A Few Words About A few words about…™ Damn Yankees – in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[John Skoda]

I can pretty much assure you that nothing was sung "live" on the set and then used in the film - it was all lip sync to something. When you're lip syncing you are, of course, singing along but in those days that was never used.

It was done on occasion, but, yes, probably not for a whole film. I have read Doris Day insisted on singing the reprise of "Hey There" in her bedroom in THE PAJAMA GAME live on the set. Her argument was it was mostly a dramatic scene rather than a musical one. The studio practically went into a panic, but she said she insisted and won.

Another one I can think of is "I Can Do Without You" from Doris Day's CALAMITY JANE. Even on the album you can hear them taking steps and bumping into furniture because it's live sound.

 

[Robert Harris]

I can pretty much assure you that nothing was sung "live" on the set and then used in the film - it was all lip sync to something. When you're lip syncing you are, of course, singing along but in those days that was never used.

I believe the first was Mr.Harrison.

 

[John Skoda]

I think many of the earliest talking picture musicals were recorded live--before they realized how, if you prerecorded, it simplified everything. Why, if you prerecorded, you could even have a cut in the middle of a song!

The big innovation with Rex Harrison is, for the first time, I think, they were able to use a wireless/transistorized microphone.

 

[Will Krupp]

I believe the first was Mr.Harrison.

Marvin Harrison?

 

[Gary16]

Sinatra sings live during the opening of “I Didnt Know What Time It Was” in “Pal Joey.” Then it switches to a prerecord for the rest of the song.

 

[John Skoda]

Roz Russell sings "Mr. Goldstone" live in GYPSY too.

But, I listened to the DAMN YANKEES soundtrack album again after not hearing it for a while, and now I think I was wrong. I don't think there's any live singing here. They would have had to use overhead mics, and the voice levels are just too consistent. Plus there's no set sounds--you would have heard Gwen Verdon's dance steps if it were a live recording.

But I think I know what they did. I think they did pre-recordings, just without an orchestra. They had the arrangements and knew what the keys would be, and then probably recorded to just a metronome-type device to keep the tempo steady. This would match up to Tab Hunter's recollections, except for the cast album tracks part.

Maybe he's remembering having to rehearse to the cast album tracks?

 

[Will Krupp]

But I think I know what they did. I think they did pre-recordings, just without an orchestra. They had the arrangements and knew what the keys would be, and then probably recorded to just a metronome-type device to keep the tempo steady. This would match up to Tab Hunter's recollections, except for the cast album tracks part.

Maybe he's remembering having to rehearse to the cast album tracks?

Why are we not trusting him to tell us what actually happened? HE was there and has given us the only firsthand account I'm aware of. The on set, disembodied voice of Stephen Douglass seems a pretty specific memory. Why is it so hard to believe that they would have used the cast album when possible (excluding Shannon Bolin's new song, naturally) as playback when filming, just like he said they did? Most of them would have been acting to their own, earlier recordings and it would certainly be a hell of a lot easier than what you're suggesting. I don't understand the objection to his account. What am I missing?

 

[Jack P]

Then there's "There's Something About An Empty Chair," which was an original song not on the cast album.

Didn't like that new song. "A Man Doesn't Know" is a much better song (especially when its reprised at the end). Were they trying to find a way to keep minimizing Hunter's singing since this changed a duet number to a solo for Shannon Bolin?

Fans of the score will also note how the censor dictated changing a lyric in "A Little Brains, A Little Talent" so that Lola's line about sleeping with George Washington was now out. And there was no way they were going to let "The Game" stay in either.

I saw the Garber-Neuwirth production in 94. The changes to the libretto to "modernize" the tale fell flat with me. I also saw a 1986 production at Paper Mill that George Abbott directed at age 99 with Orson Bean and Alyson Reed that I enjoyed more to be honest.

 

[JohnMor]

It was done on occasion, but, yes, probably not for a whole film. I have read Doris Day insisted on singing the reprise of "Hey There" in her bedroom in THE PAJAMA GAME live on the set. Her argument was it was mostly a dramatic scene rather than a musical one. The studio practically went into a panic, but she said she insisted and won.

Another one I can think of is "I Can Do Without You" from Doris Day's CALAMITY JANE. Even on the album you can hear them taking steps and bumping into furniture because it's live sound.

Yes, Doris talks about both instances in her autobiography and the huge battle it was both times to do them live on set. But she said it was worth it as they were both more scenes than songs in her opinion.

 

[Joe Caps]

also recorded for the film was a reprise of Theres something about an empty chair sung by tab hunter to Gwen verdon.
In the Warner production files at USC, it is shown that warner sent to RCA records this recording and the reprise of you gotta have heart sung by Edith Bunker and kids. There is a later memo where Warner tells RCA they are NOT to use those two tracks.
BTW, I had read in the book, the Studio, that rec harrison recorded, live, the vocals for Dr. Doolittle, then insisted on post dubbing the tracks. So I went to the usc files to look at production logs for My Fair Lady. Sure enough, there were records that he did the same for My Fair Lady.

 

[RobertSiegel]

One item that has not been brought up is: Were these films (This and Pajama Game) released in stereo to theaters? It is so close to the first years of Cinemascope and these were 2 musicals, I have to wonder if they were indeed released in stereo but thrown out by Jack Warner when he got rid of all of the music stems and stereo tracks. Does anyone know?

 

[Matt Hough]

The soundtrack album for The Pajama Game was never in stereo, so I have to think if there had been stereo stems, Columbia would have put out a stereo release (they were issuing stereo albums in 1957). Damn Yankees did have a stereo LP release, I think (I haven't played it in many decades), but Jack Warner may have thrown out stereo audio stems with the bath water.

 

[Chelsearicky]

I believe the first was Mr.Harrison.

Natalie Wood performed 'Little Lamb' live during the filming of "Gypsy". An alternate studio take was included on the soundtrack album. "Mr Goldstone I Love You" was also performed live by Rosalind Russell. Ironically, it is the only number in the film in which Russell performs the entire vocal.

 

[John Skoda]

The soundtrack album for The Pajama Game was never in stereo, so I have to think if there had been stereo stems, Columbia would have put out a stereo release (they were issuing stereo albums in 1957). Damn Yankees did have a stereo LP release, I think (I haven't played it in many decades), but Jack Warner may have thrown out stereo audio stems with the bath water.

THE PAJAMA GAME and DAMN YANKEES were almost certainly recorded in stereo, but neither film was released with stereo prints in theaters. Neither soundtrack LP had a stereo release either, but when DAMN YANKEES was reissued on CD, RCA found stereo masters had been prepared for an LP but never released. So the soundtrack CD for DAMN YANKEES is actually stereo.

I've read Jack Warner, at some point, decided to reuse all the old magnetic tapes in the vaults to save some money, so the stereo session masters for almost all Warners 50s films were recorded over, including Garland's A STAR IS BORN. What stereo there is for these films has been taken from existing stereo prints.

 

[Joe Caps]

If they used the cast album to lipsync to, you could play the cast album with the vid and it should be in sync, but it isn't.
In the files on Damn at usc, there are memos from Ray Heindorf in Italy,m as to his searching for a place to record Damn Yankees in stereo.
The current cd is in stereo, but I have never seen a stereo version of the lp.

 

[john a hunter]

I've read Jack Warner, at some point, decided to reuse all the old magnetic tapes in the vaults to save some money, so the stereo session masters for almost all Warners 50s films were recorded over, including Garland's A STAR IS BORN. What stereo there is for these films has been taken from existing stereo prints.

I have just watched Mister Roberts and Warners have done a great job reconstructing the multi channel sound.
The original tracks must have escaped the purge that Jack Warner ordered where we lost the original stereo tracks of the studios early Scope films. I guess it came from a surviving print.
How good it would be to have proper multi track recordings of Helen of Troy, Land of the Pharaohs to name but two.

 

[roxy1927]

I have written elsewhere that Pajama Game was not recorded in stereo according to Stanley Donen when I heard him speak live. Now if he was misremembering I don't know but he made a point to mention it.

PMF how do you remember Broadway ticket prices from '77? I thought I was the only one who remembered stuff like that. And you can thank Verdon and Fosse for those prices which up to then a top orchestra price was $15. Then when Chicago opened it went up to an eye watering $17.50. Only time I saw Verdon on stage. Honestly I wish I had seen her when she was younger. My mother and aunt saw her in Can Can and it was one of their most vivid happiest theatrical memories.

Streisand's My Man in Funny Girl the first half when she talks/sings it in Funny Girl was recorded live then when she repeats it going full throttle that was pre-recorded.

The first anecdote I've heard of performing to a pre-recorded track was Wedding of the Painted Doll in Broadway Melody. It was filmed and recorded live but they had to redo it for some reason. Thalberg instead of using the orchestra again said to film it to the track for the previous take.

 

[Gary16]

I have written elsewhere that Pajama Game was not recorded in stereo according to Stanley Donen when I heard him speak live. Now if he was misremembering I don't know but he made a point to mention it.

PMF how do you remember Broadway ticket prices from '77? I thought I was the only one who remembered stuff like that. And you can thank Verdon and Fosse for those prices which up to then a top orchestra price was $15. Then when Chicago opened it went up to an eye watering $17.50. Only time I saw Verdon on stage. Honestly I wish I had seen her when she was younger. My mother and aunt saw her in Can Can and it was one of their most vivid happiest theatrical memories.

Streisand's My Man in Funny Girl the first half when she talks/sings it in Funny Girl was recorded live then when she repeats it going full throttle that was pre-recorded.

The first anecdote I've heard of performing to a pre-recorded track was Wedding of the Painted Doll in Broadway Melody. It was filmed and recorded live but they had to redo it for some reason. Thalberg instead of using the orchestra again said to film it to the track for the previous take.

As I heard it, they had recorded it live on a single wide shot. Thalberg asked where the closeups were to cut in and they hadn’t shot any so he said to just play back the original take and they could lipsync to it for the insert shots.

 

[Matt Hough]

PMF how do you remember Broadway ticket prices from '77? I thought I was the only one who remembered stuff like that. And you can thank Verdon and Fosse for those prices which up to then a top orchestra price was $15. Then when Chicago opened it went up to an eye watering $17.50. Only time I saw Verdon on stage. Honestly I wish I had seen her when she was younger. My mother and aunt saw her in Can Can and it was one of their most vivid happiest theatrical memories.

And then Liza Minnelli broke the money barrier again with a $20 top for The Act.

I saw Verdon in Sweet Charity and Chicago (after she came back from her throat surgery). Wouldn't give anything for the memories.

 

[haineshisway]

Just finished watching this. I found most of the transfer great. The night scenes and Two Lost Souls are TOO dark - don't know why. But most of it is aces - the opticals are soft, of course, but everything else is fine - not as good as Pajama Game but better than it's ever looked on home video by a country mile. This is especially obvious in the opticals in Six Months Out of Every Year, which looks better than it has any right to. What's fascinating about the band being recorded overseas is that it still has that Warner Bros. Heindorf sound. And Joecaps is right - this nonsense about lip-syncing to the cast album is just that - if it were the case you'd be able to do exactly what Joe says and you can't. I'm quite certain they recorded the band to a click-track, sent the tapes back and shot to that OR they recorded to a clicked piano track.