Singin' and Dancing Back in Time.: A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS (1937)

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS (1937)

A Damsel in Distress (1937) Musical/comedy. Cast: Fred Astaire, Joan Fontaine, George Burns, and Gracie Allen. Screenplay by P. G. Wodehouse, based on his novel of the same name. music and lyrics by George and Ira Gershwin. Director: George Stevens.

The romantic life of Lady Alyce Marshmorton, is the talk of Totleigh Castle. To win the marriage pool, Albert, who works at the estate, forges a love letter from Alyce to Jerry Halliday, who she met in a London. Jerry, after reading the letter, leaves London with his publicist, George and Gracie, to meet Alyce. Meanwhile Alyce, who is really in love with an American skier and being chaperoned by her aunt Lady Caroline, is suprised to see Jerry. Jerry wins Alyce's heart at a carnival. Beggs, who had put his money on Reggie, sees that is going to loose, forces Albert to trade bets with him. Albert turns Alyce against Jerry by showing her a gossip column about Jerry's past, which had been made up by George. Heartbroken Alyce breaks it to Jerry at a Marshmorton ball that she no longer loves him. Will Jerry convince Alyce of his love and desire for marriage. I really enjoyed going back in time watching the dance numbers with George Burns and Gracie Allen.

FUN FACT:
The song "Put Me To The Test" was used as an instrumental in this film, but Ira Gershwin had written lyrics to it, and when the film "Cover Girl" was made in 1944, composer Jerome Kern fitted his own tune to the already existing lyrics, and the new song was sung and danced in that film by Gene Kelly.

Soundtracks:

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"I Can't Be Bothered Now"
Words by Ira Gershwin
Music by George Gershwin
Song and dance performed by Fred Astaire

"The Jolly Tar and the Milkmaid"
Words by Ira Gershwin
Music by George Gershwin
Performed by Pearl Amatore, Betty Rome, Jack George, Fred Astaire, Jan Duggan,
Mary Dean, chorus

"Put Me to the Test"
Music by George Gershwin
Dance performed by Fred Astaire, George Burns, Gracie Allen

"Stiff Upper Lip"
Words by Ira Gershwin
Music by George Gershwin
Song performed by Gracie Allen
Dance performed by Fred Astaire, George Burns, Gracie Allen, chorus

"Things Are Looking Up"
Words by Ira Gershwin
Music by George Gershwin
Song performed by Fred Astaire
Dance performed by Fred Astaire, Joan Fontaine

"Sing of Spring"
Words by Ira Gershwin
Music by George Gershwin
Performed by Madrigal Singers

"A Foggy Day"
Words by Ira Gershwin
Music by George Gershwin
Performed by Fred Astaire

"Nice Work If You Can Get It"
Words by Ira Gershwin
Music by George Gershwin
Performed by Betty Rome, Jan Duggan, Mary Dean, Fred Astaire,
Pearl Amatore

"Ah! Che a Voi Perdoni Iddio (Ah! May Heaven to You Grant Pardon)"
from "Martha"
Music by Friedrich von Flotow
Performed by Reginald Gardiner dubbed by Mario Berini

"Nice Work If You Can Get It"
Instrumental reprise
Dance performed by Fred Astaire

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Bob Fosse

Was a musical theater choreographer and director, screenwriter and film director. He won an eight Tony Awards for choreography, as well as one for direction. He was nominated for an Academy Award four times, winning for his direction of Cabaret. He was identified with his third wife, Gwen Verdon. She was both the dancer/collaborator who he choreographed much of his work and, together with dancer/choreographer Ann Reinking, a guardian of the Fosse legacy after his death. Fosse is considered to be one the most influential coreographers of the 20th Century.

Esther Williams.

JANE POWELL

After rising to fame as a singer in her home state of Oregon, Powell was signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer while still in her teens. Once there, the studio utilized her vocal, dancing and acting talents, casting her in such musicals as Royal Wedding, with Fred Astaire, A Date with Judy, with friend Elizabeth Taylor and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, with Howard Keel. In the late 1950s, her film career slowed, only to be replaced with a busy theater and television career.Click picture to enter websight.

Jeanette MacDonald

Singer and actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier (Love Me Tonight, The Merry Widow) and Nelson Eddy (Naughty Marietta, Rose-Marie, and Maytime). During the 1930s and 1940s she starred in 29 feature films, four nominated for Best Picture Oscars (The Love Parade, One Hour With You, Naughty Marietta and San Francisco), and recorded extensively, earning three gold records. She later appeared in grand opera, concerts, radio, and television. MacDonald was one of most influential sopranos of the 20th century. Click picture to view fan website.

Joan Crawford.

Click picture to view website. Joan Crawford, born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre. Starting as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway, Crawford was signed to a motion picture contract by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1925. Initially frustrated by the size and quality of her parts, Crawford began a campaign of self-publicity and became nationally known as a flapper by the end of the 1920s. In the 1930s, Crawford's fame rivaled MGM colleagues Norma Shearer and Greta Garbo. Crawford often played hardworking young women who find romance and financial success. These "rags-to-riches" stories were well-received by Depression-era audiences and were popular with women. Crawford became one of Hollywood's most prominent movie stars and one of the highest paid women in the United States, but her films began losing money and by the end of the 1930s

Rodgers and Hammerstein.

Richard Rodgers (1902 – 1979) and Oscar Hammerstein II (1895 – 1960) the songwriting duo, on our musical page. They created many popular Broadway musicals in the 1940s and 1950s during what is considered the golden age. With Rodgers composing the music and Hammerstein writing the lyrics, five of their shows, Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I and The Sound of Music. They won thirty-four Tony Awards, fifteen Academy Awards, the Pulitzer Prize, and two Grammys. Click picture to read movie reviews.

Cab Calloway

Calloway was a master of energetic scat singing and led one of the United States' most popular African American big bands from the start of the 1930s through the late 1940s. Calloway's band featured performers including trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie and Adolphus "Doc" Cheatham, saxophonists Ben Webster and Leon "Chu" Berry, New Orleans guitar ace Danny Barker, and bassist Milt Hinton. Calloway continued to perform until his death in 1994 at the age of 86 .Click picture to view official website.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS (1937)

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