DuBarry Was a Lady

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DuBarry Was a Lady

Video cover.
Directed by Roy Del Ruth
Produced by Arthur Freed
Written by Herbert Fields
Buddy G. DeSylva
Nancy Hamilton
Irving Brecher
Wilkie C. Mahoney
Starring Red Skelton
Lucille Ball
Gene Kelly
Music by Cole Porter
Cinematography Karl Freund
Editing by Blanche Sewell
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date(s) Flag of the United States August 13, 1943
Running time 101 min.
Country US
Language English
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

DuBarry Was a Lady (1939) is a Broadway musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, and the book by Herbert Fields and B.G. DeSylva. The song "Friendship" was one of the highlights. The musical was made into a 1943 film starring Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, and Gene Kelly, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Contents

[edit] Plot

A hatcheck attendant, Louis Blore, has won a sweepstake, and subsequently quits his job. He is in love with the nightclub singer May Daly, but she is in love with Alex Barton. Alex is the brother of her friend Alice, who is in love with Harry. Meanwhile, Alex is unhappily married to Ann. Charley, Louis's replacement, suggests that Louis slip Alex a Mickey Finn. While trying to do so, Louis inadvertently drinks the Mickey Finn, falls asleep, and dreams he is King Louis XV of France, and that May is Madame du Barry. In his dream, Charley becomes the Dauphin (later Louis XVI) and Harry becomes the captain of the guard, with Ann as Du Barry's lady-in-waiting, and Alex as a peasant who wrote a rude song about The King and Du Barry (the title song: Du Barry Was A Lady). Eventually after various entanglements (including the Dauphin shooting the King with a bow and arrow), Louis wakes up and realises that Alex is the man for May. He uses the last of his winnings to pay for Alex's divorce from Ann, and (with Charley having just quit his job) goes back to being a cloakroom attendant.

[edit] Stage productions

[edit] 1939 Broadway

The show opened at the 46th Street Theatre on 6 December 1939 and closed 12 December 1940, running for 408 performances. It was directed by Edgar MacGregor with choreography by Robert Alton.

[edit] Cast

[edit] 1942 London production

The show opened at His Majesty's Theatre on 22 October 1942 and ran for 178 performances. It was directed by Richard Bird.

[edit] Cast

  • Arthur Riscoe as Louis Blore
  • Frances Day as May Daly
  • Frances Marsden as Alice Barton
  • Jacky Hunter as Charley
  • Bruce Trent as Alex Barton
  • Teddy Beaumont as Harry Norton

[edit] Later revivals

The show has been revived in concert form several times, in both America and the UK. The two UK productions, in 1993 and 2002 were by the "Discovering Lost Musicals Charitable Trust" and featured Louise Gold as May Daly (in the former Barry Cryer played Louis, and in the latter Desmond Barrit). The 1993 production was at The Barbican, but the 2002 revivial was (like the original London production) on the stage of Her Majesty's Theatre; and recorded for radio by the BBC (it was broadcast on BBC Radio 3 during Christmas 2002).

[edit] Broadway songs

Act I
  • Where's Louie? - Ensemble
  • Ev'ry Day's a Holiday - Harry Norton, Alice Barton and Ensemble
  • It Ain't Etiquette - His Most Royal Majesty, The King of France and Vi Hennessey
  • When Love Beckoned - Mme. La Comtesse du Barry
  • Come On In - Mme. La Comtesse du Barry and Ensemble
  • Dream Song - Four Internationals
  • Mesdames and Messieurs - Dames de la Coeur
  • Gavotte - Alice Barton and Ensemble
  • But in the Morning, No! - Mme. La Comtesse du Barry and His Most Royal Majesty, The King of France
  • Do I Love You? - Alex Barton and Mme. La Comtesse du Barry
  • Do I Love You (Reprise) - Mme. La Comtesse du Barry and Zamore
  • DuBarry Was a Lady - Entire Company
Act II
  • Give Him the Ooh-La-La - Mme. La Comtesse du Barry
  • Well, Did You Evah! - Alice Barton and Harry Norton
  • It Was Written in the Stars - Alex Barton and Ensemble
  • L'Apres Midi d'un Boeuf - Charley and Zamore
  • Katie Went to Haiti - Mme. La Comtesse du Barry and Ensemble
  • Katie Went to Haiti (Reprise) - Alex Barton and Mme. La Comtesse du Barry
  • Friendship - Mme. La Comtesse du Barry and His Most Royal Majesty, The King of France

[edit] Film

The film was released by MGM on 13 August 1943, and directed by Roy Del Ruth.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Film songs

Musical numbers featured Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra (featuring Buddy Rich and Ziggy Elman), Dick Haymes, Jo Stafford, The Pied Pipers, Six Hits and a Miss, and The Music Maids. Lucille Ball's singing voice was dubbed in most of the picture, but her real voice is heard in Friendship.

  • Medley: Dubarry Was a Lady (Main Title)/Do I Love You? [#] - MGM Studio Orchestra
  • Dubarry Was a Lady [#] - MGM Studio Chorus,
  • Nightclub Medley: Give Him to the Oo-La-La/Well, Did You Evah [Partial] - MGM Studio Orchestra
  • Oxford Boys Medley: Thinking of You/A Cigarette, Sweet Music and You
  • Medley: I'm Getting Sentimental Over You/We'll Get It - Tommy Dorsey
  • When Love Beckoned (On 52nd Street) [#] - MGM Studio Orchestra
  • Do I Love You? [#] - Gene Kelly
  • Do I Love You - Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra, The Pied Pipers
  • Salome [#] - Virginia O'Brien
  • I Love an Esquire Girl [#] - Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra, The Pied Pipers, Red Skelton
  • Medley: Friendship/Do I Love You?/But in the Morning, No [#] - MGM Studio Orchestra
  • Ladies of the Bath [#]
  • Katie Went to Haiti - Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra, The Pied Pipers
  • Madame, I Love Your Crepes Suzette [#] - Red Skelton
  • Song of Rebellion [#] - Gene Kelly
  • Friendship - Lucille Ball, Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra, Gene Kelly, Virginia O'Brien, Red Skelton

[edit] External links

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