The Dancer Who Stunned Hollywood Without Saying a Word

[@freedomforever6718]

I for one will always remember Vera's magnificent legacy.

[@gordonallen9095]

Vera-Ellen was one of the most talented and skillful female dancers of her era. She along with Syd Charisse, and Leslie Caron were my favorites.

[@leonardohummel8658]

Yes. I agree with those three,...and throw in Rita Hayworth with Fred Astaire.💎💯

[@celiajohnson3071]

Amen!!! ❤

[@katzwhite5962]

I like those 3😅

[@MarcVanLaere-zr5im]

Always my favourite. Close second, Cyd Charisse and Ann Miller.❤

[@incog99skd11]

Don't forget Ginger Rogers, the most famous of all the dancers. Not the best, maybe, but well rounded for the movies. Oh and Ruby Keeler. I supposed her zenith was in the 1930's but what a fabulous dancer!

[@barrywebber100]

Vera Ellen was so beautiful, her face, smile and eyes are stunningly gorgeous. Her dancing skills unparalleled. In some of the photos she does look worryingly thin, but such a lovely lady. Thanks for posting.

[@Gitn2it]

She had great legs!

[@danmyers9372]

@@Gitn2it- If you like toothpicks I guess.

[@Debbie-y2t]

Yet no one says anything about Fred Astaire, who was even thinner.

[@wendylowman490]

My FAVORITE Female Dancer ❤ Vera-Ellen her Body of work can NEVER be duplicated. Thank You for posting👍🏽☺️

[@jimr4319]

A well overdue homage to this magnificent dance talent and beauty. Thank you.

[@sharonmedeiros9819]

I absolutely loved Vera, two of my favorite films of all time are White Christmas and On The Town. I was so sad to learn she lost her baby, there is no deeper tragedy. And I am astonished that she accomplished those amazing dance numbers while suffering with anorexia. She had the tiniest waist and the best legs in Hollywood, and she was so beautiful. I will always be in awe of her.

[@Pammyspoint]

I agree. Her legs were stunning.

[@JulieAnne-7]

I just loved her, her magnificent dancing💖🩰🎭

[@patriciasmith7074]

These are the movies that I want to see! Why can’t anybody have a movie subscription service that shows the movies of the 40’s, 50,s and 60’s?

[@Motherhubbard170]

Turner Classic Movies

[@loganrideout9151]

Pluto TV

[@jgdc2023]

Criterion Channel

[@Dancestar1981]

Me too the golden age of cinema

[@Gitn2it]

KZbin has a lot of vintage movies.

[@jonnarobinson7541]

Eleanor Powell and Vera Ellen are the two ladies of dance in Hollywood. They both were fabulous.❤

[@1923hl]

Yes, Eleanor was the supreme queen of tap and Vera was the best for all around ability (ballet, tap, partnered dancing, etc.). In 1981, when Vera was terminally ill, she deeply appreciated the call she received from Eleanor expressing her concern and the admiration for her contributions. And, needless to say, Vera in turn idolized Eleanor.

[@michelles2299]

Cyd charise

[@2528drevas]

@@1923hl Fred Astaire disagreed. He once said that Eleanor Powell was the only female dancer whose talent intimidated HIM. He said she could "pick 'em up and put 'em down as good as any man. Powell's dance with Astaire in Broadway Melody of 1940 is considered a timeless classic.

[@SmokinLoon5150]

Having been born in the 70's, I remember watching her with my dad on Sunday afternoon in various movies on TV. She was quite the dancer, and my dad always pointed her out. She is a small woman but just one look at her legs and you can tell she is a dancer. She was certainly a doll.

[@clarequilty4962]

But by the time she made "White Xmas" those legs looked awfully ropy and even strange.

[@gilmer3718]

I saw her in the movie White Christmas. She was beautiful.

[@danmyers9372]

Yep and all her singing scenes were dubbed as she couldn’t sing.

[@cecileroy557]

@@danmyers9372 I didn't know that!

[@lesliespann6420]

A superb dancer!

[@OffRampTourist]

She became my favorite dancing lady as I explored classic films but I was alarmed by her appearance in her later works. Thanks for the background to understand what she was going through. Want to recommend one of her less well known movies, Happy Go Lovely. A silly but sweet musical where she looks healthy and happy and David Nivea is her misidentified charmer.

[@Whippy99]

Vera Ellen and Leslie Caron were in a league of their own. ❤

[@wakeupuk3860]

Without any doubt she was the pinnacle of absolute beauty, style and feminity which I doubt we will ever see again.

[@godbluffvdgg]

Never heard of her despite growing up in the 60's ...But, she was beautiful and a hell of a dancer it appears...I was never one for musicals etc...Thanks for the upload and introducing me to this great artist...

[@AnnaPace-t5v]

Can't believe some of you commenters have never seen Vera Ellen in White Christmas!

[@candaceroberts3238]

I like her very much. A beautiful dancer who couldn’t sing well enough. That’s it, none of that silly stuff about her vocal nuances, her dancing transcended the need for vocals. She just was a wonderful dancer. And no singing, so what! I love her movies.

[@marcialefebvre5365]

I loved the movies she did with Danny Kaye. They were wonderful together!

[@cbass2755]

Me too!

[@johnschuh8616]

Danny Kaye never seemed to more natural than with her.

[@patriotmama]

I loved watching Vera on screen. She made very hard work look effortless. She was a tremendous talent unmatched by anyone. She was an inspiration to be as I started tap lessons when I was three and later took ballet as well. I stopped my dance lessons right before graduation from HS but I just loved it and she was one reason why. Loved her movies.

[@Ray-h7x8e]

What a beauty.

[@melissademarco5271]

What a talented lady and pretty too. Vera was underrated and maybe her eating disorder eclipsed her work and contributions. Her work lives on and is appreciated.

[@sharonbowers9929]

She was incredible! ❤

[@StephBer1]

Like Ann Miller, Vera Ellen was a great actress, and not just a dancer. Her career should have carried on past the dancing era. She was my favourite dancer/actress of that time. If she was anorexic, one of the reasons may have been her youthful chubby cheeks, something she saw every time she looked in a mirror. In an industry where looks are everything, chubby cheeks are not welcome. I've also got chubby cheeks and I got worryingly thin in my late teens to get that "classic" profile. Meanwhile, my body was stick thin. Luckily I snapped out of it with some loving support and without long-term damage but I loath my chubby face to this day, and I'm 61!

[@SEJ3333]

I too have chubby cheeks! Hated them as a young girl but now in my 60s I've learned to appreciate that these chubby cheeks have kept me youthful far longer than most! Love my cheeks now!

[@bruceb5481]

I think she is beautiful. I see pretty rosy cheeks.

[@cheriamour2429]

She was amazing. Just watch White Christmas.

[@NJ-Cathie]

She kept up and surpassed Danny Kaye who is another amazing dancers

[@michelebenedosso3899]

I rewatch White Christmas over and over to see her dance…. Beautiful dancer ❤

[@1teamski]

Absolutely gorgeous!

[@johnsamuel1725]

Lovely to see such combination in dance which is the perfect way to keep fit and enjoy yourself at the same time.Everyone should learn from this ❤Dancing Spirit Unfolding On You Tube

[@theuninvited1944GR]

Excellent and informative tribute to Vera-Ellen, however, not all photos were of Vera-Ellen.However, t must be said that she was one of the greatest dancers Hollywood ever produced.Her combination of ballet, tap, and modern dance had no superior in talent. Vera-Ellen ranks with the likes of Eleanor Powell, Cyd Charisse, Ann Miller, and yes, Ginger Rogers.

[@2528drevas]

Eleanor Powell was superior in talent. FRED ASTAIRE said so. He revealed in an interview that SHE was the only female dancer whose talent intimidated him. He said she was almost too strong of a dancer who could "pick 'em up and put 'em down as good as ANY man." I defer to Mr. Astaire's judgement.

[@tiffsaver]

How soon we forget. But thanks to movies like "White Christmas," we'll alway have her glorius performances to enjoy.

[@AnnaDomini-g3r]

What a gorgeous, talented lady. I must confess to never having heard of her until today.

[@lisajunebuscaglia3510]

My college professor taught a course on her career. Her talent and impact in the industry is a wonderful legacy.

[@donnajeanbrettnacher3349]

Such beautiful movement ❤❤❤

[@caderatliff3712]

The Abraham and Choreography numbers in White Christmas are my favorite dance routines of all time because of her.

[@donnaburkett7854]

So beautiful, and so sad.

[@ampp.8998]

She was the most amazing dancer~ she never got the kudos/recognition that Fred Astaire got. There's nobody better, still! thank you

[@laurenceseale]

Gorgeous woman.

[@debbieking5171]

12:08 she was a decent and good person. Very much a lady, and the most georgous legs on the planet.

[@debbiek316]

No… she was not anorexic. Her mother had very odd eating habits. Vera ate a steak every day. There was a long list of foods she did not eat, and there were food combinations she would not eat. She ate a high protein low carb diet.

[@sharonhines3476]

Your own statement about a long list of foods she wouldn't eat and the food combinations she avoided are red flags for disordered eating. Since anorexia and other eating disorders were not a diagnosis at that time, she was never diagnosed or treated for it. She did have what they called a dieting obsession at the time.

[@debbiek316]

Have you read her biography? It goes into her eating in great detail. It was indoctrinated into het by her mother, who held these food beliefs . Example: one cannot eat potatoes with steak. One can eat steak. One can eat potatoes. But not together.

[@sharonhines3476]

@@debbiek316 Like most people with eating disorders she's probably not a good narrator of her own issues. No matter the origins it was an eating disorder. If she only ate steak she would have had scurvy.

[@debbiek316]

@@sharonhines3476 she did not write an autobiography. This was written by another. I think by today’s standards: she maintained a very Keto diet. Very high protein. I never said the only food she ate was steak. Is maintaining a keto diet an eating disorder? In her early movies, she was much less thin. The studio wanted her thinner. Her problem was the opposite… she was told her thighs were too muscular, too large. During filming, she would work so hard rehearsing that she would lose weight during filming. Please do read her Biography.

[@terrifiorelli9819]

Oh please, she was far from being anorexic. She was an athlete.

[@curtisbryce5096]

True beauty.

[@martinschulz9381]

She had real style and grace and could just carry herself well. Dubbing/doctoring the music was and is very common....even with the best artists. Good video.

[@paddle_shift]

Vera Ellen is my favorite starlet of the 40s and 50s. Stunning dancer and beauty.

[@witbanasik2064]

Vera was a versatile witty and hard working dancer. She could dance anything ranging from tap dance through acrobatics, boogey woogey, jive, ballrom dancing, ballerina like parts, vaudevillian sketches... anything... with talent, grace, style and precission. Cyd Charisse named Vera the best ever female dancers in Hollywood. Anyway... I love dancing myself and I can... belive me... though creative writing is my thing but I do love doing vaudeville number and some singing as well. That's why Vera, Marjorie Reynolds, Gene Kelly and Judy Garland remain my compasses and role models for life. ALOHA. Have a WONDERFUL NEW 2025 Year ahead !

[@World-as-i-c-it]

And beautiful too!

[@seamus6994]

Good actress and great dancer. Some films she was incredibly skinny due to her eating disorders. This biography bounced around to much and really did not give much personal insight to her life. She seems to have had a very lonely life. Though she was praised for her artistic expression and had married twice. She must have had constant self esteem issues. She died at age 60, which to me is quite young.

[@fannytemper]

She died from ovarian cancer.

[@cecileroy557]

@@fannytemperSad...

[@riobabic8960]

Fred Astaire was super skinny and lived a very long time. Nobody called him anorexic.

[@johnschuh8616]

Very strong, though. He seemed to float. She also.

[@JacquiR-iu1ur]

She's one of my favorites! An awesome talent.

[@spirit5278]

What a wonderful beautiful woman. RIP.

[@tiasims7737]

It was hard for anyone to keep up with Fred Astair, but her dance moves are right on the money. She was a perfect replication of his movements. She made HIM look good! 🎉

[@tiajewels2820]

Love her gowns!

[@cat441]

a very under appreciated actress and dancer, she was a real WOWSER

[@alundauncey5262]

A era of elegant design and when ladies appeared to be very feminine

[@tomryan914]

' Ladies' NOT 'Skank!'

[@cbroz7492]

..I remember her mostly for her role on White Christmas...

[@susanbrennan5511]

Her waist was so incredibly tiny. I often wondered how she breathed much less dance as she did.

[@dennisdose5697]

Primary reason to watch White Christmas.

[@kellyd4221]

An AMAZING dancer! Nothing like her today😊

[@sschimel]

Vera Ellen made her Broadway debut in 1939's Very Warm For May.

[@nd2705]

The woman in the bridal gown and veil is not Vera Ellen.

[@hot89103]

I love Vera! A true feminine beauty.

[@billm.8220]

Vera had legs that went on & on. She KNEW how to dance !! An icon that will NEVER be forgotten !!

[@mariadavies8006]

Beautiful and Talented & elegant dressed lady .

[@MileyonDisney]

She was GORGEOUS, with a perfectly beautiful figure.

[@tj-597]

Forgot about her, she was an absolute athletic dancer 💃🏻. One of my first crushes

[@pamfrank3962]

Such Beauty and Grace ❤

[@angelamary9493]

Fantastic Dancer ..

[@anthonydebski5814]

WONDERFUL dancer!!!

[@lindanorris2455]

she was so wonderful!

[@crystalmeisner3008]

Gotta love when you throw in a pic of ANOTHER dancer, known more for her comedy... Lucille Ball!

[@smorgasbroad1132]

I never saw any great talent in Ann Miller, her legs were shapeless and she was knock-kneed. Nobody can compare to Vera-Ellen in style, grace, flexibility and versatility. She's the top banana in the dance world of the time. Maybe for all time. She was magical perfection. P.S. why don't they make gowns like they did in that time? The unique colors and form fitting craftsmanship is without comparison. Today's gowns look like gunny sacks or bed covers. 🤷🏼

[@keithmotsinger918]

Reminds me of Ava Gardner's deleted singing in Show boat .

[@timothyharrison8953]

Wow! That thumbnail is certainly doctored!

[@richardgiem6404]

Being a film buff, i've seen all the greats. She was extremely underrated.

[@lavendergal2508]

Interesting that vera and Rosemary are from the same area. Rosemary Clooney in the clinic family are also from Cincinnati.

[@sandy3482]

Miss Ellen starred in some of biggest musical of all time. The 3 greatest female dancers where Eleanor Powell, Ann Miller and Verna Ellen, sorry Ruby - you were good too.

[@lisajan580]

Cyd Charisse,Ginger Rogers,Leslie Caron

[@steveturner609]

You forgot Cyd Charisse!

[@pammcmurtry260]

I was totally shocked to learn that Vera did not do the actual singing in her movies! Especially White Christmas. I would like to know in which movies she did do the actual singing. I often wondered if she did suffer from anorexia. Now I know. What a shame. I still enjoy her on the screen though!

[@jojo_kys71]

Vera Ellen and Cyd C. were fantastic dancers.

[@melissafields3376]

I was a bit disappointed that there weren't more of her actually dancing.

[@donicurioso]

Ugh! Dude, please make sure your photos are of your subject, and not someone who kind of looks like Vera Ellen. In this video are photos of Rosemary Clooney, Zsa Zsa Gabor, and some other blondes I can’t name, but are clearly NOT Vera Ellen. I’ve seen this happen in your other videos. Sloppy.

[@brengail3528]

Totally agree!!! @:49, I don’t think that is Vera Ellen!!

[@sherylcuellar9886]

. My favorite is har toe taps on the number Choreography. Her toes don’t even shoe movement amazing!

[@lonzo61]

Damn, is she ever beautiful.

[@susanlloyd7395]

You need to add more colorful images of Miss Ellen and the great Gene Kelly. She was his leading lady in the classic "On The Town." Before that she and Kelly paired to bring the steamy and sad "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" to life. Vera-Ellen credited Gene Kelly and his choreography for changing the trajectory of her career at MGM, securing her a long-term contract and ensuring leading lady status. Subsequently, Vera named the legendary Kelly as her favorite partner.

[@mjmazurek8771]

That cover picture on the left isn't Vera Ellen. Bait and switch

[@bozzskaggs112]

I kept watching for VE to actually dance.

[@andrewtongue7084]

I would consider, Ellen - together with Ann Miller & Debbie Reynolds (with an honourable mention to Cyd Charisse), to be the finest female dancers of their era; all three, beyond compare. Modern contemporaries just don't come close in terms of movement, technicality, or indeed versatility. An excellent presentation - thank you !

[@Pjkoko]

Reynolds not!

[@henrimatisse7481]

a fantastic and endearing dancer but unappreciated. I think it was because she was athletic in a time when leg muscle was viewed as fat. I'm a big fan of the dance scene in Slaughter on 10th Ave with Gene Kelly. Gene was obviously impressed by her high kick

[@robertlear2712]

Vera-Ellen had the most beautiful legs you would ever want to see.

[@dorothyzbornak9974]

I have a question for you, “Vintage Archives”, why in the world did you feel the need to have a photo of a woman with breast implants wearing a very low cut and skin tight item of clothing, who clearly ISN’T Ms Ellen, in the thumbnail of this video?!?!?! Vera Ellen was an artist whose legacy was talent, skill, technique, grace, elegance, and brilliance in her craft. You have managed to diminish her with a photo that isn’t even her, and would never BE her, all for the sake of the potential for added clicks. Vera Ellen did not deserve this, and neither does her audience who know better. Shame on you!

[@NeyooxetuseiDreamer]

Almost ALL THE GREATS came from the Midwest

[@くましいたびいた]

She was forced to lose weight and injured her her healthy beauty .The film industry at that time hated and crushed her.

[@bohemianhippee]

“Mandy, there’s a minister handy…” she was a force to be reckoned with.

[@user-qo3jh9mn1t]

Vera Ellen DID NOT have anorexia. If you read any authentic biographies on her you'll learn she was fine boned and actually had to eat a substantial diet to maintain her weight. A person who has anorexia will not be able to do this. My twin sister has been anorexic for 53 years. Even having some control over the disease she maintains a weight 20-25 pounds under normal. When the disease wins the battle her weight drops 40 pounds. I wish this rumor would stop. It's not fair to keep saying it. It's like saying all distance runners are anorexic because they're so thin. She was right up there in the category of an extreme athlete. If she truly were anorexic she would never have been able to maintain the dancing career she did.

[@johannaholmgren8088]

Yes, in my work as an RN, which spanned many years, I saw a fair number of anorexics. Vera-Ellen was naturally slim, and as a dancer (especially the kind of dancer she was) she would have had a hard time keeping weight on. It's certainly possible she had periods where her weight dropped too much, due to personal issues (the death of her only child leading to depression) but she certainly could not have been anorexic or she would have been physically unable to sustain the kind of demands her work required.

[@mackenziebiegler848]

Agreed

[@Evelyn-dr5up]

I saw her in one of her musicals she was nearly skin and bones. The movie featured Bing Crosby.

[@tanyadennis3622]

She was great in White Christmas

[@janetthompson3307]

I was always shocked at her tiny waist in White Christmas

[@lynnettespolitics9656]

Well, I'll look at any photo of Mitzi Gaynor with more attention next time! I

[@Jack-ke5uv]

0.46 to 0.50 and 1:31 are not Vera Ellen.

[@stantheman9072]

If there were awards for word salad, you'd have Michelin stars for this piece of work. It's the longest low-content concoction I've indulged in months.

[@pinkarate1]

I'm glad somebody said it! Redundant much?

[@stantheman9072]

@@pinkarate1 every chance I get

[@daumas77]

I loved this comment. The low-key humor matches perfectely this expo. Thank you. 😂

[@pibly7784]

WHY did you put the body builder with her head? I’m a Vera fan- but no need to do this fake PHOTO stuff.

[@kylewood8327]

I just wanna dance!

[@incog99skd11]

I read somewhere, I am not sure where or if it were true, that she had Anorexia Nervosa long before it was a known illness. It was stated that her high necklines and scarves hid the signs of it on her neck. It said wrinkles would develop on a person's neck due to excessive dieting cycles. Has anyone ever heard of this too?? OK got to that part 10 minutes in. I guess it is a known fact.

[@mcwane1360]

I have movie of White Christmas.. it has excerpts of actors talking about the movie and other actors.. Rosmaey Clooney ,, detested,, from the way she spoke of Vera.... I lost any respect I had for Rosemary.. To me, Im 80, Vera Ellen was the original BARBIE DOLL..!! She was # 1 in my book,, of lovely blondes so to say.. MITZY GAYNOR was close but still far away.. M Monroe was not even in the book.. The REDHEAD IRISH LASS,, was my all time #1 favorite.. They gave me a lot of happiness watching them in film....

[@victorialawhon2251]

Rosemary did not detest her. She was very intimidated by her. Vera was a great dancer. Rosemary was not. Vera was incredibly tiny. I read Rosemary's book which goes into all of that