Evergreen (film)
Encyclopedia
Evergreen is a 1934 Gaumont British
musical film
, starring Jessie Matthews
as a music hall singer, based on the 1930 musical
Ever Green
, also starring Matthews. Matthews had a dual role as both mother and daughter.
The film was produced by Michael Balcon
and directed by Victor Saville
. The music was by Rodgers and Hart
.
s of London, the popular singing star Harriet Green (Jessie Matthews) delights audiences with her coy rendition of Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow Wow
; however she has an illegitimate baby daughter that she keeps secret from the public. Blackmailed into leaving the stage she moves to South Africa to raise her daughter quietly. Years later her daughter, Harriet Hawkes (played by Matthews again), looking remarkably like her mother, returns to London as a young show-biz hopeful. A handsome young publicity man Tommy Thompson (Barry MacKay), convinces a theater producer (Sonnie Hale
) to star her in a new revue as the "remarkably preserved" original Harriet Green. The ruse works; however Harriet and Tommy have fallen in love, but the public believes Harriet is a well-preserved 60-year-old and Tommy is her son. The masquerade is revealed when Harriet does a strip-dance to the Harry M. Woods
' song Over My Shoulder.
' performance in the 1930 West End
production of Rodgers and Hart
's Ever Green musical, producer Michael Balcon
engaged her for Emlyn Williams
' film adaptation of Benn W. Levy's stage play. Harry M. Woods
added four songs, dropping a number of the original Rodgers and Harts numbers.
RKO
, Fred Astaire
's Hollywood studio, prevented Balcon from engaging Astaire, who was then appearing in The Gay Divorce at London's Palace Theatre
, and wanted to appear with Matthews. Contemporary reviews commented that such a partnership would be popular with critics and public.
Even though Matthews was at the peak of her popularity at the time, she was near to a mental breakdown during the making of the film. She credits director Victor Saville
in her autobiography Over My Shoulder with giving her the support needed to complete the filming.
the popular English actress, dancer, and singer of the 1930s had a dual role as music hall star Harriet Green and her daughter Harriet Hawkes. Matthew's real life husband, Sonnie Hale
, played the worried theatre producer Leslie Benn. The love interest, publicity man Tommy Thompson, was acted by Barry MacKay. The other main parts are - Maudie, played by Betty Balfour
, Marquis of Staines by Ivor MacLaren and Treadwell by Hartley Power
.
numbers comparable to "the best Astaire/Rodgers or Busby Berkeley films"; it is regarded as director Victor Saville's most worthy work.
Success in America resulted in MGM making an offer of a big Hollywood role which Gaumont British
would not release her to as she was too valuable to the British studio.
Gaumont British
Gaumont-British Picture Corporation was the British arm of the French film company Gaumont. The company became independent of its French parent in 1922, when Isidore Ostrer acquired control of Gaumont-British....
musical film
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
, starring Jessie Matthews
Jessie Matthews
Jessie Matthews, OBE was an English actress, dancer and singer of the 1930s, whose career continued into the post-war period.-Early life:...
as a music hall singer, based on the 1930 musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
Ever Green
Ever Green
Ever Green is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart and a book by Benn Levy, based on an idea by Rodgers and Hart. This was the last of three musicals written by Rodgers and Hart in London....
, also starring Matthews. Matthews had a dual role as both mother and daughter.
The film was produced by Michael Balcon
Michael Balcon
Sir Michael Elias Balcon was an English film producer, known for his work with Ealing Studios.-Background:...
and directed by Victor Saville
Victor Saville
Victor Saville was an English film director, producer and screenwriter. He directed 39 films between 1927 and 1954...
. The music was by Rodgers and Hart
Rodgers and Hart
Rodgers and Hart were an American songwriting partnership of composer Richard Rodgers and the lyricist Lorenz Hart...
.
Plot
Set in the Edwardian era music hallMusic hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
s of London, the popular singing star Harriet Green (Jessie Matthews) delights audiences with her coy rendition of Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow Wow
Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow Wow
"Daddy Wouldn’t Buy Me a Bow Wow" is a song written in 1892 by prolific English songwriter Joseph Tabrar.It was written for, and first performed in 1892 by, Vesta Victoria at the South London Palace, holding a kitten. The same year it was recorded by Silas Leachman for the North American Phonograph...
; however she has an illegitimate baby daughter that she keeps secret from the public. Blackmailed into leaving the stage she moves to South Africa to raise her daughter quietly. Years later her daughter, Harriet Hawkes (played by Matthews again), looking remarkably like her mother, returns to London as a young show-biz hopeful. A handsome young publicity man Tommy Thompson (Barry MacKay), convinces a theater producer (Sonnie Hale
Sonnie Hale
Sonnie Hale was an English theatre and cinema actor and director.John Robert Hale-Monro was born in London, the son of Robert Hale and Belle Reynolds. His father and sister, Binnie Hale were actors. He worked chiefly in musical and revue theatre, but also acted in several films with occasional...
) to star her in a new revue as the "remarkably preserved" original Harriet Green. The ruse works; however Harriet and Tommy have fallen in love, but the public believes Harriet is a well-preserved 60-year-old and Tommy is her son. The masquerade is revealed when Harriet does a strip-dance to the Harry M. Woods
Harry M. Woods
Henry MacGregor Woods was a Tin Pan Alley songwriter and pianist. Woods is sometimes credited as Harry Woods.-Early life:...
' song Over My Shoulder.
Production
Capitalising on the success of Jessie MatthewsJessie Matthews
Jessie Matthews, OBE was an English actress, dancer and singer of the 1930s, whose career continued into the post-war period.-Early life:...
' performance in the 1930 West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
production of Rodgers and Hart
Rodgers and Hart
Rodgers and Hart were an American songwriting partnership of composer Richard Rodgers and the lyricist Lorenz Hart...
's Ever Green musical, producer Michael Balcon
Michael Balcon
Sir Michael Elias Balcon was an English film producer, known for his work with Ealing Studios.-Background:...
engaged her for Emlyn Williams
Emlyn Williams
George Emlyn Williams, CBE , known as Emlyn Williams, was a Welsh dramatist and actor.-Biography:He was born into a Welsh-speaking, working class family in Mostyn, Flintshire....
' film adaptation of Benn W. Levy's stage play. Harry M. Woods
Harry M. Woods
Henry MacGregor Woods was a Tin Pan Alley songwriter and pianist. Woods is sometimes credited as Harry Woods.-Early life:...
added four songs, dropping a number of the original Rodgers and Harts numbers.
RKO
RKO Pictures
RKO Pictures is an American film production and distribution company. As RKO Radio Pictures Inc., it was one of the Big Five studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheum theater chains and Joseph P...
, Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
's Hollywood studio, prevented Balcon from engaging Astaire, who was then appearing in The Gay Divorce at London's Palace Theatre
Palace Theatre, London
The Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster in London. It is an imposing red-brick building that dominates the west side of Cambridge Circus and is located near the intersection of Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road...
, and wanted to appear with Matthews. Contemporary reviews commented that such a partnership would be popular with critics and public.
Even though Matthews was at the peak of her popularity at the time, she was near to a mental breakdown during the making of the film. She credits director Victor Saville
Victor Saville
Victor Saville was an English film director, producer and screenwriter. He directed 39 films between 1927 and 1954...
in her autobiography Over My Shoulder with giving her the support needed to complete the filming.
Cast
Jessie MatthewsJessie Matthews
Jessie Matthews, OBE was an English actress, dancer and singer of the 1930s, whose career continued into the post-war period.-Early life:...
the popular English actress, dancer, and singer of the 1930s had a dual role as music hall star Harriet Green and her daughter Harriet Hawkes. Matthew's real life husband, Sonnie Hale
Sonnie Hale
Sonnie Hale was an English theatre and cinema actor and director.John Robert Hale-Monro was born in London, the son of Robert Hale and Belle Reynolds. His father and sister, Binnie Hale were actors. He worked chiefly in musical and revue theatre, but also acted in several films with occasional...
, played the worried theatre producer Leslie Benn. The love interest, publicity man Tommy Thompson, was acted by Barry MacKay. The other main parts are - Maudie, played by Betty Balfour
Betty Balfour
Betty Balfour was an English screen actress, popular during the silent era, and known as the "British Mary Pickford" and "Britain's Queen of Happiness"...
, Marquis of Staines by Ivor MacLaren and Treadwell by Hartley Power
Hartley Power
Hartley Power was an American-born British film and television actor. He is best remembered for two roles: "Sylvester Kee" the ventriloquist who is shot and almost killed by "Maxwell Frere" as a rival for his "dummy"'s affections in Dead of Night; the chief of the news agency that Gregory Peck...
.
Reception
Popular in its day, the film has retained critical and contextual attention due to a strong plot, energetic performances and catchy Rodgers and HartRodgers and Hart
Rodgers and Hart were an American songwriting partnership of composer Richard Rodgers and the lyricist Lorenz Hart...
numbers comparable to "the best Astaire/Rodgers or Busby Berkeley films"; it is regarded as director Victor Saville's most worthy work.
Success in America resulted in MGM making an offer of a big Hollywood role which Gaumont British
Gaumont British
Gaumont-British Picture Corporation was the British arm of the French film company Gaumont. The company became independent of its French parent in 1922, when Isidore Ostrer acquired control of Gaumont-British....
would not release her to as she was too valuable to the British studio.