LUCILLE BALL ON BROADWAY

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/16/06 at 5:05pm

I just remembered something and wanted to share with whoever might be interested (although some of you may be way too young). When I was a little kid, my mom worked at the Musicians Union (in a different location from where it is now), and across the street was the Alvin Theatre. Lucille Ball was starring in "Wildcat," and I just loved her. When I visited my mom at work, I was so overjoyed to look out the window and see Lucy and her gorgeous red hair emerging from her limo. Is there anyone out there who saw that show? I saw her perform excerpts from it on the Ed Sullivan Show, and there was a hit song, "Hey Look Me Over" (not that great a song, by my present standards, but I loved it then).

[bare_nakedlady]

Posted: 3/16/06 at 6:18pm

I haven't actually seen Wildcat, but I love the recording. TALL HOPE is a favorite of mine, along with WHAT TAKES MY FANCY and EL SOMBRERO. I've never even heard of anyone else doing it. Although they must.

So glad you got to have a wonderful moment with Lucy. Even if it was only a glimpse.

Cy Coleman is my favorite broadway composer and WILDCAT was a great show for him to cut his teeth on.

Updated On: 3/16/06 at 06:18 PM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 10:57am

I think this show was written solely with Lucy in mind. I didn't see the show either, and since I was around 9 years old at the time, I wouldn't remember it if I did. I'm wondering if anyone has ever attempted to relaunch this show. Anybody know?

[philcrosby]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 11:06am

The show was specifically written for Lucy. It played in stock for a few years after its Broadway run (I have heard Martha Raye was terrific in it), but its never had a major revival.

The score is a joy and Lucy is a delight on the recording.

[jasobres]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 12:50pm

Maybe we could have Christine Ebersole or someone like that in an ENCORES production of it.

Updated On: 3/17/06 at 12:50 PM

[Dollypop]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 1:42pm

WILDCAT has a nice score but the book is a dreadful bore. It's not worth an Encores! revival.

Trust me. I saw the original.

[hushpuppy]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 2:10pm

Not only was the show written for Lucy, Desilu was the producer as well. Lucy experienced health problems during the run of the show and it never reopened after what was to be a two-month summer hiatus. But she did meet her next (and last) husband, Gary Morton, while performing in WILDCAT so it wasn't a total loss for her.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 2:46pm

What if?????

Rumor has it, Lucille Ball had the choice between doing Wildcat or The Unsinkable Molly Brown. Obviously, she chose Wildcat, but you have to wonder if anything would be different had she chosen Molly Brown.

[children&art]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 2:53pm

how did Lucy ever land the role in the movie of "Mame" - i love lucy (hahaha) but she aint no mame.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 2:59pm

I still laugh every time I listen to the song "You're a Liar". The score is so delightful.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 3:04pm

"how did Lucy ever land the role in the movie of "Mame" - i love lucy (hahaha) but she aint no mame."

My opinion on that:

For years and years, Lucy was the Queen of Comedy, beloved by millions, and during her career - through reruns of I LOVE LUCY -she gained new generations of fans. Her legacy lives on. Hollywood probably thought that her name would be enough to make a hit with MAME, but I guess the lesson learned was that people enjoyed seeing Lucy as Lucy. My memory is fuzzy as to why the movie didn't work.

[elmore3003]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 3:25pm

Lucy was overworked in the show. After the recording, "That's What I Want for Janie" and the title song were dropped, which is why they were not published in the vocal score.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 3:26pm

"how did Lucy ever land the role in the movie of "Mame"

She had the money and bought the rights to the Broadway show.

Rumor has it, then when the movie came out Angela Lansbury called up Bea Arthur and sang the Johnny Burke song "Ain't It A Shame About Mame"

Updated On: 3/17/06 at 03:26 PM

[philcrosby]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 5:39pm

Actually, Lucy didn't own the rights to the Broadway show, but she DID (or Desilu did) finance a major portion of the film. In addition, at least according to many reports, the powers that be at that time didn't feel Ms. Lansbury was a big enough movie name to secure success for a film version of MAME (remember, film musicals had been taking for some time prior to its opening). MAME broke records at Radio City Music Hall, and I think turned a small profit, or at least broke even, but got some of the most venomous reviews in film history, the worse directed at Ms. Ball.

It is a guilty pleasure of mine ... it is so wrong in almost every way, the film is fascinating. Like a virus eating your skin.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 5:56pm

That's funny because they felt that way about the original show and look what happened! If only Ms. Lansbury had performed the role for film.

[BrianWilsonFan]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 6:02pm

Madeline Kahn was to be in Mame but the rumour was, Lucy had her fired because her star was shining a little too brightly.

Updated On: 3/18/06 at 06:02 PM

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 3/18/06 at 10:05am

Angela Lansbury is THE stage Mame. Updated On: 3/18/06 at 10:05 AM

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 12:22am

The movie was poorly made, and it deserved the terrible reviews, and to fail.

Lucille was wrong for it: too old and not a classy enough dame. The one moment of life comes when she leaves the department store on rollar skates...and does some Lucy schtick, but it is all wrong for the character.

The musical values are poorly handled and not just Lucille's vocals. The score is over-orchestrated and the only number that works is Robert Preston's "Loving You." The soundtrack album was virtually released to cut-out bins and for years you could find the album selling for $1.99 or less. Rhino's CD reveals how much editing was needed to create one complete take of each of Lucy's songs.

Ball did get Warners to agree to withdraw AUNTIE MAME from television and it remained unseen until the late 1980s when it came out on video.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 1:46am

Glind2 your comment "my memory is fuzzy as to why it failed" is hilaroously appropriate. Lucy was fuzzy, too. By the time the film was made, Lucy was in her mid-60's, so every one of her shots looked like they were filmed through the hosiery department at Bergdorf's. She was so out-of-focus, I remember people laughing. Her closeups shimmered. It's a sad sad ending to her career. I don't think she ever did anything successful again. And that's a tragedy because she had so much talent and was so beloved (so naturally the critics went after her. Nothing changes) that to go out on that note is aweful.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 10:42am

Yes, I saw Lucy's "Mame" movie when I was a kid and knew absolutely nothing about film technique. Even then, I wondered why whenver the camera zoomed in on Lucy, it was so blurry. And I mean BLURRY!!! Too bad there was no Botox or Restalyn back then. Anyway, this thread has at least made me want to hear the cast recording of "Wildcat" again, and I'm definitely going to seek that out. I don't suppose they ever put it on CD.

[children&art]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 10:47am

Glinda2:

Sure they put "Wildcat" on CD.

Here's a link to it from ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Lucille-Ball-in-Wildcat-Musical-CD-Broadway-Cast_W0QQitemZ4852552284QQcategoryZ307QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 11:46am

Thank you for the link to the CD. I see that Keith Andes was in this show. He was a very big star back then.

[children&art]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 1:40pm

and Valerie Harper (Rhoda) was in the show too.