American Classic Screen Interviews Quotes

“Always an innovator, Agnes de Mille found the solution and coined the word “choreographer” for her work on the Broadway musical Oklahoma!”
― John C. Tibbetts, American Classic Screen Interviews

“But most importantly, by the late ’40s, technically trained dancers were plentiful—a far cry from the self-taught hoofers of the ’20s and ’30s. This was fortunate not only for Pan, whose work demanded highly skilled and versatile dancers,”
― John C. Tibbetts, American Classic Screen Interviews

“The one quality that seemingly guaranteed the success of these and so many other numbers is Pan’s ability to remain open to a variety of sources and styles. Though it is difficult for any artist to avoid being redundant, Pan, nevertheless, strove to make each dance a complete and unique experience.”
― John C. Tibbetts, American Classic Screen Interviews

“We see in RKO the beginnings of the use of dance as part of the plot line or growing out of the action and, with the teaming of Astaire and Rogers, the introduction of technically demanding duet and chorus work. It marks the demise of the “hoofer” and the birth of the “dancer.”
― John C. Tibbetts, American Classic Screen Interviews

“Pan marks Flying Down to Rio as the first time full dance numbers were seen on the screen, that is, a complete dance sequence that demanded the viewers’ attention from beginning to end. Prior to that, dance had most often been relegated to background scenery or brief interludes or served as backup for vocal numbers.”
― John C. Tibbetts, American Classic Screen Interviews

“Relief came in the form of a “tab” show—an hour long (see Warner Bros. Footlight Parade for examples) musical review that played in the movie theatres with the film. It was a traveling show and Pan, whose job it was to create the dances as well as perform them, got good experience in the fine art of “doubling in brass.”
― John C. Tibbetts, American Classic Screen Interviews

“devotees and detractors alike seem to agree that the film’s strongest sequence is neither fantasy nor flimflam, but instead a rather different sort of magic—Astaire magic—embodied in the movie’s big production number, “Coffee Time.”
― John C. Tibbetts, American Classic Screen Interviews