Happy Weekend!

Just try not to smile while watching Rita Hayworth. If there is one thing about this Hollywood starlet (and there are many) it’s that she is absolutely infectious. While she wasn’t the most polished of the movie musical dancing stars, she was one of the most fun to watch. She just has a blast (or at least looks like it) when she moves. She knows how to work it- using a subtle wink, a swish of her hair, and a flip of her dress for full effect. This is not a learned skill- you cannot teach this, you’ve either got it or you don’t- and it’s why she was a star.

This video mash up below kicks off my weeklong tribute to dance in movie musicals. I have often thought I was born in the wrong era. If I had my druthers, I would have been a child of MGM’s Golden Age of Movie Musicals dancing alongside the likes of Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse. I would have been so thrilled to be the 3rd girl from the left in the Singin’ in the Rain dream sequence or any of that era’s musicals for that matter, they are so magical. I’ll be picking my 5 favorite dance numbers from Hollywood movies next week- stay tuned.

Meanwhile, here she is in all her redheaded glory in a movie musical mash up to the Bee Gees’ Stayin’ Alive.  I’m kind of a purist when it comes to these things and like to see numbers as they were intended to be seen, but this one is just pure fun and brings Miss Hayworth’s awesome toe tapping to our attention. Not just a pretty face, Rita Hayworth’s got the three C’s: Charm, Chops and Charisma. Enjoy and Cin Cin!

{Image: Rita on the Rooftop}

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