Guys and Dolls Film- Replacing Songs

[jv92]

Posted: 2/20/06 at 7:12pm

Here's a question to think about. I was watching the film version of Guys and Dolls on Saturday night on Turner Classic Movies. I realized something. The songs in the film, "Pet Me Poppa" and "A Woman in Love" that replace "A Bushel and Peck" and "I've Never Been in Love Before" respectively are great (I like the latter better than the original.) but why replace two perfectly fine songs for the film? Does anyone know the reasoning?

[*MuSiCaLs_FaN*]

Posted: 2/20/06 at 7:56pm

Why does Hollywood do anything?? hehe

Posted: 2/20/06 at 8:03pm

This is purely speculation, but perhaps "Woman in Love" replaced "I've Never Been in Love Before" due to Brando's limited range.

I know in the film, "Luck Be a Lady," a song that isn't too vocally demanding, is actually pieced together from MANY takes. Brando had a lot of trouble with it. If he could barely sing LBAL, I'd assume he'd have quite a bit of trouble with the more vocally challenging INBILB.

I have no idea about the "Pet Me Poppa" replacement (not a wise move, IMO, though).

[ALWrules]

Posted: 2/20/06 at 10:29pm

I think they took out two of the best songs from the score when they did that, and I agree that it had to do with Brando's range.

[elmore3003]

Posted: 2/20/06 at 10:38pm

"Bushel and a Peck" had been a big hit on the Hit Parade at the time, and maybe Vivian Blaine wanted a new number. There's also another new song, "Adelaide" as well. Perhaps Frank was hoping to win an Oscar for best new song.

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 2/20/06 at 10:41pm

I love Bushel, and whenever I watch the film I miss it dearly...

Posted: 2/20/06 at 10:41pm

"Adelaide" was definitely added as a result of the filmmakers wanting more songs for Sinatra. Sinatra's Nathan Detroit also sings in the title song as well -- a song normally performed by only Nicely-Nicely and Harry the Horse.

Posted: 2/20/06 at 10:46pm

Actually the title song was performed by Nathan Detroit,Nicely-Nicely and Benny Southstreet. Not Harry The Horse. On stage it was a duet by Nicely and Benny.

Posted: 2/20/06 at 10:49pm

Oh, you're right! Sorry, I thought I might have had that wrong, but couldn't think of the other character's name. Harry is Big Jule's minion, right? I'm getting so confused! Updated On: 2/20/06 at 10:49 PM

[timote316]

Posted: 2/20/06 at 10:53pm

Kinda. Harry brings Big Jule to New York.

"Adelaide" added to the score, I think. Taking out "I've Never Been in Love Before" hurt it.

Posted: 2/20/06 at 10:56pm

"Adelaide" added to the score, I think. Taking out "I've Never Been in Love Before" hurt it.

I agree. I also missed "My Time of Day" -- in my opinion, the most underrated Guys and Dolls song (along with "I've Never Been in Love Before").

Posted: 2/20/06 at 11:03pm

This would probably make an interesting thread - In addition to the aforementioned GUYS AND DOLLS - What other wonderful songs were excised from the film versions of Broadway musicals? For me one of the most glaring omissions was the gorgeous "The Music That Makes Me Dance" from the FUNNY GIRL movie.

[ALWrules]

Posted: 2/21/06 at 12:12am

If there was a thread, my vote would be "where did we go right" from the producers. That really ticked me off.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 2/21/06 at 2:43am

I suspect Goldwyn had a hand in some of these changes.

"I've Never been in love Before" is more of an "art" song (gorgeous, but the lyrics are very poetic: "But this is wine that's all to strange and strong..") and Goldwyn wanted pop song hits. They did try to promote "Woman in love" as a hit song (Frankie Laine did a single of it) but it never quite reached the pop standard level.

"Pet Me Poppa" was inserted to build a big production number for teh Goldwyn Girls.

"Adelaide" put in for Sinatra (Sam Levene who played Nathan on Broadway was tone deaf! Unfortunately now when someone who can sing like Nathan Lane gets the role they don't get to sing much. And Jo Sullivan feels the show is perefect as it is without adding the film songs. She's right of course and it is a longish show anyhow.)

One odd thing: GUYS & DOLLS never got a proper soundtrack album. Sinatra was under contract to Capitol - they wanted it for their label. M-g-M was releasing the film so they wanted to do a soundtrack album. And Decca had recording rights - having done the cast album - and they wanted to do an album. In the end Decca did a 45 RPM extended-play record of four songs by Marlon Brando and Jean Simmons (A Woman in Love, I'll Know, IF I Were a Bell and Luck be a Lady - all taken from the film soundtrack.) They also put out an EP of Sammy Davis Jr. singing 4 songs inclusing "Adelaide" which Sinatra himself never recorded! Even on his Reprise album of songs from the show.

[jv92]

Posted: 2/22/06 at 10:47am

Frontrowcentre, since you seem to know a lot about why certain things were done for screen adaptations of musicals, let me ask you this. In another big Sinatra screen musical, Pal Joey, why was the score butchered by cutting a good percentage of the Rodgers and Hart songs from the original and adding fine (but slightly off-character) songs?

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 2/23/06 at 4:07am

The movie was made at a time when the Hollywood Production code was still in effect. Vera had to be made a widow (so she would not be committing adultry); Joey had to have a redemption at the end; Also for some reason they re-set the film in San Francisco (the song "Great big Twn" had its lyrics altered.)

The one interpolation that DID work was Sinatra snging "the Lady is a Tramp" as an insult to Vera. The rest were indeed ill-advised: "My Funny Valentne", "I didn't Know What Time it Was" and "There's a Small Hotel" all seemed very out-of-place.

It's shame because Sinatra was perfectly cast as Joey.

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 2/23/06 at 4:42am

Actually the opening "Fugue for Tinhorns" is sung by Nicely-Nicely Johnson, Benny Southstreet and Rusty Charlie.

Heh...Sorry but I had to point that out. I am pretty attatched to Rusty Charlie, as it was my first professional acting gig.

Akiva

[BananaFruitcake]

Posted: 2/23/06 at 7:48am

They were talking about the title song "Guys and Dolls" being a duet between Nicely and Benny.

[elmore3003]

Posted: 2/23/06 at 8:19am

The major alteration in PAL JOEY for the film beyond interpolating other Rodgers & Hart songs like mad was the switch in Joey's profession from hoofer to singer.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 2/23/06 at 9:49am

The film PAL JOYE also substanially sanitized the ribald lyric for "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered".


I HATE MOVIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Enjolras77]

Posted: 2/23/06 at 10:35am

Of course originally Sinatra wanted to play Sky Masterson, the Brando role, but was inevitably cast as Nathan Detroit. As was mentioned before the song "Adelaide" was added and Nathan was included in "Guys and Dolls" because they wanted Sinatra to have more of an opportunity to sing (other than in "Sue Me" and bits in "The Oldest Established"). The songs "My Time of Day" and "I've Never Been in Love Before" were dropped because they were too "classical or operatic" and hard for Brando to sing. The wrote "A Woman in Love" because it was less classical and fit in well in Brando's limited range. Sinatra, of course, still hated not being able to sing "Luck be a Lady" so he went out and recorded it on his own.