Unlike another brother and sister act of the time, Fred and Adele Astaire, Ebsen's hoofing style was casual and loose-limbed. His long arms would windmill about, while his rubbery legs and large feet flapped and shuffled about the stage. The ingratiating impression was that of an unpretentious country hick's version of elegance. His technique was preserved in such films as "Broadway Melody of 1936," "Broadway Melody of 1938" and "Captain January," in which he provided a towering counterpart to partner Shirley Temple.