Gershwin at 80; Part 2

<v Miles Kreuger>Yes. <v Frances Gershwin Godowsky>He danced beautifully. His whole body was wonderfully coordinated. <v Frances Gershwin Godowsky>And when he did a film with Fred Astaire, he'd come home and try to show me <v Frances Gershwin Godowsky>some of the steps, something that he could do. <v Frances Gershwin Godowsky>And he'd try to imitate the way Fred danced. <v Frances Gershwin Godowsky>[laughs] And uh, I mean a little, you know, whatever <v Frances Gershwin Godowsky>he could do, but it was always very graceful and- and very attractive. <v Frances Gershwin Godowsky>And um and whatever he did, he did well. <v Frances Gershwin Godowsky>I think he was just a very talented man. <v Frances Gershwin Godowsky>If he'd play tennis, he played tennis well. <v Frances Gershwin Godowsky>When he played golf, he played golf well. When he painted, he painted well, you know? <v Miles Kreuger>Yes. He- It's quite remarkable. <v Miles Kreuger>He really was a renaissance man of the 1920s in many ways, wasn't he? <v Frances Gershwin Godowsky>Well he could've been, if he had tried to develop it. <v Frances Gershwin Godowsky>He would have been a very fine painter, if he gave all his energies to <v Frances Gershwin Godowsky>it, the way he did to his music. <v Miles Kreuger>1924, when he was 26 years old, seems to have been a very, very critical <v Miles Kreuger>year in his life because not only did he have the concert <v Miles Kreuger>introducing Rhapsody in Blue in February, but also Lady Be Good opened

<v Miles Kreuger>that December. And of course, that was perhaps his first really important book show. <v Miles Kreuger>And um I wonder if there was an awareness on his <v Miles Kreuger>part that there was a transition occurring in his life. <v Miles Kreuger>Do you recall? <v Frances Gershwin Godowsky>Um I imagine he must have felt that. Yes. <v Frances Gershwin Godowsky>I can't recall of the such, you know, you're so part of an environment, <v Frances Gershwin Godowsky>you take it all for granted. And I was too young at that time <v Frances Gershwin Godowsky>to uh make any deeper observation. <v Frances Gershwin Godowsky>But uh, let's see [inaudible], I think, [inaudible] he had <v Frances Gershwin Godowsky>something more to offer. <v Miles Kreuger>Did you attend that concert? <v Frances Gershwin Godowsky>Oh, yes. <v Miles Kreuger>That must have been exciting. <v Frances Gershwin Godowsky>It was very exciting and really, really, very exciting, very wonderful. <v Miles Kreuger>Did people expect as much from the Rhapsody in Blue as it turned out? <v Miles Kreuger>There were so many more formidable pieces on the program. <v Miles Kreuger>It was a strange hodgepodge, of course, with [inaudible] on one hand and all those <v Miles Kreuger>classical pieces on the other hand. But I wonder if the public was quite prepared <v Miles Kreuger>for it.

<v Frances Gershwin Godowsky>I don't think they were prepared for it. No, I don't think anyone was. <v Frances Gershwin Godowsky>I think everybody was very surprised. <v Radio Host>This is the original acoustic recording of that performance. <v Radio Host>Notice how bright and spontaneous the interpretation is compared with the more pompous <v Radio Host>versions one hears of the Rhapsody in Blue today. <v Speaker>["Rhapsody in Blue" plays]

<v Speaker>["Rhapsody in Blue" plays]. <v Speaker>["Rhapsody in Blue" plays] <v Speaker>["Rhapsody in Blue" plays]

<v Speaker>["Rhapsody in Blue" plays]

<v Radio Host>During the 1920s, it was rather uncommon for the players in a Broadway musical to be

<v Radio Host>asked by record companies to make original cast recordings. <v Radio Host>This was not the case, however, in England, where musical comedies were recorded <v Radio Host>regularly as far back as the 1890s. <v Radio Host>Although Fred and Adele Astaire made no recordings from Lady Be Good in America, British <v Radio Host>Columbia did ask them to make a set of records while the show was playing in London. <v Radio Host>With the composer at the piano, here are Fred and Adele Astaire to sing, "Hang on to <v Radio Host>Me." <v Fred Astaire>[singing] Trouble may hound us, shadows surround us. <v Fred Astaire>Never mind my dear. Don't be downhearted, when we get started, they will disappear! <v Fred Astaire>Listen to brother, while we've other, <v Fred Astaire>there's no need to fear. For like Hansel and Gretel, we will prove our mettle.

<v Fred Astaire>If you'll hang on to me, while I hang on to you, we'll dance into the sunshine, out of the rain, forever and a day! <v Adele Astaire>Don't sigh, we'll get along. Just try humming a song. And me, soon we shall hear the bluebird again. <v Fred Astaire>That's right, hold tight. We're on our way. <v Adele Astaire>Uphill, until <v Adele Astaire>we lose the shadows. <v Fred & Adele Astaire>If you hang on to me (doo doo), while I hang on to you (doo doo), we'll dance into the sunshine, out of the rain! [piano plays] <v Fred Astaire>That's right, hold tight. We're on our way. <v Adele Astaire>Uphill until we lose the shadows. <v Fred & Adele Astaire>If you'll hang on to me (doo doo), while I hang on to you (doo doo), we'll dance into the subsine, out the rain. Forever and a day. We'll make a cabaret. That's all I've got to <v Fred & Adele Astaire>say.

<v Radio Host>"Ukulele Ike," Cliff Edwards was featured in Lady Be Good on Broadway. <v Radio Host>Here is his original recording of Fascinating Rhythm. <v Cliff Edwards>[scatting] There's a little rhythm, <v Cliff Edwards>a rhythm, a rhythm.

<v Cliff Edwards>That pit-a-pats through my brain; so darn persistant, the day isn't <v Cliff Edwards>distant, when it'll drive me insane. <v Cliff Edwards>Comes In the morning without any warning and hangs around me all <v Cliff Edwards>day. I'll have to sneak up to it someday I'll speak up to it. <v Cliff Edwards>I hope it listens when I say: fascinating rhythm, you've got me on the go. <v Cliff Edwards>Fascinating rhythm, I'm all a-quiver. <v Cliff Edwards>What a mess you're making! The neighbors want to know why I'm always shaking just like a <v Cliff Edwards>flivver. Each morning I get up with the sun. <v Cliff Edwards>Start a-hoppin', never stoppin'. To find that <v Cliff Edwards>night that no work has been done. I know that once it didn't matter. <v Cliff Edwards>But now you're doing it wrong; when you start to patter, I'm so unhappy. <v Cliff Edwards>Won't you take a day off? Decide to run along somewhere far away off and make it snappy? <v Cliff Edwards>Oh, how I long to be the man I used to be. <v Cliff Edwards>Fascinating rhythm, you've gotta stop picking on me! <v Cliff Edwards>[scatting]

<v Cliff Edwards>Fascinating rhythm, you got me on the go. <v Cliff Edwards>Fascinating rhythm, I'm all a-quiver. <v Cliff Edwards>What a mess you're making, the neighbors want to know why I'm always shaking just like a <v Cliff Edwards>flivver. Each morning I get up <v Cliff Edwards>with the sun, start a-hoppin', never stoppin', to find a night no work has been <v Cliff Edwards>done. I know that once it didn't matter, but now <v Cliff Edwards>you're doing wrong; when you start to patter, I'm so unhappy. <v Cliff Edwards>Won't take the day off? Decide to run along, somewhere far away off and make it snappy. <v Cliff Edwards>Oh how I long to be the man I used to be! <v Cliff Edwards>Fascinating rhythm, you've gotta stop pickin' <v Cliff Edwards>on me!

<v Radio Host>From the score of Lady Be Good here are George Gershwin and Fred Astaire, joking and <v Radio Host>performing together, in "'The Half of it, Dearie' Blues." [piano plays] <v Fred Astaire>Each time you trill a song with Bill, or look at Will, I get a chill, I'm gloomy. <v Fred Astaire>I can't recall the names of all the men who fall. <v Fred Astaire>It's all appalling to me. <v Fred Astaire>Of course, I really cannot blame them a bit.

<v Fred Astaire>'Cause you're a hit wherever you flit. <v Fred Astaire>I know, it's so, but, dearie, oh you'll never know <v Fred Astaire>the blues that go right through me. <v Fred Astaire>I've got the you-don't-know-the-half-of-it-dearie blues! <v Fred Astaire>The trouble is you <v Fred Astaire>have so many from whom to choose. <v Fred Astaire>With your permission, it's my ambition just to go through life ?saying meets the wife? <v Fred Astaire>I've got the you-don't-know-the-half-of-it-dearie blues! <v Radio Host>If 1924 had been a turning point in Gershwins' career, 1925

<v Radio Host>turned out to be his busiest year ever. <v Radio Host>In addition to Concerto in F and a short concert piece called, appropriately, Short <v Radio Host>Story, George completed the scores for 3 Broadway shows: Tell <v Radio Host>Me More, which opened in April, Tip-Toes, which premiered December 28th, <v Radio Host>and his solitary operetta, Song of the Flame, which incredibly opened just 2 days <v Radio Host>later on December 30th. <v Radio Host>Allen Kearns, the Broadway leading man of Tip-Toes, was wafted to London to recreate <v Radio Host>his original role. With Peggy Beaty of the British cast, he sings When Do <v Radio Host>We Dance? <v Allen Kearns>I'm fed up with discussion, about the music of Russians. <v Allen Kearns>And I'm most unhappy when you talk about art! <v Allen Kearns>Conversation for highbrow, much too heavy for brow! <v Allen Kearns>Teacher, darling, teacher won't you please have a heart? <v Peggy Beaty>There, our work is done, and we have to go.

<v Allen Kearns>But there's really one thing I want to know. <v Allen Kearns>When they do we dance, when do we dance, teacher dear, when do we dance? <v Allen Kearns>Let's take a chance, I've in a trance, getting a thrill advance. <v Allen Kearns>Just can't help swaying. <v Allen Kearns>I must be in! <v Allen Kearns>When they are playing, ?turn all right in?. <v Allen Kearns>I want to glide, I won't hide, women ?sleeping at my side? <v Allen Kearns>[inaudible] <v Allen Kearns>if you'd have me as your guide. There's too much sad and dreary, so come on my dear, let's go! <v Allen Kearns>When do we dance, teacher dear, when do we dance? <v Allen Kearns & Cast>When do dance, teacher dear, when do we dance? <v Allen Kearns & Cast>Let's take a chance,I'm in a trance, getting a thrill in advance. <v Allen Kearns & Cast>Just can't help swaying. <v Allen Kearns & Cast>I must be in! When they are playing, ?turn all right in?. <v Allen Kearns & Cast>I want to glide, I want to glide, ?wind sweeping at my side?.

<v Allen Kearns & Cast>[inaudible] if you let me be your guide.There's too much sad and dreary, so come on my dear let's go! When do we dance, teacher dear, when do we dance? <v Speaker>[piano instrumental] <v Allen Kearns & Cast>There's too much sad and dreary, come on dear let's go! When do we dance, teacher dear, when do we dance? <v Radio Host>The infectious rhythm of 1920s popular music is ideally represented in the

<v Radio Host>next song, which is as distinguished for Ira Gershwin's novel use of the sound <v Radio Host>of the English language as it is for George's eccentric, offbeat melody. <v Radio Host>From the London cast of Tiptoes, Laddy Cliff and Peggy Beaty sing Sweet <v Radio Host>and Lowdown. <v Laddy Cliff>I've heard about it, too. <v Laddy Cliff>Pops you up like electricity, when the band is blowin' blue. <v Laddy Cliff>They play nothing classic, oh no, down there. <v Laddy Cliff>They play nothing else but the lowdown there. <v Laddy Cliff>So if you a tonic and your need is chronic. <v Laddy Cliff>And you're in a crisis, my advice is: grab a cab and go down, to where the band <v Laddy Cliff>is playin,' where milk and honey flow down, and everyone's sayin' "Blow <v Laddy Cliff>that sweet and lowdown!" Doo, doo.

<v Laddy Cliff>Busy as a beaver, you'll dance until you totter, you're sure to get that fever, for nothing could be hotter. Oh, that sweet and lowdown. <v Laddy Cliff>Philosopher or deacon, you certainly have to weaken, hear those shufflin' <v Laddy Cliff>feet. You can't keep your seat. Professor? <v Cast>What? <v Laddy Cliff>Start your beat! Come on, along get in it, you'll love the syncopation, the minute they begin it, you're shoutin' to the nation, "Blow that sweet and lowdown!" <v Laddy Cliff & Cast>Grab a cab and go down, to where the band is playin,' where milk and honey flow down, and everyone's sayin' "Blow that sweet and lowdown!" Busy as a beaver, you'll dance until you <v Laddy Cliff & Cast>totter, you're sure to get a fever, for nothing could be hotter. Oh, that sweet and lowdown. Philosopher or deacon, you certainly have to weaken, hear those shufflin'

<v Laddy Cliff & Cast>feet. You can't keep your seat. <v Laddy Cliff & Cast>Professor? <v Cast>What? <v Laddy Cliff & Cast>Start your beat! Come on along get in it, you'll love the syncopation, the minute they begin it, you're shoutin' to the nation, "Blow that sweet and lowdown!"