Hermes Pan (choreographer)

Hermes Pan, Hermes actually Pangiotopolous ( born December 10, 1909 in Nashville, Tennessee, † September 19, 1990 in Beverly Hills, California ) was an American dancer and choreographer who primarily for his choreography for the movies with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers gained in importance.

Life

Pan's father, who was of Greek Consul in Memphis, came from Egio, Peloponnese, where his family had founded the first theater. After his untimely death the family lost all their possessions. Then, the mother moved with her two children in one of the poorest neighborhoods of New York City, where Hermes of the African-American children on the streets learned his first tap dance steps. Later he went with his sister to Los Angeles. He started his career in 1928 as a chorus singer at the Marx Brothers in the Broadway production of Animal Crackers, where he performed with his sister Vasso as a dancer. Later numerous appearances followed in the chorus of many Astaire-/Rogers-Filme. For the first time he met Ginger Rogers in 1930, where he worked as a chorus singer at the Broadway musical Top Speed ​​.

Fred Astaire, whom he resembled physically, he met on the set of Flying Down to Rio (1933 ), where he worked as assistant to the choreographic director Dave Gould. As Astaire worked on some steps to number The Carioca, he was told that Hermes Pan had a few good ideas. Pan showed him then a short break, which he knew from his days on the road with the children of New York. Thus began a long professional collaboration, from a private friendship was. Pan and Astaire worked together in all RKO films, including A damsel in distress (1937 ), for the Hermes Pan 1937 Academy Award received for best choreography. Previously, he was already Has the Academy Award for the two numbers Top and The Piccolino from dancing I am nominated in your heart into it (1935 ) and for the number Bojangles of Harlem from Swing Time (1936).

Hermes Pan worked in 17 of 31 Fred Astaire films. The special effects of three films had an international impact on the dance in the film. Astaire called Pan his " ideas " ( "ideas man"). Although Astaire 's dances mostly choreographed themselves and sometimes also collaborated with other choreographers, he always appreciated the assistance of Hermes Pan, not only as a source of ideas and critics, but also as a partner at the rehearsals for the couple dances, where he took over the female part. After rehearsing a choreography which was to dance with Astaire Ginger Rogers, Rogers Pan studying with a choreography, as these are often due to other commitments could not attend Astaire sample dates. In addition, he stood in for the sound Ginger Rogers sound of tap steps.

Pan continued his work with Astaire up to his last musical film The Golden Rainbow (1968 ) continues, which, however, proved unsuccessful. The young director Francis Ford Coppola had no experience with musical films, but still not moved from his way he wanted to film the dance off. Coppola went back to the dancing camera, introduced in the early 1930s, was exiled calculated by Astaire but from the Hollywood musical again. Although Pan had a brief appearance in this film, Coppola ended the cooperation with Pan before the end of shooting. Later Coppola admitted that he himself was solely responsible for the cinematic failure.

Away from the work with Astaire Pan was very much in demand as a choreographer in other film productions, including men make fashion (1952 ), Kiss me, Kate! (1953), Pal Joey (1957 ), Can- Can ( 1960), almond eyes and lotus flowers (1961) and My Fair Lady ( 1964).

For the elaborate stage work to Cleopatra (1963 ) with Elizabeth Taylor, he could work without financial limits. As a result came about one of the most ambitious films of its time.

Appearances in the film

Pan's first film appearance was as a clarinetist in the Astaire - Goddard dance number I Is not Hep To That Step But I'll Dig It in Second Chorus ( 1940) instead. The only Astaire - Pan dance number Me and the Ghost Upstairs from the same film was taken out. In Moon Over Miami (1942 ) he danced with Betty Grable, in The Queen of Broadway (1942 ) with Rita Hayworth. His performances in the film were limited to the function as a musician and dancer, he had a speaking role in a movie ever.

In 1958 he won an Emmy Award for the television movie An Evening with Fred Astaire. In 1980 he received a National Film Award, and an award from the Joffrey Ballet in 1986.

Private life

Pan was never married. He was a friend of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who invited him to the 2500 anniversary of the Iranian monarchy to Persepolis. In addition, he was also with Diego Rivera, who painted a portrait of him, a close friend. Towards the end of his life he visited Greece, in particular, the birthplace of his father, where he met with his Greek relatives.

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