean without falling, how fast I could go without cracking up.” — William Holden
- “I don’t like being approached by people who look at me too intensely, who needed something from me that I didn’t have. I don’t represent anything.” — Liz Phair
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Good enough reason for me. Thanks for sharing!
When he dances, he really seems like he is filled with air – he FLOATS.
Mr. Cagney was my Dad’s favorite and so was this movie. Having a couple of hard days and this INSTANTLY cheered me. Thanks, Sheila.
Kathy – it’s amazing how a 13 second clip can lift the mood, right?
Cagney was a great hoofer, and it’s unfortunate that there are so few examples of his dancing on film. Among the more memorable are the Shanghai Lil number in Footlight Parade and his dance duet with Bob Hope in The Seven Little Foys, which is available on Youtube.
Oh that Shanghai Lil number is classic.
What I love is that there’s no clear start and stop to his steps, you can’t even catch him start, he’s walking, he’s dancing, and then he’s calmly walking again. It’s seamless.
He’s the ’30’s version of Malcolm McDowell. Or vice versa.
I love the way he kicks his feet out in front of him when he walks. So confident!
KC – I know! Like he knows exactly where the next step is coming. Doesn’t need to look, no hesitation!
Jessica – Great point. Seamless transition – and emotion-based. He starts to dance because he’s too happy to just walk. He was so brilliant.