Fund Raisers All!

 Arnold Soboloff,

 played Daddy Johann Sebastian Brubeck

in the original Broadway production of

Sweet Charity,

and got to lead his parishioners in "Rhythm Of Life".

Below, at right with Angela Lansbury in Anyone Can Whistle,

 in which he played Treasurer Cooley.

 Here he is with Dom Deluise in Fatso.

He also appeared in High Anxiety, Silent Movie, 

and The Cat From Outer Space,

 and he did plenty of television, as well,

like Barney Miller, Welcome Back Kotter, Kojak, and Car 54.

Arnold died at the age of 48, 

like most actors would hope to...during a performance...

of Peter Pan (he was playing Smee) 

on Broadway in 1979 

(yup, the Sandy Duncan revival).

 John Lithgow as JJ Hunsecker,

with Bryan d'Arcy James as Sidney Falco,

in The Sweet Smell Of Success.

We'll hear one of JJ's "nicer" songs.

Below the movie versions they had to live up to:

Tony Curtis and Burt Lancaster.

 We fall off the Broadway wagon with

Ella Mae Morse and

"40 Cups Of Coffee" (my new favorite coffee song)

which is totally worth a non-Broadway nod.

Ella Mae hailed from Texas, and was singing with 

Jimmy Dorsey's band by the age of 14.

She later joined up with Freddie Slack (below)

and had her first big recordings:

"Cow Cow Boogie", "Mr. Five By Five",

and "Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet".

 She went solo in 1943,

and had a major hit with "Blacksmith Blues".

Ella Mae's been called the first rock n' roll singer;

her style combined jazz, blues, and a touch of country.

 Don't look now, but this member of the Hazzard clan

has turned jazz singer...and taken turns on Broadway.

We'll hear "Pinstripes" from 

Catch Me If You Can,

in which Tom Wopat originated the role of Frank Abagnale, Sr.

Below with "son" Aaron Tveit

with a dumb hair band. 

(Sorry, it just is!)