Mame--film on DVD

There was a line in the most recent version of Forbidden Broadway that struck me as I watched this film; it was something like "the days of unique talents are past". Forbidden is talking about star replacements, such as in Chicago, but it seems appropriate in thinking about the film version of Mame.

Lucille Ball was a unique talent, there is no question in my mind. I laugh out loud to myself just thinking about the candy factory scene, or the Vita-meata-vega-min commercial. I think of Ms. Ball as a brilliant physical comedienne, and in the several scenes in Mame that require physical comedy is when a bit of her brilliance shines through. But that was her unique talent. In the rest of the film, particularly the musical numbers, she is out of her element, and unfortunately it shows.

The cast surrounding Ms. Ball is full of unique talents who are fitted to their parts. Beatrice Arthur became a star as Vera Charles on Broadway, and the film shows us why. Robert Preston is suave and charming (although I don't like the song he sings that was written for the film). Bruce Davison is cute as a button. Also reprising her Broadway role Jane Connell as Agnes Gooch is, umm, particularly unique, and imbues her role with empathy and specificity.

Maybe that's part of the problem with Ms. Ball. I don't get much specificity from her, particularly when she's in reaction shots, but also in the songs and dances. There are times in the dances, when I swear she is mouthing the steps, or plastering on a smile to keep from mouthing the steps.

That's not the inner life I want from my Mame.


Mame
Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman
Book by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee
Opened on Broadway in 1964
Film released in 1974
Cast: Bruce Davison, Lucille Ball, Beatrice Arthur, Robert Preston, Jane Connell

Anyone Can Whistle--OBC album on CD

While the liner notes to this 1988 CD reissue to this 1964 original Broadway cast album don't give much in terms of the plot of the show, it gives a lot of information about the ground-breaking nature of the show, and how Anyone Can Whistle was the seed that eventually bloomed into Sondheim's successful shows. I particularly liked reading what other shows played Broadway the same season as Whistle--Fiddler on the Roof, Funny Girl, Hello Dolly! Can you hear me singing "One of these things is not like the other, one of these things just doesn't belong"? Can something really be ground-breaking if the ground doesn't want to be broken?

That sounds mean-spirited and I don't want to be, because I like much of this score. Didier Deutsch describes it as being embryonic of ideas that will come again in later Sondheim shows. And I can hear that, although I hear themes of Follies, not Company, which is the show Mr. Deutsch compares it to. Perhaps that is because there is a chorus in this show, and I can't think of another Sondheim show other than Follies that has a chorus.

It's a sad thing when I have to say that Lee Remick is the vocal standout of this cast, but that's the state of affairs. She sings her three big songs very well--the title song, "There Won't Be Trumpets" and "See What it Gets You" which feels like a typical (and effective) 11 o-clock number. Harry Guardino is strangley effective and I like the quality of his voice if not the pitch, which is often an issue. I continue to like Angela Lansbury as a musical performer, although her efforts into head voice are a bit tortured.

Perhaps there is another legacy that Whistle can claim--opening up new avenues for musicals to be incubated and hatched. Was there such a thing as an off-Broadway musical at this point? Certainly this show could have benefited from opening on a slightly less-White Way.

Anyone Can Whistle
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by Arthur Laurents
Opened in 1964, ran for 9 performances
Cast: Angela Lansbury, Lee Remick, Harry Guardino

All-Star Tribute to Cole Porter--Bell Telephone Hour on DVD

The collection of Bell Telephone Hour broadcasts are a treasure trove of notable performances from the 50s and 60s. I've previously seen some of the opera performers (Leontyne Price, Joan Sutherland, etc), but had never seen an Hour with musical theater performers. Well, that streak ended with The Tribute to Cole Porter. This show offers 6 solo performers and a chorus in 48 songs of Porter in an hour. If you're doing the math that means each song gets about a minute and 7 seconds. The writers of this show seem particularly proud that they were able to cram in so many tunes, because they constantly have our hostess with the mostess Ethel Merman tell us how many songs they've hit on already.

As you might guess from the statistic above, most of the songs are presented in medley, and therein lies the problem for me. It's a little difficult to assess the strength or wit or structure of a song if you're only getting the chorus, or even less. I suppose if I had previously known most of the songs (as I assume many viewers in 1964 did) it may have triggered a memory, rather than making me wish I could hear the whole song.

The performers are uniformly good. Ms. Merman is built to be appreciated from a distance, in my opinion, and a lot of her in close-up is not always the best way to see or hear her. But she takes the heaviest load in this show; besides narrating between sets, she sings probably a third of the 48 songs. The rest of the cast includes John Raitt, Martha Wright, Gretchen Wyler, New York City Ballet star Jillana, and pianist Peter Nero. The Misses Wright and Wyler are new to me. Ms. Wright has a particularly pleasant voice that transitions well into the upper register. She reminds me a bit of Kelli O'Hara. Ms. Wyler is a character singer.

I got this DVD because I was interested in hearing more Cole Porter--I still am interested, but this broadcast did nothing to satisfy my curiosity.

The Cole Porter Tribute: A Bell Telephone Hour
Television presentation from 1964
Released on DVD in 2004
Cast: Ethel Merman, John Raitt, Martha Wright, Gretchen Wyler, Jillana, Peter Nero

Hello, Dolly! film on DVD

There is a bit of lore in my family. Before my parents were parents, they would occassionally go to downtown Detroit to see a Broadway touring show. In late 1963 they went down to the Fisher Theatre to see a new show before it opened on Broadway. They left the theater after the performance liking the show very much but thinking the woman who played the lead was very odd and would never have any kind of career. That woman was Carol Channing and that show was Hello, Dolly! So, I come from a line of opinionated people who are often wrong.

That said, I really dislike the film version of this very likable show. While I am usually the last person to blame an actor, I really do think this film is mostly badly cast. The men in particular are not much fun to listen to when they are singing. Yes, even Michael Crawford who will go on to have a much lauded career. I think the songs don't suit his singing voice. And Walter Matthau. Don't get me started.

But, this is a great show for the chorus, with many lively group numbers. And with Gene Kelly as the director of this film, you know that dance will play an important part. That's good to see. And the outdoor locations are spectacular--clearly no expense was sparred in recreating 19th Century New York and Yonkers.

Hello, Dolly!
Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman
Book by Michael Stewart
1969 film directed by Gene Kelly
Cast: Barbra Streisand, Walter Matthau, Michael Crawford, Tommy Tune, Marianne McAndrew, Joyce Ames, Danny Lockin, Louis Armstrong, EJ Peaker

Funny Girl film on DVD

The hair, the voice, the nails, the comedic timing, the nose. It's hard to separate this show from Barbra Streisand. I actually did this musical in high school (obviously without Ms. Streisand), and I do wonder whatever happened to Lisa who played Fanny. She was the closest thing to a triple threat my high school produced. A good comedienne and a great dancer. I honestly don't remember much about her singing voice, but she must have had one.

I could have the gay mafia after me for this comment, but Funny Girl is not one of my favorite musicals, and there are parts of the film and its performances which don't sit well with me. It's so obviously a star vehicle, which runs contrary to the ensemble atmosphere that I like best about doing theater. The chorus has very little to do in this show (and even less in the film, which cuts the big chorus number "Henry Street"). No good duets either. How about a love song? The closest we get is the seduction song "You are Woman, I am Man." And the memorable numbers from the show sound very 1960s rather than very 1910s--much like Ms. Streisand's hair, nails and costumes.

Still it's hard not to be thrilled as the helicopter shot zooms down toward the tugboat as Fanny in mink hat belts out "Rain on my Parade".

Funny Girl
Music by Jule Styne
Lyrics by Bob Merrill
Book by Isobel Lennart
1968 film released by Columbia Pictures
Cast: there are really only two that matter.