Charleston (dance) - Depictions in Media

Depictions in Media

In chronological order

  • The March 15, 1927 film footage of a couple dancing the Charleston on the roof of a London taxi was one of the era's notable publicity stunts. The film was shot by Pathé News at Kingsway in London, and the couple was Santos Casani and Josie Lennard.

Casani and Lennard also performed in a short film The Flat Charleston recorded in the DeForest Phonofilm sound-on-film system, and released in December 1926.

  • In the 1946 film It's a Wonderful Life, the dance competition features the Charleston.
  • In the 1952 film Belles on Their Toes, Ernestine Gilbreth (Jeanne Crain) is shown dancing the Charleston after breaking up with her boyfriend, Al Lynch (Martin Milner).
  • In the 1952 film Come Back, Little Sheba, Lola Delaney (Shirley Booth), dances the Charleston for her husband Doc Delaney (Burt Lancaster).
  • In an episode of The Brady Bunch (1969–1974), the family dances the Charleston in their living room, wearing 1920s-era costumes and using the original Charleston music.
  • In the 1954 musical The Boy Friend, Bobby surprises Maisie and asks her to go with him to a masquerade in the song "Won't You Charleston With Me?"
  • In the 1982 Doctor Who serial Black Orchid, the Doctor's companion Nyssa dances the Charleston with her double, Ann Talbot.
  • Part of the late-1980s rap duo Kid 'n Play's signature dance move, "The Kid 'n Play Kickstep," involves many of the Charleston's dance steps. The lyrics of the song "Do The Kid 'n Play Kickstep" from Kid 'n Play's 2 Hype LP outlines the Kickstep's moves and mentions the Charleston by name.
  • In the 1992 Simpsons episode "Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie," Kent Brockman mentions that 1927 "might have been the year where everyone remembers Al Capone dancing the Charleston on a flagpole." A clip shows Al Capone doing the dance on the flagpole, and then falling.
  • In the 1995 video game Mortal Kombat 3, a character named Cyrax performs the Charleston.
  • In 1997 musical The Lion King, Timon performs the Charleston while luring hyenas away from Simba and Nala.
  • The film The Cat's Meow (2001), set in November of 1924, features the Charleston prominently.
  • In the episode "My Old Kentucky Home" from season three of Mad Men (2009), Pete Campbell and his wife Trudy dance the Charleston at a soiree in 1963.
  • In Season 9 of Dancing with the Stars (2009) and Series 7 of Strictly Come Dancing (2009), partner Charleston routines were introduced to the pro/am competition.

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