ABOUT
THE DISC & RECORDINGS:
This is the first "complete" soundtrack album for the film.
The sound quality is decent, having probably been taped
from a television showing of the film in the 1970's.
Judy's portion of the film was shot just after her work on
Meet Me In St. Louis (1944),
and she's at her "MGM Years" loveliest. "The
Interview" (aka
Madame Crematon or Madame Crematante) was originally written
for Greer Garson as a send-up of her status as a lady of
high drama biographies. After witnessing a run-through by
vocal arrangers and writers
Kay Thompson
& Roger
Edens, Garson declined. Their disappointment turned to joy
when they hit on the idea of having Judy perform it. Judy's
flair for satire saved the number, and it became one of the
highlights of the film.
In production for several years, Follies went through
numerous additions and deletions. Because the film is presented
in
a revue format,
just as Ziegfeld himself would have done on the stage, ideas
came and went. Judy was originally scheduled, or thought
about, for many numbers, including:
"I Love You Better In
Technicolor Than I Did In Black & White" - a duet reuniting
her with Mickey Rooney in Technicolor for
the first time. A copy of the script for this number was
included in the 1995 special edition laser disc boxed set
for the film. Mickey's drafting into the Army in 1944 prevented
this number from being filmed.
"It's Getting Hot In Tahiti", a song
by Hugh Martin & Ralph Blane.
"I've Got Those Rooney, Skelton, Pidgeon
Blues" - written by Judy, Lucille Ball, & Greer Garson in
1943 during a war bond tour, lamenting about being typecast
as
leading
ladies
for
Mickey
Rooney, Red Skelton,
& Walter Pidgeon.
"Pass That Peace Pipe" - by Martin & Blane again. This song
ended up in the 1947 MGM version of Good News, brilliantly
performed by Joan McCracken.
Numbers with Nancy Walker and James Melton and even a gondola
number featuring Judy and other MGM stars in a Venice type
of setting!
All images on this page from the collection of
Scott Brogan. |
TRACK
LISTING
Judy
Garland tracks in blue.
Title |
Performed by... |
Side 1 |
Main Title - Bring On The Beautiful
Girls |
Fred Astaire, Virginia O'Brien, with
William Powell as The Great Ziegfeld |
This Heart Of Mine |
MGM Studio Orchestra (Esther Williams
sequence) |
Side 2 |
Pay The Two Dollars |
(comedy sketch) Victor Moore and Edward
Arnold |
Aibiamo, Libiamo (from "La Traviata") |
James Melton and Marion Bell |
This Heart Of Mine |
Fred Astaire |
Side 3 |
Sweepstakes Ticket |
(Comedy Sketch) Fanny Brice, Hume Cronyn,
William Frawley |
Love |
Lena Horne |
When Television Comes |
(comedy sketch) Red Skelton |
Limehouse Blues |
MGM Studio Orchestra & Chorus (Fred
Astaire & Lucille Bremer sequence) |
Side 4 |
A Great Lady Has An Interview |
Judy Garland and Male Chorus |
The Babbit And The Bromide |
Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly |
Beauty (Finale) |
Kathryn Grayson |
|