Russ Tamblyn: Acrobat Who Rewrote Dance in Iconic Hollywood Musicals | The Rest of the Story | Ep 32

Russ Tamblyn flipped, tumbled, and changed the movie musical forever.
From a daredevil kid climbing telephone poles, to winning tumbling championships, to early tap training and a stage break with Lloyd Bridges — his path snowballed fast.

Soon he was thrown into the barn-raising of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers — even though he wasn’t supposed to dance at all. He was choreographed by Hermes Pan while partnering Debbie Reynolds (Hit the Deck), and staged by Alex Romero for a jaw-dropping shovel routine in The Fastest Gun Alive. He even left a mark on Elvis Presley in Jailhouse Rock. And then came Jerome Robbins’ ultimatum in West Side Story: no flips, no tricks… just dance. Could he live up to it?

In this episode of The Rest of the Story on Hey, Dancer!, I uncover how a gymnast-turned-actor became a dancer in Hollywood’s greatest musicals — and why his movement still resonates on film today.

Russ Tamblyn's autobiography, Dancing on the Edge, proved a great help/resource for this episode! I highly recommend it.

Conceived, starring, written, and researched by: Miller Daurey

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Fair Use Disclaimer

This video complies with Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, which allows for the limited use of copyrighted material for purposes such as criticism, commentary, education, and research. All third-party footage is used transformatively, accompanied by original narration, verified historical context, and dance-specific analysis. I do not claim ownership of any copyrighted material; all clips are included strictly for educational and documentary purposes, supporting biographical storytelling and cultural commentary.

Films and archival materials featured include:

Samson and Delilah (1949, Paramount)
Retreat, Hell! (1952, Warner Bros.)
Hit the Deck (1955, MGM)
The Fastest Gun Alive (1956, MGM)
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954, MGM)
Jailhouse Rock (1957, MGM)
Peyton Place (1957, 20th Century Fox)
Tom Thumb (1958, MGM)
West Side Story (1961, United Artists)
The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (1962, MGM)

All media is used under Fair Use for non-commercial, transformative purposes including historical documentation, dance education, and biographical analysis.