Delightful
Robert Sherwood's Idiot's Delight was highly regarded when it opened on Broadway in 1936, starring Lunt and Fontanne. It even won the Pulitzer Prize. Like all of Sherwood (who won three Pulitzers), it's not so highly regarded today.
It was adapted into a forgettable 1939 movie starring Clark Gable and Norma Shearer. But, watching it recently, there is one memorable thing. Gable plays a song and dance man, and we get to see him perform "Puttin' On The Ritz." How is he? Let's say he's closer to Peter Boyle than Fred Astaire.
Gable actually rehearsed a lot to get this bad. Also of interest, this being the 30s, is he's still using the original, racially-tinged lyric.
posted by LAGuy @ 12:20 AM
2 Comments:
He dances like Peter Boyle, but sings better.
There's something about his dancing that reminds me of James Cagney.
Also, I had never ever known about the original lyrics. Interesting.
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