WALTER WILLISON and PAMELA PEADON in Irving Berlin's "A PRETTY GIRL IS LIKE A MELODY"

Walter Willison portrays Ziegfeld Follies star Frank Carter, as he serenades Pamela Peadon, as Broadway ballerina Marilyn Miller, with Irving Berlin's classic "A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody" in this show-stopping number from the film "Ziegfeld:The Man and His Women." Chosen with the approval of the great Irving Berlin, himself, as well as that of Ziegfeld's daughter, Production Supervisor Patricia Ziegfeld Stephenson, Broadways Walter Willison, a Tony Award nominee and Theatre World Award winner for Richard Rodgers' "Two By Two" [also on Broadway in "Norman, Is That You?," the title role in "Pippin," "Wild and Wonderful," "Grand Hotel"] had recently starred as Dr. Calvin Campbell in the hit NBC Saturday morning series "McDuff, The Talking Dog." Pamela Peadon ["Celebration," "On The Town," "Irene," "Rodgers And Hart" on Broadway] was currently receiving acclaim for replacing Donna McKechnie as Cassie in the Los Angeles production "A Chorus Line." "A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody," brilliantly designed and choreographed by Emmy-nominated choreographer Miriam Nelson, assisted by Tad Tadlock, and 15 other production numbers, were filmed on the largest soundstage at Columbia Pictures which had not long before housed the gigantic set for The Poseidon Adventure, where Academy Award winning art director John DeCuir ["The King and I," "Cleopatra," "Hello, Dolly!"] recreated the proscenium-arched stage and dressing rooms of the Ziegfeld Theatre. Among his many unique ideas was to gather up two thousand burned-out light bulbs from the offices on the lot and tie them to the branches of the trees decorating the stage during the number. When the lights hit the bulbs on the trees, said DeCuir, they sparkled, just as if we had spent hundreds of dollars to pearlize the branches. The multi-million dollar three-hour move, which had its US television premiere on May 21, 1978, as part of NBC TVs Sunday night Big Event series, is the longest musical ever filmed for television [after network repeats, the original 147-minute version went on to be seen on Showtime, and an edited 100-minute version, which retains the majority of the musical numbers, has been aired in recent years on cable TVs Encore e Channel].
Headlining as Florenz Ziegfeld was Paul Shenar [Broadway: "Tartuffe," "Six Characters In Search of An Author," and Variety Critics-nominee for "Tiny Alice" and "The Three Sisters"; a founding member, actor, director and teacher with William Balls famed American Conservatory Theatre for more than 10 years; Orson Welles in the TV movie "The Night That Panicked America"]; Starring along Peadon as "His Women" were Samantha Eggar [Oscar nominee, Golden Globe and Cannes Film Festival winner for "The Collector"] as the staunch and lovely Billie Burke; Barbara Parkins [who became a 60s icon from her starring roles as Betty Harrington Anderson in "Peyton Place" (1964) on television and Ann Wells in the cult classic film "Valley of the Dolls" (1965)] as the heart-breaking Anna Held [Parkins has often said that the role is her favorite, because it gave her the opportunity to showcase her singing and dancing talents, as well as use her acting]; and Valerie Perrine [Oscar and Golden Globe nominee, Cannes Film Festival/New York Film Critics Award winner for "Lenny"] as the artistically challenged Lillian Lorraine, who became a Ziegfeld star despite her lack of talent. Broadway, film, and TV notables who guest starred as Ziegfeld stars also includes Inga Swenson [Broadway: "New Faces of 56,"Theatre World Award and Variety Critics Poll Award winner for "The First Gentleman," Tony Award nomination/London Theatre Critics Award as Lizzie in Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidts "110 In The Shade," Tony-nomination for "Baker Street"] as Nora Bayes, whose films include "Advise & Consent," "The Miracle Worker," "The Betsy," television appearances include Richard Rodgers' "Androcles And The Lion," best known to TV fans as housekeeper Gretchen Kraus on "Benson"; Ron Husmann [Tony nominee and Theatre World Award winner for "Tenderloin," "All American," "Lovely Ladies , Kind Gentlemen," "Irene"], as Bayes husband and on stage partner, Jack Norworth, made his feature debut in "Love Has Many Faces," and his vast TV appearances include The Hallmark Hall of Fame ["The Music of Richard Rodgers" 1961, et cetera], "The Gershwin Years," "Days of Our Lives" [Tony Merritt], and opposite Bernadette Peters in "Once Upon a Mattress" [1972]; and Catherine Jacoby as Fanny Brice [a role she was familiar with, having recently played the famed diva in Donn Ardens spectacular "Hallelujah, Hollywood" at the original MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas].
The film received a Golden Globe nomination as Best Motion Picture Made for Television, eight Emmy Awards nominations, and won two 1978 Emmy Awards.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Tony Award
• Theatre World Award
• Ziegfeld Follies
• Ziegfeld
• Walter Willison
• Pamela Peadon
• Broadway musicals
• dancer
• ballerina
• tenor
• production number
• spectacular
• choreography
• staircase
• diva
• 1920s
• Irving Berlin
• Miriam Nelson
• Tad Tadlock
• Samantha Eggar
• Paul Shenar
• gay interest

[deepseadirt]

thank you Walter for uploading. Frank Carter was the husband of Marilyn Miller and he was killed not too long after the debut of this song. I've heard a recording of this song from 1919 by John Steele whom I believe debuted it on phonograph. Steele's voice is like yours(& Philip Bailey's of Earth Wind & Fire) , near falsetto, which if Im not mistaken is a requirement for the male voice to sound like? again wonderful. Could you upload David Downing's segment doing Bert Williams in 1914 Follies

[BroadwayGoldnAge]

@deepseadirt -- The story of Frank's untimely death in that accident is, in fact, dramatized in the film ZIEGFELD: The Man and His Women. I believe I heard the John Steele recording back when we were doing the film. To be compared with Mr. Steel AND Philip Bailey is quite a compliment and I Thank You very much, indeed! I will see what I can do about finding David Dowling's Bert Williams segment. Not sure how much of the number was used in the final cut.

Best, WW

[bobbobato]

Was this scene trying to follow the Original Pretty Girl number or the one from Great Ziegfeld? The prologue and style is like the Original recording by John Steel, but the length, set, and pacing reminds me of the film version.

[BroadwayGoldnAge]

@bobbobato -- The vocal arrangement was created especially for me, based on the original Steele recording. The concept of the number, done by Frank Carter as a love song to his future wife, Marilyn Miller, instead of with a bevy of Showgirls, was conceived especially for the film by our Brilliant Choreographer Miriam Nelson, her Assistant Tad Tadlock, and Director Buzz Kulik, so that it is not only the penultimate number of the film, it also moves the plot forward.

Best, WW

[JoeManelli]

Just love this clip...and you sound as fabulous as ever!!! Just great Walter!!!.

[BroadwayGoldnAge]

@JoeManelli -- That means a great deal coming from you. Thanks so much!

Best, WW

[jblue705]

I also like how you edit this together with the end credits...it gives a very nice feel to it.

[jblue705]

They need to release this on DVD!

[allshallknow19]

what movie is this from?

[BroadwayGoldnAge]

@Heliosept1104 -- And Thank You for your enthusiastic response! I'm so pleased to know you like this. Filming this sequence was all the dreams I had growing up of being in an MGM musical come true. And how wonderful that it gave you the opportunity you to discover this beautiful song. When it comes to great songs, you can't beat Irving Berlin!

Best, WW

[Heliosept1104]

I'm so glad I ran into this! I didn't know about this song until today, but WOW! I'm taken away by this. A wonderful song and a wonderful video! Thank you for posting this!

[BroadwayGoldnAge]

Thanks so much for for noticing that. I like it when music videos have opening a closing credits, like little mini-movies, and this one was one of the first one I created, and was fun to make because the closing montage was already created for the original film, so it inspired me!

Best, WW