Alan Jay Lerner: A Lyricist's Letters (31 page)

    
32
Arkady Sobolev (1903–64) was a Russian Soviet diplomat who was ambassador to the United Nations from 1955 to 1960, having previously been ambassador to Poland from 1951 to 1953.

    
33
Sam Zolotow, “Group to Produce for Stage, Films,”
New York Times
, March 29, 1960, 47
.

    
34
Osgood Carruthers, “Moscow Cheers for a ‘Fair Lady,’”
New York Times
, April 19, 1960, 15
. “‘Mai Fer Ledi [photo spread of the Moscow tour],’”
New York Times
, May 1, 1960, SM16.

    
35
“Suit over ‘My Fair Lady,’”
New York Times
, March 4, 1960, 19.

    
36
CBS’s participation had been announced on February 9. Sam Zolotow, “‘Dear Liar’ Plans to Open March 17,”
New York Times
, February 9, 1960, 27.

    
37
Sam Zolotow, “Rattigan Plans 2 London Shows,”
New York Times
, February 19, 1960, 20
.

    
38
Sam Zolotow, “Winter Garden Books ‘Camelot,’”
New York Times
, February 26, 1960, 23
. “‘Camelot’ Premiere Oct.1,”
New York Times
, February 28, 1960, 77.

    
39
Roddy McDowall (1928–98) enjoyed a long career acting in films ranging from
How Green Was My Valley
(1941) to the
Planet of the Apes
films.

    
40
Actress M’el Dowd (1938–) has appeared in numerous stage and screen productions, though at the time of
Camelot
she was particularly known for her Shakespeare roles.

    
41
Sam Zolotow, “Play by O’Casey Due Here Oct. 4,”
New York Times
, August 1, 1960, 20
.

    
42
Arthur Gelb, “Notes Concerning ‘Camelot,’”
New York Times
, August 14, 1960, X1
.

    
43
“Julie Andrews Arrives Here,”
New York Times
, August 22, 1960, 22.

    
44
Seymour Peck, “And Now Fair ‘Camelot’?”
New York Times
, September 18, 1960, SM18
.

    
45
S. N. Behrman (1893–1973) was a distinguished writer of plays (e.g.,
Biography
, 1932;
End of Summer
, 1936) and films (including the Rodgers and Hart musical
Hallelujah, I’m a Bum
).

    
46
Wagner’s epic opera, which typically takes several hours to perform.

    
47
Lerner,
Street
, 214.

    
48
See, for instance,
Sam Zolotow, “Producers Weigh ‘Camelot’ Delay,”
New York Times
, 36
.

    
49
“Incoming Shows Hobbled by Usual Star, Script and Staging Troubles,”
Variety
, October 12, 1960, 70.

    
50
Lerner,
Street
, 216–217.

    
51
“Incoming Shows Hobbled,” 70.

    
52
“Legitimate: ‘Camelot’ Delay Hits Party Dates; Lerner Succeeds Hart as Stager; Half-Hour Already Cut from Show,”
Variety
, October 19, 1960, 57.

    
53
See Lerner,
Street
, 220–223 for details.

    
54
Sam Zolotow, “‘Camelot’ Sales Continue to Rise,”
New York Times
, October 28, 1960, 22
.

    
55
Arthur Gelb, “London Will See ‘Camelot’ in ’62,”
New York Times
, December 12, 1960, 37
.

    
56
“Rosemont-Widney Team Maps ‘Marry at Leisure’ Feature for Britain,” Variety, November 9, 1960, 5. The film was later made as
A Nice Girl like Me
(1969).

    
57
Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel (1883–1971) was a leading French fashion designer who created the world-famous Chanel brand.

    
58
Louis Calta, “Couturiere’s Life Seen as Musical; Fashion Figure, Creator of Chanel No. 5, Is Heroine Lerner-Loewe Project,” New York Times, December 28, 1960, 23. “Legitimate: Brisson Plans Musical On ‘Coco’ Chanel (No. 5)” December 28, 1960, 51.

    
59
Frederick Brisson (1913–84) was a Danish producer, with many credits including
The Pajama Game
(1954) and
Damn Yankees
(1955).

    
60
Rosalind Russell (1907–76) was the award-winning star of the Broadway musical
Wonderful Town
(1953), as well as films including
His Girl Friday
(1940),
Auntie Mame
(1959), and
Gypsy
(1962).

    
61
Sam Zolotow, “Financial Woes Beset New Show,”
New York Times
, January 9, 1961, 31
.

    
62
Louis Calta, “Gobel Will Star in New Musical,”
New York Times
, January 13, 1961, 37
.

    
63
Zolotow, “Financial Woes Beset New Play,” 27.

    
64
“Lerner’s Vidpix,”
Variety
, January 18, 1960, 1.

    
65
“Inside Stuff—Legit,”
Variety
, March 22, 1961, 72.

    
66
Lerner,
Street
, 244–245.

    
67
“Chatter,”
Variety
, March 29, 1961, 62.

    
68
Sam Zolotow, “Rodgers and Lerner to Team Up,”
New York Times
, April 6, 1961, 35.

    
69
Gower Champion (1921–80) was a prolific director-choreographer, whose many productions included
Bye Bye Birdie
(1960),
Carnival!
(1961),
Hello, Dolly
(1964), and
42nd Street
(1980). Sam Zolotow, “Drama Starring Milton Berle Off,”
New York Times
, May 10, 1961, 54.

    
70
Lewis Funke, “News of the Rialto,”
New York Times
, April 23, 1961, 119
.

    
71
“WB’s ‘Camelot’ Buy: $1,500,000 plus 25% of Net,’”
Variety
, April 12, 1961, 1.

    
72
“Chatter,”
Variety
, April 19, 1961, 77.

    
73
“A.J. Lerner on France,”
Variety
, May 3, 1961, 83.

    
74
“Chatter: London,”
Variety
, May 3, 1961, 86.

    
75
“American Musical Theatre,”
Variety
, May 10, 1961,

    
76
Louis Calta, “‘Lady’ Will Set a Record Today,”
New York Times
, July 12, 1961, 36
.

    
77
“Ignore Europe, Shoot Tuners,”
Variety
, June 14, 1961, 8.

    
78
Lewis Funke, “News of the Rialto,”
New York Times
, October 22, 1961, X1
.

    
79
Eugene Archer, “5 Million Film Offer Made for ‘Fair Lady,’”
New York Times
, September 27, 1961, 1
.

    
80
Lewis Funke, “Man Running Scared,”
New York Times
, March 11, 1962, X1
.

    
81
Lerner,
Street
, 247.

    
82
Louis Calta, “Loewe Acquires a New Property,”
New York Times
, 47.

    
83
“Moss Hart Is Dead; Playwright Was 57,”
New York Times
, December 21, 1957, 1.

    
84
“Alan J. Lerner’s Tribute to Moss Hart” in
A Memorial Tribute to Moss Hart at the Music Box Theatre, New York City, January 9, 1962
(New York: Random House, 1962) 21–23.

    
85
Jack Gould, “TV: ‘Broadway of Lerner and Loewe,’”
New York Times
, February 12, 1962, 36
.

    
86
Hoagy Carmichael (1899–1981) was an American musician, actor, and composer, known for writing the songs “Stardust,” “The Nearness of You,” “Heart and Soul,” and “Georgia on My Mind.”

    
87
His
Walk With Music
(1940), to lyrics by Johnny Mercer, lasted only 55 performances on Broadway. His other theater credits tended to be as one of a team of composers.

    
88
Barbara Harris (1935–) was a major Broadway star of the 1960s and went on to appear in numerous films, including Hitchcock’s valedictory
Family Plot
(1976).

    
89
Sam Zolotow, “Musical to Star Barbara Harris,”
New York Times
, May 1, 1962, 34
.

    
90
Anthony Forwood, Bogarde’s partner.

    
91
Louis Calta, “Premise Troupe to Go to London,”
New York Times
, July 10, 1962, 29
.

    
92
Milton Esterow, “Gower Champion to Stage Musical,”
New York Times
, August 9, 1962, 18
.

    
93
Milton Esterow, “News of the Rialto: New Team,”
New York Times
, August 12, 1962, X1
.

    
94
Sam Zolotow, “‘Fair Lady’ Plans Final Farewell,”
New York Times
, September 11, 1962, 27
.

    
95
“Au Revoir to a Lady,”
New York Times
, October 1, 1962, 30.

    
96
For a performance history of
My Fair Lady
, see Dominic McHugh,
Loverly: The Life and Times of “My Fair Lady”
(New York: Oxford University Press, 2012).

    
97
Robert Horton (1924–) is an American actor, well known in this period for his long-running appearance (1957–62) in the television series
Wagon Train
. He appeared in the Broadway musical
110 in the Shade
from October 1963.

    
98
Sam Zolotow, “‘I Picked a Daisy’ New Show’s Title,”
New York Times
, October 31, 1962, 34
.

    
99
“Cast Assembled for Shaw’s Play,”
New York Times
, January 28, 1963, 7.

    
100
Lewis Funke, “News along the Rialto: R&L’s ‘Daisy,’”
New York Times
, May 12, 1963, X1
.

    
101
Alan Jay Lerner, “Oh What a Beautiful Musical,”
New York Times
, May 13, 1963, SM16
.

    
102
Richard P. Hunt, “President Given Birthday Party,”
New York Times
, May 24, 1963, 14
.

    
103
Christine Keeler (1942–) is an English former model, known for her involvement in the infamous Profumo Affair.

    
104
Sam Zolotow, “Rodgers Musical Facing 2d Delay,”
New York Times
, June 13, 1963, 26
.

    
105
Sam Zolotow, “‘Daisy’ Gets Two More Weeks to Decide on Majestic Booking,”
New York Times
, June 28, 1963, 16
.

    
106
Sam Zolotow, “‘I Picked a Daisy’ of Lerner and Rodgers Canceled,”
New York Times
, July 11, 1963, 22
.

    
107
David Merrick (1911–2000) was a prolific, award-winning, and notoriously ruthless Broadway producer who staged Harold Rome’s (1908–93) musicals
Fanny
(1954),
Destry Rides Again
(1959), and
I Can Get It For You Wholesale
(1962). Merrick did not, in the end, produce Rome’s next show,
The Zulu and the Zayda
(1965), as Lane suggests.

    
108
Sam Zolotow, “‘I Picked a Daisy’ May Resume with Burton Lane as Composer,”
New York Times
, July 25, 1963, 15
.

    
109
“Say Lerner May Persist on ‘Daisy’; Seeks Bernstein?”
Variety
, July 24, 1963, 63.

    
110
“Lerner to Write a Movie Musical,”
New York Times
, January 6, 1964, 34.

    
111
A. H. Weiler, “Harrison and Lerner Reunited,”
New York Times
, March 22, 1964, X11
.

    
112
A. H. Weiler, “Local Views: ‘The Cat,’”
New York Times
, May 10, 1964, X9
.

    
113
Sam Zolotow, “Jourdan to Play Lead in Musical,”
New York Times
, August 26, 1964, 33
.

    
114
“Lerner’s New Show Set for Hellinger,”
New York Times
, November 5, 1964, 50.

    
115
Louis Calta, “Lerner and Lane Work on Musical,”
New York Times
, November 21, 1964, 33
.

    
116
A. H. Weiler, “Film Critics Name ‘My Fair Lady’ the Fairest of Them All and Harrison the Best Actor,”
New York Times
, December 29, 1964, 19
.