Mario Lanza: The American Caruso

Byelaws and the American crew self-produce by camera three productions. I am Placido Domingo. There are two generations of music lovers for whom the name Madill is magic. The young man who once called the American Crucell. I. Never got. A. Name. Why. Oh I'm

a. Mario Lanza was a superstar before that world was invented. He died unexpectedly at the age of 38. His career had lasted little more than a dozen years but he entertained an influence almost of an amazing success story. Yet it is also the story of fun unfulfilled dream for Mario Lanza didn't get what he really wanted but he always believed he was born to

have. This is what you wanted the stage of an opera house from a stage just like these facing a standing room only audience night after night in many difficult roles interpreting the great masters in front of very demanding listeners and afterworld declamation of those Odeon's on the imitation of music critics. This is what I wanted from boyhood. Throughout his life I can see that his voice got even and in recall of His divine mentor he was born in 1921. Year will die. It was the high point of his movie career when he acted out the fun as he had both in it and tormented him. Lanza played.

It was all he had been rehearsing all his life. A. Half. A low. Grade. Great It was all included at least a wonderful glorious licens something of the greatest

surprise of all times of rock opera in that the way to a new audience and attracted the classical music fans back to the. Lobby. For a. Show at. Lanza everybody knows everyone that has has known him at all

knows that he was very spoiled by him by the way the movies movie people by Mr. Mayor especially who kept calling him Caruso and his head became larger and larger and he was just impossible to handle. He would get terribly fat and then they'd have to thin him down. And we we had a great deal of worry about whether he was going to show up on the set half the time but it was he was really sounded fantastic in the film. Of course he had to do many takes and but here his voice was I think I've always said that I think Mario Lanza probably could have been the American Caruso. He could have had any opera house in this country that he wanted if he could have learned what the rules are is to be famous not

because of beautiful voice because you can read a voice to a microphone particularly not on the old recordings which doctor up now completely but a modern engineer by turning a dial can make all was more was a big boys. Was. Much more broad was bizarrely mutation he has a much more. Aggressive message which is so crucial because what you were made famous was not secluded old boys but as my daddy use well. And my you would really become what ought to his neighbors in Philadelphia said an American who's the great Crucell was the biggest money making movie in America that year and it went on to play all over the world. I was a boy of 10 living in

Mexico when I saw it. So truly inspired me and many other young singers too. My first question when he had auditioned at Tanglewood and they loved him so much and they paid for his studies and everything. I said please tell me what was the voice like what was it like. And they read the news which was from the bottom to the top it never stopped. It was huge and round and rich and we were really in awe of Mario Lanza and he was sort of someone to to look up to as a soprano. I can only say. The tenor voice per se is always a very physical. Experience the high C from a tenor will always be more exciting than I see from the soprano. I don't know if that's sexuality maybe it's a matter of physics. I don't know if it's his voice more than most. I did have a very sexy character to it.

I also was working with Giacomo's doany who was the chorus master at the Met and after several years he went out to Hollywood and became the opera coach for all the people like Mario lines and Katherine Grayson and anyone who was going to sing anything big Annamaria are getting in the movies. And of course he did a lot of work with that with my lines on his pictures. And every time I'd work with him he'd say Oh if that boy would only sing at the opera he said if he would only get away from the movies and concentrate on the opera. And he really said he would be the biggest biggest opera star that we had had since Caruso. I loved singing with Mario and he had such a warm voice and yet it had a great thrill at the end especially at the top of the voice and he never spared the horses at all. He just let it loose. A lot of work was great for the chicks and crucially.

He became known as a single truck driver. And we all. Made it to the big. It was great. I. I'm driving not talking about movies. It's. Fantastic. I remember when I was a kid I grew up in Philadelphia before I moved to the west coast. We used to sing walking down the street with my love and everything it was fantastic. Always a great voice. Used you get it through my heart like you know when you're singing mama. Was. Like. I was. Going. To get emotional I'm very emotional when I hear there's a voice. I feel great. You know I feel like I'm a little. Merrylands and I met in New York for the first time.

In August of 1945. He had just returned from the Army. He had been in Hollywood for a big part in the movie version of that big air force musical winged victory. But nothing came of that. So he returned to New York with his bride Betty. And that's when we met. It seemed to be the perfect meeting of his time in my business since. MRU admitted to me that on his training up to that date had been erratic. He had different teachers. He learned some things and somebody didn't learn. He just wasn't focused. His voice was good. Well it was it was terrific. But he was still terribly secure. RCA had given him a contract. But he knew that it was too early to start making records. Now apparently Mario had confidence in me. We canceled all his commitments and we got down to hard work I put him with him Rico Rosati. The only coach and the great. Tenor. Benyamin Shealey. Mario worked at coaching for

nearly a year and he really worked. And then went on an extended concert tour with two other fine. George London and France. And as the boat CONTO trio. All together he had had 10 years of this sort of training and a hundred concerts under under his belt. He was ready. I arranged for him to appear at the Hollywood Bowl and I arranged for louis been mayor of a man at MGM to be there at the same time. And that I think Mark a turning point in Mario's whole career. And. Mr. Mayor and Mrs. Colvin and I went backstage after the performance and Mr. Mayor invited Mario out to the studio the following morning and want to be there too. So. We were there the following morning and we sang together and Mario sang our ears and we sang operatic duets. And different producers were invited in to listen. And everybody loved his voice

and. None of the producers thought they could do anything with Mario because they thought he was too heavy and that he didn't represent a romantic leading man. So every other guy that was left there it was really been there and I was I looked like. A bomb or something. I said all right I says I'll make a picture with him and I took him in the viewfinder the was to take the case out of his head and made it this they didn't believe it was the same guy. In 1948 I was training movie stars at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios and I met Mario at the studio he was signed to a contract to make his first picture called The midnight kiss. He had to lose 25 pounds and I had the job of taking Mario out every morning down to the beach. We'd run. We'd get back to the studio work out in a little gym I had there for him and then he'd like to

box. And he was a rough tough little boy from South Philadelphia with a big chest. And we worked with a medicine ball. We worked with weights he wanted to do it all run in the morning and I spent about four or five hours a day with Mario. Not just always training walking and watching that he didn't need too much. Mr. Mayor said that he heard that the boy had a great appetite and being an Italian boy from South Philadelphia he sure did. So I spent time with them watched him at his lunchtime and stay with them we took the £25 off and he made his first film you. Know. Thank you. Thank you. Hello. Goodbye. All right. Just sign here lady there's an extra

charge for the song. You know you have a wonderful boy thinks you should do something with it. I did I closed an opera house in New York. Oh you think I'm kidding. It's on a level I was in common and the soldiers just took me weeks to get the job by saying three performances of paid me $30 to take home the following day I went back to work the place was closed. I still don't know how they found out it was me. Then you have study since I was that high. Italy little Italy with my father knuckle bumps. Then two years in Boston was ready. And then when I got hungry and I got some sense I came back to Philly got a GI loan I bought a truck. Mario Lanza was never a truck driver because grandfather had a little Italian-American grocery store. And he may have backed the truck up and back but he never was a truck. He never worked. Mario's mother we're to have to try when I found out this boy had a voice. They gave him lessons. His mother was the breadwinner. His father was a disabled veteran of World War II and he was on a pension but

never worked he studied He studied languages he studied voice. I worked out with Mario locally every day and we have fun because Bael love competition. And I had been raised with two older brothers and a younger sister and we all have four octave ranges and we didn't know that everyone did. So Mario was like another brother and. He didn't mind the competition and we were always trying to have singing really really good. I was. In. The studio asked us to take that midnight kiss on true.

He had a built in audience and media and the tour was absolutely sensational and Laurie was absent. And so. I. Think that really established energy star was the coast of New Orleans. It co-starred Catherine Grace David neighbor Carol Nash lovable rascal. Oh. I.

Was his idol. Caruso died in 1921. And that's the Mario Lanza was born 1921. So he always felt that perhaps Rekos voice passed into him. And then one day he would live to make a motion picture called The Great Caruso and the life of me which is sort of a. Great new CD supporting your CD the great do over a million and a half people been. The longest run in its history up to the time when was the first LP. So over mean those were the first to play magazine gold medal winners and my love

became the biggest selling achievement in the whole world. Not in a fever with the great cut Also I became a story never really caught out of the world. But his movie career was at the peak. So weskit sense of conflict. He wondered if he had betrayed the voice by not singing opera but his voice brought the people so much pleasure and him unimagined fame. How could he be wrong. That's because fame drew my life long dream of performing on stage seem more and more impossible to attain the demands of Hollywood the Star work constant and consuming. But he was young strong and stubborn and the voice was better than ever. I know

I. See you. You know. You. A. Real fight for. Me.

Oh. This is where my son was born 6:36 Street in

Philadelphia in a third floor bed I bought some codons home under a small grocery store. You dream of a singing career in this home listening to his father's hospital records and his mother's beautiful voice. My own singing career started when I was a boy working in my teens for a company that I would own music for the show. I had you might say one of those nice high voices you hear in your own voice. Then it started to change. And I wondered if I'd come out to the side with a real voice. My dear Lance I must have gone through the same painful period. My moment of truth came when I was pushed out onto the stage to sing a solo and out came a big sound my father's face fell like these. How do you plan to surprise the Spartans. They took him to the home of a well-known body tune in coach his parents heard a voice coming from the music room and they thought it was the mice to finishing with another student. The

voice of course was songs from that day. His mother was determined that he will have the singing career. She was denied by her strict father while she worked long hours to pay for the lessons the young men dream of. This is his high school not his real name was Alfred Cocozza of Cocozza. But see here how he was looking for his stage name. Alfred will go for it. Don't you go cold. And when you could go. So he took the muscularly form of his mother's maiden name. Maria I'm practice right in eat. Monday. Monday. Monday. Finally of your land.

Born in South Philadelphia 1921 of Italian immigrant parents. He was the only child of Tony Cox a disabled veteran and Marie Alanzo who was just 16 years old when their son was born. They believe that Kerley her tibias child could do no wrong. His mother spoils him and other look he spends in medical leave out her fantasies and. He adored his mother and his mother taught him as the only child and a son and you know mothers and sons and sons and mothers. It was always that relationship and Mario was the apple of his mother's eye. Mario loved his parents so much and Id love to put his mother in his films so that one day when his kids would grow up they'd be able to see that grandparents on film. And because you're mine he had them at the

railroad station when he gets off the train and is inducted into the army. There are his parents standing there. In fact his mother had some words to say oh no I heard you actually. Have your autograph. Right. It was the Rossano please give the lady your autograph. That is one of your favorite. I got. Plenty of time how would we get. Impressed having a real life celebrity and with you I always felt that there was a complex relationship between Mario and his mother. It even spilled over into the relationship that. That Mario had with his wife. Because there seemed to be. Rivalry. Between mother and wife. I think that Mario loved his mother so much and was so devoted to her that many times he made mistakes.

He he would play up more mom mom her beauty when he introduced her to the press or to the actors out here that he met when we had big parties and he'd leave Betty on his side. Then he became the mother of the children and mom became his great love. Look at my mother look how great she looks look. Look how young she is. And I think Betty felt this. I think the two women. Were pulling him apart. With this rivalry and jealousy that existed. I think it affected him rather deeply. We'd get out in the car and say What the hell is going on. You know why I'm making everybody happy I'm making all the money. Look at the way we're living servants. Big house in Bel Air budget. There was always conflict surrounding them. He had people around him that said Go to it Tiger do as you please and I know some of the people around him and they were not out for Mario because they were the first to leave him when things were going wrong. Now Mario's domestic troubles started to show up on the set and

unfortunately in the press. There was no question that he lacked self-discipline. He was overeating and he was drinking too much and his overnight movie fame kept him from realizing the big trouble he was headed for. The studio brass didn't like it one bit. He was more popular with the people working on the set and it was what the bosses upstairs. They would come up to Mario. These young kids working all depended on this kind of living and they'd say You know Mario if you goof this last scene they'll keep us here tonight. We'll get time and a half. Well OK it's very simple to do. And he'd make a little booboo and then the director would say cut. And of course the studio money and it didn't put him in good favor with the studio but he helped the poor kids working on the set and he liked to do the. Government. Is more. Simply. I

first met Mario when he was doing a picture called the coast of New Orleans. Catherine Grayson and I was working for Associated Press at the time and I went out to the MGM lot with Jack Keller who was Mario frescos and wanted me to meet Mario just as we got there. Mario wearing nothing but a jockstrap. Was chasing Catherine grace a lot. And in the Jack Keller said Mario I want you to meet Jim Bacon. So five miles stopped in California and we went in the dog. So that was the first time I ever met him. That's Mario for me. Now I'm mad chase me because I wouldn't allow it. So simple as that. That includes the man who said that Mario Alonzo was a great great and amazing lady.

He talk about it right in front of his wife. I've been up to his house many times and he'd be talking about some girl and what he done too hard what are you going to do with this one. And Betty be there you know kind of. Pride you know. Very. Good evening. Welcome to my real love the show with the musical brain. My plan is to transcribe our special guest international artist Miss Mackenzie. When I first heard that I was going to be working a lot with Mario I was a little bit. You know I felt a little funny because I had heard that he was a very salty talker. He could put many a sailor to shame. And as far as I was concerned Mario was a total gentleman to me. And in fact when he was around me he spoke like a priest. So I didn't see the salty sailor type in him in my recent concert tour across the United States. I was deeply gratified at everyone's one

responds to good music to the better composers and that is just what we are going to try to bring to you not only the popular songs but selections from the concert stage and from time to time one of the great Arias and first summer was kind of exciting and it was fun it was a brand new show and everybody was all excited and everybody was it was really a happy a happy time for Mario and especially happy for me as one of his guests until he was on the cover of TIME magazine the time magazine article slided Mario by putting him on a cover. We only had three pictures finished at this time and he was a big major star. However what they published on the inside pages tore him apart. To me it was a money article because after you read the article had you never seen Mario Lanza in the movie you would want to see him doesn't make them very very colorful what you they can pick on his voice. And they said he glorified himself a Jew walked around in a Caruso image which was a

lot of bull. When we did the picture on Caruso's life he wanted to be Enrico. That's how we portrayed him so why not put on a hat like him and walk around like he had a picture coming out called. Because you're mine. He literally weighed about 250 pounds when it came time to start the picture. And then one of the strangest things that I ever saw take place in his life. Occurred. He began to lose weight. In the course of that picture. He went from two hundred forty pounds. Two hundred and sixty. Now Dogbert 59 pounds on the final day of shooting. And I know this for a fact because I weighed in. During the weeks the movie was being shot. His weight fluctuated 80 pounds. That reduces the sights and sounds. I remember one scene where Mario playing a soldier walks into the army chaplain to sing the Lord's Prayer. He weighed a hundred and sixty pounds. He looks great in his uniform. Well he comes to the chapel door. That's enough to see another time and

bingo he's enormous. His jacket looks like a 10. Joe Pasternak. Was preparing a picture called The Student Prince. Mario was enthralled. Loved it. We went into a recording session. Of all the songs from Student Prince and I tell you that he was magnificent. One take right down the line every shot one thing I don't think there was any kind of going back to anything on any of the songs that he recorded when it came time to shoot the film. He didn't like the director of the film. They had an argument and he wanted him off the film. And Joe Pasternak the producer said oh no we've signed them to a contract he's going to do it. And when Mario had a vengeance against the studio he would get heavy.

I said look let's give him four weeks. And I talked to him and I'm sure it's going to be great because they're out of money but they agreed with me. So if they say to me it came back it was normal it said that it cost them for that very thing. But again the five this is that show that could get picked up for the fans couldn't get into the uniform. Mario Lanza was suspended by MGM. He was having trouble with studio. I guess he was some kind of insisting on a lot of things and they didn't want to you know he didn't want to show up he didn't show up or something like that. I don't know what the details were but they found enough to suspend him and that meant that he couldn't work in any way. He couldn't give a concert. He couldn't sing on radio. He couldn't make records couldn't do a thing. His hands were tied. Well Mario was going through a breakdown. The house was falling apart that he was going through a breakdown. He was sued by a studio for close to 15 million dollars. The government was after him for back taxes. I mean the boy's whole beautiful career was now being smashed. So Ginger Rogers had a ranch up in

Medford Oregon on a Rogue River and he loved the outdoors and he loved horses. So he and Betty drove up to the people that worked at the house without the children without Terri without managers. They went up by themselves and had the greatest two weeks of their lives. The only real vacation they ever had together. With a job that only love can bring a team by a guy nothing. And. A. Lonzo gave the studio his voice. And that ended the lawsuit.

We never did the picture and they used another actor named Edmund Purdum who now then launches. Me to see me. My busy I don't understand. I just got an idea for the opening number for long lines. Where have you been all afternoon. I've fired long hours ago. Look I happen to know a little bit about human nature.

Anybody can tear up the script director for me major reasons like that can give us a little trouble. I was with the Mario on the first shower. Great debut of this new program right program. And in those days all singing on television. Live. No. Singing. VOICES. I went to the show and. They're at the live performance. All of a sudden you're sitting down which is very unusual. And he starts singing and he flips. And. I recognize I don't think any of anyone else but they were playing my record on a you know a just

my way you might three dreams. Recently I got on the phone and dictated the story. So your first line of work is all over the world in a matter of seconds and when the performance was over all the other reporters there had been queried by their offices and the AP has a story of Mario Lanza is not singing live. And so they start questioning all about it while Miles and I were singing live and people from CBS singing live and then the president of CBS and New York State when he was singing live and so forth and so on the big controversy here about two or three days three days later on a Friday the president of CBS college life. While I was. In the lip sync.

And so then in order to prove that Mario could still saying CBS arranged the impromptu concert on Mario's house and Mario sang you know we all knew we could sing and be very honest with you I to this day can't understand why it caused all that controversy because the movies have been lip syncing for years before that. But. Television. I guess they thought their credibility with destroy. For that reason they made a big. Hassle for. The New Frontier Hotel was opening in Las Vegas and they offer you a staggering sum for a two week who is. Exhausted by dieting. Sick with the fear that his voice will fail. Mario Lanza was able to appear for the opening night audience and include hundreds of reporters. The hotel canceled his contract. The press was brutal. His excuse to the press. About throw. In just a few

months there were mortal fears from all the Las Vegas hotels. But no amount of money tempt you to try it again. Who knows how he felt about the Las Vegas incident. It was like one of those middle dramatic moments in opera when the tenant confronts his passions principles and when that reality has dealt. A. A low. Key. Role Sinatra are usually the romantic leads strong veto

heroes sometimes less than a novel. But old was irrepressible. Some say the offstage tenor is the same colorful Rusko exciting mental living on day two of his high notes. Well nice to see Mario Lanza as generations of tennis before him was an exuberant volatile character and was graphically in the press. For someone who had always been love I'm forgiven no matter what he did. Being fired from a picture and then by his you and beetling criticised by the press well it was devastating he said. No one could see him and then one day he announced he was moving with his whole family to Eataly to start over. He left America and Widding weeks starting in an Italian made field. The seven hills of Rome. The movie is about you guessed

it an American who moves to Eataly. Yes and that's a real good beach you've got there. Do you think it is. I think it's the most curious overseeing the Barboursville. No go. Jericho sure I know Perry Como He's an Italian boy. Don't you. I. Should have known you too. You're not really Louis Armstrong. Good old Satchmo. He's one of my

favorites. Honey he isn't asking me. To rub it. Reverend get me to. Go and see my way and he seemed. To be in the