While fighting the urge to post rather venomously about statewide current events and the brain of the average stupid person… I take a moment to enjoy some video.
Spike Jones did a video for Fat Boy Slim’s “Weapon of Choice.” In a strange juxtapositioning of irony, he has noted actor Christopher Walken dancing.
Many people were surprised to see the actor dancing. many but not all. A few select of us remember the 1981 Steve Martin film, “Pennies from Heaven”
This film featured a prohibition age story marked by live videos of (then) contemporary songs. Characters would break out of the film and lip sync to songs. One for example was, “Let’s Misbehave”
This song was done as a tap-dance, strip-tease by Christopher Walken. Walken previous to the film had no dance experience. He spent two months learning and rehearsing the routine that lasted approximately two minutes.
At the debut party Walken heard two men commenting to each other about how Walken’s performance was some of the best Tap they’d seen in ages. Modestly, he wasn’t prepared to accept the credit from the two gentleman. Modesty took the high road when he turned to see that the two man complimenting him to each other were Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly.
Both videos are a must watch if you like good tap. Both a surprisingly good examples of an actor not known for a great talent in dance.
I heard Walken was actually stoked to do more than walkin’ while he was still young enough to pull it off. The dude seems to have a fantastic temperament.
You know, that’s funny. Just yesterday I was watching this too. I didn’t know that he did the video and bought the Fatboy Slim compilation album and he is on the cover.
Awesome song, awesome dancing.
*fans myself*
Oh my.
Walken was a childhood actor who took numerous years of dance lessons, according to this interview with NPR’s Terry Gross.
You are correct, however, in that the video is quite badass.
I was remembering that interview too. He described himself as a “triple threat”, which I found really amusing.
I made the same point below. Walken’s major at Hofstra was Musical Theatre and his specialization was Dance. He choreographed as well.
Interesting to note too that he makes every effort to throw dance moves into nearly every movie he’s been in since.
I loved pennies from heaven. I had forgotten walken was in it…
Great story, but Walken started out his professional life as a dancer and choriographer in musical theatre, which was his focus in the Theatre department at Hofstra, where he attended college.
Check out the Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Walken) and its associated references.
Not that I don’t love a good “person struggles to become proficient” tale, but Christopher Walken already had excellent dance chops before “Pennies from Heaven”, it was just the first time that the filmgoing public saw that side of him.
Walken started as a hoofer (per his Actor’s Studio appearance), and finds opportunities to dance in his films at some of the oddest moments.
Thanks… those were fab!
More reasons to love Mr Walker…. sighs.
I’ve never seen Pennies from Heaven, though I had heard of it. That was a good clip. I still prefer Richard Gere’s tap dance from Chicago, but this clip was amazing.