GENERAL TRIVIA QUESTION THREAD

[starliteyes]

The actor and the performer he was understudying ended up under contract to the same studio and appeared in 3 pictures together.  The actress would also be signed by the same studio, but the performer she understudied ended up under contract to another studio. 

[starliteyes]

The actor was in a Rodgers & Hart musical and the actress was in a Cole Porter musical.

[Defenestrator]

OK starliteyes, so summing up the clues to your question so far:

Before this actor and actress went to Hollywood and became stars who would make several pictures together, they met and became friends while they were both appearing in hit Broadway shows and were each understudying a performer who would also go on to stardom in Hollywood.

Name the actor and actress, their respective shows and who they were understudying.

The actor and actress were both appearing in musicals written by famous composers at the time that they met. The actor was in a Rodgers & Hart musical and the actress was in a Cole Porter musical.

The actor and the performer he was understudying ended up under contract to the same studio and appeared in 3 pictures together.  The actress would also be signed by the same studio, but the performer she understudied ended up under contract to another studio.

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My first guess:

Cole Porter's "Panama Hattie" production of 1940-42 had Betty Hutton understudying Ethel Merman.

Rodgers & Hart's "Too Many Girls" production of 1939-40 had Eddie Bracken understudying Van Johnson.

On film, Betty Hutton was paired with Eddie Bracken in "The Fleet's In" (1942), "Happy Go Lucky" (1943), "The Miracle of Morgan's Creek" (1943) and "Duffy's Tavern" (1945), and the two also played themselves in "Star Spangled Rhythm" (1942).

But where it falls apart being the reverse of what you say, Eddie Bracken, Betty Hutton and Ethel Merman were all under contract to Paramount while Van Johnson was at MGM. It should be Ethel who is the odd one out based on your question.

 

 

 

 

[starliteyes]

2 hours ago, Defenestrator said:

OK starliteyes, so summing up the clues to your question so far:

Before this actor and actress went to Hollywood and became stars who would make several pictures together, they met and became friends while they were both appearing in hit Broadway shows and were each understudying a performer who would also go on to stardom in Hollywood.

Name the actor and actress, their respective shows and who they were understudying.

The actor and actress were both appearing in musicals written by famous composers at the time that they met. The actor was in a Rodgers & Hart musical and the actress was in a Cole Porter musical.

The actor and the performer he was understudying ended up under contract to the same studio and appeared in 3 pictures together.  The actress would also be signed by the same studio, but the performer she understudied ended up under contract to another studio.

----

My first guess:

Cole Porter's "Panama Hattie" production of 1940-42 had Betty Hutton understudying Ethel Merman.

Rodgers & Hart's "Too Many Girls" production of 1939-40 had Eddie Bracken understudying Van Johnson.

On film, Betty Hutton was paired with Eddie Bracken in "The Fleet's In" (1942), "Happy Go Lucky" (1943), "The Miracle of Morgan's Creek" (1943) and "Duffy's Tavern" (1945), and the two also played themselves in "Star Spangled Rhythm" (1942).

But where it falls apart being the reverse of what you say, Eddie Bracken, Betty Hutton and Ethel Merman were all under contract to Paramount while Van Johnson was at MGM. It should be Ethel who is the odd one out based on your question.

 

 

 

 

That was a good answer, Defestrator, although most of it was not the answer I was looking for.  Panama Hattie was the Cole Porter musical and Betty Hutton is part of that answer.  However, she also had an understudy and that actress was the one who went to MGM along with the two actors from the other musical.

The Rodgers & Hart musical I'm looking for came after Too Many Girls.  It ran from 1940 to 1941. The star of that musical became known for his dancing, while the actor who understudied him didn't do all that much dancing in his films. 

[Defenestrator]

OK, next guess. June Allyson had understudied Betty Hutton in Panama Hattie.

The Rodgers & Hart musical would be Pal Joey starring Gene Kelly who worked with June in Thousands Cheer (1943), The Three Musketeers (1948), Words and Music (1948). But Gene was the original star, so he was not the understudy equivalent to June. I don't know who understudied Gene on the show, although Van Johnson was part of the show also, and he worked numerous times with June on the screen. Was Van the understudy? In that case, Betty would be the Paramount odd one out, with the other three being MGM stars.

[starliteyes]

Yes, believe it or not, Van Johnson understudied Gene Kelly in Pal Joey.  I always wondered if he had to go on for Gene how he could have fit in his clothes because Van appeared to be much bigger and beefier than Gene.  And June Allyson understudied Betty Hutton.

Van Johnson and June Allyson met in the apartment of a mutual friend while they were appearing in these shows and hit it off right away.  Then, of course, they both ended up at MGM where they co-starred in several films.

Good work, Defenestrator!  The thread is all yours.

[Defenestrator]

New question: Who is missing from this group?

Thomas Mitchell, Brian Aherne, Harry Carey, Claude Rains

[lavenderblue19]

18 minutes ago, Defenestrator said:

New question: Who is missing from this group?

Thomas Mitchell, Brian Aherne, Harry Carey, Claude Rains

Brian Donlevy is missing. They were all nominated for Best Supporting Actor for their 1939 films.Thomas Mitchell won btw. ?

[Defenestrator]

Yes, that is correct, and it should be noted that Donlevy's nomination was for portraying Sgt. Markoff in "Beau Geste."

 

Your turn, lavenderblue19.

[lavenderblue19]

I'll leave the Thread Open