Movie Musicals

[ClassyCo]

As much of a fan of movies as I have professed myself to be for more than a decade, I must confess that it took me a while to find myself a fan of movie musicals.

Back when I was younger, I became enthused with HAIRSPRAY, the 2007 film version of the wildly successful Broadway musical, which itself had been a musical rendition of John Waters' campy 1988 dance movie. My mother bought me HAIRSPRAY for Christmas that year, and I can still remember the little box she had it wrapped up in. It was a blue box with gold Christmas bulbs that had a little lid at the top that opened up so you could slide the DVD right inside. Anyway, I watched HAIRSPRAY endlessly forever when I was young. I knew all the songs and I knew all dances. As my interests eventually ballooned into classic films, I just never cared for movie musicals.

But, as time went on, my view has certainly changed, and I now enjoy a good musical.

One of my favorite musicals is 1952's SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, which I find to be one of the finest movie musicals ever produced. Not only does it have a fine, talented, charismatic cast led by Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds, it has a wonderful soundtrack and has a plot centering around an era in Hollywood history I have always found especially interesting -- the late 1920s shift from silent to sound films. Jean Hagen gives a deliciously funny performance as Lina Lamont, and the film's title number is easily one of the best cinematic musical numbers ever. Gene Kelly was simply a genius when it came to putting musicals on the big screen the right way.

Of course, I have a soft spot for GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES, the 1953 musical starring Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe as a duo of showgirls who get caught up in trouble while traveling in Paris. Russell and Monroe are two of the most attractive women ever paired as gal pals in a movie. The film is gloriously photographed in Technicolor and offers a pretty, glittery setting that allows its two leading ladies ample room in which to sparkle. Russell's rendition of "Ain't There Anyone Here for Love?" is a highlight, although Monroe's show-stopping version of "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" is deservedly a piece of cinematic history that has engraved its own place insie popular culture and found itself redone and parodied many times over.

There are many, many other classic musicals that I could mention that I have found myself to enjoy. Without a doubt, Judy Garland is one of the strongest and best musical comedy performers ever captured on celluloid. She is beautiful, talented, and has a voice so strong and disctinctive that it literally grasps your heartstrings. Not only does she have THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939) to her credit, she has such fine, standout musicals as MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944) and EASTER PARADE (1948), to name just two, to boast as well. Betty Grable, while not quite possessing the prestige that Garland generally had in her lavish MGM musicals, still has a host of enjoyable, breezy, boy-meets-girl musicals that I very much enjoy. I am especially fond of DOWN ARGENTINE WAY (1940), and I even like PIN UP GIRL (1944). If you can set-aside the fact that Grable's musicals use the thinnest of plots and just enjoy what you see, you can get lost in a sea of glossy Technicolor, beautiful clothes, some nice scenery, and starry-eyed romance. The same could be said of the Alice Faye and June Haver musicals from the 1940s. Still, Grable did sometimes show-up in a musical that actually seemed to place some effort in the story and what showed up on-screen besides the song and dance numbers. MOTHER WORE TIGHTS (1947) is a very good quality musical and perhaps Grable's shiniest moment before the camera.

Doris Day kind of took over the movie musical crown as Grable's career whined down, and she, too, starred in a string of light, but enjoyable musical romances. CALAMITY JANE (1953) is a favorite, as is LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME (1955), which requires more from Day than her standard musical comedy fare.

Moving on a little, you have such strong, standout musicals like THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965), which contains perhaps one of the most visually appealing and memorable opening sequences in movie history, that of Julie Andrews serenading the moviegoer with her version of the title number against the backdrop of some utterly beautiful shots of the Untersberg mountains. The movie is an endless showcase of cozy, catchy songs and picturesque scenery. FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (1971) is another big screen adaptation of a wildly successful stage show.

I'll let it rest for now and get off my fandom of musicals, but I felt we needed a good thread going dedicated to the song and dance classics.

 

[Karin]

I also enjoy watching movie musicals. Some of my favorites include "Mamma Mia!" (2008), "Grease" (1978), "Sound of Music" (1965), "Calamity Jane" (1953) "Singing in the rain" (1952), "Show Boat" (1951) and "The Wizard of Oz" (1939).

If you've only watched Howard Keel on Dallas you might be surprised to know about his earlier career when he was in many musicals.

I also enjoy pretty much all of Elvis Presley's musical movies. They are a bit silly but good fun.

 

[ClassyCo]

"Grease" (1978)

I cannot believe I forgot to mention GREASE. Around the time I really got into both versions of HAIRSPRAY is when I fell completely in love with GREASE when ABC Family (now known as Freeform) used to show it all the time. I thought then and still think Stockard Channing as Rizzo is hilarious, and Jeff Conaway is great as Kenickie is quite good. And, maybe it's unpopular opinion, but I think Olivia Newton-John's Sandy Oleson is prettier in her wholesome, Sandra Dee look than in her black leather biker chick look at the end.

"Mamma Mia!" (2008)

My mother and I saw this in the theaters when it was new. True story, we sat there for well over an hour before the movie even started because there was a problem with the projector. The manager of the theater came into the room and gave my mother and I each a free ticket for a later movie and gave us a voucher to get a free soft drink. MAMMA MIA isn't a favorite of mine necessarily, but I do like the music in it.

If you've only watched Howard Keel on Dallas you might be surprised to know about his earlier career when he was in many musicals.

He is in CALAMITY JANE. But, yes, you are right. If people are only familiar with Howard Keel as Clayton on DALLAS, then it might be quite jarring to see him in one of those post-WWII musicals that he so often starred in back in the 1940s and 1950s.

I also enjoy pretty much all of Elvis Presley's musical movies. They are a bit silly but good fun.

I must admit, there is very little inside Elvis' filmography that I find particularly good or even interesting. VIVA LAS VEGAS, for me anyway, is probably my favorite. On the face of it, the movie isn't much different than any of the other formulaic musical rom-coms that Elvis did throughout the '60s, but he and Ann-Margret are electric together. In fact, Elvis' manager, Colonel Parker, apparently had the movie re-edited before release out of fear that Ann-Margret would upstage his cash cow on the screen. Elvis is one of cinema's greatest missed opportunities. JAILHOUSE ROCK is good, or at least some of it, but is it really a musical?

 

[Karin]

Oh wow! That was really bad luck with the film not starting watching "Mamma Mia!"
I also saw it in the cinema when it came out. It's a fun movie with lots of good music. Also I watched it on stage back in 2000 in London when it was still fairly new.

I can't help but wonder if the new Roxette Musical "Joyride" will find it's way into the big screen eventually too?

I agree with you about Sandy. Her wholesome look was more timely than the leather pants look.

I watched Howard Keel in Dallas first. I had no idea he could sing. So discovering his musicals as an adult has been lots of fun. At first I was really surprised he could sing that well.

I don't know if I would say "Jailhouse Rock" is a musical. It doesn't have that many song numbers. Although Priscilla would like to claim that "Jailhouse rock" was the first music video...
One of my favorite Elvis movies is "Tickle Me." He was at some health spa or something like that and they found a golden treasure. It made me laugh a lot.
There was also one of him with a huge dog that was funny and yeah Viva Las Vegas was funny too. I like the humor in the movies too. The plots are pretty thin. Boy meets girl. They fall in love. He sings a little. They kiss a little. Something crazy happens that makes you laugh. But it sort of works. I do agree that Elvis was a missed opportunity. He could have become a great actor. But he was never given any serious material. Imagine if Colonel Parker had allowed him to make "West Side Story" (1961) or "A Star is Born" (1976)?

I've heard he was offered both but had to turn them down!

 

[Crimson]

Not a huge fan of musicals, myself. There are exceptions, of course. GENTLEMEN PREFERS BLONDES ranks very high among my favorites, and of course THE WIZARD OF OZ, even if some might not immediately think of it as a musical. Otherwise, I'm a bit indifferent to the musicals of the 30s and 40s. I can enjoy the films of Astaire-Rogers, Garland, Kelly, Grable, etc., but they aren't films I make an effort to seek out.

Starting in the mid-50s and continuing into the 70s, musicals took a weird turn. They became oddly bloated and stagey. Even the good musicals of the era -- THE KING AND I; MY FAIR LADY; WEST SIDE STORY -- are kind of stately with none of the verve of the 30s and 40s musicals. Many of them are downright plodding, and often built around a weirdly miscast, non-singing lead.

Of a more modern vintage, I like CHICAGO and HAIRSPRAY but a lot of recent musicals seem to be the kind of bombastic Broadway showtune power ballads that make my skin crawl.

 

[ClassyCo]

Many of them are downright plodding

Musicals did got through a weird transition around the start of the 1950s, even though there were still some great ones to come out of the '50s and '60s, like SINGIN' IN THE RAIN and THE SOUND OF MUSIC.

often built around a weirdly miscast, non-singing lead

One thing that has always puzzled me is the casting of non-singing actors in musicals. I think of someone like Jean Harlow, a fine comedienne, who was stuck with RECKLESS (1935), where she is horribly dubbed and basically humiliates herself with her dance numbers. Harlow just wasn't a musical actress, and the movie doesn't play well as a result.

There's also TORCH SONG (1953), which stars Joan Crawford as a crusty, aging musical stage star. Crawford has always been one of my favorites, but she didn't belong in a musical. She is lazily dubbed and then there's the blackface number that seems inappropriate and so out of place, even if you try to convince yourself to view the movie as a product of its time. Crawford plays the aging, hard-boiled role well, but when it comes to the musical part of the story, she struggles.

The most famous miscast fiasco in classic musicals -- to me, anyway -- is MY FAIR LADY (1964). When looking at what we have to judge by now, it is utterly baffling that Jack Warner deliberately passed over Julie Andrews (who had starred in the play for something close to three years) in favor of Audrey Hepburn. Now, I love Hepburn, always have, but she was not suited for this type of role. She had done FUNNY FACE (1957), but nothing in her filmography showed her ready for a vehicle like MY FAIR LADY. Andrews felt shafted, and rightfully so, but thank goodness this injustice left her free to do MARY POPPINS (1964) for Disney. While I can look at Warner's decision objectively and agree that using Hepburn was a "safer" bet because she was a proven box office draw, I can't understand this trend of denying a Broadway star their opportunity to play their stage roles on the screen.

Which leads me to....

MAME (1974) which stars Lucille Ball (one of my favorites), but should've starred the multitalented Angela Lansbury. I can ignore (for the lack of a better term) the miscasting of Hepburn in MY FAIR LADY, but I can't get by the miscasting of Lucy as MAME. The role should've gone to Lansbury, and even her buddy/co-star Bea Arthur was vocal about Lucy's being miscast. Luckily, Lansbury got MURDER, SHE WROTE later in life, which brought her a new level of fame, recognition, and wealth that not even MAME could've given her had she gotten it.

 

[Crimson]

MAME (1974) which stars Lucille Ball (one of my favorites), but should've starred the multitalented Angela Lansbury.

Well yeah, Lucy is chief among those I had in mind. Shame, as Lucy would have been an ideal Mame 15 years earlier. Even as late as the late 60s she might have pulled it off. By '73, her voice was beyond wrecked and she had a bum leg.

The thing is, it was never going to be Angela Lansbury. Unfair though it was, Hollywood had her pegged as a supporting actress. No studio was going to build a multi-million dollar movie around her. If it hadn't been Lucy, it would have been someone more preposterous like Hepburn (about the only other middle-age-ish actress Hollywood had any interest in).

Julie Andrews was rare among actresses passed over for famed Broadway roles in the movie adaptations, by getting her revenge by becoming a major film star . Lansbury, Merman, Bankhead, Channing, etc, had no such luck.

 

[ClassyCo]

I'm intrigued by PAINT YOUR WAGON (1969), the silver screen version of the Lerner & Loewe musical that debuted on Broadway in 1951. Just the three top-billed names --- Lee Marvin, Clint Eastwood, Jean Seberg --- make me want to watch this movie at least once. The film is apparently notorious for being a prime example of non-musical actors being cast in a movie musical specifically to generate box office returns. I have an old DVD copy that I bought at a Goodwill some three years back, but I've yet to watch it.

Has anyone seen this one? Your thoughts?

 

[ClassyCo]

Regardless to what the physical media covers would have you believe, the 20th Century-Fox backstage musical THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS (1954) is Ethel Merman's movie, and that's not necessarily a good thing. To be fair, it's not that I don't like Merman, it's just I find her a little grating and irritating, all with her loud, bombastic voice that just isn't my cup-of-tea. I can see why she would've been a big stage star back in the '40s and '50s, but I can also understand why she never made the same impression on the screen. Rumor hast it, Fox had planned on using Betty Grable in the starring role, but she bucked at it, leading to a suspension.

The story of the musical isn't anything special. It's primary focus is a the fictional song-and-dance Donahue family, whose three children grow up before our very eyes in the film. Two of the children want to stay in show business, with the son getting tangled up with a showgirl, while the other sun decides to ditch the family trade to enter the priesthood. The film is stuffed with Irving Berlin songs, and ends with the title number, "There's No Business Like Show Business", being sung by the main cast altogether on a uplifted platform.

Merman aside, the remainder of the cast is quite enjoyable and fun. Dan Dailey, whom I've always liked, is charismatic and likable as the dad eager to keep his show business together. Donald O'Connor, while tittering close to irritation for me sometimes, comes across, for the most part, charming and sweet. Mitzi Gaynor, as usual, is always a delight, providing a quirky, pretty energy to the story. Johnnie Ray, while a talented singer, might be the least interesting of the core family, even less than Merman. Ray wasn't an actor, and it shows. He's stiff and comes off flat. Of course, Marilyn Monroe is in a supporting role as the showgirl who catches O'Connor's eye, and while she does exudes her own brand of sultry charm, she's not the central focus this go-round.

THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS really isn't a very good movie. It's overblown and kind of empty. It's one of those heavy, stuffy, backstage musicals that aims to be so showy, although, in reality, it's pretty lifeless and dry.

Anyone seen this one?

 

[Angela Channing]

Anyone seen this one?

Yes, I've seen There's No Business Like Show Business and it's not great but an entertaining enough film to pass a couple of hours if you have nothing better to do. The highlight is Ethel Merman singing the title song wearing a ludicrous dress with a weird supported structure on the front to obscure her bosom. Irvin Berlin was a genius and the lyrics to the title song are amazing, even though the song wasn't originally written for this film. This is my favourite bit of the song:

You get word before the show has started
That your favourite uncle died at dawn
And top of that, your ma and pa have parted
You're broken-hearted
But you go on.

When Ethel Merman sings it on stage in front of a large audience, her son, played by Donald O'Connor, appears in the wings and her other 2 children try to catch her attention. She gasps, momentarily stops, finishes her song quickly and immediately runs off stage to greet him. I couldn't help thinking: your favourite uncle dies and your parents split up but that's not as important as remaining on stage "stealing that extra bow", however, your son returns and is not going away in a hurry and you can't even stay on stage for another 30 seconds to appreciate the audience after you hurriedly finish singing?

Her disco version of the title song has to be heard to be believed.

 

[Crimson]

THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS (1954)

Personally, I dislike it. I think it's the worst of Marilyn's films during her stardom era. The movie was clearly a punishment for her, shoved into a supporting role in a mediocre film so Zanuck could reassert his dominance over her. I don't even think she's good in the film, seeming like she's doing a slow motion parody of herself; a performance of spite, perhaps.

There's a reason was Merman never found much success in Hollywood; she was too big for the screen. Her loud, belting style presumably worked well on stage but, to me, she seemed like she should have been singing in front of a marching band.

Fox had specialized in this kind of breezy backstage musicals in the 40s but, like so much else in the mid-50s, this one is overproduced, overly long and overly garish. I don't even think the musical numbers are all that great.

 

[ClassyCo]

Yes, I've seen There's No Business Like Show Business and it's not great but an entertaining enough film to pass a couple of hours if you have nothing better to do. The highlight is Ethel Merman singing the title song wearing a ludicrous dress with a weird supported structure on the front to obscure her bosom. Irvin Berlin was a genius and the lyrics to the title song are amazing, even though the song wasn't originally written for this film. This is my favourite bit of the song:

Unfortunately, I am just not a fan of Ethel Merman. Based on this and IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD, she just isn't my cup-of-tea. She sort of irks my nerves, if I'm being honest. I can see how and why she would've been a big star star during the 1940s, but she just doesn't translate well onto film... not for me anyway.

When Ethel Merman sings it on stage in front of a large audience, her son, played by Donald O'Connor, appears in the wings and her other 2 children try to catch her attention. She gasps, momentarily stops, finishes her song quickly and immediately runs off stage to greet him. I couldn't help thinking: your favourite uncle dies and your parents split up but that's not as important as remaining on stage "stealing that extra bow", however, your son returns and is not going away in a hurry and you can't even stay on stage for another 30 seconds to appreciate the audience after you hurriedly finish singing?

This, I will give you. That finale scene where the entire family is reunited at the end is quite touching.

There's a reason was Merman never found much success in Hollywood; she was too big for the screen. Her loud, belting style presumably worked well on stage but, to me, she seemed like she should have been singing in front of a marching band.

My thoughts exactly. I don't find Merman especially talented, and I suspect I wouldn't have enjoyed her stage work, either.

Fox had specialized in this kind of breezy backstage musicals in the 40s but, like so much else in the mid-50s, this one is overproduced, overly long and overly garish. I don't even think the musical numbers are all that great.

And just as you say -- Fox specialized in those flashy, colorful, easy-to-enjoy musicals, starring likable talents, such as Betty Grable, Alice Faye, June Haver, Don Ameche, John Payne, Cesar Romero, Carmen Miranda, Vivian Blaine, etc.

Personally, I dislike it. I think it's the worst of Marilyn's films during her stardom era. The movie was clearly a punishment for her, shoved into a supporting role in a mediocre film so Zanuck could reassert his dominance over her. I don't even think she's good in the film, seeming like she's doing a slow motion parody of herself; a performance of spite, perhaps.

Again, I must agree. Marilyn had just become a "hot property", as they used to say, in movies in 1953, the "year of Marilyn Monroe". All three of her films that year -- NIAGARA, GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES, and HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE -- were box office hits, each one more successful than the last.

But her continued efforts to exert her independence from Fox and desire to move away from the "dumb blonde" persona didn't go over well with Zanuck. THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS was really a trade-off agreement on both sides. Fox got Marilyn back from her honeymoon with Joe DiMaggio, got her back into the studio, and Marilyn got the $3000-a-week salary she wanted. In saying all that, the role isn't worthy of the major star she had become. She's basically playing an up-and-comer's role and is thrown on the posters as marquee bait. She doesn't show-up in the film until the half-hour mark. That aside, I think she looks great in the movie, and even if her performance is uneven, I enjoy her version of "Heat Wave".

 

[Angela Channing]

Unfortunately, I am just not a fan of Ethel Merman. Based on this and IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD, she just isn't my cup-of-tea. She sort of irks my nerves, if I'm being honest. I can see how and why she would've been a big star star during the 1940s, but she just doesn't translate well onto film... not for me anyway.

Ethel Merman had next to no light and shade in her performance, it was just Boom! Boom! Boom! She generally gave much the same performance whether she was acting a tender moment or doing a humorous scene. I find her strangely fascinating because she managed to achieve great stardom with such limited talent.

As far as There's No Business Like Show Business goes, it's an interesting period piece but not a particularly memorable film. I disagree with you about the family reunion scene, I don't think it's touching, I find it hilarious and unconvincing.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

 

[ClassyCo]

Ethel Merman had next to no light and shade in her performance, it was just Boom! Boom! Boom! She generally gave much the same performance whether she was acting a tender moment or doing a humorous scene. I find her strangely fascinating because she managed to achieve great stardom with such limited talent.

As far as There's No Business Like Show Business goes, it's an interesting period piece but not a particularly memorable film. I disagree with you about the family reunion scene, I don't think it's touching, I find it hilarious and unconvincing.

Looks like we disagree all the way around, which is totally fine.

View attachment 58291

And who would she be in our DYNASTIER world?

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

And who would she be in our DYNASTIER world?

Probably Minx's and Agatha's other more loud-mouthed sister.

Who had an affair with Hermann Goering and/or was his daughter.

 

[Crimson]

I find her strangely fascinating because she managed to achieve great stardom with such limited talent.

For reasons I'll never understand, those loud, brassy, (mostly) comic women were very popular in the 40s. See also: Betty Hutton, Martha Raye, Joan Davis.

I can't stand any of them.

 

[ClassyCo]

Jeannette Macdonald and Nelson Eddy made for a popular on-screen duo in eight MGM musicals. I've never seen any of them, but I want the DVD collections compiling the entirety of them together.

Apparently, Macdonald was MGM boss LB Mayer's "idea of womanhood", and he naturally loved the money her musicals brought into his studio.

Any fans of these?

 

[Toni]

Here´s my favorite performance of Ms. Merman...

A patient in a mental clinic who thinks she´s Merman herself!​

 

[ginnyfan]

Love musicals and love the history of this movie genre and how it changed, evolved, died and returned several times. It's a genre that can not go away for too long cause there's always a hit bio or a new music craze that can be used for a successful movie.

You all mentioned most of the best known periods/studio eras of musicals. Of course M-G-M ones are my favorites, it is the studio that capitalized the most on this genre and built it into a pure art form, reaching some of the peaks that are hard to be repeated. By the mid 50s, as the Metro musicals started to fade out, it was these grand Rodgers and Hammerstein adaptations, mostly done at Fox, that took over and ruled the box office into the mid 60s. Out of all of these, I only really love The Sound of Music (1965) and Oklahoma! (1955). Everything else I find to be overlong, boring at times and the songs don't do much for me either, to be honest.

Going back in time, I also love the early Warner Pre-code musicals, mostly done by Busby Berkeley. 42nd Street (1933), Footlight Parade (1933), Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933), Dames (1934), etc were all so much fun and exciting, just like most movies done in this period. Berkeley's mind-spinning choreographies and dance numbers art still unmatched. There's a lot of realism in these movies, the characters are people struggling in the show biz during Depression era, just like in any other Warner movie of that time. The casts are also great, I love Ruby Keeler and her clumsy dancing, Dick Powell, Joan Blondell, Ginger Rogers, James Cagney etc. If you haven't checked these out, be sure to do it, you'll have a blast.

At the same time, the refined Astair/Rogers musicals developed over at RKO and I still haven't seen any of these. Somehow I don't feel much excitement about doing it either.

Back to MGM, their true golden age of musicals started in the early 40s, with the formation of Arthur Freed unit. Of course they made many musicals during the 30s as well, developing many stars like the amazing Eleanor Powell and her step dancing, the aforementioned Jeannette Macdonald and Nelson Eddy series of movies which I can't get into, sorry but these operettas LB Mayer loved so much are not my thing. They continued this tradition with Kathryn Grayson and Jane Powell to a lesser extent. During the 30s, it was also interesting to see many of their dramatic stars appear in musicals, having to sing, dance or perform, usually with embarrassing results. No one was spared, Stewart, Crawford, even Gable had to do a dance or two.

From Metro-s golden period, I love Kiss Me Kate (1953) with Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel and the fab Ann Miller. Grayson's operatic singing is actually fitting here and she does a fine job with a juicy role. She was paired with Keel several time successfully. But it's Annie who spins the dancefloor and steals the show, as usual.

I also love It's Always Fair Weather (1955), a lesser known and a very different Gene Kelly musical with a pessimistic, sarcastic tone, somehow fitting since it came at the end of the studio's golden age of musicals. Cyd Charisse has a marvelous dancing scene in the boxing ring/gym.

Dolores Grey is also great in this, she appeared in a few MGM movies in the mid 50s and always left an impression on me.

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I also enjoy some truly lesser known MGM musicals, oddities like Athena (1954) that are just a lot of fun. This one includes a bunch of bodybuilders parading their goods around, the goody two-shoe Debbie Reynolds, operetta singing Jane Powell and Louis Calhern residing over a family of new age, Greek mythology gym freaks. Yes, it has to be seen to be believed.



As I type this, a Nelson Eddy, sans Jeannette Macdonald, movie called The Chocolate Soldier (1941) starts on TCM. A woman called Risë Stevens is his partner, operetting in this one. Maybe I'll give it a look....