Tap Legacy Foundation, Inc.

Preserving and Advancing the Art of Tap Dance.

1942

[Daily Post] Hal Le Roy

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Hal Le Roy born John LeRoy Schotte in Cincinnati, Ohio. A National Treasure and Triple Threat Talent.

Hal quickly worked his way into Broadway roles where his dance style created a sensation in the 1931 Ziegfeld Follies.

Hal did a series of musical film shorts for Vitaphone and Warner Brothers Pictures. The clip is one of them from Rhythmitis 1936, directed by Roy Mack.

His film credits are over 20 films. Aside from his work on Broadway and in film, he also performed in revues, vaudeville and as a featured entertainer in New York’s nightclub scene.

Le Roy died in 1985 of post-operative complications following heart surgery.

His Broadway Credits: The Gang’s All Here 1931,  Ziegfeld Follies of 1931 1931, Strike Me Pink 1933, Thumbs Up! 1934–1935, Count Me In 1942.

[Daily Post] Ray Bolger

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The Harvey Girls  a 1946 MGM musical film based on the 1942 novel by Samuel Hopkins Adams about Fred’s Harvey’s House Waitresses.

The film was directed by George Sidney, produced by Arthur Freed and starred Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, John Hodiak and Angela Lansbury among others, and Cyd Charisse appeared in her first speaking role on film.

The Harvey Girls won an Academy Award for Best Song for On The Atchison, Topeka and the Sabta Fe, written by Harry Warren and Johnny Mercer.

Enjoy the clip with Bolger’s unique Rhythmic Style, Light Hearted and Musicality at its best.

[Daily Post] Judy Garland and Gene Kelly

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from the 1942 MGM film, For Me and My Gal, Starring Judy Garland, Gene Kelly and George Murphy among others.

The film was directed by Busby Berkeley, Story by Howard Emmett, Produced by Arthur Freed and music by Roger Edens.

A song and dance film about two vaudeville performers in love, but WWI arrives to test their relationship, the love story unravels.

The song was originally written in 1913 by Jim Burris Lyrics and Chris Smith Music.

[Daily Post] Hal LeRoy

By

Hal LeRoy, born John LeRoy Schotte in Cincinnati, Ohio. A National Treasure, Triple Threat Talent.

Hal quickly worked his way into Broadway roles where his dance style created a sensation in the 1931 Ziegfeld Follies of 1931.

Did a series of musical film shorts for Vitaphone and Warner Brothers Pictures.  His film credits are over 20 films.

Aside from his work on Broadway and in film, he also performed in revues, vaudeville and as a featured entertainer in New York’s nightclub scene. Le Roy died in 1985 of post-operative complications following heart surgery.

His Broadway Credits: The Gang’s All Here, 1931 – Ziegfeld Follies of 1931, 1931 – Strike Me Pink, 1933 – Thumbs Up!, 1934–1935 – Count Me In, 1942

Enjoy this solo clip of Hal.

 

[Daily Post] Rita Hayworth and Fred Astaire

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You Were Never Lovelier a 1942 Columbia Pictures musical comedy film,.

The film is set in Buenos Aires. It starred Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth and Xavier Cugat Band.

Music by Jerome Kern, lyrics by Johnny Mercer and directed by William A. Seiter.

The second of Astaire’s outings with Hayworth, You’ll Never Get Rich was the first.

Although Hayworth had a fine voice, Harry Cohn insisted on her singing being dubbed throughout by Nan Wynn.

Enjoy!!!

[Daily Post] Ray Bolger

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ay Bolger began his career in vaudeville. He was half of a team called Sanford and Bolger.

He, like Gene Kelly & Fred Astaire, was a song-and-dance man as well as an actor.

He was signed to a contract with MGM in 1936 and his first role was as himself in The Great Ziegfeld 1936.

This was soon followed in 1937 by a role opposite Eleanor Powell in Rosalie.

His first dancing and singing role was in 1938 Sweethearts, where he did the wooden shoes number with red-headed soprano/actress Jeanette MacDonald.

This got him noticed by MGM producers and resulted in his being cast in his most famous role, that of the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz, 1939.

Surprisingly, even though the film was a success, Bolger’s contract with MGM ended. He went to RKO to make Four Jacks and a Jill , 1942.

After this, Bolger went to Broadway, where he received his greatest satisfaction.

In 1953 he turned to television and got his own sitcom, Where’s Raymond?,  later changed to The Ray Bolger Show.

After his series ended, Bolger made frequent guest appearances on TV and had some small roles in movies. In 1985 he co-hosted That’s Dancing! with Liza Minnelli.

Enjoy…. the humor of the acting will put a smile on your face, and his Tap dancing will brighten your day. Listen to the taps…marvel in the rhythm.