- published: 03 Feb 2012
- views: 18309
Irving Berlin (May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history. He published his first song, "Marie from Sunny Italy", in 1907 and had his first major international hit, "Alexander's Ragtime Band" in 1911.
"Alexander's Ragtime Band" sparked an international dance craze in places as far away as Berlin's native Russia, which also "flung itself into the ragtime beat with an abandon bordering on mania." Over the years he was known for writing music and lyrics in the American vernacular: uncomplicated, simple and direct, with his aim being to "reach the heart of the average American" whom he saw as the "real soul of the country."
He wrote hundreds of songs, many becoming major hits, which made him "a legend" before he turned thirty. During his 60-year career he wrote an estimated 1,500 songs, including the scores for 19 Broadway shows and 18 Hollywood films, with his songs nominated eight times for Academy Awards. Many songs became popular themes and anthems, including "Easter Parade", "White Christmas", "Happy Holiday", "This is the Army, Mr. Jones", and "There's No Business Like Show Business". His Broadway musical and 1942 film, This is the Army, with Ronald Reagan, had Kate Smith singing Berlin's "God Bless America" which was first performed in 1938. Smith still performed the song on her 1960 CBS television series, The Kate Smith Show. After the September 11 attacks in 2001, Celine Dion recorded it as a tribute, making it #1 on the charts.
Actors: Sean Patrick Flanery (actor), George Lucas (producer), Jeffrey Wright (actor), Rick McCallum (producer), Joel McNeely (composer), Bill McKinney (actor), Brenda Strong (actress), Anne Heche (actress), Annabelle Gurwitch (actress), Peter Appel (actor), Ethan Marten (actor), Peggy Farrell (costume designer), Jay Underwood (actor), Julia Overton (miscellaneous crew), Mert Hatfield (actor),
Plot: New York, June 1920. Twenty year old Indiana Jones is working backstage at George White's Scandals in 1920. Having just arrived in the Big Apple, Indy manages to woo no less than three girls in as many days: singer Peggy, poet Kate and socialite Gloria. He manages to get Peggy a song to sing by his good friend George Gershwin, Kate and her friends at the Vicious circle will review the show and Gloria's father helps out to back the show when White needs financial help.
Keywords: character-name-in-title, digit-in-title, indiana-jones, number-in-title, scandal, year-in-titleActors: Ashley Judd (actress), Alanis Morissette (actress), Kevin McNally (actor), Natalie Cole (actress), Sheryl Crow (actress), Robbie Williams (actor), Kevin McKidd (actor), Allan Corduner (actor), Keith Allen (actor), Elvis Costello (actor), Kevin Kline (actor), Brian Harley (actor), Jonathan Pryce (actor), Irwin Winkler (director), Irwin Winkler (producer),
Plot: De-Lovely is an original musical portrait of American composer Cole Porter, filled with his unforgettable songs. In the film, Porter is looking back on his life as if it was one of his spectacular stage shows, with the people and events of his life becoming the actors and action onstage. Through elaborate production numbers and popular hits like "Anything Goes," "It's De-Lovely," and "Night and Day," Porter's elegant, excessive past comes to light - including his deeply complicated relationship with his wife and muse, Linda Lee Porter.
Keywords: 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, accordion, adultery, applause, ballet-russe, betrayal, bisexualActors: Buzz Kulik (director), Grady Hunt (costume designer), Samantha Eggar (actress), Leon Charles (actor), Valerie Perrine (actress), Buzz Kulik (producer), Lilyan Chauvin (actress), Nehemiah Persoff (actor), Dick DeBenedictis (composer), David Opatoshu (actor), Barbara Parkins (actress), Richard B. Shull (actor), M.J. Frankovich (producer), Jessica Rains (actress), Cliff Norton (actor),
Genres: Biography, Drama,Actors: Alan Hale (actor), Richard Farnsworth (actor), Martin Faust (actor), Jimmy Conlin (actor), Herbert Anderson (actor), Richard Crane (actor), Ross Elliott (actor), Dan Dailey (actor), Murray Alper (actor), John Daheim (actor), Irving Bacon (actor), Charles Butterworth (actor), Frank Coghlan Jr. (actor), Richard Irving (actor), Eddie Hall (actor),
Plot: In WW I dancer Jerry Jones stages an all-soldier show on Broadway, called Yip Yip Yaphank. Wounded in the War, he becomes a producer. In WW II his son Johnny Jones, who was before his fathers assistant, gets the order to stage a knew all-soldier show, called THIS IS THE ARMY. But in his pesonal life he has problems, because he refuses to marry his fiancée until the war is over.
Keywords: based-on-stage-musical, basic-training, blackface, famous-song, man-dressed-as-woman, military, minstrel-show, orchestral-music-score, patriotism, show[Verse:]
Metropolitan nights bring me memories dear
Voices clear keep ringing in my ear
Metropolitan girls with their sweet musical themes
Haunt my dreams and ev'ry night it seems
[Refrain:]
I see a horseshoe set with diamonds
A diamond horseshoe set with girls
And ev'ry lovely maiden I see
Is calling to me with a sweet melody
I hear them saying it with music
Until each tragic tale unfurls
And my heart is laden with love for each maiden
In my diamond horseshoe of girls