Joke, Schmoke

 Gene and Judy 

in The Pirate,

an MGM biggie from 1948.

Judy and husband/director Vincent Minnelli

had plenty of on-set arguments,

several songs were jettisoned from the original Broadway musical

(one, "Voodoo" was declared too sexy, and replaced by

"Mack The Black"), plus a controversial number

("Be A Clown" by Cole Porter) 

in which Gene danced WITH The Nicholas Brothers

(deleted from the movie by some southern states!)

made for less than successful results at the box office.

 Danny Kaye, "The Maladjusted Jester"

from The Court Jester.

Below with wife, Sylvia Fine, who wrote the music for the film. 

It cost 4 mil to make (one of the most costly comedies of its day)

and proceeded to bomb at the box office.

Basil Rathbone, Glynis Johns, Angela Lansbury and Mildred Natwick

also starred,

along with Vessels and Pestles.

 Donald O'Connor

as Cosmo in Singin' In The Rain

got to sing (and throw himself up against a wall)

to "Make 'Em Laugh",

an "adaption" (no, an outright steal!) of  "Be A Clown".

Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown cloaked the Cole Porter goodie

from The Pirate with different lyrics,

but it's the same damn song.

Cole didn't sue, bless his heart.

 Had to include these great O'Connor pics:

above with Bing Crosby (and what song? what year? what show?),

and below, dapper with cufflinks.