WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

feaito

Re: WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by feaito »

intothenitrate wrote:Jeanette really is a very good actress.

The print I have is pretty near perfect. I have to do a little experimenting, but I'm pretty sure I can make a faithful copy. Let's PM about it.
Thanks intothenitrate! :D
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JackFavell
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Re: WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by JackFavell »

was anyone else disappointed to see adorable child hoofer Donald O'Connor turn into grown up hoofer Eddie Albert in On Your Toes this morning ? Man, I just wanted Donald to be himself grown up, he had such great line readings and charisma even this early. Heck, I would rather have seen child Donald play opposite Vera Zorina.... :D
feaito

Re: WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by feaito »

Yesterday I revisited "The Cat and the Fiddle" (1934) a little known musical-comedy-drama with Ramon Novarro and Jeanette MacDonald, produced by MGM and directed by the British William K. Howard. I bought this film on VHS in 2002 and hadn't watched again since.

The film has a good score by the great Jerome Kern, most notably "She Didn't Say Yes" and "The Night Was Made for Love" and has some interesting Pre-Code touches (Novarro and MacDonald living together without being married; Jeanette getting undressed in front of Frank Morgan and Novarro; Morgan peeping at MacDonald's gams...)

Novarro plays Victor, a young struggling composer who lives in Brussels, where he meets and falls in love with American music student Shirley, played by Jeanette MacDonald, in her first feature at new home MGM. The leading actors have a fine chemistry and make an appealing couple; Novarro's charming personality and vocal talents are in full display here.

Fine character actors Frank Morgan (as MacDonald's powerful and rich suitor), Charles Butterworth (playing an absent minded friend of Novarro), Jean Hersholt (as Novarro's music professor), Vivienne Segal (as a retired Opera Diva) and Henry Armetta (extremely funny as a bad-tempered cab driver- he's named his taxi "Teresa"!), plus those typical MGM bit players used in films set in Europe, like Leonid Kinskey, Yola D'Avril and Christian Rub, add charm to this lovely musical with "European" flavour, and the ending in early Three-strip Technicolor is a nice surprise. I have read that Segal's role was shortened due to MacDonald's demands. BTW, Sterling Holloway also has a small part.
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JackFavell
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Re: WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by JackFavell »

Hey, Fernando, that was a great description of Cat and the Fiddle, which I only saw last year for the first time. Have you seen any of the other early Vivienne Segal movies? I've only read about them or seen pictures from them, and that was when I was first finding out about precodes and early 30's films, years ago. I wonder if the studio just decided to go with MacDonald instead of working with two divas, or if there was a dust up between the two?
feaito

Re: WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by feaito »

Hi WEN, Thanks for the compliment. I recall that in the Broadway play the role of Odette was much more important and that Jeanette MacDonald, apparently demanded it to be shortened; due to jealousy? perhaps; not wanting to share the spotlight? When she made "Love Me Tonight" (1932) with Myrna Loy, she also had issues with her capturing attention due to her wickedly delicious portrayal of the Countess; in fact there was an argument regarding a dress Loy was scheduled to wear for the ball sequence, which she ended using, but Loy -with the help of the personnel from the wardrobe department- ended finding a much more fetching outfit! :wink:

In any case Segal had a superior voice IMO. Sadly, I have never seen Ms. Segal in any of her early '30s WB-FN films (two out of four are apparently lost). She originated the role later played by Rita Hayworth in the film version, in the Broadway production of Rodgers & Hart's "Pal Joey".
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JackFavell
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Re: WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by JackFavell »

Good for Myrna!

Thanks for all the info! Very interesting stuff. Wasn't Gene Kelly in the original Pal Joey too?
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Rita Hayworth
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Re: WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by Rita Hayworth »

JackFavell wrote:Good for Myrna!

Thanks for all the info! Very interesting stuff. Wasn't Gene Kelly in the original Pal Joey too?
Yes, Jack ... According to Wiki ... he was the original 1940 Broadway production was directed by George Abbott and starred Vivienne Segal and Gene Kelly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pal_Joey_(musical)

Link to the article ...
RedRiver
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Re: WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by RedRiver »

PAL JOEY has some good tunes in it. I swear, "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" is just about my favorite song!
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JackFavell
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Re: WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by JackFavell »

It's very naughty.
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Rita Hayworth
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Re: WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by Rita Hayworth »

RedRiver wrote:PAL JOEY has some good tunes in it. I swear, "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" is just about my favorite song!
Thanks for sharing that RedRiver!

I like that song so well too ...
RedRiver
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Re: WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by RedRiver »

I watched GUYS AND DOLLS again. Great movie? No. There's nothing truly imaginative about it. But it's a standard filming of a fine play. I'll take it! The music is catchy, yet unpredictable. Characters charming if NOT unpredictable. Terrific numbers by Stubby Kaye as Nicely Nicely Johnson! This is a good looking show. The exteriors are flashy and stylish. And those classic cars! Wow! I could look at those things all day.

May I assume Jean Simmons did her own singing? If so, she's not bad at all. A nice, kind of rich voice. Rich in character and depth, I mean. It sounded like Simmons' speaking voice, so I believe it's her. Even Mr. Brando commits himself nobly. He's no Frank Sinatra; no Stubby Kaye. He doesn't have to be. He's Marlon Brando. A good actor can fake his way through a song.

Our theatre workshop is doing this show in the summer. I wouldn't mind playing a part in this one. I'm not a trained singer, but I can carry a tune. And there are a couple of roles for, well..."not so young" men! It's always nice to see that!
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sandykaypax
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Re: WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by sandykaypax »

Guys and Dolls is a great show for character men. You should audition! I played Adelaide many years ago. One of my favorite roles. The only drawback is that I didn't get to be in the best number in the show--Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat!

Sandy K
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JackFavell
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Re: WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by JackFavell »

I just mentioned in another thread that I think Brando and Simmons do a fine job singing. My problem with the movie is the replacement of GREAT songs with meh songs. It bothers me every time I watch it. Other than that it's a respectable filming of the musical. Would love to go back in time and see Sam Levene as Nathan.

That being said, I love the play, it was one of my first big musicals I went to see when I was a kid and I will always remember it being so much fun, and I fell in love with the guy who played Nicely Nicely. There are tons of great parts Red! Go for it!
RedRiver
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Re: WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by RedRiver »

My favorite song is the very first number.

I got the horse right here.
His name is Paul Revere.
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JackFavell
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Re: WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by JackFavell »

Me too, red!

There is an AMAZING recording of a show called AN EVENING WITH FRANK LOESSER, where Loesser sings his own songs and plays the piano. The Fugue for Tinhorns is just incredible, the singers change key maybe four times, it's so intricate and wonderful I wish I could play it for you here, but it isn't posted anywhere anymore. The singers are Frank Loesser, Milton DeLugg and Sue Bennett. I have a cd of it. It's worth getting just for that song alone, though the rest of it is great too. Frank Loesser sings all his other songs himself. My only complaint is that the Fugue for Tinhorns isn't long enough. I'd like to have a continuous loop of that song that I could play while I'm going about my daily business. Things would be so much better accompanied by Frank Loesser!

Here's another favorite by Loesser:

[youtube][/youtube]
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