Which Songs in Hello, Dolly did Bob Merrill Write?

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 6/21/09 at 5:12pm

I've heard he wrote "Elegance". Is this true? Did he write anything else from the score. Was it just lyrics, music, or both?

[Smaxie]

Posted: 6/21/09 at 5:26pm

"Elegance" and "Motherhood March" are both by Bob Merrill.

[jv92]

Posted: 6/21/09 at 6:30pm

"Elegance" is half Jerry Herman, half Bob Merrill.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 6/21/09 at 8:30pm

Was Merrill brought in to write the songs or was he originally set to compose the entire score?

Posted: 6/21/09 at 9:32pm

What about Before the Parade Passes By? I've heard Merill wrote it and I've heard that Merrill wrote a song called that and then Herman re-wrote it.

Apparently Jerry was in trouble out of town and they called on Bob.

[fgreene1938]

Posted: 6/21/09 at 10:03pm

According to several sources, Bob Merril either wrote or co-wrote "Elegance" and "Motherhood / Motherhood March". He also wrote the original "Before the Parade Passes By" which was scrapped for a new song by Herman borrowing the same title. "Dolly" had a troubled tryout period and Merrill was brought in to boost the score when the producers were worried.

[nealb1]

Posted: 6/21/09 at 10:07pm

Read Jerry Herman's autobiography to get the whole story on "Dolly" and all his other musicals.

[jv92]

Posted: 6/21/09 at 10:16pm

Actually, it was Strouse and Adams who wrote a song called "Before the Parade Passes By" but Gower and Merrick weren't happy with it so they gave the assignment to Jerry.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 6/21/09 at 10:20pm

Wasn't there an angry thread on this a while back? Some poster was furious at us all and reproduced affidavits or something.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/21/09 at 10:23pm

Yeah, I'm deja vuing that too.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 6/22/09 at 12:52am

I didn't realize Jerry Herman had a BWW account.

[jv92]

Posted: 6/22/09 at 7:16pm

I don't recall that thread, although I know this is brought up almost everytime Jerry is discussed.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 6/22/09 at 7:22pm

Incidentally, Jerry hates "The Motherhood March". He feels it serves very little purpose in the show because the characters wind up in the very same places at the end of the song that they had prior to it. He insisted that it not be used in the so-called movie version.

[jv92]

Posted: 6/22/09 at 7:33pm

Gotta agree with Jerry on that one. This is rhetorical, so nobody answer- but what on Earth is the point of "The Motherhood March"?
Anyhow, a lot of what we're discussing here is discussed in Jerry's excellent memoir and the slightly mediocre biography of him by Stephen Citron. Definately get those two books, or at least the former, which is a must have in any theatre lover's library!

[Dollypop]

Posted: 6/22/09 at 8:22pm

The Citron book is loaded with inaccuracies. I caught 18 mistakes in the HELLO, DOLLY! section alone. Jerry's not happy with it, either.

[nealb1]

Posted: 6/22/09 at 8:46pm

"The Motherhood March" doesn't really do anything, plot wise, and it's a very "old fashioned" kinda song. Glad it wasn't in the film, and "Just Leave Everything To Me" in the film, is a wonderful opening number.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 6/22/09 at 8:50pm

I think they should have filmed "The Motherhood March" and scrapped the rest of the movie. It's a piece of junk.

[nealb1]

Posted: 6/22/09 at 8:52pm

The film version of HD is a wonderful, wonderful Academy Award winning film. You're in such deep denial it's rather disturbing.

You're still upset that Carol Channing, or you, weren't asked to do the film version of HD. That has absolutely nothing to do with Streisand. It was 20th Century Fox's decision as to who they should cast. Take it up with them.

So, what was Barbra Streisand supposed to have done....turn it down....say NO? HD was her first $1 million dollar paycheck.

When you adjust for inflation HD's total box office take with grosses, video, foreign, etc....it comes to over $500 million in 2009 dollars. That's very, very impressive.

Updated On: 6/22/09 at 08:52 PM

[roseaddams]

Posted: 6/22/09 at 9:54pm

Titanic made $1.8 billion. And it won eleven Academy Awards.

And it sucks.

Box office records and Academy recognition do not necessarily make a good movie.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 6/22/09 at 10:14pm

I hate the DOLLY! film because it's B-A-D. What Academy Award did it win? Editing? Sound? Best performances by two leads who hated each other so much it showed in every scene between them? Remember, Matthau told That Streisand Woman that she was "about as talented as a butterfly's fart."

The fact is, it was so over budget that it almost bankrupted 20th Century Fox. It did poorly at the box office, too.

That Streisand Woman realized the movie was going to be garbage and even thought of walking out on it. She complained about having a "tap dancer" for a director.

The movie has no energy, plods along like glue and is over- produced. What hat shop in turn-of-the-century NYC would look like the the Hotel Sacher in Vienna? What widowed matchmaker of the same period would use phrases like, "Tell it to me sweet!" or "I think he's been holdin' out on us!"?

True, there's some exceptional vocalizing by That Streisand Woman, but as she never found the character of Dolly Gallagher Levi, and adds so many contemporary flourishes to her singing, it all boils down to "Barbra Streisand Sings 'Hello, Dolly's Greatest Hits". Even Jerry Herman admits that she was too young for the role.

I puke whenever I find that crap is on television and unplug my TV so that I don't accidentally surf the network it's playing on.

Updated On: 6/22/09 at 10:14 PM

[nealb1]

Posted: 6/23/09 at 11:19am

You're entitled to your opinion - that's not the issue. With you, there's something more....something else simmering behind that hatred/obsession. We all know that your only ambition/goal is life is to put on female clothing and play the part. So, there you have it!

I was at a screening of "Hello, Dolly!" in March of last year, here in Los Angeles, and Mrs. Gene Kelly was there, in addition to EJ Peaker, who played Minnie Faye in the film. After the film was finished, they did a Q&A afterwards.

She spoke about Gene's experience of making HD and the trials and tribulations of keeping the film on time and under budget. The clause in the contract between David Merrick and 20th Century Fox was really the main issue for the film going over budget. When HD was all done shooting, it sat on the shelf for over a year before it could be released.

There was a dark cloud over the making of the film. Gene and Walter were both under contract by the studio, and neither one of them wanted to do the film. Walter was not happy that Barbra would be playing Dolly. His thought was, he's an Academy Award winning actor, and "Funny Girl" hasn't even come out yet. His ego got in the way.

Barbra and Walter did not get along, and Gene would play referree. EJ Peaker spoke about how giving Barbra was to the cast and crew. She would bring in food, practically on a daily basis for all to eat and enjoy. EJ spoke about how Barbra and Gene got along great as they both had young children around the same age, and the kids would play together. They did have difference of opinions on the way certain scenes should be shot, etc. But, they respeceted and admired eachother greatly.

Yes, Walter said some very childish things about Barbra. Who hasn't said stuff that they shouldn't have said in life? We've all done that. That's no big deal.

Barbra and Walter made up and became very good friends a few years after the film was released. He's seen attending her 1986 "One Voice" concert at her home, and her 1994 concert from "Barbra: The Concert," on the respective dvds.

She brought letters and telegrams to the screenings. She had a telegram that Irving Berlin sent to Darryl Zanuck after he saw "Hello, Dolly" in NYC in 1969, saying it was one of the greatest film musicals he had ever scene. She also brought in a hand written letter from Cary Grant, after he had seen the film in Paris, saying how wonderful it was.

HD was nominated for 7 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and went home with 3 on Oscar night - Best Art Direction, Sound and Musical Scoring. What difference does it make what awards it won? It either is an Oscar winning movie, or it's not.

Several years ago I was in "Mame" at Musical Theatre West in Long Beach, California. Carol Lawrence played the title role and Jerry Herman came a few of our rehearsals, and our Opening Night. He was such a nice, kind man. We spoke for about 15 minutes on the film version of HD. He was the first to admit, that he thought that Barbra was too young, at the time the film was released. But, he was the first to point out that if you go back to the original story - it says that Dolly is "a woman of a certain age." That could be any age.

He talked about how over time, he's really, really enjoying the film. And, everytime he sees it, he gets something more out of it. He did say that parts of the film, when Barbra isn't on screen, are kinda slow paced. But, when she's on the screen, you can't take your eyes off of her. He was very, very nice...and, he wasn't just saying it to be polite. He was being completely honest.

A very, very nice man!

After "Mame," in either 2003 or 2004, HD screened at The Eqyptian Theatre in Hollywood and Jerry Herman was there for a Q&A afterwords. He said that this had been the first time he had seen the film, on the big screen, since it came out in 1969. He also said it was so thrilling to see it on the big screen, and how he loved how the audience was so "into" the film - laughing, sort of singing along during parts, and clapping at the end of musical numbers.



Updated On: 6/23/09 at 11:19 AM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 6/23/09 at 12:13pm

So Jerry Herman likes the film?

Dollypop--I expect you to take back every nasty thing you've ever said about it.

Updated On: 6/23/09 at 12:13 PM

[jejr]

Posted: 6/23/09 at 12:51pm

The film is a mess. Striesand is too young plus Dolly is not supposed to be Jewish. Look at her name Dolly GALLAGER Levi. She is an Irish lady married to a Jewish man. That is one of the ironys of the part. Herman is being unusually kind but that's the way the man is. There is no defending this film.

Posted: 6/23/09 at 12:59pm

I just wanted to change the title to something more accurate.

[nealb1]

Posted: 6/23/09 at 1:04pm

Jejr, Jerry Herman was being kind, because he's a kind, honest person. He wasn't just "being nice." I was there. You weren't.

In the film version, Dolly is always referred to as Dolly Levi. The name Gallagher never comes up. Changes happen all the time when a play or musical is brought to the big screen.