GMpasqua
Screenwriter
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2010
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- Greg
[COLOR= #a52a2a]Many a new day will dawn, before I'm Blu[/COLOR]
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Originally Posted by Cinescott
Originally Posted by benbess But I do have a friend whose opinion on musicals I respect feels a bit let down when it comes to SP. He feels that the casting was not as good as it could have been. Perhaps he's right. But it works well enough for me...
Originally Posted by Cinescott
Funny, I always thought the casting in South Pacific was one of its strong points. I've seen and heard bits and pieces of Mary Martin's portrayal of Nellie and it never struck me as substantially better than Mitzi Gaynor. Also, although dubbed, I feel Rossano Brazzi does a good job. At least he's given a tenor's voice in this movie, unlike other "modern" adaptations. He seems "French" to me; he certainly looks French.
John Kerr, well, doesn't do much so it's hard to say. Ray Walston, the infamous Mr. Hand, is very funny IMO as Luther. Juanita Hall's Bloody Mary was very good, having done it on Broadway.
I recently read where the film adaptation of SP is the only adaptation to not cut any songs from the stage version. That's a pretty cool claim to fame. I think the songs in South Pacific hold up even better than those in The Sound of Music, but that just speaks to my taste. I like more of an "operatic" sound. In fact, I've often thought that R&H productions are English operas, in the best sense of the word.
And I like Gaynor a lot. She has not only a good voice, but that rare combo of girl next door wholesomeness with high glamour and sex appeal. I like Liz Taylor a lot (those eyes! Just gazed at them in my recent watching of Giant), but I don't think she was right for this. Cleopatra, yes. Army nurse next door. Not so much. Although the way Liz handled Montgomery Clift's horrific and life threatening accident in real life! Pulling his teeth out of his throat so he could breath and then scaring the press away! wow. That's the kind of gal you want on your side...or in your movie, if you can get her. Still, for this part Gaynor works for me...Originally Posted by GMpasqua
Doris Day and Elizabeth Talyor were both in the running for Nellie. I guess many feel Gaynor was a "B" actress compared to them.
Fernado Lamas was offered the role of Emile but the producers of his Broadway show would not release him from his contract so he was unavailable when filming started (He would have used his own voice though)
Taylor would have been wonderful except she would have been dubbed (then the entire cast would have been dubbed)
Gaynor is the only one who does her own singing