Hit the Deck

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1930 version of "Hit the Deck" (Swedish Poster)
1930 version of "Hit the Deck" (Swedish Poster)

Hit the Deck is a musical theater production first staged at the Belasco Theatre on Broadway on April 25, 1927. It has music by Vincent Youmans, lyrics by Clifford Grey and Leo Robin and book by Herbert Fields. It is based on the play Shore Leave by Hubert Osborne. It ran for 352 performances. The title refers to a nautical slang term that means to prepare for action (general) or to drop to a prone position on the ground (as a defensive response to hostile fire).

Contents

[edit] The songs


[edit] London production

The production opened at the Hippodrome on November 3, 1927 and ran for 277 performances.

[edit] 1930 RKO Musical film

The first film version was directed by Luther Reed and starred Jack Oakie and Polly Walker. It was one of RKO's (known at that time as Radio Pictures) most expensive productions of 1930 and featured Technicolor sequences. This version faithfully reproduced the stage version of the musical.

[edit] 1955 MGM Musical film

This film version had a revised storyline. It was directed by Roy Rowland and starred Jane Powell, Tony Martin and Debbie Reynolds, Russ Tamblyn, Ann Miller, Vic Damone and Gene Raymond.