.... "weird news this" and "weird news that" amidst the stale and hardened political bitching, whining threads, etc., etc. to put this?
Google: "Nicholas Bros." and the (still racist?) American, North American, Canadaian, European, Asian, et al will bring to the fore lame-derriere Google responses i.e. Nicholas Cage (?)...and even actor Nicholas Brendan??..
..the following is Barry Sanders-meets-Eric Dickerson x10.. :-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBb9hTyLjfM
On the other hand, Google: just the first name "Fred" (minus the accompanying 'Astaire') and rest assured you will come across very quickly the Fredster. Long story short: both genius; albeit unleveled playing field in terms of recognition.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScXlT8RXnPU
No proper categorization is required... : -)
Oh fun, I can contribute miscellaneous facts somewhat related to this post.
Fred Astaire complimenting the Stormy Weathers dance scene was a pretty big deal at the time, he called that scene the greatest dance scene ever recorded on camera, iirc. I'm pretty sure it was the first all-black film ever to be released in Hollywood.
Hellzapoppin' with the most iconic lindy dance scene in history (
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E40IgBYVkKk) was released two years earlier, and more characteristic of the time - that was the only scene in the movie with black actors, and the scene wasn't included in a lot of theaters on release.
Youngest dancer in that scene, Norma Miller, was leading dance seminars up until a couple years ago, and just died last year. Both Nicholas brothers lived into the 2000s too, I believe.
But the craziest life story of any dancer from the 20s-40s is probably Josephine Baker - grew up as a street child and granddaughter of slaves in St. Louis, literally dancing on the street for money. Legally married when she was 13, divorced in less than a year. Married again when she was 15, shortly before moving to NYC to do vaudeville charleston dancing. Sailed to Paris when she was 19 where she got her "big break" as a dancer known for dancing topless/wearing banana peels (video findable on youtube, of course). Started hanging out with Hemingway, got painted by Picasso. Became a movie star and famous singer in Europe before WW2, got married for the third time to a French guy, became a French spy, gathering information about German troop movements and sending them to British allies while traveling around Europe and North Africa as a performer. Was awarded some of the highest honors in the French military after the war, adopted 11 kids, toured America in the early fifties and tried to desegregate every city she went to, eventually getting charged as a communist and kicked out of the country, although after becoming close friends with Grace Kelly. Came back to America for MLK's march on Washington, was the only female speaker the day of the I Have a Dream speech. Bought a castle, lost it, retired to a villa that Grace Kelly owned in Monaco, buried with full French military honors.
Topic: Miscellaneous Items of Which No Proper Categorization is Required (Read 314008 times)