September 1, 2009 (XIX:1) Mark Sandrich TOP HAT (1935, 100 min) Directed by Mark Sandrich Produced by Pandro S. Berman Screenplay by Dwight Taylor Based on the play by Sándor Faragó and Aladar Laszlo Produced by Pandro S. Berman Cinematography by David Abel Film Editing by William Hamilton Songs by Irving Berlin Fred Astaire... Jerry Travers Ginger Rogers... Dale Tremont Edward Everett Horton... Horace Hardwick Erik Rhodes... Alberto Beddini Eric Blore... Bates Helen Broderick... Madge Hardwick Lucille Ball... Flower Clerk (uncredited) Dennis O'Keefe... Elevator Passenger (uncredited) Mark Sandrich (26 October 1901, New York City, New York, USA-- 4 March 1945, Hollywood, California, USA, heart disease) Blue Skies (1946), So Proudly We Hail! (1943), Holiday Inn that he quit school and sell newspapers to help support the family. (1942), Buck Benny Rides Again (1940), Shall We Dance (1937), A When he turned fourteen, he left home and began living on the Woman Rebels (1936), Follow the Fleet (1936), Top Hat (1935), streets of the Bowery. After a few years of doing odd jobs, he Everything's Ducky (1934), The Gay Divorcee (1934), Cockeyed found work as a singing waiter in saloons, deriving most of his Cavaliers (1934), Hips, Hips, Hooray! (1934), Aggie Appleby income from tips. He taught himself to play piano by picking out Maker of Men (1933), The Druggist's Dilemma (1933), Hokus tunes in the back after the bars closed for the night. While working, Focus (1933), Private Wives (1933), Thru Thin and Thicket; or, he would sometimes sing patriotic songs to the patrons—his Irish Who's Zoo in Africa (1933), The Iceman's Ball (1932), Strife of the boss calling him a "Yiddishe Yankee Doodle!" Party (1931), False Roomers (1931), The Wife o' Riley (1931), His talent was first noticed by an employee of a New Moonlight and Monkey Business (1930), General Ginsberg (1930), York music publisher who often visited the saloon, later telling his Gunboat Ginsberg (1930), Two Gun Ginsberg (1929), Runaway boss, "I have discovered a great kid." By the time he turned twenty Girls (1928), Hello Sailor (1927), Monty of the Mounted (1927), he was hired as a staff lyricist with the Ted Snyder Company. Brave Cowards (1927), A Midsummer Night's Steam (1927), Big From this early position he began a "meteoric rise as a songwriter" Business (1926), Napoleon, Jr. (1926). in Tin Pan Alley and then on Broadway, with his first world- famous hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", in 1911. The song Irving Berlin (Israel Isidore Baline. Mogliev, Belarus, Russian sparked an international dance craze in places as far away as Empire, May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989). From Wikipedia: Russia, which also "flung itself into the ragtime beat with an American composer and lyricist widely considered one of the abandon bordering on mania." As his music developed over the greatest songwriters in history…. His father, a Jewish cantor at the years, he made every effort to write lyrics in the American synagogue, had to uproot the family when he was five because of vernacular: uncomplicated, simple and direct, with his stated Russia's pogroms which destroyed their village. They settled in ambition being to "reach the heart of the average American", New York City's Lower East Side in 1893, but a few years later, whom he saw as the "real soul of the country." when he was eight years old, his father died suddenly, requiring Sandrich—TOP HAT—2 In his early Suit (1979, "Battlestar Galactica” (1 episode, 1979), The Amazing years he wrote Dobermans (1976, The Towering Inferno (1974, "It Takes a Thief” hundreds of songs, (5 episodes, 1968-1970), Finian's Rainbow (1968), "Dr. Kildare (4 many of which became episodes, 1965), The Pleasure of His Company (1961), On the major hits, making him Beach (1959), "General Electric Theater" (2 episodes, 1957-1959), "a legend" before he Silk Stockings (1957), Funny Face (1957), Daddy Long Legs turned thirty. During (1955), The Band Wagon (1953), The Belle of New York (1952), his 60-year career he Royal Wedding (1951), Let's Dance (1950), Three Little Words wrote an estimated (1950), The Barkleys of Broadway (1949), Easter Parade (1948), 1,500 songs, including Blue Skies (1946), Yolanda and the Thief (1945), The Sky's the the scores for 19 Limit (1943), You Were Never Lovelier (1942), Holiday Inn Broadway shows and (1942), You'll Never Get Rich (1941), Second Chorus (1940), 18 Hollywood films, Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940), Story of Vernon and Irene with his songs Castle (1939), A Damsel in Distress (1937), Shall We Dance nominated eight times (1937), Follow the Fleet (1936), Top Hat (1935), Roberta (1935), for Academy Awards. The Gay Divorcee/The Gay Divorce (1934), Flying Down to Rio Besides "Alexander's (1933). Won Oscar: Honorary Award “For his unique artistry and Ragtime Band", he his contributions to the technique of musical pictures.” (1950); wrote songs like Nominated Oscar: Best Actor in a Supporting Role- The Towering "Cheek to Cheek", Inferno (1975); Won AFI Life Achievement Award (1981). "Blue Skies", and "Puttin' On the Ritz". Ginger Rogers (16 July 1911, Independence, Missouri, USA--25 Some of his songs have April 1995, Rancho Mirage, California, USA, congestive heart become popular themes and anthems, such as "Easter Parade", failure) "Hotel" (1 episode, 1987), "The Love Boat" (2 episodes, "White Christmas", "Happy Holiday", "This is the Army, Mr. 1979), Harlow (1965/II), “Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Jones", and "There's No Business Like Show Business". In 1917, Theatre" (1 episode, after being drafted by the army to write patriotic songs during 1965), "The Red Skelton World War I, he composed an all-soldier musical revue as a Show" (3 episodes, 1963- patriotic tribute to the army. Twenty-five years later, during World 1964), The Confession War II, it was remade into a hit Broadway musical and film, This (1964), "Zane Grey is the Army. It co-starred Ronald Reagan and had Kate Smith Theater" (1 episode, again singing Berlin's "God Bless America", which had already 1960), "The DuPont Show become the unofficial national anthem after she first sang it on the with June Allyson", The radio in 1938. After 9-11, it again became the #1 song after Celine First Traveling Saleslady Dion recorded it as a tribute. (1956), Black Widow Berlin's songs have reached the top of the charts 25 times (1954), Forever Female and been re-recorded countless times by singers including Frank (1954), Not Married! Sinatra, Barbara Streisand, Linda Ronstadt, Rosemary Clooney, (1952), The Groom Wore Diana Ross, Bing Crosby, Al Jolson, Nat King Cole, Billie Spurs (1951), The Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald. Composer Douglas Moore sets Berlin Barkleys of Broadway apart from all other contemporary songwriters, and includes him (1949), It Had to Be You instead with Stephen Foster, Walt Whitman, and Carl Sandburg, as (1947), Magnificent Doll (1946), Heartbeat (1946), Week-End at a "great American minstrel" – someone who has "caught and the Waldorf (1945), I'll Be Seeing You (1944), Lady in the Dark immortalized in his songs what we say, what we think about, and (1944), Tender Comrade (1943), Once Upon a Honeymoon (1942), what we believe." Major and the Minor (1942), Tales of Manhattan (1942), Roxie Composer George Hart (1942), Tom Dick and Harry (1941), Kitty Foyle: The Natural Gershwin called him History of a Woman (1940), The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle "the greatest songwriter (1939), Stage Door (1937), Shall We Dance (1937), Swing Time that has ever lived", and (1936), Follow the Fleet (1936), In Person (1935), Top Hat (1935), composer Jerome Kern Roberta (1935), The Gay Divorcee (1934), Change of Heart concluded that "Irving (1934), Flying Down to Rio (1933), Sitting Pretty (1933), Chance Berlin has no place in at Heaven (1933), Rafter Romance (1933), A Shriek in the Night American music - he is (1933), Don't Bet on Love (1933), Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933), American music." 42nd Street (1933), You Said a Mouthful (1932), Hat Check Girl (1932), The Tenderfoot (1932), Suicide Fleet (1931), Follow the Fred Astaire (10 May Leader (1930), Office Blues (1930), Queen High (1930), The Sap 1899, Omaha, from Syracuse/ The Sap from Abroad (1930), Young Man of Nebraska, USA-- 22 Manhattan (1930), Sweethearts (1930), A Night in a Dormitory June 1987, Los (1930), A Day of a Man of Affairs (1929). Won Oscar: Best Angeles, California, Actress in a Leading Role- Kitty Foyle: The Natural History of a USA, pneumonia) The Woman (1941) Man in the Santa Claus Sandrich—TOP HAT—3 Edward Everett Horton (18 March 1886, Brooklyn, New York, We Dance (1937), Swing Time (1936), Seven Keys to Baldpate USA-- 29 September 1970, Encino, California, USA, cancer) Cold (1935), Diamond Jim (1935), Top Hat (1935), Old Man Rhythm Turkey (1971), "The Governor & J.J." (2 episodes, 1970), "Nanny (1935), Folies Bergère de Paris (1935), The Gay Divorcee (1934), and the Professor" (1 episode, 1970), "Love, American Style" Flying Down to Rio (1933), The Great Gatsby (1926), Night Out (segment "Love and Las Vegas") (1 episode, 1970), "It Takes a and a Day In (1920). Thief" (1 episode, 1969), "Batman" (2 episodes, 1966), "F Troop" (6 episodes, 1965), "Burke's Law (2 episodes, 1963-1965), It's a Helen Broderick (11 August 1891, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963), Pocketful of Miracles (1961), USA-- 25 September 1959, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, "Damon Runyon Theater" (1 episode, 1955), "The Colgate USA, natural causes) Because of Him (1946), Honor and Goodbye Comedy Hour" (1 episode, 1954), "I Love Lucy" (1 episode, (1945), Three Is a Family (1944), Father Takes a Wife (1941), No, 1952), Down to Earth (1947), The Ghost Goes Wild (1947), No, Nanette (1940), The Captain Is a Lady (1940), Naughty But Faithful in My Fashion (1946), Cinderella Jones (1946), Lady on a Nice (1939), The Road to Reno (1938), Rage of Paris (1938), Train (1945), Brazil (1944), Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), The Smartest Girl in Town (1936), Swing Time (1936), Love on a Bet Gang's All Here (1943), Springtime in the Rockies (1942), I (1936), Top Hat (1935), Cold Turkey (1931), 50 Million Married an Angel (1942), Here Comes Mr.