[Dixielandjazz] A SIMPLE LITTLE SYSTEM

[Harry Callaghan]

I was reminded of this delightful little number as a result of someone
making mention of the composer Handel during our on-going "Night
Train/Plaigirism" discussion.

It was a number penned by Betty Comden and Adolph Green with music by Jule
Styne for "Bells Are Ringing".

In it, Eddie Foy Jr. devises a means by which the answering service he
employs (run by Judy Holiday in both the Bway show and subsequent
movie).will be receiving bets placed on horse races.  He has all the bookies
calling in their bets making like they are placing record orders.

In the musical number, he is joined by a chorus that answers back when he
calls out the name of a composer that he has designated to be representative
of a racetrack.

He says "Beethoven" and they respond with "Belmont Park", Puccini/Pimlico;
Rachmaninoff/Rockingham and then of course, Handel brings the chorus to sing
"Hialeah, Hialeah".

As a point of interest, while he did not have the original starring role on
Broadway, (it was someone named Sydney Chaplin) Hal Linden, of TVs "Barney
Miller", who has been known to play a pretty mean licorice-stick,
appeared in the part for quite some time.  The movie lead of course was
handled quite ably by Dean Martin, who I would say really needed the role
after some considerable failures following his break with Jerry Lewis

You may now file this in your "Things I could have really done without
hearing today" folder

Tides,
HC.

-- 
Music you grew up listening to
Or when we're done you'll wish
you grew up listening to.

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