Debra Levine’s Jazzed: Jack Cole and Twentieth-Century American Dance brings much-deserved attention to a choreographer whose influence on American dance and Hollywood is enormous, yet often overlooked. Levine traces Cole’s career from his early work in dance and Broadway through his groundbreaking film choreography for Gilda, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Les Girls, Some Like It Hot, and Let’s Make Love.
The book is particularly fascinating in its exploration of Cole’s creative process and the distinctive style he developed by incorporating elements of Indian, Latin American, African, and Caribbean dance. His influence reached far beyond his own performances, shaping the work of figures such as Gene Kelly, Jerome Robbins, Bob Fosse, and Michael Bennett. His collaborations with stars including Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russell, Rita Hayworth, and Gwen Verdon also demonstrate just how significant his contributions were to Hollywood musicals.
Levine’s extensive research helps separate fact from the many stories surrounding Cole while presenting a complex portrait of an artist whose personal life was often as turbulent as his professional career. Jazzed is an engaging biography and an important look at the man behind some of classic Hollywood’s most memorable dance sequences.
