MovieChat Forums > The Band Wagon (1953) Discussion > Choreography

Choreography

posted 18 years ago by dot-20
8 replies | jump to latest

I had to read the page three times to figure out that the dances were staged by Michael Kidd. Seems like IMDB could display this information more prominently, seeing as how it's a musical. Like maybe above the names of the cinematographer and the lighting designer.

Finally learned the name of the dancer who plays the shoeshine man: Leroy Daniels. No screen credit? For someone who held his own with Astaire? One of the great oversights in film history (if that's all it was).

[–] Isaac5855 17 years ago

Another great Astaire partner who never got billing was the dancer who was his partner during "Stepping Out with My Baby" in EASTER PARADE. I've never been able to find out who that was either.

[–] Nipfan 17 years ago

Firstly, Fred Astaire danced with 3 different women in Stepping out With My Baby in Easter Parade. They were all excellent dancers, as were the whole chorus behind them.

As for Leroy Daniels, he has no screen credits because he was never an actor, he really was a shoeshine boy. The DVD of The Bandwagon has a commentary in which Liza Minelli talks about him and she says that she and her father saw him dancing around his shoe shine stand in New York and Vincent Minelli was so impressed that he brought him out to do the film. He then went back to New York and did very well with huge pictures of himself and Fred Astaire as a backdrop.

[–] gerrandr 17 years ago

Leroy was fantastic - even more amazing to learn he was a real shoe shiner! Another great group of largely uncredited dancers are the group in the middle of the Marx Bros' A Day at the Races, in the stables and following Harpo's "Gabriel" flute.

[–] cnb 17 years ago

That's a group that was called Whitey's Lindy Hoppers.

For more on them, see http://www.savoystyle.com/whiteys_lindy_hoppers.html

[–] MrJellyBean 17 years ago

I loved that Shine on your Shoe dance!!!! Thank you for the story of Leroy Daniels! I will have to get me The Bandwagon DVD now! I was really amazed by Leroy's dancin'. He had so much rhythm and he seemed to have so much fun in that dance number.

[–] bradford-1 15 years ago

Much later, Daniel had a semi-regular role on "Sanford & Son" playing a character called (wait for it!) "Leroy." Also, on YouTube there's a segment from an old Jackson 5 variety show where Mr. Daniel can be seen trading steps with young Michael and doing some more of his trademark rhythmic shoe-shining.

[–] Eightythreeyearoldguy 14 years ago

That's a fantastic story about Leroy Daniels. No wonder he looked so natural in that sequence.

I'm the kind of guy, when I move - watch my smoke. But I'm gonna need some good clothes though.

[–] liscarkat (19418) 22 days ago

Kidd's name is in the opening credits of the movie.