Archive
THERE’S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS – Irving Berlin, Alfred Newman, Lionel Newman
GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Original Review by Craig Lysy
20th Century Fox wanted to showcase their bombshell star Marilyn Monroe in a musical. She was under suspension for violating her contract when she refused to star in the musical “The Girl In Pink Tights”. When they offered her the starring role again for There’s No Business Like Show Business she initially refused again, but eventually relented when she was promised a starring role in “The Seven Year Itch”, and her weekly salary raised to $3,000 a week. Sol Siegel was assigned production with a $4.3 million budget, Walter Lang was tasked with directing, and writers Phoebe and Henry Ephron would adapt Lamar Trotti’s story. A cast for the ages was assembled, with Marilyn Monroe starring as Victoria Parker, joined by Ethel Merman as Molly Donohue, Donald O’Connor as Tim Donohue, Dan Dailey as Terrence Donohue, Johnny Ray as Steve Donohue, and Mitzi Gaynor as Katie Donohue. Read more…
CALL ME MADAM – Irving Berlin, Alfred Newman
GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Original Review by Craig Lysy
In 1951 20th Century Fox executives took notice of the success of the Broadway musical “Call Me Madam” which opened 12 October 1950, ran for 644 performances, and grossed in excess of $4 million. The film rights were purchased, Sol Siegel was assigned production with a $2.46 million budget, Walter Lang was tasked with directing, and Arthur Sheekman was hired to adapt the original story by Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse. For the cast, Ethel Merman, who was intent on securing a dramatic role to expand her career, was coaxed into taking on the musical comedy, starring in the lead role as Sally Adams. Joining her would be Dennis O’Connor as Kenneth Gibson, Vera-Ellen as Princess Maria and George Sanders as General Cosmo Constantine. Read more…
EASTER PARADE – Irving Berlin, Johnny Green, Roger Edens
GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Original Review by Craig Lysy
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio was intent on making a new musical to showcase their stars Judy Garland and Gene Kelly. Irving Berlin’s song “Easter Parade,” which inspired the movie, was first sung in his 1933 Broadway revue “As Thousands Cheer” by Marilyn Miller and Clifton Webb. Arthur Freed was place in charge of production with a $2.655 million budget, Charles Walters was tasked with directing, the trio of Sidney Sheldon, Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett were hired to write the screenplay. Judy Garland would star as Hannah Brown, but casting went off the rails when Gene Kelly broke his ankle. Luckily, he was able to coax Fred Astaire to come out of retirement and take the role of Don Hewes. Cyd Charisse had to be replaced as she tore ligaments in her knees, so Ann Miller took the role of Nadine Hale. Joining them would be Peter Lawford as Jonathan Harrow III. Read more…
THIS IS THE ARMY – Irving Berlin, Ray Heindorf
GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Original Review by Craig Lysy
The Broadway play “This Is The Army” by James Coll and Irving Berlin was very successful, and Warner Brothers Studio executive Jack L. Warner decided to bring the story to the big screen in a patriotic effort to boost public morale during World War II. Warner and Hal B. Wallis purchased the film rights, would oversee production with a $1.87 million budget, Michael Curtiz was tasked with directing, and Casey Robinson and Claude Binyon would write the screenplay. A cast for the ages was assembled, including, as themselves: Irving Berlin, Frances Langford, Joe Louis, Kate Smith, and Ezra Stone. Joining them would be George Murphy as Jerry Jones, Joan Leslie as Eileen Dibble, George Tobias as Maxie Twardofsky, Alan Hale as Sergeant McGee, and Ronald Reagan as Corporal Johnny Jones. Read more…
ALEXANDER’S RAGTIME BAND – Irving Berlin, Alfred Newman
GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Original Review by Craig Lysy
In 1937 composer Irving Berlin was solicited by 20th Century Fox studio executive Darryl F. Zanuck to write a biopic about his life to be called “Alexander’s Ragtime Band, which would showcase some of his greatest songs. Berlin balked, believing such a story would be too intrusive. Zanuck pivoted and asked him if he could instead write a story, which could feature his greatest songs. He agreed, collaborated with screen writer Richard Sherman, and their story was accepted. Zanuck took personal charge of production, hired Kathryn Scola and Lamar Trotti to write the screenplay, and tasked Henry King with directing. The cast would be anchored by singers Ethel Merman as Jerry Allen, and Alice Faye as Stella Kirby. Joining them would be Tyrone Power as Alexander, Don Ameche as Charlie Dwyer and Jack Haley as Davey Lane. Read more…
ANNIE GET YOUR GUN – Irving Berlin, Adolph Deutsch, Roger Edens
GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Original Review by Craig Lysy
The Broadway musical “Annie Get Your Gun”, which was based on the legendary Annie Oakley, stared Ethel Merman and had a very successful theatrical run of 1,147 performances. MGM studios took notice and decided that they would continue their parade of musicals with a new one based on Annie Oakley for their marquee star Judy Garland. They purchased the film rights, assigned production to Arthur Freed and Roger Edens with a $3.73 million budget. Sidney Sheldon was hired to write the screenplay adaptation of the novel “Annie Get Your Gun” (1946) by Herbert Fields. Filming conflicts with Garland led to the director being replaced twice, with Busby Berkeley and Charles Walters exiting and George Sidney finally taking up the reins. For the cast Judy Garland would star as Annie Oakley, however clashes with Berkeley exacerbated her health and insecurity problems and she was ultimately fired. Betty Hutton was hired as her replacement and joined by; Howard Keel and Frank Butler, Louis Calhern as Colonel William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody, Keenan Wynn as Charlie Davenport, Benay Venuta as Dolly Tate, and J. Carrol Naish as Chief Sitting Bull. Read more…
Remembering Irving Berlin, 1888-1989
Composer and lyricist Irving Berlin died ten years ago today at his home in Manhattan on September 22, 1989, at the age of 101.
One of the most important songwriters in American history, Berlin’s career stretched from Tin Pan Alley and vaudeville through Broadway and the golden age of the Hollywood musical. He wrote more than 1,200 songs, including “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” “Always,” “Blue Skies,” “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” “Cheek to Cheek,” “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” “God Bless America” and “White Christmas,” and his music became an essential part of the American popular songbook.
Berlin was born Israel Beilin in the Russian Empire on May 11, 1888, into a Jewish family that emigrated to the United States when he was a child. Growing up in poverty on New York’s Lower East Side, he left school early and worked as a singing waiter and song plugger before beginning to write songs himself. His breakthrough came with “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” in 1911, an international sensation that established him as one of America’s leading popular composers. Remarkably, Berlin never became a conventionally trained musician and could read music only with difficulty, generally composing at the piano and relying on musical assistants to transcribe and arrange his ideas.
Cinema became increasingly important to Berlin as talking pictures transformed Hollywood during the late 1920s. His songs appeared in some of the earliest musicals, including The Cocoanuts (1929), based on the Marx Brothers’ Broadway show, Puttin’ on the Ritz (1930), and Reaching for the Moon (1930). Unlike conventional film composers, Berlin rarely wrote dramatic underscore; instead he created complete song scores in which the numbers themselves drove the entertainment and often became hits independently of the films. Read more…
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