SPLASH!: ESTHER WILLIAMS PAGE.: ZIEGFELD FOLLIES (1945)

Saturday, March 13, 2010

ZIEGFELD FOLLIES (1945)

Ziegfeld Follies (1945). Musical/comedy. Director: Roy Del Ruth and Vincente Minnelli. Starring many of MGM leading talents, including Fred Astaire, Lucille Ball, Lucille Bremer, Judy Garland, Kathryn Grayson, Lena Horne, Gene Kelly, James Melton, Victor Moore, William Powell, Red Skelton, and Esther Williams. It also featured Fanny Brice, the only cast member to have actually starred in the original Ziegfeld Follies. Producer Arthur Freed wanted to create a film along the lines of the Ziegfeld Follies Broadway shows and so the film is composed of beautiful musical numbers and comedy sketches. Although produced in 1944-45, it was released in 1946. The film was entered into the 1947 Cannes Film Festival.

Soundtracks:

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"Here's to the Girls"
Music by Roger Edens
Lyrics by Arthur Freed
Sung by Fred Astaire, chorus
Danced by Cyd Charisse, Lucille Ball, chorus

"Bring on the Wonderful Men"
Music by Roger Edens
Lyrics by Earl K. Brent
Sung by Virginia O'Brien

"Libiamo ne'lieti calici"
from "La Traviata"
Music by Giuseppe Verdi
Sung by James Melton, Marion Bell
Danced by James Melton, Marion Bell, chorus

"This Heart of Mine"
Music by Harry Warren
Lyrics by Arthur Freed
Sung by Fred Astaire
Danced by Fred Astaire, Lucille Bremer, chorus

"Love"
Music by Hugh Martin
Lyrics by Ralph Blane
Sung by Lena Horne

"Limehouse Blues"
Music by Philip Braham
Lyrics by Douglas Furber
Sung by Harriet Lee
Danced by Fred Astaire, Lucille Bremer, chorus

"A Great Lady Has An Interview (Madame Crematante)"
Music by Roger Edens
Lyrics by Kay Thompson
Sung and danced by Judy Garland & Male Chorus

"The Babbitt and the Bromide"
Music by George Gershwin
Lyrics by Ira Gershwin
Sung and danced by Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly

"There's Beauty Ev'rywhere"
Music by Harry Warren
Lyrics by Arthur Freed
Sung by Kathryn Grayson
Danced by Cyd Charisse, chorus

"Wot Cher!"
aka "Knock'd 'em in the Old Kent Road"
Music by Charles Ingle
Lyrics by Albert Chevalier
Performed by unidentified street mistrels in the Limehouse Blues segment

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Click picture to view movie clip. Bathing Beauty (1944). Musical. Cast: Red Skelton, Basil Rathbone and Esther Williams, Harry James and his Music Makers, Ethel Smith, Helen Forrest and Xavier Cugat and his Orchestra. Director: George Sidney. This was not William's screen debut, but it was her first musical. The film was initially to be titled "Mr. Co-Ed" with Red Skelton having top billing. However, once MGM executives watched the first cut of the film, they realized that Esther Williams' role should be showcased and changed the title to "Bathing Beauty". The film is Janis Paige's film debut.

Neptune's Daughter (1949). Musical/ romantic/ comedy Cast: Esther Williams, Red Skelton, Ricardo Montalbán, Betty Garrett, Keenan Wynn, Xavier Cugat and Mel Blanc. Directer: Edward Buzzell. Features the Academy Award winning song Baby, It's Cold Outside by Frank Loesser. Neptune's Daughter was the third movie that paired Williams and Ricardo Montalbán together, the other two being Fiesta (1947) and On an Island with You (1948), and the second to co-star Red Skelton (1944's Bathing Beauty).

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