''Hit the Deck'' is a

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwo ...

with music by

Vincent Youmans Vincent Millie Youmans (September 27, 1898 – April 5, 1946) was an American Broadway composer and producer. A leading Broadway composer of his day, Youmans collaborated with virtually all the greatest lyricists on Broadway: Ira Gershwin, ...

, lyrics by

Clifford Grey Clifford Grey (5 January 1887 – 25 September 1941) was an English songwriter, librettist, actor and screenwriter. His birth name was Percival Davis, and he was also known as Clifford Gray. Grey contributed prolifically to West End and B ...

and

Leo Robin Leo Robin (April 6, 1900 – December 29, 1984) was an American composer, lyricist and songwriter. He is probably best known for collaborating with Ralph Rainger on the 1938 Academy Award for Best Original Song, Oscar-winning song "Thanks for t ...

and book by

Herbert Fields Herbert Fields (July 26, 1897March 24, 1958) was an American librettist and screenwriter. Biography Born in New York City, Fields began his career as an actor, then graduated to choreography and stage direction before turning to writing. From ...

. It was based on the 1922 play ''Shore Leave'' by Hubert Osborne. The title refers to a nautical slang term that means to prepare for action (general) or to drop to a prone position on the ground (as a defensive response to hostile fire). The original production was staged at the

Belasco Theatre The Belasco Theatre is a Broadway theater at 111 West 44th Street, between Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue, in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Originally known as the Stuyvesant Theatre, it was built in 1907 a ...

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, opening on April 25, 1927, and running for 352 performances. Charles King played Bilge and

Louise Groody Louise Groody (1897–1961) was an American Broadway musical comedy star of the 1920s who introduced to New York audiences the song " Tea for Two" in the musical '' No, No, Nanette''. Early life Louise Groody was born on March 27, 1897, in Waco ...

played Loulou. The show's co-producers were Youmans and

Lew Fields Lew Fields (born Moses Schoenfeld, January 1867 – July 20, 1941) was an American actor, comedian, vaudeville star, theatre manager, and producer. He was part of a comedy duo with Joe Weber. He also produced shows on his own and starred in ...

, and Lew Fields co-directed with Alexander Leftwich. The production ran for 352 performances. The first London production opened at the

Hippodrome The hippodrome ( el, ἱππόδρομος) was an ancient Greek stadium for horse racing and chariot racing. The name is derived from the Greek words ''hippos'' (ἵππος; "horse") and ''dromos'' (δρόμος; "course"). The term is used i ...

on July 3, 1927 and ran for 277 performances. It starred

Stanley Holloway Stanley Augustus Holloway (1 October 1890 – 30 January 1982) was an English actor, comedian, singer and monologist. He was famous for his comic and character roles on stage and screen, especially that of Alfred P. Doolittle in ''My F ...

. In ''

The Manchester Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the G ...

'',

Ivor Brown Ivor John Carnegie Brown CBE (25 April 1891 – 22 April 1974) was a British journalist and man of letters. Biography Born in Penang, Malaya, Brown was the younger of two sons of Dr. William Carnegie Brown, a specialist in tropical diseases, ...

praised Holloway for a singing style "which coaxes the ear rather than clubbing the head."

Songs

;Act I *Join the Navy – Loulou, Gobs and Girls *What's a Kiss Among Friends? – Toddy, Charlotte, Alan and Girls *Harbor of My Heart – Loulou and Bilge *Shore Leave – Chorus *Lucky Bird – Lavinia *Looloo – Loulou and Boys *Why, Oh Why? – Charlotte and Chorus * Sometimes I'm Happy (Sometimes I'm Blue) – Loulou and Bilge ;Act II *Hallelujah! – Lavinia and Chorus *Hallelujah! (Reprise) –Lavinia *Looloo (Reprise) –Loulou and Boys *Utopia – Loulou and Bunny

Film adaptations

Ann Miller and Tony Martin in Hit The Deck (Trailer)

Two films based on the musical were made. The first was in 1930 and starred

Jack Oakie Jack Oakie (born Lewis Delaney Offield; November 12, 1903 – January 23, 1978) was an American actor, starring mostly in films, but also working on stage, radio and television. He portrayed Napaloni in Chaplin's ''The Great Dictator'' (194 ...

. It was remade in 1955 with a slightly different screenplay and differently named characters. It starred Jane Powell and Tony Martin.

References

External link

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hit The Deck (Musical) 1927 musicals Broadway musicals Musicals by Herbert Fields Musicals based on plays