Broadway Puzzler #66

Posted: 4/3/04 at 10:24pm

Sixteen years after originating the lead in this classic Broadway musical he was sought to play the lead in the screen version, but his studio said "NO!" So, his studio cast him in an original film musical instead. Both films were released in the same year.

Who is he?
What is the musical?
Who played the lead in the film version of the Broadway musical?
What is the original film musical?
Updated On: 4/3/04 at 10:24 PM

Posted: 4/4/04 at 10:48am

HINT:

Both of these performers were comfortable playing to live audiences and twice co-starred together in film musicals.

[magruder]

Posted: 4/4/04 at 11:21am

Gene Kelly
Pal Joey
Frank Sinatra

I think the original musical you are looking for is Les Girls?

Posted: 4/4/04 at 11:35am

Magruder, you're a Star!

Both PAL JOEY and LES GIRLS (Cole Porter's last film musical)were released in 1957.

Gene was one of the chorus boys in Porter's LEAVE IT TO ME (193, which rocketed Mary Martin, whose "Heart Belongs to Daddy," to Broadway star status.

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 4/4/04 at 11:59am

Actually, Jose, Kelly was never sought for PAL JOEY in 1957. Cohn wanted Sinatra from the start.

Rather, Kelly's loan-out for PAL JOEY was sought by Harry Cohn in 1945, who wanted to re-team Kelly & Rita Hayworth who has made a big hit with COVER GIRL the previous year. Cohn had also planned to cast Vivienne Segal, who had orginated her role in the Broadway PAL JOEY. When the show was finally filmed, Hayworth was given Segal's role, and the ingenue was the up-and-coming Kim Novak.

Mayer nixed Kelly's loan outs to Columbia for the proposed '45 PAL JOEY, to Fox for SWEET ROSIE O'GRADY (1943) and to Goldwyn for GUYS AND DOLLS (1955, originally intended for Kelly, Sinatra, Grace Kelly & Betty Grable). Oddly, Mayer did loan Kelly out to Universal for CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY (1944) with Deanna Durbin (as a payback for getting Abbott & Costello for RIO RITA) which was a noir and NOT a musical. Go figure!

Posted: 4/4/04 at 5:28pm

That's not the way Harry told it to me.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 4/4/04 at 5:42pm

And eyes rolled throughout the Broadwayworld community.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 4/5/04 at 4:26pm

A tangent:

Red Skelton commenting at the size of the huge crowd at Harry Cohn's funeral in about 1958 - "It just goes to show you. Give the people what they want to see and they'll show up."

[Also attributed to Jack Lemmon]