Between the Devil
Encyclopedia
Between the Devil is a musical comedy with book and lyrics by Howard Dietz
and music by Arthur Schwartz
.
, as an Englishman who married two women at the same time. The plot was changed to have Buchanan marry the second wife only because he thought his first wife had died. Produced by Lee Shubert
and J. J. Shubert, the Broadway
production opened on December 22, 1937 at the Imperial Theatre and closed on March 12, 1938 after 93 performances. The production was staged by Hassard Short
, the book was staged by John Hayden, and dances and principals' numbers were staged by Robert Alton
. The cast starred Jack Buchanan as Peter Anthony and Pierre Antoine, Evelyn Laye
as Natalie Rives, Adele Dixon
as Claudette Gilbert, and Charles Walters
as Freddie Hill.
The show was only a moderate success but introduced the songs "By Myself" and "Triplets" both of which were used 16 years later in the 1953 film, "The Band Wagon
" which also starred Buchanan.
Act II
praised the performers, with Buchanan distinguishing himself in the solo 'By Myself', Miss Laye "still retains her ranking as a blonde goddess", and Miss Dixon "stimulating in a more earthly style of conquest". He wrote of the musical: "If it were not for the book, 'Beyond the Devil' would probably look and sound as frisky as it pretends to be. But, oh these bigamists! Oh, these wicked Parisian chanteuses! Oh, these improper situations! Oh!"
Howard Dietz
Howard Dietz was an American publicist, lyricist, and librettist.-Biography:Dietz was born in New York City and studied journalism at Columbia University...
and music by Arthur Schwartz
Arthur Schwartz
Arthur Schwartz was an American composer and film producer.Schwartz supported his legal studies at New York University and postgraduate studies at Columbia University by playing piano before concentrating his talents on vaudeville, Broadway theatre and Hollywood.Among his Broadway musicals are The...
.
Production and background
The musical opened in pre-Broadway tryouts in New Haven and Philadelphia in October 1937. The original plot had the leading man, Jack BuchananJack Buchanan
Walter John "Jack" Buchanan was a British theatre and film actor, singer, producer and director. He was known for three decades as the embodiment of the debonair man-about-town in the tradition of George Grossmith Jr., and was described by The Times as "the last of the knuts." He is best known in...
, as an Englishman who married two women at the same time. The plot was changed to have Buchanan marry the second wife only because he thought his first wife had died. Produced by Lee Shubert
Lee Shubert
Levi "Lee" Shubert was a Polish-born American theatre owner/operator and producer and the oldest of seven siblings of the theatrical Shubert family....
and J. J. Shubert, the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production opened on December 22, 1937 at the Imperial Theatre and closed on March 12, 1938 after 93 performances. The production was staged by Hassard Short
Hassard Short
Hubert Edward Hassard Short , usually known as Hassard Short, was an actor, stage director, set designer and lighting designer in musical theatrewho directed over 50 Broadway and West End shows between 1920 and 1953...
, the book was staged by John Hayden, and dances and principals' numbers were staged by Robert Alton
Robert Alton
Robert Alton was an American dancer and choreographer, a major figure in dance choreography of Broadway and Hollywood musicals from the 1930s through to the early 1950s...
. The cast starred Jack Buchanan as Peter Anthony and Pierre Antoine, Evelyn Laye
Evelyn Laye
Evelyn Laye, CBE was an English theatre and film actress.-Early years and career:Born as Elsie Evelyn Lay in Bloomsbury, London, Laye made her first stage appearance in August 1915 at the Theatre Royal, Brighton as Nang-Ping in Mr...
as Natalie Rives, Adele Dixon
Adele Dixon
Adele Dixon was a London-born British musical theatre and film actress best known for performing in Broadway musicals, British musicals and in musical, comedy films of the 1930s and 1940s....
as Claudette Gilbert, and Charles Walters
Charles Walters
Charles Walters was a Hollywood director and choreographer most noted for his work in MGM musicals and comedies in from the 1940s to the 1960s....
as Freddie Hill.
The show was only a moderate success but introduced the songs "By Myself" and "Triplets" both of which were used 16 years later in the 1953 film, "The Band Wagon
The Band Wagon
The Band Wagon is a 1953 musical comedy film that many critics rank, along with Singin' in the Rain, as the finest of the MGM musicals, although it was only a modest box-office success. It tells the story of an aging musical star who hopes a Broadway play will restart his career...
" which also starred Buchanan.
Songs
Act I- I See Your Face Before Me - Natalie Rives
- I See Your Face Before Me (Reprise) - Claudette Gilbert
- The Night Before the Morning After - Freddie Hill and The Debonaires
- Don’t Go Away, Monsieur - Claudette Gilbert and Pierre Antoine
- Experience - Pierre Antoine
- Five O’Clock - Annabelle Scott and The Debonaires
- The Cocktail - Ensemble
- Triplets - The Tune Twisters
- Fly By Night - Ensemble
- You Have Everything - Freddie Hill and Annabelle Scott
- Bye Bye Butterfly Lover - Natalie Rives, The Debonaires and Boys
- Celina Couldn’t Say No - Claudette Gilbert, Natalie Rives and Ensemble
Act II
- Front Page News - Ensemble
- Why Did You Do It? - Natalie Rives and Ensemble
- By Myself - Pierre Antoine
- The Gendarme - Pierre Antoine and Claudette Gilbert
- The Gendarme (Reprise) - Claudette Gilbert and Raymond Mauroís
- I’m Against Rhythm - Freddie Hill and Annabelle Scott
Critical response
In his New York Times review, Brooks AtkinsonBrooks Atkinson
Justin Brooks Atkinson was an American theatre critic. He worked for The New York Times from 1925 to 1960...
praised the performers, with Buchanan distinguishing himself in the solo 'By Myself', Miss Laye "still retains her ranking as a blonde goddess", and Miss Dixon "stimulating in a more earthly style of conquest". He wrote of the musical: "If it were not for the book, 'Beyond the Devil' would probably look and sound as frisky as it pretends to be. But, oh these bigamists! Oh, these wicked Parisian chanteuses! Oh, these improper situations! Oh!"