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The Music of Harold Arlen
Title:
THE MUSIC OF HAROLD ARLEN
THE 1939 RADIO PREVIEW OF THE WIZARD OF OZ
Category:

Radio

Label:
Reflections
Catalog Number:
8101
Release Date:
1999
Type:
CD
Discs:
1
Length:
01:13:09
Availability:
Out of print
The Music Of Harold Arlen



ABOUT THE DISC & RECORDINGS:

This is essentially the same CD as "Behind The Scenes At The Making Of The Wizard Of Oz" released in 1991. It even includes the "Leo Is On The Air" radio broadcast. The track listing on this disc is wrong. The CD actually begins with the "Leo Is On The Air" broadcast, then continues to the actual CBS radio show. The broadcast is broken up into these tracks with no thought to the continuity of the program, even splitting "Over The Rainbow" and several other performance across several tracks.

Better to get the 1991 Jass Records release of the broadcast, which includes the "Leo Is On The Air" broadcast.

We have put the correct titles for the tracks below.

All images on this page from the collection of Scott Brogan.

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TRACK LISTING

Judy Garland tracks in blue.
Corrections to track listing noted in brackets []

Song Title
Performed by... Time
Overture
[This is actually the "Leo Is On The Air" radio broadcast from the summer of 1939, which features:
Over The Rainbow (alternate take)
The Merry Old Land Of Oz (the track ends in the middle of this song!)]
Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, the MGM Studio Chorus, unidentified announcer 4:57
Fanny Brice as Baby Snooks
[Actually a continuation of the above, with the second part of The Merry Old Land Of Ozfollowed by:

Follow The Yellow Brick Road/We're Off To See The Wizard

If I Only Had A Brain

If I Only Had A Heart

If I Only Had The Nerve/We're Off To See The Wizard

Closing Announcement]
Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Frank Morgan, the MGM Studio Chorus, unidentified announcer 6:41
Maxwell House Commercial
[Actually the ending of the "Closing Announcement" of the "Leo Is On The Air" broadcast from above, followed by several seconds of silence, then the opening of The "Maxwell House Good News" radio show featuring "Behind The Scenes At The Making Of The Wizard Of Oz"]
Unidentified announcer ("Leo Is On The Air" clip)

Warren Hull, announcer , NBC Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Meredith Willson, Robert Young ("Maxwell House Good News" opening)

2:06
Behind The Scenes Of The Film
[continuation of the Maxwell House Good News show from above,

Overture Medley: We're Off To See The Wizard; Come Out, Come Out, Wherever Your Are; Over The Rainbow; If I Only Had A Brain; The Merry Old Land Of Oz; Over The Rainbow (reprise)

Patter (Robert Young and Meredith Willson discuss the music and book)

Baby Snooks Segment]

Warren Hull, announcer



NBC Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Meredith Willson



Robert Young & Meredith Willson


Fanny Brice & Hanley Stafford

10:23
Maxwell House Coffee Commercial
[Continuation of the "Baby Snooks Segment" from above]
Fanny Brice & Hanley Stafford 1:02
A Party With The Artists From The Movie
[continuation and finish of the "Baby Snooks Segment" from above followed by:

Maxwell House Commercial

Judy Garland learns from Mervyn LeRoy (impersonated) that she is to play Dorothy

MGM head of Casting "Fred Datig" (impersonated) and Robert Young inform Frank Morgan that he has won the part of the Wizard

Bert Lahr "rehearses": dialogue, lion-style bravado and "gnong! gnong! gnongs!"

Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg demonstrate "Over The Rainbow" for Judy Garland

Ace Director of Dancers, "Bobby Connolly" rehearses The Munchkins

The Sneak Preview: "Merv LeRoy"

Maxwell House Commercial

"Good News Goes To A Party"
[featuring Judy singing Over The Rainbow]
Fanny Brice & Hanley Stafford followed by:

Judy Garland, Robert Young, Frank Morgan, Bert Lahr, Harold Arlen, E.Y. Harburg, NBC Studio Chorus, unidentified player as "Mervyn LeRoy" and "Fred Datig"
18:12
Maxwell House Commercial
[Continuation of Over The Rainbow followed by
If I Only Had A Brain
If I Only Had A Heart]
Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Robert Young (substituting for Jack Haley), Bert Lahr 4:37
The Party Continues/Show Closing
[Continuation of the show with:
If I Only Had The Nerve

Fred Stone & Ray Bolger discussing the art of eccentric dancing

Frank Morgan fibs about his involvement in the 1903 original Broadway version

Frank Morgan goes on to fib about how he invented the movie camera in 1904

Maxwell House Commercial]
Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Frank Morgan, Robert Young, Fred Stone, Meredith Willson; Warren Hull, Unidentified performers in the Maxwell House commercial 12:50
MGM Radio Preview (Lewo Is On The Air)
[Continuation of the show with:

"Dorothy In Munchkinland":
Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are
The House Began To Twitch...
Ding! Dong! The Witch Is Dead

If I Were King Of The Forest

Finale Medley:
The Merry Old Land Of Oz
Over The Rainbow
If I Only Had A Brain
If I Only Had The Nerve
We're Off To See The Wizard
Over The Rainbow (reprise)


Closing Announcements
     & End of Season Theme (Auld Lang Syne)]
Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Berth Lahr, Frank Morgan, Robert Young, Meredith Willson, Fanny Brice, The NBC Studio Chorus 12:21



DISC CREDITS:

Produced in cooperation with The Harold Arlen Estate

Photographs courtesy of The Wayne Knight Archive, Ed Jablonski, The Harold Arlen Estate

Executive Producer: Ed Burke

Liner notes by: Edward Jablonski, Aurthor of "An Encyclopdeia of American Music"; "Gershwin: A Biography"

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