Alan Jay Lerner: A Lyricist's Letters (14 page)

    
4
Lerner and Loewe wrote a long sequence depicting Eliza’s final preparations for the ball, including the songs “Come to the Ball” and “Say a Prayer for Me Tonight,” and a ballet. They were cut after the first preview of
My Fair Lady
in New Haven.

    
5
Richard Halliday (1905–73), a theater producer, was Mary Martin’s husband.

    
6
Michael Kidd (1915–2007), choreographer of numerous shows such as
Finian’s Rainbow
(1947),
Love Life
(with book and lyrics by Lerner, 1948), and
Guys and Dolls
(1950). Later, he went on to direct and choreograph many projects.

    
7
Alan Jay Lerner,
The Street Where I Live
(London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1978), 49–51
(on Martin) and 83–84 (on Kidd).

    
8
Lewis Funke, “Miss Hepburn and Theatre Guild Await London Reaction to ‘Millionairess,’”
New York Times
, June 22, 1952, X1
.

    
9
Sam Zolotow, “Delay in Staging
The Baker’s Wife
,”
New York Times
, April 9, 1952, 26
.

    
10
Thanks to Richard C. Norton for sharing the contracts for
Casablanca
with me.

    
11
A. H. Weiler, “Paint Your Wagon Eyed by Coast,”
New York Times
, January 20, 1952, X5
.
Sam Zolotow, “Williams to Open Solo Bill Tonight,”
New York Times
, February 4, 1952, 14
.

    
12
Louis Calta, “Lesser Seeks Cast for
Moulin Rouge
,”
New York Times
, March 25, 1952, 24. Sam Zolotow, “New Unit to Send Six Plays on Tour,”
New York Times
, May 21, 1952, 22
.

    
13
Thomas M. Pryor, “Film Writers Cite Buckner for Movie,”
New York Times
, February 19, 1952, 24
. “Humphrey Bogart Wins Movie ‘Oscar,’”
New York Times
, March 21, 1952, 25.

    
14
Thomas M. Pryor, “Billy Wilder Lists ‘Oedipus Rex’ Film,”
New York Times
, September 5, 1952
.
Louis Calta, “Dassin Will Stage Bette Davis Revue,”
New York Times
, September 2, 1952, 19
. Several of the musical numbers were changed, too, including the addition of the song “Take the Wheels Off the Wagon.”

    
15
Thomas M. Pryor, “Metro to Remake
Girl of the West
,”
New York Times
, September 26, 1952, 18
.

    
16
Ludwig Bemelmans (1898–1962) was a writer and illustrator, best known for his children’s books.

    
17
Thomas M. Pryor, “Cinerama Slates Full-Length Film,”
New York Times
, February 11, 1953, 35
.

    
18
Louis Calta, “‘Li’l Abner’ Baged by Two Showmen,”
New York Times
, March 17, 1953, 26
.

    
19
Thomas M. Pryor, “Disney Is Testing Fox’ Cinemascope,”
New York Times
, June 27, 1953, 7
. The adaptation of the Wright-Forrest version was released in 1955.

    
20
Sam Zolotow, “‘Mr. Byculla’ Is Set for Broadway Run,”
New York Times
, July 15, 1953, 21
.

    
21
Irene Mayer Selznick (1907–90) was an American theater producer of several important plays, including
A Streetcar Named Desire
(1947).

    
22
Goddard Lieberson (1911–77) was the president of Columbia Records (from 1956 to 1971 and 1973 to 1975) and the producer of a string of original cast albums, including that of
My Fair Lady
.

    
23
Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969) was president from January 20, 1953, to January 20, 1961.

    
24
Val Adams, “News and Notes Gathered from the Studios,”
New York Times
, August 16, 1953, X9
.

    
25
Dorothy Fields (1905–74) was perhaps the most successful female librettist and lyricist of her era. She was responsible for writing the book for
Annie Get Your Gun
(1946) and the lyrics for
Sweet Charity
(1966), among many others.

    
26
Louis Calta, “News of the Stage,”
New York Times
, November 12, 1953, 37
.

    
27
Thomas M. Pryor, “Metro Will Film
Green Mansions
,”
New York Times
, October 29, 1953, 42
.

    
28
This letter is reproduced in Hugh Fordin,
MGM’s Greatest Musicals
(New York: Da Capo, 1996), 423–424.

    
29
The influential fiction editor George Davis (1906–57) was Lenya’s second husband.

    
30
Thomas M. Pryor, “Metro Will Film
Green Mansions
,”
New York Times
, October 29, 1953, 42
.

    
31
Stephen Banfield,
Sondheim’s Broadway Musicals
(Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1994), 18–20
.

    
32
Hugh Fordin,
MGM’s Greatest Musicals
, 427.

    
33
Stage and film actor Tyrone Power (1914–58) was the star of Hollywood blockbusters such as
The Mark of Zorro
(1940). In this section of the letter, we can see Lerner discussing the attributes of various possible stars for the film, as was characteristic of his work: he preferred to write with specific actors in mind.

    
34
Marlon Brando (1924–2004) was the Academy Award–winning star of films such as
A Streetcar Named Desire
(1951),
Julius Caesar
(1953),
On the Waterfront
(1954), and
The Godfather
(1972), among many others.

    
35
Robert Taylor (1911–69) appeared in a wide range of films including the musical
Broadway Melody of 1936
and the drama
Waterloo Bridge
(1940).

    
36
One of the most versatile and powerful actors of the twentieth century, Laurence Olivier (1907–89) was discussed in connection with several Lerner projects, though he never appeared in any of them.

    
37
José Ferrer (1912–92) was another star of stage and screen whom Lerner considered for several shows, and he directed Lerner’s
Carmelina
(1979) on Broadway.

    
38
No further evidence survives to explain Lerner’s reference to
Marco Polo
, but presumably it was a subject he briefly considered turning into a film for Freed.

    
39
A song called “I’ll Wait for You by the River.”

    
40
Presumably a reference to Paint Your Wagon.

    
41
Lerner famously agonized over his lyric writing, by his own admission; see Lerner,
Street
, 68–69.

    
42
Louis Calta, “New Play Bought by Theatre Guild,”
New York Times
, February 2, 1954, 19
.

    
43
The Immoralist was a play by Augustus and Ruth Goetz, based on André Gide’s novel (1902) of the same name.

    
44
As noted in Chapter 1, producer and songwriter Billy Rose was to have produced the original
Brigadoon
on Broadway, but Lerner and Loewe parted ways with him after he wanted to rewrite some of their material; Lerner never forgave him for his disrespectful attitude toward Loewe’s work.

    
45
Teahouse of the August Moon
was a play by John Patrick that had opened to huge acclaim on Broadway in October 1953.

    
46
Sam Zolotow, “Lewis Wondering about 3 Musicals,”
New York Times
, June 21, 1954, 20
.

    
47
Lily Messenger (dates unknown) was Freed’s assistant, responsible for carrying out many responsible duties for him, including negotiations with writers and stars (as is clear from the many mentions in Fordin,
MGM’s Greatest Musicals
).

    
48
A reference to
Brigadoon
, which was currently in production.

    
49
Unknown, “Joseph J. Lerner of Chain Stores,”
New York Times
, July 19, 1954, 19
.

    
50
Lerner,
Street
, 23.

    
51
Italian screen actress Pier Angeli (1932–71) was under contract for a series of films for MGM in 1950s.

    
52
Montgomery Clift (1920–66) was one of the top movie stars of the 1950s thanks to a string of popular appearances including
From Here to Eternity
(1953). Evidently Lerner was interested in discussing
Green Mansions
with him.

    
53
Although it is unclear to whom Lerner is referring, this sentence suggests he was again being tempted to over-research his projects, in spite of his comments cited earlier about the problems of doing this with
Paint Your Wagon
.

    
54
I.e., Superman.

    
55
Howard Thompson, “The Local Screen Scene,”
New York Times
, August 15, 1954, X5
.

    
56
Lerner,
Street
, 17.

    
57
Perhaps a reference to the King of Siam’s song in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s
The King and I
.

    
58
Thompson and Allen were perhaps rival producers or agents.

    
59
The
Times
described it as “pretty weak synthetic Scotch” and bemoaned the fact that some of the stronger songs had been omitted from the original score. Bosley Crowther, “The Screen in Review,”
New York Times
, September 17, 1954, 18.

    
60
Edmund Purdom (1926–2009) was a British actor best known for his roles in
The Student Prince
(1954) and
The Egyptian
(1954).

    
61
Lerner was keen to write another project for Caron after the success of her appearance in his
An American in Paris
. His ambition came to pass with
Gigi
(1958).

    
62
Lerner was interested in beloved film actress Audrey Hepburn (1929–93) for various roles in this period (the height of her career), including the Broadway production of
My Fair Lady
. Eventually, she played Eliza in the 1964 movie version.

    
63
Renee Klein was Freed’s wife.

    
64
Oscar Levant.

    
65
Ira Gershwin.

    
66
Kelly’s departure was also part of a plan to avoid paying high taxes; see Fordin,
MGM’s Greatest Musicals
, 369.

    
67
See Fordin,
MGM’s Greatest Musicals
, 369. Fordin claims the production was closed down in 1951, though it is clear from Lerner’s letter that it was still on the cards as late as 1954.

    
68
Sam Zolotow, “Inge’s ’Bus Stop’ Due in February,”
New York Times
, December 3, 1954, 30
.
Three Tigers
never actually came to the stage, in fact, and
My Fair Lady
became Lerner and Levin’s only co-production.

    
69
Tony- and Oscar-winning actor Rex Harrison (1908–90) was the star of two stage productions and the film of
My Fair Lady
, as well as various acclaimed movies, including
Anna and the King of Siam
(1946) and
Cleopatra
(1963).

    
70
Stanley Holloway (1890–1982) was a renowned English film and stage actor, as well as a comedian and singer. He played Alfred P. Doolittle in
My Fair Lady
.

    
71
Julie Andrews (b. 1935) was the most popular actress in movie musicals of the 1960s, and also appeared in the original stage productions of Lerner’s
My Fair Lady
and
Camelot
.

    
72
Robert Fryer was a prolific Broadway producer, usually in collaboration with Lawrence Carr.

    
73
The attorney, H. William Fitelson, represented many leading names in show business, including Lerner and Loewe.

    
74
Oliver Smith (1918–94) was one of the most prolific and important designers in Broadway history. Among his credits were
On the Town
(1944),
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
(1949),
Candide
(1956),
West Side Story
(1957),
The Sound of Music
(1959), and
Hello, Dolly!
(1964), as well as several Lerner projects:
Paint Your Wagon
(1951),
My Fair Lady
(1956),
Camelot
(1960),
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
(1965),
Gigi
(1973), and
Carmelina
(1979).

    
75
Moss Hart (1904–61) was a leading writer and director on Broadway for roughly 30 years. Equally acclaimed for his collaborations with George S. Kaufman on plays such as
You Can’t Take It with You
(1936) and
The Man Who Came to Dinner
(1939) and his direction of musicals such as
My Fair Lady
, he was a close friend of and key inspiration to Lerner.