Words and Music film on DVD

This bio-pic of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, suffers the fate of many bio-pics of the era. It sugar-coats the significant problems of the lives of its subjects, while creating drama around things that didn't really happen. It doesn't really give a very good picture of either Rodgers and Hart's collaboration or their works. So I'll need to find some more authentic recordings of their shows, in the meantime I consider Words and Music from 1948.

There is a cavalcade of stars of the era in this film, making cameo appearances in songs from R & H's shows (that's the first R & H, not the second), and a lot of it seems miscast to me. "Johnny One Note" is a fantastic song, but not one for Judy Garland (sorry, friends of Dorothy). I've never cared for June Allyson and her plastered on smile wears thin with me in "Thou Swell". Betty Garrett sings a song that shows her Grand Canyon of a break. Perry Como and Mel Torme are wonderful singers, but crooning has no place in the songs of R & H. I didn't understand why the "Slaughter on 10th Avenue" was included; it's a great dance number, but doesn't show of Hart's creativity at all.

Perhaps, like was done with Cole Porter, there will be a modern-day film version of Rodgers and Harts lives to tell more of the real back-story and to show off more of their wonderful music.

Words & Music
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Lorenz Hart
Film released in 1948
Cast: Mickey Rooney, Tom Drake, Janet Leigh, Vera Ellen, June Allyson, Judy Garland, Perry Como, Mel Torme, Betty Garrett

Girl Crazy--film on DVD

It's another Mickey and Judy "Let's put on a show" film, this time set in the wild west and based on a 1930 stage musical by the Gershwins. The film of Girl Crazy was released in 1943 and uses all Gershwin tunes, but not all the songs from the stage version. I have downloaded a recording of songs from the stage version, but haven't listened to it yet. I do know that Ethel Merman was in the original stage cast and introduced "I Got Rythm" and another song that didn't make it to the film, "Sam and Delilah."

I was excited in the opening credits to see both June Allyson and Nancy Walker credited. These would have been early films for both these performers. Well both are underused in a score that is really heaped on Garland and Rooney. Ms. Allyson has the opening song of the film, but is an anonymous nightclub singer, not an actual character. Ms. Walker doesn't sing at all. I suspect something ended up on the cutting room floor.

Girl Crazy
Music by George Gershwin
Lyrics by Ira Gershwin
Stage version premiered in 1930
Film released by MGM in 1943
Cast: Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Nancy Walker, June Allyson, Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra