''Best Foot Forward'' is a 1941 musical with songs by

Hugh Martin Hugh Martin (August 11, 1914 – March 11, 2011) was an American musical theater and film composer, arranger, vocal coach, and playwright. He was best known for his score for the 1944 MGM musical ''Meet Me in St. Louis'', in which Judy Garland ...

and

Ralph Blane Ralph Blane (July 26, 1914 – November 13, 1995) was an American composer, lyricist, and performer. Life and career Blane was born Ralph Uriah Hunsecker in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. He attended Tulsa Central High School. He studied singing with ...

and a book by

John Cecil Holm John Cecil Holm (November 4, 1904, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – October 24, 1981, in Westerly, Rhode Island) was an American dramatist, theatre director and actor. He is best known for his 1935 play ''Three Men on a Horse'', co-written w ...

. Produced by

George Abbott George Francis Abbott (June 25, 1887 – January 31, 1995) was an American theatre producer, director, playwright, screenwriter, film director and producer whose career spanned eight decades. Early years Abbott was born in Forestville, New Yo ...

, after an out-of-town tryout, the production opened on Broadway on October 1, 1941 at the

Ethel Barrymore Theatre The Ethel Barrymore Theatre is a Broadway theater at 241 West 47th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1928, it was designed by Herbert J. Krapp in the Elizabethan, Mediterranean, and Adam styles ...

, where it ran for 326 performances. It was directed by Abbott, with choreography by Gene Kelly, and starred Rosemary Lane. The show was

Nancy Walker Nancy Walker (born Anna Myrtle Swoyer; May 10, 1922 – March 25, 1992) was an American actress and comedian of stage, screen, and television. She was also a film and television director (lending her talents to ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'', on wh ...

's Broadway debut and also launched June Allyson to stardom. Sets and lighting were by Jo Mielziner, and costumes were by Miles White.Suskin, Steven
"On the Record: ''Best Foot Forward, Good News'' and ''The Girl Most Likely''
, Playbill, March 23, 2003, accessed February 9, 2015 The musical's success led to a 1943 film adaptation starring

Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five times, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Golde ...

, Allyson and Walker, and a 1954 television adaptation. A 1953 tour featured Debbie Reynolds and

Joan Bennett Joan Geraldine Bennett (February 27, 1910 – December 7, 1990) was an American stage, film, and television actress. She came from a show-business family, one of three acting sisters. Beginning her career on the stage, Bennett appeared in more t ...

. The 1963 Off-Broadway revival at Stage 73 ran for 224 performances. It was directed and choreographed by

Danny Daniels Danny Daniels, (October 25, 1924 – July 9, 2017), born Daniel Giagni, Jr., was an American choreographer, tap dancer, and a dance teacher. Daniels was a featured dancer in several 1940s Broadway musicals, including '' Billion Dollar Baby'', ' ...

and featured newcomer Liza Minnelli, who won a

Theatre World Award The Theatre World Award is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or Off-Broadway. It was first awarded for the 1945–1946 theatre se ...

, and Christopher Walken.

Veronica Lake Constance Frances Marie Ockelman (November 14, 1922 – July 7, 1973), known professionally as Veronica Lake, was an American film, stage, and television actress. Lake was best known for her femme fatale roles in film noirs with Alan Ladd ...

was a replacement for Paula Wayne as Gale. A recording of this revival is available on CD.

Background and reception

Before ''Best Foot Forward'',

had hired

to write musical arrangements for several shows, including

Rodgers and Hart Rodgers and Hart were an American songwriting partnership between composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and the lyricist Lorenz Hart (1895–1943). They worked together on 28 stage musicals and more than 500 songs from 1919 until Hart' ...

shows. By 1941, Larry Hart was suffering from alcoholism, and Richard Rodgers was having difficulty working with him. Abbot chose Martin and his collaborator to write the songs for his new musical with a high school theme based on an unpublished play by

, whom he engaged to write the book. Abbott knew that lighthearted and innocent student-themed musicals, including a few of his own, had proved popular in past Broadway shows.Dietz, Dan
''Best Foot Forward''
''The Complete Book of 1940s Broadway Musicals'', Rowman & Littlefield, 2015, pp. 78–80 The prep-school theme also allowed Abbott to hire a cast of inexpensive unknown actors who were too young to be pulled away from the show by the

draft Draft, The Draft, or Draught may refer to: Watercraft dimensions * Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel * Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail * Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a vesse ...

.Mantle, Burns
"Teen Age Cast in Abbott's New Musical"
''Chicago Tribune'', October 12, 1941, p. C8 The show's lively direction and choreography, comical hijinks and catchy tunes led to a strong run for a pre-''

Oklahoma! ''Oklahoma!'' is the first musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, ''Green Grow the Lilacs''. Set in farm country outside the town of Claremore, Indian Territory, in 1906, it tell ...

'' show.

Brooks Atkinson Justin Brooks Atkinson (November 28, 1894 – January 14, 1984) was an American theatre critic. He worked for '' The New York Times'' from 1922 to 1960. In his obituary, the ''Times'' called him "the theater's most influential reviewer of hi ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' liked the "good humored" show, especially praising the score, choreography, Walker and Allyson. Other critics mostly agreed, although some felt that the show's youthful exuberance was carried too far.

Synopsis

Just for fun, prep school student Bud Hooper writes a fan letter asking his idol, Hollywood actress Gale Joy, to come to Philadelphia to be his partner at the junior prom. His school is Winsocki Military Academy. Jack Haggerty, the actress' manager in Hollywood, sees an opportunity for publicity and advises Gale to accept Bud's invitation. The appearance of the famous star at Winsocki is greeted with excitement, and Bud abandons his own girl Helen Schlessinger to accompany Gale to the ball. Out of jealousy, Helen tears Gale's sash while she is dancing, which causes a riot. Others begin to tear off pieces of Gale's clothes as well, but only to gain souvenirs from the famous star. The boys hide Gale in their dormitory, where farcical comings and goings ensue. The school regards the incident as a scandal, and Bud is now in danger of being expelled. Gale and Jack try to avoid furore and go back to Hollywood. After Bud and Helen settle their arguments and any other problems are solved, everything at Winsocki goes back to normal.

Roles and original Broadway cast

*Minerva – June Allyson *Hunk Hoyt – Kenneth Bowers *Helen Schlessinger – Maureen Cannon *Junior –

*Freshman – Richard Dick *Chuck Green – Tommy Dix *Prof. Williams – Robert Griffith *Satchel Moyer – Bobby Harrell *Professor Lloyd – Roger Hewlett *Dutch Miller – Jack Jordan, Jr. *Gale Joy – Rosemary Lane *Old Grad – Stuart Langley *Waitress – Norma Lehn *Jack Haggerty – Marty May *Miss Ferguson and Miss Delaware Water Gap – Betty Anne Nyman *Goofy Clark –

Lee Roberts Lee Roberts (June 17, 1913 – April 24, 1989) was a film actor during the Hollywood Golden Age. Sometimes he is credited as Robert Allen or Lee J. Roberts. Career Little is known about this man who appeared in over 100 films between 1943 a ...

*Ethel – Victoria Schools *Bud Hooper –

Gil Stratton Gil Stratton Jr. (June 2, 1922 – October 11, 2008) was an actor and sportscaster who was born in Brooklyn, New York. He most recently resided in Toluca Lake, California, until his death from congestive heart failure. Early life Stratton was ...

*Blind Date –

*Dr. Reeber – Fleming Ward *Fred Jones – Lou Wills, Jr. *Chester Billings – Vincent York

Songs

Act 1

* "Don't Sell the Night Short" (Minerva, Blind Date, Students and Girls) * "Three Men on a Date" (Bud Hooper, Dutch and Hunk Hoyt) * "That's How I Love the Blues" (Gale Joy and Jack) * "The Three B's" (Ethel, Minerva and Blind Date) * "Ev'ry Time" (Helen) * "The Guy Who Brought Me" (Gale, Jack, Bud, Dutch and Hunk Hoyt) – music and some lyrics by Richard Rodgers * "I Know You by Heart" (Bud) * "Shady Lady Bird" (Helen and Students) * "Shady Lady Bird (reprise)" (Helen and Ensemble)

Act 2

* "Buckle Down, Winsocki" (Hunk, Old Grad and Chorus) * "My First Promise" (Ethel and Singers) * "What Do You Think I Am?" (Minerva, Hunk and Chorus) * "Just a Little Joint with a Juke Box" (Hunk and Blind Date) * "Where Do You Travel?" (Jack, Helen, Miss Delaware Water Gap, and Singers) * "Ev'ry Time (Reprise)" (Gale) * "I'd Gladly Trade" (Gale and Company)

References

External links

* * *
''Best Foot Forward'' at Tams-Witmark Music Library, Inc.
{{Liza Minnelli 1941 musicals Broadway musicals Off-Broadway musicals Plays by John Cecil Holm