| . . . and a few seconds later she proceeds to rip up the boards. There goes Will's hat, victim of one of her famous high kicks that also displays a trim little pair of drumsticks. What you see here is just one example of how she constantly, and I would venture effortlessly, surpasses all the other dancers with her top-of-the-line kicks and letter-perfect extension . . . |
UPDATE 03-21-08: When I first saw this scene I thought Liz actually kicked Will's hat off. As
I got into the various visual tricks Hollywood uses, I realized that, in an exquisite example of
timing, Will snapped his head back just as Liz cut loose, giving the illusion she knocked it off.
Well, whaddayaknow, I was right, in a way, the first time. Liz told me that she actually
touched the brim of his hat, and he HAD to snap his head back or she would have hit his nose.
I got into the various visual tricks Hollywood uses, I realized that, in an exquisite example of
timing, Will snapped his head back just as Liz cut loose, giving the illusion she knocked it off.
Well, whaddayaknow, I was right, in a way, the first time. Liz told me that she actually
touched the brim of his hat, and he HAD to snap his head back or she would have hit his nose.
| Another slo-mo moment. Just before Liz jumps, she hops up and down like an excited little child . . . . . . and follows it up with a squealing leap into this cowboy's arms. (I'd give body parts to have been in this guy's shoes.) Is she really that excited and scared (it's the same in both versions) or is it just damned good acting? |
UPDATE 03-21-08: A cute anecdote from Liz about this routine. Years later, when her son was
four years old, the movie ran on TV. "Come here, son, your mommy is on TV." said her
husband. The kid came in and intently watched the entire routine. "Well, what do you think?"
asks dad. The kid thought a moment and then asked, "Where did they get the train?" (Where is
a Smiley when you need one?)
four years old, the movie ran on TV. "Come here, son, your mommy is on TV." said her
husband. The kid came in and intently watched the entire routine. "Well, what do you think?"
asks dad. The kid thought a moment and then asked, "Where did they get the train?" (Where is
a Smiley when you need one?)
"It ain't gonna work" Jane implies in this nicely composed shot. This charming scene
exemplified for me the pixie-like quality Liz contributed to the part, as well as establishing her
"little-girl" persona. (It was here that she hooked me. Every time I view this scene, it's deja vu
all over again.)
UPDATE 03-21-08: It is interesting how some memorable scenes that were unscripted come
into being. A phone conversation with Lizanne revealed that she was primping before the
same mirror with Jane in attendance, bemoaning what the studio did to her original "pixie"
hairstyle. They had modified it to a bowl-cut "like the little kids had in the 1900s" (Heck she
still looks like a million bucks!). Agnes de Mille, "who never missed a trick" spotted the scene
and asked the girls to redo it for the director. He liked it and incorporated it into this segment.
Thank you, Agnes!
exemplified for me the pixie-like quality Liz contributed to the part, as well as establishing her
"little-girl" persona. (It was here that she hooked me. Every time I view this scene, it's deja vu
all over again.)
UPDATE 03-21-08: It is interesting how some memorable scenes that were unscripted come
into being. A phone conversation with Lizanne revealed that she was primping before the
same mirror with Jane in attendance, bemoaning what the studio did to her original "pixie"
hairstyle. They had modified it to a bowl-cut "like the little kids had in the 1900s" (Heck she
still looks like a million bucks!). Agnes de Mille, "who never missed a trick" spotted the scene
and asked the girls to redo it for the director. He liked it and incorporated it into this segment.
Thank you, Agnes!
| MANY A NEW DAY |
| KANSAS CITY |
| MY CUP RUNNETH OVER |
and Over . . .
UPDATE 03-21-08: March 21st is Lizanne's birthday, so I got a card and issued a call to
her fans to send me an email with their birthday greetings. The card was too big for my
scanner so I had to patch the two scans together. The pic below is the result.
UPDATE 03-21-08: March 21st is Lizanne's birthday, so I got a card and issued a call to
her fans to send me an email with their birthday greetings. The card was too big for my
scanner so I had to patch the two scans together. The pic below is the result.
Boy, that paid off beyond my wildest dreams! I got this email from Larry Billman the day
the card arrived (my comments in Blue):
"I just got a phone call from the Happiest Pixie on Earth -- who wants to, no needs to talk to
you. She even managed to get on the Internet [she has no computer] to try and look up your
phone number. I rummaged through all of our correspondence and finally thought the best
solution is : The Birthday Girl's phone number is xxxxx. [YIKES!]
Call her now, while she is still so W&F [Warm and Fuzzy] that the giggles and tears of
happiness are flowing. They are for you, Mister. She said that all that you have done for her
has reminded her of "Who she is."
That last got to me as her work has given me countless hours of W&Fs. You can bet I was
on the phone with her within the hour (it took that long to compose myself, as talking to
her was Fantasy No. 2. (Fantasy No. 1 followed.)
We spent the next 45 minutes chatting about her performances, especially in "Oklahoma!"
and instead of posting some of her neat anecdotes here, I have sprinkled them in the
pertinent pages of this website. The only reason we ended so soon was the Tyranny of the
Blinking Light - the damned battery on my cell phone was dying and rather than risk
running out in mid-sentence, we decided to end it there. When I got off the phone, I felt
like I had known her for years, such is her magic. And in closing, Fantasy No. 1 kicked in.
I had always dreamed of chatting with her about her career over a cuppa and figured that,
at best, we would end up a neutral setting like Starbucks to hold the interview. This
gracious lady invited my wife and I up to her home! I will confess that I could feel the
floor drop out from under me! Two years ago we didn't even know that pixie's name and
now there will be a face-to-face encounter. he date has yet to be set, but I'm aiming for
some time in April. With her permission, I will load up my digital camera with some
candid shots and post them here. Film at 11.
UPDATE 04-08-08: Alas, the April meeting was not to be due to some medical exams Liz
had to take. I will be taking a two-month sabbatical from work this summer and hope to
work in a visit then.
the card arrived (my comments in Blue):
"I just got a phone call from the Happiest Pixie on Earth -- who wants to, no needs to talk to
you. She even managed to get on the Internet [she has no computer] to try and look up your
phone number. I rummaged through all of our correspondence and finally thought the best
solution is : The Birthday Girl's phone number is xxxxx. [YIKES!]
Call her now, while she is still so W&F [Warm and Fuzzy] that the giggles and tears of
happiness are flowing. They are for you, Mister. She said that all that you have done for her
has reminded her of "Who she is."
That last got to me as her work has given me countless hours of W&Fs. You can bet I was
on the phone with her within the hour (it took that long to compose myself, as talking to
her was Fantasy No. 2. (Fantasy No. 1 followed.)
We spent the next 45 minutes chatting about her performances, especially in "Oklahoma!"
and instead of posting some of her neat anecdotes here, I have sprinkled them in the
pertinent pages of this website. The only reason we ended so soon was the Tyranny of the
Blinking Light - the damned battery on my cell phone was dying and rather than risk
running out in mid-sentence, we decided to end it there. When I got off the phone, I felt
like I had known her for years, such is her magic. And in closing, Fantasy No. 1 kicked in.
I had always dreamed of chatting with her about her career over a cuppa and figured that,
at best, we would end up a neutral setting like Starbucks to hold the interview. This
gracious lady invited my wife and I up to her home! I will confess that I could feel the
floor drop out from under me! Two years ago we didn't even know that pixie's name and
now there will be a face-to-face encounter. he date has yet to be set, but I'm aiming for
some time in April. With her permission, I will load up my digital camera with some
candid shots and post them here. Film at 11.
UPDATE 04-08-08: Alas, the April meeting was not to be due to some medical exams Liz
had to take. I will be taking a two-month sabbatical from work this summer and hope to
work in a visit then.
| THE MAN FROM THE DINERS CLUB |
UPDATE 03-21-08: I asked Liz if there was ANY chance that perhaps a Director's Cut of
this film may exist. Alas, she said that the film originally RAN four hours and many scenes
had to be cut, including her appearance as a Beatnik. "When scenes were cut, they stayed
on the editing room floor." When she went to see the Dailies, her agent told her that her bit
had been cut but that at least she got a days pay out of it. A loss to Hollywood as well as
her fans. (She still gets residuals, which mean the movie is being shown somewhere, so hope
springs eternal that I will run across a copy.)
this film may exist. Alas, she said that the film originally RAN four hours and many scenes
had to be cut, including her appearance as a Beatnik. "When scenes were cut, they stayed
on the editing room floor." When she went to see the Dailies, her agent told her that her bit
had been cut but that at least she got a days pay out of it. A loss to Hollywood as well as
her fans. (She still gets residuals, which mean the movie is being shown somewhere, so hope
springs eternal that I will run across a copy.)
| ROUTE 66 |
UPDATE 03-21-08: Somewhere along the line I got the idea that Liz appeared in an episode
or two of this series, but she said no. She had been slated to appear in a commercial for
that show but a scheduling conflict prevented her from appearing. Fate was against it any
way. She said it was a Kleenex ad which showed a lot of people crying and using the
product. That idea was cancelled when the sponsor decided that it was too sad. She
mentioned that just the other day she saw a commercial where everyone was crying, so
allowed the notion "was 40 years too soon".
or two of this series, but she said no. She had been slated to appear in a commercial for
that show but a scheduling conflict prevented her from appearing. Fate was against it any
way. She said it was a Kleenex ad which showed a lot of people crying and using the
product. That idea was cancelled when the sponsor decided that it was too sad. She
mentioned that just the other day she saw a commercial where everyone was crying, so
allowed the notion "was 40 years too soon".
| THE FIVE PENNIES |
UPDATE 03-21-08: Liz said that friends who had seen the movie said that they saw her "but
it was awfully short" I concur - it lasts an all-too-brief 20 seconds, but Lordy does she put
out the energy! I asked if she was in any other part of the movie that was cut. She said that
the dance scene was much longer, but like everything in the movies, when something had to
be cut, it was the dancing. Preserving the story line and all that.
it was awfully short" I concur - it lasts an all-too-brief 20 seconds, but Lordy does she put
out the energy! I asked if she was in any other part of the movie that was cut. She said that
the dance scene was much longer, but like everything in the movies, when something had to
be cut, it was the dancing. Preserving the story line and all that.
