Jim Carrey's The Mask was an entertaining movie made more so by the dance scene with Cameron Diaz. If I were gay back then, I would have been in love with her.
Diaz is a Southern California girl, too. Her sulty, leggy, sexy performance while dancing with Jim Carrey remains vivid in my dreams.
Come to think of it, I’m not even certain Carrey was in the dance scene at all. At least Diaz was recognized as an up and coming talent.
Dancers don’t get much recognition in American pop culture. A few decades ago, so my parents tell me, it was Fred Astaire who garnered all the praise.
In movie after movie with co-star Ginger Rogers, Astaire entertained audiences worldwide with stair step dance numbers that epitomozed the movie musical of the genre.
There was no doubt that the star was Astaire, and he’s the one most people remember as the dance star of yesteryear.
Think about it. Ginger Rogers did every graceful dance move that Astaire pulled off each of those movies, but she did the steps backwards and in high heels.
Jim Carrey couldn’t pull that off even with animation and digital effects. Besides, all eyes were on Diaz.
Ginger Rogers starred in her first movie at age 20 while Cameron Diaz debuted in The Mask at age 21.
Cameron is linked with beau Justin Timberlake and is a hottie tom boy. Ginger was old Hollywood and married five times.
Interestingly, and I found this out from my mom, Ginger Rogers had already starred in 20 movies by the time she was paired with Fred Astaire, who’d only starred in one movie.
Comparing Rogers and Diaz isn’t really fair. That was then and this is now. Rogers was black and white and of a bye gone era. Diaz is today, Charlie’s Angels not withstanding.
It’s not a toss up as to who I’d prefer to see on the dance floor. Cameron Diaz’ legs and smile would put me first in line.
There’s a requirement to acknowledge Rogers’ role in forging a path for today’s screen beauties.
Few of today’s stars have to worry about doing all the dance moves backwards and in high heels.
I saw Ginger Rogers play Mame in London. The play was okay, her singing was okay, the music and dancing was excellent. It was early 1970, so she would have been 58 years old. I couldn’t help but noticed that, despite the effect of age on the rest of her body, she still had terrific legs that would have looked good on a teenager.