London Musicals 1945-1949.pub - Over The Footlights
London Musicals 1945-1949.pub - Over The Footlights
London Musicals 1945-1949.pub - Over The Footlights
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Photo by Sasha<br />
Elizabeth French<br />
CAN-CAN<br />
<strong>London</strong> run: Adelphi, May 8 th (76 performances)<br />
Music: Offenbach (arranged Bernard Grun)<br />
Lyrics: Fred F. Tysh<br />
Book: Max Catto<br />
Director: William Mollison<br />
Choreographer: Pauline Grant<br />
Musical Director: Billy Ternant<br />
Producer: Jack Hylton<br />
Cast: Clifford Mollison (Paul Latour), Elizabeth French (Angela),<br />
Charles Dorning (Count Simon), Leo Franklyn (Alphonse),<br />
Noel Morris (Duc de Chambreau), Margaret Davison (Colette),<br />
Doreen Duke (Lolita), William March (Alfred), John Marquand (Claude)<br />
1946<br />
Story: <strong>The</strong> story tells of Paul Latour, a playwright, in love with his leading lady, Angela. During Paul’s<br />
absence abroad Angela has agreed to marry Count Simon. On his return, Paul poses as a Russian in order to<br />
win her back again. She sees through the disguise but finally all ends well. Other characters in the story<br />
include the comic Alphonse, the Duc de Chambreau, Colette and Lolita, and Alfred and Claude, two<br />
effeminate gendarmes.<br />
10<br />
Notes: Although the music by Offenbach and the ballet sequences featuring Pauline Grant were much praised,<br />
it was generally felt the book was lacking in wit and humour, the lyrics were undistinguished and the whole<br />
show pleasant and nothing more. This was the 100 th production by director William Mollison, and featured his<br />
brother, Clifford, in a leading role. It had a short run of just over two months, finishing on July 8th.<br />
BIG BEN<br />
<strong>London</strong> run: Adelphi, July 17 th (172 performances)<br />
Music: Vivian Ellis<br />
Book & Lyrics: A.P. Herbert<br />
Director-Choreographer: Wendy Toye<br />
Musical Director: Charles Prentice<br />
Producer: C.B. Cochran<br />
Cast: Carole Lynne (Grace Green), Trefor Jones (Henry Hope),<br />
Eric Palmer (George Hume), David Davies (Benjamin Green),<br />
Gabrielle Brune (Juniper Joy), Lizbeth Webb (Miss Sylvester)<br />
Songs: Other Men, My Father was a Grocer, Come to Britain, <strong>London</strong> Town, I Want to See People Happy, Let<br />
Us Go Down to the River, In Parliament We Offer, <strong>London</strong>’s Alight Again, <strong>The</strong> Poodle and the Pug<br />
Story: Grace Green, working in a shop and supported by her fellow worker Henry Hope, is elected to<br />
Parliament as a Socialist, although she is also the girl-friend of the very rich Conservative MP, <strong>The</strong> Hon<br />
George Hume, and the daughter of true-blue Benjamin Green. <strong>The</strong>y all unite to fight the moral crusader<br />
Alderman Mrs Busy who is fighting to close down all the public houses in the UK – but in the course of their<br />
fight the lovers end up locked in the tower of Big Ben for contempt of Parliament. However, all eventually<br />
comes to a happy ending.<br />
Notes: This was a very competent and well-written combination of political humour and a dose of patriotism<br />
for a Britain that had survived the war with its democracy and its spirit intact. However its “preachy” quality<br />
tended to overwhelm the comedy and fun. It managed a five month run. Shortly after opening Carole Lynne<br />
(Mrs Bernard Delfont) dropped out of the show due to pregnancy, and was replaced by Lizbeth Webb. <strong>The</strong>n<br />
Gabrielle Brune dropped out for the same reason, replaced by Noele Gordon.
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