Broadway Bootlegs

#1

Broadway Bootlegs

Posted: 2/22/15 at 12:55pm

Here is some rare footage of musicals from the past. The best way for them to be preserved through the ages is to share them amongst people wo appreciate musical theatre, so here they are. Most are silent home movies shot by people in the cast or by audience members. If you go on my youtube channell, there are many more, but here are some of the most interesting ones:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2-bYIoHu4U - Follies Movie, 1971 (Over an hour of all the footage put together!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N287H0rU9E - Breakfast At Tiffany's, 1966

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0FGdLYIUG0 - Angela Lansbury in Mame (synchronised!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6jCcJyB0i8 - Ethel Merman in Gypsy, 1959

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ccIJx1MPGc - Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl, 1965

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMfZNFqMfc4 - A Little Night Music, 1973

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKQgypjFjBg - Ethel Merman in Hello Dolly, 1970 (only known footage of her in this role!)

Updated On: 7/22/15 at 12:55 PM

#2

Rare Broadway Bootlegs

Posted: 2/22/15 at 1:16pm

Love the footage, but Merman made her debut in Girl Crazy in 1930, not in the Scandals of 1931

#3

Rare Broadway Bootlegs

Posted: 2/22/15 at 1:18pm

Imagine trying to hide the camera back then. Another problem is how would you try and sell it?

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#4

Rare Broadway Bootlegs

Posted: 2/22/15 at 2:43pm

Ops! I am terribly sorry! Of course, her big number was "I Got Rhythm", how could I forget?

Updated On: 7/22/15 at 02:43 PM

#5

Rare Broadway Bootlegs

Posted: 2/22/15 at 2:47pm

In response to Mr. Roxy, I believe that they didn't actually sell them, but just kept them to watch at home (possibly shared them with others if they were collectors). However, most of these home movies were shot by a journalist, Ray Knight, who would come once or twice a year to Broadway and filmed every major (and not so major) musical. He filmed over 175 Broadway musicals, starting in 1931. He caught on tape shows such as Anything Goes (with Merman), Damn Yankees (Gwen Verdon) and Camelot. After he passed away in 1973, his collection was bought by collector Miles Kreuger. Sadly, he won't share this precious footage, and it is slowly decaying in a cupboard in his home.

Updated On: 2/22/15 at 02:47 PM

#6

Rare Broadway Bootlegs

Posted: 2/22/15 at 2:48pm

I was joking.

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Poster Emeritus

#7

Rare Broadway Bootlegs

Posted: 2/22/15 at 2:50pm

Remember when you'd get a whole thread deleted by even saying the B word? Things sure have changed!

#8

Rare Broadway Bootlegs

Posted: 2/22/15 at 2:51pm

I thought so Mr. Roxy :)

Updated On: 7/22/15 at 02:51 PM

#9

Rare Broadway Bootlegs

Posted: 2/22/15 at 3:03pm

My God, those very short glimpses of Ethel Merman doing Rose's Turn are absolutely thrilling. Positively tantalizing.

Why no one ever captured that number in it's entirety on film is beyond me. It was the crowning moment of her career.

#10

Rare Broadway Bootlegs

Posted: 2/22/15 at 3:41pm

It's because there was a different 'mentality set', a different way of thinking. There was also the problem that home movie cameras were rather big and noisy, so not exactly easy to hide in a theatre. Ray Knight usually filmed during tap dances or chorus numbers for fear of being discovered.

However, a lot of the films that are available were filmed by cast or staff members of the musical: Don Pippin (famed Broadway conductor) filmed Mame, Dear World, Mack and Mabel, The Grand Tour and La Cage Aux Folles, while Candy Brown (chorus girl) filmed Chicago and Pippin.

Updated On: 7/22/15 at 03:41 PM

#11

Rare Broadway Bootlegs

Posted: 2/22/15 at 4:13pm

What is the oldest full-show audio and video bootleg extant?

#12

Rare Broadway Bootlegs

Posted: 2/22/15 at 4:18pm

I assume you meant audio/video together, but I believe the oldest audio bootleg is of THE ZIEGFELD FOLLIES OF 1934, on tour in 1935 with the original stars. It was actually released (though in truncated form) on CD some years ago by AEI. Impossible to find now though.

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#13

Rare Broadway Bootlegs

Posted: 2/22/15 at 4:28pm

Yeah, I hd meant together since most of the oldest ones are either just audio, or video without audio or synced to other recordings.

#14

Rare Broadway Bootlegs

Posted: 2/22/15 at 5:19pm

One of the oldest if not the oldest was Roza

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#15

Rare Broadway Bootlegs

Posted: 2/22/15 at 5:24pm

I have stuff older than Roza.

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HUSSY POWER! ------ HUSSY POWER!

#16

Rare Broadway Bootlegs

Posted: 2/22/15 at 5:28pm

The original Superman?

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#17

Rare Broadway Bootlegs

Posted: 2/22/15 at 6:10pm

The MERRILY video posted on this thread alone is a good 5 years older than ROZA.

I'd be curious to hear what the oldest was as well.

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Keeping BroadwayWorld Illustrated

Updated On: 2/22/15 at 06:10 PM

#18

Rare Broadway Bootlegs

Posted: 2/22/15 at 6:14pm

These are incredible. THANK YOU!

But what the hell did you do to Miles Kreuger to get them?

Roofies?

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#19

Rare Broadway Bootlegs

Posted: 2/22/15 at 6:26pm

Lol. These have all been "available" for a long time.

#20

Rare Broadway Bootlegs

Posted: 2/22/15 at 6:33pm

What I'd really love to see is the video that's apparently out there of the Merrily preview.

#21

Rare Broadway Bootlegs

Posted: 2/22/15 at 6:34pm

Which one?? There are several.

#22

Rare Broadway Bootlegs

Posted: 2/22/15 at 6:35pm

>Lol. These have all been "available" for a long time.<
One I looked at has the bluegobo logo prominently displayed!

#23

Rare Broadway Bootlegs

Posted: 2/22/15 at 6:53pm

There are more than one video bootleg of the Merrily previews? Or do you mean which production? Because if so, the original.

#24

Rare Broadway Bootlegs

Posted: 2/22/15 at 6:54pm

R&H filmed the original 1951 West End cast of "South Pacific" starring Mary Martin and Wilbur Evans. Not strictly speaking a bootleg, but hey.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGdp4nVItqM

#25

Rare Broadway Bootlegs

Posted: 2/22/15 at 6:58pm

Charley, yes there were 2, I believe.