WONDERFUL TOWN

"Why did I ever leave Ohio?"  McKeever and Russell

WONDERFUL TOWN (1958 telefilm). Director: Mel Ferber. Directed for the stage by Herbert Ross.

Ruth (Rosalind Russell) and her prettier younger sister, Eileen (Jacquelyn McKeever) come from Ohio to Greenwich Village to find fame and fortune and instead find a apartment house full of characters and the explosive booms from a new subway line below them. They also get involved with a variety of men, chief among them magazine editor Robert Baker (Sydney Chaplin). Despite her many suitors Eileen finds herself falling for Bob without realizing that Ruth has feelings for the fellow as well. Then there's the fact that if they don't get good jobs soon they will have to return to Ohio in disgrace ...

"It's Love!" Rosalind Russell and Sidney Chaplin

Rosalind Russell had already played Ruth in the film My Sister Eileen when she was tapped to star in a musical version for Broadway with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Comden and Green. Since the musical's producers wanted too much money for the film rights, the studio came out with their own musical version, also called My Sister Eileen, with a totally different score by Jules Styne. Wonderful Town was never filmed, but it was shown on television, nearly intact, although at least one song ('Pass That Football") was dropped. Reprising her role, Russell is as "wonderful" as ever, and McKeever, who has a very nice if imperfect voice, also makes her mark as Eileen. Chaplin, who has a good if not great voice, plays Baker very ably and with charm.

"I Love a Quiet Girl:" Sidney Chaplin

Wonderful Town may not be one of the really great musicals, but it has more than its share of delights, including the score, which includes such standards as "Little Bit in Love" and "It's Love!" as well as the pretty "I Love a Quiet Girl," the plaintive "(Why Did I Ever Leave) Ohio," the Irish ditty "Pretty Eileen," sung by the cops to the young lady, as well as a bouncy conga, a couple of lively jazz numbers, and the snappy "Greenwich Village." The other supporting roles are well cast by enthusiastic performers. McKeever was essentially a stage actress and had only a few other TV credits. Chaplin, the son of Charlie Chaplin, amassed 37 film and TV credits, but his greatest successes were on the stage.

NOTE: There have been at least four audio recordings of this musical. There is the original mono cast recording of the show with Russell and George Gaynes. Then a stereo studio set with Russell and the cast of this TV production was released, with all of the songs included. There is a London cast version that I have not yet heard, and a studio version conducted by Simon Rattle. The stars of this version are the ubiquitous Audra McDonald as Eileen, Kim Criswell (whose voice isn't that much better than Roz Russell's) as Ruth, and no less than operatic baritone Thomas Hampson as Bob Baker. His rendition of "I Love a Quiet Girl" (sung with quite strength and not at all over-done) is this album's highlight. Comden and Green's lyrics are comparatively trite but most of Bernstein's music is memorable if not on the level of, say, West Side Story.

Verdict: Tuneful and bouncy TV adaptation of a hit Broadway musical. ***. 

IT'S ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER

Michael Kidd, Dan Dailey and Gene Kelly

IT'S ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER (1955). Directors: Stanley Donen; Gene Kelly.

Three men who were buddies in the army have many drinks at the end of the war and vow to meet in ten years' time at their favorite bar in Manhattan. Now, you might wonder, if they were such good friends, they would certainly have stayed in touch for the past decade, but apparently they haven't, so when they each keep the appointment they discover that they have little in common and don't even like each other very much (surely they could have talked about wartime experiences, at least?). Angie (Michael Kidd), who planned on becoming a great chef, is married, has several kids, and runs a hamburger joint in Schenectady. Doug (Dan Dailey of There's No Business Like Show Business), who'd wanted to become a famous artist, does work on TV shows that sell detergent, and is on the verge of divorce. Ted (Gene Kelly), who figured on a legal career, is now an unmarried manager for a boxer who is planning to take a dive. The ladies in the story include Jackie, (the gorgeous, leggy Cyd Charisse), who works on one of Ted's TV shows; and Madeline (Delores Gray), the star of said show. The gals hope to get the former soldiers on the program as a surprise, unaware that they now actively dislike each other. And some hoods who fixed the fight are out to get even with Ted.

Filmed in startling CinemaScope and color and photographed by Robert Bronner, It's Always Fair Weather presents a striking sound stage Manhattan that is prominently featured in two sequences: when the boys dance under the elevated subway, each wearing a garbage can lid on one foot; and when Kelly does an absolutely smashing dance on roller skates, and even winds up tap dancing while still wearing them ("I Like Myself"). Cyd Charisse [The Unfinished Dance] is featured in a production number in which she dances with flat-faced pugilists in a gym, and Delores Gray gets a chance to shine when she sings and dances to "Thanks, But No Thanks" with a dozen chorus boys. The songs were composed by Andre Previn [The Kissing Bandit] -- the lyrics were provided by Comden and Green -- and are pleasant enough, with "Friends Forever" emerging the prettiest number. The performances by the entire cast are excellent. Michael Kidd appeared in a few films, such as Smile, but was primarily a well-regarded choreographer [Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.]

Verdict: A small degree of pathos counteracts the silliness and Kelly's dancing is simply sensational. ***.