They Call the Wind Maria: From the film Paint Your Wagon(1963).

"They Call The Wind Maria"
Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
Music by Frederick Loewe
Sung by Harve Presnell & The Chorus

The Benny Goodman Story(1956)

The Benny Goodman Story (1956). Biographical film. Cast: Steve Allen and Donna Reed, Director: Valentine Davies. The film is based on the life of clarinetist Benny Goodman, who recorded most of the clarinet solos used in the film. Lionel Hampton, Martha Tilton, Kid Ory, George Givot, Gene Krupa, and many other musicians have cameo appearances in this film. Ziggy Elman performed on screen recreating his trumpet solo on "And the Angels Sing", he was unable to record his portion for the soundtrack; Manny Klein actually performed it, off-camera.

I just love Biographical films. This story begins with Benny becoming an excellent clarinetist by the time he is fourteen. Benny's grabs the first opportunity to play in a ragtime band, he joins the musicians' union and begins his career. Benny has the opportunity to listen to the "Kid", who tells for him to play the way he feels and invites him to sit in. Benny, joins the Ben Pollack band and plays at dances throughout the country. The Pollack band secures a job in the speakeasy of Benny's former neighbor, now gangster, Little Jake Primo. There he meets John Hammond, a music critic and his sister Alice, who prefers classical.

Pollack's band flops in New York and Benny, begins to worry that there is no audience for his kind of music, and is forced to perform with more traditional dance bands. Still impressed with Benny's talent, Hammond invites him to perform a Mozart clarinet concerto before an audience in the Hammond mansion. Alice is surprised by "all this emotion comes pouring out" when he plays. Benny forms a band and begins to perform on an NBC Saturday night radio program. Jazz musician Fletcher Henderson hears the program and is so impressed that he contributes arrangements for the band. After the show is canceled, Benny's orchestra goes on tour, but before he leaves, he and Alice declare their feelings for each other. The tour is a failure until the orchestra reaches Palomar, California, where, the group is a huge success. Benny sees Alice in the audience and plays "Memories of You" for her. Benny forms a quartet that includes Lionel Hampton, Teddy Wilson and Gene Krupa, and by the time Benny, his orchestra and his quartet return to Chicago, they are making headlines. Benny is booked into Carnegie Hall and worries that "a hall full of longhairs" will not like the orchestra's music. Which features guest performers Harry James, Ziggy Elman and Martha Tilton.

Benny Goodman's band performed in many musicals: The Big Broadcast of 1937, Hollywood Hotel (1938), Syncopation (1942), The Powers Girl (1942), Stage Door Canteen (1943), The Gang's All Here (1943), Sweet and Lowdown (1944) and A Song Is Born (1948). Goodman's only starring feature was Sweet and Low Down (1944). Goodman's success story was told in the 1955 motion picture The Benny Goodman Story with Steve Allen and Donna Reed. It was a follow up to 1954's successful The Glenn Miller Story. The screenplay was heavily fictionalized, but the music was real. Many of Goodman's professional colleagues appear in the film, including Ben Pollack. Gene Krupa, Lionel Hampton and Harry James.



This clip is, The Benny Goodman big band playing Sing Sing Sing, featuring Gene Krupa at the end. Also... Mr. Harry James plays a trumpet solo.

Lena Horne, singing : Stormy Weather.

She made her debut with MGM in 1942's Panama Hattie, and performed the title song of Stormy Weather (1943), which she made at 20th Century Fox, on loan from MGM.

Rest In Peace Lena Horne (1917-2010)

Lena Horne has passed away at age 92.

Horne was born in June 1917 in Brooklyn. By her teens she began singing in nightclubs, including the famed Cotton Club as a chorus girl.

Although her Hollywood career spanned six decades, she never really achieved any huge success in that arena often because of her African American heritage was seen by studios as a deterrent when casting for lead roles or roles that might necessitate an interracial relationship on screen.

She was best known in the entertainment world for her singing and showcased that in more nightclubs, on Broadway and on TV variety shows, including "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "The Judy Garland Show." Later in her career she appeared on "The Cosby Show" and "The Muppet Show."

She won several Grammy awards over her career and received a best actress Tony nomination for the musical "Jamaica." Later, she received a special Tony for her one-woman show, "Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music."

Her contributions to the Civil Rights movement include working alongside Paul Robeson and Medgar Evers, participating on the March on Washington and collaborating to end desegregation and lynching.

Horne is survived by her daughter, Gail Lumet Buckley, and granddaughter Jenny Lumet, screenwriter of "Rachel Getting Married."

"Catwoman" Julie Newmar. The "Purrfect" Villainess!

Julie Newmar was a "dancer-assassin" in Slaves of Babylon (1953) and the "gilded girl" in Serpent of the Nile (1953). There is a video on youtube of her dancing in this film. It is a little to racy for me to post here. She also danced in several other films: The Band Wagon and Demetrius and the Gladiators. She also worked as a choreographer and dancer for Universal Studios.

Her first major role, was as one of the brides in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954). Her 3 minute Broadway appearance as the leggy "Stupefyin' Jones" in the musical Li'l Abner in 1956 led to a reprise in the 1959 film version. She was also the female lead in the comedy, The Rookie. She also featured in many further films including, Mackenna's Gold (1969).

Newmar had first appeared on Broadway in 1955 in Silk Stockings with, Hildegarde Neff and Don Ameche. She also performed in the 1961 play, The Marriage-Go-Round, which starred Charles Boyer and Claudette Colbert. Newmar developed the role of the Swedish vixen and won a Tony Award for Best Supporting Actress. She later performed on stage with Joel Grey in the national tour of, Stop the World. I Want to Get Off and as "Lola" in Damn Yankees! and "Irma" in Irma La Douce.


From an early age, Julie Newmar (Catwoman), studied piano, dance and classical ballet. Julie became prima ballerina for the Los Angeles Opera.

Filmography:

Just for You (1952)
Serpent of the Nile (1953)
The Band Wagon (1953)
Slaves of Babylon (1953)
Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954)
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)
Li'l Abner (1959)
The Rookie (1959)
The Marriage-Go-Round (1961)
For Love or Money (1963)
Mackenna's Gold (1969)
The Maltese Bippy (1969)
Mother (1970)
Hysterical (1983)
Love Scenes (1984)
Streetwalkin' (1985)
Evils of the Night (1985)
Deep Space (1987)
Nudity Required (1988)
Body Beat (1988)
Cyber-C.H.I.C. (1989)
Ghosts Can't Do It (1990)
Oblivion (1994)
To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995) (cameo)
Oblivion 2: Backlash (1996)
If... Dog... Rabbit... (1999)

Dan Dailey

Dan Dailey, performed in vaudeville before his Broadway debut in 1937 in Babes in Arms. He then went on to serve in the United States Army during World War II, was commissioned as an Army officer after graduation from Signal Corps Officer Candidate School at Fort Monmouth, NJ. He then returned Hollywood to perform in the movie, Mother Wore Tights (1947). Dailey was Betty Grable favorite co-star. His performance in their film, When My Baby Smiles at Me in 1948 won him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. In 1950, he starred in A Ticket to Tomahawk, often thought of as the first screen appearances of Marilyn Monroe, in a very small part as a dance-hall girl. In 1953, Dailey starred in Meet Me at the Fair. One of his best known roles was in There's No Business Like Show Business (1954), which featured Irving Berlin's music and also starred Ethel Merman, Marilyn Monroe, Johnnie Ray, and Donald O'Connor.

As the poularity of musicals began to fade in the mid-1950s, he moved on to comedic and dramatic roles, including his television series, The Governor & J.J. and the NBC Mystery Movie series "Faraday & Company". His sister was Another World actress Irene Dailey.



Partial filmography:

The Mortal Storm (1940)
Hullabaloo (1940)
Keeping Company (1940)
Lady Be Good (1941)
Mother Wore Tights (1947)
You Were Meant for Me (1948)
When My Baby Smiles at Me (1948)
Chicken Every Sunday (1949)
When Willie Comes Marching Home (1950)
A Ticket to Tomahawk (1950)
My Blue Heaven (1950)
Call Me Mister (1951)
I Can Get It for You Wholesale (1951)
The Pride of St. Louis (1952)
What Price Glory? (1952)
The Girl Next Door (1953)
The Kid from Left Field (1953)
There's No Business Like Show Business (1954)
It's Always Fair Weather (1955)
Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956)
The Wings of Eagles (1957)
The Wayward Bus (1957)
Pepe (1960)
Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man (1962)
Las cuatro noches de la luna llena (Four Nights of the Full Moon) (1963), co-starring Gene Tierney

Moon Over Miami (1941)

A fun Betty Grable movie, Moon Over Miami.

Moon Over Miami (1941) Photos

Kay, Barbara and Susan Latimer come into a small legacy when they expected a large one, then abandon the Texas greasy-spoon where they work to hunt in Miami for rich husbands, said to be plentiful there. Barbara and Susan posing as the secretary and maid of "wealthy" Kay, they check into a posh hotel, and soon Kay is in the delightful predicament of being pursued by two handsome, wealthy bachelors at once. But Musical Comedy Complications arise...Betty plays Kay, while Carole Landis is Barbara and Charlotte Greenwood is Susan. All three actresses are top notch. And might I add Betty looks absolutely stunning in those bright and beautiful dresses and costumes she wears. And she is a knockout during her song and dance numbers. Also on hand are Don Ameche and Robert Cummings. But this one is all about the girls, with Grable and the underrated Carole Landis having a good old time. As does Charlotte Greenwood as their feisty aunt Susan.

Moon Over Miami (1941) Photos