Why John Brascia is the secret hero of Bing Crosby's "White Christmas."
Just finished the annual family viewing of "White Christmas." So good. And the movie's secret weapon? John Brascia.
Who's that? This guy dancing with Vera-Ellen:
Here's my theory: John Brascia's role in this movie makes no sense at all. Danny Kaye is Vera-Ellen's love interest in the movie. He should be, by the usual logic of Hollywood storytelling, her duet partner in all her big dances. Indeed, Kaye and Vera-Ellen have a lovely dance early in the movie:
After that, though, it's Brascia —who utters no lines in the movie (see the comments below) — who is the main dance partner. It's aided by the show-within-a-show conceit of the movie: They're practicing for an upcoming musical, you see. But again, this doesn't make a whole lotta sense...
...unless you consider this possibility: Brascia, and not Kaye, was the only dancer on set who could keep up with Vera-Ellen.
Yes, Kaye was enormously gifted as a dancer. But he was already in his early 40s when "White Christmas" was made. Brascia is a good 21 years younger. And Vera-Ellen is a hell of a dancer.
Watch this. Watch Brascia's feet, especially.
Love me some Danny Kaye. But he's not keeping up with Vera-Ellen there. John Brascia is.
It's OK! That's not a knock on Kaye. Vera-Ellen's vocals were reputedly dubbed by Rosemary Clooney. This movie knew what its performers strengths and weaknesses were and adjusted accordingly. More than 60 years later, it's still a hell of a watch. And John Brascia, whose name I bet you didn't know, is one big reason why.
Who's that? This guy dancing with Vera-Ellen:
Here's my theory: John Brascia's role in this movie makes no sense at all. Danny Kaye is Vera-Ellen's love interest in the movie. He should be, by the usual logic of Hollywood storytelling, her duet partner in all her big dances. Indeed, Kaye and Vera-Ellen have a lovely dance early in the movie:
After that, though, it's Brascia —
...unless you consider this possibility: Brascia, and not Kaye, was the only dancer on set who could keep up with Vera-Ellen.
Yes, Kaye was enormously gifted as a dancer. But he was already in his early 40s when "White Christmas" was made. Brascia is a good 21 years younger. And Vera-Ellen is a hell of a dancer.
Watch this. Watch Brascia's feet, especially.
Love me some Danny Kaye. But he's not keeping up with Vera-Ellen there. John Brascia is.
It's OK! That's not a knock on Kaye. Vera-Ellen's vocals were reputedly dubbed by Rosemary Clooney. This movie knew what its performers strengths and weaknesses were and adjusted accordingly. More than 60 years later, it's still a hell of a watch. And John Brascia, whose name I bet you didn't know, is one big reason why.
Comments
He was a spectacular dancer. Only 22 heard old when White Christmas was shot.
John is smiling the whole time. My daughter was a student of dance for a number of years. "Smile!", is what the instructors reinforced. It's contagious thinking of it now. Yes, John was the only dancer in that era who could power through those high energy numbers with Vera-Ellen. Dear, dear Vera-Ellen is engrained in my memory for over fifty-years now for that 'nerve tap' entrance of hers in the "Choreography" dance number; great show stopper that it is.
White Christmas (1954) encapsulates the powerful and hopeful ethic which defined The United States of America post WWII and even as the Korean War was starting to recede in memory. I'm a baby boomer and for those golden childhood years of mine and of my younger brothers we'd come down the stairs on Christmas Morning to the smell of fresh brewed coffee and Bing Crosby singing "White Christmas"; Mom and Dad (looking pretty perky for having been up late) were there to welcome their brood of five rambunctious sons.