Art-For-Art’s-Sake Theatre: “Puttin’ On The Ritz”

Time once again for our usual midday Wednesday feature.

This number was originally performed by (who else?) Fred Astaire, in the 1946 movie Blue Skies. This 1982 reprise, from an Indonesian-born Dutch singer named Taco Ockerse, also known simply as “Taco”, was played widely in the USA by the late summer of 1983, topping at number four on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as number one on Cashbox.

This is the original version of the video, which includes the infamous "blackface" that was removed for mass consumption. After a heated discussion, the staff here at mwbh, repulsed at the very thought of political correctness, decided to include the whole thing given the context. Or that the Dutch might not know any better. (It can happen.)