FRED ASTAIRE in SMOOTH CRIMINAL
Starring Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse, Leslie Caron
Choreographed by Michael Kidd
'Smooth Criminal' by Michael Jackson
Video edited by CFJ
I love both Astaire and Michael Jackson. I want young people to know Astaire stuff, that is why I made this. The video features scenes from the Girl Hunt ballet in The Band Wagon (1953) starring Astaire and Cyd Charisse (those supreme legs!! The most perfect body a woman could have. So sensual, so elegant), to which MJ gave homage in his Smooth Criminal vid (also in a performance of Get Happy on the Jacksons show in the 70s as well as You Rock My World in 2001), and, as an intro, a sequence from Daddy Long Legs (1955) featuring Leslie Caron (in motion pictures, you mustn't put a coin into a jukebox in an ordinary way!).
My initial idea was using also Yolanda And The Thief (1945) where Astaire appeared with the same costume, a white suit, hat and a blue shirt, but I eventually omitted it.
Michael Kidd worked with Janet in the Alright vid in 1990, featuring Cyd Charisse (in the red dress!), the Nicholas Brothers and Cab Calloway.
If you want to see Astaire at the top of his game, watch his 30s and early 40s films.
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UPDATE (6.28.2009)
I have uploaded a higher quality version of this video:
Fred Astaire in Smooth Criminal (HQ)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKanPs...
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The other two of my MJ trilogy videos:
Origins of the Moonwalk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxZcLW...
West Side Story (Somebody Call Michael mix)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIWTrF...
Fred Astaire + Robert Palmer - Let's Face The Music And Dance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWCijZ...
Category: Entertainment
Tags:
Smooth Criminal Michael Jackson Fred Astaire Band Wagon Girl Hunt Cyd Charisse Daddy Long Legs Leslie Caron You Rock My World Get Happy Jacksons King of Pop Moonwalk Moonwalker Billie Jean Beat It Thriller 25 remix Janet Alright short film