Elisberg Industries
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Products
    • Books
    • Movies
  • About Elisberg Industries
    • Our Corporate Board
    • Information Overstock
    • Elisberg Industries Entertainment Information
    • Elisberg Statistical Center of American Research
    • Consultancy Service
  • Contact
    • How to Find Us
  • Kudos
  • Good Things to Know
    • The BOB Page
    • Sites You Might Actually Like
Decent Quality Since 1847

Sterling Silvers

11/5/2013

2 Comments

 
Yesterday, I posted a video of Phil Silvers doing a screen test for the movie of The Sunshine Boys.  This led to a discussion with reader Douglass Abramson, where I mentioned one of the best things I've heard from Silvers, his final, dramatic number in the musical Do Re Mi.

I thought I'd post that song, but first want to play another one to put it in proper perspective.  That's because the final "11 o'clock" number works in powerful contrast to everything setting it up in a pure Phil Silvers-type role.  But also, this first number is also probably THE quintessential song there could be for Phil Silvers, and is a joy.
Picture
Do Re Mi was a moderate hit, running for 400 performances.  It was produced on Broadway in 1960, with music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph.  Usually, they'd also do the book for their shows, but in this case that was done by the great writer Garson Kanin, who also directed.  Along with Phil Silvers, the musical starred Nancy Walker, and co-starred  a young Nancy Dussault (who years later came to national attention as the mother on the TV series, Too Close for Comfort -- and only enough, just two years of doing this musical, she was hired as a replacement to play 'Maria' in The Sound of Music, which was still running on Broadway...and got to sing the other "Do Re Mi"! ) and John Reardon (who in 1965 joined the Metropolitan Opera for 12 years) .

The story of Do Re Mi concerns a low-level wheeler-dealer con man, played by...oh, you know, always on the lookout for some quick scheme, the best way to a fast-buck, no matter how questionable or risky.  He's gotten himself into some money troubles with the mob, but has come up with a plan to talk his way out it.  Rather than be involved in illegal gambling with slot machines, he sets out to convince the lug sent after him of a far better scam.  In many ways it's the same, but his idea involves the fairly new popularly of jukeboxes.  Why is this scheme better?  Because -- as I said, this might be the quintessential Phil Silvers song -- "It's Legitimate."
2 Comments
Douglass Abramson
11/5/2013 10:45:10 am

I like that. Has the show ever had a major revival? I've managed to be totally ignorant of the production.

Reply
Robert Elisberg
11/5/2013 11:21:06 am

It's not a great score, but a solid one. There's one famous song from it (upcoming...) and also a fun star-turn for the wife, which Nancy Walker chews the scenery with, called "Adventure," about her other choices in marriage.

There hasn't been a major revival, in part I suspect because the plot of the show is dated -- though that didn't stop them from reviving "Bells are Ringing," by the same team. But then "Bells are Ringing" had been a major hit originally. However, the Encores! series did a production of it about 15 years ago -- it starred Nathan Lane, and a cast album was released. I like Nathan Lane, but given the choice, I'd take Phil Silvers and Nancy Walker.

Once upon a time, there was a video online of this "It's Legitimate" number. I looked for it, but it appears to have been taken down. I'll keep an eye open for it, though.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Picture
    Elisberg Industries gets a commission if you click here before shopping on Amazon.
    Picture
    Follow @relisberg

    Author

    Robert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. 

    Elisberg is a two-time recipient of the Lucille Ball Award for comedy screenwriting. He's written for film, TV, the stage, and two best-selling novels, is a regular columnist for the Writers Guild of America and was for
    the Huffington Post.  Among his other writing, he has a long-time column on technology (which he sometimes understands), and co-wrote a book on world travel.  As a lyricist, he is a member of ASCAP, and has contributed to numerous publications.



    Picture
           Feedspot Badge of Honor

    Archives

    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    Categories

    All
    Animals
    Audio
    Audio Land
    Books
    Business
    Chicago
    Consumer Product
    Education
    Email Interview
    Entertainment
    Environment
    Fine Art
    Food
    From The Management
    Health
    History
    Huffery
    Humor
    International
    Internet
    Journalism
    Law
    Los Angeles
    Media
    Morning News Round Up
    Movies
    Music
    Musical
    Personal
    Photograph
    Piano Puzzler
    Politics
    Popular Culture
    Profiles
    Quote Of The Day
    Radio
    Religion
    Restaurants
    Science
    Sports
    Tech
    Technology
    Tech Tip
    Theater
    The Writers Workbench
    Tidbits
    Travel
    Tv
    Twitter
    Video
    Videology
    Well Worth Reading
    Words-o-wisdom
    Writing

    RSS Feed

© Copyright Robert J. Elisberg 2023
Contact Us    About EI    Chicago Cubs
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Products
    • Books
    • Movies
  • About Elisberg Industries
    • Our Corporate Board
    • Information Overstock
    • Elisberg Industries Entertainment Information
    • Elisberg Statistical Center of American Research
    • Consultancy Service
  • Contact
    • How to Find Us
  • Kudos
  • Good Things to Know
    • The BOB Page
    • Sites You Might Actually Like