WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

[feaito]

Mr. Treacher is very fine as the title character in the Jeeves films. I find him very amusing indeed.

[Birdy]

I adore Arthur Treacher and have seen him recently in Going Highbrow and Heidi. I don't know if I've seen the Jeeves movies or not, but I love Wodehouse so will look for these soon.
Birdy

[Fossy]

Yesterday I watched ‘Three Daring Daughters”, a story about a divorced mother of three young girls (Jeanette MacDonald) who collapsed, apparently from overwork. It was decided that she should take a sea cruise to Cuba so she could rest.

The girls decided she needed her husband to return, so they arranged it while Mother was on the cruise, but on the cruise she met and married Jose Iturbi.

The singing was great, (from Jeanette MacDonald and Jane Powell). The piano playing was great (Jose Iturbi and his sister Ampara). The show was more of a comedy than a romance.

But in the course of a conversation with her mother (Jeanette MacDonald), Ilka (Ann E. Todd) said “If I loved anybody, I would love him forever”.

So how romantic was that?

Ann E. Todd was married at age 20, was widowed 42 years later, and never remarried.

[Fossy]

The Great Zeigfeld

The latest musical I have watched. Extravagant was a word used frequently throughout the film. A word which described not only Zeigfeld, but everything he did.
I found the show a bit long winded, but nevertheless very enjoyable.

Perhaps the best part was the performance of German born Luise Rainer. Luise played the part of his first wife, Anna Held. (Actually Anna and Flo did not marry. She was Flo Zeigfeld`s long term companion).

The phone call to Flo after his marriage to Billie Burke (Myrna Loy) made me weep and was almost certainly what clinched the Oscar for her.

For her part in this movie Luise won the first of her two Best Actress Oscars. Luise now lives in London, and this year celebrated her 100th birthday.

[feaito]

I watched the Criterion DVD edition of "Le Million" (1931) directed by René Clair and all the people who posted opinions relating this film to "Hallelujah I'm a Bum" (1933) were right, HIAB is very reminiscent of the earlier Le Million, a very fine French musical, full of interesting and innovative ideas for 1931! The film integrates perfectly dialogue and music and it's mise-en-scene is perfect. I had never seen Annabella so young! I'll definitely be checking "Sous Les Toits de Paris", "A Nous la Liberté" and "Quatorze Juillet" if can get hold of these!

[feaito]

Today I also watched over 160 minutes of musical numbers assembled for a Busby Berkeley special DVD from his first Boxed Set of Musicals. What a joy to watch one number after another: "Shuffle off To Buffalo", "Honeymoon Hotel", "The Shadow Waltz", "We're in the Money", "Lady in Red" et al. A feast for the eyes, ears and soul. Top notch.

[Birdy]

Fernando,
That sounds like a wonderful way to spend an afternoon!
And once again, you've reminded me I must get LeMillion. I will put in on the list of 'cool stuff to look for when I get my act together.'
Birdy

[feaito]

Dear Birdy,

In fact I watched most of the musical numbers in the morning and the rest right after lunch. Then we had tea with my wife and in the evening we went out to have dinner to a Peruvian restaurant called "La Mar" with a couple of two very close American friends. We had a great time.

I watched "Le Million" on Friday afternoon.

[Fossy]

Melba---The Mini Series. (1987)
A 3 disc, 8 episode biography of Dame Nellie Melba. The daughter of Scottish migrants Helen Porter Mitchell (called Nellie) was born at Richmond, Victoria (an inner Melbourne suburb) and attended Prebyterian Ladies College, a prestigious Melbourne school.

The series follows her life from young girl to housewife, mother and finally Opera singer of world fame. Initially introduced to audiences as Mrs. Armstrong, she later adopted the name “Melba”.

The part of Nellie Melba was played by Linda Cropper and the singing voice by soprano Yvonne Kenny.

[moira finnie]

Hi Fossy,
I'd never heard of this mini-series, but anything to do with the travails of a temperamental diva sounds interesting to me. Was this shown on Australian or UK tv? How did they depict Caruso? I'd love to know more. Thanks!

[Fossy]

Hi Fossy,
I'd never heard of this mini-series, but anything to do with the travails of a temperamental diva sounds interesting to me. Was this shown on Australian or UK tv? How did they depict Caruso? I'd love to know more. Thanks!

The series was made in Australia. I think it was released to coincide with the 100th anniversary of her Covent garden debut. Tenors with whom she sang were barely mentioned. I think de Reszke and McCormack got more mention than did Caruso. I had assumed that the series would have been seen in USA and UK because she spent most of her career in those countries. I bought it new from USA, so it must have been available over there at some time.

[Uncle Stevie]

Tonight I watched the Prince and the Showgirl with Marilyn Monroe and Laurence Olivier. Great entertainment and Marilyn was, perhaps, at her best. Beauty and composure makes me really miss her from the Hollywood scene. I can only imagine what she would have been like as a mature wife and Mother in some dramatic works of the future. She was a most marvelous movie star. Beauty and brains behind the veil of a dumb blonde. I loved her or perhaps I should say I adored her.


Uncle Stevie

[Fossy]

Serenade

Would be opera singer Damon (Mario Lanza) is working in the vineyard when his cousin Tonio tells him he has arranged an audition. Of course the audition is a success and with the help of femme fatale Kendall (Joan Fontaine), Damon becomes an opera singer. Unfortunately for Damon, Kendall likes some variety in her men. Insanely jealous Damon storms out mid opera to confront Kendall and her latest beau. Damon flies to Mexico to sing in an opera, but has lost his voice.

Stricken with a form of malaria Damon collapses. Juana (Sarita Montiel) nurses him back to health, encourages him to sing again. They marry and return to San Francisco where they meet up with Kendall, who tells Juana that she is going to take Damon from her. At a party Juana menaces Kendall with a sword. Embarrassed Juana dashes from the party and is run over by a bus.

Interesting to me is the use of the name Kendall. One of my brothers, who died young was named Kendall, and my son is named after him.

[Uncle Stevie]

Strange. Do you feel that is a kindred connection or a dangerous blight. The story sounds like a Shakespeare Opera.

[Fossy]

Not Shakespeare, but James M. Cain, who also wrote “Mildred Pierce” and “The Postman Always Rings Twice”.