Just clear tips and lifehacks for every day. Barnum The Greatest Showman on Earth How the emperor of hoopla got his start at scamming PHINEAS TAYLOR BARNUM was a salesman and a showman, a hustler and a huckster. Was Barbara Stanwyck friends with Linda Evans? I absolutely love My Romance - it is just soooo romantic and Stephen Boyd is pretty kool! It wasn't until a few days before her birthday in 2017 that her official birth certificate was found revealing the star was turning 95 not 93 as she thought. ). It all works out in the end, lovers marry, scoundrels fess up and get second chances. Her fourth husband was Barry Comden. The Rodgers & Hart tunes included the now-iconic "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" first sung by the person who dubbed Boyd to Ms. Day before Durante sung his verison to Ms. Raye of which the latter version was the most touching even with the kind of voice Durante had! His first wife Jeanne died in 1943. Legal Statement. Having previously watched and enjoyed this movie on VHS tape during the '90s, I just watched this again with Mom on DVD. She was 74. by miss maxwell 12 May 2008, 13:09, Unread post But I dont want her to be remembered for these tragedies.. Jumbo is a mighty talented elephant. It was filmed on location in Catilina and at NASA. We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. Good-looking hokum, if your tastes run to squeaky-clean backlot romps. She was married four times during her lifetime, and despite her undying gorgeousness and talent, she did not enjoy the kind of love she desired. That marriage ended in divorce, as did a second one, to saxophonist George Weidler, who allegedly couldnt handle his wifes fame. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Jimmy Durante is hilarious and has a lot of effortless charm, and Martha Raye matches him every step of the way. I have never been able to understand why it didn't do well at the box office because I really think it is a lovely movie and it seems that Doris likes it too with good cause. A soundtrack album Billy Rose's Jumbo of the film was issued by Columbia Records in 1962. [right] | Photo: Getty Images. Rather, it was because Melcher was great at manipulating his celebrity wife. She did all her own stunts, too, which was quite a feat in what is an enormously athletic role. Nov 16, 2021 05:20 P.M. Doris Day, who holds the title of the number one female box-office star, was involved in a secret interracial affair with baseball legend Maury Wills when they were both married; before her death, she denied the allegations. Doris Day and Rock Hudson in "Pillow Talk." You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! American actress and singer Doris Day, circa 1945. MGM bought the rights to the musical soon after it reached the stage. "Billy Rose's Jumbo" was a late entry in the Musical genre. Heartbroken and defeated, Kitty, her father and his fiance, Lulu, decide to rebuild the business from the ground level starting with two sticks and a blanket which is equivalent to dancing for pennies on a street corner. On April 2, 2007, Robert Osborne of TCM, introducing the MGM film Fearless Fagan (1952) directed by Stanley Donen, said that Donen was due to direct Jumbo right after Singin' in the Rain in 1952. I saw this as a teenager, and fell in love. The casting of Stephen Boyd as the male lead is more questionable. At over two hours in length, the thin story is extended way past the breaking point. John Noble (Dean Jagger), who owns a famous Noble Circus, wants to buy Jumbo and The Wonder Circus, but Pop refuses his offers. | Photo: Getty Images. Still, the actress's version maintained that they were friends who never met alone anywhere. Discover (and save!) does anyone want to pick a movie to watch this weekend??? Since this was Boyd's next film after BEN HUR do you realize that an advertisement could actually say "Stephen Boyd star of BEN HUR now in his biggest film: JUMBO" and it would actually make sense that JUMBO was indeed bigger than BEN HUR.!! 4 Did Doris Day do her own stunts in Jumbo? These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. This is such a joyous, rambunctious movie that you cannot help but love everything about it. She barely used the rest of the house. But, the stars boost it to a fun, non-stop rollick with elephants, high-wire acts, and clowns. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Obviously Doris didn't do all her own stunts but I heard she did some - and you can't see the joins - amazing they found someone so close to her build that you can't tell the difference. [left] Portrait of Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Maury Wills wearing his uniform and holding a baseball bat over his shoulder, 1960s. The songs, especially The Most Beautiful Girl in the World, Over and Over Again and My Romance are wonderful, while the script is full of snappy lines("what elephant" is a classic and it is very easy to see why), the choreography has a lot of energy and charisma and the stunts although difficult are made to look easy, a tell-tale sign of the commitment and professionalism of those involved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Surprisingly, it was not because of undying love or tremendous respect, understanding, and all the recipes for a successful marriage. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. by miss maxwell 13 May 2008, 03:06, Unread post I suppose it was shown because it deals with a circus theme. It was nominated for an Academy Award for the adaptation of its Rodgers and Hart score. William H. Daniels photographs and it's a Panavision/Metrocolor production out of MGM. Mike DeVita was a fan of Days for 60 years, and the pair swapped more than 500 letters, exchanging very personal details of their lives. Her onscreen credits ranged from romance to comedies and live shows. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. The preceding overture should have been deleted, as it was not memorable and was overlong. You can sometimes get a glimpse of wires helping her fly through the air, but other times its just her own skill and strength, and that of the other dancers, that keep her from hitting the ground. His first wife Jeanne died in 1943. Publication of her autobiography, Doris Day - Her Own Story, in 1976 was a surprisingly honest account, as related to A. E. Hotchner. I finally bought a DVD of Jumbo the other day so I can now erase . and Day gets to sing two Rogers and Hart classics, This Cant Be Love and Little Girl Blue. Noble (Dean Jaggar) is successful in his efforts and the Wonder Circus is shut down with all of its assets, including its star attraction, the incredible elephant, Jumbo, confiscated. Their marriage lasted for five years. Doris Day, as Durantes daughter, is a bareback rider in a tutu who is obviously not doing her own stunts. One day we were talking about her husbands, and she said, Boy, I know how to pick em, dont I? Johnson recalled. But thankfully, he was able to undergo therapy successfully. My Romance is just sublime. The piqued direction is by Charles Walters, who has his work bolstered a bit by Busby Berkeley, overseeing the circus sequences. Kitty Wonder (Day) and Pop Wonder (Durante) take a bow in Billy Roses Jumbo. The book revealed . Doris Day returned to MGM in 1962 to star in Billy Roses Jumbo. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Billy Rose's Jumbo (1962) is one of the last musicals to emerge from MGM's illustrious stable. Years later, after playing Ruth Etting in MGMs spectacular Love Me or Leave Me in 1955, Doris returned to the lot to make Julie in 1956, The Tunnel of Love in 1958 and Please Dont Eat the Daisies in 1960. Their public description of this type of relationship was platonic, but he admitted that it was deeper. The young man developed a love for baseball at a young age and was unrelenting in his pursuit to achieve greatness through his skills an assignment that was completed before his career declined. . This is a wonderfully entertaining film. Search; Calamity Jane. Wills was of African-American descent, and having a white lover was controversial to their careers. She did, however, walk away with the evenings coveted Worlds Most Popular Film Actress accolade again. IMDB, Doris Day Films @ Amazon USA Doris Day Films @ Amazon UK, Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? After that, Day turned to her fans and people who worked for her. Did Doris Day do her own stunts in jumbo? But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. His journey to fame began in the 1950s when he became a part of "The Dodgers" team. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Star Doris Day delivers the lovely Rodgers and Hart songs superbly, especially the sublime My Romance. JUMBO might be silly (actually very deliberately silly, therein much of the enjoyment) but it is genuinely beautiful to look at and easy to enjoy. During his glory years, he was involved with drugs, addicted to alcohol, and lived a life he later regretted. Rather like his Pop Wonder role in Jumbo he married his second wife, Marjorie Little after a 16-year courtship when she was 39 and he was 67. Theyre with her because shes Doris Day. Ryan, a real-estate agent in his grandmothers chosen home town of Carmel, Calif., claimed Bashara had fired board members from Days eponymous animal-rescue foundation and replaced them with his family members. I also thought i would dislike it because i never was into the circus but it was really thrilling watching all those people do stunts. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Perfect casting down the line. Listen especially to her solos "My Romance," "Little Girl Blue," and most impressive, a nighttime duet between Day and Martha Raye in a wagon caravan entitled "Why Can't I?" The latter is a dramatic presentation performed among the deserted tents after the loss of the circus and the beloved, Jumbo. Doris Day, seenJan. 28, 1989, in Los Angeles, died May 13, 2019, at age 97. While her relationship with Baylor and Stone might be under probability, sources prove that she was indeed smitten with Willsthese two had a connection deeper than being a fan of each other's crafts. They lived in the Anacostia area with their father, who was a machinist, and their mother, an elevator operator. Bashara has said the star specified in her will that she wanted no funeral service or grave marker, and that she wanted her fortune to go to the Doris Day Animal Foundation. I wish that Doris would have had long hair for real she looks so beautiful with her long hair "My Romance" is a classic romantic ballad and Doris does it full justice. But the fans became the family she never really had, said DeVita. Stephen Boyd's singing voice was dubbed by Los Angeles studio singer, Jimmy Joyce. I later learned that [Bashara] had fired all the longstanding members on my grandmas Foundation board and appointed his direct family as the new board members. by BabeWilliams 12 May 2008, 16:40, Unread post While the cast is bright and likable, and the movie boasts some pretty good production values and circus acts, these things don't raise the movie much from the level of being instantly forgettable. I absolutely loved it! And I love "Why Can't I?" Unlikely co-star Stephen Boyd, still hot from Ben-Hur, also acquits himself surprisingly well, but then he does get to sing a lilting The Most Beautiful Girl in the World. His singing and acting were sometimes understated, but I didn't find this annoying in most scenes. She would only want to talk about [her] dogs or hear about what fan mail she had., Doris spent most of her last 10 years in her bedroom or the kitchen. Stephen Boyd visits Doris Day on the set of Do Not Disturb. Though many of the characters really did exist like Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane, Trixie, Whitney Ellsworth, and Alma Garret were all fictional, but were inspired by people of the time. The tale of Tufts official mascot, Jumbo the elephant, dates back to 1885. It's directed by Charles Walters, with Busby Berkeley on second unit duties, and stars Doris Day, Jimmy Durante, Stephen Boyd, Martha Raye and Dean Jagger. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Indeed, Day would have wanted nothing to do with the chaos. True to the films title, Stanwycks Vance Jeffords is an avenging woman in The Furies, set in the New Mexico Territory during the 1870s. Doris Day was a singer and actress most popular in the 1950s and early-1960s. They could lose fanswhite fans would not accept such complexity. . His achievements earned him awards and mentions, including being inducted into the Washington, D.C. Sports Hall of Fame. They stop and she finishes the song just in time to kiss her lover passionately. Stephen Boyd was born William (Billy) Millar 4 July 1931 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. (Note, in particular, the final pullback shot which shows all of the acts rehearsing en masse at the same time.) I saw it on DVD in widescreen and with a superb 5.1 sound system. You bought or viewed this film because you love musicals the story isn't important. Billy Rose's Jumbo is a 1962 American musical film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and starring Doris Day, Stephen Boyd, Jimmy Durante, and Martha Raye. Did Doris Day do her own stunts in Calamity Jane? Stephen Boyd sings The Most Beautiful Girl in the World to Doris Day. Ever resourceful, Durante attempts to shoot Raye out of a cannon, Day ends up in a puddle of mud ruining her Sunday best and Durante, trying to hide Jumbo during the takeover (Where are you going with that elephant? Durante: what elephant?). Jumbo steals all the scenes he appears in too. by daybyday08 12 May 2008, 16:05, Unread post She also had a huge fanbase and enjoyed a successful career. His daughter, Kitty Wonder, hires a newcomer, Sam Rawlins, as both a performer and tent hand. That was a huge loss for her.. James Joyce, as Boyd's dubber, did a fine job with the introductory tune in the first scene, a perfect number for Robert Goulet. And you'd never figure that the great Busby Berkeley staged the musical numbers, because they sorely lack the punch of his earlier musicals. A few years later, they became husband and wife, before adding the title of parents to the mix, when they welcomed their only child, Terry. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Both play and film feature songs by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, although the film borrows two songs from Rodgers and Hart shows other than Jumbo (including "This Can't Be Love", from The Boys from Syracuse). We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. Doris Day was one of the most popular and yet one of the most underrated movie stars of her generation. Doris Day did not have much luck with men. Busby Berkeley, the genius behind MGMs greatest 1930s musicals, acted as Second Unit Director on the movie, which was to become his last screen effort. If you've never seen a circus you could watch this and be satisfied that you spent an evening under the big top. Bashara, a veterinarian, joined Days employ 20 years ago and soon became her business manager as well as the head of her foundation. Who rode the horse for Doris Day in Calamity Jane? Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. WHAT ELEPHANT?!". During the 1930s and 1940s, MGMs output of musicals was vast. I love the music, the romantic colourful feel of the movie, the great circus acts and most of all Doris herself because I think she is more beautiful in this than in any other of her movies. The Wonder Circus comes to a town in the Midwest with its featured attraction, Jumbo the elephant. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "Billy Rose's Jumbo" opened in New York at Radio City Music Hall during a newspaper strike and a snow storm which made the film suffer at the box office. The one person she could count on was her son, Terry, who had been adopted by her third husband. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Doris Day, Jimmy Durante, Martha Raye, and Great Songs. Portrait of Doris Day circa 1965 | Photo: Getty Images. The wonderful songs of Richard Rodgers and Hart ! Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. He said: "Wills was the darling of Hollywood, and he was more than that to the screen actress Doris Day. Jimmy Durante owns the little circus with the big elephant in Billy Roses Jumbo (1962). I mean, Beyonce and Alicia Keyes are ok but Amy Whinehouse and Britney Spears??? Stephen Boyd is magnificent! Doris Day shows a wisdom, warmth, sassy comic timing and an ability also to be dramatically heartfelt, and in terms of her singing she can't be faulted. We both were enthralled by Doris Day, Jimmy Durante, Martha Raye, and even Stephen Boyd who didn't actually sing his songs but whoever dubbed his voice during his numbers certainly sounded like he did! Stephen Boyd was reasonable as was Doris Day, but she was miscast it seems, as she was nearing forty. Stephan Boyd is oddly the pick to be her love interest. It's poor salesmanship. During their romance, the baseball champion was ordered not to reveal anything about their relationship and end things with his mistress because it could jeopardize his team's ratings. Day and Durante never disappoint and turn in their usual fine performances. Doris Day, as Durante's daughter, is a bareback rider in a tutu who is obviously not doing her own stunts. Legal Statement. Did Doris Day sing in Calamity Jane? Marty Melcher was Day's third husband, and their marriage lasted for nearly two decades. . Durante's reply, "What elephant? Her reputation hasn't survived into our modern era as other film icons of the time, including Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren, Shirley MacLaine and Elizabeth Taylor. My favortie movie is Pillow Talk but this will have to be my second favorite. Jimmy Durante owns the little circus with the big elephant in Billy Rose's Jumbo (1962). Jumbo is a mighty talented elephant. Watch. But while he may seem fairly nice to look at, he doesn't quite have the star power to carry the viewer's interest his character should have, even if he really was singing "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" and didn't need to be dubbed. She seemingly found a semi-permanent home at Universal, but returned to MGM again in 1962 to film thebig, splashy circus musical, Billy Roses Jumbo. She did all her own stunts, too, which was quite a feat in what is an enormously athletic role. The film was Doris Days last screen musical. All rights reserved. Radiant Doris Day sings beloved Rodgers and Hart tunes and does her own horseback tricks in a razzle-dazzle musical based on Bill Rose's stage spectacular . But, he added, Day invited him to dinner after Terrys death. Nov 7, 2016 - This Pin was discovered by Sylvia Potter.