Notes On A Napkin

I just purchased this oversized original photo from the "Gotta Dance" segment of Singin' in the Rain. Gene told me that he thought the first bars of this when he dances alone represent the best dancing that he ever did on screen. I'm afraid that means you will have to run this number again if you want to catch this bit. As Gene would say, "What a shame."

Just as I was working to stomp out the myth of a rift between Gene and his dear friend Frank Sinatra, another malevolent piece popped up describing Gene's "bitter falling out with Judy Garland" on the set of For Me and My Gal. Described as a "scandal" it purportedly confirms the "whispers about his volatile nature off-screen." I would ordinarily let this stuff slide, figuring that addressing it only draws attention to the lies. But, sadly, given the status of "journalism" these days, things in print are taken as fact and they get repeated across platforms and, sadly, in books that pretend to tell the truth. People counter the falsehoods by saying things like, "there are two sides" or "there must be some truth to it," etc. No, folks. THERE IS NO TRUTH TO IT AND THERE AREN'T TWO SIDES. It is completely false and distorts the truth about one of the greatest Hollywood friendships and professional relationships. It tarnishes the images of both parties—Gene, certainly, but Judy as well as it distracts from her kindness and the brilliance of her mind and the evergreen love and respect they had for each other. I don't know what is causing this surge in false stories about true friends. AI? If I knew that people would ignore them, that they would not be copied, forwarded, repeated as fact in books, I could leave it alone. But, given the current climate, I am not assured of that. These two giants deserve better. And now I'll step off my soapbox for a moment to day: Aren't they beautiful together?

I was transcribing an interview Gene did back in 1976 for the publication Australian Women's Weekly so I can submit it for copyright protection with the Library of Congress, and I was touched by the way he described working with Judy Garland on his first film For Me and My Gal (1942). "I was a complete beginner and Judy showed me the ropes," he said. "She was a person of extraordinary talent and had no problems at all then. I’d follow her around on the set and she’d always put me right when I made a mistake." He spoke with me often about Judy and, yes, I will share much of that in the book. But, for now, I love the image of him padding around behind her on the set, waiting for her to correct him when he made a mistake. He loved her, was indebted to her, and always credited her with his career. Not light stuff, I'd say.

Okay, time for a little myth busting. Things have been quiet for a bit, but, in the past few days, there has been an explosion of falsehoods about the relationship between Gene and @sinatra stating that their offscreen relationship was "unpleasant." Sorry to use vulgar British slang, but that's pure bollocks. The accounts cite faulty "biographies" of Gene, along with comments from Stanley Donen, a demonstrably unreliable source when it comes to Gene. I spoke with Gene at length about Frank. He loved him and always insisted that they were "closer than brothers." I got to experience that love firsthand and can affirm that the affection was mutual. Frank also told me that he loved Gene. He not only spoke of his affection and respect for Gene, he demonstrated it clearly in many ways at the end of Gene's life. Ordinarily, I would not bother to respond to this drivel, but I don't want the falsehoods to be legitimized simply because they are in print and are being picked up by numerous publications. Because the inaccuracies are in black and white does not make them fact. I treasure the time I got to spend with these two magnificent men and they treasured the time they got to spend together. No way that is being tarnished as long as I'm around and, with hope, you will keep the flame when I kick the bucket.

Okay, here's another one for you super sleuths! This is a photo of Gene and Shirley MacLaine at an event in Hollywood. The photo is by Jerry Watson of Camera Press London. Unfortunately, the event is not identified on the back. The only clue is a stamp reading: "USED 19 MAR 1970 TV TIMES." I searched the TV TIMES database on line, but this issue is not among those that they show. I searched eBay US and, again, this issue isn't among those for sale. This is the problem I encounter frequently when photos lack information about people in the photo and where and when the photo was taken. It makes the images difficult to catalogue and leaves them hanging for posterity. I assume this is an event from some time in early 1970 or that the event was shown on TV in the UK in March 1970, but that's as far as I've gotten. It is a great shot and I would love to give it a proper home. Help, please!

I love the dance that Gene does in the club in What A Way to Go! (1964). It is so him, right down to his favored pink shirt. He is seen here with Arlene Harris. She was born July 7, 1886 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. You might know her from The Hit Parade (1937), One Exciting Week (1946) and Captain Midnight (1954), though she is best known for her radio stardom as "The Chatterbox." She died in 1976 at the Motion Picture Home in Woodland Hills, California. I don't think this movie gets the attention it deserves. I've only introduced it once and that was years ago. The cast is spectacular, including the breathtaking Shirley MacLaine. The story by Comden and Green sparkles. The costumes by Edith Head are worth the price of admission. If you haven't see it in a while, you might run it again. And this time pay particular attention to Gene's performance of the Jule Styne/Comden and Green "I Think That You and I Should Get Acquainted." It is one of my favorites.

I'm hoping you can help me here folks. This is a promo photo for the Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé TV special "Our Love is Here to Stay," directed and produced by the great team of Dwight Hemion and Gary Smith, that aired on CBS in 1975. Gene is pictured here with the "Norman Maen Dancers." I've searched for the names of these 6 women, but, so far, I've had no luck. Can you please help identify them for me?

Another occupational hazard.... I was filing photos in the archives and I made the mistake of flipping through the images already in the American in Paris folder. This popped up. It is true that Gene "discovered" Leslie Caron in Paris. He first saw her when she appeared in Roland Petit's "La Recontre" with Ballet de Champs Elysees in 1948. She played the role of the Sphinx. Gene saw her and went backstage to introduce himself, but she had already gone home to bed. He said her part wasn't big, but her feline movements were captivating and stayed in his mind. When work on American in Paris began, Gene was determined to dance with a real French girl. He thought Leslie had the perfect gamine qualities. He flew to Paris to test her. He also tested an older more experienced actress and dancer named Odile Versois. He returned to California hoping that Vincente Minnelli and Arthur Freed would also choose Leslie and was relieved when they did. Leslie, at 18 in this photo, did not speak English, so the studio began training her while Gene began rehearsing her gently in order to accommodate her reduced stamina due to the deprivations of the war. Leslie was born July 1, 1931 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Seine, France. She lives in London now. I was fortunate to see her when she came to my talk about Gene at the V & A a few years ago. She was gracious and articulate about the way that Gene choreographed the numbers in An American in Paris and how he artfully used the camera.

This post is a present for my friend director @stephen.mear who happens to think Ann Miller is the cat's meow. And, rightly so. She was a remarkable performer and an exuberant human being. I modeled her gowns for a charity auction benefitting the Motion Picture and Television Home. They were gorgeous and she was feisty, poking me with her cane. I only wish I'd had the money to buy some of them. This is quite a threesome: Gene's dear friend Frank Sinatra, Ann and Gene. They are in Gene's dressing room at MGM listening to a playback over a loudspeaker of one of the featured songs in the On the Town. I wish I could tell you which song. From the look on Frank's face, it could be one of his numbers: "You're Awful" with Betty Garrett, perhaps. Or maybe it is "Lonely Town." Frank recorded the balled, but it was cut from the picture. "That happens often," said Gene, "unless you have the ballad up in front of the picture, it's usually cut." There are many recordings of Frank singing "Lonely Town." If you haven't heard one, please find a copy. Powerful stuff. Here's one version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1cH27DMuYY Listen to the elegance with which Frank introduces the song, always acknowledging the composers, lyricists and arrangers.

Yet another hazard of the workplace.... I went into the archives yesterday to find a single photo of Gene from The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967) and ended up lingering over every image, including this one of Gene and his co-star Françoise Dorléac. As always, Gene choreographed the number to highlight his partner. The pose is simple yet conveys much. There is quiet intimacy in the hands joined and in Gene's gaze. Also, his raised hand suggests connection but not aggression.