Movie Tunes and National Dance Day

I had such fun putting together the Movie Addict Headquarters show this week! On our Tuesday episode, which aired on BlogTalkRadio, we helped listeners get ready for National Dance Day (July 25) by playing clips of performances by Gene Kelly, James Cagney, Lucille Ball, Lily James, Dick Van Dyke, Lucie Arnaz, Julie Andrews and more. Tap, rumba, waltz, musical comedy, burlesque, ballet and other dance styles on film are included in this special episode. The show is available now for your listening pleasure. Just click on the link at the end of this post. 

National Dance Day was created to raise awareness about and encourage Americans to embrace dance as a fun and positive way to maintain good health. Back in 2010, Eleanor Holmes Norton introduced the resolution in Congress, and the last Saturday in July was designated as an “unofficial” national holiday by Nigel Lythgoe, co-creator of “So You Think You Can Dance” and co-president of the Dizzy Feet Foundation. 

This Movie Addict Headquarters episode salutes dancing from such films as Singin’ in the Rain, Mary Poppins, Tap, Cinderella, Addicted to Love, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Dance Girl Dance, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Make Your Move, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Band Wagon and Footloose.

C’mon --- let’s dance!!!
      

LISTENING LINK:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/movieaddictheadquarters/2015/07/21/movie-tunes-for-national-dance-day 

My Minions Poem

As an avid Minions fan, I feel guilty about not being in the audience for their latest movie, which was released last Friday, July 10. Too bad I’ve been housebound all weekend. Bummer! I hope the poem below will show these funny little creatures how much I love them.  

Minions and Me

Minions, Minions, you are stars now.

You own the screen, so take a bow.

No matter what, you make us smile

and lose our cares for quite a while.

Your latest film must be such fun!

You should be proud of what you’ve done.

You need a rest. Take off some time.

But would that be a Minions crime?

Your fans love you. We’d understand

even a spree at Disneyland.

Then come back soon to the big screen

with lots of tricks we haven’t seen!

Minions, Minions, you’re BIG stars now.

You own the screen, so take a bow!

Yankee Doodle Dandy

Every year when the Fourth of July is near, I think about James Cagney and his splendid performance as George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy. For me, Cagney was never better. Perhaps I am biased because Yankee Doodle Dandy is an outstanding musical, and that happens to be my favorite movie genre. Or because my great uncle Charley Brown substituted for George M. Cohan in roadshow productions of his famous musicals. But even though Cagney earned numerous honors for his on-screen work, it was his role in Yankee Doodle Dandy that earned him a well-deserved Best Actor Oscar – and not one of his many excellent gangster turns on film.

Because I’m such an avid movie musical fan, my other favorite Cagney films are Footlight Parade and The Seven Little Foys, which also required him to sing and/or dance. And what wonderful and unique dancing he did!  It’s interesting to note that Cagney started out in show biz as a dancer. No wonder Yankee Doodle Dandy was his favorite film.  Here’s hoping Turner Classic Movies airs this terrific patriotic movie on July 4 again this year!