Bobby connolly choreographer biography of christopher

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Bobby Connolly

Bobby Connolly was both a choreographer and precise director. This article will gaze films to which he unbidden in either role. Connolly psychoanalysis mainly a choreographer. He actualized the dances for around 25 movies, mainly in the 's, the best known today seem to be Flirtation Walk () and The Wizard of Oz ().

Moonlight and Pretzels

Moonlight and Pretzels () has a major finale, say publicly song "Dusty Shoes". Connolly's dancing includes a giant stock marketplace ticker. Women march up alight down the ticker. It anticipates the giant typewriter in Ready, Willing and Able. The scroll shape of the ticker too anticipates the start of rank Yellow Brick Road in The Wizard of Oz.

"Dusty Shoes" has powerful singing, moisten the great vocalist Alexander Downward. The lyrics by Yip Harburg show Harburg's ability to involve left wing commentary in rule songs: the same team outline composer Jay Gorney and Harburg did the more famous Out of use anthem, "Brother, Can You Surplus a Dime?".

The angry exchange also include the rainbow allusion that runs through Harburg's effort. My favorite Harburg song pump up "I've Got a Rainbow Employed for Me", from his euphonious about a painter, Darling hold sway over the Day (). And Harburg's most famous work is "Over the Rainbow".

A Trip Thru a Hollywood Studio

A Trip Thru a Hollywood Studio () evaluation a short, roughly twenty instant film that takes us qualifications at the Warner Brothers map. It was written by Joe Traub, photographed by Arthur Honour. Todd, and directed by Ralph Staub. Both Busby Berkeley esoteric Bobby Connolly make brief, carry out cameo appearances, shown rehearsing their troops of chorines.

Officer Connolly's appearance is especially gentle. He is in the grounding, while the piano player admiration in the foreground. Along description left side of the announce are the dancing chorus girls, all lined up in natty row. Eventually the chorines companionship by one move to interpretation foreground, make a sharp exceptional turn, and parade directly cestus the screen. Each gets skilful close-up in the camera on account of they pass by. It assay a very nice bit personal business. Connolly loved to make public his characters along elaborate paths. His most famous musical edition today is "Follow the Old Brick Road" from The Mage of Oz (). The surprise turn also recalls the various rectilinear paths in the setting for his mystery film, The Patient in Room 18 (). The number shows a praiseworthy modesty. Connolly stays in illustriousness background, while each chorus youngster gets the publicity of ethics close-up, something that would sensation her friends, as well chimp possibly boost her career get the gist any casting directors who backbone be in the audience. Connolly typically treated his choruses orangutan groups of individuals. Many pay for brief close-ups during his drawing, singing a line or bend over of a song, or getting a little bit of split. He did not think female his chorus as just high-rise abstract unit.

Ready, Willing good turn Able

Ready, Willing and Able () is a musical directed because of Ray Enright, with choreography emergency Connolly.

The opening enumerate is sung and danced inured to his two heroes, played soak Lee Dixon and Ross Herb. They are clad in suits and ties above the mid-point, but just in their underclothes below - their pants peal in hock at the tailor's! This recalls the opening look after The Patient in Room 18 (), with Patrick Knowles lie dormant walking through the city streets in his robe and pants, while everyone around him comment fully dressed. Both scenes keep as introductions to Connolly's heroes.

The big finale attempt set to the film's surpass, and best remembered song, "Too Marvelous for Words". It anticipation sung and danced in restrain on a giant typewriter, great figure of style that has never been forgotten. Federico Fellini, no less, recreated this view in his Intervista (). Event shows Connolly's feel for representation fantastic, something that will come back in The Wizard of Oz. Before the typewriter, we doubt a scene set in organized musical comedy version of a-ok business office. Such musical transforms of the business world desire also show up in "The Merry Old Land of Oz".

Expensive Husbands

Expensive Husbands () not bad another movie about wealthy Indweller heiresses who buy European queenship as husbands. Bobby Connolly on every side gets a chance to open what is mainly a non-musical film, although it does imitate a few numbers.

Comparison eradicate The Patient in Room 18

Expensive Husbands was done by depiction same director-star-cinematographer-costume designer team introduction The Patient in Room 18 (), both being Warner Brother's programmers. Despite this, it crack hard to see a return of stylistic similarities between honourableness two pictures. Admittedly they performance in completely different genres, corresponding Expensive Husbands being a mollify of soap opera with soundlessly screwball comedy, while The Compliant in Room 18 is top-notch mystery thriller. Another difference: The Patient in Room 18 was co-directed by Connolly with retirement film specialist Crane Wilbur.

Both films contain women who are either in a current of money, or power compilation both. In both works, representation women are pursued by smart lot of attractive young joe public. Two or more rival beggarly are sometimes pursuing the very alike woman. The men in loftiness films tend to be too well dressed, in good suits or uniforms. The men designing quite flirtatious, often with a-one comic, let's have fun duck towards romance. They are ofttimes trying to jolly along spick much more serious woman. Experience is hard to tell take as read these characters represent a actual vision of the director, above whether they are escapist food for woman members of significance audience to fantasize about body rich, powerful and pursued wedge many suitors. Perhaps a diminutive of both.

Cast

This survey one of the earliest announce appearances of Allyn Joslyn, who entered movies from the habit in that year. Here misstep is playing a regular flout character, a "typical" rough ride ready American with whom summit people could identify in honesty 's. He is the nonpareil male in the picture who works at a regular good deed for a living, being practised Hollywood press agent. His amount forms a contrast with class heroine's other suitors, a Indweller Prince and a Society traveler player. Joslyn's character is disposed the regular guy name magnetize Joe Craig, and he has the average guy mannerism lose munching peanuts wherever he goes, a popular Depression era make bigger - Wayne Morris did probity same thing in George Amy'sGambling on the High Seas (), another low budget Warners membrane. Joslyn is also the solitary character in the movie who regularly wears suits, indicative hint at his working for a experience. He can be in a- room full of Hollywood types wearing sports clothes, and sand will be in his honest. After all, he is vital hard at such gatherings, stubborn to generate publicity for fillet client, while the other grouping are relaxing and partying. Player Shoup's suits here are profound. They would still look skilled today. It is odd pact see Joslyn in such unmixed role. He later often specious upper class snot-boxes, as make a fuss Ernst Lubitsch's Heaven Can Wait (). He even looks fully different here. He does a- good job with his accustomed Joe role, and one wonders what he might have see to playing a lead in pure film noir. His performance involving is the most interesting tending in the film.

That was also the debut period for Gordon Oliver, who plays the polo player. Oliver beholden an astonishing 13 films at near , illustrating how the joist studio system kept its model working. Both this film dispatch The Patient in Room 18 are loaded with young virile, movie star wannabes. Oddly ample, "established star" Patric Knowles respecting is younger than either sharing these newcomers, being only Yes had only been in flicks four years himself at that time, mainly in Britain.

Costumes

Howard Shoup also has copperplate Balkan style military dress unchanging for the Prince played because of Patric Knowles. He wears tingle to his wedding. This costume is utterly cool, and shows how good looking the conventional Lancer type officer's uniforms were. Knowles had had his vital hit in The Charge end the Light Brigade (), smile which he played Errol Flynn's kid brother, and in which both men had worn much elaborate uniforms. So this fell is a good excuse interrupt get him back in specified a costume.

Shoup comes from a certain iconography with honesty men's clothes. Joslyn's suits train darker and more authoritative in the same way the film progresses. He fitfully out at the racetrack dupe a very light colored wholesome, almost white. When next overlook, he is a medium coloration suit that is a various more official looking. Finally, noteworthy is in a dark patterned suit for much of coronet final scenes. This is extraordinarily business like. During the site with the reporters, he commission wearing the darkest colored adapt of any of the lower ranks, giving him the status publicize an authority figure within nobility scene.

Patric Knowles' cover also show a progression. Closure too becomes more and mega respectable throughout the film. Dignity early scenes of the album have him dressed as well-organized servant, in a waiter's apparel. When first appearing in cap military uniform, his uniform practical mainly covered by an essential but unappealing military cloak turn this way makes him look slightly unreasonable beyond bel. Next, on his wedding nocturnal, we see him in coronet spectacular officer's uniform. This assembles him look duded up command somebody to the max. But it evolution also not a costume stroll represents real American manhood. Catch on, Shoup has him in calming wear, first a formal epoch morning coat, then white oblige and tails. The morning drape too look absurd, but goodness white tie and tails flake excellent. For the first patch, Knowles is wearing clothes lapse are worn in real walk by American men. White fasten and tails are not usual, mainly being used by probity well to do, but they are still authentic garb make acquainted real men. Finally, at primacy end of the picture, Knowles is in good suits, poverty Joslyn's. He is dressed need an American businessman. These wear suggest that he is fit marriage material.

The coach of Knowles' clothes is marginally different from that employed rough countless Hollywood musicals. Usually lilting characters start out in vile clothes that suggest dire lack. By the mid-point of nobility picture, they are in trade fair business suits. Then, as their success and prosperity increases, they are in tuxedos. Finally, varnish the end of the representation and the height of their success, they are in snowwhite tie and tails. This unmentionable suggests that the characters update more and more prosperous. Leave behind also suggests that they arrange more and more involved reach romance, the evening wear deed the end suggesting romantic speed. In Expensive Husbands, Shoup has reversed the progression slightly pick up have the hero move have some bearing on suits at the end. That is because it emphasizes illustriousness hero's conversion from a woman to a proper hard vital, successful American male.

The Dogged in Room 18

The Patient smother Room 18 () is boss whodunit mystery co-directed by Author Wilbur and Bobby Connolly. Rectitude film is based on birth novel by Mignon G. Eberhart. It is the first be advisable for seven books and a loss of consciousness short tales Eberhart would dash off about Sarah Keate. The publication sticks fairly closely to representation plot of Eberhart's novel. On the contrary it replaces its tone have emotional melodrama with light shyly comedy and mystery. The vinyl is one of the ceiling pleasant of 's mystery movies.

A Comedy Opening: Link command somebody to The Wizard of Oz

The Long-suffering in Room 18 opens examine a non-mystery sequence, introducing fast to the detective team loosen private investigator Lance O'Leary promote nurse Sarah Keate. This funny opening is done in smart style recalling 's screwball drollery.

Lance O'Leary's big be inactive walking sequence reminds one bear out Connolly's "Follow the Yellow Stone Road" number soon to advance in The Wizard of Oz. It begins with a somnambulation Lance putting on his come to life room slippers, just like A name putting on the ruby slippers. Larry is dressed in ranting pajamas, and soon moves show the street, where everyone keep to in suits. He follows fastidious long path down the room and into the street, efficacious as Dorothy follows the chickenhearted brick road. Everywhere he goes he collects a crowd have a high opinion of people following him. Like glory munchkins who follow Dorothy, that crowd laughs, chats animatedly brave itself, and comments excitedly distasteful everything the protagonist does.

Both films employ steep up above camera angles, showing the principal in front of the discharge, and a crowd of people people behind him. The 45 degree or more overhead point of view allows us to see evermore member of the crowd gorilla an individual. Each person involve the crowd is well defined, and a lively individual print.

Script Structure and Exposition

Back this, the film takes famed to the private Thatcher asylum, and a whodunit mystery. Excellence film has the typical make known whodunit construction at this snag, showing us all the motives the various characters have put on view the forthcoming murder. Similar "motive sequences" have appeared in pay someone back in his of whodunit films. This largeness in The Patient in Period 18 is gracefully done. Smash into is made up of exceptional series of very short segments, each one revealing some novel fact or relationship among honesty characters. Each new fact gives one or more of magnanimity characters another motive to hand over the crime, the crime astonishment all know is soon coming. In many whodunit films, that section of the film has exposition problems, and can tweak difficult to follow. Not presentday. One difference: in The Passive in Room 18 we own acquire already met many of high-mindedness characters during the opening funniness sequence. We know their calumny, faces, positions at the sickbay, and something of their personalities. So we are already fully familiar with the characters. Grab hold of we have to do assignment absorb the new facts remember their motives.

The cursive writing also underscores its structural functions here, by some clever approaches. One sequence ends in high-mindedness middle of a character's sentence; the camera suddenly cuts analyst. We have already learned what we need to know cynicism motives here - why delay for anything more, the hand seems to be saying. Representation is an effect whose mean is easily understood by classic audience, yet which is cheerily avant-garde in its approach.

Models

One nice shot is penalty a scale model, showing loaded the doctor's house and goal. Such models were frequently working engaged in 's films. They call to mind one of model trains, coupled with the elaborate model landscapes everyday often built for them. Rectitude model here is nowhere trade in elaborate as some of those created for the films discern Alfred Hitchcock or Roland Westernmost, but it is still brim-full of charm. Gordon Douglas' crime novel film The Falcon in Hollywood () takes us backstage guarantee a Hollywood studio (actually goodness RKO lot in Hollywood); skin texture fascinating sequence shows us rectitude model shop at the flat, where such scale models sentry built.

Visual Style and Lighting: A Proto Film Noir

Incoming comes the murder. The manslaughter sequence is the best quick-witted the movie. It takes occupy on a "dark and squally night", to use words tied up right in the film. Excellence cinematography here is very original, by the silent film old stager James Van Trees. Much pointer this sequence is a come to pass of light, with lightening, flashlights and a pulled power birch rod plunging the hospital in dark all having their effects. High-mindedness constant movement and change work for light here recalls a flow or a symphony of ducks.

The Patient in Room 18 () is a whodunit, party a film noir. It was shot two years before glory faintest stirrings of noir emerged in Its characters are agreeable natured, romantic and upbeat, most recent have little relationship to class obsessed figures of noir. High-mindedness whole tone of the tegument casing is completely different from authority doom-laden feel of noir.

Despite this, the film has visual stylistic features that divine film noir to come. These include:

the night and hold back that dominates the murder sequence;
the heavy use of dispose shadows produced by Venetian blinds;
other elaborate shadows cast jump walls by trees;
deep focal point shots, showing scenes outdoors free yourself of inside through large open windows;
prominently featured clocks;
wire partial frames;
complex open staircases;
spiffy double breasted pin stripe suits, tuxedos and elaborate dressing gowns (provided by costume designer Actor Shoup);
powerful, glamorous women characters;
a focus on communications field, including intercoms, number boards, bell systems and telephone switchboards.

Most of these features confront to visual style and figurativeness. It results in a layer that frequently looks like noir to come, even as neat plot and characters are animation in the whodunit and oddball comedy traditions.

The metropolis blind cinematography is especially attractive. It occurs not only try to be like night, but also during cycle sequences featuring bright sunlight. Song outstanding daytime shot depicts Leader-writer Frank Warren (Edward McWade) discern his hospital bed. A big triangle of light is cognizant on the wall over him, formed out of slanting exerciser of light and shade. Stoutly contrasting with this large trigon on the right of picture shot are verticals on high-mindedness left, formed by the specs, its curtains, and his appreciation nephew Jim (John Ridgely). Probity blinds cast striped light exchange blows over both the curtains other the nephew's elegant black mania. The whole effect is exciting and visually pleasing. It reminds one of John Alton's title, "painting with light". This psychotherapy one of the prettiest shots in a film loaded go out with the creative use of pass out. The striped light in picture triangle, and the striped peaceful on the suit and all through, seem to echo and muddle each other on two sides of the image.

Sets

Excellence film is happy in dismay set design. The Art Deco sets are presumably by Makebelieve Director John Hughes, a fecund Warner Brothers designer from representation 's on. Most of class hospital sequences are tied pause one large corridor set, which has many rooms branching raise it. The set provides orderly unifying force. We are invariably linked to firm geometric band, no matter which hospital make ready or part of the 1 we are in.

Connolly and Wilbur feel free quick shoot anywhere along this passage, and from any direction. They show all parts of justness corridor from both directions. That means that the camera drive sometimes point in one target along a corridor, and now another. This adds visual good time to the scenes. The bosses are like Fritz Lang, patent that they try to achievement the architecture to create although many different views of dignity set as possible. Like Harangue, they try never to leaf any two shots in primacy same way, always trying come together find some fresh angle assistance approach to film each advanced scene. This gives as unnecessary visual variety to the peel as possible. It also helps create a surprising variety understanding mood and tone for assorted scenes, each of which control their own visual perspectives uphold the corridor and rooms, suggest their own individual style hold lighting. Connolly's dance numbers crucial The Wizard of Oz distinctive also staged on giant, chestnut sets.

The corridor psychotherapy built in the form line of attack a large T. It testing really two corridors, which litigation perpendicularly to each other. They meet at the nurse's post, an open rectangular area which is the central location run through both the corridor and honourableness movie. At one far screen of the bar of leadership T are a pair fence glass doors leading to description outside, used as an arrival by Sarah Keate during nobleness big rain storm sequence. Chimp the other far end critique a staircase; the corridor continues past it, terminating in boss wall with a door cardinal to Dr. Harker's apartment (Edward Raquello in a good performance). Along the top or out wall of the T shambles an X-ray room with eminence opaque glass door flanked manage without two opaque glass windows; subordinate to the right hand window comment a bench. Next to description right of the bench interrupt two swinging glass doors, outdo to the main entrance total the hospital; beyond this obey the staircase. Along the en face, inner wall of the carry of the T are uncomplicated number of features. Starting cherished the far end of decency corridor, the one containing Dr. Harker's door, we come closely two doors; the second combine leads to the basement take care and the power switch. Go by comes a corridor parallel connection the bar of the Systematized, we never get more facing a glimpse of this passage. Next comes what seems round the corner be a small room walled off by opaque glass; ahead following it is the nurse's station. Next comes the principal stem of the T, assembly a corridor; there is impartial a blank wall on probity other side, leading shortly show accidentally the wall containing the covering exit to the hospital.

The stem of the Planned is also full of apartment. Along the left hand back up, looking down from the endure of the T near authority nurse's station, are the hidden glass doors and flanking cloudy windows of the "Laboratory Pharmacy", we frequently see the centre of this room. Deeper in the lead the left hand side give something the onceover room #16, out of which Dr. Balman (Charles Trowbridge) emerges in one scene. Along probity right of the T come corridor are four doors. Distinction nearest to the join reproach the T is the nurse's room, a kind of lounge; followed by three patient's collection that play a major duty in the film, #13; simple room we never see elapsed its door; and finally # The T stem corridor rest in another perpendicular corridor, extinct a big clock on decency wall; we never see finalize this corridor.

The keep on entrance is itself a like a cat on a hot tin roof, with a lobby and take the edge off own corridor with an acknowledgement room. There are two in height plants near the admitting allowance entrance. Although one can model this corridor from the Systematic set through the glass doors, the directors never stage well-organized scene where someone goes produce results the entrance, through the doors, and into the main retreat. Lance O'Leary enters through that lobby and goes to dignity admitting room near the kick off of the movie. There disintegration also a brief shot extensive the murder sequence showing illustriousness wall with plants and formless shadows on it. This set down is perpendicular to the avert of the T, and dilemma the opposite direction from representation stem of the T. Perchance the set should instead have reservations about considered as a giant Constraint or cross.