Damn Yankees (OBC) - Those Were The Good Old Days

[jrobjer]

This was the first Broadway show I ever saw (when I was about 10 in the mid-50's) and never forgot the performances of any of the actors--esp. Ray Walston's. This song drew a well-deserved standing ovation and I thought, even at that age, that it was the best combiantion of music and lyrics I had ever heard!

[pippozg]

@jrobjer holy shit you saw the original cast? what was it like? how was gwen verdon? and how did they move stuff around the stage back then? stage hands? these questions may sound dumb but im a broadway buff and this is amazing!

[jrobjer]

@pippozg You can just imagine how a 10-year-old boy regarded the half-naked, stunningly beautiful Gwen Verndon prancing around the stage and singing "Whatever Lola Wants..." Re the scenery changes, I don't remember them, but I'm sure it was a relatively simple matter of bringing down the curtain and performing the changes behind the curtain...not like today, where stage hands or the actors themselves move stuff in plain sight!

[janmarina1]

I love this movie, always have, wonderful some of its here.

[batman4oz]

The Wonderful and Under-rated Ray Walston! He was just perfect in this role....

'Are You somebody?'

'Not a SOLE!'

Loved that scene...as every other he Stole in this film!

The public needs to see talent like his...maybe the Academy Awards should do a Tribute to him?! We keep losing all the Real Talent and replacing it with McSingers, McDancers and McActors du jour....pitiful.

^^X^^

[mangledinal]

This is the absolute BEST. Ray Walston knocks it out of the park, folks! You can't do better than the BEST.

[bobmartinez56isahit]

one of the best songs of the movie I love it

[RayPointer]

@bobmartinez56isahit

Maybe so, but this is the Broadway Cast recording, not the movie.

[Butterflygrrl]

@RayPointer No, Ray Walston played the devil in the movie in the 50's. There was more than one version.

[RayPointer]

@Butterflygrrl I'm aware of both the Broadway and movie performances. BobMartin referenced the movie while the cast album is the Broadway production. Let's just say that the idea was that this was one of the best songs in the show. YA GOTTA HAVE HEART is the one the people remember, though.

[chaver1114]

@RayPointer The only reason people remeber "Ya Gottta Have Heart" is because there are like 100 Bajillion Reprises of it...

[RayPointer]

@chaver1114 Alas, there aren't as many people aware of it today, let alone know that it came from this show. Another example is "Hey, Look Me Over." They may be familiar with the tune once they hear it, but they don't know that it came from WILDCAT.

[chaver1114]

@RayPointer Amen my friend, Amen