Girl Crazy

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Girl Crazy is a theater musical with music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and book by Guy Bolton and Jack McGowan. It is remembered as the show that made stars of both Ginger Rogers (who, with Allen Kearns, sang "Could You Use Me?" and "Embraceable You" and, with Willie Howard, "But Not For Me") and Ethel Merman (who sang "I Got Rhythm", "Sam and Delilah", and "Boy What Love Has Done To Me" ). It has been adapted twice for film, most notably in 1943 with Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. In that version, the roles played by Ginger Rogers and Ethel Merman were combined into one, played by Garland. It was revived (and heavily revised, with a completely new plot, and songs from other Gershwin shows added) in 1992 under the name Crazy For You. It features the greatest amount of hit songs by Gershwin in one Broadway show, and is the only one of the Gershwin musical comedies to be filmed more than once.

Contents

[edit] Songs

  • "Barbary Coast"
  • "Bidin' My Time" introduced by The Foursome male vocal quartet
  • "Boy! What Love Has Done To Me!"
  • "Bronco Busters"
  • "But Not For Me"
  • "Could You Use Me?"
  • "Embraceable You"
  • "Goldfarb, That's I'm!"
  • "I Got Rhythm"
  • "Land of the Gay Caballero"
  • "The Lonesome Cowboy"
  • "Sam and Delilah"
  • "Treat Me Rough"
  • "You've Got What Gets Me" written by the Gershwins for the 1932 film version

[edit] Broadway production

The show opened at the Alvin Theatre on October 14, 1930 and ran for 272 performances. It was directed by Alexander Leftwich.

Cast

  • Willie Howard as Gieber Goldfarb
  • Allen Kearns as Danny Churchill
  • Ginger Rogers as Molly Gray
  • William Kent as Slick Fothergill
  • Ethel Merman as Kate Fothergill

The pit orchestra included Glenn Miller, Gene Krupa, Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman.

[edit] 1932 film

The RKO Radio Pictures production was directed by William A. Seiter. The film was very unlike the stage play except for its score. The film was tailored for the comic talents of Wheeler & Woolsey, a once popular comedy team.

Cast

[edit] 1943 film

In 1943, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer produced a lavish version of the stage play starring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. This movie marked the final teaming of Judy and Mickey before he was drafted into the American army in World War II. It was their ninth of ten motion pictures together. This was also June Allyson's feature film debut.

Production began with Busby Berkeley as director, but Berkeley was fired after continued run-ins with Garland. An elaborate production number set to "I Got Rhythm" was his only major contribution to the film. Norman Taurog, who went on to direct Elvis Presley's notoriously corny rock and roll musicals, took over.

Cast

[edit] External link

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