This site just passed another milestone at the end of this week with its 100,000th visit! This seems an extraordinary number, both heartening and humbling. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and for the support – hope to see you round here again very soon. In the meantime, hope you enjoy this inspired spoof of the hardboiled detective genre from the 1953 musical The Band Wagon starring Fred Astaire as the nimblest PI ever and Cyd Charrise and the most lissome of femme fatales. The hilarious voiceover was written uncredited by Alan Jay Lerner.
Sergio – Well done on getting so many visits! Well-deserved, may I say. And thanks for sharing this clip. Such talent! These actors/dancers do an incredible job here.
Thank you Margot, both for the unstinting support and the amazing range of your blog – truly inspirational.
*blush* That’s awfully kind of you Sergio.
Those were the days! Thank you for this it made my day.
Deb
Cheers Deb – I’m just gearing myself for the first ever Mickey Spillane review for Fedora and thought this would help set the mood …
Congratulations. I have enjoyed every visit here.
Band Wagon is not my favorite Astaire movie (I prefer the tap dancing with Rita Hayworth, Ginger, or Eleanor Powell) but this clip reminds me I need to watch it again.
Thanks TracyK – a number of my very best friends agree with you about the sheer wonderfulness of The Band Wagon, so you’re in very good company (I still may not entirely agree with you …)
Good going! I hope to read much more from Tipping My Fedora in the future.
Cheers,
Jeff
Thanks very much Jeff, from a market leader such as yourself that is very encouraging indeed.
100,000 is a good number. I look forward to a post in the near future that the number is 200,000.
Thanks Bill, very kind of you – I can’t quite believe that is possible, though about a year ago Jeff at The Rap Sheet celebrated the site 5 millionth hit, so clearly one must try harder …
Well done on getting so many visits.
Cheers Vinnie – at the moment there does seem to be an avalanche of spam for us WordPress users – if I included that it would probably double my numbers!
Great news, Sergio! Those numbers are testimony of the success of your blog and the professionalism you bring to it, in terms of your dedication, your choice of books and films and, more importantly, the way you review them in your distinct style. I have seen many new commentators on your blog over the past few weeks, commentators who are terrific bloggers in their own right, and that’s really saying something. Good luck to you!
Thanks very much for the good wishes Prashant, much appreciated mate.
Sergio
Congrats, Sergio. You’re in the lead, by the way – not cracked 80,000 yet myself… Not that it’s a competition, of course :) Keep up the good work.
Cheers Steve – definitely not about the numbers though in terms of actual reviews I am lagging very, very far behind. And Mrs P beats the tar out of both us anyway! But honour is due as I would never have even started Fedora if it hadn’t been for your example, and that’s a fact. Thanks mate.
Sergio
Oh, I know the numbers aren’t important – and you have more than repaid the favour by introducing me to a certain Dr Doherty’s work.
Very much my pleasure matey – and darn it, he’d better be grateful for all you’re doing for him!
Well, one day I’ll get in touch with him… possibly…
You really, really should – just don’t read Stephen King’s MISERY first …
CONGRATULATIONS !!!
Mille grazie.
Felicitaties & congratulations on this milestone, Sergio!
Cheers TC, much appreciated.
Well done, Sergio! Vive le blog!
“The Girl Hunt” is one of my favorite crime themed dances from these old MGM musicals. “Slaughter on Tenth Avenue” is another great one. The music alone is amazing, and anythign Gene Kelly is worth watching.
Merci beaucoup John, vous êtes trop aimable! Ah, yes, that is a terrific number too, from the 1948 Rogers and Hart biopic – great music, shame about the complete lack of biographic truthfulness, but c’est la vie (Hollywood style)):
Congratulations from me too. I hope to follow you there in about ten months.
Thanks very much Curt, really appreciate it.
Congratulations on hitting the 100k mark – richly deserved! Thanks too for sharing that awesome extended opening sequence. I have never seen The Band Wagon and will definitely now have to seek it out! :)
It’s a terrific movie (if you like musicals starring Fred Staire) – the sequence is actually from near the end of the film, though not quite the climax – it followed on from the success of An American in Paris which concluded with a 15 minute ballet, which became all the rage for major MGM musicals for a coupel of years (Singin’ in the Rain did the same for instance)
Congrats on hitting 100,000 :-)
Thanks guys, very kind.
Congratulations, Sergio! I am constantly amazed at how many people out there have time for our blogs. Yegads! With great power comes great responsibility. Ha!
And thanks for the Fred and Cyd clip. This is one of my very favorite movie dance numbers. I also love the one between Cyd and Gene Kelly in SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN.
Cheers Yvette – I knew someone important was missing from the (mini) celebration! Yes, there really are a lot of wonderful people out there, in the dark …
May I add my congratulations to the many of those of your followers. It is a number of years since I have viewed “The Band Wagon”, but rate is as one of the finest of MGM musicals, although perhaps “Singing In the Rain” is my favourite. Noticed Julie Newmar appeared in the clip and I thought I espied Elaine Stewart. What great talent MGM promoted in those days ! Fred, Cyd and Alan Jay Lerner are irreplaceable.
Cheers Rod – well done for spotting Newmar not long before 7 Brides for 7 Brothers. It is a bit of a toss up for me too between this one and Singin’ in the Rain and of course the other part of the great Comden & Green trilogy, On the Town!