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

On The Town film on DVD

New York, New York, it's a Wonderful Town. And this is a Wonderful Film! Deservedly a classic musical picture with a star-studded cast. The stage show of On The Town has some music that didn't make it to the film, most notably for me is "Lonely Town", a ballad which Gabey sang in the original Broadway production. It's a great song and I miss it. I also miss "I Can Cook, Too" which Nancy Walker sang in the stage version as cabby Hildy. The songs that Roger Edens wrote for the film, aren't all that special when compared with Bernstein.

With Gene Kelly as star and co-director, it's not surprising that dance plays a big role in this film, as it must do in the stage version, too, since the show originated as an idea for a Jerome Robbins ballet with music by Bernstein. As the theatrical trailer, which is about the only DVD extra, states--"It's twice as gay as 'Anchors Aweigh' " and boasts "A Torrent of Talent and Tunes."

I wonder if there is a more accurate version of On the Town on film, perhaps a taping of a stage production.

On The Town
Music by Leondard Bernstein
Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Screenplay by Comden and Green based on their stage play
Additional music by Roger Edens
Directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen
Cast: Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Jules Munshin, Betty Garrett, Ann Miller, Vera Ellen.

Call Me Madam film on DVD

Composer and lyricist Irving Berlin makes his first appearance in my Year with the Ethel Merman vehicle Call Me Madam. Wealthy Texas oil widow Sally Adams is posted as Ambassador to little Lichtenburg and lusty singing ensues.

Joinging La Merm in this film (and actually holding their own) are Donald O'Connor, Vera-Ellen, and George Sanders. Mr. Sanders sings one nice number and Ms. Ellen dances a nice dance or two, but the real delight is Mr. O'Connor. I've of course seen him clowning in Singin' in the Rain, and loved "Make 'Em Laugh", but in Madam, O'Connor has to sing, dance and romance the girl--usually all at the same time. And he pulls it off with elan. A tap number where he bursts a lot of balloons is particularly creatively choreographed.

Madam's music perhaps is not uniformly the best that Berlin produced. The memorable song from the score is "You're Just in Love" and it doesn't take a genius to realize it's the best number, because the film reprises the tune again and again! Fortunately, it really is a great quodlibet song with two melodies overlapping one another. "It's a Lovely Day Today" is also a memorable tune, but the other haven't lasted the course of time.

I've actually seen this show live on stage, in a City Center-like staging in Chicago with Jo Anne Worley as Adams and Malcolm Gets as her press secretary Kenneth Gibson. It was about ten years ago, but Worley was great, as I recall, and Gets had a very nice singing voice.

Call Me Madam
Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin
Screenplay by Arthur Sheekman based on the
Book by Howard Linsday and Russel Crouse
Released by 20th Century Fox in 1953
Cast: Ethel Merman, Donald O'Connor, Vera-Ellen, George Sanders