Hal Le Roy's legs are made of rubber in Tip Tap Toe

If you have twenty minutes to spare and want to see a man whose legs seem to be made entirely of cooked spaghetti, you should watch this. It is a Vitaphone short from 1932, so it feels very much like a time capsule that someone dug up in a department store basement. 👞

It is perfect for people who love old-school Vaudeville energy. If you hate thin plots or screechy 1930s audio, you will probably want to skip it.

Hal Le Roy plays Hal, a window dresser at Blake’s Department Store. He spends more time tapping than actually dressing the mannequins, which honestly explains why the store looks a bit chaotic.

Hal is trying to marry Mitzi, played by Mitzi Mayfair. They have known each other since they were babies, which is a weird detail the movie mentions and then just moves on from immediately. 👶

Mitzi’s dad, Mr. Blake, is the classic "old man who hates fun." He specifically hates jazz music and dancing, which feels like a very stressful personality trait to have in a musical short.

There is a scene where Hal is dressing a window and he just starts going for it. His feet move so fast the film almost looks like it is glitching, but that is just how he moved.

I noticed one of the mannequins in the background looks remarkably like a real person just standing very still. It’s a little bit creepy if you stare at it for too long. 🤡

The Jack Brun’s Quartette shows up and they have this very specific, tight harmony that you don't really hear anymore. It reminded me a bit of the vibe in Bringing Up Father, just that frantic early-sound era energy where everyone is talking at once.

The conflict is so simple it’s almost funny. Dad says no dancing, Hal wants to dance, everything is at a standstill until Mitzi drops a bombshell about her mother’s past.

Apparently, the mom used to be a performer too. The dad’s entire personality changes in about four seconds once he hears this.

It’s not a deep movie. It doesn't try to be. It’s basically a delivery system for Hal Le Roy’s feet.

The way he spins and clicks his heels is actually distracting from the dialogue. I found myself rewinding the dancing bits and skipping the parts where they talk about the store's inventory.

The camera work is pretty static, which is normal for these early shorts. They just kind of point the lens at the floor and let the dancers do the heavy lifting. 🎥

I think I liked this more than Sky Scraping, mostly because the chemistry between Hal and Mitzi feels slightly more natural, even if the script is just okay.

The ending is very abrupt. They just sort of finish the number and the screen fades out.

I’m still thinking about how Hal didn't knock over any of those glass vases while he was spinning around. He has some serious spatial awareness.

If you like seeing how jazz culture was viewed by the older generation back then, the dad's grumpy face is a real highlight. He looks like he’s smelling something sour the whole time Hal is moving.

It’s a light snack of a movie. Don’t expect a meal. 🍿

One more thing—the sound of the taps on the floor is very loud in the mix. It’s very satisfying, like popcorn popping really fast in a metal pot.

I noticed a small hair on the lens during one of the wide shots. It’s barely there, but once you see it, you can’t un-see it.

Anyway, it’s worth a look just for the history of it. They don’t make dancers like that anymore.