The arrangers on that movie were amazing. They had to take the songs from Roger’s and Hart and break them all down into just a few moments while still keeping the beauty and originality in tact. They did three of those biographical films and were fabulous every time. MGM had the talent, orchestral and direction, that could pull it off like no other. And of course, we can’t forget the actors.
Unmentioned is the fact that the original Broadway choreography was by the great George Balanchine. Don't know if this was used at all in the (shortened) film version. Balanchine's Slaughter on 10th Avenue entered the repertory of the New York City Ballet in 1968
That version is awesome, but the only video I can find of it is extremely poor quality. It's so bad I wouldn't want to put it side-by-side with the orchestra or other versions. In any case people should really watch it, it's available here on RU-vid
Awesome ❤❤❤John Wilson, Matthew Ford, Fred Astaire and Lucille Bremner - I look forward to see you God willing in heaven. You all made this awful world so beautiful somehow. Filipino Canadian living in Ontario, Canada🤗
Thanks for the posting - I loved watching this. It goes to demonstrate just how good John wilson and his orchestra are in both hunting down these original arrangements - this one by Conrad Salinger - and also executing them beautifully. This is some of the very best of the musical curator's art alive today. Is it any wonder that these prom concerts sell out quicker than any other? And much to the envy and disgust of some who consider themselves music fans.
Bravo to John Wilson Orchestra and This Fred Astaire Movie, Synchronized by Ronald Williams, What a Masterpiece Brilliant Move. A Joy to Watch it in my Bose Stereo OLED TV, as if I am watching a Masterpiece Performance in 2023 in my Living Room!!! Thank You Ronald for a Brilliant Creative Performance of the Two Classic Show, Orchestra and Movie together, Live!!!!
Thank you Mr Williams for letting us have such a phenomenal treat. Bravo to Ziegfeld, Harry Freed and Mr Astaire and partner. What a trifecta. I could watch this all day. It does this heart of mine such good. And bravo John Wilson. Nobody does it better.
John Wilson is heroic in bringing back all the Hollywood greats and he’s precise in his orchestration. Bravo and kudos to this genius. What a treasure. Listening to his BBC Proms is s a gift.
It does not include the complete movie footage and here's the reason. That movie version of Slaughter on 10th Avenue is different, and shorter than the music composed and performed for the Broadway show and it's Revival years later. The John Wilson Orchestra performs the precise note for note version of the ballet from the Broadway show Revival. For the movie, Gene Kelly had created an abbreviated hybrid version. It was shorter and the music was revised and changed somewhat. There is an older movie version of the ballet starring Edward Arnold. That movie version did include the ballet it as was scored for the original Broadway show. However that film has never been restored. It was a black and white film (which is fine) but the quality of the surviving available film prints is quite bad. So what you see here ... what I created .... is a novelty edit. I made it just for the fun of doing it. I chose to use the Technicolor Gene Kelly version side by side with the colorful Orchestra footage. And I synced the two wherever it was possible. Synchronization was made difficult because the tempo of the John Wilson Orchestra version is true to the Broadway show and different from the Gene Kelly movie virsion I used. Thats why I allowed the orchestra to be seen full screen when I couldn't synchronize the two. And, when the orchestra played long segments of the ballet which were not included in the Gene Kelly movie version. Of course the editing is not precise because, as I said the audio of the Orchestra from the movie performance is perform at a slightly different pace then the orchestra performance done at the Proms in London.
Arthur Freed, who produced all the great MGM Musicals had an earlier career as a lyricist (all the great songs from Singing In The Rain) He teams with Harry Warren in a sweeping waltz. Wilson's BBC re creation of Conrad Salingers original orchestration is with a much bigger orchestra than MGM would have used. ( 5- Count em French Horns) A most Rhapsodic musical moment. Your pairing a superior moment of music with the film sequence makes you a director par excellence.
Also watch John Wilson Orch. "This Heart of Mine" SYNCED with Fred Astaire original Technicolor fim in HD. CLICK ⬇️ LINK ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-NNDVTbMVXYU.html