Some Interesting Gifts For Your Lindy Hopping Friend
updated February 14th, 2005


Happy Holidays Everyone-

One thing I like about the holidays is it gives me something to write about. I originally wanted to write a "Top 10" list of things I want for Christmas (such as a new shoulder, some new knees, etc..). Instead it kind of transformed into a "Top 10" list of gifts to get yourself or your fellow Lindy Hopping friend. Most items are going to be up to $30.00. Some you may be able to find cheaper (the out-of-production stuff) depending on where you find it (online, at a used store, etc.)

Of course this article probably would have helped most of you BEFORE gift-giving season ... but anyhow, I am pretty sure that after reading this article you'll be back into that gift giving mood. Just so you know my birthday is February 13th.



MOVIES! VIDEOS!

They make excellent gifts! By the way, you can read my top ten movies about dancing here. I always recommend the top two movies as gifts: Shall We Dansu? and Strictly Ballroom. Not "swing" related, but definitely dance related. Shall We Dansu? you'll have to get on EBAY or Half.Com or a used video store. It's on VHS and supposedly Laserdisc as well. This is the Japanese version which was remade into the American Shall We Dance? starring Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez, and Susan Sarandon. I haven't seen the American one but the Japanese one is really good. If you find it on VHS, you'll find it for $5 to $15. Strictly Ballroom you can easily find on DVD for $15 to $20. It also comes in a gift pack with Moulin Rouge.

At any rate, the movies I'm putting on this specific list are those that contain some very popular vintage dance clips.

1. Best of Abbott and Costello Volume 1



Contains 8 movies, including two with Dean Collins in it! The popular Buck Privates and the lesser known Ride Em' Cowboy (which incidentally contains a nice little cameo by Ella Fitzgerald singing "A-Tisket, A-Tasket"). Not to mention the Abbott and Costello humor! "Have you taken a shower?" "Why, is there one missing?". Ha ha ha .. Retails for somewhere between $19.00 and $25.00 as a DVD set. I purchased mine online for $18 ($5 shipping). I also saw it at Border's Bookstore for $23.99.

2. A Day At The Races.



A humorous Marx Brothers movie. Contains a really nice clip of Lindy dancing and singing featuring Whitey's Lindy Hoppers. No Frankie Manning appearance but he choreographed it. I found this at Border's Bookstore for $15.00 (DVD). Sheri and I just saw this at Target as part of a Marx Brothers two-pack on sale for $20.00 (DVD)

3. Hellzapoppin.



Another supposedly very funny movie with off-the-wall humor (the characters talk to the camera and everything). I have watched about half this movie and it is pretty off-the-wall. Anyhow, more importantly this movie contains my favorite Lindy clip featuring the best of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers including Frankie Manning. There was no official "DVD" or "VHS" copy. It came out on 16mm film so you need to find a shop that has a good master and can make a nice transfer to DVD or VHS. You can find folks who do this and sell their copies on eBay. I bought mine from The Video Beat and was very pleased. I've made it at least through both Lindy clips (Dean Collins and Whitey's). Right after Whitey's clip there is a small hair-like line in the film. Other than that the quality is superb and I'm very pleased! The DVD costs $30 and is worth it. Oh! Did I mention that on the same DVD that The Video Beat also includes the 1941 Groovie Movie and the 1991 Jitterbug documentary that has the modern day interviews with Frankie and Norma? The master quality of these last two are not as good as Hellzapoppin but to me this is definitely a steal! All that for plus a very customer-friendly return policy. I highly recommend you check them out not only for this movie but for a lot of other movies from the 1940's and 1950's. Click here for The Video Beat.

4. Frankie Manning: Swingin' At The Savoy.



I don't have this for myself yet but have heard it's a nice VHS video to have. Not a movie but more an interview with Frankie himself. No vintage footage is included but vintage photos and footage of some great dancers (Ryan Francois, Rhythm Hot Shots, to name a few). I believe it's produced by Pasadena Ballroom Dance Association but couldn't find it for sale on their website. You can find it (and other interesting things) at the Swing Dance Shop.

LIFE Magazines!

For something a bit different, LIFE Magazine issues from the 1930's and 1940's make interesting gifts. Pictures and stories of "life" back during the time when swing dancing was really growing in popularity is a treat. Plus a few issues have some great photos of Lindy and dancing in general. You can find people selling their older LIFE issues on EBAY. Here you might pay around $10 for a single issue or perhaps find a lot of two or more and pay about $3 to $8 per issue. Make sure to pay attention to condition of the issue. Otherwise, if you do a search on "vintage LIFE magazine" you'll find a lot of online stores selling LIFE magazines. You'll pay more if you go this way ($25 and up depending on which issue and what condition). Make sure to contact the seller first because I've bumped into more than a few sites out there that will advertise issues for sale that they do not have in stock.

Here are a few good issues to buy:

5. LIFE Magazine: August 23, 1943.



The Lindy Hop Issue!!! This is THE Lindy Hop issue to get with a nice eight page photo-spread of Lindy photos including Leon James and Willa Mae Ricker. If you get one LIFE magazine issue, find this one.

eBay Listings for "1943 Life Magazines"

6. LIFE Magazine: June 16, 1941.



Featuring a few REALLY nice photos of Frankie Manning and Ann Johnson, including Frankie's trademark "Snatch" aerial (over the head and back).

eBay Listings for "1941 Life Magazines"

7. LIFE Magazine: July 8, 1940.



At the end of the magazine there is a "Photos from our Readers" type section. Someone sent in a photo they shot of Frankie doing an aerial with his partner and it got published!

eBay Listings for "1940 Life Magazines"

And finally a few more items:

8. Frankie Manning 85th Birthday Poster.



There are quite a few birthday posters of his about. I personally like his 85th Birthday Poster the best which contains a photo that looks like it was taken in the same photo shoot as the ones featured in the June 16, 1941 LIFE magazine. You can do a Yahoo search on this one but I managed to find the website of the designer of this poster. And he sells them for the best price on the internet that I've found. Go check him out: Savoy Central Lindy Shop.

9. Norma Miller's "Swingin' At The Savoy".



Memoirs of Norma Miller and dancing at the Savoy. Lots of good reading here. Again this can be found at Swing Dance Shop.

10. Paul Almasy "Rock N' Roll" Print.



This photo was taken in Paris in the 1950's by Paul Almasy. I recommend going to Art.com to get it. It comes in a poster size (24x36) and a square print (24x24). The upside of the poster dimension is that it's easier to find a frame for. The downside is that it crops off part of the photo to fit it into that dimension (it is missing the "N" on the bridge). Both are definitely very nice prints!

Happy gift giving!