Original subtitles

Downloaded from YTS.BZ

Official YIFY movies site: YTS.BZ

(sultry music)

- Ladies and gentlemen, a star,

a star is here, my brother.

(guests gently clap)

(boys clapping rhythmically)

(audience applauding)

(cymbal crashing)

(feet tapping)

(audience applauding)

(feet tapping)

(Maurice groaning)

(hands clapping)

- Let me know when you start rolling, I'm 73. (laughs)

(drum beating)

- Maurice Hines

is one of the most energetic,

alive people that I've ever known.

(energetic music)

♪ You've got to get the gettin' ♪ while the gettin's good ♪

- Do you feel like working a little?

- I brought my tap shoes, like I'm ready.

- Aw, did you? - I'm ready.

(audience cheering)

- Maurice Hines.

♪ You've got to get the gettin' ♪ while the gettin's good ♪

(energetic music)

(feet tapping)

(crowd cheering)

- Almost, almost. (audience laughs)

- Maurice, these things that God gave you

that move so fast, so clean,

so precise,

please.

You know, you've got people in these feet.

(drum beating)

(feet tapping) - Oh, I just love this step.

It's drive them crazy.

(rhythmic music)

- Well Maurice, he can drive you absolutely

out of your mind.

But the thing that you have to admire about him

is his energy and his performance level.

But he felt always that he had to say one more thing

to get somebody, you know, upset.

- But there was a lot of racism that I found

in the theater, in the system.

And I still see the struggle

that the black dancer goes through

and the black actor goes through.

(energetic music)

♪ You've got to get the gettin' ♪

♪ Oh, you've got to get ♪ the gettin', all right ♪

♪ You've got to get the gettin' ♪

♪ While the gettin's ♪

♪ Good ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

(Maurice laughs) (audience applauds)

- Don't make waves.

Henry LeTang used to say that to me,

'cause I think he knew that part of me was coming out

when we were young.

He said, "Don't make waves."

You can say what you want, but Maurice,

you have a tendency to upset people." (laughs)

I said, "Really, Henry?" he said, "Yeah".

Making waves, in other words,

bringing up subjects that were uncomfortable

like racism in the business,

being gay in the business,

which was scary for my mother and father.

That it would hurt me get jobs and stuff

'cause I was so open about it,

and they didn't want me not to be,

but they felt it would hurt my career.

And I said, "Well, I'm going to have the career"

I'm gonna have, but I'm going to be honest

"with my career and honest with myself."

(tense music)

(people chattering)

♪ I've never been in love before ♪

♪ Now all at once it's you ♪

♪ I've ♪

(people chattering in the distance)

Ooh,

honey for the vocal cords.

Aah.

Aah.

♪ In love before ♪

♪ In love before ♪

♪ In love before ♪ ♪ Now I'm ♪ in love with you and you ♪

♪ And you and you and you and ♪ you and you and you and you ♪

♪ Sebabba-Dabba diddly doodle-doo you ♪

(audience applauds)

A one, two, three, four.

Five, six, seven, eight. (he claps)

And one, two, three and four. (feet tapping)

Five, six, seven and eight.

Bubbity-bu buppity-bu-bu buppity, bup.

Five, six, seven, eight

and one, two, three and four,

five, six, seven and eight.

You've got five, six.

(feet tapping)

Bop!

Sharp, sharp, so that back of the balcony can see it.

Five, six, seven, eight.

(feet tapping)

(audience cheering and applauding)

(feet tapping)

(people shouting)

(feet tapping)

(crowd cheering)

(hands clapping)

- One, two, ready and!

(feet tapping)

(audience cheering and applauding)

- [Announcer] All right.

(crowd shouting)

- [Maurice] You know what this is, this is auditioning.

I know exactly what it is.

And that's okay, we're always auditioning,

even when we think we're not.

(feet tapping)

- Your father is still alive?

- Yes he is, yes he is.

- And your brother is around, of course.

- Yes. - Yeah.

And you guys, when was the last time you worked

as a unit together?

- As a unit, the last time was 1972.

- [Interviewer] Yeah, and that was the end

of a long, long time

on the road for you guys, huh?

- [Gregory] Well, yes.

I mean, I had really worked with my brother all those years.

I had always been connected in act.

(people chattering)

(gentle piano music)

- Oh my goodness, oh my goodness.

We used to come for the 12:30 show,

which was the first show

and we'd sit in the back row, we'd sit here.

Here, the show would go on, we'd do the show,

they'd do the show.

Then there'd be a movie, then people would leave.

And then we move up to about here, coming in.

We'd see the next show.

Since they did four shows a day, we'd get,

okay, the next show, the second show was over

and then the movie would go on and then we'd move up here.

This would be all day.

So, this would be the third show,

which usually is probably around six o'clock.

The 12 and then there'd be one at three

then one at six and then

by the time we got to the fourth show,

Gregory and I would be right up here, right up here.

And we were now up close.

Henry LeTang our great tap teacher

wanted us to see all the great tap dancers.

And we saw Coles and Atkins, we saw Bunny Briggs

and Teddy Hale, Baby Laurence.

(feet tapping)

We learned from these guys and we wanted to be up close

so we could see their feet.

(feet tapping)

The quality that they all had, that I wanted so badly,

and I do have it but I learned from them

was appealing to the audience,

be one with the audience,

being honest and real with them.

Nothing like the Apollo stage.

And this was one of the great tap floors.

And I'll never forget the sound,

it has its own sound.

And then, when you look out and the audience is there,

and they're just loving you, if you're good,

if you ain't good, they ain't loving you.

It was the first time maybe when I ever felt

what they all talk about, the audience's love for you.

Boy, this hasn't changed at all.

You still can feel it

all the way to the top,

all the way to the top, you could feel it.

You can look up there and know people are up there

and loving you and it's palatable.

You know, you just feel it.

And I think because Gregory and I started here,

I was always looking for that love.

(upbeat dance music)

(feet tapping)

Henry said, "I'm training you to be"

"the new Nicholas Brothers." (groans)

And when we saw what they did,

(Jason laughing) Greg and I looked at him like he was crazy.

We went to mother, "Mother, you better talk to him".

We were astounded by them, and they fell in love with us

and of course I wanted to be just like Fayard

and I wanted to move my hands like Fayard.

- Yeah, yeah. (laughs)

- I just wanted to move my arms.

He's moving his hands! That's all I wanted to do.

- He's like a wizard.

- He really was. - You know.

- It was interesting between the two of them.

- [Jason] Hm, complete opposites.

- [Maurice] How about that,

but they worked so well together.

- That's right, the chemistry was magic,

but that's like you and Greg man.

- It really was.

We were really good, we loved...

- Y'all were great.

- We were dancers

from early

and then we traveled all around the world

and we decided in 1959, we were in London

and dancing of course had gone out

just as we had gotten into it.

- [Gregory] As African-Americans in the sixties

started to become more aware of their own beauty

and their own sense of self,

there were certain aspects of show business

that African Americans felt like they had to let go

and move forward.

And I could certainly understand that.

And tap dancing was one of those things.

- And so my brother and myself,

I asked my mother and she said,

"Well, if that's what you wanna do, then do it."

So, my father at that time had a trio and he said,

"Well, why don't you join my trio?"

because you need the experience voice-wise.

So we agreed, and of course we wanted to be together

because at that time we needed our father,

we needed to be together, everybody.

So, we joined and slowly

it started to get better and better.

And till now it's almost the way we want it, not quite.

(upbeat dance music)

♪ Something extra when we touch ♪

♪ Something I like extra much ♪

- It's a great, great song, I loved singing it.

And Gregory and I sang it together.

♪ Through me ♪

♪ Something extra in your kiss ♪

♪ Makes me want lots more of this ♪

♪ Something extra jolts the volts ♪

♪ Through me ♪

- [Interviewer] What is your next goal?

You're been to Europe, you've played

in Paris and in England,

you've been on big network shows.

What's the next move?

- Eventually either a television series,

my brother is an excellent actor, excellent.

And I'm not that good,

but if I have to study more and eventually movies,

but right now we're concentrating on recording

and of course becoming stars.

That's what we want, stardom.

We work with the supposedly the best spots

around the country now,

but we haven't achieved that mass appeal,

which is what we want.

♪ Yeah, little girls ♪ still break their hearts ♪

♪ Ah-ha, say something, Greg, yeah ♪

- When I was a kid, I used to watch

"Hines, Hines and Dad" on television.

I mean, it was the time when you would say,

"Ooh, somebody black is on television,"

and everybody would run and look at the television.

♪ The beat goes on ♪

When people come into your living room,

what that does and the permission it gives people of color

that they can do something.

(lively music)

- [Gregory] My father wanted the family to be together.

He wanted to show a family

working together in a cohesive way.

This was during the time when the black family

was coming under a lot of scrutiny.

And so "Hines, Hines and Dad" was really

my father's dream in a way and I enjoyed it,

those were good years.

♪ Everything's gonna be brotherhood ♪

♪ Harmony, harmony, brotherhood, love ♪

(rhythmic music)

(Maurice sighs)

- I'm just thinking, my whole life

has been in dressing rooms, my whole life

in dressing rooms.

Some good, some bad,

amazing.

(melancholy music)

- Obviously my dad and my uncle did not have a normal life.

Not all brothers are raised working together

and supporting their family.

I think this is a different dynamic

that most brothers and sisters do not experience.

And it's hard to identify what that feels like,

we don't know, right?

I didn't have to pay the rent at nine years old,

doing two shows a night.

Their dynamic was survival based.

But I don't know what that's like at 11 o'clock

for somebody to turn to me and say,

"Yeah, you need to get out there and dance your ass off."

"I wanna eat cookies and milk."

(feet tapping)

When you know someone in that so much so well,

fighting may be a little bit more intense.

- Today, my brother and I are going to be talking about

near

and far.

Now this is near.

Mm-hmm.

(feet tapping)

Where are you going?

What's he doing?

- And this is far.

- What are you doing way over there?

We're supposed to be talking about near.

- They were both strong people.

And Maurice was stronger in many ways as to what he wanted.

And if Gregory didn't wanna do it,

they had an argument about it.

Or they said, "No," he said, "No, I'm not gonna do it,"

right? - Yeah, yeah.

- And I would say Gregory would look to him

to be the leader in many ways.

But when he grew up more and was married and had children,

he'd started to change

about not giving him all the power.

He used to give him a lot of power.

- Oh, what are you doing way over there?

We're supposed to be talking about near.

- Yeah, but I don't wanna talk about near,

I wanna talk about far.

I had been married very young

and when I got out of that marriage in '73

and I had moved to Venice, California

and became a hippie, and it was just great.

I mean, I was very fortunate to go in that door

and come out the other side.

- He met some guys on the beach,

they formed this group, Severance.

They played the little clubs in Venice beach.

♪ I always wanted to ♪

♪ Be on my own ♪

♪ Yes I'm out there ♪

- Thought it was the end,

thought it was the end of everything, I really did.

We'd been working together since we were five and three

and now it's gonna be gone.

My whole life was that, what was I gonna do?

I was always for the family and it was in the family,

don't do it unless the family's happy.

Gregory was very now, I got to be happy, it was hard.

(gentle piano music)

I wanted to grow as a dancer.

I loved tap, I loved doing it, but I wanted more.

- Hi everyone.

He's been one of the few stars that we know

that just really loves to work with young people.

And so we're excited

to be able to get him here from New York

to visit with you today.

- My style is very jazz with the ballet

and just be yourselves,

because you're all beautiful, you know,

so you just have to be that, and just go for it.

You know, you don't have to hold back, just go for it.

In fact, say it now: go for it!

- [Dancers] Go for it!

- That's it, like you mean it. (laughs)

Henry LeTang, loved the idea I wanted to know more.

He said, "No, you don't have to just be a tap dancer",

go to other forms, take African dance,

"take Dunham, everything," 'cause he knew I wanted it.

My brother did not, but I wanted more, I wanted more

and it was hard, you know,

I had to redesign my body.

I was taking ballet, I'd tapped all those years.

It was taking two classes a day every day for months,

I really wanted it.

(fingers clicking)

Very Frank Hatchett.

- I'm constantly asked what does Frank Hatchett "VOP" mean.

Well, VOP is a style,

it's something I started in class the kids picked up on.

I believe as a jazz dancer,

it's our obligation to interpret the music,

to communicate with the audience, it's an energy.

Sometimes we have to sacrifice technique.

But that's what VOP is,

it's about flavoring your choreography.

VOP, the initials mean nothing, it's a style.

- Got with Frank Hatchett,

he was one of the great teachers and great choreographers.

And he used to do different forms of dance in his class.

Well, you've got Pow! and you say that,

say that, that'll help you: Pow, go!

- [Dancers] Pow!

Pow!

- All right, and get bigger.

- [Dancers] Pow! - Yeah.

- [Dancers] Pow! - All right, okay, stop.

And that will help you, 'cause you've gotta hit it.

It's the band hitting it and you're doing that,

you're reaching like you're grabbing stuff.

And I want to hear the "Pow!"

- The minute you separated,

you grew

this other person

and it's extraordinary what you do with your body,

with your humor.

(upbeat dance music)

(audience applauding)

♪ He's just wild about me! ♪

- Yes!

(audience cheering and applauding)

- I worked this place, and I forgot where it is.

I know it's down this street.

This is 54th street, so it's gotta be down here.

It's right over there, I think.

I think. I'm not sure, but what am I sure?

- Good to see you, come on in here.

- Which way, which way do we go baby?

- Just over here, down this way.

- We go this way?

- Does Mel have to be in my shot?

(they laugh and talk)

Because he's giving too much charisma?

That Mel Johnson charisma, I don't like it.

(they laugh)

(audience applauding)

This next gentleman, I don't really want to introduce.

(audience laughing)

Mainly because we know each other a long time,

we met a long time ago, Mel didn't we meet a long time ago?

- Yes, we did.

- You know, you were dating my best friend at the time,

but that's okay.

(audience laughing)

Well this is real baby, this is real,

up in through here.

That's how we met, I ain't gonna lie.

Okay (laughs), and then

we did "Eubie!" together

and then we did "Jelly's Last Jam" together,

which he's a great, one of the great people in my life,

known me the longest, Mr. Mel Johnson Jr.,

ladies and gentlemen.

(crowd cheering and applauding)

(Maurice laughing)

- Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!

He's one of my closest friends.

You meet people in this business all the time,

but very rarely do you get close

and stay close to a lot of people

because you're changing shows all the time

and every now and again, you'll come across people

that will stay with you.

And so that happened with Maurice and I,

and that group of friends, we just...

And that takes work.

He works at it, I work at it.

Meaning staying in touch, being real

- 40 years.

- Oh my god.

- I've known your behind for over 40 years.

- [Maurice] (laughs) That's a fierce friendship.

- You know. - That is.

- I never thought you could tap dance like that.

- Well I try, sweetheart.

- Hey Luther, here comes those Hines boys.

(people shouting and laughing)

- Now wait, what's going on here?

- We don't want no trouble.

(they all talk at once)

(energetic music)

- Well, I had a talk with him.

I said, "Gregory, you can do everything",

you sing, you dance, and they're looking for that.

You need to come back here, you have a family;

"you have to do this."

I remember the full conversation.

- Maurice suggested he come down

and audition for "Eubie!" and he did.

And he came back that night.

So I said, "Well, what happened?

How did it work out?"

He said, "Well, nah it's no good.

I guess they didn't want me."

I said "They didn't want you?"

He said, "Nah," and he was just fine with it.

- And I was in, and I said,

"If you don't take my brother, I won't do the show.

He'll audition again."

And I said, "Gregory, they're looking for a higher voice"

for the song 'Low Down Blues'.

Sing the song, do what I tell you to do.

You have a family, you have no money, you have a daughter.

You do what I tell you to do.

"Go in there and sing the ..."

"Oh no, Maurice, you always ..."

"Just do what I tell you to do, do what I tell you to do."

And I said, "Bring the key up a whole step."

♪ I've got the lowest of the low ♪

♪ Down blues ♪

It's a fabulous voice, and of course they heard it

and then said, "Yeah."

- You know what, that what you just said is so typical.

Maurice was always in charge.

Maurice would organize the band before the thing started.

Gregory was running around, you know,

playing with something or whatever.

Maurice was always in charge.

I watched that from the time they were born

until they were grown.

(upbeat dance music) (feet tapping)

(audience applauding)

- Whoa!

- All right then. - The last time you guys were with us

was with your father when you worked as

"Hines, Hines and Dad", it had to be '71, '72,

something like that.

- '71, because we broke up in 72.

- Yeah. - Mm-hmm.

- He had to break up.

- You had to break up? - Yeah.

- We weren't getting along

and we couldn't stand each other.

- Really? - No, he's a pain in the neck.

- Yeah.

- Look at that face, you can see right away.

(host laughing)

- We couldn't get along, so we split up.

- Ah.

(audience applauding)

(hands clapping)

(feet tapping)

- [Fan 1] Stand up now!

- [Fan 2] Yeah, yeah, yeah!

Yeah, yeah, yeah. - Woo haaaa.

(energetic music)

(feet tapping)

- Gregory has a laid back,

sexy suave thing that really translates

and it really came through in "Eubie!"

So he gets nominated for "Eubie!" and that was it.

- Gregory and Maurice Hinds from the musical "Eubie!"

(energetic music)

(audience applauding)

(gentle music)

- The nominees for outstanding performance

by a featured actor in a musical are:

Gregory Hines in "Eubie!"

and the winner is Henderson Forsythe.

(melancholy music)

- The nominees for outstanding performance

by an actor in a musical: Gregory Hines in "Comin' Uptown".

(audience applauding)

And the winner is

Jim Dale in Barnum.

(tense music)

- The nominees for outstanding performance

by an actor in a musical are: Gregory Hines

in "Sophisticated Lady".

(audience applauding)

The winner is Kevin Klein in "The Pirates of Penzance".

(crowd cheering and applauding)

- Gregory wanted to go on the road, he wanted to go to LA.

So they said, "We'll take the show to LA.

We'll do a LA company."

So Gregory is the one that said, who said,

"Well, Maurice should take over here."

And they said, "No, no, no."

And so Gregory said, "I'm telling you,

bring Maurice in here and it will lift the show."

Greg was the one that said it.

And they didn't believe him, they didn't,

but they did it.

And as Gregory said, their faces were cracked

when they closed in LA and New York ran for another year.

He told them, he said, "Maurice is on another level",

"he will bam!" and I'll never forget that.

And I know, I didn't know any of that was going on.

It was Gregory's thing was always to underplay.

Maurice will come in here and he told them,

"Tempos will be faster."

He told the chorus, "Get ready."

- Everybody had to get used to,

"Okay now, we did this with Gregory,

but this is now Maurice."

And he had a quirky, like almost like an elf.

You know, he was like...

He was a devilish child.

He had this thing about him where he would

play with you on stage and you would have to

really react to that.

He would jug things up.

- Hah, because I had six o'clocks.

I mean, I was a jazz dancer, I had all these things

that Gregory didn't have,

that I'd have to call him up and say,

"Greg, you hear that these people are afraid of me?"

He said, "I've got them scared of you,

they thought you would have me."

"No. Maurice is Maurice."

(feet tapping)

- Well, we really didn't wanna do what was expected.

From the very beginning, everybody

expected us to behave in certain ways,

us to speak in certain ways, us to dance in certain ways.

And that's exactly what we didn't wanna do,

so we went to the opposite page

and Balletap was what occurred.

- Yeah, they started when "Sophisticated Ladies" closed

and I was in the room tapping,

strangely enough to Michael Jackson.

Two dancers came in and started working with me on it.

And some other dancers said,

"Gee, we didn't know you could tap to rock music."

And that's how it evolved, just working out.

♪ Hustlin', stealin', lyin' ♪

♪ Now baby's slowly dyin' ♪

♪ I said you wanna be startin' somethin' ♪

♪ You got to be startin' somethin' ♪

- Maurice is trying desperately to combine

the down tap with the ballet and the jazz that he learned

and his proclivity to show off to his kicks.

He wanted to show off every aspect of himself.

♪ We're gonna do the twist ♪

And he thought of these wild, crazy things,

like the Frankenstein thing.

♪ She's a maniac, maniac ♪

This is totally absurd, totally crazy.

The fall was when we were gonna go on Japanese tour

and he did not go to the Japanese tour

because he got "The Cotton Club" movie.

He abandoned the group, the company

because he saw a better angle.

He was counting on "The Cotton Club" movie

to give a resurgence to his career

and his career with Gregory.

Everyone was so pissed about it,

that he would leave us in these dire straits

that we'd rehearsed, we'd adjusted things.

Trying to explain to the Japanese producers

why Maurice Hines wasn't there.

- Well, it was important for me to do the movie.

This is very simple, and to be with Gregory

and to have us on film tapping,

that was a no brainer for me to do that.

By the time we did "The Cotton Club" movie,

we had been separate for a while.

I'd choreographed two shows,

Gregory had done a few mood movies.

So when we got back together, we were loving it.

It was like we were young again,

like we were when we first started.

We're here.

- Welcome to The Cotton Club.

- So, would you like to go first?

- Yeah. - You go first, yeah.

- First find the cadence, the same cadence.

- Yes. - Go with it.

Stealing again, huh? (laughs)

Stealing again, huh? (laughs)

Stealing again, huh, Owww!

Stealing again? (laughs)

- Good bit. - It was good for you?

- Good, it sounds good. - Okay.

- All of that was

very Maurice. - Was that? (laughs)

- It was very Maurice, yeah. - Was that, okay, you know me.

(man laughing)

- [Friend] Bevel, Bevel Maurice.

- Bevel, baby, it's that beveled look.

- There it is.

(people laughing) There it is.

The wicked very old, the wicked very young.

- Ah, that was about a year after this.

This was done at the Audubon Ballroom

and my father was a bouncer there and we were the models.

And Maurice is like a Rockette, with that bevel.

(man laughing) I said, "Well I was gay even then, mother",

"but you hadn't just figured it out." (laughs)

- Ah, it's beautiful. - Yeah, I love that,

love this picture.

(Maurice laughing)

Oh, my mother's spinning around.

Spinning around; my son is talking the talk. (laughs)

Mothers know right away,

she knew way before Daddy did. (laughs)

She had to tell him, he was cool with it though.

"Is he happy?"

She said, "He seems happy to me."

She said, "Well, as long as my son is happy."

Yeah, we were driving up to mountains to perform

and had a Volkswagen

and I drove with Daddy and we just had a great talk.

I knew he wanted to be alone with me

just to talk about my life.

He said, "Are you okay, son?"

I said, "Yeah, Daddy."

"How many guys you dating?"

I said, "About four," he said, "Oh Lord,"

he goes, "Four at one time?"

- I said, "Well you know, I'm cute Daddy, I'm cute."

He said, "Yeah, you're cute, I can see them"

"wanting to date you." (laughs)

He loved me being gay.

Gregory used to go to gay bars with me, you know,

and he'd dance with the guys, he wouldn't dance slow.

I told the guys, "Don't be asking,

he ain't gonna dance slow with you."

He ain't dancin' slow, but he'll dance fast,

he got up there with them.

He said, "You guys have a lot of fun in here."

I said, "Yes Gregory," I loved him for that.

I loved him for that, oh.

- [Gregory] Yeah, he always taught me though,

to let people be them, you know what I mean?

He always taught me to be cool,

just no matter what, you know.

(fly buzzing)

(crockery clattering)

- Man, how you gonna kill a fly in Ma's plate,

what's wrong with you?

- Did I get you? - Oh.

- Did I just? Wait a minute, I didn't get it.

- (man growls) Something is wrong with you.

- [Gregory] I got it.

- Gregory had gotten the part and

Francis wrote about brothers.

So Gregory said, "Well, my brother could do that."

I went up and auditioned.

- The master must rise.

- Master of what?

Francis didn't really script us so much.

He just told us, "You're brothers,

you improvise, just do it,"

and he caught it.

In one of the improvisations, he asked us to fight

and we got into it.

He could see there was undercurrent stuff

between Gregory and I.

What's this about a solo?

- They asked me to do the solo.

- In real life, we were having problems

and so we just channeled all that.

- Don't give me trouble, shake my hand.

- Shake your hand?

I outta spit on your hand.

How could you do it to me, I'm your brother?

How could you go behind my back?

You want a solo?

You got one.

On stage and off.

(Gregory speaks softly)

- Clay.

- Gregory and I, we were tough customers.

Now no doubt about it, we had our brotherly thing.

Now, if I was doing something wrong

and he didn't particularly care for it,

or if he was doing something,

we were honest with each other.

My mother said, "You're brothers"

and the two of you must always tell each other the truth,

because there are a lot of people out here

that are gonna jive you, 'cause you, if you become popular,

"God-willing you become successful."

She told us when we were young,

but you two can always tell each other the truth.

But sometimes it was hard.

There's no doubt about it, it was hard.

Hard for me to hear it, hard for him to hear it.

- Look, I got an opportunity and I went with it.

I've been waiting for this. - Oh really?

Quick to do it, you didn't say nothing about it.

- [Delbert] I was ready,

I'm trying to make it for the family,

that's all it is, Clay.

- [Clay] You are, huh?

- [Delbert] If I make it, then maybe somebody else

has a shot to make it, maybe even you can make it.

- [Clay] You went behind my back is what you did.

- Look, I had an opportunity and I went with it,

that's all it was.

- You didn't get in no Cotton Club.

- I didn't lie to you,

I was just trying to get ahead for my myself.

- Why do you bring these things up now, dear?

- You're upsetting your mother now and take it easy.

(rhythmic music)

- My mother gives me a call on the phone.

She said, "Maurice, I want you

to come over to the apartment right now, right now!"

She said, "Sit down, I got a problem."

I said, "What is it?"

"I'm watching you and Gregory,

you're arguing a little bit too much."

I said, "Well mother, you know,

I don't want to do this step, he wants to do that step."

She said, "Nah, no, it's getting more serious."

I got a feeling you're grown men now

and you're volatile like your father.

So I got a feeling you're gonna have

"a really serious argument and not talk for awhile."

I said, "Mother, that's ..."

She said, "And if that happens, you're the oldest.

Don't let it go on too long."

And of course she was right, we had that serious argument.

And then we didn't talk for 10 years.

Too long, too long.

(melancholy music)

Well, I never really discussed it,

you know I never really discuss it.

And most people don't even know to this day

why we weren't talking.

I didn't tell people,

'cause I don't talk about it. Nobody really knows.

- Not even Zach? - Nobody.

- Nobody. - Nobody?

- I don't know what Gregory said..,

nobody knows it from me, I would never discuss it.

Never.

It's right, gotta be right here, with the vacancies.

Zachary!

- Hey. (laughs)

How's it goin'?

Well, one of the things about Greg is like,

he didn't like share with me his feelings towards you

or anything like that.

And if he did it wasn't in like a damning way

or anything like that.

You guys were already like falling out

when I was born, I think, and I loved you so much

and I loved Greg so much.

The reason why you two were not speaking

was completely irrelevant, like it didn't matter.

It was just the two of you had some sort of...

- We never told anybody.

- Yeah, it was just. - We never did.

- It just, whatever it was, it happened

and that's where you guys were in your lives.

- Yeah.

- [Zach] But I only knew you guys not speaking.

(feet tapping)

(audience laughing)

- What are you doing, what are you doing?

You're pushing me off the stage.

I'm Maurice Hines, you don't push

Maurice Hines off the stage, now you...

Ladies and gentlemen, the Manzari Brothers.

(crowd cheering)

- When I was little and I would watch

"Hines, Hines and Dad" on television,

that's what this felt like, this feels like, you know,

you don't always see it, but man,

when you see it done beautifully, it's just bravo.

(lively music)

(feet tapping)

- [Maurice] I like being with them, I like 'em as human beings,

they're great human beings.

[Leo] We've definitely done over 1,000 shows with Mr. Hines.

We get together every like two months

and touch down in a different city.

(feet tapping)

- [Maurice] Do you enjoy dancing together?

- [Leo] (laughs) Yeah, yeah.

- [Maurice] I mean, do you like dancing together?

I mean, when you're dancing and you're into it,

do you like dancing?

- [John] When we are agreeing, yeah fine, yeah.

- [Maurice] What do you mean...

- [John] When we're not fighting, it's fine.

(feet tapping)

- [Maurice] In order for the brothers things to work,

you have to have your own thing too.

- Yeah. - You gotta have it.

- [Leo] I'm a musician, I have my own voice

and the brother act, it sometimes did

feel like it was consuming me.

But then once I started doing that,

when John started doing that,

it enabled us to kind of still come back to each other

whenever we needed.

But I'm not gonna sit here and act like that's been easy.

That's been a huge struggle on both of our behalves

and it has caused a lot of turmoil.

(audience cheering)

- [Maurice] It's important, you'd better have that.

I didn't really want it, I didn't,

I thought I'd be with him forever.

(feet tapping)

- Hey, what country are you from?

- Ethiopia.

- What part?

- 125th Street.

(audience laughs)

- I don't see Maurice in a shadow,

I've never seen him that way.

Maurice has always done what he's wanted to do,

Gregory did what he wanted to do.

Gregory pursued movies and television

and Maurice stayed a lot with theater

and that was the difference.

(upbeat dance music)

- You have expanded out so much since Balletap.

I mean. - Yeah.

You were doing a lot then, but this is more.

- Oh, this is very different, what it is,

it's a celebration of black musical theater

from the thirties and forties, fifties and sixties,

seventies and eighties.

I met some wonderful producers out in Philadelphia

who bankrolled it for Atlantic City without me in it.

And I'm glad I did it that way

because it took me away from Broadway,

which it would have been very difficult for a black man

to be in control and power;

they really don't like it to be perfectly frank with you.

And certainly not to conceive it,

to direct it and choreograph and star in it.

That's the ultimate power.

- [Interviewer] And it was wonderful, you were great.

- Well, I'm still you know in a daze about this whole thing,

my life is a B-movie now, it's wonderful.

- Stop!

- Look at me, look at me. - Right.

- Why does he do a spin and he doesn't spin into the step?

- He is an incredible choreographer.

I didn't realize it because we're performers together.

- I remember going, seeing "Satchmo" and I went,

"What?" I mean, it was wonderful.

(jaunty music)

And then to do "Hot Feet".

Yes, there were problems with the book,

but the choreography was spectacular.

- Let's work it, let's work it!

- Maurice is a very hard working person.

He works really hard and he gets things done.

When I looked up and he was doing "Hot Feet",

I mean, that was amazing

to take the Earth, Wind and Fire catalog

and create a musical.

And I just felt that it should have gone longer,

and I wish it had.

♪ Our hearts were ringing ♪

♪ In the key that our souls ♪

♪ Remember, how the stars ♪ stole the night away, ♪

♪ Ba-dee-ya, dee-ya, dee-ya ♪

(feet stomping)

(dancers shouting)

- Hah, thank you all very much.

(they applaud and cheer)

Bravo y'all, you're wonderful.

Bravo, bravo.

- For best performance by a leading actor

in a musical, Maurice Hines

for his dazzling display of tapping technique

in "Uptown... It's Hot!" and the winner is

(mutters) George Rose!

(melancholy violin music)

- If you fail, it gives you more grit.

This is a rough business

and we all bloom at different times.

Be patient, have patience,

have a good cry and get on with it.

(audience applauds)

So young people, get out there and do your thing

and grandma has spoken.

(audience cheers and applauds)

(upbeat music)

- I want to choreograph because I just love it so much,

but it's hard to get a show,

so I have to create my own show.

- It is difficult for a person of color

to get anything done on Broadway.

The fact that Maurice has gotten, what two shows of his

up on Broadway is just unbelievable.

It's tenacious, you are tenacious

when it gets to getting things done.

- So, what's going down McCall?

- There's a small operation.

- Well, you've come to the right man.

Just like I always say,

why break a dude's kneecaps,

when you can mess with his mind?

♪ Hey, take a listen ♪

♪ I know you're gonna love what you hear ♪

♪ I'm a star, yes I am ♪

♪ You might not know it now ♪

♪ Baby but I are, I'm a.. ♪

♪ Whoa, I won't ever stop ♪ ♪ ♪ Til I reach the top ♪

- In '83 I moved to LA.

- First time on Mars? - Yes.

- And shortly after that, Maurice moved to LA.

(upbeat dance music) (feet tapping)

- You can see by my feet, Lite's great taste can't be beat.

- He wanted to always choreograph.

I mean, that was what he was looking to do.

♪ I'll be good to you ♪

♪ Good to you, good to you ♪

♪ I'll be good to you, good to you ♪

- Look out!

(lively music)

Yeah!

- That guy makes a big production out of everything.

(traffic humming)

- Let me just tell you, and I saw that Debbie Allen posted

you were gonna be here and I was like,

"I'm coming, I'm coming."

- Oh my god, that is so cool.

- [Elise] I'm so happy that I'm here (laughs).

- You have no idea!

I lived there for nine years.

I lived in North Hollywood for a while,

and Silas said we were raising Cheryl together and...

- Wait, Silas? - Yeah, you remember...

- I remember Silas.

- [Maurice] Yeah, I was with him for 11 years.

- [Elise] I remember!

- [Maurice] Yeah, he came out here with me and Cheryl...

- [Elise] And little Cheryl?

- Yes Cheryl. - Oh, my god.

(jaunty music)

- [Silas] People were like, "How do you give up

your whole life for this kid?"

I didn't ask for Maurice's permission

or anything like that.

- Daddy. - Yes.

- [Silas] Cute little girl, I mean she was cute

and he got to dress her up all the time.

And Maurice enjoyed... being a mother! (laughs)

- We adopted her, she was a loving child

and I loved every minute of it.

Diapering her, feeding her, oh it's wonderful.

It was one of the best times of my life.

(happy music)

This is the very beautiful, the beauteous Cheryl.

- He's the best Dad.

He the person who takes you to school, brushes your hair,

tells you about boys.

(Maurice laughs)

Sometimes tells you about his boys.

(they laugh)

Even if you don't want to hear it.

- I'm a good guy.

- He's a good guy.

- And I loved raising her, she completed my life.

- [Mel] That was the California experience.

He was living the life that he wanted:

a house, a relationship,

a child.

- [Maurice] She brought into my life

something that I didn't expect.

- I think that's the way our family was.

And Alma brought me up for four years before she had him.

There was always this love of the kids

and doing whatever you could for anybody.

And I think that just carried on to Maurice.

(people talking)

- My daughter.

You have a little girl, it's not about you, you, you,

it's about her, making her happy,

doing things that will make her happy.

And that makes you happy.

Happy holiday, everybody. (crowd cheering)

- [Man] Maurice!

- He embraces those people who used to be

thought of as the chorus people,

he always made these projects that featured them.

- Have you come here to socialize or to eat?

- He's very particular about the people

who he lets

into his real, real circle.

And those people are like,

you never get away from him.

- That's why you can still hear folks say:

Uptown, it's hot! (people laughing)

(people chattering and cheering)

- I've never seen it y'all, woo that's funny! (laughs)

- He is the den mother.

Den mother, father, godmother, godfather,

fairy godmother, all of it.

(he laughs)

When I first came to New York, I met Maurice,

I was dancing in a show and Maurice saw it.

And that's when he called me "Baby Diva,"

which was the ultimate honor

because Maurice Hinds is the "Grand Diva."

♪ Can be what we want ♪

♪ And all we need is to get our.. ♪

- Let me get some of this, now.

- [Charles] Any artist has a difficult journey,

but a young artist of color, I didn't see it myself.

So what he taught everyone in his group

is to be your best you, whatever that was.

(jazzy music)

- Come in the room, go ahead

you're filming now, put your hand in there,

and it says record, see where it says record.

(people talking and laughing)

Gregory and I were not allowed to touch this.

- [Director] Really?

- No, because we weren't in the amateur show.

Gregory and I never got a chance to,

but I'm touching it now, I'm touching it now.

Get all the luck now; I need it, I need it, I need it.

Show business.

- I think because he's had to fight so much

that he can get, you know...

- But the Tonys really do add a tremendous luster

to your career.

- They do, they do.

(they laugh)

Actually... - No?

- No nothing, the Tony award does not help you

as far as I'm concerned if you're black in theater.

- Really? - No, it definitely doesn't.

- We're very clear people, we're very honest, we're...

It's not like we don't have a filter

because we kind of know what we should and shouldn't do

but I don't know, Maurice doesn't have that much of a filter.

- I think the ticket prices for the audiences now

are obscene, and I don't think, because when you...

(audience applauding)

- [Charles] It's such a dichotomy to be your best self,

knowing that it's going to stop you

from getting what you want.

- I will not come back to Broadway for a long, long time.

I've made these announcements on stages

and at the end of my show.

I'm always surprised that I get invited on the show,

because I'm very...

I don't say a lot of the things

people want me to say a lot of the time.

- You've been quoted as saying some

relatively angry things about critics.

- Ah-huh.

It's not so much the critics in general

because I like the critics on the road.

But the critics in New York,

especially in the New York Times,

I feel are

nasty

and evil.

I got the reputation, in fact,

when The Shubert Organization bumped into my manager

said, "You have to tell Maurice,

he's got to be a little quiet."

My manager said, "Okay, I'll tell you what",

"let me give you his number, you tell him that." (laughs)

And they never called me up, because if they do,

I would shower down on him.

Gregory said, "Maurice is gonna have the career he wants."

Maurice'll try, but he will fail.

"He don't play the game."

My mother said, "Maurice, he doesn't have a middle.

He goes boom and bam and he's gone."

"All of sudden, what happened, what just happened?"

All them tables?

- [Director] No, I said, have the lights right here-

- You have all these tables, see my shit all spread out,

and you said, "Let me do it

where Maurice has got his shit."

- [Director] You want me to start rolling on this?

- You can roll it baby. (off-camera laughing)

I have no problem. - Oh good.

- So, I will move all of this shit

that I don't want to move

to make it clear so the Manzari Brothers

have a good place to film their shit.

- He puts them on their guard

before they can do that to him.

He wants to make them understand how powerful he is

and where he stands before they get the once over on him.

- Is this okay over here?

- [Director] That's fine. - Okay.

- [Director] Yeah, yeah.

- [Mercedes] This is who I am, and like it or not, you know,

lump it, that's it.

- No I ain’t I finding my way in.

- [Director] I would like you to, if you-

- No, this is the Manzari Brothers' time.

- [Crew] I know, but-

- I had my time in Telluride.

(laughs) I don't like people touching my clothes.

- [Director] I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

- I don't do anything

unless it's gonna make me happy, and I mean really happy.

I wouldn't be here if this is not gonna make me happy.

No, I'm with Pat because she makes me happy to be with her.

All my friends know that;

I have very few friends

because not everybody makes me happy.

- You've got a lot of friends!

- Well I've friends that I call them on the phone,

but then to hang out with, to go out with,

I want to go out with Mel, Wynonna

and you. I don't go out with a lot of people, no,

especially at this time in my life.

♪ You see, nobody loves me ♪

(audience awes)

♪ Nobody seems to care, they don't ♪

♪ Nobody loves me ♪

(audience awes)

♪ Nobody seems to care ♪

♪ When it comes to trouble baby ♪

♪ I've had my share, yeah ♪

♪ Every day, I got the blues ♪

♪ I got the blues ♪

Oh, come on, everybody. C'mon.

Every day. All right, Columbus.

♪ Got the blues, yeah I got the blues ♪

I'm loving the way she's doing it...

(audience laughing)

(upbeat music)

Never let anybody or anything define who you are:

you define who you are.

Be as happy as you can be and define who you are.

Love who you are.

It's freeing, I feel very free

being gay.

Although I don't like the label or anything.

I'm Maurice, I'm Maurice you know,

I just happen to be gay.

And loving it. (laughs)

I like football players the best,

linemen they're the biggest, linemen I like that.

I've dated a lot of football players, a lot.

I used to date a lot of football players.

They all fall in love with me though.

You know, football players all fall in love with me.

I'm lovable, (laughs)

I'm very lovable.

So they do, they fall in love with me. (laughs)

I have a thing for big calves.

Got big calves, we gonna talk. (laughs)

I started dating a guy, I said, "Pull up your pants."

Oh, you ain't got no carves, you take care okay.

If you got big calves, here's my number. (laughs)

- But I think I'm getting the funghi.

- The funghi is mushroom

- No, I want that other thing

with the sweet and spicy sausage, yeah.

- Okay.

- Uh huh, that's what I want.

That's right, I remember him. He is so,

- They also have...

- Come here.

- Tagliatelle. - Come here.

- [Director] Yes.

- Well he was on another shoot with us.

- Yeah, he did the Mel shoot. - Right.

- [Director] He did the thrift store shoot.

- Yeah. - Yeah, yeah.

- He is so sexy, oh my god. - [Director] You know, he's mic'd,

he can hear every word you're saying.

- [Maurice] Well, I meant what I said.

- [Director] He's looking, he's waving back.

- I meant what I said.

I'm 75, I say exactly what I mean baby.

Oh yes! (laughs)

- Thank you so much for doing this.

Come on in, come join the reunion.

- Yes indeed.

(people chattering)

(gentle music)

♪ Sometimes while you're sleeping ♪

♪ I like thinking about the past ♪

- The memories were happy,

but I could feel my brother's presence there

and how much I miss him.

And it was very, very difficult for me to stay there.

And so I leave.

I don't force myself to do anything

I don't want to do anymore in life.

(drum beating)

We would always be totally honest

and sometimes we didn't want to hear the truth.

If you're not gonna hear it from your brother

or your parents, you know,

you're not gonna hear from anybody else

who wants something from you.

But we don't want anything from each other.

I guess, like all brothers had difficult times,

but we always overcame them, we really did.

- He never talked about Gregory in a negative light.

I mean, he never talked about Gregory

in a negative light.

- Gregory Hines, "Jelly's Last Jam".

(audience cheering and applauding)

- Greg didn't want to be told anything.

- Anything. - By anyone.

(energetic music)

- My dad, no matter all these wonderful things

they're saying about him, was not an easy person.

And either is my uncle.

They were both used to people spoiling the hell out of them

and doing everything for them, their mother,

that, you know, they tend to be a little spoiled.

So when they fight, they fight in a spoiled way.

- [Director] Do you remember the speech?

- The speech that he made for when he won?

- Yes. - Yeah, I remember it.

I don't wanna talk about it.

And I don't need to talk about it.

- [Director] Okay.

- Are we finished because I'm finished. (laughs)

It's a wrap.

- He never talked about the defining moment

that caused them to split up.

He does not talk about it

because he's not going to

diss his brother, he's just not gonna.

And he, and what is,

what was between them has stayed between, I mean,

it has always stayed between them.

That's something he has never

shared with me or with anyone.

It's just, they had a separation.

- Gregory Hines in "Jelly's Last Jam".

(audience applauds)

- Thank you, I want to thank my mother Alma Hines

for always encouraging me to keep growing as an artist.

I want to thank my father, Maurice Hines Sr.

For being the finest role model

that a man could have growing up. [Pauses]

I want to thank my children,

Daria, Jessica and Zachary

for their love.

I want to thank my manager, Francine Saperstein,

for her guidance; my business manager, Bruce Legalese

for saving me a number of times.

(audience applauding and cheering)

(feet tapping)

- In the old, old world, among black people

there's the family business

and then there's business out there.

You don't put your business in the street.

And he did that, and mother was very upset.

- It's a tough thing to talk about because

first of all, it's a very sensitive thing in the family.

It's very tough on my parents

and other members of the family.

- [Interviewer] The plain fact says Gregory,

is that they don't like each other.

- When you're a star, you can say and do anything you want.

That's clear.

- At my mother's wedding, we didn't speak.

I was the best man and he gave my mother away.

- And you didn't talk? - No.

- So that was terrible, that was terrible.

Oh, my mother was so...

She was hurt, she was hurt.

- [Director] How about you? - About me what?

- Were you hurt? - Yes!

Yes,

oh my god.

Yeah, I couldn't understand it, there was no need for it.

'Cause we come from a family, it was family stuff,

it was family, not for the world,

everything is not for the world.

You know, because you're in show business

doesn't mean that you're not a real person.

You give everything you have to the audience,

which is your talent and your love of what you're doing.

But it's called a personal life,

there's a phrase called personal life,

which you're entitled to.

You're entitled to that.

- I think I wanted to know earlier on,

but once I became so close to him,

I realized that was his,

that's the piece that he has to hold onto

and especially since he's lived his entire life in public,

this is the one piece that was his,

that no one else got to be a part of.

And they didn't know and he held onto, and I just,

I don't feel the need to know what it is.

I actually don't feel that need.

That's his brother, that's their relationship

and that's the one thing we don't know

and I hope we don't ever know what that is.

'Cause that's theirs, that's not mine or yours.

- Because Gregory was "a star", Maurice is the bad fella.

It definitely hurt my career, there's no doubt about it.

Oh, my mother said, "If you were to say anything",

you'd be in the wrong because people go for stars.

They don't care, what if they're a star,

"they're automatically correct."

And there's no correct in brother relationships,

there's no correct.

It's too complex to be correct.

You know, so just be careful, you know?

'Cause I don't want anything to hurt you

and they will want to be around him

because of "stardom" and maybe hurt you

because you're not there.

(feet tapping)

- [Reporter] He won a Tony award for his performance

in "Jelly's Last Jam", the Broadway musical

he's starring in now.

- You have Gregory Hines and now his brother,

Maurice Hines, they can bank on that.

"Jelly's Last Jam",

I don't even think

they were talking at the time.

- [Maurice] Gregory knew that he wasn't gonna

go on the road with it

and he knew any show that was created around him or me,

we were the only ones that could do it.

He said, "Maurice'll do it, yeah Maurice can do everything."

- [Director] And this is at a point

where you guys weren't speaking?

- Yeah, right.

But the reality, Gregory doesn't want to go.

And you want the show to go on the road?

I'm not going.

Yeah, but talent is talent, Maurice is talented.

I remember I went off on them, I was doing a scene.

Said, "You know, you want me to do it

the way Gregory did it, but I'm not Gregory, I'm Maurice.

I will find my way to do this and get the same effect."

- What I do know is that Maurice made forays

to bring them back together several times.

And that didn't happen.

I knew he was hurting.

(gentle music)

♪ Early in the morning ♪

♪ You can find me picking up the pieces ♪

♪ Of the puzzle that you left ♪

♪ When you said goodbye ♪

♪ I'll sit at the table ♪

♪ And try to make the pieces fit ♪

♪ Wondering why, wondering why ♪

♪ Oh I'm wondering why ♪

- Far.

- Oh, so you want to play games, (laughs) little games.

I can play games too.

Far.

(Gregory grunts)

(feet tapping)

(he laughs)

- Near.

(feet tapping)

- I was so glad when you two made up.

When you guys started speaking again, I was just so happy.

Couldn't believe it, it was just,

it was like a dream come true to be with the two of you.

- We really missed each other.

And we lived so close to each other in the Village.

I lived on 10th street and he lived a couple of blocks over.

So we would sometimes see each other

and cross to the other side of the street.

It was terrible, we were so dramatic.

It was dramatic. - So dramatic.

But it's almost fitting.

People who come from dramatic family, showbiz families

have stuff like that going on. - Yeah, we were full of drama.

Ah, this picture here.

This is the top of the line of me and Gregory.

This really, we are so happy here.

This is the top of the line, that's it.

I remember when Gregory was not well.

And he said, "You know, Maurice,

I'm gonna miss us getting old together,

and remembering all these things

and being able to talk about them and stuff."

I knew what he was talking about,

'cause that would have been great just to say,

"Greg, remember when we did that or ..."

He wanted to have that, because we did that together.

We were together.

(feet tapping)

(dancing music)

- My brother Maurice and I grew up together on stage.

I could always depend on him, he was always right there.

He was always right on my right.

I could always depend on him and he could depend on me.

It was terrific.

And we had our squabbles,

but when we went on stage, we were able to handle it.

(melancholy music)

- And finally tonight, remembering a man

who made quite a name for himself in Hollywood

and on Broadway: Gregory Hines.

He died in Los Angeles this weekend of cancer.

Hines was known as the greatest tap dancer

of his generation.

- I blocked it out of my mind.

I don't, and to this day, I can't tell you.

I know...

I can't tell you.

- [Producer] Did someone call you?

- I don't remember, isn't that interesting.

I've completely blocked it, and I'm serious,

I would tell you, I don't really...

I don't want to even think about when he was gone.

I can't imagine.

I really couldn't imagine my life without him.

- My uncle and my Dad have always been

just superheroes to me.

So, I feel really blessed to have

movies like "The Cotton Club" with my family.

It's great to be able to see my father alive.

- Ha. (people cheering)

- You ready, brother?

You ready brother?

- Mm, okay.

All right, go.

- You did sound like him.

(gentle music)

♪ Don't tell me that ♪ our love is over now ♪

It's sounded so good to hear you say that.

- Yeah, yeah? - Yeah, it is.

- [Zach] Okay good, all right.

- Got me choked up.

- Ahh, I'll try to

channel it, you know.

(traffic rumbling) (people chattering)

(lively music)

♪ If I could write a book ♪

- You know Francis, I never heard you sing, you sing good, you got a vibrato

at the end of the note and everything.

- Look at this.

Where, where, where are we going?

Here, oh right here. - Yeah, yeah.

- Now Francis, I'm going to start to cry

when I see Gregory, just so you know, okay.

- [Announcer] The definitive version

called "The Cotton Club 'Encore'"

(audience applauding)

(jaunty music)

(feet tapping)

- I get emotional because it's very difficult

to see Gregory, because he's not with me anymore.

He's gone and he's still dancing, he's dancing.

And I miss him so much and to see him in this movie

and to see us dance together, it's everything.

I thank Francis for that, I thank him for everything...

(audience cheering and applauding)

Everything, everything.

I loved you when you were born,

I loved you all through your life.

I will go through to my end of my life, loving you.

I don't know how, I really don't know how.

I thank God for this stamp so I can

buy all of them stamps, and send him right on them letters.

(audience laughing)

I'm-a write a lotta letters baby,

gonna write a lot of letters.

(audience clapping and laughing)

And I thank you so much for all of you coming.

(audience applauds)

(traffic rumbling)

Life throws things at you that are difficult to deal with.

I think the hardest thing for me

now at this stage of my life, is feeling alone.

The older I get, the lonelier I feel.

- If you're not constantly making the adjustments

that come with being older,

there are always gonna be some days

where you get caught up in what's missing

as opposed to what you have.

(traffic rumbling)

- I forgot it, oh shit.

- [Friend] He's distressed about memory loss.

- I lost it.

(siren wailing)

When did I realize something was up?

I can't even pinpoint it when it was,

because it was a while ago.

And I said, "Well, why did I forget that?"

And then I went to my doctor about it. He says, well...

I went to two different doctors and they said,

"Well, I think maybe you need to start to do this.

"You're gonna be," I think it was I was 70 then,

it was five years ago.

And just little things, because you know

something's gonna go wrong.

Something's gonna happen, nobody lives forever.

You know, something's going to happen.

And if that's all that's happening,

and there's a pill for it, I'm fine.

- [Director] I just want to ask you about your birthday tomorrow?

- No, I don't have my Plexaderm, my eyes, oh no!

I don't want to think about my birthday,

that's why I'm not celebrating it.

I'm gonna be all alone, like I like to be;

get a little dinner here.

I mean, I may go out with Santiago,

but it has to be the next day.

It's not gonna be the same day.

No, I'm not, I won't celebrate my birthday

and I'm 75, I'm happy, I'm still here

healthy enough to perform, and do what I need to do.

But between you and I,

I really don't want to live too much longer.

I'm not looking forward to it, I'm not.

I don't...

If I lived 10 more years,

it'd be 10 more years than I want to.

I'm ready, I've done everything I wanted to do.

I've raised a daughter, I've had a great career.

I wanna see my mother and father and Gregory.

I am lonely for them, I don't...

And I'm happy, you know, I've got good great friends.

I go out, It's not something I'm gonna

do anything to myself, but if God wants me now,

I told him, I'm ready.

(gentle music)

- [Director] Do you ever get concerned about him?

Do you ever worry about him?

- Every day.

Well, lately he's been saying things that,

you know, he's tired, it's been too hard a life.

And so I'm worried about him.

- That's true, this business is getting me down.

I don't like it anymore.

- It's sad, it's making me sad.

I'm very concerned and worried.

- [Director] Maurice?

- Yeah, because she knows me, she knows me

and she knows that I don't say things idly.

I've had a fantastic life, I couldn't want more.

I had fabulous parents, fabulous friends and I still do.

- [Friend] When you live alone,

you could be a little more susceptible to loneliness,

and it's easy to decide, ah I don't feel like it now.

(gentle music) (traffic rumbling)

(people chattering)

- Well, I was excited to have Maurice here

and Charles and Leo, because it's the history.

It's the legacy of this organization.

And yesterday, all of a sudden I started hearing

Maurice isn't coming, Maurice, isn't coming.

And I was like, "What do you mean, Maurice isn't coming?

He's the headliner."

And I called Maurice on the phone and he said,

"I just can't come, I can't do it."

Sadly, Maurice is not with us today.

(crowd awes)

We really wanted him to come, he's unable to come.

- If it's a job, he's there.

You know, he'll show up for that.

And the fact that he didn't do this and couldn't do this,

that's what struck me.

That's when I thought something is off.

- Ay-ay-ay-ay, okay.

I'm worried about my memory and I dunno, it's just,

I don't want to really see too many people.

I don't know how to explain it.

You just, all of a sudden,

I seem to

not be remembering things.

You have long-term memory,

but your short-term memory seems to evaporate.

(phone ringing)

- [Maurice] Hey there everybody.

You've reached Maurice Hines.

Now, you know I wanna talk to you,

but please leave something positive, 'cause you know,

I don't answer nothing negative.

Bye y'all. (phone beeps)

- I've heard it a million times and I laugh every time

because that is the Maurice I know.

- Yes.

- So, the Maurice that then says, "I'm done"

flips me out because I don't know that one.

- Yeah, I hear you, I hear you.

- You know, and the thing that I'm happy about,

if nothing else is, that you own

what you've given to us,

that's what I want you to do

because you have given so many people onstage and offstage

gifts, you know. - Yeah.

- I think of all the people you've influenced

and what we have done and what we are doing.

You gave us permission to do that.

So for all of us, I'm here to say thank you.

- Oh Charlie, you'll make me cry, don't do that!

- No, but it's true

because you don't,

you don't own that.

You do everything else.

You do everything else, but you don't own

what you have given to us, which is huge.

- Oh, okay yeah, all right.

Cut. (they laugh)

Did you cut?

Like I said?

- They're not cutting, they need to see that.

- [Director] Why do you wanna cut?

- Right.

- Because it got emotional there, very real, it was real.

(tense music)

I don't know, I just want to do this

and then you're leaving right, you have to go?

- [Zach] You keep telling me I'm leaving.

- [Maurice] Well I thought you were going?

- Where am I going?

I came to New York to see you.

- [Maurice] I know.

- I've come all this way to see him.

And all he says is, "You're leaving,"

that you're going, right?

"I want everybody to leave."

I come to New York to see him and you know, all he want...

He's constantly kicking people out.

Why don't we all go to Popeyes, yeah?

- No!

- You want to go to Popeyes by yourself.

- [Friend] Let's all go to Popeyes, relax.

- I'll go to Popeyes, I'll buy...

- Yeah, we'll all go together.

- Do I have money, enough money to buy you Popeyes?

Let me see.

- You don't have to buy me Popeyes.

- Now, where are we going.

- To Popeyes.

That's where you wanted to go.

- To Popeyes?

- We're going to where you wanted to go?

- Oh, okay.

I'm on my pills now, I've got more pills to take.

- And you don't like to smoke weed?

- No...

I smoked it, only time I smoked it was with Gregory.

- What about edibles?

- Edible what?

- Edibles, like now that they've legalized it

and pharmacies and dispensaries are popping up.

You can get edibles, like you eat it,

the weed is in the... - Really?

- Yeah. - I didn't know that.

- Chocolate and candy and and all sorts of stuff.

- Yeah, but it still gets you loopy right, high, right?

- Depending on how much you eat.

- No kidding? - Yeah.

- I didn't know any of this.

- Yeah, there might be a dispensary like around here,

like in a year or two. - Wow.

- You'd be open to that? - Yeah.

- All right. (they laugh)

Greg was Cheech and Chong. - Oh yeah.

He sure was. (they laugh)

He's terrible... love you.

He's heaven, he's heaven.

- Well you know, you gotta spread love.

- [Maurice] And you do baby, you do.

- Gotta love your family. - Yes.

- It's that family connection.

If there's a piece of yourself in this other person,

it's the way the people in our family sound and act

and feel, you know,

it's like when you're with somebody who you know,

is like a part of you and that's what's great

when people in a family can get along

and be on the same page and respect each other.

And you know, it's great because the similarities,

you know, become so special.

(uplifting music)

- You know, he'll say he's happy

and I'm not saying he's lying,

but I want Maurice to

give more

of himself

through the kids.

They've got to know

what they can be like

if they

see you.

- Look, look.

- It just takes one flick of the light

for him to be back in his element.

- Can you give me some of you?

If you want to say, "Ha!" there, do it.

I'll take the "Ha!" every time.

- I want young people to know more about and to understand

who this icon is and that's because

you don't often have many stars

that have been dancing since they've been five years old,

continuing to dance now, even at 75,

but with the same passion and the same love for people.

And that's one of the reasons why I personally

like what he does and when he comes

to visit us at the Bushnell.

So any opportunity that I can find

to bring him back to this community,

we will try and do that

and that's extremely important to us.

- It's very important to me to give back,

I want to give to the next generation

what Gregory did.

- And what you did.

- And what I did, yes, thank you.

What I did and when I can to continue to do.

- Yes. - You know.

- And that's the key word.

Would you say that again, what you what?

- What I can continue to do.

- Thank you.

- Always directing, fabulous.

(they laugh)

And I did it, I said it right, didn't I though?

- Yeah, you did it very well.

The articulation was there, the elocution, all of it.

It was perfection.

(feet tapping)

(horn beeping)

(piano plays) - [Sherrie] Yes.

♪ If you'll be deep in me ♪

And then if you can play 5-1 into the...

- [Band Member] Yes, yes and then...

- Right, let's do the end of this, you've got (sings).

- Throughout the past few years,

there's been like a steady decline,

knowing what time to show up for the car service

or like knowing how to get his key at the hotel,

like things like that, that I have to like help him with,

my brother helps him with and Sherrie Maricle

incredible with the Diva Jazz Orchestra.

We all help them with these things.

But the moment that he steps on stage.

- Yes. - It's crazy.

He remembers every lyric, he remembers every beat.

Even if he's telling a story

that he usually hits the same beginning, middle and end

in that monologue, and he messes it up,

he'll be able to hop right back on

and make it two times more interesting.

It's just so ingrained in him that he just has

this innate ability to just be an incredible performer.

- This is going to be fun.

I love being with the Diva Orchestra,

you know the band, my girls

and we haven't done it in a while, so it's a...

It'll be a lot of fun, it's just two nights,

just one show a night so that's good.

Okay, okay, I'm tapping, I'm tapping, I'm tapping my foot.

I'll say, not now, I'll tell you when,

I will do that probably twice, then I'll say, "Now!"

(jazz music)

- He knows how to be on his toes

and it's crazy how, like knowing what he's going through

and the depression he's going through,

just like how easily he forgets.

Every audience stands up at the end of the show.

And if it's not just at the end of the show,

they stand up in the middle of the show.

- Several times. - Several times.

(jazz music)

(audience applauds)

(audience whistling)

- I'm feeling great, I'm feeling great.

I jump on my C's, I know what to do.

I feel fantastic, the audience was fabulous.

They gave me everything they had

and they made me give them everything I had,

when we've got a great audience.

It's not a job, it's just they're loving you

and you're loving them.

That's the thing, you're loving them.

(audience cheering and whistling)

- [Charles] When was the last time

that you danced with Greg?

- I would say-

- "The Cotton Club"? - Yeah.

That was last time we danced together.

We had broken up in the movie

and I was working this little club and Gregory came in.

Walking along Broadway.

(energetic music)

(people talking and laughing)

Ladies and gentlemen a star,

a star is here.

Sandman Williams, my brother.

(audience applauds)

- Clay Williams, finest tap dancer in Harlem.

- [Woman] All right.

(audience continues applauding)

- Why don't you and your brother Clayton dance together?

- Yeah. - Go on!

(audience applauds and cheers)

- Go on, Sandman. - Go on, Sandman!

(lively jazz music)

(feet tapping)

(crowd cheering)

(hands clapping)

- ♪ They say that, when a high ♪ brow meets some low brow, ♪

walking along Broadway. ♪

Soon the highbrow, he has no brow ♪

♪ Ain't it a shame? ♪

And you're to blame.

♪ What's the use of prohibition ♪

♪ You produce the same condition ♪

(jazz music continues)

(audience applauding)

- In the movie, he became a star

and I was the one in the smaller club

and he left me and Francis wanted him to say, "I'm sorry,"

which sort of kind of mirrored our life

because Gregory went on to do films.

When he said, "I'm sorry,"

Francis knew exactly what to say for us to do it.

(crowd whistling and applauding)

- I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

- But to be dancing with Gregory again was like heaven.

He was just heaven.

(rhythmic music)

- Hey Delphine! - Hey Jeffery!

- Come on up to here, girl.

- Hello, hello to you.

- Hey, mm, take your coat off, make yourself at home.

Ssh, we're finally gathering

to celebrate the belated 75th birthday

and the other high crimes and misdemeanors

of the fabulous Maurice R. Hines.

It seems our brother's spirit could use a little uplift

and I know that we're just the gang to give it to him.

Now, Maurice knows he's coming here for a party,

but he doesn't know that the party is actually for him.

So if you run into him, mum's the word.

There'll be food, there'll be fun, lies and laughter.

Maurice will be so excited to see you and so will I.

(he laughs)

He's on his way up.

(doorbell rings) Come on in!

Come here, Miss Thing.

- Hi, honey! (laughs)

Hi boo, how you doing?

(people chattering)

- [All] Surprise!

(they all cheer and applaud)

♪ Happy birthday to you ♪

(Maurice laughs)

- Happy birthday? Oh my god.

I wasn't gonna celebrate 75, I wasn't gonna celebrate 75.

- But you're not celebrating 75,

you're celebrating today.

- I'm celebrating today.

(people chattering)

(gentle music)

- Ahh.

Maurice, ahh.

- It's cracking my face, it's cracking my face.

(people chattering)

- Oh wonderful, I'm so glad you are here...

- Yes.

(people chattering)

- If you had any doubts,

you know tonight you are loved, you are loved.

♪ Happy birthday to ya ♪

♪ Happy birthday to ya ♪

♪ Happy birthday ♪

♪ Happy ♪

(they clap)

♪ Birthday ♪

♪ Happy birthday ♪

♪ Happy birthday ♪

- I'm 75.

♪ Happy birthday to ya ♪

♪ Happy birthday to ya ♪

♪ Happy birthday ♪

I look at my life and how grateful I am for it.

For what has happened, what God has given me,

the parents, the brother, the career, the friends

and the daughter I have, I have nothing to kick about.

(people talking and laughing)

Look at that, look at it.

(they all laugh)

(gentle music)

♪ Birthday to you! ♪

(they all cheer)

I'm so grateful and so lucky

to have you all here.

- Yes, amen!

- Wonderful. - Yeah.

- [Guest] We love you Hines!

- [All] One, two, three.

(they all cheer)

(rhythmic music)

♪ In the dance world we call ♪ "we gonna bring you back" ♪

♪ Bring them back ♪

(lively music)

- Mr. Maurice Hines!

(they applaud and cheer)

Oh my god.

- I'm cute Daddy, I'm cute. (laughs)

If you've got big calves, here's my number.

(Maurice laughs)

You're cracking my face, baby,

cracking my face.

- We are here for you, man.

We always have our arms open for you.

I love you, man. - I got you.

- It's my pleasure...

- The great Mel Johnson Jr., baby.

The great one. - Oh, please. Oh, listen.

That's my glasses on top.

- Those are mine. - Are those yours?

- Your glasses are on your face.

(they laugh)

- You're such a bitch.

'Cause it's not what you say, it's how you say it,

It's that bitchy way. - Oh please. (laughs)

- I do things that make me happy now,

and just really happy. Just sitting here with you

and looking at you makes me happy.

(she makes a strange sound)

It does, it does.

- [Director] It's a wrap.

- [Maurice] That's a wrap, I knew that it was a wrap.

The Chita Rivera lips!

(energetic music)

Get ready.

Tempos will be faster.

Maurice is on another level, he will bam!

Well, this is real baby, this is real, up in through here.

I ain't gonna lie.

(laughs) Oh my mother's spinning around

spinning around, my son is talking the talk.