Broadway in the 1930s Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ethel Merman

The Zimmermans knew their daughter Ethel (1908-1984) had a strong singing voice but directed her toward the steady paycheck of secretarial work. Growing up near a movie studio in Astoria, Queens, Ethel was stagestruck. She shortened her last name to "Merman" to fit into print advertisements.

At her audition for "Girl Crazy" she sang "I Got Rhythm" and "Sam and Delilah". Stunned by her performance, George Gershwin asked if she liked the numbers. "They will do very nicely, Mister Gershwin." Indeed they did.

Answer: Of Thee I Sing

"Of Thee I Sing" (1931) was a mild political satire and not a drama. It did boast the writing talents of George S. Kaufman and Morris Ryskind to compliment George Gershwin's music and brother Ira's lyrics. At 441 performances, it was also Broadway's longest-running book (plotted) musical of the decade.

The Marx Brothers were reportedly interested in a movie version, but they made "Duck Soup" instead.

Answer: "The Band Wagon"

Sadly, there is no known film of Adele Astaire (1896-1981) dancing with younger brother Fred despite their 27 years of partnership. For much of their joint careers, Adele was considered the bigger star - especially in England, where the couple reprised their Broadway roles in the great Gershwin musicals of the 1920s.

After "The Band Wagon" closed in 1932, Adele Astaire retired to England where she married into the nobility. Following her husband's death in 1944, she declined Irving Berlin's offer to appear in "Annie Get Your Gun." She later remarried and returned to the U.S. - but not to the stage.

Answer: Franklin D. Roosevelt

Audiences had no qualms about FDR dancing on stage - possibly because they did not know of the President's handicap. George M. Cohan (1878-1942) composed some 28 Broadway musicals, in addition to being a skilled performer, producer, lyricist, director and self-promoter. He also acted in Eugene O'Neill's only comedy, the non-musical "Ah, Wilderness" (1934).

Answer: DuBose and Dorothy Heyward

Edwin DuBose Heyward (1885-1940) was a white Southern author with a deep interest in African-American culture and literature. With his wife's help, he re-wrote his novel "Porgy" as a non-musical play in 1927. It fared better with critics and audiences than the 1935 "folk opera." The plot and portrayal of African-Americans remain controversial. Since the mid-1970s, "Porgy and Bess" has been performed by several opera companies - including New York's Metropolitan Opera, which considered but rejected it in the 1930s.

Answer: "Pins and Needles" (1937)

"Pins and Needles" was produced by the International Ladies Garment Workers Union, and starred ILGWU members. The music and sketches were written by professionals, however. Performances were originally given only on Fridays and Saturdays so the cast could keep their "day jobs." The left-leaning satire of current events played until June 1940.

Answer: "The Third Little Show" (1931)

"The Third Little Show" had a rather modest run on Broadway: the revue played just 136 performances. Noel Coward didn't perform in this production, though he starred in some of his other plays and musicals during the decade.

Remarkably, Beatrice Lillie did not appear in any "book musical" (with a plot) on Broadway until 1958, when she took over the title role in "Auntie Mame."

Answer: Terrible - closed after a dozen performances

The Berthold Brecht - Kurt Weill show is politically tendentious, but it wasn't censored by U.S. authorities. Critics and audiences put a quick end to the Broadway production. In 1954, "Threepenny Opera" returned to New York in triumph with amazing casts. Lotte Lenya, Beatrice Arthur, Edward Asner, Charlotte Rae, Jerry Orbach, Jerry Stiller and John Astin all appeared at various times during the production's 2,700+ performances both Off and On Broadway.

Answer: "The Gay Divorce" (1932)

On Broadway, Fred Astaire was paired with a gifted dancer named Claire Luce (1903-1989) in this Cole Porter classic. The couple garnered rave reviews. Fred wanted her to star with him in the Hollywood movie version ("The Gay Divorcee", 1934). Sadly, Miss Luce sustained a serious hip injury while performing in the London production, and never danced on stage again. She enjoyed a long and successful career in non-singing roles.

Meanwhile, Fred and Ginger Rogers ... but that's Hollywood, not Broadway.

"The Gay Divorce" also marked the first and only on-stage pairing of Fred Astaire and future film co-star, the delightful Eric Blore.

Answer: "You'd Be So Easy to Love"

Cole Porter knew the song was good, but how good? He included it in his score for the movie musical, "Born to Dance" (1936) under the shorter title, "Easy to Love". On the screen, the number was performed by Eleanor Powell and ... James Stewart?! Ms. Powell's vocal was dubbed by Marjorie Lane. Jimmy Stewart sang for himself, more or less.

Answer: "Jubilee" (1935)

The wealthy, globe-trotting Porter composed the languid "Begin the Beguine" and most of the score for "Jubilee" while on a cruise of the Pacific Ocean. "Just One Of Those Things" became the finale of "Jubilee". Porter composed it after completing the rest of the score, during yet another vacation - on a farm in Ohio.

Answer: The Most Beautiful Girl in the World

The Great Durante ended each performance by having the well-trained pachyderm place a foot on his head. Despite being fairly popular, the show closed after only 233 performances because of huge production costs that even impresario Billy Rose couldn't afford.

Answer: Herman Hupfeld

Most of the score for "Everybody's Welcome" (1931) was written by Broadway veteran Sammy Fain. The music and lyrics to "As Time Goes By" were written by Herman Hupfeld (1894-1951) to bolster the first act. The show had a fair run of 139 performances, but faded into obscurity.

The movie "Casablanca" was based on a never-produced non-musical play that included "As Time Goes By". Most of the film was "in the can" (completed) when Max Steiner, who composed the movie score, demanded that his own original song be used instead. Fortunately for Herman Hupfeld, the scenes could not be re-shot with Steiner's new song.

Answer: Paul Robeson (Joe)

The multi-talented Paul Robeson (1898-1976) has a magnificent singing voice, but performed in only two Broadway musicals: the revival of "Showboat" and "John Henry" (1940), the latter running for less than a week. The role of Joe was written for him, but he was engaged in other projects during the original run of "Showboat." Robeson reprised the role in the 1936 movie, allowing future generations to experience his performance.

Answer: Bob Hope

"Red, Hot and Blue" didn't have a de-lovely start. The book (plot) by Howard Linsday and Russel Crouse was too long and complex. Porter argued over revisions. William Gaxton, a star from Porter's smash "Anything Goes," quit the project because Ethel Merman's part was too prominent; Bob Hope was hired to replace him. Durante and Merman (and perhaps Hope too) fueded about their billing.

The show had a fair run of 183 performances - far less than the 420 of "Anything Goes." "De-Lovely" became the title of a 2004 film biography of Cole Porter, starring Broadway veteran Kevin Kline.

Answer: "As Thousands Cheer" (1933)

Irving Berlin's "As Thousands Cheer" was a musical revue based on current events and popular personalities. The 21 witty scenes were written by Moss Hart, with Berlin providing the music and lyrics. "Easter Parade" was performed by Clifton Webb and Marilyn Miller - in her final stage appearance before her untimely passing at the age of 37 in 1936.

Answer: Yes - several

Busby Berkeley William Enos came from an acting family. He began performing as a young child. According to the Internet Broadway Database, he choreographed and/or directed over a dozen Broadway shows in the 1920s, and provided additional dances for "Sweet and Low" in 1930, before heading west. The overhead shots, waterfalls and other magic of Berkeley's movie career were impossible in the context of a staged musical. He returned to Broadway to "supervise" the revival of "No, No, Nanette" in 1971, although Donald Saddler was credited as the choreographer.

Ironically, virtually none of the backstage movie musicals of the 1930s played on Broadway - at least not in the '30s. "42nd Street" (Broadway 1980) was based on the movie, with songs added from other sources. At least "A Chorus Line" is a bona fide Broadway show!

Answer: "Leave It To Me!" (1938)

The show - a musical comedy - is set in the Soviet Union of the 1930s. Ms. Martin stole the show, fortunately. Joseph Stalin appears in the final dance number, set to the strains of the Internationale, which Cole Porter certainly didn't write. Some wonder if "Leave It To Me!" inspired the plot of "The Producers".

Answer: Sam H. Harris

Sam Harris (1872-1941) was a boxing promoter before becoming a theater impresario. His first show was a straight play, titled "The Evil That Men Do" (1903). Boxing and evil-doings were strange for Harris, who was known for his kindness and generosity. He first paired with George M. Cohan to produce "Little Johnny Jones" (1904). The two parted ways over the actors' strike of 1919, when Harris supported the union.

During the 1930s, Harris produced the Gershwins' "Of Thee I Sing" (1931), Cole Porter's "Jubilee" (1935) and Rogers & Hart's "I'd Rather Be Right" (1937) - the last starring his former partner Cohan. Harris also found time (and money) to produce some of the decade's most popular non-musical comedies: "Once in a Lifetime" (1930), "Dinner at Eight" (1932), "You Can't Take It With You" (1936) and "The Man Who Came to Dinner" (1939).

Sam Harris passed away in 1941. His remains are interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, very close to his sometime-partner George M. Cohan.

Answer: The American Theatre Wing

In 1917, several ladies of the New York theater established the Stage Women's War Relief to aid American servicemen. Mary Antoinette Perry (1888-1946)- the "Tony" of the awards - and others re-established the charity as The American Theatre Wing in 1939. Today, the ATW conducts a wide variety of educational and charitable endeavors supporting American performing arts in New York and across the nation.