Pan’s People – (I’ve Got) Beginner’s Luck

The Jack Jones Show 10 February 1974: Pan’s People dance to Dana’s (I’ve Got) Beginner’s Luck.

I’ve no anniversary performances available for today: so instead here’s an old, non-TOTP Pan’s People routine.

From the old blog: Friday, 17 October 2014

I’ve been sent another rare, exclusive Pan’s People performance by one of my generous, anonymous donors. It’s another appearance on The Jack Jones Show, from 10 February 1974, this time featuring future Irish independent politician Dana, who’s singing “(I’ve Got) Beginner’s Luck”.

The song was written by George & Ira Gershwin for Fred Astaire to sing (to Ginger Rogers, inevitably) in the 1937 film Shall We Dance. Which means the whole production has a strongly thirties period feel: very art deco set design and costumes, minimal geometric shapes in sharp contrasting colours. Everyone’s hair has been set in tight Shirley Temple curls. And the choreography takes literal interpretation to new heights, with a series of blackout vignette gags on the beginner’s luck theme. But wait: this literalism is utterly in keeping with the period setting: so all you sneering get-down, your-so-vain haters can just go and boil your heads. It’s kitschy. It’s intentional. Shut up.

Bags of charm here as every keeps up authentic period toothy chorine smiles. My favourite moment has to be Cherry displaying her mime skills in the fishing section, about 1’40”: catching the proverbial old boot, you can see the tug on her line go through her whole body like a Peter Glaze double-take. You don’t get to be Head Girl at Bush Davies for nothing.

Thanks are due to the generous anonymous donor for this spiffing clip.

comment:

mojo2007 said…

thank you anon, this is charming. shows their versatility and willingness to back a singer effectively. of course it is all deliberately dated but it works

20 October 2014 09:41

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