Let us assume that television became a popular home medium in 1950. It became affordable at that time. This 1955 B/W version of Victor Herberts music with book and lyrics by Rida Johnson Young comes off well and points the way to what television here in the 21st century could have been. Less a vehicle for total commercialism and more for art. This 75 minute kinoscope is a delight. Max Liebman, producer of many early NBC extravaganzas gave us this gem. Starring Patrice Munsel and Alfred Drake, it comes off well compared to Hollywoods 1935 MacDonald/Eddy version. Just sit back and watch it for what it was intended: pure enjoyment.
3 Reviews
Almost As It Was in 1910
bkoganbing10 December 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Within two days I learned the real version of a pair of beloved operettas as they were originally produced in on Broadway roughly around the same period, Naughty Marietta and The Firefly. I only read about The Firefly, but I had the good fortune to see a television production of Naughty Marietta from 1955 that starred Alfred Drake and Patrice Munsel. Both voices do justice to the soaring melodies that characterize Victor Herbert's and Rida Johnson Young's songs.
Young wrote the book and this version has American captain Richard Warrington (Drake) going into 1789 New Orleans at the behest of our first president George Washington. He's on a partly diplomatic partly military mission, to request the governor of New Orleans help in locating and apprehending notorious pirate Bras Prique. The governor, John Conte, is downright hostile with good reason because being Bras Prique is his sideline business.
As for the brides coming to New Orleans that part is retained with Patrice Munsel in disguise. She's a countess who does not want to marry the old count, the French royal house has picked out for her. Of course the paths of the American soldier and the French countess do cross.
In the original Broadway production the pirate was the governor's son and not the governor himself. There is also a mixed race mistress the governor's son has and her character gets to sing Neath The Southern Moon as she feels herself being cast aside because of her lover's ambitions. Odd indeed that in 1910 Broadway was more daring than television in 1955. The character in the original production is named Adah and her racial heritage is emphasized. Had they wanted to be accurate someone like Lena Horne or Eartha Kitt would have been cast. Instead blond Gale Sherwood gets the part which is renamed Yvonne. A whole dimension is lost for the audience of 1955 as well as today with the change. Sherwood sings beautifully enough though.
Other than me discovering the real plots of The Firefly and Naughty Marietta they had something more tangible in common, both starred Emma Trentini one of the great singers of her day who went back and forth from grand opera to light operetta. Victor Herbert and Trentini had a tempestuous relationship that got so bad that Herbert backed out of her next show giving Czech immigrant Rudolf Friml his first break on Broadway doing The Firefly. That got tempestuous as well when Friml's involvement with Trentini broke up his first marriage, one of the great Broadway scandals of the day.
This production of Naughty Marietta was not for the big screen and hasn't got big screen values. But with a little imagination you can go back to 1910 and see the operetta as audiences then saw it and appreciate it all the more. Well, almost as they saw it.
Young wrote the book and this version has American captain Richard Warrington (Drake) going into 1789 New Orleans at the behest of our first president George Washington. He's on a partly diplomatic partly military mission, to request the governor of New Orleans help in locating and apprehending notorious pirate Bras Prique. The governor, John Conte, is downright hostile with good reason because being Bras Prique is his sideline business.
As for the brides coming to New Orleans that part is retained with Patrice Munsel in disguise. She's a countess who does not want to marry the old count, the French royal house has picked out for her. Of course the paths of the American soldier and the French countess do cross.
In the original Broadway production the pirate was the governor's son and not the governor himself. There is also a mixed race mistress the governor's son has and her character gets to sing Neath The Southern Moon as she feels herself being cast aside because of her lover's ambitions. Odd indeed that in 1910 Broadway was more daring than television in 1955. The character in the original production is named Adah and her racial heritage is emphasized. Had they wanted to be accurate someone like Lena Horne or Eartha Kitt would have been cast. Instead blond Gale Sherwood gets the part which is renamed Yvonne. A whole dimension is lost for the audience of 1955 as well as today with the change. Sherwood sings beautifully enough though.
Other than me discovering the real plots of The Firefly and Naughty Marietta they had something more tangible in common, both starred Emma Trentini one of the great singers of her day who went back and forth from grand opera to light operetta. Victor Herbert and Trentini had a tempestuous relationship that got so bad that Herbert backed out of her next show giving Czech immigrant Rudolf Friml his first break on Broadway doing The Firefly. That got tempestuous as well when Friml's involvement with Trentini broke up his first marriage, one of the great Broadway scandals of the day.
This production of Naughty Marietta was not for the big screen and hasn't got big screen values. But with a little imagination you can go back to 1910 and see the operetta as audiences then saw it and appreciate it all the more. Well, almost as they saw it.
interesting to watch, but not as good as the 1935 film
Marlene-615 April 2001
This TV adaption of the operetta Naughty Marietta stays truer to the original version than the 1935 Jeanette MacDonald/Nelson Eddy version. However, it does not have the same magic and romance that the other film possess. I would not suggest watching this film unless you are an operetta/musical fan. But as a fan, this video allows us not only to see the original story of Naughty Marietta, but also lets us see the first TV starring role of Alfred Drake (He starred in Oklahoma, Kismet, Kiss Me Kate on Broadway).
The film contains the beautiful music of Victor Herbert, and has multiple entertaining dance numbers intertwined within the story. As a huge operetta fan, it was a joy to watch.
The film contains the beautiful music of Victor Herbert, and has multiple entertaining dance numbers intertwined within the story. As a huge operetta fan, it was a joy to watch.
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