On conception the show was dubbed with the working-title 'the Music Hall Command Performance' but was soon altered before the day of the show to become the very first Royal Command Performance and must still rank as one of the most successful.Īll the great names of British variety and music hall gathered at the Palace Theatre before King George V, Queen Mary and the Prince of Wales. This first staging was a lavish occasion with over 3 million roses draped around the auditorium. The film has it all.The origins of the Royal Variety Performance date back to 1912, when His Majesty King George V and Her Majesty Queen Mary agreed to attend a 'Royal Command Performance' at the Palace Theatre in London's Cambridge Circus in aid of the VABF - Variety Artistes' Benevolent Fund (the previous name of the Royal Variety Charity) and its proposed plans to build an extension to its Care Home for elderly entertainers, Brinsworth House. Compare this to other beloved musicals with their garish colors and sugary story lines ("Seven Brides.", "Singin' in the Rain", ".Molly Brown", "The Music Man", to name just a few.) They are all highly enjoyable, but are hardly less sweet than this! Just one word.Nazis!! Though virtually everyone knows the outcome, there is still genuine suspense at the climax of "The Sound of Music". Thankfully, there's this flawless gem to turn to when one just want to feel good. The location photography, the simplicity of story and design, the sheer good-spiritedness of it all.they just can't do this anymore. Her clothes by Dorothy Jeakins are awe-inspiring. Though Wood was lovely in her role as the Mother Abbess, it was Parker who should have gotten an Oscar nod.and WON! Every expression, every syllable, every glance belies the decades of experience Parker gained as a leading lady during the 40's and 50's. Wisely, her songs were cut, further separating her from all the glee around her, so that she could whip out such zingers as "Why didn't you tell me.to bring along my harmonica?" or when she's told that Andrews may not make a great nun, "If you need anything, I'd be happy to help you." The character is given a much more polished and integral position in the film versus the stage and virtually every line of her dialogue (unlike in the play) is a howler. However, the one that takes the cake.that amazes each time, is the slinky, catty, toweringly glamorous Parker as Baroness Schraeder. Every supporting performance is also delivered with the right amount of appeal, humor or menace as called for in the script. His steely, stern persona is eventually melted down by the irrepressible Andrews to great effect. Not only is he regal and handsome, but his decision to play the Captain as a complex, sophisticated man with a sly dose of sarcasm was wonderful. Andrews is already down in history for the performance of a lifetime (and a voice to match), but Plummer is not to be forgotten. Each of the actors bent over backwards to provide a brilliant performance. the art directors purposefully chose muted settings and colors. He inserted so many moments of wit, humor, romance and poignancy that are nowhere in sight in the original. Ernest Lehman worked wonders with the underdeveloped and unremarkable dialogue of the play. This can certainly be said of the stage show, but the movie version has been carefully produced to provide a more well-rounded vision. While the film is family friendly and has a sweet story, it is constantly amazing the way people attack it as saccharine and sugary. Every aspect, from the cinematography to the acting, the sets to the costumes, the music, choreography, script, is top notch. This film is a triumph in all departments.
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