Movie Music

[MilesArcher]

Thanks. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers were in ten movies together. To the best of my knowledge, there was only one song that was featured in two of their movies. What was the title of that song, and in which two movies was it performed?

[MilesArcher]

Right as rain, Mr. Sixes. "They Can't Take That Away From Me", a Gershwin song, was sung by Fred to Ginger in both movies. In "The Barkleys Of Broadway", he sang it as they danced. Did you know it, or did you have to do some research? Your turn now.

[The Lady Eve]

*King Kong* - Max Steiner

[The Lady Eve]

Thank you M6?

 

OK?this film set during WWII and based on a true story was much enhanced by its Oscar-winning score, the second of three it?s composer won?

 

Film? Composer?

[MilesArcher]

Is it "Since You Went Away" with a score by Max Steiner?

[The Lady Eve]

Great guess, but no?the film is set in the early years of WWII but was made in a later decade?the movie?s theme has since become a pop standard recorded by the likes of Sinatra, Bennett, etc.

[MilesArcher]

I will guess "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing". The song was written by Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster, who had won an Oscar for "Secret Love" from "Calamity Jane". The score was by Alfred Newman, who won many Oscars.

[The Lady Eve]

Another great guess, Miles, but no?this is from a later decade?the composer is European, though the film is a very American coming-of-age tale?

[MilesArcher]

I'll take one more shot at it now that you've provided more clues. Is it "Summer of '42", composed by Michel Legrand?

[The Lady Eve]

The third time was the charm, Miles. Yes, it?s *Summer of ?42* (1971) and Michel Legrand. Legrand has been nominated for many Oscars, and won one for this film as well as *The Thomas Crown Affair* (1968) and *Yentl* (1983). His breakthrough score was for Jacques Demy?s *The Umbrellas of Cherbourg* (1964) for which he was nominated for 3 Oscars. Good work, it?s your thread?

[MilesArcher]

Thanks, Eve. It was your last clue that sent me in the right direction. All three of my guesses were movies based on true stories. Both "Since You Went Away" and "Summer Of '42" were wartime movies without any war scenes, and, of course, "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing" was a hit song that was recorded my many artists. Now, for this next one, I was going to choose from three questions that I had in mind, but since they are all so similar, I decided to include them all. That's a dangerous thing. Some people, like myself, enjoy researching these questions. Others may not want to go through as much. Nevertheless, here it is.

 

Part one: In the classic musical "Singin' In The Rain", most of the songs were written by Arthur Freed (the producer), and Nacio Herb Brown. All but one of their songs had been featured in much earlier movies. Freed and Brown did decide to write one new song just for this movie. Question # 1: What was the new song from Freed and Brown in "Singin' In The Rain"?

 

Part two: In 1936, Universal made a film version of the Broadway hit "Show Boat", which had made it's debut in New York in 1927. For this movie version, they included one song by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein that was not in the original Broadway production. Question # 2: What was the new song in the 1936 version of "Show Boat"?

 

Part three: "South Pacific" made it's Broadway debut in 1949. The movie version was made in 1958. For the movie, Rodgers and Hammerstein included one new song that had not been part of the original stage production. Question # 3: What was the new song in the movie version of "South Pacific"?

 

As you're researching these, have some fun. Turn on your speakers, go to YouTube, and listen to some great songs from classic musicals.

[DownGoesFrazier]

deleted

 

Edited by: finance on Jun 8, 2010 11:11 AM

[DownGoesFrazier]

"Make 'Em Laugh", "I Have the Room Above Her", "My Girl Back Home".

[MilesArcher]

Great job. finance! You went three for three. Donald O'Connor had a very memorable comic song and dance with "Make 'Em Laugh". MGM was lucky that they were not sued by Cole Porter when the movie came out, because "Make 'Em Laugh" was very close to Porter's "Be A Clown", which MGM had featured a few years earlier in another Gene Kelly movie called "The Pirate". In "Show Boat", "I Have The Room Above Her" was sung by Alan Jones with Irene Dunne coming in at the end of the song. It was not used in MGM's 1951 version of "Show Boat", but does appear in many stage versions, including the 1993 revival that was produced by Hal Prince. In "South Pacific", "My Girl Back Home" was sung by John Kerr (actually by his voice dubber, Bill Lee") when Lt. Cable (Kerr ) is talking about his life back in the states.

I hope you had fun researching these, finance. Now its your turn.

[DownGoesFrazier]

I'll go the same route, Miles, but I'll make it a little tougher. A well-known fifties movie musical was from a famous Broadway show earlier in the decade. The two scores were virtually the same, but the movie discarded a ballad which had been used in the show and substituted a new one written specifically for the movie by the same songwriter. Most think that the discarded ballad is better than the one that replaced it. Name of movie? Ballad from show that was discarded? New ballad written for the movie?

[cujas]

Cole Porter always wrote additional material for his movie musicals. In *Silk Stockings* he added *Fated to Be Mated* and *The Ritz Roll 'n Rock* for Fred Astaire.

 

The song left out from the show was "As On Through the Seasons We Sail".

 

Is that what you were thinking of?

[DownGoesFrazier]

No. In my film, one signature ballad was substituted for another. Period.

[cujas]

I still think I fit the criteria. Sometimes there can be an answer to your question that you don't even know about.

[DownGoesFrazier]

"The Ritz Roll and Rock" is a signature ballad?

[cujas]

No--I gave you one--you can never admit when you're wrong.

[DownGoesFrazier]

I'm afraid I've got you. I just researched the Broadway show "Silk Stockings", and confirmed what I thought. It is referred to as a "minor" Broadway show. My clues specifically used the terms "famous" and "well-known" for the show and the film.

[cujas]

I don't feel like hiring Perry Mason--you win.

[DownGoesFrazier]

You can hire me to sue myself, but that would be a conflict of interest.

[cujas]

I always wanted to be Della Street--but not in your law office.

 

Counselor, it's your turn.

 

Edited by: cujas on Jun 8, 2010 4:06 PM

[DownGoesFrazier]

For those that sign on to this thread, the latest question is now halfway down the page.