British Pathe

"Once upon a time the dancing world was ruled by the stately minuet, and girls were coy and swains gallant..." M/S of group of men and women dressed in Georgian (?) costume in a drawing room setting. The men wear frock coats and lace trimmed shirts, the women large framed dresses and powdered wigs....

"Once upon a time the dancing world was ruled by the stately minuet, and girls were coy and swains gallant..." M/S of group of men and women dressed in Georgian (?) costume in a drawing room setting. The men wear frock coats and lace trimmed shirts, the women large framed dresses and powdered wigs. They dance a stately minuet. "Dainty, formal tunes, set the measure of the modest minuet - " C/U of woman in costume playing a harpsichord or small piano. M/S of the couples dancing.

"Now, the stage and screen set the dancing pace for all to follow and adopt." Low angle shot of a row of chorus girls doing a fast tap routine - seen from the waist down only. L/S of the chorus, men in top hat and tails, women in black shorts and fake waistcoats, they also wear top hats. They do a tap routine running up and down some steps - the women have bare backs. High angle L/S of the stage where another group of chorus girls do a high kick routine arm in arm. They wear feather trimmed white outfits. Fluffy skirts and frilly head dresses.

"Great-great-grandfather was a courtier in those distant days - " M/S of a courtier bowing to a lady. C/U of lady smiling - she wears a big white wig and ornate dress. The courtier takes her hand and she stands up. "And if jazz mania had seized the young folk of those days, history would be full of duels, feuds and sudden death!" The women in old fashioned outfits are bowed down in a curtsey, they suddenly begin to shimmy in a jazz dance style! M/S of them all suddenly breaking into a Charleston! Funny shot of a couple shaking their hips in an exaggerated fashion. C/U of the very wide skirt of a woman who thrusts it from side to side. C/U of a couple dancing cheek to cheek and singing. M/S of the old fashioned group really going for it with some crazy wild dancing!

Was an item in Eve's Film Review issue number 492.

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