On With The Show...
World War II - which for Europe took place between September 1939 to May, 1945, for America it would be December 1941 to August 1945, and this galvanized Hollywood to satiate a boom in the
domestic market that offered recompense for a European audience that was slowly but surely dwindling.Some cinemagoers were not only anticipating the opportunity to see films thematic with war; and some were desperate to seek exit from thoughts of this war's atrocities and longed for escapist and fantastical fare to alleviate the anxieties and fears they were privy to
during this time Musicals, comedies and Westerns would be in higher demand than ever before.
And one particular artistic conquest was the newly sophisticated form of the film musical, and most exemplary would be two musical productions in particular; MGM's Meet Me In St Louis (1944) and On The Town (1949). The economic climate
that rained down hard on Hollywood during the late Forties resulted in a realist tendency parallel to and quite likely influenced by developments in Europe. Hollywood film-makers, as a result would take their cameras out of the studios and take to the streets.
When Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers went seperate ways in 1939 following The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle, it was indubitably the end of a Hollywood era. Gone, would be the once swank setting and art-deco chic of the Thirties it's musical based on romantic tussles of a dancing team, all a memory now . However, they were still keeping their peepers out for a new partner that could fill the
intimidating shoes of Ms Rogers. The successive starlets that attempted such, would never rival the chemistry that Astaire had with Rogers and Fred would never cut the rug more than two productions with these new disappointing proxies.
It was obvious that tastes were making that more noticeable, if not exactly definable, shift which seems to occur at least every decade or so. Musicals, apparently were in particular, vulnerable to this change. In the old spirit of try-anything-once, filmmakers had some new tricks up sleeve, and two of those new gimmicks were youth and popular classics. Of course, if these two aspects could be concocted into one neat package, that would be even more desirable a result. And just what they had in mind was right straight around the corner - Deanna Durbin (b.1921). Here she was winsome and wholesome, barely more than a child in presence, while at the same time executing a proper adult coloratura soprano.
It was the high-school musical that was the perfect setting for 'jazzing the classics' that would take off rocket style both at MGM, in the days of Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland - Babes in Arms (1939) and its successors - and in much more modest circumstances, at Universal. It was there, that Donald O'Connor and Peggy Ryan, hipsters of the day, and Gloria Jean, who was herself, none too hep, appeared variously combined in any number of B-status films about co-eds, nubile army recruits and the like, and the trio would grace themselves in When Johnny Comes Marching Home, Mr Big (both 1943) and Follow the Boys (1944).
Even MGM, which was notoriously a law unto itself, had - as well as its now waning singing duo, Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, and now teenage threats, Garland and Rooney - and its own big dancing star in Eleanor Powell (1912-82). Powell was unusual, a stainless steel clad lady who was no Sarah Bernhardt in the acting department, but once her machine-gun taps started, she was so magnetic that she would manage, fell swoop fashion, to hold the audience's attention through such otherwise soporific and patchy vehicles as Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935) Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937) and Rosalie (1937). In Broadway Melody of 1940 (actually in 1940)! Miss Powell, for probably the one and only time in her illustrious career, was given a partner of equal standing - Fred Astaire. And some of their regaling routines set to Cole Porter's canon (particularly of note was the extended version of'' Begin the Beguine'), represent a degree of sheer style and a technique rarely matched in the MGM musical. This proved to be the pinnacle of her career, and within three years she was downsized to playing second fiddle to Red Skelton, who now reigned supreme as the company's new star sensation, Eleanor Powell retired gracefully.
At Paramount, Bing Crosby was considered their king of musicals, Bob Hope who was a leading comedy star with adequate singing chops, and four principal gals who divided most of the plum feminine roles at the studio between them. Dorothy Lamour and her trademark sarong, Veronica Lake, the peekaboo pretty and Betty Hutton the no-nonsense musical comedienne. Their callings were clearly defined and there was nary a moment of competitiveness, or any such stepping on toe shenanigans. Occasionally they would swap roles to either assimilate into musical or comedy roles - though it was only Miss Hutton that specialized in this genre with the odd assistance from once band singer, Dorothy Lamour.
Many aspirants to screen stardom during the Thirties and Forties originally did lead bands - including Bing Crosby (1901-1947). Paramount snatched Mr Crosby right up in 1932 and after that point he became a star and overnight sensation with his own radio show. Paramount kept Crosby as one of their brood for 24 years ( he was on occasion loaned to other companies). With his dialed in charm and effortless crooning, Paramount just could not part with him and he was practically their mascot. There would not be many leading ladies that would partner with Bing, with the exception of Dorothy Lamour who he would compete with Bob Hope for her affections and attention in the Road to series. The closest Crosby got outside of these situations for a romantic other was Mary Martin in Rhythm on the River (1940) and the Birth of the Blues (1941) this was when Paramount was banking on her metamorphosis from Broadway to Hollywood star - consequently this would be to no avail, it plainly would not be in the cards for Martin.
Interestingly enough, Crosby was teamed with Paramount's musical star Betty Hutton in Here Comes the Waves (1944) perhaps make that twice, as she did play twins - one of, which was refined and soft-spoken and the other a raucous wildcat). Perhaps Paramount was paranoid that Crosby's laid back demeanor would clash with the Hutton oversell, and with this, they matched her with Eddie Bracken in The Fleet's In (1942) Star-Spangled Rhythm, and The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (both 1943) or with Sonny Tufts in Cross My Heart (1945) since they didn't offer any competition and didn't have to be protected from her onslaughts.
The great government drive toward Pan-American friendship and the Good Neighbor Policy encouraged producers to seek a suitably Pan-American star to decorate films with titles such as
Down Argentine Way (1940) Both 1941's That Night In Rio and Weekend In Havana. They discovered Carmen Miranda (who was in fact born in Portugal, but nobody balked) as their new Brazilian Bombshell. Miranda (1909-1955) was from a disparate class of forties star - the specialty star. As far as anyone could tell, her only claim was her finger-twisting, hip-wagging mock latin number (almost always written for her by old Hollywood stalwarts like Harry Warren) and wearing her
signature tutti-frutti hats.
However, Miss Miranda was the most notorious and famously known specialty star, but not the biggest. That honour would go to both Sonja Henie and the priestess of pools, Esther Williams. Sonja Henie sweetly skated her way to music through nearly a dozen 20-th Century Fox films from 1936's One In a Million to 1948's The Countess of Monte Cristo she would actually retire from the mighty silvers and instead would garner a fortune promoting ice shows. Esther Williams, was MGM's homegrown mermaid and she debuted in Bathing Beauty(1944) and would grace herself in any conceivable production regarding swimming themes. She was queen supreme of elaborate watergoing romances. She would retire following 1955's Jupiter's Darling, but not with a pittance, she would see her way to a similar fortune as Miss Henie. Where Carmen Miranda was an incidental attraction, she was never consulted for anything more than the semi-comic relief. Williams and Henie were proper stars with colossal budget films customized as vehicles just for them, but then again what presided above all was the star musical.
Warners no longer had any tame musical stars, but then again Warners produced no musicals in the Forties. Their only offerings close to that realm were a few dramas with musical scores, that were quite frequently based on the life of popular composers like George M Cohan (Yankee Doodle Dandy 1942), George Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue' of 1945 or Cole Porter's 1946 hummer 'Night and Day.' This would continue until the year 1948, and at this time when they would happen upon, yet another band singer, the name was Doris Day. The Warners quickly transformed Miss Day into overnight star status with her first feature - Romance on the High Seas.
Columbia could boast Rita Hayworth but she was about all they had at this point and they had to milk her for all she was worth. Sadly, Hayworth was not blessed with a singer's voice, and they were hesitant to go through the daunting process of getting Miss Rita a vocal coach. What she could do was dance, and dance her ever-loving heart out, and in between meatier assignments, she did prove in You'll Never Get Rich (1941) and You Were Never Lovelier (1942) to be one of the best partners Fred Astaire could work with, making everyone feel a hypocrite with their former feelings on the subject. She even worked exceptionally well with a finicky footed Gene Kelly in 1944's Cover Girl.
The best that RKO could summon up as a musical alternative for Astaire and Rogers was Anna Neagle, who was contracted under Hollywood at the beginning of the war in Europe and made such non-threatening and nondescript musicals as Irene (1940) and Sunny in 1941.
And of the major independents, David Selznick had bigger fish to fry than worry his head with such frivolity but it was Samuel Goldwyn who would discover a musical comic in the year 1943, and would unleash Danny Kaye unto the world that was waiting - with Up in Arms (1944) following this would be a plethora of semi-musical vehicles.
The big studio for musical stars and star musicals during the Forties was 20th Century Fox. They could accommodate just about any palette. At the beginning of the decade, they still had Shirley Temple, and Sonia Henie skating about and soon after Miss Miranda being Miss Miranda. It was then that the studio would go in for for band singers, and the whole band would also troop along ; two vivacious musicals would host Glenn Miller and his orchestra - Sun Valley Serenade (1941) and Orchestra Wives (1942) - which both were made at the studio.
There were also some serious musical stars, and of them would be Betty Grable and Alice Faye, who were both of the platinum persuasion but otherwise opposite in their styles. Grable had worked her way from only being a chorus gal and did a bit of everything sufficiently if nothing very well. She had bounce, belly fire and was an indomitable spirit. Grable, although seeming larger than life, was a bit on the lilliputian side, her famous gams, in all actuality, short and stocky - which at the time were regarded and considered the very epitome of feminine allure. It was this fact, that she was an average and ordinary type of woman, that would earn her the highest ranks of the great wartime pinup. Soldiers were simply taken by her girl next door and approachable sex appeal. They also felt Betty represented the 'every' girl, and one that they could perhaps take out dancing on any given Saturday night. Alice Faye, on the other hand was an accomplished band singer, she had quivering and vulnerable bee-stung lips and sang in a deep throaty mezzo. Grable was quintessential for belting soulful melancholy torch tunes such as 'You'll Never Know' and 'No Love, No Nothing'.
Like goddesses of dissimilar races, they were naturally kept apart, each in her own assigned sphere but it was a fair assumption that one or other of them would be in any major 20th Century Fox musical . The men who played opposite these lasses, Don Ameche, John Payne and Dan Dailey were merely there for the moral support in the duration of the film. These films that they were perpetually cast in were brash, gaudy and vulgar, birthed in the glaring tints of saturated Technicolor and Fox made no bones about these productions not being of high art. They were, one might consider to be primitive Hollywood at its unfettered finest, and as such they retained their gusto even to this day, when many other pretentious offerings have long since faded away.
Art of course is something else again. But for that one must look elsewhere, to that special area of MGM where Arthur Freed and his team were perpetually up to something that never had been achieved before and was ever so refreshingly different than anything else.
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