For the article about the theatre genre, see Summer stock theatre.
Summer Stock (known as If You Feel Like Singing in the UK) is an MGM musical made in 1950. The film was directed by Charles Walters and stars Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Eddie Bracken, Gloria DeHaven, Marjorie Main, and Phil Silvers. Nicholas Castle Sr was the choreographer.
Judy Garland struggled with many personal problems during filming, and Summer Stock proved to be her last MGM movie and also her last pairing with Gene Kelly onscreen. MGM terminated Garland's contract in September 1950.[1]
Plot
Judy Garland stars as Jane Falbury, a farm owner whose actress sister Abigail, played by Gloria DeHaven, arrives at the family farm with her theater troupe. They need a practice stage, and Jane and her housekeeper Esme (Marjorie Main) reluctantly agree to let them use their barn. The actors and actresses, including the director Joe Ross (Gene Kelly), repay her hospitality by doing chores around the farm. Although Joe is engaged to Abigail, he begins to fall in love with Jane after Abigail leaves him in an angry fit. Similarly, although Jane is engaged to Orville (Eddie Bracken), she falls in love with Joe. The movie ends in a spectacular final show in the barn itself, with the new leading lady, Jane.
Soundtrack
All songs were written by Harry Warren (music) and Mack Gordon (lyrics) except where noted. Order of songs per Track listing amazon.com
- Overture
- "If You Feel Like Singing, Sing" – Judy Garland
- "(Howdy Neighbor) Happy Harvest" – Gene Kelly, Garland, Phil Silvers and company stock members
- "Dig-Dig-Dig Dig For Your Dinner" – Kelly
- Mem'ry Island" – Gloria DeHaven and Hans Conried (dubbed by Pete Roberts)
- "Portland Fancy" – (traditional New England contra dance tune) stock company members, Kelly and Garland
- "You, Wonderful You" (Jack Brooks and Chaplin, lyrics and Warren, music) – Kelly and Garland
- "Friendly Star" – Garland
- Newspaper Dance ("You, Wonderful You") – Kelly
- All for You" (Saul Chaplin) – Kelly and Garland
- "You, Wonderful You" (Reprise) – Kelly and Garland
- "Heavenly Music" (Chaplin) – Kelly, Silvers and dogs
- "Get Happy" (Harold Arlen (music) and Ted Koehler (lyrics)) – Garland and chorus
- "(Howdy Neighbor) Happy Harvest" (finale) – Kelly, Garland, Silvers and company stock members
[2]
Behind the scenes
The filming of this movie was sometimes a struggle for Garland. She was facing many pressures in her personal life, including a heavy reliance on prescription medication.[3][4]
Audiences noticed that in the last number "Get Happy" she appears thinner than in the rest of the film. Before performing the number, she had taken two months off and lost between 15-20 pounds.[3][4][5] Garland finished filming the movie, and embarked on a long promised vacation from the studio. Soon, however, she was called back to star with Fred Astaire in the upcoming film Royal Wedding. Once again, Garland struggled to perform at her absolute best in the face of exhaustion and overwork. She was fired from the film, and her contract with MGM was terminated through mutual agreement.[6][7]
Highlights
The film's most famous scene is the final song-and-dance number "Get Happy" performed by Judy Garland in a tuxedo jacket, black fedora, and black nylons. This sequence was choreographed by Charles Walters and filmed two months after the rest of the movie, after Garland sought the help of a hypnotist in Santa Barbara and lost 20 pounds. With the sedative-hypnotic Paraldahyde on her breath, which the number's male dancers described as sickeningly sweet, Garland performed the number perfectly in one take, and the rest is history. According to New York Times critic Bosley Crowther: " 'Get Happy' finds Miss Garland looking and performing her best."[5][8][9]
In another notable sequence, Kelly performs a solo dance in a darkened barn, using a newspaper and a creaky board as partners and props; the musical accompaniment reprises "You Wonderful You". The dance "turned out to be one of the breakthrough numbers" of his career.[10]
In the film 'Summer Stock', Garland and Kelly share what may be Garland's best dance duet on screen, the swinging "Portland Fancy" where a square dance turns into a heated challenge dance for the two stars.
Trivia
The film has been referenced many times, mostly the "Get Happy" sequence. At the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards Michael Jackson performed Dangerous, and the beginning of the performance was clearly inspired by the movie. Jackson and his dancers wore suits, and a dancer stood in front of Jackson until the beginning of the song, just like in the movie, in which Judy is covered by a dancer at first. Some excerpts from the song can be heard of Jackson's performance.
Duffy's Rain on Your Parade music video was also inspired by that sequence, and Duffy can be seen wearing an outfit similar to Garland's, and dancing against a white background along some male dancers dressed in suits.
Katie Holmes paid homage to Judy Garland performing Get Happy on the television show So You Think You Can Dance. She wore a similar outfit and danced alongside male dancers in suits in front of a match-painted background.
Notes
- ^ Frank, p. 285
- ^ Summer Stock' soundtrack listingimdb.com, accessed July 22, 2009
- ^ a b Green, p. 161
- ^ a b Summer Stock historytcm.com, accessed July 23, 2009
- ^ a b Wayne, p. 211
- ^ Green, p. 162
- ^ Frank, p. 280
- ^ Crowther, Bosley."Metro Musical, Summer Stock, With Judy Garland and Gene Kelly, Opens at Capitol,"The New York Times, September 1, 1950
- ^ Hemming, Roy. The melody lingers on (1999), Newmarket Press, ISBN 1557043809, pp. 19-20
- ^ Yudkoff, Alvin. Gene Kelly (2001), Watson-Guptill, ISBN 0823088197, p. 207
References
- Frank, Gerold. Judy (1999), Da Capo Press, ISBN 0306808943
- Green, Stanley and Schmidt, Elaine. Hollywood musicals year by year (1999), Hal Leonard Corporation, ISBN 0634007653
- Wayne, Jane Ellen. The Golden Girls of MGM, (2003), Carroll & Graf Publishers, ISBN 0786713038
External links
