WHO
KNEW THEY COULD DANCE?
Back
in the Golden Age of Hollywood, studios
wanted their stars to be as versatile as
possible, which explains why actors you
think of as strictly dramatic sometimes
popped up singing and dancing in big budget
musicals.
We've
got a quartet of video clips to show you --
just as soon as you've perused what we're
featuring from our website today:
In
1939's "Dancing Co-ed," a teenage Lana
Turner dances (and pretty darn well, too):
When
M-G-M first signed Jimmy Stewart in the
mid-30's, they didn't know what to do with
him. Supporting player or leading man?
He played the villain in "After the Thin
Man":
They
even had him tested in make-up and costume
for "The Good Earth." (We saw a photo
of this once - hilarious to see Stewart as a
6'3" Chinese peasant.)
And in 1936's "Born to Dance,"" he sang and
danced with the sensational Eleanor Powell:
"Thank Your Lucky Stars" is a 1943 musical
revue that used every star on the Warner
Brothers lot for the benefit of the
Hollywood Canteen.
For many of the WB dramatic stars -- such as
Errol Flynn, Bette Davis, and Ann Sheridan
-- it was a unique opportunity to do a
musical number.
Here
are Olivia de Havilland and Ida Lupino in a
jitterbug-infused rendition of "The
Dreamer":
And
here's Daniel Craig, best known for his
series of James Bond movies, showing off
hitherto-unknown talents. Behold
Daniel -- shaken and stirred:
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