Too Young to Die TV - Oscar Hammerstein - Comic Strip Presents TV - Secret Voices of Hollywood TV - Oliver! 1968 - Dick van Dyke - Easy Come Easy Go 1967 - The Office US TV - Spitting Image Election Special 1987 -
For Saturday Night Live he [Belushi] had devised the Blues Brothers – their records sold millions. The Blues Brothers – a musical with crazy car chases. The film cost $27 million … A triumphant return for John. But shooting was overshadowed by Belushi’s alcohol and drug excesses. Too Young to Die s1e3: John Belushi, Sky Arts 2020
The hills are alive with the sound of music,
With songs they have sung for a thousand years.
The hills fill my heart with the sound of music,
My heart wants to sing ev’ry song it hears … Oscar Hammerstein, The Sound of Music, 1959
I really don’t think this picture should be a musical. Comic Strip Presents ... Strike! Al Pacino, Channel 4 1988
Hollywood musicals have been loved by generations. But many songs in the most famous musicals were not sung by the stars themselves – their voices were secretly replaced. Some stars were not told that their voices would be removed. A number of big stars have never forgiven the film studios. Secret Voices of Hollywood, BBC 2013
Singin’ in the Rain: So Debbie Reynolds, who was playing the Ghost Singer in the movie, eventually had her own voice ghosted. ibid.
Roughly half the movies made featured ghost singing. ibid.
The King & I: Kerr refused to keep quiet about being ghosted. ibid.
The royalties from record sales were not being shared by the performers. ibid.
The start of a public backlash against ghost singing. ibid.
After the Sound of Music there was a stampede to produce more musicals. ibid.
The musical all but died out. ibid.
Food glorious food,
Hot sausage and mustard.
While we’re in the mood –
Cold jelly and custard … Oliver! 1968 starring Ron Moody & Oliver Reed & Shani Wallis & Harry Secombe & Mark Lester & Peggy Mount & Leonard Rossiter & Kenneth Cranham & Hugh Griffith & Jack Wild et al, director Carol Reed, opening scene, Lionel Bart song
Please, sir, I want some more. ibid. Oliver to Mr Bumble
Consider yourself at home
Consider yourself one of the family … ibid. Artful Dodger’s song to Oliver
Shut up and drink your gin! ibid. Fagin to gang
In this life one thing counts,
In the bank large amounts. ibid. Fagin’s song
I mean who’s going to look after me in my old age? ibid. Fagin to owl
It’s a terrible thing, old age. ibid. Fagin to Oliver
Who will buy my sweet red roses? ibid. flower-lady’s song
Some living, gawd help me. ibid. Nancy to Bill
But I wish they would make a musical of some kind. I miss musicals so much. You don’t see them any more. Dick van Dyke
I want you to meet my buddies. Easy Come, Easy Go 1967 starring Elvis Presley & Dodie Marshall & Pat Priest & Pat Harrington & Skip Ward & Sandy Kenyon & Frank McHugh & Ed Griffith & Read Morgan & Mickey Elley & Elaine Becett et al, director John Rich, Elvis
Step right up to the love machine. ibid. Elvis
I found a million dollars in gold on an old shipwreck. ibid.
It’s beautiful down here. Positively beautiful. ibid. Captain Jack
It’s a form of art: it’s called a happening. Watch. No, we’re just a bunch of people who like to live a free life. ibid. bird
Now we sit here and fish. ibid. Elvis
Women cannot resist a man singing show tunes. It’s so powerful, even a lot of men can't resist a man singing show tunes. The Office US: Andy's Play s7e3, Andy, NBC 2010
All that singing got in the way of some perfectly good murders. ibid. Dwight
If you can give me an hour or two I can produce something much worse. Spitting Image: Election Special, Andrew Lloyd-Weber to Jeffrey Archer & Cecil Parkinson, ITV 1987