Threaded Order Chronological Order
| re: And yet another Ludden Summer Stock "Find" | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 05:29 pm EST 01/01/22 | |
| In reply to: re: And yet another Ludden Summer Stock "Find" - WaymanWong 03:49 pm EST 01/01/22 | |
|
|
|
| Did Ludden have enough voice to sing the role of Tommy? Even Gene Kelly couldn't sing Tommy's more operatic numbers properly. I would guess that White and Ludden played Meg and Jeff. Meg's songs were full of sexual innuendo which was right up White's alley. There is also a scene in Brigadoon where Meg tries to get Jeff into the sack. That would have been ideal for White and Ludden. | |
| reply to this message |
| re: And yet another Ludden Summer Stock "Find" | |
| Last Edit: WaymanWong 07:55 pm EST 01/01/22 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 07:50 pm EST 01/01/22 | |
| In reply to: re: And yet another Ludden Summer Stock "Find" - BroadwayTonyJ 05:29 pm EST 01/01/22 | |
|
|
|
| BroadwayTonyJ, that thought crossed my mind, too, which is why I asked if Betty and Allen could've played Fiona and Tommy. It makes more sense that Betty played Meg and sang the lusty ''Love of My Life'' (which was cut from the MGM film as too suggestive). Allen easily could've handled the role of Jeff, which doesn't require much singing. I wonder why Lerner & Loewe never gave Jeff his own song. (Among my disappointments with the 1954 film is cutting the glorious ''There But for You Go I.'' Reportedly, Kelly's vocals fell short.) |
|
| reply to this message |
| Jeff Douglas in BRIGADOON | |
| Last Edit: BroadwayTonyJ 01:32 pm EST 01/02/22 | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 01:22 pm EST 01/02/22 | |
| In reply to: re: And yet another Ludden Summer Stock "Find" - WaymanWong 07:50 pm EST 01/01/22 | |
|
|
|
| The character of Jeff doesn't really move the story forward, plus he's very cynical and drinks too much. He's mostly just a plot device as Tommy's best friend and someone for Tommy to talk with. Giving Jeff a song would probably make the show too long. Also, George Keane was probably a non-singer. Keane had a substantial Broadway career, but mostly in plays. His only other Broadway musical was as a replacement in Park Avenue, where he was credited on one musical number. Although Van Johnson sang and danced some in the '54 MGM film version, as far as I know Jeff doesn't sing at all in the stage production of Brigadoon. Sadly, MGM filmed, then cut 3 musical numbers from the film, including "Come to Me, Bend to Me" (my favorite) and "From This Day On". Kelly also recorded "There But for You Go I" -- the cut scenes and Kelly's vocal are included as bonus tracks on the DVD. His singing of two of the show's most beautiful songs is not very good (unfortunately). If MGM had cast Howard Keel and Jane Powell as Tommy and Fiona, we probably would have gotten more of the score in the finished film. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Jeff Douglas in BRIGADOON | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 04:03 pm EST 01/02/22 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 03:59 pm EST 01/02/22 | |
| In reply to: Jeff Douglas in BRIGADOON - BroadwayTonyJ 01:22 pm EST 01/02/22 | |
|
|
|
| As you probably know, but for others who may not, Powell and Keel were filming around that time "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers", which was not expected to be as big a pictures as "Brigadoon" at the box office, so it was treated production-wise as an also-ran, and not given as much of a budget. But "Seven Brides" turned out to be a huge hit, playing at Radio City, and "Brigadoon" was not as big as expected. Turning Tommy and Fiona, which were chiefly singing roles, into dancing roles, didn't help for what is already a dance heavy show. Plus Charisse was always dubbed in films, and frankly, Kelly could sing passably (to my ear) in up-tempos, but I find it heavy sledding for his ballads, even just bidding my time, for example, through his singing and knowing he'll start dancing with Debbie Reynolds in "You Were Meant To Me" soon enough. "Pal Joey" which made him a star on stage, is mostly up-tempos, but Kelly just didn't have as good a singing voice as fellow dancers Gene Nelson, Donald O'Connor and Fred Astaire (ok, some folks think Astaire's voice is reedy, but he really puts over a song and inspired great songs to be written). Also, "There But For You Go I" and "From the Day On", especially really call out for a legit voice to make a beautiful impact, as do Tommy's other songs. I just watched "The Young Girls of Rochefort" again yesterday as a New Year's treat, and of course, other than some dialogue in French, even Gene Kelly's singing is dubbed in that; everyone but Danielle Darrieux is dubbed, but it's a wonderful film with a great cast, wonderful Michel Legrand music and memorable Jacques Demy direction. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| If only BRIGADOON had been filmed by a different studio . . . | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 09:39 am EST 01/03/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Jeff Douglas in BRIGADOON - PlayWiz 03:59 pm EST 01/02/22 | |
|
|
|
| Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones could have been cast as Tommy and Fiona and would have sung the score beautifully. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: If only BRIGADOON had been filmed by a different studio . . . | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 12:36 pm EST 01/03/22 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 12:21 pm EST 01/03/22 | |
| In reply to: If only BRIGADOON had been filmed by a different studio . . . - BroadwayTonyJ 09:39 am EST 01/03/22 | |
|
|
|
| Yes, that would have been a possibility as well, although Shirley Jones didn't start in pictures until 1955 with her debut in "Oklahoma!". Of course, some studio (and Joe Pasternak at MGM especially) might have tried to get Deanna Durbin to return, as they would have her on a wish list for nearly any big musical project which had a leading soprano role, even up to and including "My Fair Lady". Or imagine her as Sarah Brown in "Guys and Dolls"! MGM also I believe meant to film "Brigadoon" on locations in Scotland originally, but decided not to spend the money, so it looks very studio-bound too. I watched recently "DuBarry Was a Lady" which I hadn't seen before. Lucille Ball looks great -- historic in that was her first time in her famous red hair and in gorgeous color. Not a very good film, but while Gene Kelly's dance number is really good, it was questionable to give him the big ballad "Do I Love You" to sing, as he really didn't sing it or ballads in general that well. Lucy was dubbed for her first number, but her distinctive voice was used for the kind of out-of-the-blue way in which "Friendship" is used as a near finale to the film. Of course, Lucy famously sang that number with Vivian Vance later on "I Love Lucy". | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: If only BRIGADOON had been filmed by a different studio . . . | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 06:45 pm EST 01/03/22 | |
| In reply to: re: If only BRIGADOON had been filmed by a different studio . . . - PlayWiz 12:21 pm EST 01/03/22 | |
|
|
|
| Lucy sang "Cuban Pete" with Desi on I LOVE LUCY and "A Couple of Swells" with Red Skeleton on THE LUCY-DESI COMEDY SERIES, both songs rather well. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: If only BRIGADOON had been filmed by a different studio . . . | |
| Posted by: Chromolume 09:16 pm EST 01/03/22 | |
| In reply to: re: If only BRIGADOON had been filmed by a different studio . . . - BroadwayTonyJ 06:45 pm EST 01/03/22 | |
|
|
|
| Lucy sang "Cuban Pete" with Desi on I LOVE LUCY I don't think she literally *sang* anything in that number - he sang a little, but most of the song was spoken in rhythm. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: If only BRIGADOON had been filmed by a different studio . . . | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 02:46 am EST 01/04/22 | |
| In reply to: re: If only BRIGADOON had been filmed by a different studio . . . - Chromolume 09:16 pm EST 01/03/22 | |
|
|
|
| I'm sure you are correct. I'm not as knowledgeable as you -- it's embarrassing since I really know nothing about the technical aspects of music, I'm just a fan. However, whatever Lucille Ball does in the "Cuban Pete" number -- I guess it's "sprechstimme" (speak-singing) -- she nails it IMO and really knows how to shake her can. It even does a little something for me (and I'm gay), but a lot more for Desi (I'm sure). | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Jeff Douglas in BRIGADOON | |
| Posted by: Charlie_Baker 03:18 pm EST 01/02/22 | |
| In reply to: Jeff Douglas in BRIGADOON - BroadwayTonyJ 01:22 pm EST 01/02/22 | |
|
|
|
| Some of Van Johnson's best work. Despite the omssions mentioned, I do enjoy the movie. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Jeff Douglas in BRIGADOON | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 08:02 pm EST 01/02/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Jeff Douglas in BRIGADOON - Charlie_Baker 03:18 pm EST 01/02/22 | |
|
|
|
| Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse had great chemistry and dance beautifully. I agree that Van Johnson is very good in a thankless part. At least 6 songs from the Broadway score were cut. I enjoy the film also, but it should have been a better movie. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
Time to render: 0.032336 seconds.