"Guys and Dolls": "Sue Me"-Sam Levene & Vivian Blaine
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- Опубліковано 22 лют 2016
- Original 1950 Broadway leads Sam Levene and Vivian Blaine were brought over to repeat their roles in the 1953 London production (the first of many West End incarnations of "G&D"). They were captured on UK television in their classic duet.
Sam Levine was one of Damon Runyon's favorite actors. Runyon died several years before Guys and Dolls but the part of Nathan Detroit was written for him to play!
Show business gold!!! Two great performers teaching us how to sing from the heart. You fall in love with these two characters. Thank you.
Glad you liked it. This was my first posting on this channel, and it remains one of my favorites.
I never knew this existed! First of all Sam Levene’s performance gives me a window into how this song really should be approached. Is a great deal of pathos and sort of a Yiddish theater centering that he brings to it and it’s really quite moving in my opinion. Miss Blaine is a firecracker! Note how she turns and delivers her solos to the “balcony to the back of the theater.” And though she’s in a television studio. I agree with Aurora Spiderwoman that this is something quite interesting rather than the glossier film version. I’m glad she got to be in the film version but for me this is it! There’s also something elegantly simplistic about the approach. I love it! If I ever end up directing a youth production (I work in youth musical Theatre) of guys and dolls, I will definitely have my students reference this archival treasure.
Your appreciation of this is just delightful to read. I find it thrilling, especially as it reflects the fact that this pair had already played hundreds of performances of these roles together. This clip was the first thing posted on this channel.
I’m directing the youth version right now and sadly, they don’t include this gem of a song!
@@timrealbuto6608 Ah! The “jr/highschool/kids (fill in the blank) versions. When you want a production that’s a little bit more lean you can’t find it frequently as in the case of little shop of horrors which I directed last fall out of high school. Turned out fine, but I was just looking for something that could streamline things a bit no regrets about the production, but just saying. Last summer I directed frozen Junior at the Jewish community center in San Francisco. The camp was ages six to about nine. It seemed to be just right for that group. I did do some expanding but not much. And we had an amazing Elsa. I recently looked at 13 musical which strangely enough is not really appropriate for 13-year-olds? The regular version is a bit much but the version is so stripped as to being a go forward. Best of luck to you guys and dolls is ultimately a fun show so I’m sure it’ll be fine!
@@chocolatesouljahThank you, friend! I know what you mean! We have SUCH a good Nathan and Adelaide and Nathan barely sings in the Jr. version, so I’m upset about that, but it will still be great! You’re 100% right about 13 the musical! Not very appropriate for 13 year olds haha! 😂
I’m literally thrilled that this archive material exists and you’ve posted it! Am pinching myself! It’s incredible to actually see Sam Levene as Nathan. Thanks so much.
Delighted to read your response. This was the first video I posted on this UA-cam channel, and I still love it.
Great to see these two pros in their signature roles - the thing about live performance is it generally only exists in our memories. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Stephen---this was the first clip I put up when I began this site a year ago, and it's still one of my favorites. I believe it's the only visual record of Sam Levene's Nathan, and I do believe we're seeing here Blaine's stage performance rather than the glossier version in the film.
Yes their stage work for sure and to my knowledge the only saved version of Sam in this role. Sam Levine was the actor who convinced Vivian to jettison her film career and strike out on her own. 4 years later they ended up working on this. Life is funny that way! Thanks again!
This IS a treat! Thank you for sharing!
so wonderful to see this!
How wonderful to have this! Thank you!
Another astonishing find. I also just discovered some live audio of Julie Andrews in the original production of Camelot singing Lusty Month of May. By and large if a Broadway number was not showcased on Ed Sullivan, or the Annual Tony Awards, or the Rose O'Donnell show, any video or audio record is simply lost forever. All we are left with is some photos, and the studio album. These are absolute treasures.
Wonderful! I have my Mothers programme from the original London run
Theatre history gold! And luckily Vivian got to reprise her role for the film which was very rare
Glad you enjoyed. This was the first video I posted on this channel and it remains a favorite.
Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast brought me here.
Levine created this role on Broadway, and having Sinatra play it in the film was a huge mistake.
He sucked out all the energy and comedic timing out of Nathan
Sinatra's ego ruined the movie
Frank Sinatra, playing a Jewish gangster…not as good as this!