In this clip from the 1942 movie You Were Never Lovelier, Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth dance to “The Shorty George”. It also features Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra. The film was directed by William A. Seiter and is the second and last of Astaire’s outings with Hayworth. Shorty George refers to a popular dance step of the time. It is attributed to George “Shorty” Snowdon, a champion African-American dancer at Harlem’s Savoy Ballroom and reputed inventor of the Lindy Hop or Jitterbug dance styles.

Pin It on Pinterest