Move Over Judy Garland While I Show These Straight Boys How To Do The Real Nitty Gritty

The guy in the front on the right has what appears to be a case dancer's Fosseitis.

That's Bobby Banas.

Obsessed wit that song and dance. Here’s another fun rendition.

The shnitty gritty.

LOL

As late as the '60s, we lived in a grown-ups world, where the elders dictated popular culture & looked down on the younger generation. Peter Lawford's dismissive intro to the dance routine to the, ahem, Nitty Gritty, is one such example.

Martha Raye sure looks here like Lady Bird Johnson.

That was adorable

Love it.

What an overlooked gem that song is.

That's obviously before Blacks were allowed on television.

OP - did you see that clip originally on the Dancers Over 40 page? They post so much great stuff -- think I saw that on their FB page a day or two ago.

He's a ham, nothing more.

Bobby Banas dance highlights reel

R11 Hilarious!

But in a way, you are correct, because "blacks" were "colored" back then.

Good post!

It’s cute but it looks so sloppy and uncoordinated. Everyone is dancing to a different beat.

Also - wow, casual acceptable drug use made the difference huh? So skinny!! The dancers in the more recent video look so fat in comparison.

Martha Rae! Now that was a comedian. She is often overlooked by students of the history of popular culture as an important Female comedian. Women like Martha, and Imogen Coco, and a few others who came before Totie Fields, Phyllis Diller and Joan Rivers.

He may be a good dancer, but the dance is ugly.

That was a ridiculous bit of choreography. I'm sure he was doing the best he could with it giving it his all, but it looked like shit.

Does anyone here remember Peter Gennaro? I remember sitting on the floor at my Gran's house in the evening watching these variety shows and I remember him.

I’m constantly amazed by Shirley Ellis’ songs. The lyrics are a bit old fashioned, but the arrangements were so far ahead of their time. That droning male voice in “Nitty Gritty” is a great example.

Completely agree, r20.

When Blacks are allowed on television...

Yea, but can he do that in heels?

Canas was sure in some great dance numbers. Some of the best - West Side Story, Chim Chim Cheree.

Canas was a bit too OTT in the Nitty Gritty. The guy on the far right was the best - he still had the Nitty Gritty movements but he made them look smooth and not as goofy.

The clip at OP is the shortened version of the Nitty Gritty dance. Here's the extended version.

When our mother's Aunt owned a house in Westport , CT, Martha Raye was sometimes a guest at their summer outdoor cookouts.

I thought I was watching Chris Kattan in an SNL skit.