Square Dances in Film
Stephen Zisk
> I'm looking for a list of all the movies that have square dance
> scenes... Can you think of others?
If memory serves me:
Oklahoma ("barn dance")
State Fair (Judy Garland dancing, if I remember right)
There are probably lots of others with bits and pieces, too!
Stephen Zisk
Fr...@liveline.com
have thought of: Cat Balou Gone With the Wind (Virginia Reel) Duel in the Sun
Square Dance (1986 starring Jason Robards and Rob Lowe)
Can you think of others? The old films and newer films with old settings are
a good way to study dance figures, calling, music, and costuming.
Thanks, Fr...@liveline.com in Tucson
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KMsSavage
a set.
Try your Jane Austen epics for ECD scenes. Tarzan:Lord Greystone featured a
public ball. And if you go to the small screen, almost any Civil War docudrama
will depict dancing.
--Karen in Ann Arbor
"kill your television"
kate charles
J.Williams // J.Snyder
"Duel in the Sun", a Darryl F. Zanuck film from the 40's with Lloyd Shaw calling.
Dirty Dancing with Patrick Swayze (just kidding)
Neal Rhodes
>
> I'm looking for a list of all the movies that have square dance scenes. I
> have thought of: Cat Balou Gone With the Wind (Virginia Reel) Duel in the Sun
> Square Dance (1986 starring Jason Robards and Rob Lowe)
>
> Can you think of others? The old films and newer films with old settings are
> a good way to study dance figures, calling, music, and costuming.
Um, so you are looking to Hollywood for accurate depictions of
historical dance? Does anyone else see the irony in this?
"well, i saw it in a movie so it must be right..."
> Thanks, Fr...@liveline.com in Tucson
>
> -----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
> http://www.dejanews.com/rg_mkgrp.xp Create Your Own Free Member Forum
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Julie Mangin
host, you would have seen the opening sketch, "Dirty Square Dancing." The
calls are too vulgar to repeat, but it sure was funny!
I recall that Larry Edelman has been collecting film and television
portrayals of square dancing for a long time. He showed some clips at the
calling workshop he conducted at Augusta some years ago. I especially
liked the "Merrie Melodies" cartoons with barn dancing.
Julie Mangin
jma...@access.digex.net
http://www.access.digex.net/~jmangin/
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"I prefer the phrase old-time music to old-timey music which sounds
perilously close to old-tiny music." --Mark Graham
wesle...@delphi.com
>I'm looking for a list of all the movies that have square dance scenes. I
Destry Rides Again - Jimmy Stewart and Marlene Dietrich square dance
My Darling Clementine - Henry Fonda does a polka
The Big Trail - John Wayne dances!
Welcome Stranger - Bing Crosby calls a square
Summer Stock - Portland Fancy interrupted by swing dancing Gene Kelly & Judy
Garland
The Second Greatest Sex - Clogging Square to "Down Yonder"
There's even "Square Dance Jubilee", one I've never seen but would like to.
It might be hard to glean much in the way of accurate information from the
films. Often, the clips are so short that it's hard to tell what's going on.
Wesley
Nancy Mamlin
<199808221730...@ladder03.news.aol.com>...
> I changed the header because square dancing is done by 4 couples
arranged in
>a set.
But I think that's what the original question was about, rather than contra
dances (which are done by line of couples facing their partner...,) or ECD
(which is a much larger category of shapes than either "square" or "contra"
describes.
But, what I wanted to point out is that the term "square dance" does not
just describe four couple sets. In this region a square dance is done in a
big circle for as many dancers as are there, with the figures done in
two-couple sets (those four people constituting a square, of course)....
Then there are the square dances done which are largely imported to this
region which are done in four-couple sets.
I won't even get into the contras that are imported to this region....
Nancy
PS. The Titanic had Irish folk dancing....
*******
"It's hard to beat paper towels."
--Tommy Jarrell
*******
MacMKvr
mini-series "A Will of Their Own" - to be shown in late Sept/ early Oct -
opposite the baseball playoffs.
It features a barn dance scene with some of the St. Louis dancers in a square
dance and Music by Geoff Seitz, Marc Rennard, Jim Nelson and Dave Landreth.
Julie Mangin
brothers does an impromptu buck dance). I remember thinking that the
acting in it was dismal, but was worth sitting through for the soundtrack
by Ry Cooder. Your mileage may vary.
Don Talley
The movie also contains a great version of the song Cotton Eyed Joe.
Fr...@liveline.com wrote:
> I'm looking for a list of all the movies that have square dance scenes. I
> have thought of: Cat Balou Gone With the Wind (Virginia Reel) Duel in the Sun
> Square Dance (1986 starring Jason Robards and Rob Lowe)
>
> Can you think of others? The old films and newer films with old settings are
> a good way to study dance figures, calling, music, and costuming.
Fr...@liveline.com
jma...@access5.digex.net (Julie Mangin) wrote:
>
> I recall that Larry Edelman has been collecting film and television
> portrayals of square dancing for a long time. He showed some clips at the
> calling workshop he conducted at Augusta some years ago. I especially
> liked the "Merrie Melodies" cartoons with barn dancing.
>
Yes, I have heard that Larry has an extensive collection of this. He
mentioned it at Dance in the Desert last year. Larry is a key person in
traditional, community dance. Fads come and go but the true vine grows on.
But I don't know how to contact him. Larry, if you are monitoring this
newsgroup, tell us YOUR favorite films with square dancing in them (be it
contra, square, circle, triangle, etc.)
Michael D. Mcguire
I've only been doing Irish dancing for 6 or 7 years so my knowledge of
the genre may be limited but whatever they did in the Titanic movie -
as far as the dancing is concerned - didn't seem Irish to me. The
music, of course, is a different story.
From a logic point of view too, how would either of the characters
learned to do Irish folk dancing?
Other viewpoints?
Michael McGuire
nfb...@prodigy.co
The Martins
: Well, if you caught Saturday Night Live when Patrick Swayze was guest
: host, you would have seen the opening sketch, "Dirty Square Dancing." The
: calls are too vulgar to repeat, but it sure was funny!
Oh, you mean like:
Throw your skirt up over your head
And shake your butt like Mr. Ed
: I recall that Larry Edelman has been collecting film and television
: portrayals of square dancing for a long time. He showed some clips at the
He might have just the movie I am searching for. Years ago I was rushing
out of the house late for swing shift. I glanced at the tube while tearing
open the front door and saw a square dance happening in one of those
singing cowboy movies. The fiddler was yelling out calls while the dudes
strutted through real figures. Now, this was certainly all-Hollywood and
not authentic folklore being presented, but the scene was so much fun that
it has served as my ideal ever since! Talk about corrupt. I couldn't watch
long enough to get the name of the flick and was never able to trace it
down. But in those few moments of hokum and fantasy I saw where I wanted
to go. I'm going to call squares in a Zuni suit and a 100 gallon hat, all
the dancers will be grinning like Pat Robertson and their knees will reach
shoulder height with every step, and the band will be playing "Red River
Valley"!
Bill Martin
Allan Brozek
>
> I'm looking for a list of all the movies that have square dance scenes.
Contra in them:
Copper Canyon, Destry Rides Again, Sheriff of Cimarron, Indiscreet, Ethan
Frome, War of the Worlds, Christmas in Connecticut, Hillbilly Hare,
Wagonmaster, Giant, Duel in the Sun, A Christmas Carol (Alistaire Sim
version), Mickey's Christmas Carol, Summer Stock, Barbarians at the Gate,
My Darling Clementine, Bound for Glory, Star Spangled Rhythm, Barry
Lyndon and Welcome Stranger.
Lloyd Shaw is the caller in "Duel in the Sun." He calls the dance Lady Round
the Lady and the Gent Around Gent.
The Ray Milland movie "Copper Canyon" (1950) has about about 40 seconds
of square dancing. In this one the camera rolls in (no zoom lenses in
those days) for a closeup of Les Gotcher calling. Sometimes the
dancers are doing the call before he says it. They probably
choreographed the dance first, then added music and calling later. Les
starts: "Left to your partner, reverse allemande, Right to the corner
right and left grand." The complete call for this sequence is in Gotcher's book,
SQUARE DANCING (1950)
"Destry Rides Again" (1939) has a real rip-snortin' cowboy
square dance going on in a saloon. Jimmy Stewart and Marlene
Dietrich are dancing together in this one doing a two-couple doseydo.
I don't know who the caller is in "Giant," but he sounds a lot like Herb
Greggerson. He calls Texas Star.
"Indiscreet" (1958) with Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. They dance
the Eightsome Reel, a Scottish square.
"Sheriff of Cimarron"(1945) with cowboy actor Sunset Carson, has about 30
seconds of pretty good dancing.
In "Christmas in Connecticut," (1945) Barbara Stanwick nearly collapses
laughing as Reginald Gardiner leaps forward to do an arm turn in
the Virginia Reel. I suspect that something happened during rehearsal of the
dance, like the director telling Reginald to pay closer attention and not be late
doing the call. Sidney Greenstreet messes up a star promenade in what looks
like the dance, Texas Star. In the Virginia Reel, the caller calls out, "Around to
the right," meaning dosido.
In "War of the Worlds," (1953) Actor Gene Barry, plays a scientist who is in
town investigating the landing of a mysterious 'meteor'. They dance: Hds
prom 3/4, Sds arch, Hds duck under, RH star in the middle, Allemande left
with corner. Gene Barry almost misses the left allemande.
"Ethan Frome." Dancers do Chorus Jig, but the camera cuts away on Balance
& Swing Partner. Followed by the Virginia Reel.
Bing Crosby does the calling in "Welcome Stranger." Texas Star again. I think
that Bing also recorded an album of square dances. Anybody know for sure?
In "Star Spangled Rhythm" workers at an aircraft factory are dancing (during
their lunch break, I guess.) They do Texas Star and Sides Divide ["Heads
forward, Sides divide, Swing in the center and swing on the side."]
"Bound for Glory" is about the life of Woodie Guthrie. In this one Bob Osgood
does the calling. Bob was the publisher of Sets in Order magazine.
In "My Darling Clementine," after the Sunday morning church service, the
preacher takes out his fiddle and the people dance the Virginia Reel...the
version where the first gent and foot lady go forward and back. Henry Fonda
is in this one, but he only gets to do a waltz with "his lady fair."
"Barbarians At The Gate," was on television recently. In this one James
Garner is dancing at a kind of ONS MWS square dance party. But the calling,
music and dancing seem to head in three different directions. Probably the fault
of the film editor. Vern Weese is the caller.
"Hillbilly Hare" is a Bugs Bunny cartoon, with Bugs ( Mel Blanc's voice) doing
the calling for a couple of hillbillies.
http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/users/rhod/dance/humour/hillbilly_hare.html
In "Four Weddings and a Funeral," at one of the wedding reception parties,
the dancers are doing what looks to me like Dashing White Sergeant.
I remember seeing a Warner Brothers cartoon, possibly with Bugs and
Yosemite Sam, where a "Wanted" poster was briefly shown. It listed all the
evil occupations of the villain, some of which were: Bank Robber, Cattle
Rustler, and Square Dance Caller.
J.Williams // J.Snyder
Allan Brozek wrote:
>
>
> Bing Crosby does the calling in "Welcome Stranger." Texas Star again. I think
> that Bing also recorded an album of square dances. Anybody know for sure?
>
I don't know about an album. I have run across a couple of square-dance-related things
by Bing Crosby:
1. a recording of his calling from the movie "Welcome Stranger." It's entitled
"Country Style." from Decca (23849A). It says it's from the "Personality Series."
2. A 1949 booklet of singing calls from Edwin H. Morris and Company in NY called "Bing
Crosby's Country Style Square Dances." with Dance Calls and Directions by Grace
Whitehead. It's obviously part of a series which just, I suspect, bought the rights to
use Bing Crosby's name. I think this because on the back cover it lists 14 other
publications such as Bing Crosby's Pick of Popular Songs, B.Crosby's Western Song
Folio, BC's Favorite Hymns, BC's Irish Song Collection, etc. The contents of the
Country Style Square Dances book include:
The Anniversary Waltz - waltz quadrille
Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms - quadrille
Bend Down Sister - heel and toe polka
Country Style - quadrille
Iowa Corn Song - quadrille
The Man On The Flying Trapeze - virginia reel
My Blue Ridge Mountain Home - Tuxedo
The Old Grey Mare - heel and toe polka
Olk MacDonald Had A Farm - tuxedo
Papa, Won't You Dance With Me? - square dance
Reuben and Rachel - quadrille
Rory O'Moore - quadrille
The Rose of Tralee - waltz quadrille
She'll Be Comin' 'Round The Mountain - good night square dance
Sioux City Sue - quadrille
Somebody Loves You - tuxedo
Somewhere in Old Wyoming - waltz quadrille
Wearing Of The Green - quadrille
You Call Everybody Darling - square dance
Bye,
Jim Williams
Topeka, KS
Jonathan Sivier
>I'm looking for a list of all the movies that have square dance scenes. I
>have thought of: Cat Balou Gone With the Wind (Virginia Reel) Duel in the Sun
>Square Dance (1986 starring Jason Robards and Rob Lowe)
>Can you think of others? The old films and newer films with old settings are
>a good way to study dance figures, calling, music, and costuming.
>Thanks, Fr...@liveline.com in Tucson
There is a square dance scene in "War of the Worlds". It was released
in 1953, so this may be a depiction of square dancing in California during
the revival. In it they do some stars which are neither hands-across nor
wrist-grasp, but rathe are done with all 4 forearms upright together in
the center (as I recall). This figure may have a name, but I've always
thought of it as a Martian Star due to this movie.
Jonathan
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David Glick
Vampire Killers. Three mortals were trying to escape from teh vampire's den where they
were having a dance. As all the dancers were going down the hall, the camera shifted to
a mirror at the end of the hall, and only the mortals were seen in the mirror.
--
David Glick
A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds
To reply, remove the x in the e-mail address
David Elek Kirchner
: I recall that Larry Edelman has been collecting film and television
: portrayals of square dancing for a long time. He showed some clips at the
: calling workshop he conducted at Augusta some years ago. I especially
: liked the "Merrie Melodies" cartoons with barn dancing.
Larry's collection includes a whole bunch of things, including everything
from Hollywood films to documentary footage to the "Hillbilly Hare" cartoon.
One of my favorites that he showed us is an old cigarette commercial
featuring square dancing cigarettes. I don't think Larry is online, and I've
never seen him post here.
Speaking of commercials, at some point in the last six months or so I heard
a Mountain Dew commercial on the radio which was done in the style of a
square dance patter call. Has anyone else heard this?
It seems that the original poster was looking for Hollywood stuff, but
there are some really interesting documentary films floating about that
show dancing in various settings. I just recently saw one called, I
think, "Medicine Fiddle" which was about the tradition of old-time
fiddling and dancing among several Native American communities in Wisconsin,
Minnesota, the Dakotas, Ontario, and Manitoba.
--
David
dav...@artsci.wustl.edu
http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~david6
Robin Cohen
abilities in The Titanic.
For a really good scene of an Irish ceilidh (sp?) dance, check out
Widow's Peak with Mia Farrow (great movie too!). I think the scene was
realistic--the men were drunken and brawling.
--
**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**
Robin Cohen rco...@idiom.com
Silicon Valley, USA
**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**
The Martins
: It seems that the original poster was looking for Hollywood stuff, but
: show dancing in various settings. I just recently saw one called, I
: think, "Medicine Fiddle" which was about the tradition of old-time
: fiddling and dancing among several Native American communities in Wisconsin,
: Minnesota, the Dakotas, Ontario, and Manitoba.
A beautiful, beautiful film! It is a moving and lovingly made account of
the Metis fiddlers. Anybody with an interest in folk dance and oldtime
fiddle should get their hands on this video. There are also some nice
snips of vintage and contemporary southern square dancing on Shanachie's
"Chase The Devil" and Rounder's "Legends of Old Time Music". And I once
saw a long unedited segment of square dancing at Clifftop on a video that
documented the 1995 or 96 festival. Don't know if that one is commercially
available.
Bill Martin
Allan Brozek
this one some homesteaders are dancing, but it's not a square.
Might be Virginia Reel. I haven't quite figured out what they're
doing. Only about 10 seconds of dancing is shown before the bad
guys show up and burn the homesteaders' crops.
"Drums Along the Mohawk," (1939) with Henry Fonda and
Claudette Colbert, has some kind of longways dance in it.
Jim Nelson
>
> The Long Riders has a short dance scene (I think one of the Carradine
> brothers does an impromptu buck dance). I remember thinking that the
> acting in it was dismal, but was worth sitting through for the soundtrack
> by Ry Cooder. Your mileage may vary.
>
I was going to mention this, too. Seems to me, though, it was a
well-done scene with some folks jig dancing or clogging. Earl Collins
and Tom Sauber both made appearances. Cooder did do some good music, but
Sauber and his cohorts (whose names i can't recall at the moment)
actually played some good old-time music in several scenes.
Jim Nelson
Paul Wexelblat
Roy had done some calling and that there was at least some of it in one of his
movies (unspecified).
...wex
Fr...@liveline.com wrote:
> I'm looking for a list of all the movies that have square dance scenes. I
> have thought of: Cat Balou Gone With the Wind (Virginia Reel) Duel in the Sun
> Square Dance (1986 starring Jason Robards and Rob Lowe)
>
> Can you think of others? The old films and newer films with old settings are
> a good way to study dance figures, calling, music, and costuming.
> Thanks, Fr...@liveline.com in Tucson
>
GARELICK
one of the migrant camps, prior to a staged sheriff's raid.
And The Long Rifles had some great music by Ry Cooder. One scene used the tune
Seneca Square Dance.
GUS GARELICK
SelfImprvr
Might there be a relevant web site?
Thank you very much.
In article <6rq8rd$f...@access2.digex.net>, jma...@access2.digex.net (Julie
Mangin) writes:
>The Long Riders has a short dance scene (I think one of the
>Carradine
brothers does an impromptu buck dance). I remember thinking that
>the
acting in it was dismal, but was worth sitting through for the
>soundtrack
by Ry Cooder. Your mileage may vary.
Julie
>Mangin
jma...@access.digex.net
http://www.access.digex.net/~jmangin/
This email is blocked -- if you need address indicate that in post. Sorry if
that's a problem.
Nancy Mamlin
<19980918101...@ladder02.news.aol.com>...
>Could someone tell me what a buck dance is?
Another term for buckdancing is clogging. There are minor variations in what
some people call buck dancing as opposed to clogging, as opposed to
flatfooting, etc. However, it's a regional thing which I refuse to try to
explain to everyone's satisfaction.
>Might there be a relevant web site?
In fact, you might look at my friend Julie's site:
>Julie
>>Mangin
>jma...@access.digex.net
>http://www.access.digex.net/~jmangin/
Nancy Mamlin, who last night was in a "flatfooting" contest, identical to
contests I've been in for "clogging", "buckdancing", or "dancing". No, I
didn't win anything except applause. And I met my own goal-- I didn't fall
down!
C J Brady
one? Its a real classic but I expect its not known in the US and hardly
remembered in the UK where it was made. It was filmed way back in the
1950/60s but where a copy is now is a moot point. Chris Brady.
Lynn Macintyre
can get film though that somehow.
"C J Brady" <cbr...@cix.compulink.co.uk> wrote in article
<EzuHu...@cix.compulink.co.uk>...
Allan Brozek
I'm not sure if the person on the Ed Sullivan show was named Mr. Pastry, but I
do remember a little about his act. He'd be introduced by Ed, who announced
that Mr. Pastry would be doing the Lancers.
Mr. P. would be wearing formal clothing...white gloves, tails and all, and
would be on stage all alone, as if in a square. I think he had a bushy mustache.
When the music started, he'd stand and nod his head, counting beats, waiting
to do his part of the dance. If the move was "circle left," he'd move to the left
as if being pulled along by the "other dancers." On "circle right", he'd be jerked
along in the opposite direction. If the move was "grand R & L, his head would
snap back on each pull by. Then he'd stand and nod his head some more,
nervously counting beats. It was all pretty funny, I recall. You'd have to see it
for yourself.
Some cable TV channels have Ed Sullivan Show reruns. It might be possible to
see Mr. Pastry again.
James Langdell
>> >
>
>I'm not sure if the person on the Ed Sullivan show was named Mr. Pastry, but I
>do remember a little about his act. He'd be introduced by Ed, who announced
>that Mr. Pastry would be doing the Lancers.
>
>Mr. P. would be wearing formal clothing...white gloves, tails and all, and
>would be on stage all alone, as if in a square. I think he had a bushy mustache.
>
>When the music started, he'd stand and nod his head, counting beats, waiting
>to do his part of the dance. If the move was "circle left," he'd move to the left
>as if being pulled along by the "other dancers." On "circle right", he'd be jerked
>along in the opposite direction. If the move was "grand R & L, his head would
>snap back on each pull by. Then he'd stand and nod his head some more,
>nervously counting beats. It was all pretty funny, I recall. You'd have to see it
>for yourself.
>
>Some cable TV channels have Ed Sullivan Show reruns. It might be possible to
>see Mr. Pastry again.
I remember an act on Ed Sullivan of a man in formal dress dancing by himself,
but waltzing around a ballroom as if he was holding a partner and navigating
around other dancers. Was it the same "Mr. Pastry" as in the Lancers act?
--James Langdell jam...@eng.sun.com
Sun Microsystems Menlo Park, Calif.