Good News - MGM Musical 1947
Music by Lew Brown and Lyrics by B.G. DeSylva and Ray Henderson
Available on: RHINO RHM2 7763
Running Time: 62:27
Good News was the M-G-M hit musical of 1947. It starred delectable, cheery, smokey-voiced June Allyson and heartthrob Peter Lawford; and, in a supporting role, the crooner, Mel Tormé. It brimmed with good tunes: 'Good News', 'Lucky in Love', 'The Best Things in Life are Free', 'Just Imagine' 'The Wedding of the Painted Doll' (music by Nacio Herb Brown) and the 'Varsity Drag'. This was the first M-G-M musical that featured the writing talents of Adolph Green and Betty Comden. They took the original 1930 M-G-M movie which had been an unsuccessful adaptation of the DeSylva/Brown/Henderson Broadway hit and refashioned it as a fast-paced exuberant story in a 1920's college campus setting. In addition to all the aforementioned melodies, given the full Conrad Salinger treatment, there are bonus tracks that include coy renderings of songs from the original 1930 version of Good News that now have a definite period charm, and a radio 'Picturegoer-PR-type' interview with June Allyson that is nevertheless quite informative about her early life and film acting career- when she was a child an accident very nearly terminated her dancing aspirations.
Sample Good News to chase away the blues.
Ian Lace
3˝
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