If you ask ‘Who was the greatest flash act of the 1940s?’, a lot of people might suggest The Nicholas Brothers. Ok, fair enough. But I stumbled across a pretty wild clip of some high-kicking, full-splitting and fast-flipping ladies who show that it wasn’t just the lads pulling out the flash back in the day. So, I give you first the Nicholas Brothers dancing to the tune Jumpin’ Jive, with Cab Calloway in the 1943 film Stormy Weather…

And secondly, I give you the Jumpin’ Jive Girls, in the film Sensations of 1945. You’ll also see Eleanor Powell, with a live horse! Enjoy…