Bob Banas - The Al Jarvis Show "Laura" Maria Henley

[@mortalclown3812]

Rest in paradise, Bobby. With thanks and love. ❤

[@staceytroffer8287]

Bobby Banas KILLING it again! Is there anything this man can’t dance to? Amazing. Just amazing.

[@pleasedontmakemelate]

When Bobby Banas is dancing, you just don't notice anyone else.

[@rociomonge3711]

Love Bob Banas, and I watched it not expecting to watch the other dancer, but Maria Jimenez is great too!!! Loved it!

[@susantjfl3147]

I wonder where he is now?

[@robinhostacky7896]

Love to watch him dance 💕

[@laurencopenhaver5366]

@@susantjfl3147 about a year ago I heard he was still alive and living somewhere in Hollywood. I hope it's true! Seems like there's many of his former students keeping tabs on him

[@uselessjoe]

@@susantjfl3147 still in the LA area last I read

[@Jl-pm6fp]

Magical and transporting! What a wonderful dancer and person!

[@trenaesumter2902]

You literally can't take your eyes off him! He was incredible.

[@secondsightcinema3957]

Bobby’s line is always so crisp, and his rhythm is perfect, like he’s inside the music.

[@loricitero-bunker4434]

I just adore Mr Banas,,,,,WHAT an amazing talent

[@briansherling5515]

Bobby Banas dances in a way that every single muscle in his body is completely involved as though every body part was competing with every other body part for the spotlight. Even his hair seems to be involved in the movement. His talent was obvious enough to the Hollywood machine, that he was cast in so many musicals and usually front row. It’s a shame he never reached the level of gene Kelly, but that was likely due to the retreat of musicals from the big screen. He was a singular talent.

[@jeanhess8867]

I too just 😮became a fan of Bobby Banas as I happened to stumble upon a nitty gritty dance he performed in and I believe he choreographed and I am in love with his dancing…he just has that “it factor” that I believe is God given. I’ve gone back and viewed old movies I have watched in the past and saw him dancing in quite a few of them. He’s special!

[@anonymousgirl799]

RIP Bobby Banas

[@mortalclown3812]

Eden thanks for these great videos. And Mister Banas, if you're reading this, may you be blessed with every bit of joy and delight you've brought to others through the years.

[@angelapritchard6640]

Fantastic! I'm so glad I've discovered the genius of Bobby Banas!

[@charityshoptreasures2569]

What a fabulous dancer and great choreographer 🌟

[@sharondavidson2581]

I could watch Bob Nanas dance all day long!

[@joycerichardson1810]

RIP Bobby Banas Always phenomenal..

[@roland4859]

I just found out about Bobby Banas via youtube videos! What a gem of a performer that my generation knows nothing about! sad

[@sgtpppr]

I just discovered him not long ago. Nitty Gritty!! From what I've been told, the regular choreographer for the Judy Garland show was on vacation that week. Bobby made the most of his chance! kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmPZaXydf8mmo5Y

[@laurencopenhaver5366]

You probably saw him but didn't realize it. If you ever saw Mary Poppins or West Side Story among others. Have fun

[@brendalg4]

Just found too

[@bobchurch215]

There are dozens and dozens of youtube videos of dancers of today doing the Nitty Gritty as it was choreographed by Bobby in '64. Quite a tribute. I wonder how many of them even know it was him who did it first on TV all those years ago.

[@ohmeowzer1]

Lovely it’s beautiful..I love Bobby banas

[@TomMcHugh-l4v]

Bobby Banas was also great in West Side Story, (the movie with Natalie Wood). He was one of the Jets !

[@GiftSparks]

Thanks very much for posting. I only recently became familiar with the work of Bobby Banas through KZbin videos. He was an amazing talent!

[@arthurharrison1345]

He's still here, age 84.

[@mortalclown3812]

Arthur Harrison He's awesome.

[@Sewnknit]

Still is.

[@bmbrod34]

GiftSparks he’s still alive and active on Facebook!

[@frankiebowie6174]

BrandonBrodVirginia I can’t find him! Can you help? I want to thank him.

[@ayamagishi2112]

More videos showing Bobby Banas!

[@sheilabrewster3620]

Beautiful Bob. You danced perfectly.

[@sheilabrewster3620]

Very beautifully done with your dance steps Bobby. You certainly are a very talented man. ❤ 💙 💜

[@TrialAuthor]

Watching this brings back many great memories of the Al Jarvis Dance Show.

[@rentl6321]

So beautiful !

[@saleemahfareed4495]

Bob banas he reminds me of Patrick Swayze dance moves 4:04

[@charlesacuna1661]

His family name was Bananas. It was shortened at Ellis Island.

[@polara01]

Mr. Banas to me is a cross between Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. Sort of the best of both with a modern spin. If it weren't for Hollywood getting away from musicals I'm sure Bobby Banas would have been in all of them through the 70s and beyond...great post!

[@normarodriguez7691]

Can you believe he is 88yrs old in 2022

[@uselessjoe]

he's even older now !

[@boogeebunnyboi2889]

I love the introduction he Gave them

[@TheNavarro6767]

My eye usually stays on Bobby in every video I've watched. But the lighting was nicer to Ms. Jimenez (sp?) and my eye was on her... she was spot on.

[@captlarry-3525]

yes.. she was amazing..

[@philipunger1046]

[e-mail]

[@philipunger1046]

Bobby Abbas

[@sevenfive786]

I noticed him for many years but only recently know his name. He is wonderful. I had a very dear friend that danced in the 50s and 60s on stage and film. His name was Doria Avila and I'm certain he knew Robert Banas. Doria had so many stories from his days. He was great buddies of James Mitchell who was in the soaps. I miss Doria greatly.

[@lyricwritertoo]

I only for the first time saw his name on another video in comments. The nitty gritty video came up. I know his face though. He was always in the chorus and dancing on musical movies. I didnt know he choreographed a lot of them. He seemed to never age then. Looked no different over the years. My father loved old movies and musicals. My mother would get mad wen he was watching tv with us as kids and throw us out to play. But i loved it. I’m 65 now but know more of the actors from the beginning of movies than I do a whole lot through my 70s which includes music. Yep, I’m only learning how they were! From my more recent new partner i met 6 years ago. I wasnt a rock n roller.

[@themermaidstale5008]

It was a pleasure watching them dance and I enjoyed the song.

[@Phoenix85006]

Awesome video, cool dancing but I really like the Cha-Cha version of "Laura" that was Cha-Cha groovy!

[@theodorebugsby3045]

Maria Jimenez and Bobby Banas!

[@RKusmie64]

Beautiful...talented dancers. VERY different vibe from Nitty Gritty ;-)

[@guyveloz4382]

I should say this dance is a cha cha by its beat, but Banas and his partner take cha cha to a whole new level. Al Jarvis, head of "Make Believe Ballroom" had three of his sons at Berkeley Hall School in Beverly Hills when I also went there, and his wife used to drive a bunch of us kids to our nearby homes. She BTW made a bargain with Al that she would learn chess if he would give up smoking. She learned chess alright, but he kept on smoking, lol! Banas, the super dancer in this cha cha was also the lead male dancer in the glorious "Let's get down to the Real Nitty Gritty a decade later in 1963 and wowwwwwwwww is he ever magnificent.

[@benjames9030]

Song is Laura by Rene Touzet

[@davidmakous6983]

Check out him in the Best 60s dance boy ever. CLARO>

[@ronaldcrosthwaite6476]

Are there any other MAKE BELIEVE BALLROOM tv shows available? I was on one of these shows in the early '50s. Won first place on the weed day show then was featured on the Saturday night finale where my partner and I won second place. The prize was twenty dollars worth of groceries.

[@bettycattuse6749]

Amazing dance

[@SanAntonioCrooner]

Wow! This is absolutely wonderful! Thanks for sharing this!

[@Croneposse429]

Bobby you are brilliant!❤

[@sugarcookie572]

You can see his future as a choreographer.

[@wendyw8931]

His fellow dancers in WSS became choreographers, too. Eliot Feld, Tony Mordente & David Winters also got into directing productions as well as choreography. Feld was with a large ballet co. Not sure if it was NY Ballet or American. Tommy Abbott was the assistant choreographer in WSS. Sadly, some of the dancers died early in life. George Chakiris (Bernardo) passed away in the 70s. If it's still available, the WSS website has info.

[@tonithenightowl1836]

Well now we know where they got the Mambo dance routine in the movie Dirty Dancing.

[@kimmaxwell4567]

He is quite the dancer

[@rhondacorbett728]

I love it 😍

[@captlarry-3525]

Impeccable.. if only we had something better than a kinescope of it !She is to much... bobby it goes without saying..

[@richiejohnson]

Before the Beatles' "Yesterday" (?) the song "Laura" was the most recorded song ever---- I've never understood why

[@richardt.buryan832]

GENIUS!

[@2_pencil]

I can never hear this song without thinking of the Spike Jones version.

[@stvp68]

I’ve never seen a film noir musical before!

[@cskiles318]

Tfs ❤️❤️😊😊 he belongs up there with gene and Fred.

[@siledenadie5818]

María Jiménez danced in the film West Side Story.

[@staceytroffer8287]

So did Bobby Banas, her partner in this dance.

[@raedwulf61]

Back when society was far less crude and mean.

[@neolithic3]

lmao yeah if you were a heterosexual white christian male, it was a lovely time, I'm sure.

[@drewnogy]

@@neolithic3 and for alot of others, too.

[@amosholts695]

Do you know if a library of Al Jarvis TV shows exist?

[@Croneposse429]

Please write your memoirs!❤

[@maryashes4229]

Her name is Maria Jimenez, not Maria Henley

[@nuttybar9]

Where's the voice?

[@timeforthinkers7418]

The lighting & dark suit didn't work to advantage for him. Too bad. It is hard to take your eyes off of him. I'm usually following the females but he really is special though Ms Jiminez(?) is quite good herself. It just would have been so much more enjoyable if he could be seen better.

[@fido652]

Taking a few bars rest now...

[@jeffdawson2786]

This noir sort of set is not good here. This is INCREDIBLE dancing, but a lot of it is hidden in shadows.

[@linmiller8147]

He was great and when I could pull my eyes off of him and watch her, she was good, but the music and singing were awful.

[@davidcrowder5679]

This was one weird dude.

[@kimmaxwell4567]

He is quite the dancer