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In the Company of
Tap Legends

Photographs and Memories
from Rusty Frank

While writing TAP! The Greatest Tap Dance Stars and Their Stories, 1900-1955, I had the extraordinary good fortune to get to know the artists whose stories I was documenting. These photographs from the late 1980s, bring back some of my favorite memories of that great adventure in my life - and I think my smile says just how much being with them meant to me. 

I thought you would enjoy seeing an accompanying photo of each dancer from their heyday, so I've added those, too.

Also included are some photos with famous dancers I was to meet further down the road (eg Dick Van Dyke, Miriam Nelson...)   

Enjoy!

Tappingly,
Rusty

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What a gift this is. Thank you for sharing your photos!"
 Karen Kleber

"This is a collection extraordinaire! You've obviously had a very rich career! 
Thanks for sharing these treasures!"
Linda Streaty

"Absolutely OUTSTANDING and fantastic❣️❣️❣️"
Dianne Davisson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Donald O'Connor

Donald O'Connor
 1940s
Rusty Frank with Donald O'Connor
Years Later 
September 2, 1988
Donald O'Connor with Rusty Frank

I remember this day so clearly -  it was 114 degrees outside, and my old car had no air conditioning.
Can you tell?

Leonard Reed

Leonard Reed
 1920s
Rusty Frank with Leonard Reed
Years Later
Leonard Reed with Rusty Frank

Back in the late 1920s, Leonard Reed and his partner Willie Bryant, created the "anthem of tap dance"
The Shim Sham Shimmy

Leonard had total recall, and could remember dates, people, places, even the number of seats in theaters he performed in around the country!

Buster Brown

Buster Brown
 
Rusty Frank with Buster Brown
Years Later
Buster Brown with Rusty Frank

In front of the Bill Robinson mural in New York

Ann Miller

Ann Miller
 "I've Gotta Hear That Beat" dance number
From the 1953 movie Small Town Girl
Rusty Frank with Ann Miller holding TAP!
Years Later
Ann Miller with Rusty Frank

Oooh, look!
She’s holding the softcover edition of my book!

Peg Leg Bates

Peg Leg Bates
 1930s
Rusty Frank with Peg Leg Bates
Years Later
Peg Leg Bates with Rusty Frank

Visiting him at
The Peg Leg Bates Resort
in the Catskills, New York

Jimmy Slyde

Jimmy Slyde
 
Rusty Frank with Jimmy Slyde
Years Later
Jimmy Slyde with Rusty Frank
This was at the Boston Tap festival back in the 1980s!

Peggy Ryan
"Jivin' Jacks and Jills"

Peggy Ryan with Donald O'Connor
With Donald O’Connor posing for a
Jivin’ Jacks and Jills movie
Rusty Frank with Peggy Ryan
Years Later
December 12, 1988
Peggy Ryan with Rusty Frank
Visiting her at her dance studio in Las Vegas.  
A lot of the tap dancers ended up in Vegas, as it was then the last bastion of live entertainment work.

Gene Nelson

Gene Nelson
 Gene Nelson as "Will Parker"
In the 1955 film Oklahoma! 
Rusty Frank with Gene Nelson
Years Later
Gene Nelson with Rusty Frank
One of the highlights of meeting these legends was tap dancing WITH them.  Gene Nelson was one of those... he had started tap dancing again and invited me into the studio to dance together - an invitation I accepted!

Nicholas Brothers

The Nicholas Brothers in their performing years
Fayard Nicholas flying high over
Harold Nicholas' head
Rusty Frank with Harold and Fayard Nicholas
Harold and Fayard Nicholas having fun with Rusty Frank
Years Later
Harold and Fayard Nicholas
with Rusty Frank
Okay, who's the luckiest girl in the world?!

Rusty Frank with Harold, Dorothy, and Fayard Nicholas
Years Later
The Nicholas Kids
Nicholas Siblings
Harold, Dorothy, and Fayard!
with Rusty Frank
I think I might be one of the only people in the world who has a photo with all three of those "kids".

Fred Kelly

Fred Kelly
L-R  Brothers Fred & Gene Kelly
Rusty Frank with Fred Kelly
Years Later
Fred Kelly with Rusty Frank

Fred Kelly was the fifth sibling in the Kelly family, Gene Kelly the third.  The five kids had a vaudeville act "The Five Dancing Kellys.

Here we are at Fred's home in Arizona.  He had an encyclopedic memory, and I remember at one point he went into the other room and brought back a beautiful cane that had belonged to George M. Cohan.  

Hermes Pan
Fred Astaire's Collaborator

Hermes Pan
L-R Fred Astaire and Hermes Pan
Rusty Frank with Hermes Pan
Years Later
Hermes Pan with Rusty Frank

This was at Hermes Pan's home in Los Angeles.  Behind him is a painting of himself by Diego Rivera.  Oh, and out of the frame on a shelf was his Oscar statue. He won the Academy Award for Best Dance Direction for the 1937 film "A Damsel in Distress." 

Willie Covan
"The Four Flying Covans"

Willie Covan
 circa 1920s
Rusty Frank with Willie Covan
Years Later
June 9, 1988
Willie Covan with Rusty Frank

In his Los Angeles home.  He was 93 the eldest person I interviewed for my book, and he brought stories from the very early 1900s.  Somebody needs to make a movie.

Dorothy Toy
"Toy and Wing"

Dorothy Toy
Dorothy Toy with her dance partner, Paul Wing
Rusty Frank with Dorothy Toy
Years Later
Dorothy Toy with Rusty Frank

Posing at her home studio

Paul Wing
"Toy and Wing"

Paul Wing
 Paul Wing was billed as "The Chinese Fred Astaire."  He told me he styled himself on Astaire and The Nicholas Brothers... I think you can see both here.
Rusty Frank with Paul Wing
Years Later
Paul Wing with Rusty Frank

Here we are in San Francisco.  I got to spend a lot of time with Paul, and even perform in the same shows as him... yes, he was still performing!   He also gave me a great gift - he taught me how to take a proper bow at the end of a performance.  I'll be happy to demonstrate it any time.

Warren Berry
"The Berry Brothers"

Warren Berry and the Berry Brothers
L-R  Nyas, Warren, and James
Rusty Frank with Warren Berry
Years Later
Warren Berry with Rusty Frank

Warren had a hip fusion (in the days before hip replacements) from a mishap on one of the leaps into a split (the offstage assistant threw him his prop slightly out of time).  That's why we are looking so comfy on his couch... he couldn't bend at the hip.   After his dance career, he went on to the film editing trade and loved it.

Vilma Ebsen
"The Ebsens - Vilma & Buddy"

Vilma Ebsen
With her brother, Buddy Ebsen
Rusty Frank with Vilma Ebsen
Years Later
Vilma Ebsen with Rusty Frank

After performing with her brother, Buddy Ebsen, on stage and screen, she opened a dance studio in Pacific Palisades, California.  And there we are.

Cholly Atkins
"Coles & Atkins"

Cholly Atkins
 L-R Honi Coles and Cholly Atkins
Cholly Atkins in later years
Years Later
December 12, 1988
Cholly Atkins with Rusty Frank

Cholly was not only the Coles and Atkins - Class Act he was also the legendary vocal choreographer for Motown.  And the nicest man!  Here we are in Las Vegas right at our first meeting

Honi Coles
"Coles & Atkins"

Honi Coles
L-R Honi Coles & Cholly Atkins
Rusty Frank with Honi Coles and Pete Peterson
Years Later
Honi Coles with Rusty Frank
I can't remember where we were, but it sure looks fun!

Prince Spencer
"The Four Step Brothers"

Prince Spencer
 Just a bit of trivia here:  Did you know that Maurice Seymour (the photo studio stamp on Prince's photo above) was not one man's name, it was two - and they were brothers Maurice and Seymour Zeldman.  I learned that from Miriam Nelson who had loads of photos taken by them when she was a teenager in Chicago.
Rusty Frank with Prince Spencer
Years Later
December 13, 1988
Prince Spencer with Rusty Frank

I got to spend time over the years with Prince, and I remember us bonding over my tap teacher, Louis DaPron.  On this visit to his home in Las Vegas, he demonstrated some Louis DaPron steps for me!  Ah, I wish I had that on film.

Flash McDonald
"The Four Step Brothers"

Flash McDonald
 circa 1940s
Rusty Frank with Flash McDonald
Years Later
July 15, 1988
Flash McDonald with Rusty Frank
Hollywood, California

The Four Step Brothers were not brothers like The Berry Brothers and The Nicholas Brothers.  The members would change over time.  Flash was one of the long-time members of the tap quartet.

Maceo Anderson
"The Four Step Brothers"

Maceo Anderson
 circa 1950s
Rusty Frank with Maceo Anderson
Years Later
July 17, 1988
Maceo Anderson with Rusty Frank 
At his home in Los Angeles

Here's what I remember about this day.  His wife kept bringing out food for us... for three hours!  I wanted to be adopted by them.

Steve Condos
"The Condos Brothers"

Steve Condos
Appearing as "Spats" in the 1972 stage musical Sugar
Rusty Frank with Steve Condos
Years Later
 1988
L-R  Rusty Frank, Rob Salafia, and Steve Condos
At the Boston Tap Festival

Steve was part of a brother act called The Condos Brothers.  There were three brothers, Nick, Frank, and Steve.  Over the years the members of the act would change when just two of them would perform.  But, Steve never stopped dancing and taught and performed at tap festivals around the world until he literally died in his dressing room after a standing ovation performance in Lyon, France .  What I remember was genuine happiness and  generous teaching of his famous tap technique.

Cookie Cook
"Cook and Brown"

Cookie Cook
 Though here he's pictured solo, he spent from 1930-1960s performing with his dance partner Ernest "Brownie" Brown.  
Rusty Frank with Cookie Cook
Years Later
Cookie Cook with Rusty Frank
At the 1987 Boston Tap Festival 

I love this picture because it captures the fun and comedy spirit of Cookie.  He and his partner, Brownie, were known for their great comedic tap routines.  Cookie was also a founding member of The Copasetics.

LaVaughn Robinson

LaVaughn Robinson
 circa 1960s
Rusty Frank with LaVaughn Robinson
Years Later
LaVaughn Robinson with Rusty Frank
At the 1987 Boston Tap Festival
We are laughing and shaking hands here over a "hands on hips" episode.  Will tell you about it anytime!

Jeni LeGon

Jeni LeGon
 circa 1930s
Rusty Frank with Jeni LeGon
Years Later
Jeni LeGon with Rusty Frank
She was just the most fun!  And it was an honor to hire her for my show Jazz Tap in 1989 featuring the Nicholas Brothers.  They hadn't seen each other in decades, and what a reunion.

Eddie Brown

Eddie Brown in his performing years
circa 1970s
Rusty Frank with Pete Peterson and Eddie Brown
Years Later
Pete Peterson and Eddie Brown with Rusty Frank

These two were great friends. Sadly, I never got any early photos of Pete.   But, happily, we got to spend a lot of fun times together dancing.

Dick Van Dyke

Dick Van Dyke
circa 1960s
He always claimed he wasn't a dancer, but I don't know a dancer around who would agree with that!
Here's picture proof.
Rusty Frank with Dick Van Dyke
Years Later
Dick Van Dyke with Rusty Frank
At his Malibu home after a fun sing-a-long

What can I say about spending time with Dick Van Dyke, he's everything you'd hoped he'd be and more! 

Miriam Nelson

Miriam Nelson
From the 1946 movie The Jolson Story
Miriam was the dance double for Evelyn Keyes.
As Miriam often said, "I did the dancing, she took the bows."   You can read about this, and other wonderful stories, in her book "My Life Dancing With the Stars"


Miriam Nelson with Rusty Frank
on stage on 42nd Street in New York
I was so lucky to rehearse, create, and perform with Miriam for over two decades.
Rusty Frank with Miriam Nelson
Years Later
Miriam Nelson with Rusty Frank

At the Beverly Hills Hotel

Miriam Nelson always exuded glamorous, I mean, look at this pose! 

Ralph Brown

Ralph Brown
 circa 1930s
Rusty Frank with Ralph Brown
Years Later
Ralph Brown with Rusty Frank

Wonder why I'm dripping with sweat?
He had just taught me the Shim Sham in his office.
In New York.
In the summer.

These were more than photographs with famous performers. They were friendships, conversations, lessons, laughter-and an extraordinary connection to the artists who shaped tap dance history.

TAP! The Greatest Tap Dance Stars and Their Stories, 1900-1955 by Rusty E. Frank

THE STORIES BEHIND THE PHOTOGRAPHS

Meet the Legends in Their Own Words

TAP! The Greatest Tap Dance Stars and Their Stories, 1900-1955 brings together the firsthand stories and memories of thirty of America's best-loved tap dance stars, accompanied by 200 rare photographs.

Continue the journey through the lives, personalities, and artistry of the remarkable people pictured on this page.

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