Happy 50th Anniversary to WALKING HAPPY!

It opened 50 years ago today at the Lunt-Fontanne.

With a score by James Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn, the show was about the courtship of a bootmaker's daughters and a meddling temperance association. The cast was led by notable British film actor Norman Wisdom, with George Rose as the bootmaker and Louise Troy as his eldest daughter (past her prime).

Despite the lovely score and what appears to have been a very charismatic performance from Norman Wisdom the show only lasted through the end of the season, another flop for the composing team as well as the leading lady.

Updated On: 11/26/16 at 12:44 AM

I saw this and would say that it just another one of those mediocre, forgettable shows that seemed to last about a season in the 60s, e.g., Skyscraper, How Now Down Jones. The thing that I will always remember about this show -- and I have probably exaggerated this over time -- is that there was not a single song or piece of dance for the last 20 minutes or so of the show. It is as if the people involved didn't know how to do a musical. The last 20 minutes simply closed the story line, and totally ran out of steam. Audience applause were tepid, almost to the point of embarrassment for the cast.

I always assumed Norman Wisdom was an acquired taste and that i had just not acquired it. Louise Troy was the coldest performer I think I ever saw in a leading lady...back then I used to wonder how she got work. Only George Rose rose above the material.

Thanks for the reminisces, Jarethan. I only know Wisdom from a few of the musical cast albums he did, haven't seen any of his films. I agree the premise sounds terrible.

Interesting point about lack of songs at the end of film musicals, Gaveston, as I would say that's the mold that the original animated musicals put out by Disney follow (Frozen, Tangled, Moana). And of course those are really the only original film musicals there are anymore.

"And of course those are really the only original film musicals there are anymore."

Get ready for "La La Land, opening December 9th.

Nice to see some new original projects. Theres barely even been any stage-to-screen translations the past few years let alone original musicals.