Friday, October 18, 2013

Porteriana: "RED, HOT, AND BLUE!"

Speranza

Songs:

It's De-Lovely
Down in the Depths

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And uneven successor to ANYTHING GOES, which had some success, not surprisingly, considering the star comedians.

William Gaxton withdrew when he learned Merman had been promised equal billing.

Durante, in the Victor Moore role, presented billing problems himself.

The two finally settled on a diagonal criss-cross design.

Merman got first billing when she met Durante again in STARS IN YOUR EYES.

Bob Hope, fresh from Fanny Brice and Ziegfeld Follies of 1936, didn't bother with billing.

He had a line of his own below the others, undiagonal and considerably more readable.

Hope followed this with Hollywood, enver to return.

Porter's work was far below his ANYTHING GOES output, but he did come up with a worthy successor to "You're the top" in "It's De-Lovely".

On October 24, 1937, Porter was critically injured in a horseback riding accident.

Amputation was averted but he suffered constant pain for the rest of his life.

After twenty years and thirty operations, his right leg was finally amputated.

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