60 years ago tonight (Oct 12, 1950)

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 10/12/10 at 2:21am

The musical comedy CALL ME MADAM opened at the Imperial theatre with Ethel Merman starring as Sally Adams, a character inspired by Pearl Mesta.

Mesta was a successful Washington party-giver and fundraiser who was rewarded for her efforts when Harry Truman appointed her as the U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg.

In Lindsay and Crouse's script for CALL ME MADAM, Ethel Merman is a wealthy widow who gives such fabulous Washington parties that a president named "Harry" appoints her as ambassador to "Lichtenburg."

Audiences loved the topicality and anticipating a sure-fire hit bought up more than a million dollars worth of tickets before the show even opened. Scalpers were asking $400 for a pair of opening night seats. (In those days an orchestra seat went for $7.20)

The reviews were mostly positive: 5 raves, 1 favorable and 1 unfavorable from John Chapman in the Daily News. Everyone agreed that Merman made the show fun and that Irving Berlin's score although not in the same league as ANNIE GET YOUR GUN certainly did have its fair share of hits.

The biggest showstopper was the song "You're Just in Love" which had audiences demanding encore after encore. (We have lost this touch of theatre magic when an audience could simply demand a number be sung again by refusing to stop applauding.)

RCA Victor had backed the show in exchange for the rights to make the original cast album, but Merman was under exclusive contract to Decca Records and they refused to allow her to record for a rival label. So Victor recorded the show with Dinah Shore singing the role of Sally Adams, while Merman recorded twelve songs from the score for Decca along with Dick Haymes, Eileen Wilson and the Gordon Jenkins orchestra and chorus. Neiher album is completely satisfactory, but in terms of sales Decca's album far surpassed Victor's and remained in print through the entire Lp era and is still available on CD:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000002OJO/ref=s9_simh_gw_p15_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0P0JRD9R3GYJEVK26N2F&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

The Dinah Shore album was deleted in the mid-1950s and was not available again until RCA Red Seal briefly reissued it in 1977.

(Some years ago for my radio program I once mixed the two albums together and if anyone is interested in a copy send me a PM.)

The best way to get an idea of the Merman MADAM is with the 1953 film version (and - if you can find a copy - Decca's 10" Lp soundtrack album.) The streamlined script actually improves on the narrative flow over the stage production, and it retains all but three of the songs from the score:

http://www.amazon.com/Call-Me-Madam-Ethel-Merman/dp/B0001FR55C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1286863102&sr=8-1

For those who think of Ethel Merman as a belter, note her incredibly tender performance of "The Best Thing for You." It is one of her finest moments on screen.

With its dated references to the U.S. political scene in 1950, CALL ME MADAM is not likely to get revived on Broadway. There is no star on Broadway today who could handle the score which gives at least seven songs (plus reprises) to the leading lady.

But CALL ME MADAM also had a major cultural impact. When the show opened in 1950 Dwight D. Eisenhower had not yet announced his candidacy for republican party. Irving Berlin was as staunch republican (as was Merman) and he cleverly inserted a song late in Act Two that not only stopped the show but also proved quite prophetic. In this scene (not included in the film) three U.S. senators discuss the upcoming elections. The democratic senator needles the republican member saying "Well if you boys had a candidate for '52, you wouldn't be so afraid of elections." The republican insists that in fact they DO have a candidate. Cue the song.

Eisenhower did eventually become the republican nominee, won the '52 election and was president from 1953 to 1961. His campaign song was a reworded version of "They Like Ike" changed (with the blessing of Irving Berlin) to "I Like Ike."

Eisenhower had been in the audience to hear the song when CALL ME MADAM opened on this date - Oct 12, 1950 - 60 years ago tonight!

[AJ19852]

Posted: 10/12/10 at 3:37pm

Hi Mark, trying to PM you about getting a copy of your mix of Call Me Madam but for some reason it won't go thru. But I would like a copy for my collection.
AJ
PS - Great program on Sunday celebrating the 75th anniversary of Porgy & Bess!

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 10/12/10 at 8:12pm

I actually would love to see Reba McEntire play Sally Adams...

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 10/12/10 at 11:56pm

She'd be perfect and about the right age too. But let's not get too carried away. The book would need a lot of editing and rewriting.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 10/12/10 at 11:57pm

Andrew I did get your PM. I'll get the disc over to you this coming weekend.

[theatreguy]

Posted: 10/13/10 at 12:52am

Also in the cast was Elaine Stritch who understudied Merman. Amazing that 60 years later she's STILL on Broadway.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 10/13/10 at 1:06am

Amazing and commendable!

Stritch never got to do the part on Broadway (Merman was famous for not missing performances - we could use a lot more of THAT attittude from today's stars.) But she did take over teh road company after Merman opened it in DC.

You know, it's too bad Stritch wasn't a bigger name. Wouldn't it have been great if RCA had recorded the show with her singing Sally instead of Dinah Shore!