Jule Styne Salute--Ethel Merman, Sammy Davis, Comden and Green, Phyllis Newman

this week from New York City on Broadway [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] that's really nice that's not thank you very much save that no let's me save it are you moving the air around in here lordy what a day in New York and no kneeling when I come up that embarrasses well today some extraordinary entertainers will walk on this stage and join us in saluting an extraordinary name in Broadway musical theater history our guest of honor today is the composers such classic musicals as gypsy funny girl Gentlemen Prefer Blondes bells are ringing shows which gave the world great songs that we're still singing like the party's over people everything's coming up roses diamonds are a girl's best friend many many many more a man whose music for Hollywood and Broadway over nearly 50 years has made him a theatrical legend mr. Julie Stein is our guest today I mentioned some of the Broadway show tunes that you know and that Julie Stein is certainly famous for he produced songs for the movies like time after time it's magic three coins in the fountain I'll walk alone he's written some 1,400 songs in all and just wait till you hear who's here today to perform some of them for you Julie Stein had an important part in the early career of my first guest show business giant he produced the show which assured this man of Broadway stardom the big hit from that musical was too close for comfort the show of course was mr. wonderful and I think that appropriately sums up this very special entertainer mr. wonderful himself Sammy Davis jr. then I have a hit musical on Broadway it helps to have the right creative chemistry and just listen to the credits of this classic Broadway musical producers David Merrick and Leland Hayward booked by Arthur Lawrence music by Julie Stein lyrics by Stephen Sondheim choreography by Jerome Robbins there was no way it could miss I think especially since the show was gypsy and the stars the first lady of the musical theater she is here today the one and only Ethel Merman now as a rehearsal pianist for the show funny girl this next young man everyday got to play such Julie Stein songs as a people and don't rain on my parade for the star of that show Barbra Streisand the show which made her a superstar this young man met with Streisand again and this time to play the song he wrote for her called the way we were which eventually won him an Oscar he's also the composer of such Broadway shows as a chorus line and the current smash musical on Broadway they're playing our song Marvin Hamlisch from now on for the rest of the show the music you hear will be that of Julie Stein prolific fashion despite the fact that he's in his 70s I wonder if he knows that even God it might be a terrible shock when he hears that though I am 70 but just about everyone involved with Broadway and motion picture musicals has worked with him in some way and his life story is told in this interesting new book called Julie the story of composer Julie Stein ladies and gentlemen here's mr. Julie Stein [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] there is I'm gonna talk to him yet about it music there's a story in this book that I can't even believe tell him the story of Al Capone not the whole story but I mean well it was in back in Chicago I had a ban in a variety house the Granada Theater and my trombone player came up to me one day says mr. Brown would like to see you he says it's at the Metropole Hotel I went to the Metropole Hotel and there was a two rows of guards who frisked me and I figure this mr. Brown is something else than I expected the scene I walked up to the fourth floor and there I met mr. Brown when he turned around it was Al Capone who his name was mr. al Brown and Al Capone and he said you see I'm having a festivity for a whole week before the Dempsey Tunney fight that soldiers field and I have a very distinguished guest list judges senators federal judges mayors and their wives he says and I hear you're a pretty good kid and but I'll tell you how I want this show every show every night a different headliner i won Harry Richmond that time with the headliner at the Duncan sisters Belle Baker whatever but he says it opens with me conducting Rhapsody in Blue I looked at him I didn't laugh Weasley yes sir I said yes sir you would even say what do you what will you conduct not with I said nothing I was with him all the way I'm on his side and he said well you don't believe I know how it goes huh I said I believe you wouldn't ask me bit of luck no he says wait a minute it starts with a claret I see you know it of course he says wait a minute kid before I conduct that can you play it I say yes I can played he said well you'll play the orchestra play and I'll conduct and that's what no more rehearsal he says and now ladies and gentlemen the Raps team blew by George Gershwin conducted by yours truly and he turned around and we played raps in blue but from that night on I played all the mob joints my band we had I was okay that was my Capone thing Oh Chicago we had all the great jazz pleasure to call that played with the with a bent palette bandit had Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller and Jack Teagarden your classically trained aren't you well I started out being classier and that was the cause of all my years of searching and down for yes I was a concert pianist I want a Mozart scholarship at the age of 8 when I was 11 I was told by a great teacher that my hand was much too small to ever conquer the important works as a pianist and so in high school I discovered Irving Berlin and Alexander's ragtime band I became an instant smash from then on I decided playing in bands and I went on playing bands and I coached girls all in search of finding my place what I wanted to be I couldn't be at what I wanted to be when I was 8 years old that's what I wanted to and all my life Murphy won't believe this Sammy doesn't know either you know it wasn't until that I realized that I was any good I thought I thought all those hit songs I was you know I was getting by and they'll find me out sooner or later and I had to do a lot of things like when I was in analysis for instance I found out I went to find out why I gambled and I did find out part of it and part of was I was so insecure about my work that I thought if I'd bet $500 on a horse that made me a good songwriter if I'd bet $2 that was a lousy songwriter he's a sick it was but I know that I'm pretty good now and you'll hear how pretty good he is right after this commercial to me stop [Music] [Applause] [Music] and now at the piano the man himself mr. Julie Stein as I told you before when I made a transition from my concert piano days to popular music and I became an instant smash playing for dancing in a school auditorium a fellow asked me would you write would I write a song for a school show this is early Julie Stein age 14 while ever happened to the guy with the polka dot a tie he could sing so very high he used to sing top tenor in the old quartet then he met a soprano from the Metropolitan Opera they sang together for a while then she marched him down the aisle he surrendered to a smile they settled down in the town that isn't on the map and they lived together very happily ever after and that's what happened to the guy with the polka dot of time the girl he met at the Met but this I received an Academy Award I failed seven times have got underneath time that's why I always play number eight numbers game [Music] [Applause] [Music] you see my father never accepted my songwriting career because he didn't pay for that he paid for my piano lessons and he could never imagine how I could become a song right even when I sent him records by Sammy Davis or Tommy Dorsey or whatever you'd always say I don't hear you play he could never get over the fact that I didn't play on those records I wrote the song you see my father played played piano ffred if my father were here tonight whoever he's sitting next to he would say you gotta hear him play when he was eight years old this is what he played for that's enough for my father the next song is an important song as it's important when you write a song and if it comes the identification with a certain artist and this song indeed is played on every time this barbra streisand walks on a stage [Music] [Applause] [Music] certainly to your life Sammy as you all as everybody in New York City knows is out at the Westbury music fair in Westbury Long Island and has a long trip out there and a curtain in about an hour and a half and it'll take you an hour and 35 minutes six hours if you stopped to get gas on the way but there are some songs we're going to do a lot of it the last part of the show but Sammy has some he loves yes there's a the the association that Julie has with a mutual friend of ours and certainly more than a friend of mine he's like a older brother I speak of Frank Sinatra and his help his encouragement to me and my being a fan in the old days then one day I got the thinking about the man who was responsible for writing most of the songs but he got his foot in the door in Hollywood Sinatra that is and this is one that's always been thought of a favor do you want me use that thank you sure whatever you want up here I fall in love too easily [Music] now I fall in love too fast I fall in love too terribly love too your heart should be well school cuz I've been in the past and Stu I [Music] - easily I fall in and this was the Sinatra ISM of the day at the time to fast [Music] a lot of wonderful things that you did he can do no wrong you know he calls me maybe once every three years I tend all his marriages and he and his first picture a movie called Anchors Away that the brass of the top brass of MGM said right in front him he said Frank you can have colporteur the Jerome Kern Frank look let us say gratis no he was gonna go in to hang my chairs out to dry or something and he says polish you don't understand if Julie Stein doesn't write descried on to the movie so he was there when I need him that the most you mean that's what Collins just then Julie that is I suppose every composer has his one song that's a crying in your drink at midnight and a song after the lady has left and you have the classic of all time and I I dare you to remember the verse are you joking me are you touching my dear lad okay not to worry he would not touch I carry his hands it's worth its heartache in Sun and when the Twilight steals I know how that lady in the harbor feels [Music] get sunny weather just as blue as the sky since love is gone can't pull myself together I guess I'll hang my tears out to dry ask me out I must get a new alibi I [Music] stayed home and asked myself where is she guess I'll hang my tears out to dry [Music] my little children Oh and on a strain of read [Music] my little memories my little memories reminder of our crazy schemes [Music] just forget about her I gave that treatment a try [Music] strangely enough I got along with our pinky Singh then one day she pass [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] yes I'll hang my tears out [Music] ever loved the rocks [Applause] so what's very long [Applause] we'll be right back and the great Ethel Merman will join Julie stock [Music] she's generally acknowledged to be the most illustrious musical comedy star of all time here is the dynamic stage performer in the business is the great Ethel Merman [Music] very much I'd like to sing a song for you that Julie wrote for me for gypsy we have doctored it up a little bit but I think you'll recognize it you can stand on any quality and watch the crowds passing by make a mental note of the people you meet take a second look look at the man in the street take a third and you will meet a retreat you can happen [Music] [Applause] [Music] sitting still whoa that's okay Oh No [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Laughter] [Music] but the happiest of PEEP [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] that's okay [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] I never understand why you hold back just let it all cats I dream I should start at this point you know beside besides this appearance here today for Julie Stein I gotta tell you that as I left Hollywood 30 people came up and said have you heard because they know we're good friends and I'm a great admirer of and seeing everything she's done said have you heard about Ethel Merman and I said oh my god has she taken over that Hospital where she works on that gift shop they said no Ethel has gone disco yeah and her album is coming out and they say the word around Hollywood is it is the wildest album ever produced and you're in it you know roses is it it's all it's my big show tunes and disco tempo and they say it's on A&M records it is to die yeah Peter Matz did all the arrangements produced it and directed it did a magnificent job and to hear these songs like everything's coming up roses Julie and even some people in Disco you're gonna flip absolutely not not angry you're gonna but then you always were disco know you always had that beat you were the first to sing it starts up in the sway tempo starts on the like a ballad II and it's a sway dance differ and then he goes you'll be opening at Studio 54 were you we'll come back and talk about Ethel Merman and her wonderful relationship with Julie Stein on a business level [Music] promotional consideration so here's the award-winning composer whose newest work is a smash hit right now on Broadway it's titled they're playing our song of course he's responsible for the music of the big hit Chorus Line and the movie the sting numerous other works but his first job in the theater was with Julie Stein and I'm sure Julie is delighted he's able to join our salute today here's a composer Marvin Hamlisch [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] music remember first working with Julie funny yep yes the first show yes funny girl a strange experience for me because I was a composer you know and you know how it is when you're young you want to all you want to do is compose in your life right and so you want to compose want to compose and I had worn out I always tell Julie I always wear out my gypsy record you know yes I think it's one of the greatest scores ever and so here all of a sudden I get this chance to be a rehearsal pianist on a show for this man Julie Stein whose records I keep you know there is another one boom you know I had envisioned him one certain way you know because you know it's a kind of a I know I don't think he ever exactly know what a composer is gonna look like this stuff you know and I had auditioned for the man who did the vocal arrangements on the show Buster Dave was like audition fair and I kind of passed that first one you know now comes the first day you know and there is I remember there was as you mentioned Peter Matz and there were strides in there you know when I walk in I'm looking you know around and all these people are on there and there he is there is the man you know and I mean he's as loveable and has likable and just very jovial hey you know some like that and I'm like doing my Julie right test ok d-flat I know how many flats I know it was a strange thing because I kept wanting to show him songs the one thing he couldn't care about at that time when she this might work real great yeah and the story of funny girl is a strange story because that show went through a lot of changes a lot of different people and a lot of different thoughts on it a lot of troubles out of town you know and you see for instance a scene let's say I remember particularly Sadie Sadie which was a son that was not in originally and the second act started out I remember and they were in trouble and I needed something and all of a sudden they needed something and where do you turn you know then you turn to the composer and say you've got to give us something you know and then he hands you back something like a showstopper called Sadie Sadie I mean those kind of things to be able to have the the overview that Julie Stein has of his shows and of his work to be able to say this is what it needs right here this is what we've got to have and then to go out and write it is very special he's wonderful he's the best thank you we'll come back Marvin Hamlisch [Applause] our salute to Julie Stein would not be complete without the addition of my next guests for with him they've written such memorable shows whose bells are ringing doremi and Peter Pan it also collaborated an other hit musicals including singing in the rain and most recently the Tony award-winning on the twentieth century here at Betty Comden and Adolph green well the very first show we did with Julie Stein was a review called two on the aisle and it starred Bert Lahr and Dolores gray yes actually we had started writing the show with an entirely different lady in mind that was Lena Horne now it's one of the numbers that we originally wrote for Lena and it's a tragic soul searing heart-rending torch ballad called it Joe Joe wait going leave me out alone will ya is it another woman he goes as usual my man breaking my foolish heart I really don't know what to do about him I've told myself I've got to do without you he goes as usual my heart apart he's made my life Oh miss I've got to do this hi game [Music] either I kiss goodbye Joe I hope I don't miss you bye Joe you had been on the square and a treated me fair we have not had a tip go into a bridal the nearest clip if you had stayed off the fake and you just had taken to coming home stiff if I could smell perfume with a nasty you had not had the cheek to stay out for a week saying back in a jiff if you ain't nothing you're to time and God [Music] [Music] if I had not seen you take Geraldine on the lake in your flat bottom scares me you are knocked out with sue with your arms around her bid for it if I had not seen you pass excellence and went on your own hieroglyphs if you had not let me hold my you would not such a hound when getting was around always picked up the sniff if you are not such a two-timing [Music] this number is from a show that was perhaps one of the happiest experiences we had working with Julie peterpan starring Mary Martin and Cyril ritchard and here's 8 off to do Captain Hook's walls tell me nobody who was The Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet in this wonderful [Music] [Music] who says that my isn't [Laughter] [Music] [Applause] [Music] the [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] we did with Julie song with love from Joe Raimi someone happy just one heart the hard news smile the chairs you one face white [Music] if you win it a minute where's the real stuff in life [Music] is the answer someone to love is the answer what's you [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] come on I put you on the other side and Betty here what do you have a choreographer in the house Julie you're back here you think we wouldn't say I want to know what's Tiny's yeah Chinese is the language that Julie alone speaks and understands and we have had many many a session with him and everybody who's worked with him knows about it it's a at the end of it however it all seems to make sense it's a funny way for example was the under pressure when he uses it no any time well what what you might ask a question about theatre and you say well what what what does theatre dynamics Julie and he said well dynamics dynamics is well not fast or too slow but in me too but that people won't sit if you don't I mean the pace has to because altogether but when it finally adds up I mean it has to build and build but then of course not too slow not too fast but just all together it adds up to break them let's have a cup of coffee Dorothy in shorthand you see what I say isn't that's five stanzas back time on sentence twelve okay I think sentence four but Ethel that got to know my shorthand she would patiently understood but after all nothing really matters how one speaks anything right but I don't speak sit well it's what one produces and that speaks for itself it's absolutely brilliant that's what I mean even you know coming through this marvelous at the end of it it makes a great deal of sense I wanna make sure I hold this book up again because there's so many warm and wonderful moments in this book Julie I know but Marvin was talking about what Julie meant meant to him yeah and I know for Adolf and me it was the opening up also of a whole new world we had done a couple of shows and we didn't know Julie very well but we were introduced to him and and met him and we did and it was for two on the aisle we didn't know how we'd get along we we sort of thought we came from two different worlds but Julie wasn't already a legendary figure he had a million hits six out of ten hit tunes on the hit parade every week and we came from a whole other world and with him of course we had hit songs and plus you came out wonderful life of the small small the bist Rose of New York where the three of you and I'm talking of course the great Judy Holliday was with a Compton and green in presenting musical numbers in three and reviews yeah oh lordy Murph just one thing to say I forgot I made it faux pas tonight I never forget I'm what a few guys it doesn't forget you see you didn't know I wrote everything or a tone is just a tune and then when you get lyrics becomes a song and I've been blessed by having great great lyric writers as you heard miss Merman saying she sang Sondheim and part of Bob Merrill you're at Compton and green and their other fellas like Sammy Cahn and ey harburg and unli Robin and for them they made my life possible Phyllis Newman will be out here right after this commercial the woman about to join us is one of my favorite guests we've been friends some time she's a veteran she can't be she's too young but she is a veteran a Broadway stage she's a Tony Award winner for her fine performance and Julie Stein's subways are for sleeping soon she'll be opening in her own new musical and I've heard excerpts from it is excellent it's titled the woman is it the mad woman yes I'm a damn mad woman of Central Park West God we lived on that Street I think I knew her yeah it's gonna open at the 22 steps on Broadway ladies and gentlemen you greet Phyllis Newman [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] it's the first time I've seen you at half-mast everybody's fine do you know the man on your left yes this is my very own husband nobody else's and has he been kept out many nights writing till all hours by the man we're honoring today he's been Catwoman who thinks every most people think is married I want to talk about Julie but a whole other if I can for a second something I don't think anyone's talked about and that is how attractive he is to women and vice versa oh yeah I mean this in the best sense Julie I've known for many many years he gave me one of my very first jobs in a show called first impressions and his vitality his zest for life his he is a life enhancer he is crazy about girls and girls are crazy about him and I haven't heard anybody mention that that's there's a little craziness just there what Phyllis Newman recreating her musical moment great moment in Subway's of her sleeping right now here's Phyllis Newman I think I should just tell you again that this is a story of a beauty contest loser it happens today just the way it happened then and this is a girl who's all alone in her room and nothing but a bath towel so that they can't evict her and guy who's with her in the room says what happened you know what happened why did you lose and this is her story please I was the shoe in a shoe in a shoe in women from Mississippi but this baby Samantha Braden show is your phone she'll wander in Atlantic City [Music] they said mama she's accomplished is when this weird show is your phone she'll be Queen in Atlantic City things [Music] beside I went in with my singing and dancing and reciting Jackson cities I was a shoo-in a shoe in a shoe in winner from Mississippi those awful judges made some suggestions with good don't you forget stop I lost out on the landing city they may be nuts not at that point snow I wouldn't pay it dragon to shake my family may know what not betray it couldn't make the great no I wouldn't say it [Music] I was a shoo-in a shoo-in Oh mister mister you should have seen my act my act was terrific you see the announcement came over the loudspeaker and now presenting miss Marfa Vale in a musical dramatic playlet written and directed by herself now during the first part of this I want you to go but I'm pom pom pom pom you know like it's drums okay I'm going during the wall between the states many a story one release of gravest heroism under fire they tell of Emma lino sue who helped a Yankee to get through while she perished in a fatal death so dire while her lover got away she held her southern cousin at Bane distracting him with entertainment while the northern lovers train went hey hey that's a good ride you make it up she'll break the mood keep your milk don't you worry none about that Yankee why don't you stay and have another Manjula oh think I will now now stop drumming and start humming like this distance singing distance do you remember the good old days when I used to sing for the family at night well sure honey well don't you sing for us right now [Music] the Yankees escaping shots shots shots no cousin Willis the Yankee escaped but just remember when this holocaust is over the best nation are the people bad people for the people who put the boom I was a shoo-in a shoo-in our shoo-in win a promise [Music] a warm and entertaining salute to a wonderful composer named Julie Stein this is his book it's all documented as are all of your friends here who congratulate you and thank you for all of terrific moments you've given us on magic music thank you thank you all thank you we'll see on Monday from promotional consideration paid for by the following today's your Brut day break days seem to happen more often when you're wearing Brut by fabergé aftershave after shower after anything Brut by fabergé magic chef the name you've known in cookie is now on refrigerators freezers dishwashers compactors washers and dryers now more than ever Magic Chef takes the work out of home colleague like coat textiles Ceylon miracle stain repellent invisibly protects water troops and beautifies your car's interior Poli glyco textile sealant available to new car dealers [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] this has been a murder

Channel: Alan Eichler

Views: 7,147

Rating: 4.8857141 out of 5

Keywords: Ethel Merman (Performer), Jule Styne (Composer), Betty Comden (Composer), Adolph Green (Composer), Sammy Davis Jr. (Performer), Phyllis Newman (Performer), Marvin Hamlisch

Id: X59JATcOLRw

Length: 56min 33sec (3393 seconds)

Published: Fri Nov 22 2019