Russ Tamblyn’s Unforgettable “Shovel Dance” from THE FASTEST GUN ALIVE | Mad About Musicals

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Russ Tamblyn’s Unforgettable “Shovel Dance” from THE FASTEST GUN ALIVE | Mad About Musicals | TCM

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Күн бұрын

Legendary actor and dancer Russ Tamblyn initially resented being cast in THE FASTEST GUN ALIVE because he felt his role wasn’t interesting or challenging but changed his mind when he was told he’d be allowed to do his own dance number on screen.
Glenn Ford assumed the number would be the kind of brief musical interlude that often appeared in musicals but when he saw Tamblyn’s extraordinary routine, he was astonished. Ford, who was married to esteemed tap dancer and actress Eleanor Powell, was fond of dance numbers but felt Tamblyn’s number was out of place in the film.
As Tamblyn later recalled Ford said “This is a little western here and this guy is coming in and trying to do a Donald O’Connor all over the walls.” Ford tried to get the number cut from the film and it was said to have been cut from the preview but the credits still contained a reference to Russ Tamblyn’s dance number and the audience demanded to see it.
The number was reinserted into the picture and ended up being one of the highlights of the film.
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Russ Tamblyn’s Unforgettable “Shovel Dance” from THE FASTEST GUN ALIVE | Mad About Musicals | TCM
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Пікірлер: 709

@tylerhaggerty4805 Ай бұрын

As TCM enthusiasts, we probably say this about a lot of people, but Russ Tamblyn should be better remembered than he is.

@wendybutler1681 Ай бұрын

Agreed. Weat Side Story is my strongest memory of his early work.

@suburbohemian Ай бұрын

@@wendybutler1681 Lmao, I remember him from War of the Gargantuas. I will only watch the English version with his real voice...I don't know why they felt they needed to dub over him for the European run.

@StubbyandShifu Ай бұрын

Is it because he came on the scene when musicals were getting less popular? Hollywood did stop doing them for a while.

@tylerhaggerty4805 Ай бұрын

@@StubbyandShifu That's very possible. He could've been great in action movies doing his own stunts, and he was great with suspense/horror in The Haunting.

@alixaugustine9599 Ай бұрын

One of faces from my fave movies, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

@wannabe41 Ай бұрын

What an incredible athlete he was. I loved him in West Side Story and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers!

@wendybutler1681 Ай бұрын

Think I'm gonna have to go watch Seven Brides. Been a while. Recently reminded of Here Come the Brides, a sitcom based on shipping in a bunch of potential brides for the lonely loggers working around Seattle way back when, a variation of the theme.

@seanohare5488 Ай бұрын

Agree

@thegreencat9947 Ай бұрын

He was in " The Haunting"

@melissamccarthy-8662 Ай бұрын

I've never seen this clip before, amazing. Seven Bride's for Seven Brothers was my father's favorite movie. Made me smile to think of it.

@augustmosco Ай бұрын

I remember him commenting in an interview that he was actually more of an athlete than a dancer, but he would put most modern dancers to shame.

@SMtWalkerS Ай бұрын

As of now, he's alive, and 89 years old! What a dancer, and SO good-looking! ❤️❤️

@GlowingMpd Ай бұрын

👍

@GlowingMpd Ай бұрын

Too bad all the ‘men’ now are wearing face diapers (beards, and mustaches) hiding their beautiful features. Clean shaven has always been and will always be better looking and more sanitary!

@RossiterMeets Ай бұрын

Amazing! He’s terrific!

@GlowingMpd Ай бұрын

@@SMtWalkerS Clean shaven is always better looking!!

@DawnDavidson Ай бұрын

@@GlowingMpdNot to me, but to each their own! Certainly he was a good looking man without a beard, though. And so talented!

@texas2step266 Ай бұрын

My husband likes to say that when you see Russ Tamblyn's name in the credits, expect a dance fight to break out. 🤠

@ldm2728 Ай бұрын

true that!!

@ss51-857 Күн бұрын

Exactly

@RusTsea196T Ай бұрын

That’s an athlete! And do it all with a smile and without breathing hard. Make it look easy.

@MearnieToon Ай бұрын

Well there are cuts which helps with not breathing hard . But no doubt he is a great the athlete and talented dance and fun to watch

@Just_Sara Ай бұрын

That was insane. That was INSANE!! What a ridiculously talented guy!

@user-tv1qb6vf5r Ай бұрын

Watch the original west side story! You'll blow a gasket! Haha😂

@Just_Sara Ай бұрын

@@user-tv1qb6vf5r I just watched some clips a few days ago, and I did!

@MJFish Ай бұрын

IT WAS INSANE!

@mikem4814 Ай бұрын

“what am I gonna do?” Then proceeds into a full dance routine that seemingly introduces parkour!

@sinisa5567 26 күн бұрын

Reminds me of that SNL "Please don't make me sing" sketch.

@mikem4814 26 күн бұрын

@@sinisa5567Yes i know that one!

@89CrazyAl 15 күн бұрын

And a little bit of "Poppin" in the beginning.

@marilynaicardi1860 Ай бұрын

He was SO TALENTED!! I never saw this one before. My favorite was always his dancing in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers! He was always sensational!

@seanohare5488 Ай бұрын

Agree

@linengray 29 күн бұрын

I don't remember ever seeing this routine before now either.

@user-mu9cw8xe4r Ай бұрын

About 1 minute in I was like: What's the big deal? Then: Holy smokes how come I have never seen this before? The Shovel Dance! Whoulda' thunk? Impressive. Great clip TCM

@seanohare5488 Ай бұрын

Agree

@briangriffin3499 Ай бұрын

The athleticism of Gene (Kelly and Nelson) and the creativity of Fred Astaire. Bravo!

@daveblevins3322 Ай бұрын

The physical power to do that was incredible 💪💪🔥🇺🇸🇺🇸

@seanohare5488 Ай бұрын

Agree

@BeauDare-ov7py Ай бұрын

I ran into Russ in Hollywood, when I was working there as an actor/ screenwriter and he was a joy to behold. First thing he did was flash that beaming smile of his. What a talent! They broke the mold when they made him. Hollywood could take a lesson.

@BeauDare-ov7py Ай бұрын

Forever young..

@Sarah_270 25 күн бұрын

What a lovely memory

@BeauDare-ov7py 25 күн бұрын

@Sarah, Thank you for your lovely note. Indeed, seeing Russ was very special. A million best wishes, Sarah.

@davidthedeaf 25 күн бұрын

@@BeauDare-ov7pyas GenX, I remember boys thought in high school dancing was uncool for men. Um…we didn’t see this.

@BeauDare-ov7py 25 күн бұрын

@David, Indeed, after seeing Russ, dancing was very cool. All best wishes.

@getoffmydarnlawn Ай бұрын

Dance scenes in films "of a certain era" had much fewer cuts than most equivalent scenes today, more a performance than a series of creatively assembled edits. Love this!

@ThomasGilmore-fi6gb Ай бұрын

It's called actually being able to perform. Live. Something that few of us get to enjoy much now 😢

@Tina-qp7py Ай бұрын

Often the real thing doesn't exist today.

@randallulrich Ай бұрын

Fred Astaire had it in his contract that his dances were one continuous take so that he could go through his entire routine without interruption. The routines were filmed with multiple cameras and edited later, versus multiple takes edited together.

@Maspets Ай бұрын

@@ThomasGilmore-fi6gb They have Broadway shows if you want that.

@hoytbangs9425 Ай бұрын

Now that is ENTERTAINMENT! Thanks TCM.

@33Donner77 Ай бұрын

Creative coreography and acrobatics. As a kid I remembered him from "Tom Thumb".

@janettamcgee8124 Ай бұрын

I'd almost forgotten! It came on tv around Christmas every year. Thanks for reminding me.

@wandaarnt234 Ай бұрын

Oh yes forget about that yes I remember now Blessings from Pennsylvania 🎚🙏🇮🇱🇺🇸 John 3:16 😊

@brianb5145 Ай бұрын

He was originally a gymnast, you know.

@jmpomerleau Ай бұрын

Oh yeah, Tom Thumb!!!!! ❤️

@oddjobtriumph1635 15 күн бұрын

Me too...... one of my faves growing up.. The Yawning Man song really worked 😴

@idachau1080 Ай бұрын

They don't make 'em like Russ anymore. He was a fantastic dancer..

@seanohare5488 Ай бұрын

Agree

@sharoncarthy3764 Ай бұрын

I'm 76 and have seen all kinds of musicals and dance numbers. I've never seen this before!! Amazing!! Russ Tamblyn was a great dancer!

@Tina-qp7py Ай бұрын

Me neither. Now I'm going to watch the movie. He's terrific isn't he.

@georgegravette1132 Ай бұрын

You probably missed it because it wasn't actually in a musical. It was a single musical interlude in an otherwise grim (but gripping) western gunfight drama (with Glenn Ford, Broderick Crawford and John Dehner). One of my favorite westerns, also one of Glenn Ford's best.

@ludovicoc7046 Ай бұрын

This is where Russ invents Parkour.

@wendybutler1681 Ай бұрын

My kitties do parkour. Duck!

@janettamcgee8124 Ай бұрын

Yes!!

@megofiachra3247 Ай бұрын

I thought the same thing! Barn parkour! Lol

@anamericanfriend2367 Ай бұрын

It does look that way, doesn't it!?

@WendyDahling3 Ай бұрын

Wow! That was incredible!!!

@barbarajackson4988 Ай бұрын

And credit,please, for unsung choreographer, Alex Romero. He assisted and/or danced in many of the classic musicals-The Bandwagon, On The Town and many more.

@persistentdreams Ай бұрын

He was incredible in West Side Story, too. He does a standing back flip off a concrete step that blows my mind every time I watch it.

@seanohare5488 Ай бұрын

Agree

@GoddessNeith Ай бұрын

wow! what an athlete! What a dancer!

@cowboykelly6590 Ай бұрын

Never can forget this !! His WHOLE dance is IRREPLACEABLE ! I wish they let him dance in EVERY show he was in. He is Just TOP NOTCH ! 🤠🖖♨️

@jamesanthony8438 Ай бұрын

He didn't get to dance in "Cabin Boy," but I think that's because his half man/half shark character didn't have legs. =(

@coppershark1973 Ай бұрын

I’m not sure a dance off in ‘The Haunting’ would’ve worked.

@joshel6059 Ай бұрын

WOW!! I have enjoyed Russ Tamblyn in Seven Brides for years but I just saw this timeless masterpiece for the first time!!

@sheilaboomershine7142 Ай бұрын

Me too!

@sherisouth5963 Ай бұрын

Same!

@seanohare5488 Ай бұрын

Me too

@literati2015 Ай бұрын

I ALWAYS loved Russ Tamblyn since I was little (Tom Thumb) and a teen (West Side Story) he's great❤

@RachelLovejoy Ай бұрын

He was so talented yet underrated. I'm happy to have seen this and to be reminded of that and of his incredible energy.

@jeremymullins1294 Ай бұрын

This sheds new light on his scenes in Twin Peaks: The Return 😆

@celiadileone2841 Ай бұрын

He was great in seven brides for seven brothers! And who can forget Riff in west side story?

@seanohare5488 Ай бұрын

Agree

@firenze5555 Ай бұрын

WOW!!!! No one quite like Russ Tamblyn~! What an amazing energy and talent! He should have an honorary Oscar. His role as Riff as leader of the Jets in West Side Story is LEGEND!

@user-bj7ld1yp6w Ай бұрын

Very impressive. I never saw this before.

@yznalnoing1 Ай бұрын

Wow! Talk about athletic and in good physical shape, with amazing dancing!!! You don’t see talent like that nowadays.

@Maspets Ай бұрын

I don't know why you don't see it, you must not be looking.

@diddymuck Ай бұрын

A genius of the dance. Impossibly light on his feet!!

@stardresser1 Ай бұрын

INCREDIBLE. Russ is indeed one of the masters of dance, and yet he is undersung. This is spectacular!

@seanohare5488 Ай бұрын

Agree

@user-dy4wd8yy6j Ай бұрын

And he never got breathless ! Truly amazing innovative gymnastics. Russ was also great in ' Hit the Deck" and the musical movie "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers" ....Don't miss watching it !

@user-rj5ld7jh7n Ай бұрын

@@user-dy4wd8yy6j trust me as a trained dancer he got breathless we just breathe when you don't see it

@valerietakacs1519 Ай бұрын

So great to see his talent front and center for a change!

@RossiterMeets Ай бұрын

❤. Nice! Really cool. Thank you! Amazing that Russ Tamblyn is still alive and still going strong at 89 years old!

@jmpomerleau Ай бұрын

❤️😍

@RossiterMeets Ай бұрын

@@jmpomerleau Thank you! Definitely.

@edwardfranklin4152 Ай бұрын

russ tamblyn a great dancer more people should know about him so inventive.

@christienelson1437 Ай бұрын

When you do you own stunts and there is no splicing going on.😉👍🏻💕🙏

@nathaliebuetow790 Ай бұрын

Russ Tamblyn did his core exercises I am respectfully in awe😮

@heatherwendt7911 Ай бұрын

He did ALL his exercises! That was a display of great strength and agility. 💯

@mildredpierce3400 Ай бұрын

Love Russ in West Side Story

@marytheresejacksonlutz2533 Ай бұрын

And 7 Brides for 7 Brothers

@DAquingil Ай бұрын

@@marytheresejacksonlutz2533He even did a few moves in “The Haunting” when he bailed out of the rickety spiral staircase.

@MrMjolnir69 Ай бұрын

Real athleticism. Great useful and youthful! feel- and they wouldn't let him sing it in WSS. Brutal. Typical shortsighted. If you hear his original done live on set - as a terrific dancer - his breath control made it sound totally real.and credible. But no....

@kirnpu Ай бұрын

He is so young here and SO amazing! I haven't seen this before - truly a breathtaking dance. Such a talented man!

@ferociousgumby Ай бұрын

Whoever choreographed this is a genius!

@laurencefinston7036 Ай бұрын

According to IMDb, Alex Romero was the choreographer of the film. However, lead and especially eccentric dancers often choreographed their own routines or the routine was choreographed around their ideas (and/or tricks). I wonder how many takes they needed for this.

@BeachsideHank Ай бұрын

@@laurencefinston7036 Fred's perfectionism required so many retakes that Ginger said her feet bled.

@laurencefinston7036 Ай бұрын

@@BeachsideHank I'm not surprised. I think she may have been referring to the routine on roller skates. I can't even skate, let alone dance on skates. His sister is said to have cancelled a return to the stage or possibly movies because she thought her dancing wasn't up to his standards. He wasn't acrobatic or an eccentric dancer, but there some nice tricks in some of his routines (besides being a great dancer).

@ferociousgumby Ай бұрын

@@laurencefinston7036 Wasn't there a similar sequence in Singin' in the Rain? I don't think it was the same dancer, but he jumped continuously for about 10 minutes!

@laurencefinston7036 Ай бұрын

@@ferociousgumby I've seen clips from that movie, but I don't think I've ever seen the whole thing. It must have been Donald O'Connor, who was also a very athletic eccentric dancer. Gene Kelly, who starred in the movie, was also very athletic but not the same kind of dancer. My favorite eccentric dancer was Ray Bolger. I really prefer the dancing (and "hoofing") in the earlier movie musicals, like "Footlight Parade" and "42nd Street", to the later more spectacular and acrobatic dancing in the later ones. I'm not a big fan of George Balanchine or Agnes DeMille.

@btinsley1 Ай бұрын

Applause!!!

@stephenrivera4382 Ай бұрын

I’ve been a Russ Tamblyn fan for decades but that was the first time I saw this dance… Flat-out amazing!!!

@loutimmons3099 Ай бұрын

Yow! What a talent. As much a gymnast as a great dancer!

@tomlangdon9157 Ай бұрын

Wow!! So much of this is just one long take. Only a few cuts. Amazing!

@josepherhardt164 Ай бұрын

What in LIVID HECK did I just see? And why have I never seen this before? OMG!

@cherriberri7161 Ай бұрын

Russ honestly was underrated as a dancer!

@seanohare5488 Ай бұрын

Agree

@gnirolnamlerf593 Ай бұрын

Yes, I would say that's "kicking your heels up." Tamblyn was always one of the most athletic dancers, but also one of the handsomest, no?

@sharonopstbaum1023 Ай бұрын

This is spectacular! I cannot believe I never saw it before. Thank you!

@piogal34 Ай бұрын

Oof, that floor must have gotten so many divots! The balance to be able to do that though, wow!

@user-tv1qb6vf5r Ай бұрын

I kept thinking about that floor too lol wondering if the studio had to replace it.. .

@piogal34 Ай бұрын

@@user-tv1qb6vf5r Probably if the set was built on a sound studio.

@christineribone9351 Ай бұрын

He puts a.whole new meaning to Parkour dancing!!!

@happyclam1266 Ай бұрын

In more recent years, Russ the legend continued to perform as Dr. Jacoby in Twin Peaks and Twin Peaks the Return.

@SM-gl8yo Ай бұрын

RUSS TAMBLYN is the "Street Dancing MASTER." **********

@zibbyzubb Ай бұрын

I had no idea he was so talented. My feet hurt just watching him on those shovels!!!

@troutfisher7182 Ай бұрын

Dancer, gymnast, and stuntman all rolled into one!

@MrMjolnir69 Ай бұрын

Footloose and Billy and so many others owe Russ and his Olympian Choreographers a big time lunch.

@paulaoh5306 Ай бұрын

Most creative use of props ever.

@floraaficianado5050 Ай бұрын

THAT IS, THE MOST INSANELY AWESOME dancing/choreography I have EVER SEEN! BRAVO!

@carissagreen9595 Ай бұрын

The exuberance of the dancing is perfect! The old-school foley work is fantastic! And cuts only when camera position changes. Glorious!

@lrod8721 Ай бұрын

He was only 22 years old here, an unbelievable talent ❤ And always with that beautiful smile

@PeBoVision Ай бұрын

Thank you for not colorizing it. Nothing ruins a classic more effectively than adding color to a B&W film.

@soulstrength Ай бұрын

I completely agree.

@janettamcgee8124 Ай бұрын

Yes!!

@cherylthompsonlt8321 Ай бұрын

I disagree. Black and white make the past seem sad, distant, and unreal, and color makes it relatable. Russ Tamblyn was a wonderful actor and dancer. I loved him in Cat Ballou!

@PeBoVision Ай бұрын

@@cherylthompsonlt8321 Not with you on this one Cherry. Sorry. I lived in that past. Black & White does not seem sad or distant at all.(I did not see a colour TV until I was nearly a teen, nothing sad or distant about my childhood...70 year ago feels like last week). Additionally, the technology is still not there and colourized media looks artificial. It pulls me out of the story by reminding me that I am consuming something that has been heavily re-processed. (The same way I feel watching a heavily CGI'd battle scene in the MCU or DCU, or the worst - an "fx-enhanced" original Star Wars. Yecch!)) Filmakers working in black & white used set-ups and lighting that worked best within the limitation of grayscale. Those efforts are lost, or worse, ignored, with colourization. We should never edit away our pasts. That is a form of lying. We should appreciate and respect what came before to better appreciate what we have today. We cannot move forward if we falsely colour our pasts. Rose coloured glasses only work by falsifying what you see.

@pollyparrot9447 Ай бұрын

@@cherylthompsonlt8321 I have to agree with @PeBoVision's response to this, and Russ Tamblyn was not in Cat Ballou.

@lisag9752 Ай бұрын

What an athlete!

@billstrat2917 Ай бұрын

👋 Wow. Imagine doing a thing like that and the lead actor has it cut from the film. Good for the preview audiences for demanding to see it.

@lwskiner Ай бұрын

Incredible athleticism and I thought the West Side Story dance was difficult !

@e.castlerock8454 Ай бұрын

Such a fabulous dancer! Thanks for the video.

@wendybutler1681 Ай бұрын

The strength and stamina! These dancers are truly athletes!

@gcaplan1 Ай бұрын

Explains shovel of truth in Twin Peaks !

@DenkyManner Ай бұрын

My first thought! Shovel yourself out of the S****!

@maggiedaniels9562 Ай бұрын

Just thinking the same thing!

@cflo1023 Ай бұрын

HE WAS AMAZING!!!!!!!! Russ!

@annamariapirknernenador9606 Ай бұрын

Thanks very much! Fantastic dance! Love Russ in Hit the Deck and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. I'm waiting for more! 🥰

@Cathydavidson061 Ай бұрын

One of my favorite oldies!!

@user-xx3kc5db4z Ай бұрын

Love the shovel dance.

@rebeccao8895 Ай бұрын

Russ is an utter badass! I adore him.

@gracesiegel7849 Ай бұрын

Ford wanted to cut that Epicness??? Shame on him. That was amazing!!!

@KohalaLover Ай бұрын

Thanks TCM.

@janisadams3802 Ай бұрын

Very underrated actor, dancer, acrobatics, choreographer, and all around talent! He gave us so much since a young age. I’m glad he has a STAR on Hollywood Blvd. Thank you Russ! 👏👌♥️🏆

@DonnaLeaf Ай бұрын

Two generations of this family have been a pleasure to watch - Russ first, and now his daughter, Amber. Amazingly talented family.

@CurlieGrl Ай бұрын

Wow! Parkour before we knew what that was! Excellent!! 🤩

@user-hx1ms4mb5z Ай бұрын

Loved him in the best “west side story” (1961)

@zenaruski Ай бұрын

Just - WOW!!

@catsway161 Ай бұрын

Wow! Crazy moves! I have never seen 1/2 of those moves. The shovels! The pull ups to the top level. Very original!

@1Tonari Ай бұрын

Can never get enough, good stuff thank you Russ

@FirstnameLastname-rc8yd Ай бұрын

Tamblyn is so awesome and one of my favorites from this period. People don’t really understand the level of fitness and acrobatics that go into his numbers and back then you had to do these things usually in one or two takes. It was the same for everyone because they actually had talent then. But his stamina and how he makes it look so easy is fairly unique to him. My favorite thing about this number is always that see-saw bit. It’s so cartoonish and daring but so light and effortless. Even the rope swing… idk if anyone has ever tried to swing point a-b on a rope before but it’s not easy, let alone graceful. He’s truly a gem from this era.

@professorwiggins3290 Ай бұрын

This movie was made in '56. It's more years removed from us in 2024 than the movie was removed from the 19th century time period (1889) in which it was set. Amazing.

@LisaSimpsonRules Ай бұрын

it's amazing how he is so in consonance with the beat.

@sadgit66 Ай бұрын

As soon as I saw him in Seven Brides I had the biggest crush! I was about 5/6 years old What an incredible athlete and dancer and actor!

@raymeedc Ай бұрын

Russ Tamblyn taught Elvis Presley how to dance in “Jailhouse Rock”, as Presley didn’t have a clue about what to do. The director, upon discovering that fact, sent him to Tamblyn for instruction.

@michaelpegoda7482 Ай бұрын

The sky is phenomenal this is an incredible act right here very professional very fluid he acts like it's not a big deal just doing something he does every day I love this movie excellent

@DCM8828 Ай бұрын

The sheer athleticism is astounding.

@DaMuse1000 Ай бұрын

The fact that he makes it look impromptu and not perfectly polished makes it all the more impressive.

@bengoolie5197 Ай бұрын

Graceful, agile and strong! A fabulous dancer!

@andrewajjones122 Ай бұрын

His name deserves to be mentioned with the very greatest hoofers, dancers etc of ALL TIME! Brilliant.....

@marciabenson9371 Ай бұрын

Always loved watching him dance, especially in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

@jfro5867 Ай бұрын

Geez. When you see something like this done nowadays it’s obviously impressive (say Americas got talent as an example) but when you see it done 70 odd years ago it’s sublime. Such skill, talent, athleticism and it’s all real, no CGI foolery.