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Take A Chance (musical)
''Take a Chance'' (1932) is a musical with lyrics by B. G. De Sylva and music by Nacio Herb Brown and Richard A. Whiting, with additional songs by Vincent Youmans, and book by De Sylva and Laurence Schwab. Background ''Take a Chance'' started as a musical titled ''Humpty Dumpty'' written by DeSylva and Schwab, which flopped immediately during out-of town tryouts in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where it had opened on September 26, 1932. The musical was extensively rewritten, and composer Vincent Youmans was brought in to contribute to the score. After further tryouts in Philadelphia, Wilmington, Delaware, and Newark, New Jersey, the musical was renamed, and the book, music, and cast had changed, leaving only Ethel Merman. Composer Richard Whiting subsequently left the production.Green, Stanley. ''The World of Musical Comedy'', (1984), Da Capo Press, , p. 109 Production The musical opened on Broadway at the Apollo Theatre on November 26, 1932 and closed on July 1, 1933 after 243 per ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nacio Herb Brown
Ignacio Herbert "Nacio Herb" Brown (February 22, 1896 – September 28, 1964) was an American songwriter, writer of popular songs, movie scores and Broadway theatre music in the 1920s through the early 1950s. Amongst his most enduring work is the score for the 1952 musical film ''Singin' in the Rain''. Life and career Ignacio Herbert Brown was born in Deming, New Mexico, United States, to Ignacio and Cora Brown.1900 United States Federal Census He had an older sister, Charlotte. In 1901, his family moved to Los Angeles, where he attended Manual Arts High School. His music education started with instruction from his mother, Cora Alice (Hopkins) Brown. Brown first operated a tailoring business (1916), and then became a financially successful realtor, but he always wrote and played. After his first hit "Coral Sea" (1920) and a first big hit, "When Buddha Smiles" (1921), he eventually became a full-time composer. He joined American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jack Haley
John Joseph Haley Jr. (August 10, 1897 – June 6, 1979) was an American actor, comedian, dancer, radio host, singer and vaudevillian. He was best known for his portrayal of the Tin Man and his farmhand counterpart Hickory in the 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film '' The Wizard of Oz''. Early life Haley was born on August 10, 1897. His father was a waiter by trade, and later a ship's steward. He died in the wreck of the schooner Charles A. Briggs at Nahant, Massachusetts on February 1, 1898, when Jack was almost six months old. He had one older brother, William Anthony "Bill" Haley, a musician, who died of pneumonia in 1916 at the age of twenty-one after contracting tuberculosis. Career Haley headlined in vaudeville as a song-and-dance comedian. One of his closest friends was Fred Allen, who would frequently mention "Mr. Jacob Haley of Newton Highlands, Massachusetts" on the air. Haley made a few phonograph records in 1923, and in the early 1930s, Haley starred in comedy shorts f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lillian Roth
Lillian Roth (December 13, 1910 – May 12, 1980) was an American singer and actress. Her life story was told in the 1955 film ''I'll Cry Tomorrow'', in which she was portrayed by Susan Hayward, who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance. Early life Roth was born on December 13, 1910, in Boston, Massachusetts, the daughter of Katie (née Silverman) and Arthur Rutstein. Her family was Jewish.Stark, Bonnie Rothbart (2009)"Lillian Roth, 1910–1980" ''Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia''. Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved September 6, 2018. She was only 6 years old when her mother took her to Educational Pictures, where she became the company's trademark, symbolized by a living statue holding a lamp of knowledge. In her autobiography, ''I'll Cry Tomorrow'' (1954), she describes being molested by the man who painted her as a statue. She attended the Professional Children's School in New York City with classmates Ruby Keeler and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Billy Rose
Billy Rose (born William Samuel Rosenberg; September 6, 1899 – February 10, 1966) was an American impresario, theatrical showman and lyricist. For years both before and after World War II, Billy Rose was a major force in entertainment, with shows such as ''Billy Rose's Crazy Quilt'' (1931), ''Jumbo'' (1935), '' Billy Rose's Aquacade'' (1937), and ''Carmen Jones'' (1943). As a lyricist, he is credited with many songs, notably "Don't Bring Lulu" (1925), "Tonight You Belong To Me" (1926), "Me and My Shadow" (1927), "More Than You Know" (1929), "Without a Song" (1929), " It Happened in Monterrey" (1930) and "It's Only a Paper Moon" (1933). Despite his accomplishments, Rose may be best known today as the husband of famed comedian and singer Fanny Brice (1891–1951). Life and work Rose was born to a Jewish family in New York City, United States. He attended Public School 44, where he was the 50-yard dash champion. While in high school, Billy studied shorthand under John Robert G ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harold Arlen
Harold Arlen (born Hyman Arluck; February 15, 1905 – April 23, 1986) was an American composer of popular music, who composed over 500 songs, a number of which have become known worldwide. In addition to composing the songs for the 1939 film '' The Wizard of Oz'' (lyrics by Yip Harburg), including " Over the Rainbow", Arlen is a highly regarded contributor to the Great American Songbook. "Over the Rainbow" was voted the 20th century's No. 1 song by the RIAA and the NEA. Life and career Arlen was born in Buffalo, New York, the child of a Jewish cantor. His twin brother died the next day. He learned to play the piano as a youth, and formed a band as a young man. He achieved some local success as a pianist and singer before moving to New York City in his early twenties, where he worked as an accompanist in vaudeville and changed his name to Harold Arlen. Between 1926 and about 1934, Arlen appeared occasionally as a band vocalist on records by The Buffalodians, Red Nichols, Joe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
It's Only A Paper Moon
"It's Only a Paper Moon" is a popular song published in 1933 with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by Yip Harburg and Billy Rose. Background It was originally titled "If You Believed in Me", but later went by the more popular title "It's Only a Paper Moon". The song was written for an unsuccessful 1932 Broadway play called ''The Great Magoo'' that was set in Coney Island. Claire Carleton first performed this song on December 2, 1932. It was used in the movie '' Take a Chance'' in 1933 when it was sung by June Knight and Charles "Buddy" Rogers. Paul Whiteman recorded a hit version later that year, released on the Victor label in October 1933 featuring Bunny Berigan on trumpet and Peggy Healy on vocals. A version released a month before Whiteman's was by Henry King and His Pierre Hotel Orchestra on the Vocalion label. Another popular 1933 recording was done by Cliff Edwards. The song's lasting fame stems from its revival by popular artists during the last years of World War II, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Take A Chance (1933 Film)
''Take a Chance'' is a 1933 American Pre-Code comedy film directed by Monte Brice and Laurence Schwab and written by Monte Brice, Buddy G. DeSylva, Laurence Schwab, Sid Silvers and Richard A. Whiting. It is based on the musical of the same name. The film stars James Dunn, June Knight, Lillian Roth, Cliff Edwards, Lilian Bond, Dorothy Lee and Lona Andre. The film was released on October 27, 1933, by Paramount Pictures. Plot Cast * James Dunn as Duke Stanley * June Knight as Toni Ray *Lillian Roth as Wanda Hill *Cliff Edwards as Louie Webb *Lilian Bond as Thelma Green * Dorothy Lee as Consuelo Raleigh * Lona Andre as Miss Miami Beach *Charles "Buddy" Rogers Charles Edward "Buddy" Rogers (August 13, 1904 – April 21, 1999) was an American film actor and musician. During the peak of his popularity in the late 1920s and early 1930s he was publicized as "America's Boyfriend". Life and career Early ... as Kenneth Raleigh * Charles Richman as Andrew Raleigh *Robert Gle ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Roger Edens
Roger Edens (November 9, 1905 – July 13, 1970) was a Hollywood composer, arranger and associate producer, and is considered one of the major creative figures in Arthur Freed's musical film production unit at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer during the "golden era of Hollywood". Early career and work with Judy Garland Edens was born in Hillsboro, Texas. His parents were of Scots-Irish ancestry. He was a piano accompanist for ballroom dancers before becoming a musical conductor on Broadway. He went to Hollywood in 1932 along with his protégée Ethel Merman, writing and arranging material for her films at Paramount. In 1935 he joined MGM as a musical supervisor and occasional composer and arranger, notably of music for Judy Garland. He also appeared on screen opposite Eleanor Powell in a cameo in '' Broadway Melody of 1936''. Arthur Freed, producer of musicals at MGM, was impressed by Edens and soon made him integral to his production team, which was rapidly growing and featured many of th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sid Silvers
Sid Silvers (January 16, 1901 in Brooklyn, New York – August 20, 1976 in Brooklyn) was an American actor, comedian, lyricist, and writer. Silvers began his career in vaudeville in the early 1920s as a comedy partner of Phil Baker. As part of their act, Silvers would heckle Baker from the audience. The Baker/Silvers act was later used as the basis for the 1951 Martin and Lewis film ''The Stooge''. The duo continued to perform together up through 1928. In 1925 Silvers made his Broadway debut in the review ''Artists and Models''. He also appeared in the review ''A Night in Spain'' in 1927 and contributed lyrics to the musicals '' The Song Writer'' (1928) and '' Pleasure Bound'' (1929). He wrote the book for the 1931 musical ''You Said It''. He returned to the Broadway stage in 1932 to portray Louie Webb in the musical '' Take a Chance''. He later wrote the music and lyrics to the review '' New Faces of 1936''. Silvers made his film debut in the 1929 feature ''The Show of Shows'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
June Knight
June Knight (born Margaret Rose Valliquietto; January 22, 1913 – June 16, 1987) was an American theatre and film actress and singer. Early years Knight was born in Los Angeles in 1913. Sickly throughout the first years of her life, she suffered from tuberculosis when she was 4 years old and doctors told her parents that there was a strong chance that she would not live to maturity. Due to infantile paralysis, she was unable to walk until she was five years old. She started to perform songs and dance publicly at age ten. Career Dancer John Holland changed her name to June Knight when she became his partner, assigning her the same name as that of his previous partner. That change led to a court case in 1940 when the actress June Knight filed suit against the original dancer with that name. The actress said that she had made the name famous and that the dancer had previously agreed to stop using that name. At age 19, she appeared in the last Ziegfeld Follies show, ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jack Whiting (actor)
Jack Whiting (born Albert Draper Whiting, Jr.; June 22, 1901 – February 15, 1961) was an American actor, singer and dancer whose career ran from the early 1920s through the late 1950s, playing leading men or major supporting figures. He performed in 30+ musicals on Broadway, including ''Stepping Stones'' (1923–1924), ''Hold Everything!'' (1928–1929), '' Take A Chance'' (1932–1933), ''Hooray for What!'' (1937–1938), '' Hold On to Your Hats'' (1940–1941), ''Hazel Flagg'' (1953) and '' The Golden Apple'' (1954). As a dancer, his talent was likened to Fred Astaire's and Gene Kelly's. He starred in London's West End premieres of ''Anything Goes'' (1935–1936) and ''On Your Toes'' (1937), and recorded medleys from these shows while in England. As a singer, he enjoyed great success with a few hit songs, such as "You're the Cream in My Coffee" (1928), "I've Got Five Dollars" (1931), and "Every Street's A Boulevard In Old New York" (1953). Whiting acted in theatre plays ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bobby Connolly
William Harold "Bobby" Connolly (July 4, 1897 – February 29, 1944) was an American choreographer and director, first for Broadway musicals and then for films. Connolly was nominated for four Academy Awards for Best Dance Direction, for his work on the films ''Go Into Your Dance'' (1935), ''Broadway Hostess'' (1935), '' Cain and Mabel'' (1936), and '' Ready, Willing and Able'' (1937). Other film credits included dance director for '' Flirtation Walk'' (1934), ''The Patient in Room 18 (film)'' (1938), '' The Wizard of Oz'' (1939) and '' For Me and My Gal'' (1942). His Broadway choreography credits included ''The Desert Song'' (1926), '' Good News'' (1927), ''Funny Face'' (1927), ''The New Moon'' (1928), ''Follow Thru'' (1929), '' Show Girl'' (1929), '' Flying High'' (1930), ''Ziegfeld Follies The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' was a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934 and 1936. They became a radio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
