This simply gorgeous book arrived on my desk at work a few weeks ago, courtesy of Oxford University Press and I have been gloating over it ever since. I adore musicals, being a life long fan of Fred and Ginger, Gene Kelly et al and never tire of watching them over and over again, and as I have most of them on DVD, do so on a regular basis. Nothing like a great song and dance routine to cheer you up when you are feeling low.
Anything you could ever want to know is in this Companion. Dip in and check out The Harvey Girls. Not a very well known film, but it starred Judy Garland going out west to find a husband, Angela Lansbury and Cyd Charisse in a supporting role, featured the Oscar winning song "On the Atchison Topeka and the Sante Fe" and also has a terrific dance solo for Ray Bolger, who had earlier played the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz with the young Judy Garland.
Then I checked out Jules Munshin. He is the third man to Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra in On the Town and Take me out to the Ball Game (a film which starred a very wooden Esther Williams - can't act but she can swim well and her first appearance is in the hotel swimming pool), but quite often stole the show though he is not much remembered now. A shame. Tall, lanky and morose looking he was very very funny.
Gordon Macrae next. A lovely lovely man with a superb baritone voice. Before he hit the really big time when he landed the part of Curly in Oklahoma, he sang in Desert Song (pure kitsch this film but I love it and also starred Kathryn Grayson after whom my elder daughter is named), and my two favourites By the Light of the Silvery Moon and On Moonlight Bay with Doris Day. There is, however, no mention of either of these two films in the Companion which I find slightly odd so this rather contradicts my earlier assertion that Anything you could ever want to Know is in this book, but I suppose not all can be fitted in. These two films are on similar lines to Meet me in St Louis, set in idyllic small town America complete with a swing on the porch and a wise cracking family retainer. In fact, Leon Ames, who plays the father in this film, also turns up as the father in the two Gordon Macrae/Doris Day movies as well.
And until I checked out this entry I was unaware that the screenplay for this film was written by the delightfully named Irving Brecher and Fred Finkelhoffe.
I have already spent many happy hours looking up my favourite movies and musicals and on turning the pages again tonight, I have spotted even more entries that have grabbed my attention. As Marvin Hamlisch says on the cover "Everytthing you have ever wanted to know about the American musical at your fingertips. What could be better or more useful?" Not going to argue with him on that one.
'Heaven, I'm in heaven, and my heart beats so that I can hardly speak, and I seem to find the happiness I seek when we're out together dancing cheek to cheek...."
"You're going out a youngster but you are going to come back a star"
"Let me entertain you"
OK who can identify these movie quotes....
