Trivia ?: "Let's put on a show!"
Stevan Alburty
(usually Mickey and Judy) get the idea to "put on a show." But it occurs to
me that I don't actually know which films this now stereotypical situation
was actually used. And so I ask ...
1) In what movie did either Judy Garland or Mickey Rooney actually utter the
immortal line "Hey, my uncle has a barn. Let's put on a show." (Or words to
that effect.)
2) And in what other Mickey/Judy films contained a situation where a group
of earnest, talented kids decide to put on a show?
3) And are there other movies of the 30s and 40s that contained this same
premise? (Right off the bat I think of "Summer Stock." Can anybody think of
others?)
Steve
Allen Lindsey
<alb...@earthlink.net> wrote:
Girl Crazy
Babes in Arms
--
Allen Lindsey alin...@one.net
"They say the meek shall inherit because they stay up late and change the will"
- Heywood Banks
Abfou
>One of the classic memories I have of 30s and 40s movies is where someone
>(usually Mickey and Judy) get the idea to "put on a show." But it occurs to
>me that I don't actually know which films this now stereotypical situation
>was actually used. And so I ask ...
>1) In what movie did either Judy Garland or Mickey Rooney actually utter the
>immortal line "Hey, my uncle has a barn. Let's put on a show." (Or words to
>that effect.)
>2) And in what other Mickey/Judy films contained a situation where a group
>of earnest, talented kids decide to put on a show?
>3) And are there other movies of the 30s and 40s that contained this same
>premise? (Right off the bat I think of "Summer Stock." Can anybody think of
>others?)
>Steve
________________
There are four movies in the MGM "Babes" cycle. The key elements are
(1) a ticking-clock crisis, (2) an unpromising venue, and (3) Mickey &
Judy (and their preternaturally talented friends).
BABES IN ARMS Jeepers! Margaret Hamilton wants to send the children
of touring vaudevillians to a work farm! To prove their independence
Mickey and Judy put on a show in a barn!
STRIKE UP THE BAND Gosh! If the high school swing band could just get
to Chicago, they could compete in Paul Whiteman's radio talent
contest! To raise funds, Mickey and Judy put on a show at the Elks
club!
BABES ON BROADWAY Gee whiz! The settlement house ran out of money and
can't give the slum kids their promised two weeks in the country! So
to help out, Mickey and Judy put on a show in an abandoned theater!
GIRL CRAZY Dagnabbit! Enrolment at a western college is so low it may
have to close! To attract new students, Mickey and Judy put on a swell
Broadway-style rodeo!
Other films (e.g. SUMMER STOCK) include one or two of the elements,
but these four are Holy Writ. The immortal lines "Hey, kids! We can do
the show right here in the barn!" are (like "Come wiz me to ze
Casbah") the invention of parodists.
Abfou
Rachel L Jablon
The two male actors want to save the hotel and make an old man happy by
inviting his regiment to attend the variety show they organize! Together
with their love interests, lo! they are able to save the hotel! The show
is held in a converted barn....
I believe that actors in this movie musical are Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye,
and two women who I can't remember.
Rachel
--
Box 478 Teatron Jewish Theatre
3820 Locust Walk teatron@dolphin
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6134 dolphin.upenn.edu/~teatron
Deborah Overes
Rachel L Jablon <rlja...@mail1.sas.upenn.edu> wrote in message
news:7fi0ue$qhc$1...@netnews.upenn.edu...
> Don't forget about White Christmas, although definitely not Judy/Mickey.
> The two male actors want to save the hotel and make an old man happy by
> inviting his regiment to attend the variety show they organize! Together
> with their love interests, lo! they are able to save the hotel! The show
> is held in a converted barn....
> I believe that actors in this movie musical are Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye,
> and two women who I can't remember.
You forgot Rosemary Clooney??? I'm still hoping to grow up and BE her! The
other woman was Vera Ellen and the General was played by Dean Jagger. God,
I love this movie!
--
Deborah Overes
"I think I saw him in Rent or Stomp or Clomp or SOME piece of crap"
- Homer Simpson
Mitali Chaudhuri
Mitali.
> I believe that actors in this movie musical are Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye,
> and two women who I can't remember.
>
> Rachel
JanieMtchl
Actually, the even greater Vera-Ellen :)
-janie.
Sally G. Waters
this movie looks exactly like the first Barbie dolls,
with that amazingly tiny waist and her long ponytail.
If you've ever seen one of those early Barbies....
the resemblance is quite impressive!
--Sally
JanieMtchl wrote in message
<19990423122205...@ng-fi1.aol.com>...
Howard Brazee
company and was replaced in the movie sound track. I'm pretty sure it
was Rosemary Clooney but maybe it was Vera-Ellen.
FRAJM
According to the IMDb, Vera-Ellen was dubbed by one Trudy Stevens. V-E was a
dancer primarily and very possibly not a good enough singer. She certainly was
no great shakes as an actress.
In _Call Me Madam_, V-E was dubbed by Carol Richards, according to the same
source.
I don't have any information at hand about her singing or being dubbed in _On
the Town_, but with Ann Miller and Betty Garrett on hand I can't recall just
now if V-E even has any chances to sing out on her own.
In _Three Little Words_ she's dubbed by Anita Ellis.
Likewise, in _The Belle of New York_.
Frank Richard Aloysius Jude Maloney
http://members.aol.com/frajm/
"All over the room throats were being strained and minds broadened."
-- P. G. Wodehouse, Piccadilly Jim
Lönnberg
Lars Gunnar
Who thinks Vera Lynn is great too!
___________________________________________
Mitali Chaudhuri skrev i meddelandet ...
Wull
Did I ever tell you that I met Vera Ellen in person? It was
during National Movie week and she, Roddy McDowell and
Philip Reed (I wonder how many people remember him?) visited
and had lunch at SVC. I met them and shook hands. She was
very cute and had a waist of about 12 inches, no kidding.
Roddy was very friendly too.
Those were the good old days
Wull
FRAJM
>Hey Rick,
>
>Did I ever tell you that I met Vera Ellen in person? It was
>during National Movie week and she, Roddy McDowell and
>Philip Reed (I wonder how many people remember him?) visited
>and had lunch at SVC. I met them and shook hands. She was
>very cute and had a waist of about 12 inches, no kidding.
>Roddy was very friendly too.
>
>Those were the good old days
>
>Wull
>
Philip Reed, who played Tommy Drake in _Song of the Thin Man_? Very cool.
So was Vera-Ellen camouflaging her long neck with a scarf or high collar that
day, or was that just something the studio foisted on her? She did have the
most peculiar physique between the neck and unnatural waistline. I suppose she
was elfin overall, right?
As for McDowall, I've never heard anything but the nicest things about him, a
gentleman of the old school, like you and me. Well, more you than me, I
suppose.
But what's SVC?
Wull
FRAJM wrote:
>
> wjma...@datarecall.net wrote:
> >Hey Rick,
> >
> >Did I ever tell you that I met Vera Ellen in person? It was
> >during National Movie week and she, Roddy McDowell and
> >Philip Reed (I wonder how many people remember him?) visited
> >and had lunch at SVC. I met them and shook hands. She was
> >very cute and had a waist of about 12 inches, no kidding.
> >Roddy was very friendly too.
> >
> >Those were the good old days
> >
> >Wull
> >
>
> Philip Reed, who played Tommy Drake in _Song of the Thin Man_? Very cool.
I knew that you would know who he was.
>
> So was Vera-Ellen camouflaging her long neck with a scarf or high collar that
> day, or was that just something the studio foisted on her? She did have the
> most peculiar physique between the neck and unnatural waistline. I suppose she
> was elfin overall, right?
She was very elfin. I never noticed a long neck. I was
mesmerized by the famous people.
>
> As for McDowall, I've never heard anything but the nicest things about him, a
> gentleman of the old school, like you and me. Well, more you than me, I
> suppose.
>
> But what's SVC?
A Benedictine Monastery on the outskirts of Latrobe, Pa,
where I grew up.
At that time there no females except for a few German nuns.
Students wore
coats and ties and stood when a professor entered a room (to
say prayers). Most of that has changed now.
Wull--who was one of the few non-Catholics at the school. M
Murray would have had apoplexy if she ever saw the praying
in that school. But it was a private school, SO.
ps--I also saw Jimmy Stewart, who lived near Latrobe. Also
saw Preston Foster and Nancy Kelley selling war bonds.
Arnold Palmer and Mr. Rogers are also from Latrobe. I knew
them both.
dancertm
wrote:
>Hey Rick,
>
>Did I ever tell you that I met Vera Ellen in person? It was
>during National Movie week and she, Roddy McDowell and
>Philip Reed (I wonder how many people remember him?) visited
>and had lunch at SVC. I met them and shook hands. She was
>very cute and had a waist of about 12 inches, no kidding.
>Roddy was very friendly too.
>
>Those were the good old days
she was a GREAT and I mean GREAT dancer. Not a great actress, but in
Three Little Words and White Christmas, hit the mark. With Fred..they
did quite well, I think the best since Ginger as she could REALLY
dance. People, when you watch the Fred and Ginger films, Hermes dubbed
Gingers feet, actually in Singing in the Rain, Gwen Verdon dubbed Gene
Kelley's, so....it's a business.
Anorexia..Vera Ellen. What a waste..
____________________________
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FRAJM
[deletion]
>she was a GREAT and I mean GREAT dancer. Not a great actress, but in
>Three Little Words and White Christmas, hit the mark. With Fred..they
>did quite well, I think the best since Ginger as she could REALLY
>dance. People, when you watch the Fred and Ginger films, Hermes dubbed
>Gingers feet, actually in Singing in the Rain, Gwen Verdon dubbed Gene
>Kelley's, so....it's a business.
>
>Anorexia..Vera Ellen. What a waste..
>
>
Vera-Ellen was, I am reasonably confident, naturally slim. She was way too
energetic to be anorexic, at least when she was still making movies. She died
from cancer.
As for your joke about dubbing feet: very funny, very funny indeed.
Howard Brazee
FRAJM wrote:
>
> Howard Brazee <bra...@NOSPAMhome.com> wrote:
>
> >I believe one of the actresses had a contract with a different record
> >company and was replaced in the movie sound track. I'm pretty sure it
> >was Rosemary Clooney but maybe it was Vera-Ellen.
> >
>
> According to the IMDb, Vera-Ellen was dubbed by one Trudy Stevens. V-E was a
> dancer primarily and very possibly not a good enough singer. She certainly was
> no great shakes as an actress.
That makes sense. I still think Clooney was dubbed - unlike Vera-Ellen,
Clooney was a major recording artist who would have a contract with a
different record company. Her dubbing's more interesting. But I found
your article to be interesting.
Abfou
_______________________
Clooney's WHITE CHRISTMAS vocals were resung on the Decca soundtrack
LP by Peggy Lee. I believe Lee was under contract to Decca at the
time, and Clooney was signed to Mitch Miller at Columbia. Vera-Ellen's
singing voice, in the movie and on the LP, was provided by Trudy
Stevens.
A similar situation marred the original soundtrack release of THERE'S
NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS - Marilyn Monroe's vocals were replaced
by Dolores Gray. It seems record companies in the '50s were loath to
allow their "contract players" to record for rival labels. A
particularly ridiculous instance: Ethel Merman was not allowed to
record the original cast album of her big Broadway hit CALL ME MADAM.
Who replaced her? Why, Dinah Shore, of course!
Abfou
FRAJM
Now that you mention it, I recall a similar situation with the soundtrack album
for _Porgy and Bess_ involving Cab Calloway substituting for Sammy Davis as
Sportin' Life due to contractual conflicts. In this case, we get a chance to
hear an earlier Sportin' Life preserved for us. If the Gershwin estate ever
lets us see the film again (outside the Library of Congress), we'll get to hear
Davis's version, too.
However, I think Howard's asking about the film itself, in this case _White
Christmas_, not the recordings coming out of the movie. Does anybody else think
or know Rosemary Clooney was dubbed in the film itself? I personally am
respectfully doubtful but open to correction.
Wasn't the usual formula to announce in the credits that so-and-so appears
courtesy of such-and-such recording company?
Lewis Angel
I first saw Vera-Ellen Three Little Words, and I've tried to see al of her
movies since then.
What a beauty and what a dancer. Wasn't there something scanadelous about
her career, some reason why she made so few fims?
Lewis
FRAJM
No scandal that I know about, but then I try to stay out of the know. Her movie
career began in 1945, but she'd been in several Broadway shows by then. She
was, previous to that, one of the youngest Rockettes at Radio City Musical
Hall. She actually began dancing at age 10, which would be 1931.
Unfortunately for her long-term career, she probably run up against two
problems as the 50s rolled on: the traditional movie musical was largely dying
and she was aging. I hardly need say that aging is a very cruel issue for
dancers, but especially female dancers and especially in Hollywood. Not fair,
but that is way it is.
Howard Brazee
> However, I think Howard's asking about the film itself, in this case _White
> Christmas_, not the recordings coming out of the movie. Does anybody else think
> or know Rosemary Clooney was dubbed in the film itself? I personally am
> respectfully doubtful but open to correction.
I wasn't clear. That wasn't my question - that was her voice in the
movie.
ot...@sedona.net
> Unfortunately for her long-term career, she probably run up against two
> problems as the 50s rolled on: the traditional movie musical was largely dying
> and she was aging. I hardly need say that aging is a very cruel issue for
> dancers, but especially female dancers and especially in Hollywood. Not fair,
> but that is way it is.
And yet look at Cyd Charisse and Ann Miller. Those two can still kick
their heels over their heads! They also had longer careers than most
hoofers. Luck?
Gloria
--
Meandering to a different drummer.
trcai...@gmail.com
> One of the classic memories I have of 30s and 40s movies is where someone
> (usually Mickey and Judy) get the idea to "put on a show." But it occurs to
> me that I don't actually know which films this now stereotypical situation
> was actually used. And so I ask ...
>
> 1) In what movie did either Judy Garland or Mickey Rooney actually utter the
> immortal line "Hey, my uncle has a barn. Let's put on a show." (Or words to
> that effect.)
>
> 2) And in what other Mickey/Judy films contained a situation where a group
> of earnest, talented kids decide to put on a show?
>
> 3) And are there other movies of the 30s and 40s that contained this same
> premise? (Right off the bat I think of "Summer Stock." Can anybody think of
> others?)
>
> Steve
"I made all these great musicals with Judy Garland. It was all about me going into a barn and saying, 'Let's put on a show!' That's what me and Judy did." - Mickey Rooney
https://www.google.com/search?q=let%27s+put+on+a+show+mickey+rooney&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwifnNqa7vjQAhWGjVQKHQVOCjIQ_AUICSgC&biw=1920&bih=956#imgrc=BOjetpVJcnI8ZM%3A
Bill Anderson
Bill Anderson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRZ5400UKSc
Bill Steele
the talented classical musician kids in the neighborhpod.
The Our Gang kids did this a lot.
The rock ad roll movies in the late 50s often ended with a "show"
featuring all the bands they'd hired for the movie.
All this comes from a time when they thought they had to have an excuse
for musical numbers. You couldn't just have people start singing and
dancing in the course of real life, like they would on Broadway. So the
movie had to be about people in show business, or somebody had to put on
a show. Or it was a dream sequence. People were forever getting
opportunities to "audition" for something.