But I Fell in the Sink Trivia Quiz

Answer: James Cagney

Although James Cagney had begun his career as a dancer in vaudeville theatre (including on a female chorus line), his film career was based largely on playing tough guys. His Irish American and vaudeville background made him a perfect choice for the role of the playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer and producer that was George M. Cohan.

Answer: Ruby Keeler

Although she was born in Canada, Ruby Keeler moved with her family to New York at the age of three. She began her professional career at 14 as a dancer at the El Fay nightclub where she was noticed by a Broadway producer who cast her in "Bye, Bye, Bonnie", and after a few tours in various different shows she gained the role of Peggy Sawyer in "42nd Street".

Her film career lasted until 1941, apart from a couple of cameo appearances, but she made a comeback on Broadway in 1972 in the show "No, No, Nanette".

She only appeared in one film with her then husband, Jolson, in "Go into Your Dance" in 1935.

Answer: Gregory Hines

Gregory Hines (1946-2003) initially entered show business with his older brother Maurice as "The Hines Kids", but by the 1970s, he had moved from dancing to music, with a short-lived stint in a rock band. He made the move to Hollywood in 1981 with a memorable debut in Mel Brooks "History of the World, Part I" and followed it with roles in other films such as "Wolfen", "Running Scared", "Waiting to Exhale", and "Renaissance Man", among others.

He also spent time on Broadway with roles in "Eubie!", "Sophisticated Ladies", and "Jelly's Last Jam", picking up the Tony in 1992 for the latter.

He won the Emmy in 2003 for his voice work on an animated program called "Little Bill" before leaving us too soon due to liver cancer at the age of 57.

Answer: Michael Flatley

The 15 minute interval performance of "Riverdance" in Dublin in 1994 led to the phenomenon that is the stage show which sells out wherever it tours. All the named dancers were featured in the show, but it was Michael Flatley who originated the dance, although issues over creative control with the producers led to him being replaced by Colin Dunne on the eve of the show's opening in London. Flatley subsequently created "Lord of the Dance" and "Feet of Flames" which play mostly in arenas rather than theatres, and are known for their spectacular routines.

In May 1989 Flatley set the world record for 28 taps per second, but broke his own record nine years later with 35 taps per second. However the record is currently held by Anthony Morigerato with a recorded 1163 taps in a minute.

Answer: Eleanor Powell

Powell (1912-1982) grew up dancing and performing in vaudeville, and by the age of 17, she was working on Broadway. In 1935, at the age of 23, she moved to Hollywood and signed with MGM Studios. Reportedly the popularity of her dance films helped the troubled studio avoid bankruptcy. During her career, she appeared in over fifteen films, including the "Broadway Melody of 1936", "Broadway Melody of 1938", and "Broadway Melody of 1940", often dancing solo, but it was her routine with Fred Astaire to Cole Porter's "Begin the Beguine" in the latter movie that frequently is mentioned as one of the best dance sequences on film.

She retired from the industry in 1950 as the popularity of tap dancing films faded, but in 1960, she made a brief comeback with a live show in Las Vegas and later on Broadway before retiring for good.

Answer: Channing Tatum

Despite having no experience with the discipline of tap dancing, Channing Tatum was so keen to work with the Coen brothers that he trained intensively for three months in order to fulfil the role. The sequence in which, dressed as a naval cadet, in homage to the Gene Kelly role in "Anchors Away", proved particularly stressful for Tatum as it involved dancing on stools and tables in a bar.

His moves in this film were far removed from those he is known for in his hugely popular "Magic Mike" film series.

Answer: Catherine Zeta Jones

Born in Swansea, Wales in 1969, Catherine Zeta Jones was British National Tap dancing champion at the age of 11. An audition for a touring company which visited Swansea when she was 14 brought her to the attention of the West End producers who invited her to be in a production of "The Pyjama Game".

After a successful career in various musical productions, she won the part of Mariette in the ITV production of "The Darling Buds of May" which won her many fans and led to a career in films. She was originally invited to be considered for the leading role of Roxie Hart in the film "Chicago", but declined as she preferred the role of Velma Kelly so that she'd have the opportunity to sing "All That Jazz".

She later confessed that she'd found the physical effort involved quite an ordeal, and said that it had been more painful than giving birth to her son!

Answer: Ann Miller

Miller (1923-2004) apparently looked much older than she was, and as a child, danced in a nightclub to help support her family. Besides having impossibly long legs, Miller was known for her fast tap dancing, with her publicist claiming that she tapped 500 times a minute. Among her memorable films were "On the Town", "Kiss Me Kate", and "Easter Parade", dancing with Fred Astaire in the latter film.

She left Hollywood in the 1950s for television and nightclubs before taking over the title role in "Mame" on Broadway in 1969.

In 1979, at the age of 56, she returned to Broadway for "Sugar Babies" which earned her a Tony nomination, and she continued to perform sporadically through the years, with her last performance on film being 2001's "Mulholland Drive".

Answer: Dulé Hill

Hill's mother taught ballet, which he also studied as a child, and although he started out in dance, he decided to become an actor, appearing in several shows before being cast as the personal aide to the president on "The West Wing". He later co-starred in the detective comedy-drama "Psych" where he had several opportunities to return to his dancing roots such as in the 2010 episode "Feet Don't Kill Me Now".

As for theatre, after serving as Glover's understudy in "The Tap Dance Kid", Hill took on the lead role in the national tour of the show and returned to Broadway for roles in "Bring in 'Da Funk, Bring in 'Da Noise" and "Black and Blue", among other productions.

Answer: Bill "Bojangles" Robinson

A paragraph is not enough to contain the fascinating details of the career of Bill "Bojangles" Robinson (c1878 - 1949). From his professional debut in the touring show "The South Before the War" in 1892, through a partnership treading the boards with George W Cooper, to a solo career during which he became the only black American to headline at the Palace Theatre in New York, he performed in vaudeville from 1914 to 1927, but it was his performance in "Blackbirds of 1928" which earned him huge praise and he was named as the greatest dancer of all time by several New York newspapers.

His film work included four with the child superstar Shirley Temple - "The Little Colonel" and "The Littlest Rebel" in 1935, "Just Around the Corner" and "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" both in 1938.

He claimed to have taught several other super tappers to dance, including Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell, and was certainly an inspiration to succeeding generations of tap dancers. The Copasetics Club, which was formed a week after his burial, in order to preserve the memory of Bill Robinson, took its name from his made up phrase "Everything's copasetic", meaning everything's fine.

It is still working today to inspire and support young dancers.