The Heroines of Eric Maschwitz

How many song 'standards' have the writers of twentieth century British musical theatre given us? The number seems to be very few. Songs that are still remembered, of course, songs that are sometimes even still sung, but are they truly standards...?

 

There are almost certainly two songs that qualify ; 'A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square' (music by Manning Sherwin) and 'These Foolish Things' (music by Jack Strachey). Neither came from musicals, but both had lyrics by one of the most prolific and neglected writers in British musicals, the late Eric Maschwitz. One of his greatest successes, Love from Judy, starred Jean Carson, whose only other leading role in a musical in Britain would be many years later in Strike A Light! Of Carson in Love from Judy Maschwitz wrote 'Emile [Emile Littler, the impresario presenting the show], with wisdom and generosity had decided to go all out with Jean. When we led her out from the dress rehearsal to see her name alone in lights above the theatre-canopy, she burst into tears.

 

Her triumph on the first night was something to remember ...Love from Judy ran for almost two years at the Saville after which it toured the country with great success for over a year. It was a young show, gay and happy. And yet Jean was never really happy in it'

 

Here are a few other unsung heroines of Maschwitz musicals, one of which - Happy Holiday, an adaptation of Arnold Ridley's goose-pimpling comedy The Ghost Train - Maschwitz wrote very much against his will to fulfil an obligation to Emile Littler. When Littler told Maschwitz of this new project, Maschwitz wrote 'my heart descended promptly into my size-11 shoes; I assured him that the scheme was doomed to failure from the very start, it was impossible to make a musical entertainment of a story that depended, if it were to be effective at all, upon the audience being mystified and scared ... I grew angry, then practically went down on my knees in the office, begging not to be associated with the enterprise.' The true professional, Maschwitz then went home and wrote it.

 

The visiting American actress Shirl Conway showing a natty line in tailored coats and deploring Lester Ferguson's tasteles effort in the unlamented Carissima (1948)	In Belinda Fair (1949) Adele Dixon puts a manly face on the situation with John Battles (left)
Sally Ann Howes, a lady's maid posing as her mistress, apparently in a daze. Perhaps she has just had to listen to her chum, Jacques Pils, playing a manservant pretending to be his master, sing a song called 'Oo-la-la, boom-boom-boom'. A scene from Romance in Candlelight (1955)	From the shocked expression on Janet Brown's face, this was the first time she had ever seen inside a gentleman's jacket. Reg Dixon appears to be enjoying the experience in Happy Holiday (1954) Other unsung heroines among the cast of Happy Holiday were Marie Burke, Erica Yorke and Sheila Bernette

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