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Irene (musical)
Encyclopedia
Irene is a musical with a book by James Montgomery, lyrics by Joseph McCarthy
, and music by Harry Tierney
.
Based on Montgomery's play Irene O'Dare, it is set in New York City
's Upper West Side
and focuses on immigrant shop assistant Irene O'Dare, who is introduced to Long Island
's high society
when she's hired by one of its leading grande dame
s to help redecorate her home.
production, directed by Edward Royce, opened on November 18, 1919 at the Vanderbilt Theatre
, where it ran for 675 performances, at the time the record for the longest-running show in Broadway history, one it maintained for nearly two decades. The cast included Edith Day
as Irene, Walter Regan as tycoon Donald Marshall, and Bobbie Watson as Madame Lucy, a flamboyant male dress designer.
The show made a star of Day, who departed the cast after five months to recreate her role at London
's Empire Theatre
, where it ran for 399 performances. (Following its closing, she remained in England to become the first lady of West End
musicals.) Day was replaced in the Broadway production by Helen Shipman
, who had previously starred in the 1917 Broadway musical Oh, Boy!
and went on to perform in many other Broadway musicals during the 1920s and early 1930s.
Irene enjoyed a brief Broadway revival at Jolson's 59th Street Theatre
in 1923 with Dale Winter as Irene, Jere Delaney as Madame Lucy, and Walter Regan reprising his role as Donald. Eventually there were seventeen national touring companies, and it was filmed twice, first as a 1926 silent movie with Colleen Moore
and again in 1940 with Anna Neagle
.
with screen legend Ruby Keeler
proved to be an enormous hit. Its producer, Harry Rigby
, deciding to cash in on the nostalgia
craze by reviving another vintage show with another glamorous movie star as its centerpiece, zeroed in on Irene with Debbie Reynolds
making her Broadway debut in the title role. Rigby hired librettist Hugh Wheeler
to rework the show, which retained only five of the original songs and added tunes written by McCarthy with other composers and original numbers by Charles Gaynor and Otis Clements, with additional material by Wally Harper
and Jack Lloyd, written specifically for the revival.
The production was troubled from the start. Billy De Wolfe
was forced to withdraw due to illness and was replaced by George S. Irving
as Madame Lucy. Reviews in Toronto
were mixed, and when Reynolds was stricken with a throat ailment, the producers, rather than cancel the sell-out performances, had her mime her dialogue and songs on stage to director John Gielgud
's reading of them from the wings, much to the dismay of angry audiences. Philadelphia critics were brutal, and Gielgud, an odd choice for a lightweight musical comedy, was replaced by Gower Champion
, who had helmed a Los Angeles
revival of Annie Get Your Gun
with Reynolds. Peter Gennaro
was hired to restage the musical numbers, and Joseph Stein
was brought in to doctor the book, which now had Irene posing as a countess in cahoots with couturier
Madame Lucy (the former Liam O'Dougherty) in a scheme to promote his fashions.
Postponing the Broadway opening, the producers brought the work-in-progress to Washington, D.C.
, where it was seen by President Nixon and his family. Their declaration that Irene was a hit made headlines and spurred advance-ticket sales in New York City.
After thirteen previews, the show opened on March 13, 1973 as the inaugural production of the Minskoff Theatre
, where it ran for 594 performances. In addition to Reynolds and Irving (who won the Tony Award
for his performance), the cast included Patsy Kelly
, Monte Markham
as Donald, Ruth Warrick
, Janie Sell
, Meg Bussert
, and Reynolds' daughter Carrie Fisher
. While reviews were still mixed, the all-important Clive Barnes
of the New York Times described it as "raucous, frequently cheerful, and the best 1919 musical in town."
On February 7, 1974, Reynold's former MGM co-star, Jane Powell
, replaced her. "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows
", which had been cut during the pre-Broadway run (although Reynolds' rendition was included in the original cast album), was restored to the score. Reynolds returned to play the final week in New York, then took the show on tour, playing for five months before being replaced again by Powell.
The Broadway revival led to an Australia
n production with Julie Anthony
, who then went on to star in a 1976 London revival that lasted 974 performances.
Act II
Act II
starring Colleen Moore
in 1926, a June 1936 Lux Radio Theatre production with Jeanette MacDonald
and Regis Toomey
, Irene at Turner Classic Movies and a 1940 film remake starring Anna Neagle
and Ray Milland
.
Joseph McCarthy (lyricist)
Joseph McCarthy was an American lyricist whose most famous songs include You Made Me Love You, and I'm Always Chasing Rainbows, based upon the haunting melody from the middle section of Chopin's "Fantasie Impromptu".McCarthy, who was born in Somerville, Massachusetts, was a frequent collaborator...
, and music by Harry Tierney
Harry Tierney
Harry Austin Tierney was a successful American composer of musical theatre, best known for long-running hits such as Irene , Broadway's longest-running show of the era , Kid Boots and Rio Rita , one of the first musicals to be turned into a talking picture .Born...
.
Based on Montgomery's play Irene O'Dare, it is set in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Upper West Side
Upper West Side
The Upper West Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan, New York City, that lies between Central Park and the Hudson River and between West 59th Street and West 125th Street...
and focuses on immigrant shop assistant Irene O'Dare, who is introduced to Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
's high society
Upper class
In social science, the "upper class" is the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. Members of an upper class may have great power over the allocation of resources and governmental policy in their area.- Historical meaning :...
when she's hired by one of its leading grande dame
Grande dame
A grande dame is a stock character designed to represent a stereotype of an elderly high society socialite.In popular culture, the grande dame is usually portrayed as a slightly flamboyant woman, prone to extravagant and eccentric fashion, such as feather boas, large hats, and excessive costume...
s to help redecorate her home.
Early productions
The original BroadwayBroadway 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, directed by Edward Royce, opened on November 18, 1919 at the Vanderbilt Theatre
Vanderbilt Theatre
The Vanderbilt Theatre was a New York City Broadway theatre, designed by architect Eugene De Rosa for producer Lyle Andrews. It opened in 1918, located at 148 West 48th Street. The theatre was demolished in 1954....
, where it ran for 675 performances, at the time the record for the longest-running show in Broadway history, one it maintained for nearly two decades. The cast included Edith Day
Edith Day
Edith Day was an American actress best known for her roles in musicals.-Life and career:Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Day made her Broadway debut in Pom-pom in 1916...
as Irene, Walter Regan as tycoon Donald Marshall, and Bobbie Watson as Madame Lucy, a flamboyant male dress designer.
The show made a star of Day, who departed the cast after five months to recreate her role at London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Empire Theatre
Empire Theatre
Empire Theatre or Empire Theater may refer to:In the United Kingdom:*Empire Theatre of Varieties, now the Empire, Leicester Square, City of Westminster, London*Glasgow Empire Theatre, Glasgow*Hackney Empire, in Hackney...
, where it ran for 399 performances. (Following its closing, she remained in England to become the first lady of 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...
musicals.) Day was replaced in the Broadway production by Helen Shipman
Helen Shipman
Helen Shipman was an American singer, dancer and actress who starred in various Broadway musicals and musical comedies and who also acted in movies.-Early life and career:...
, who had previously starred in the 1917 Broadway musical Oh, Boy!
Oh, Boy! (musical)
Oh, Boy! is a musical in two acts, with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse. The story concerns befuddled George, who elopes with Lou Ellen, the daughter of Judge Carter. He must win over her parents and his Quaker aunt...
and went on to perform in many other Broadway musicals during the 1920s and early 1930s.
Irene enjoyed a brief Broadway revival at Jolson's 59th Street Theatre
New Century Theatre
The New Century Theatre was a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 932 Seventh Avenue at West 58th Street in midtown Manhattan.The house, which seated 1700, was designed by architect Herbert J. Krapp for the Shuberts, who originally named it Jolson's 59th Street Theatre after Al Jolson, who...
in 1923 with Dale Winter as Irene, Jere Delaney as Madame Lucy, and Walter Regan reprising his role as Donald. Eventually there were seventeen national touring companies, and it was filmed twice, first as a 1926 silent movie with Colleen Moore
Colleen Moore
Colleen Moore was an American film actress, and one of the most fashionable stars of the silent film era.-Early life:...
and again in 1940 with Anna Neagle
Anna Neagle
Forming a professional alliance with Wilcox, Neagle played her first starring film role in the musical Goodnight Vienna , again with Jack Buchanan. With this film Neagle became an overnight favourite...
.
Later productions
In 1971, the revival of the 1925 musical No, No, NanetteNo, No, Nanette
No, No, Nanette is a musical comedy with lyrics by Irving Caesar and Otto Harbach, music by Vincent Youmans, and a book by Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel, based on Mandel's 1919 Broadway play My Lady Friends...
with screen legend Ruby Keeler
Ruby Keeler
Ruby Keeler, born Ethel Hilda Keeler, was an actress, singer, and dancer most famous for her on-screen coupling with Dick Powell in a string of successful early musicals at Warner Brothers, particularly 42nd Street . From 1928 to 1940, she was married to singer Al Jolson...
proved to be an enormous hit. Its producer, Harry Rigby
Harry Rigby
Harry Rigby was a Tony Award-winning American theatre producer and writer.Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Rigby joined forces with Jule Styne and Alexander H. Cohen to produce the short-lived 1951 Hugh Martin musical Make a Wish as his first Broadway outing...
, deciding to cash in on the nostalgia
Nostalgia
The term nostalgia describes a yearning for the past, often in idealized form.The word is a learned formation of a Greek compound, consisting of , meaning "returning home", a Homeric word, and , meaning "pain, ache"...
craze by reviving another vintage show with another glamorous movie star as its centerpiece, zeroed in on Irene with Debbie Reynolds
Debbie Reynolds
Debbie Reynolds is an American actress, singer, and dancer.She was initially signed at age 16 by Warner Bros., but her career got off to a slow start. When her contract was not renewed, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer gave her a small, but significant part in the film Three Little Words , then signed her to...
making her Broadway debut in the title role. Rigby hired librettist Hugh Wheeler
Hugh Wheeler
Hugh Callingham Wheeler was an English-born playwright, screenwriter, librettist, poet, and translator. He resided in the United States from 1934 until his death and became a naturalized citizen in 1942. He had attended London University.Under the noms de plume Patrick Quentin, Q...
to rework the show, which retained only five of the original songs and added tunes written by McCarthy with other composers and original numbers by Charles Gaynor and Otis Clements, with additional material by Wally Harper
Wally Harper
Wally Harper , was an American musical director, composer, conductor, dance arranger, and musical supervisor for many Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. For three decades from the mid-1970s, he worked with Barbara Cook as pianist, music director and arranger.-Career:Harper was born in Akron,...
and Jack Lloyd, written specifically for the revival.
Billy De Wolfe
Billy De Wolfe was an American character actor. He was active in films from the mid-1940s until his death in 1974. He was a good friend of Doris Day from the time of their meeting during the filming of Tea for Two until his death...
was forced to withdraw due to illness and was replaced by George S. Irving
George S. Irving
George S. Irving is an American actor, known primarily for his character roles on Broadway. Born George Irving Shelasky in Springfield, Massachusetts, he made his debut in the original 1943 production of Oklahoma!, only to be drafted days later to serve in World War II...
as Madame Lucy. Reviews in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
were mixed, and when Reynolds was stricken with a throat ailment, the producers, rather than cancel the sell-out performances, had her mime her dialogue and songs on stage to director John Gielgud
John Gielgud
Sir Arthur John Gielgud, OM, CH was an English actor, director, and producer. A descendant of the renowned Terry acting family, he achieved early international acclaim for his youthful, emotionally expressive Hamlet which broke box office records on Broadway in 1937...
's reading of them from the wings, much to the dismay of angry audiences. Philadelphia critics were brutal, and Gielgud, an odd choice for a lightweight musical comedy, was replaced by Gower Champion
Gower Champion
Gower Carlyle Champion was an American actor, theatre director, choreographer, and dancer.-Early years:Champion was born in Geneva, Illinois, the son of John W. Champion and Beatrice Carlisle. He was raised in Los Angeles, California, where he graduated from Fairfax High School...
, who had helmed a Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
revival of Annie Get Your Gun
Annie Get Your Gun (musical)
Annie Get Your Gun is a musical with lyrics and music written by Irving Berlin and a book by Herbert Fields and his sister Dorothy Fields. The story is a fictionalized version of the life of Annie Oakley , who was a sharpshooter from Ohio, and her husband, Frank Butler.The 1946 Broadway production...
with Reynolds. Peter Gennaro
Peter Gennaro
Peter Gennaro was an American dancer and choreographer.-Biography:Gennaro was born in Metairie, Louisiana. He made his Broadway debut in the ensemble of Make Mine Manhattan in 1948. He followed this with Kiss Me, Kate and Guys and Dolls...
was hired to restage the musical numbers, and Joseph Stein
Joseph Stein
Joseph Stein was an American playwright best known for writing the books for such musicals as Fiddler on the Roof and Zorba.-Biography:...
was brought in to doctor the book, which now had Irene posing as a countess in cahoots with couturier
Haute couture
Haute couture refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing. Haute couture is made to order for a specific customer, and it is usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finished by the most experienced and capable seamstresses,...
Madame Lucy (the former Liam O'Dougherty) in a scheme to promote his fashions.
Postponing the Broadway opening, the producers brought the work-in-progress to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, where it was seen by President Nixon and his family. Their declaration that Irene was a hit made headlines and spurred advance-ticket sales in New York City.
After thirteen previews, the show opened on March 13, 1973 as the inaugural production of the Minskoff Theatre
Minskoff Theatre
The Minskoff Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre, located at 1515 Broadway in midtown-Manhattan. It is now showing the musical The Lion King, based on the Disney animated film of the same name....
, where it ran for 594 performances. In addition to Reynolds and Irving (who won the Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
for his performance), the cast included Patsy Kelly
Patsy Kelly
Patsy Kelly was an American stage and film comedic actress.-Early life and career:Kelly was born Sarah Veronica Rose Kelly in Brooklyn, New York to Irish immigrants, John and Delia Kelly, and made her Broadway debut in 1928...
, Monte Markham
Monte Markham
Monte Markham is an American actor. During his career, Markham has appeared in film, in television, and on Broadway.Markham was born in Manatee County, Florida, the son of Millie Content and Jesse Edward Markham, Sr., who was a merchant.Of his television roles, Markham is perhaps most famous for...
as Donald, Ruth Warrick
Ruth Warrick
Ruth Elizabeth Warrick , DM, was an American singer, actress and political activist, best known for her role as Phoebe Tyler on All My Children, which she played regularly from 1970 until her death in 2005....
, Janie Sell
Janie Sell
Jane Ann "Janie" Sell is an American actress.-Career:Sell won the Tony as Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Over Here!, which also starred the then-surviving Andrews Sisters, Maxene and Patty...
, Meg Bussert
Meg Bussert
Meg Bussert is an American actress, singer and a university professor.Born in Chicago, Illinois, Bussert received her BA degree from Purchase College and her MAT from Manhattanville College...
, and Reynolds' daughter Carrie Fisher
Carrie Fisher
Carrie Frances Fisher is an American actress, novelist, screenwriter, and lecturer. She is most famous for her portrayal of Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy, her bestselling novel Postcards from the Edge, for which she wrote the screenplay to the film of the same name, and her...
. While reviews were still mixed, the all-important Clive Barnes
Clive Barnes (critic)
Clive Alexander Barnes, CBE was a British-born American writer and critic. From 1965 to 1977 he was the dance and theater critic for the New York Times, the most powerful position he had held, since its theater critics' reviews historically have had great influence on the success or failure of...
of the New York Times described it as "raucous, frequently cheerful, and the best 1919 musical in town."
On February 7, 1974, Reynold's former MGM co-star, Jane Powell
Jane Powell
Jane Powell is an American singer, dancer and actress.After rising to fame as a singer in her home state of Oregon, Powell was signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer while still in her teens...
, replaced her. "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows
I'm Always Chasing Rainbows
"I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" is a popular song. The music is credited to Harry Carroll, although the melody is actually adapted from Fantaisie-Impromptu by Frédéric Chopin. The lyrics were written by Joseph McCarthy, and the song was published in 1917 and introduced in the Broadway show Oh, Look!...
", which had been cut during the pre-Broadway run (although Reynolds' rendition was included in the original cast album), was restored to the score. Reynolds returned to play the final week in New York, then took the show on tour, playing for five months before being replaced again by Powell.
The Broadway revival led to an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n production with Julie Anthony
Julie Anthony (Australian singer)
Julie Moncrief Lush OBE AM , better known as Julie Anthony, is an Australian entertainer. She sang the Australian National Anthem at the Opening Ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics with Human Nature....
, who then went on to star in a 1976 London revival that lasted 974 performances.
Synopsis
Irene O'Dare is a humble but ambitious, hard-working Irish girl from West Side Manhattan, who runs a little music store with her widowed mother. Irene is sent to tune a piano for young tycoon Donald Marshall III, a Long Island society gentleman, and they promptly fall in love, each captivated by how different the other is from their usual friends. Donald's ne'er-do-well cousin Ozzie wants help to jump start a fashion business to be run by his friend, "Madame Lucy", a flamboyant male artiste. So Irene and her pretty best friends, Helen McFudd and Jane Burke, are recruited to model Madame Lucy's gowns, and Donald provides financing. Irene's mother and Donald's mother do not see eye-to-eye at first but grow to be friends. Irene poses as a society girl who convinces everyone to shop at Madame Lucy's, but she becomes angry with Donald when he asks her to continue the ruse. He finally relents, her true identity is revealed, and he sings "You made me love you."Original production
Act I- Hobbies – Eleanor Worth and Ensemble
- Alice Blue Gown – Irene O'Dare
- Castle of Dreams – Eleanor and Ensemble
- The Talk of the Town – Madame Lucy, Helen Cheston and Jane Gilmour
- To Be Worthy (of You) – Irene and Ensemble
Act II
- We're Getting Away With It – Madame Lucy, Donald Marshall, Robert Harrison, Helen and Jane
- Irene – Irene and Company
- To Love You – J. P. Bowden and Irene
- Sky Rocket (Skyrocket) – Irene and Ensemble
- The Last Part of Every Party – Helen, Jane and Ensemble
- There's Something in the Air – Ensemble
1973 production
Act I- The World Must Be Bigger Than an Avenue – Irene (Lyrics by Jack Lloyd; music by Wally Harper)
- The Family Tree – Mrs. Marshall and Debutantes
- Alice Blue Gown – Irene
- They Go Wild, Simply Wild, Over Me – Lucy and Debutantes (Music by Fred Fisher)
- An Irish Girl – Irene and Company (Lyrics by Otis Clements; music by Charles Gaynor)
- Stepping on Butterflies – Lucy, Irene, Helen McFudd and Jane Gilmour (Music by Harper)
- Mother Angel Darling – Irene and Mrs. O'Dare (Music and lyrics by Gaynor)
- The Riviera Rage – Irene and Company (Music by Harper)
Act II
- I'm Always Chasing RainbowsI'm Always Chasing Rainbows"I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" is a popular song. The music is credited to Harry Carroll, although the melody is actually adapted from Fantaisie-Impromptu by Frédéric Chopin. The lyrics were written by Joseph McCarthy, and the song was published in 1917 and introduced in the Broadway show Oh, Look!...
– Irene - The Last Part of Every Party – Company
- We're Getting Away With It – Lucy, Helen, Jane and Ozzie Babson
- Irene – Irene and Company
- The Great Lover Tango – Donald Marshall, Helen and Jane (Lyrics by Gaynor; music by Clements)
- You Made Me Love You – Irene and Donald (Music by James Monaco)
- You Made Me Love You (reprise) – Lucy and Mrs. O'Dare
- Finale – Company
Awards and nominations
(1973 revival)- Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical (Reynolds, nominee)
- Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a MusicalTony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a MusicalThis is a list of the winners and nominations of Tony Award for the Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical. The award has been presented since 1947...
(Irving, winner) - Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a MusicalTony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a MusicalThis is a list of the winners and nominations of the Tony Award for the Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical. The award, introduced in 1950, was previously named as Best Performance by a Featured or Supporting Actress in a Musical until 1976....
(Kelly, nominee) - Tony Award for Best ChoreographyTony Award for Best Choreography-1940s:* 1947: Agnes de Mille – Brigadoon / Michael Kidd – Finian's Rainbow* 1948: Jerome Robbins – High Button Shoes* 1949: Gower Champion – Lend An Ear-1950s:* 1950: Helen Tamiris – Touch and Go* 1951: Michael Kidd – Guys and Dolls...
(nominee) - Theatre World AwardTheatre World AwardThe Theatre World Award, first awarded for the 1945-46 season, is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or off-Broadway.-History:...
(Markham, winner) - Outer Critics Circle AwardOuter Critics Circle AwardThe Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media outlets...
for Outstanding Performance (Reynolds, winner)
Adaptations
Irene was adapted for a silent filmSilent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
starring Colleen Moore
Colleen Moore
Colleen Moore was an American film actress, and one of the most fashionable stars of the silent film era.-Early life:...
in 1926, a June 1936 Lux Radio Theatre production with Jeanette MacDonald
Jeanette MacDonald
Jeanette MacDonald was an American singer and actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier and Nelson Eddy...
and Regis Toomey
Regis Toomey
John Regis Toomey was an American film and television actor.-Early life:Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he was one of four children of Francis X. and Mary Ellen Toomey and attended Peabody High School...
, Irene at Turner Classic Movies and a 1940 film remake starring Anna Neagle
Anna Neagle
Forming a professional alliance with Wilcox, Neagle played her first starring film role in the musical Goodnight Vienna , again with Jack Buchanan. With this film Neagle became an overnight favourite...
and Ray Milland
Ray Milland
Ray Milland was a Welsh actor and director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985, and he is best remembered for his Academy Award–winning portrayal of an alcoholic writer in The Lost Weekend , a sophisticated leading man opposite a corrupt John Wayne in Reap the Wild Wind , the murder-plotting...
.