Legendary film and TV dancer Bobby Banas died July 29 at 90, in line with an announcement from his son on Instagram.
“At the moment was the day that Bobby Banas selected to sore up into the infinite mild of the heavens above. A son, brother, father, grandfather and a real legend of stage & display. You performed with the very best of them,” it learn. “You touched and taught so many, gave of your abilities and generosity all the time with fun and humorous humorousness. Thanks for being the very best pop a child may ask for. I’ll love you perpetually and ever… I do know the dance social gathering up above goes to be wonderful!!!”
Banas had loved renewed superstar 11 years in the past when a long-forgotten 1964 clip from “The Judy Garland Present” circulated on social media, racking up tens of tens of millions of views. In it, Peter Lawford, Martha Raye and Garland make means for a troupe to interpret the dance referred to as “the Nitty Gritty,” with Banas giving the supecharged efficiency of a lifetime. Watch it right here.
Born September 22, 1933, in NYC, Banas started dancing as a toddler. In 1942, he took ballroom dancing classes, finally partnering with baby star Natalie Wooden within the Michael Panaieff Kids’s Ballet Firm.
Banas labored steadily as a hoofer, showing in a panoramic array of pop-iconic movies and TV exhibits, together with dancing with stay accompaniment from Invoice Hailey and His Comets in “Do not Knock the Rock” (1956); “Carousel” (1956); “The Woman Most Possible” (1958) with Jane Powell; “L’il Abner” (1959); “Babes in Toyland” (1961); each “Bye Bye Birdie” (1963) and “Made in Paris” (1966) with Ann-Margret; “The Unsinkable Bobby Brown” (1964) with Debbie Reynolds; “Mary Poppins” (1964) as a chimney sweep within the rooftop scene with Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews; “Billie” (1965) with Patty Duke; the Elvis flick “Woman Comfortable” (1965); and serving beatnik dance strikes to “the Leopard” on a 1966 episode of “Get Sensible” reverse Geraldine Brooks.
Alongside along with his “Judy Garland Present” quantity — which made him a meme at 80 — he’s maybe greatest remembered as Joyboy in “West Aspect Story” (1959) and as a fortunate man who receives an enormous kiss from Marilyn Monroe within the 1960 movie “Let’s Make Love.”
Banas proudly displayed a signed head shot from Monroe on his Instagram that’s now probably value many 1000’s of {dollars}.
His later credit have been sporadic, together with appearing in TV films and on the collection “Cagney & Lacey” (1982). His final credit score was for “Odd Jobs” in 1986, after which he continued to work as a dance coach and choreographer in L.A.
Banas was divorced for the reason that ’60s. He’s survived by his son.
