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STEPHEN T. McCARTHY [speaking to a friend a long time back] : "I really don't like Musicals. The only ones I like are 'Singin' In The Rain' and 'My Fair Lady'. ...Well, and I like 'The Wizard Of Oz', that's actually a musical, too. ...And the movie 'Hair', I like that one. ...Oh, and I love 'Bells Are Ringing'. ...And, of course, I love 'Song Of The South'. ...'JungleBook', of course, and all those old, classic Disney musicals... Oh, and 'Scrooge' is a huge favorite of mine - that's a musical. And, technically, so is 'One From The Heart', which I love. ...Also I like the Roy Rogers B-Western movie musicals 'Under California Stars', 'The Bells Of San Angelo', and 'Heldorado'. ...And... And... And..."
And After naming off a few more musicals, I stopped myself and said: "Well, damn! I guess I DO like musicals!"
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This month I'm doing a 3-Way Battle Of The Bands installment that I've been planning for a long time. This is April Fool's Day, and since Jerry Lewis (quite possibly America's most famous fool) is featured in one of the songs, I figured April 1st was an ideal time to unleash this Battle on y'all.
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Below, I have 3 songs and scenes from movie musicals featuring a 'Western' theme. I want you to vote for your favorite. BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!!... Because these are not just songs but full movie scenes, this is one of the rare times when I'm going to allow you to take BOTH the songs AND the video scenes into consideration when casting your votes. If you want to vote based solely on the song, that's fine. But if you want to take into consideration the song *AND* the accompanying scene, that's perfectly acceptable, too!
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FUN TRIVIA FACT: The most famous song in this Battle, 'Oklahoma!', was written by the legendary Rodgers & Hammerstein. *BOTH* of the other songs in this Battle were written by Paul Francis Webster & Sammy Fain; and in one of these two Webster & Fain songs, there's a lyrical reference to Rodgers & Hammerstein's song 'Oklahoma!' How's that for tying together a 3-way BOTB installment? Does I know my stuffs, or what?! 😉
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I hope y'all enjoy this, because I had
a lot of F-U-N-! putting it together!
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Alright, let's get on it. Let's get ON this thing!
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Doris Day and Howard Keel - "I Can Do Without You" from Calamity Jane (1953)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZuaESf0MdY
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Gordon MacRae OH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING from the film Oklahoma! HD - 1955
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNi0NJ1dfeE
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*NOTE: This last one is a two-part video combined. The song doesn't end when the Sun sets on Arizona. Let it keep playing until you get through Las Vegas, Nevada.*
Alright, let's get on it. Let's get ON this thing!
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Doris Day and Howard Keel - "I Can Do Without You" from Calamity Jane (1953)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZuaESf0MdY
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Gordon MacRae OH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING from the film Oklahoma! HD - 1955
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNi0NJ1dfeE
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*NOTE: This last one is a two-part video combined. The song doesn't end when the Sun sets on Arizona. Let it keep playing until you get through Las Vegas, Nevada.*
"Am I gettin' through to ya, fella?"
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Martin & Lewis & Pat Crowley [& the great dog, Mr. Bascom] - The Wild & Woolly West (Parts 1 & 2) - 1956
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYVDADnuGoc
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After voting here, please be sure to visit the other BOTBers [see links in the right-hand column --->] and vote there too, like a good BOTB community supporter. I will return here on or about April 8th with my own "bote" and the Results of this Western showdown.
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
(I hopes I don't die with muh boots on and singing out of key!)
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Martin & Lewis & Pat Crowley [& the great dog, Mr. Bascom] - The Wild & Woolly West (Parts 1 & 2) - 1956
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYVDADnuGoc
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After voting here, please be sure to visit the other BOTBers [see links in the right-hand column --->] and vote there too, like a good BOTB community supporter. I will return here on or about April 8th with my own "bote" and the Results of this Western showdown.
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
(I hopes I don't die with muh boots on and singing out of key!)
Howdy, StephenT!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun battle! "In the finger you're the splinter," Now, that's funny.
I especially enjoyed the road trippin' threesome of Martin, Lewis, and Pat Crowley. Oh, and the clapping dog ;-) Please give my vote to The Wild and Woolly West.
"In the garden, you're the gopher.
DeleteIn the Levis, you're the loafer."
GOL! The lyrics in 'I Could Do Without You' are extremely clever!
dIEDRE, thanks again for the notification that your comment / "bote" be missing. Soon'z you told me that, I was immediately 98% sure I was going to find it in the Spam file. Tsk!-Tsk! You can't trust these Millennials to run anything good. (And their grammar stinks, too!)
While putting it together, I was sure this Battle was going to be a close one. Partly because I wasn't sure about how ANYONE was going to vote on it. But I did anticipate that you *might* be inclined to go with 'The Wild And Woolly West'. I thought this primarily because of Arizona and the talking Grand Canyon. I was guessing that might appeal to you.
Not only does the dog clap well, but he even drives a red convertible... uh... well, not *well*... but it goes.
~ D-FensDogG
Poltergeists are everywhere, I guess. Anyway, you 'anticipated' correctly on my choice ;-)
DeleteAlthough not a huge fan of musicals, I always liked Gene Kelly's movies. He's not here, though, so, onwards...
ReplyDeleteDino is my favourite crooner and ordinarily, would get the vote, but, Jerry Lewis? Nah! That kind of spoiled it. For vocals then, I'll go with Gordon MacRae. For video entertainment, Doris and Howard are fun! How does this contest work? Will there be two different results (music and video), or only one choice? If I had to choose one only, then voice trumps video.
DEBBIE ~
DeleteYeah, I'm not really a fan of musicals, either. The only ones I like are 'Singin' In The Rain' and 'My Fair Lady'. ...Well, and I like 'The Wizard Of Oz', that's actually a musical, too. ...And the movie 'Hair', I like that one. ...Oh, and I love 'Bells Are Ringing'. And... Hmmm.... You ever get that deja vu feeling?
I guess I wasn't clear on the way this Battle works.
Only ONE VOTE is permitted, and if the movie scene helps a person to decide between songs, then they can take that into consideration. But first & foremost, it's the song that counts.
So, thanks for stopping by with a "bote" for Gordon MacRae.
~ D-FensDogG
POSTSCRIPT: Have you ever seen the movie musical 'HAIR' starring Treat Williams? If not, I recommend you give it a try. I think that's a musical that might be up your alley. And it has one of the most shockingly memorable endings I've ever seen.
I love Bells Are Ringing! The music was superfluous to the story, IMO. And yes, I did see HAIR, after you raved about it a couple of years ago. The ending was totally unexpected and shocking! Thanks for clearing up the contest details. Gordon MacRae had a beautiful voice. (So did Dino, but get Jerry outta there!)
DeleteI've actually come across that same sentiment in a YT comment section. The person said they loved the song... except that Jerry Lewis spoiled it.
DeletePoor Jerry, he was so overmisunderestimated. (...to quote George W. Bush).
~ D-FensDogG
Hey there!
ReplyDeleteFun theme! I'm going to keep this short and sweet as I'm not feeling my best today.
Oklahoma is one of my favorite musicals. I think it's because my family used to watch musicals when I was a child. I remember falling in love with Oh what a beautiful morning.
Because it's such a nostalgic moment for me, I'm casting my goat for that one.
-MMQE
Ps be sure to stop by my place to see what people are saying about you.
<a href="https://www.jinglejanglejungle.net/2023/04/mccarthys-lovers-battle.html'>McCarthy's Lovers Battle</a>
MMQE ~
DeleteTruly sorry you're feeling poorly. (I said a prayer for ya, and will do so again.)
I wasn't feeling my best this morning, either. But it was my own fault, because I over-medicated myself. (No, believe it or not, I'm *NOT* referring to hooch... this time.)
If I don't over-medicate myself tonight (yes, this time I AM referring to hooch), I will return again (was that a double-negative, or something equally un-properly Englishized?) and cast my "bote" in your terrible, slanderous BOTB installment.
If I don't get there tonight, because I have to spend the night in a Messican jail, I will be there tomorrow morning, along with my lawyer. (I'll see you in court, Sister!) ;^)
~ D-FensDogG
This is a really fun Battle. You probably know that I'm a big musical fan. I grew up listening to them and after a brief period in the late sixties early seventies when I dismissed them as being weird until I reassessed my interests and realized there were still a lot of musicals I liked. Now I love them for the most part.
ReplyDeleteAll three clips are good in their own way. I'll dismiss the first right off the bat. I know I've seen "Calamity Jane" but it doesn't stick with me so I guess I didn't care much for it. The song is okay, but cornball.
Hard not to vote for "Beautiful Morning" from one of my favorite musicals. The opening shot through the cornfield into the majestic expanse is great.
However, the last one struck a dart to my heart. I don't think I've ever seen or even heard of this Martin/Lewis film but this one taps into my restless road spirit. I've made that cross country trip so many times and see a lot of the sights they show in the film clip. I even remember my first time going to Las Vegas in 1959 and things looking like they do in this clip. Now I want to see this movie.
An enthusiastic vote for "Wild and Wooly West" both song and film clip.
Lee
DeleteLEE ~
I'm pleased as spiked punch that you enjoyed this Battle so much. I had great fun putting it together and this is my favorite one I've constructed in awhile.
It took me a long time to realize that I liked musicals because my mind got clouded by all of the musicals I disliked. I still am NOT a fan of musicals where every two minutes there's another song about essentially nothing. And I do NOT like the musicals where the story comes to a complete standstill while the song gets sung. I want the song to further the storyline or at least reveal something about a character that wasn't already explicitly stated. So, YES, there are a LOT of musicals that I don't like. But the ones I do like, I tend to like a great deal. And some I genuinely love.
Apparently I neglected to mention that the Martin & Lewis song, 'The Wild And Woolly West', comes from their movie 'HOLLYWOOD OR BUST'. As Birgit noted, it was their last movie together and Martin & Lewis weren't even speaking to each other unless the camera was rolling. But you'd never know that by watching the film, as they appeared to have the same chemistry together that they did in happier earlier years.
~ D-FensDogG
This is a really great battle! Not because - to my thinking - it is a close contest, but because it is just plain fun. Unlike you, who does not like musicals except for ___, ___, ___, et al, I love musicals. And Oklahoma is in my top three for sure, if not number one. Almost every song in it is good, and in the opening number, MacRae has the perfect manly yet beautiful voice for it.
ReplyDeleteBut the other songs you picked are fun too. Doris Day hams it up in this role, but so what? I always liked Dean Martin and it is good to hear him, but as Debbie commented: Jerry Lewis kinda spoils it. As much as I like Dino, I cannot stand Lewis. HOWEVER: I really enjoyed the locations the group drove through, showing western states circa 1956. Especially interesting was Las Vegas with almost NOTHING there. If only my parents had bought a couple of Vegas lots back then!
Congrats on a very enjoyable battle, and again: Oklahoma wins. It is going to be a blowout, but who cares?
And you probably knew this, but yesterday was the 80th anniversary of the opening of Oklahoma on Broadway.
Sixgun McItchyfinger
Sixgun MacGillicudy ~
DeleteI was pert-dern sure you would enjoy this Battle. I knew there was a lot of fun inherent in this contest and I figured there was something here that would appeal to just about everyone. I felt it was can't-miss lineup of songs & scenes.
>>... And you probably knew this, but yesterday was the 80th anniversary of the opening of Oklahoma on Broadway.
Ha! I certainly did NOT know that. I am no aficionado of Broadway musicals, and despite having been in New Yawk City (aka Babylon) three times, I have never attended a Broadway play.
>>... Congrats on a very enjoyable battle, and again: Oklahoma wins. It is going to be a blowout, but who cares?
I thank you, good sir!
But I will say that I am not the least bit convinced that this will be a blowout. Yes, Gordon and Oklahoma! have jumped out to a good, quick lead. But I've seen big early leads disappear quickly in BOTB. And, frankly, if I were forced to bet an undisclosed amount of money on it, I would bet that Oklahoma! doesn't even win this Battle. But we'll see. I could be wrong. Helck, I was wrong once before, on Saturday, April 23, 1983, so I guess it's possible that I could be wrong again. ;^D
~ D-FensDogG
You are gonna be right about this battle NOT being a blowout. And you are gonna be right that the correct and best song is not going to win. It is puzzling to me, but oh well. Many people also might prefer Bon Jovi to Mozart, and since it is a matter of bad taste and poor upbringing there is nuttin to be done about it. Oh well; it was fun to listen to all the songs anywhooo.
DeleteSix
SIXGUN McWHOOP-DEE-DOO ~
Delete>>... "You are gonna be right about this battle NOT being a blowout."
Dang, McDude, you say it like you're almost surprised by this! OF COURSE it's going to be a close Battle -- I deliberately designed it that way! You still - *STILL* - don't believe I know what I'm doing and what I'm yakkin' about, do ya?! DO YA???!!! (Uhm... what was I just saying? All these aluminum nanoparticles I've inhaled dun made me fergit.)
Yip! It's gonna be close. It was meant to be. But...
Listen, McBro, keep the faith and don't lose hope, because I *NEVER* said that Gordon & Oklahoma! was going to lose. To quote Br'er Bear: "No, suh!! Whu-whu-whut ah sed wuz..."
"...if I were forced to bet an undisclosed amount of money on it, I would bet that Oklahoma! doesn't even win this Battle."
...And whu-whu-whut that means is that... IT COULD END UP AS A TIE!
Right now, Dean & Dizzy are leading by 1. (Vote count: 4-3-2.) But there's still 2 more days for voting, and *anything* could happen. For some examples:
I notified The Countess about this Battle. She's a major fan of musicals, and if she shows up, I think there's a 98.7% chance that she'd vote for her boyfriend, Gordon.
Mike could show up at the very last moment with a 4-word sentence voting for Gordon.
Pooh could show up (high on Pepsi Light), and how *he* would vote is anyone's guess. But I'm guessing he "goes for the blonde".
I'm hoping G-DogG will make an appearance, and I suspect he would vote for Baretta's 'Rooster'. And I myself also intend to vote for 'Rooster'.
The ghost of Jerry Lewis could show up, and he would probably vote TWO or THREE TIMES (like dead Democrats often do) for "ANYONE other than Dean Martin!"
The ghost of Frank Sinatra could come by, and he would vote for whoever the Mob told him to... so long as it's NOT Deano, because he wouldn't want to share the spotlight with another member of The Rat Pack.
>>... "Many people also might prefer Bon Jovi to Mozart"
That's true. But I definitely prefer Mozart to Bon Jovi. In the same way that I prefer David Lee Roth to Sammy Hagar.
But please bear in mind (NOT "bare", because no one wants to see that!), even if Gordon & the beautiful state of OKLAHOMA! doesn't win this contest (or even end up tied for the win), it simply means that some people would rather watch 'Airplane' and 'Monty Python & The Holy Grail' rather than 'Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind' or 'Good Will Hunting' (e.g., me). Some people would rather watch Kenneth Branagh in 'Dead Again' rather than in 'Hamlet' (e.g., me). Some people would rather listen to Bob & Ray than listen to Uncle Walter Cronkite (e.g., me).
~ D-FensDogG (i.e., me)
I watched that Martin & Lewis film last year and love the dog. By the time they were filming that movie, the 2 stars weren't talking! Jerry Lewis said he could never watch that movie because it was too painful. It's fun but the other 2 outshine it. I love Gordon MacRea who needs to be better remembered and this film is so good with a young Shirley Jones, aka Ma Partridge. I have to give my vote to Doris Day and Howard Keel who are 2 expert singers, know how to sing a song and put in the right inflections plus made it comical and, somewhat, believable so they get my vote
ReplyDeleteBIRGIT ~
DeleteThanks for stopping by with two cents for the BOTB kitty. And thanks to your vote, now ALL 3 of the contestants have gotten on the scoreboard.
I consider Mr. Bascom to be the Trigger of Hollywood dogs!
Trigger was always billed as "The Smartest Horse In The Movies", and I think Mr. Bascom was the smartest dog in the movies. (Lassie, Go Home).
I know that Jerry Lewis said he'd never watched 'Hollywood Or Bust' - his final movie with Dean Martin - but if I were a betting man, I would bet that he was lying about that. Lewis was way too much of an egotist not to check out how he looked in that last movie. I'm not buying it. I will concede that Lewis (whether one enjoyed his shtick or not) was a talented guy. But as a person, based on a whole lot of things I've read and heard, I don't think I could have remained in a room with that guy for longer than 10 minutes. I sure do enjoy some of his movies with Dean Martin, though, and 'Hollywood Or Bust' most of all.
~ D-FensDogG
POSTSCRIPT:
DeleteIn 'Hollywood Or Bust', Mr. Bascom proved that he was also "The Fastest Dog In The Movies".
~ D-FensDogG
(the slowest dog in the movies)
This is a fantastic battle, and I genuinely do love all of the songs. Let me say, though, that in my eyes there is only one star of Oklahoma, and it's not Gordon McWhatshisbucket. It's THE James O'Keefe.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnE7qrz1nYg
(Fun fact, though, he did once star in a local production of Oklahoma, just for kicks, as shown via the clip above)
You know, though, that I have such a soft spot in my heart for M&L, particularly Hollywood or Bust, and above all the late, great legend that stars in that movie... Mr. Bascom. But I suppose Martin and Lewis are pretty good too, and in addition to being a great song, those are such great visuals, and that delightful drive off into the sunset looks like exactly what I need right now.
Give my bote to them. And a treat to Mr. Bascom. He's been driving for a fair amount of that road trip.
BROTHER BEER BOY BRYAN
DeleteBODYGUARD BETTY (aka 6-B) ~
Hokey-Smoke! I didn't know that James O'Keefe once starred in a tiny version of 'OKLAHOMA!'.
Suddenly, for the first time, I actually understand why Project Veritas (understandably) got rid of the guy.
Good riddance, says I.
>>... "...And a treat to Mr. Bascom. He's been driving for a fair amount of that road trip.
As you and I perfectly well know, that brand new red convertible would not have even existed for this scene & song to be filmed if it had not been for MR. BASCOM. He single-handedly-- er... I mean, he four-pawedly saved that red convertible from being smashed to smithereens by an oncoming train. Frankly - and without a trace of hyperbole - there wouldn't have even been a 'HOLLYWOOD OR BUST' movie without Mr. Bascom! Not only did he save the (very necessary) red road trip car from being demolished by a train, but even prior to *that*, he kept the car from being stolen by Dean Martin and driven back to New York.
In short, no MR. BASCOM, no MOVIE! That's a plain and simple fact. The Great Dane *SAVED* the whole picture. He should have gotten the Academy Award for 'Best Actor'. I always knew the Oscars were a scam, and nothing proves it more than Mr. Bascom not even getting nominated for an award!
~ D-FensDogG
(The third best dog in the movies.)
Howdy Stephen!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid, I liked musicals and I enjoyed all of the oldies back in the day. These days not so much but it was sure fun watching the clips. What it came down for me is which one made me smile and that was the first one with DORIS DAY AND HOWARD KEEL. Doris Day wasn't singing her best since was in character. That was okay because that's what made me smile. I probably will only one of few to go with this one but that's okay. I stand by my pick 100%. Have a boogietastic week, my friend!
HiYa, CAThy!
DeleteSo, let's see... musicals I *DON'T* like:
I hate, Hate, HATE 'West Side Story'. 'Seven Brides For Seven Brothers' is OK, but there are way, Way, WAY too many songs in it.
I do like 'The Sound Of Music' EXCEPT that nun's song! Hokey-Smoke! What were they thinking?! Nuns should be seen and NOT heard. (And, to be honest, I'm not even fully convinced that they should be seen... unless it's The Flying Nun. She was pretty cute.)
Your vote for Doris & Howard has made this Battle a very tight race. I likes it!!
~ D-FensDogG
Al Bondigas here. Well, this is definitely a fun battle youse got here. It took me awhile to finally decide how I was gonna rule. I liked them all, but, I think I'm gonna slightly rule fer Martin, Lewis, and Crowley, for song and video. They kind of had an advantage with the song and video being so much longer than the other two, in this judges opinion. But the other contestants bought their ticket, they knew what they were getting into. Anyway, Rulin fer Martin, Lewis and Crowley. That's it, that's muh mulin!!! Oh, and by the way, compared to my voice, Jerry Lewis sounds like he has a beautiful, classically trained voice. Sort of like Barney Fife.
ReplyDeleteJUDGE AL ~
Delete>>... But the other contestants bought their ticket, they knew what they were getting into.
They picked the wrong week to quit drinking 'Mad Dog 20/20' and enter a BOTB contest! The stoopid sons-the-pitches!!
As I've said eleventy hundred & ten times plus one, you are the *ONLY* person I've ever met who literally can't even sing 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY'. So, I'm rulin' for your assessment: Jerry Lewis doesn't sound that bad. Helck, I think he's even better'n fat boy Barney 'Pavarotti' Fife... "with the beard".
~ D-FensDogG
Gordan McRae gets my vote
ReplyDeleteMIKE ~
DeleteThanks for contributing!
This was a real close race.
~ D-FensDogG