Evening star., 1943-06-06
Portraiture Set to Music
OF All the Formulae Devised for Films
The Musical Biographies Sell Best


of George NJ Cohan, singing such
Cohan compositions as You're a
Grand Old Flag I'm Yankee
Doodle Dandy" "Harrigan" and
Johnny Get Your Gun"
Don Ameche had enacted Stephen
Foster in "Swanee River" rendering
Banjo on My Knee" and My Ken
lucky Home" in addition to the title
number; Tyrone Power did a fiction
lied Irving Berlin in "Alexander's
Ragtime Band (Which still stands
as Goth Century-Fox's top money
making movie) to the accompani-
ment of a cavalcade of Berlin hits;
Victor Mature gave Paul Dresser
Interpretation in MY Gal Sal" and
Bing Crosby did roles based on the
Gus Edwards and W. C. Handy lives
in The Star Maker" and The Birth
of the Blues" respectively. Then
came the Cagney Oscar and the light
daWned on Hollywood. The result
is that we seem to be in for all sorts
of musical life stories from here on.
Next one to reach theaters will be
Paramounts Dixie with Crosby,
the Nations leading troubadour en-
acting Daniel Decatur Emmett.
Americas original minstrel man,
composer Of the title number which
has become the Nations most fa-
nous martial song. and of such
other hits as "Old Dan Tucker and
Turkey in the Straw Sneak
previewed the other night, Dixie
has all the earmarks of hit. Studio
executives are now scurrying around
trying to find similar material in
which to feature Crosby.
Next minstrel story to go before
the cameras will probably be
Honey Boy" at M-G-M. with
Mickey Rooney portraying Honey
Boy" Evans, famous minstrel Of
the COS who composed such IA
vorites as In the Good Old Sum-
mer Time" Same studio owns an
other property titled, Gentlemen,
Be Seated" which is a cavalcade Of
minstrelsy from its inception up to
the days of Al Jolson and Eddie
Cantor. 1t has been announced
from time to time as Frank Nor
gan starring vehicle Arthur Freed,
producer of most of M-G-M's musi-
Gals. has been discussing a biography
of Jerome Kern. but Mr.. Kern him.
self has not yet been heard from
officially.
Eddie Cantor is soon to report at
R-K-O for Show Business" which
probably will develop into fiction
lied autobiography. ringing in many
of the famous names of Tin Pan
Alley. Apart from Cantor, there is
no definite cast as yet. although
Eddie is pulling all the strings
within his grasp to land Cary Grant
for the lead Cantor believes he
himself should play nothing more
than the comedy relief.
Over at Warner Bros. original
home of biographies, the George
Gershwin life story, Rhapsody in
Blue" is shaping up for an early
start, with John Garfield as leading
contender for the GershWin role.
A life of Helen Morgan. with the
title Melancholy Baby" has struck
various snags but is still on the
preparation list, as is the Marilyn
Miller biography, for whom many
contenders have been announced.
Ann Sheridan has been touted for
the role of Nora Bayes in Shine
on, Harvest Moon,' which will bring
in a generous medley of songs of
yesteryear. Columbia has an Al
Jolson story in writing and may get
it before the cameras within three
months.
Soon as Betty Hutton completes
work in And the Angels Sing and
finishes an eight weeks tour of
Army camps, she'll play Texas
Guinan in Paramounts "Incendiary
Blonde" title of the biography of
the famed night club and vaudeville
entertainer. Originally, Alan Ladd
was slated for the male role opposite,
but his induction into the Army
changed the studios plans. Now it
seems likely Brian Donlevy will get
the part. Having appeared as hot
trumpet player in The Birth of the
Blues" Donlevy should feel at home
in the Guinan story so far as
musical background goes. though
there probably will be little similarity
in the roles.
The so-called classical" COM
posers, Of course, have not been
entirely forgotten. A European
made Life of Beethoven with
Harry Baur in the title role, drew
favorable notices in this country.
And Franz Schubert won his share
of Hollywood fame when Alan Cur
tis portrayed him in New Wine"
though the songs in this version
went to Iona Massey. In the stage
version, Blossom Time John
Charles Thomas has won acclaim
time and again, but for him it is
singing part.
A Beethoven biography was once
under consideration at Warmers and
the lives of Wagner and Liszt have
stirred studio interest from time to
time. Success of stories based on
American composers of more recent
days may awaken a new interest
in these personalities. Or, if the
pendulum swings the other way, we
may yet have Bing Crosby and Bob
Hope doing the lives of Johnny