Last Friday’s feature on 10 great musical numbers from films that never quite achieved classic status but are too much fun was so well received that we’re serving up another 10 under-the radar numbers that deserve some extra attention.
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When it comes to the subject of movie musicals, it always seems like a handful of numbers from classic films are always presented as being the best of the genre. And, to be fair, they deserve that attention. Whether it involves Judy Garland pining to be “Over the Rainbow” or James Cagney giving a new meaning to patriotism with “Yankee Doodle Dandy” or Gene Kelly getting happily soaked while “Singin’ in the Rain,” everyone knows these numbers by heart.
Today, we’re going in the opposite direction with segments from 10 films that never quite achieved classic status but nonetheless feature larger than life musical sequences that are too much fun.
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For every sure-bet in movie casting, there are scores of questionable decisions on whether an actor can handle a certain role. And that’s where the screen test comes in.
A screen test provides the opportunity for a director and producer to determine whether a specific part should go to an actor who might not be the obvious choice for the role. David O. Selznick memorably shot scores of screen tests to find the right actors that would bring Margaret Mitchell’s characters to life in the film version of “Gone with the Wind” – except for the role of Rhett Butler, which was always envisioned for Clark Gable. Several decades later, George Lucas brought together a line-up of promising under-the-radar talent to test for his “Star Wars.”
BOOTLEG FILES 830: “Tony and Lena” (1973 TV special starring Tony Bennett and Lena Horne).
LAST SEEN: YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Music clearance costs.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.
During the 1970s – also known as The Decade That Good Taste Forgot – most television specials were bizarre concoctions populated by dubious talents. Where else but in the 1970s would the phrase “Special Guest Star” and names such as John Davidson or Florence Henderson be united amid waves of canned applause?
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BOOTLEG FILES 798: “Boogie-Woogie Dream” (1944 musical short starring Lena Horne).
LAST SEEN: On YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: On public domain labels.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: A lapsed copyright.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: There are no plans for a restored version.
In September 1941, an unlikely group of creative artists converged in a New York City movie studio to shoot an independently financed musical short film. The finished production sat on a shelf for three years before it was seen, making very little impression in its day. But today, this film is considered an invaluable asset for capturing an iconic performer at the cusp of her rise to prominence while providing the only filmed record of two of the greatest jazz performers of all time.
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BOOTLEG FILES 763: “Ship’s Reporter” (1948-1952 celebrity interview television series).
LAST SEEN: On YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: A few episodes have turned up as special features on VHS and DVD releases, but the complete series has not.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Fell through the proverbial cracks.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.
Jack Mangan’s name is mostly unknown to today’s entertainment news aficionados, but back in the day he was a pioneer in television’s celebrity interview genre. Mangan’s specialty was not a studio-bound tête-à-tête or an on-location chat. Instead, Mangan brought his camera crew to New York City’s piers and on board the luxury liners traveling to and from Europe, where he would seek out prominent passengers for quickie interviews.
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BOOTLEG FILES 741: “Harry & Lena” (1970 television special starring Harry Belafonte and Lena Horne).
LAST SEEN: On YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Problems in clearing music rights.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Unlikely at this time.
If you were watching television variety shows and specials from the 1950s through the 1970s, it was nearly impossible not to see either Harry Belafonte or Lena Horne turn up in a guest starring role. The charismatic and versatile Belafonte would offer anything from calypso music to folk tunes to protest songs reflecting the ongoing turmoil of the times, while the regal Horne provided incomparable beauty and a distinctive styling of the Great American Songbook.
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