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[Interview with Stanley Donen : raw footage]

Title: [Interview with Stanley Donen : raw footage] [videorecording] / [directed by Michael Kantor]
Publication: New York, 2003.

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Status	Format	Access	Call Number	Item Location
Request Appointment Available - Can be used on site. Please visit New York Public Library - Performing Arts Research Collections to submit a request in person.	Moving image	Restricted use	NCOX 2165	Performing Arts Research Collections - TOFT

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Description

1 videocassette (VHS) (61 min.) : sd., col. SP; 1/2 in.

Summary

Raw interview footage used for the documentary Broadway, the American musical. Stanley Donen, film director and choreographer, known for his work on Hollywood musicals, discusses the American musical. Donen begins by reminiscing about the Broadway of 1940, when the best tickets cost $4.40, putting a show together was comparatively uncomplicated, and the musical Pal Joey, composed by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart and written by John O'Hara, opened. Donen, who performed in the show, discusses its number Zip, Gene Kelly's role as Joey Evans, cast members June Havoc, Jack Durant and Leila Ernst, Rodgers & Hart's songwriting for the show, and their collaboration in the musical theater. Donen speaks about radio censorship of the song from Pal Joey Bewitched, bothered and bewildered, which was introduced by Vivienne Segal in the Broadway production. Donen speaks about his yearly summer visits to New York City in the 1930s with this father, where they would see many Broadway shows; more on the musical collaboration of Rodgers & Hart; and his memories of seeing the first Broadway production of Porgy and Bess. Donen speaks of the process of bringing Pal Joey to the Broadway stage, which was masterfully handled by its producer George Abbott; the effect of World War II on the Broadway musical; the use of musicals as the subjects of early sound film; the popularity of the musical during World War II; producing a musical in comparison with a film; how movie musicals stimulated his interest in Broadway; the difficulty of turning a motion picture into a musical, and the problems encountered in producing the stage version of the motion picture Singin' in the rain, which starred Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds and which he co-directed with Kelly. Donen then speaks about choreographer Bob Fosse, who was self-taught, obssessed with the theater, and had tireless determination and drive. Fosse, Donen feels, liked do shows that were "hard, true and real," and which often featured danger and sex. He speaks of how Fosse was hired to choreograph his first show The pajama game, his number Steam heat, and Fosse's work on the musical Chicago and its critical response. Donen speaks about the singing and performing of Fred Astaire, whose renditions made composers love to write songs for him; and on the working style of producer George Abbott. Audio only discussion begins ca. 45 min. and continues for about a minute on Abbott.
On camera discussion with Donen continues with the musical score; what the musical expresses about America and Americans; how dancing has changed since he first came to Broadway, and the contributions of choreographers of Jerome Robbins and Agnes DeMille; what he views as the biggest change to occur on Broadway since the 1940s; the "myth" of Broadway; more on the show Porgy and Bess, composed by George and Ira Gershwin and written by DuBose Heyward; lyricist Ira Gershwin, with whom he worked; and his love of the musical show.

Alternative Title

Broadway, the American musical
Broadway: the American musical : Stanley Donen interview

Subjects

Genre/Form

Documentaries and factual works.
Musicals.
Unedited footage.

Note

This interview is one of a group of interviews with 90 individuals used in making the documentary Broadway, the American musical. The completed production is available on NCOX 2058.
Credits for completed production from pbs.org: A film by Michael Kantor ; produced by Jeff Dupre, Michael Kantor and Sally Rosenthal ; written by Marc Fields, Michael Kantor, Laurence Maslon, and JoAnne Young ; directed by Michael Kantor.
Time code on frame.
Contains various takes, at occasional brief intervals, audio continues without sound.

Credits (note)

Cameraman: Buddy Squires.

Performer (note)

Interviewer: Michael Kantor. Interviewee: Stanley Donen.

Event (note)

Videotaped in New York, N.Y. on August 26, 2003.

Biography (note)

Broadway, the American musical, which aired on PBS in October 2004, is a documentary chronicling the entire history of a unique American art form, the Broadway musical. Each of its six episodes covers a different era in American theater history, and features the Broadway shows and songs which defined the period. The series draws on feature films, television broadcasts, archival news footage, original cast recordings, still photos, diaries, journals, first-person accounts, and on-camera interviews with many of the principals involved in the development of the genre.

Call Number

NCOX 2165

OCLC

145569403

Title

[Interview with Stanley Donen : raw footage] [videorecording] / [directed by Michael Kantor]

Imprint

New York, 2003.

Credits

Cameraman: Buddy Squires.

Performer

Interviewer: Michael Kantor. Interviewee: Stanley Donen.

Event

Videotaped in New York, N.Y. on August 26, 2003.

Biography

Broadway, the American musical, which aired on PBS in October 2004, is a documentary chronicling the entire history of a unique American art form, the Broadway musical. Each of its six episodes covers a different era in American theater history, and features the Broadway shows and songs which defined the period. The series draws on feature films, television broadcasts, archival news footage, original cast recordings, still photos, diaries, journals, first-person accounts, and on-camera interviews with many of the principals involved in the development of the genre.

Local Note

Gift of Broadway Film Project, Inc. and Thirteen/WNET, 2005.

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Added Author

Donen, Stanley, interviewee.

Kantor, Michael, 1961- interviewer.

Kantor, Michael, 1961- director.

Squires, Buddy, cameraman.

Broadway Film Project, Inc, donor.

Thirteen/WNET, donor.

Research Call Number

NCOX 2165

View in Legacy Catalog