The Two Dick Powells - From Musicals to Mystery

There are two Dick Powells; the one who, along with Ruby Keeler, sang and danced his way into the hearts of America in all the great musicals of the 1930's; with films such as "42nd Street", which is still somewhat of a staple for me on New Years Eve. His charm and vocal abilities, along with his dancing skills, made him what was then referred to as a "heart throb" for millions of his fans. But, after awhile, dancing was the last thing which he wanted to do. He longed for a serious lead, even in a "B" movie. It took awhile, but in 1944 he got his chance to reinvent himself in a serious movie, as the leading character in the film "Murder My Sweet", and it wouldn't be his last.

In this wonderful piece of film noire, directed by Edward Dmytryk, Mr. Powell hangs up his hat and cane to play gumshoe Philip Marlowe in the film version of Raymond Chandler's famed private eye. As a matter of fact, Mr. Chandler once referred to Dick Powell as having come the closest to the author's own vision of Philip Marlowe. That's high praise, considering that Marlowe has been played by everybody, from Humphrey Bogart in the early 1940's, to Robert Mitchum in the mid 1970's.

One of the more remarkable aspects of this film is the use; by the bad guys; of mind altering drugs, or truth serums, on Marlowe as he is "pumped" for information leading to the recovery of some very valuable jade; which may, or may not, be missing. What makes it so remarkable is that most of us associate these types of drugs with the early CIA experiments of the 1950's. Of course, it is well known that the Nazis had developed some very powerful hallucinogenic drugs during the war, so maybe it's not so remarkable at all. But the special effects; limited as they were to the technology of the times; are mind bending of their own accord. A great thanks is due director Edward Dmytryk for these innovative concepts, which would later be imitated by Alfred Hitchcock in several of his own films.

Thrown into the mix, in this film adaptation of the novel, are some unusual characters, all equally unforgettable. From the broken down jazz singer to the hulking presence of "Moose" Malloy; an ex-con who is looking for his girl Velma, who; just as with the jade, may, or may not be waiting for him; all the actors play an integral part in the mystery. This is one of those movies that plays out on screen as well as it reads, in spite of a few minor changes by screenwriter John Paxton.

The big surprise in this film is the unique adaptability of Dick Powell, from a song and dance man, to a serious actor. And playing opposite veterans such as Claire Trevor and Anne Shirley really gives the viewer a chance to see Mr. Powell as a leading man in a straight role, which is in itself, a treat.

"Second Chorus" with Fred Astaire, Paulette Goddard and Burgesss Meredith (1940)

They say that in acting that "Dying is easy, comedy is hard." In this wonderful, and often overlooked musical, Burgesss Meredith sets a fine example of this maxim.

This is one of my many "favorite" movies. Not just for the musical numbers, which are superb, but also for the storyline, which is surprisingly good. Danny O’Neill, played by Fred Astaire, is the leader of a college orchestra known as "The Perennials". His best friend and fellow musician is Hank Taylor, played with remarkable comedic skill, by Burgess Meredith. As perpetual students at the University, as well as leaders of the college orchestra, what more could they ask for? They live an idyllic lifestyle until the unthinkable happens; Hank graduates, which threatens to break up the band.

When Artie Shaw, who plays himself, comes to see The Perennials play, the two men think he has come to draft one of them into his orchestra. He’s really scoping out their manager, Ellen, played by Paulette Goddard. She has been beating out his band in getting gigs, and so he wants to hire her away.

This misunderstanding unleashes a combination of events as both Danny and Hank, each believing they are the “chosen one”, attempt to outdo one another for the coveted spot in Artie Shaw’s Band, and Ellen’s affections.

As usual in the old musicals, everything works out fine, and everyone gets what they need in the end. Interesting note; Paulette Goddard shines in these types of films. After appearing in several minor movie roles she was married to Charlie Chaplin in 1936, when Chaplin cast her in "Modern Times". The marriage only lasted until 1940, when "Second Chorus" was filmed. Transitioning from silent film to sound was hard enough for most actors and actresses, but Ms. Goddard; a triple threat with her abilities of acting, singing and dancing; essentially did the opposite. This is the film in which Ms. Goddard sang, and danced her way into the hearts of several generations of film buffs.

Watch the opening dance scene here and judge for yourself;

Happy Birthday to The Ghost Singer- Marni Nixon

This is not Julie Andrews. This is Marni Nixon, known as the "Ghost Singer of Hollywood" for all of the films in which she sang for the stars.
And there were alot of them!

Incredibly talented, Ms. Nixon did the voice overs for Audrey Hepurn in "My Fair Lady", as well as Deborah Kerr in both "The King and I" and "An Affair to Remember."

In "West Side Story" she did all of Natalie Woods' singing and in the song "Tonight" she even sings duet with herself!

In "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" she is the voice on all the high notes that Ms. Monroe could not reach. Along the way she has been the sound of the angels heard by Ingrid Bergman in "Joan of Arc" and also the sound of the geese in "Mary Poppins."

It's rare for me to post twice in one day- but today is Ms. Nixons 80th birthday. She is still performing and I just wanted to wish her many Happy Returns! She has given us all great joy with the magic of her voice.