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By Ligia Fernandez
To access past Entertainers columns, click on the Entertainers archive
link to the left.
One of the undisputed queens of the 30-40s Fox movie
musicals, Alice Faye was singing with Rudy Vallee and His Connecticut
Yankees when a twist of fate launched her movie career. The orchestra was in
Hollywood to record a song for the film GEORGE WHITE SCANDALS when the
leading lady walked out. Faye was tapped to replace her and the rest is
history.
She starred in some of Fox's most memorable
musicals including IN OLD CHICAGO, ALEXANDER'S RAGTIME BAND (featuring a
supporting role by musical theatre legend Ethel Merman), ROSE OF WASHINGTON
SQUARE, TIN PAN ALLEY, LILLIAN RUSSELL, WEEKEND IN HAVANA and HELLO, FRISCO,
HELLO (where she introduced the Oscar-winning sentimental ballad "You'll
Never Know" in her trademark low sultry voice).
Her final big-screen musical appearance was as farmer's
wife Melissa Frake in Rodgers & Hammerstein's STATE FAIR.
Len Cariou made his Broadway musical debut opposite screen
icon Lauren Bacall in Strouse & Adams' APPLAUSE (1970). His
Also during the 1970s, he originated two noteworthy
Stephen Sondheim musical characters -- love-starved attorney Frederik
Eggerman in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC (repeating his role in the notorious flop
movie version of the musical) and everyone's favorite "demon barber" in
SWEENEY TODD with Angela Lansbury. Both he and Lansbury earned Tony Awards
for their work that year, as did the musical itself.
His only other Broadway musical credits to date are the
flop musicals TEDDY & ALICE and DANCE A LITTLE CLOSER.
On film and TV he appeared in THE FOUR SEASONS, ABOUT
SCHMIDT, FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS, THE OUTER LIMITS, A DREAM IS A WISH YOUR
HEART MAKES: THE ANNETTE FUNICELLO STORY, STAR TREK VOYAGER, THE WEST WING,
LAW & ORDER and ARMY WIVES.
Next update to this page: Sunday, February 1, 2009
