June Havoc was the first to "Zip!" in
the original 1940 production of Rodgers & Hart's
Pal Joey.
Maybe she learned zipping technique
first-hand from her big sister,
Gypsy Rose Lee.
Below, June with co-Joey-star, Ludlow Lowell.
Gene Kelly and Vivienne Segal played the leads.
June played Gladys Bumps, the nightclub singer where Joey works.
In 1950, a studio cast recording of Pal Joey
was released,
and Jo Hurt sang "Zip"...
just TRY and find a photo of her!
The popularity of the album prompted a
Broadway revival (1952)
and Elaine Stritch, playing Melba Snyder, reporter at large,
got the song (below).
Her commutes from Broadway to New Haven and back
(standing in for La Merm, and previewing in Joey simultaneously)
made for a great story in Elaine's one woman show,
Elaine Stritch at Liberty (below).
In the film version, done in 1957,
the character of Vera Simpson, played by
Rita Hayworth,
got the song.
Rita's voice was dubbed, however,
by Jo Ann Greer,
a big-band singer (below).
Jo Ann sang with Lew Brown and Sonny Burke,
and dubbed for Rita, Kim Novak, Esther Williams, and June Allyson,
just to name a few.
We'll also hear (after all that zipping and unzipping)
Matt Mattox
with "Very Soft Shoes" from Once Upon A Mattress.
Matt (above as the Jester) was a professionally trained dancer
who wowed us in Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (below).
Matt also appeared in The Band Wagon,
There's No Business Like Show Business, Til The Clouds Roll By...
and performed on several TV variety shows.
He later formed a dance company in Europe.
With music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by Truman Capote,
House Of Flowers
starred Pearl Bailey (above with "flowers)
and a young Diahann Carroll,
below with Geoffrey Holder.
Juanita Hall, Alvin Ailey, and Ray Walston also starred.
We'll hear another "shoe" song:
"Can I Leave Off Wearing My Shoes?"
And in our Golden-Oldie, Hollowoodie corner,
Shirley Temple (age 10)
and George Murphy hoof it up in
Little Miss Broadway.
This was Shirley's 26th movie? Jeez!
No comments:
Post a Comment