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1950 Five years after the end of war, and in a deprived Britain still gripped by rationing, the British musical struggled to set spirits alight. Noel Coward almost left the world of Bitter Sweet behind him in Ace of Clubs, a show about spivs and a natty little sailor who falls in love with a night-club singer, but neither Graham Payn nor Patricia Kirkwood could overcome the problems. Nor could Coward's flavoursome score. Harry Parr Davies and Harold Purcell contributed the songs to a musical romp that relied heavily on the comedic talents of Fred Emney, Richard Hearne and that irreplaceable comedienne Bertha Belmore. Blue for a Boy paid off with a run of over eighteen months. In a more genteel vein Dear Miss Phoebe was a diverting adaptation of J. M. Barrie's Quality Street with music again by Parr Davies to a Christopher Hassall libretto. The cast was strong, there was a decent number of performances, and a song - 'I Leave My Heart in an English Garden' - that sounded as if it had been written thirty years earlier. Golden City, spectacular and ambitious, had its origins in South Africa and was directed by the noted Michael Benthall. Set during the Gold Rush, John Tor¾'s interesting musical quickly folded. Offenbach's music was reworked to provide a score for the briefly seen Music at Midnight, and a modest effort with a score from Sandy Wilson (lyrics) and Geoffrey Wright (music), Caprice, gave up the ghost on its pre-London tour. In Cambridge, Bang Goes the Meringue! was the work of a promising student, Julian Slade. They were busy at Stoke Newington, churning out several musicals during the year: My One and Only, My Million Dollar Baby and Oklahoma Wedding. At Barrow-in-Furness there was Let's Face the Music, at Stratford East Lilli Marlene, and at Weston-super-Mare Manners, Mr Manners from the writers of Lilli Marlene, Ireland Cutter, Joyce Heather and Tommie Connor. From America, Carousel confirmed the significance of the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, but there were those who were a little alarmed at the 'sweetness' of their work. Revues of all kinds sprang up. Touch and Go had book and lyrics by Jean and Walter Kerr and music by Jay Gorney and others. It had a fabulous cast too: Kaye Ballard, Helen Gallagher, Carole Lynne, Beryl Stevens, Bill Fraser, Desmond Walter Ellis and Sidney James. It did well. Equally well cast was Cecil Landeau's sequel to the successful Sauce Tartare Sauce Piquante, but it had a very short run. Soon out of work were Moira Lister, Douglas Byng, Norman Wisdom, Audrey Hepburn, Bob Monkhouse, Muriel Smith, Joan Heal, Adele Leigh and Jean Bayless. The Crazy Gang launched a run of Knights of Madness that seemed as if it might run forever. Radio popularity helped Jimmy Edwards, Joy Nichols and Dick Bentley to a substantial run in the variety-styled Take It From Us. |