#1
Posted: 6/30/05 at 10:59pm
SAY IT WITH MUSIC was the brain child of Irving Berlin, himself. He shopped it around Hollywood for decades. It came close to being filmed, three times; but it was never meant to be. The first mention of it as a serious film contender, was in the Paramount archives. After the enormous success of Berlin's WHITE CHRISTMAS, Paramount announced that it would produce a new VistaVision feature called SAY IT WITH MUSIC, re-teaming the WHITE CHRISTMAS stars. It was to feature existing Berlin tunes and new ones written just for the film. I could find no details about the script, although I found one press release that claimed Berlin "was busy working on a screen story". I could find no mention of why the project never materialized, but, in 1956, 20th Century Fox announced Irving Berlin's SAY IT WITH MUSIC, as a follow-up to their successful THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS. Again, I found no details regarding a script; but Marilyn Monroe was to star. Again, nothing. Then in 1958, Berlin signed a new deal with
MGM. Studio communications and press releases of the time describe this new deal as "an all-star production," helmed by Arthur Freed and set to be "Metro's biggest musical of 1959." In The new MGM version of SAY IT WITH MUSIC was to be based on the theme "that music is an international language" with a storyline that covered several countries and featured "US stars and international personalities".
For reasons, that I could not ascertain, the film was delayed for the next few years though I did read continued correspondence which suggests that it officially remained part of MGM's production schedule.
More activity in 1962/1963 when MGM announces renewed plans for the film. Freed is still producer and Vincente Minnelli is officially contracted as director. Arthur Laurents drafts a script. I could not find a full copy of this script but I found a treatment and some scenes. The film was to be about a womanizer traveling around the world, romancing women from four different countries (UK, USA, France and Italy). Robert Goulet is now being mentioned as the male lead, and the females are to be portrayed by Julie Andrews, Ann-Margret, Brigitte Bardot and Sophia Loren. What's interesting about the mention of Julie Andrews, is that this predates MARY POPPINS, which was a surprise, considering that Jack Warner wouldn't use her in MY FAIR LADY. In fact, there were memos between Minnelli and Freed from 1962 where they are both enthusiastic about Julie as one of the possible stars and refer to the "chemistry" between she and Goulet on stage in CAMELOT. In a memo from Minelli to Irving Berlin, he mentions a meeting that had taken place
between Freed, Berlin and Julie and how excited they were that Julie was set to come on board. Minnelli writes: "I've no doubt Julie would be perfect in the part and she positively glows on screen." I assume they did a screen test with Julie. Once again, for reasons I couldn't figure out, the film hits another snag.
In January 1965, it was announced that filming would start in August with Julie Andrews and Sophia Loren, the only
stars "to be confirmed". Yet by July, it was announced that Frank Sinatra had been signed on as the lead and that, due to his dissatisfaction with the script, Leonard Gersche would rewrite. I found nothing of this version in the archives; but only four weeks later, MGM
announced that Comden and Green had been signed on to do a 'final' screenplay for the project. I was told that a complete version of this screenplay exists, but I could only find drafts, with handwritten rewrites and notes. In this version, SAY IT WITH MUSIC traces the universality of love across the 20th century. There are three different stories - 1913, 1925 and 1960's.
As the script says "no matter how the times change, human relationships and the need for love remain the same." The stories were to be told in cross-cutting fashion, the three stories develop across the course of the film, all reaching their mirror climax in a split-screen finale. Essentially, the stories concern three young independent women--a suffragist daughter of a wealthy industrialist in the teens; a jazz age musical comedy star; and a 1960s career woman--all learn that female independence is okay; but that true happiness can only ever be found in the arms of a man.
The only star that I could find information about was Julie Andrews (although it is assumed that Frank Sinatra would be in all three stories). Julie was slated for the part of the 1920s musical star, Jill-- a struggling chorine in a musical revue at the Music Box
Theatre who is called on to sub for a sick star. In the audience is famed silent film star, Larry Fox. Naturally, the two
fall in love and, Jill's fame escalates as Larry's takes a rapid downward spiral.
Things reach a head when Larry asks Jill to marry him and sail away on his yacht so he can "find himself" but, having just been offered her own show, she sadly turns him down. Jill realizes the error of her ways and, in she races off after him across Hudson Bay (which seems to have been later used in FUNNY GIRL), throwing herself into his arms--along with the other two women who are doing the same with their respective beaux in glorious triple screen montage--as Berlin's "Always" swells on the soundtrack.
Well, this is MORE than enough. For various reason, the film gets delayed again (mostly due to Julie's schedule, now that she's a great big movie star), and by the time she's available to make the film, MGM is bankrupt and musicals are the kiss of death.
MGM. Studio communications and press releases of the time describe this new deal as "an all-star production," helmed by Arthur Freed and set to be "Metro's biggest musical of 1959." In The new MGM version of SAY IT WITH MUSIC was to be based on the theme "that music is an international language" with a storyline that covered several countries and featured "US stars and international personalities".
For reasons, that I could not ascertain, the film was delayed for the next few years though I did read continued correspondence which suggests that it officially remained part of MGM's production schedule.
More activity in 1962/1963 when MGM announces renewed plans for the film. Freed is still producer and Vincente Minnelli is officially contracted as director. Arthur Laurents drafts a script. I could not find a full copy of this script but I found a treatment and some scenes. The film was to be about a womanizer traveling around the world, romancing women from four different countries (UK, USA, France and Italy). Robert Goulet is now being mentioned as the male lead, and the females are to be portrayed by Julie Andrews, Ann-Margret, Brigitte Bardot and Sophia Loren. What's interesting about the mention of Julie Andrews, is that this predates MARY POPPINS, which was a surprise, considering that Jack Warner wouldn't use her in MY FAIR LADY. In fact, there were memos between Minnelli and Freed from 1962 where they are both enthusiastic about Julie as one of the possible stars and refer to the "chemistry" between she and Goulet on stage in CAMELOT. In a memo from Minelli to Irving Berlin, he mentions a meeting that had taken place
between Freed, Berlin and Julie and how excited they were that Julie was set to come on board. Minnelli writes: "I've no doubt Julie would be perfect in the part and she positively glows on screen." I assume they did a screen test with Julie. Once again, for reasons I couldn't figure out, the film hits another snag.
In January 1965, it was announced that filming would start in August with Julie Andrews and Sophia Loren, the only
stars "to be confirmed". Yet by July, it was announced that Frank Sinatra had been signed on as the lead and that, due to his dissatisfaction with the script, Leonard Gersche would rewrite. I found nothing of this version in the archives; but only four weeks later, MGM
announced that Comden and Green had been signed on to do a 'final' screenplay for the project. I was told that a complete version of this screenplay exists, but I could only find drafts, with handwritten rewrites and notes. In this version, SAY IT WITH MUSIC traces the universality of love across the 20th century. There are three different stories - 1913, 1925 and 1960's.
As the script says "no matter how the times change, human relationships and the need for love remain the same." The stories were to be told in cross-cutting fashion, the three stories develop across the course of the film, all reaching their mirror climax in a split-screen finale. Essentially, the stories concern three young independent women--a suffragist daughter of a wealthy industrialist in the teens; a jazz age musical comedy star; and a 1960s career woman--all learn that female independence is okay; but that true happiness can only ever be found in the arms of a man.
The only star that I could find information about was Julie Andrews (although it is assumed that Frank Sinatra would be in all three stories). Julie was slated for the part of the 1920s musical star, Jill-- a struggling chorine in a musical revue at the Music Box
Theatre who is called on to sub for a sick star. In the audience is famed silent film star, Larry Fox. Naturally, the two
fall in love and, Jill's fame escalates as Larry's takes a rapid downward spiral.
Things reach a head when Larry asks Jill to marry him and sail away on his yacht so he can "find himself" but, having just been offered her own show, she sadly turns him down. Jill realizes the error of her ways and, in she races off after him across Hudson Bay (which seems to have been later used in FUNNY GIRL), throwing herself into his arms--along with the other two women who are doing the same with their respective beaux in glorious triple screen montage--as Berlin's "Always" swells on the soundtrack.
Well, this is MORE than enough. For various reason, the film gets delayed again (mostly due to Julie's schedule, now that she's a great big movie star), and by the time she's available to make the film, MGM is bankrupt and musicals are the kiss of death.
ConvinceMe2 is dead. Long live BrendanStryker!
.jpg?format=auto&width=365)
