Should Angela Lansbury done a music hall number

[stuart.uk]

I was watching a bonus feature of Bedknobs And Broomsticks. I was interested to hear one of Sherman brothers, who scored the film. He talked about the soccer scene within the film. The brother's had the idea to have at that moment of the film for Angela to perform a saucy old-time music hall number. In his words, he wanted to show Angela at her best. However, the powers that be prefered the soccer idea.

I think it would have been a great idea, Angela rarely had the oportunity that she had on stage to show her great musical talent. The only other film I can think of when Angela performed a music hall type number was in the western Lawless Street with Randolph Scott and IMO a jolly good show she made of it.

It could be because BAB was a family film that the powers that be thought Animals playing soccer was more appropriate to the film than Angela singing a music hall number.

[mrsl]

Stuart:

Haven't you seen Judy Garland's Harvey Girls? Angela does a great song and dance in it and it's in color!

Anne

[stuart.uk]

No Anne, i haven't seen, apart from clips, The Harvey Girls.

[Professional Tourist]

Haven't you seen Judy Garland's Harvey Girls? Angela does a great song and dance in it and it's in color.

I'm not 100% sure, but I believe the singing voice for Angela Lansbury is dubbed in The Harvey Girls -- but she does sing in her own voice in another Garland musical, TIll the Clouds Roll By -- a song called "How'd you like to spoon with me?"

I had the privilege to see Miss Lansbury on Broadway in Sweeney Todd with Len Cariou, back in 1979. They were both ab fab.

[rudyfan]

I had the privilege to see Miss Lansbury on Broadway in Sweeney Todd with Len Cariou, back in 1979. They were both ab fab.

Oh, so did I, the original production was fabulous. Lansbury was simply marvelous as Mrs. Lovett, I count this as one of my all time favorite theater experiences. Right up there with, and unrelated, Sir Ian McKellen doing his one man show Acting Shakespeare and Derek Jacobi in Breaking the Code. Of course, there is always Greater Tuna.

To bring this back on topic, does anyone know if Lansbury did her own singing in Picture of Dorian Gray? She's haunting as Sybil Vane, I think.

[Professional Tourist]

To bring this back on topic, does anyone know if Lansbury did her own singing in Picture of Dorian Gray? She's haunting as Sybil Vane, I think.

According to this page on the IMDB, Miss Lanbury sang "Good-bye, Little Yellow Bird" herself.

[mgmstar]

Angela was dubbed in The Harvey Girls and in Till the Clouds Roll By too. I believe that she used her sister's voice for Clouds. She only sang with her own voice at MGM in The Picture of Dorian Gray.

I saw her a month or so ago in Blithe Spirit, where she was excellent as always.

I had seen her thirty years ago in Sweeney Todd on stage too.

[Professional Tourist]

Angela was dubbed in The Harvey Girls and in Till the Clouds Roll By too. I believe that she used her sister's voice for Clouds. She only sang with her own voice at MGM in The Picture of Dorian Gray.

According to the trivia page at the IMDB for Till the Clouds Roll By Angela did her own singing for this picture. Here is an excerpt:

At Miss Lansbury's insistence, producer Arthur Freed, who already had overseen The Harvey Girls (1946), allowed her, in this Jerome Kern biopic, to use her own singing voice in the jaunty, set-on-swings production number, "How'd You Like to Spoon with Me?" (lyrics by Edward Laska).

If that is incorrect, then the IMDB should be updated.

[moira finnie]

Welcome mgmstar!

It's good to see you posting and I am pea green with envy over your seeing Ms. Lansbury in anything, much less as Madame Arcati in Blithe Spirit on Broadway.

For your consideration and enjoyment:
Here's a clip of Angela deliciously singing "How'd You Like to Spoon With Me?" in Till the Clouds Roll By (1946), followed by her plangent rendering of "Goodbye, Little Yellow Bird" from The Picture of Dorian Grey (1945). See if you think she needed dubbing in either film. I suspect that because The Harvey Girls was a Judy Garland movie, the studio felt that a big time show biz voice was needed for Lansbury's character to "compete"? I believe that the actress expressed chagrin over the dubbing during her interview with Robert Osborne, (but that seems to have been one of several disappointments Lansbury experienced at MGM).

Btw, while I find that IMDb is a terrific resource, its info isn't 100% accurate, alas.

Stuart, my friend! Please give yourself a treat and rent The Harvey Girls (1946). It has much to recommend it, with a great cast of colorful characters, an original story and is just plain fun.

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[Professional Tourist]

Btw, while I find that IMDb is a terrific resource, its info isn't 100% accurate, alas.

While few resources should be expected to be 100% accurate, all references I've found to this song, such as this one, list it as being performed by Angela Lansbury along with the MGM Studio Chorus. Note that the site lists instances of dubbing for this film, such as for Lucille Bremer, but none for Miss Lansbury.

Additionally, this site lists a great many instances of dubbing in films, for both song and dialog. There are two dubbings listed for Till the Clouds Roll By, neither of which is for Miss Lansbury. If she really was dubbed in this picture, then there's a fair amount of misinformation online about it.

[moira finnie]

Hi Professional Tourist,
I appreciate that your knowledge about dubbing is extensive and I was agreeing with your earlier statements, substantially. My only intention was to illustrate the performer's charm. Whether another's voice was substituted or not, I believe Lansbury "sold" the song as much with her acting as the singing itself.

I apologize if you my attempt offended you. I only thought it might be fun to listen to the lady sing.

[Birdy]

Moira, Thanks for posting Goodbye, Little Yellow BIrd. It's one of my favorite musical numbers ever but I can barely stand to watch the movie because it's so heartbreaking. Now I can just watch the song and get a little misty any old time I want.
B