Director: George Schaefer
Stars: Alfred Drake, Patricia Morison, Julie Wilson, Bill Hayes, Harvey Lembeck, Jack Klugman.
Ernie Flatt ... musical numbers staged by (as Ernest Flatt)
Per IBDb, the original ran '50-'51, revived the next year. But nothing near this '58 date. AD & PM originated these roles, and stopped at the same time (6'50).
This starts well, but eventually seems rushed, as though the songs are executed at a slightly faster pace than normal. And there is very little dialog between songs.
We do get some ensemble dancing, but nothing like the film ('53). Bianca is not played by a dancer (Ann Miller in the film), but she does get a couple of songs. And the best number in the film, From This Moment On, was written for the film.
The gangsters, played by HL & JK, do Brush Up Your Shakespeare, but somehow not as well as Keenan Wynn & James Whitmore did in the film. They sing and dance, but lack the wit and the staging of the film.
I don't think this was b'cast live. If nothing else, the hair changes of PM seem impossible. Her hair is 3 feet long, and she had it down at one point. Even if her other styles were wigs, it must take considerable time to wrap that hair to fit a wig over it. On the other hand, the performances were far from perfect, mostly notes that went sour at the end of a phrase. It didn't happen often, so perhaps TV allowed such imperfections against cost considerations.
Good to see the 2 stars in signature roles. But not the go-to version, which is the film.
Hallmark Hall of Fame Prod., Milberg Prod., distr. NBC, dir. Schaefer; 6
