''Banjo Eyes'' is a

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

based on the play '' Three Men on a Horse'' by John Cecil Holm and George Abbott. It has a

book A book is a structured presentation of recorded information, primarily verbal and graphical, through a medium. Originally physical, electronic books and audiobooks are now existent. Physical books are objects that contain printed material, ...

by Joseph Quinlan and Izzy Ellinson, music by

Vernon Duke Vernon Duke ( 16 January 1969) was a Russian-born American composer and songwriter who also wrote under his birth name, Vladimir Dukelsky. He is best known for " Taking a Chance on Love," with lyrics by Ted Fetter and John Latouche (1940), "I ...

, and lyrics by John La Touche and Harold Adamson. Produced by Albert Lewis and staged by

Hassard Short Hubert Edward Hassard Short (15 October 1877 – 9 October 1956), usually known as Hassard Short, was an actor, stage director, set designer and lighting designer in musical theatreJohn Kenrick (theatre writer), Kenrick, JohnWho's Who in Musicals ...

, the Broadway production opened on December 25, 1941 at the Hollywood Theatre, where it ran for 126 performances. The cast included

Eddie Cantor Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Cantor was one of the prominent entertainers of his era. Some of h ...

, Lionel Stander, William Johnson, and, in a small role, future novelist Jacqueline Susann ('' Valley of the Dolls''). Although Cantor was known as "Banjo Eyes," the title referred not to his character but to a talking race horse, played in costume by the

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

team of Morton and Mayo. In dream sequences, Banjo Eyes would give Cantor's character tips on which horses were going to win different races, but warned him his supposed talent for picking the winners would vanish if he ever placed a bet himself. The book was a very loose adaptation of its source, and the

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

anthem "We Did It Before (And We Can Do It Again)" by Charles Tobias and Cliff Friend was interpolated into the score for no apparent reason other than to stir up

patriotism Patriotism is the feeling of love, devotion, and a sense of attachment to one's country or state. This attachment can be a combination of different feelings for things such as the language of one's homeland, and its ethnic, cultural, politic ...

among audience members. Cantor closed the show by singing a medley of his hits in his customary

blackface Blackface is the practice of performers using burned cork, shoe polish, or theatrical makeup to portray a caricature of black people on stage or in entertainment. Scholarship on the origins or definition of blackface vary with some taking a glo ...

. The show closed when its star suffered a medical emergency.Mordden, Ethan, ''Beautiful Mornin': The Broadway Musical in the 1940s''. Oxford University Press 1999. , p. 26

Song list

;Act I *Birthday Card *Valentine’s Day Card *Easter Greetings *Merry Christmas *Mother’s Day *I’ll Take the City *The Toast of the Boys at the Post (music and lyrics by George Sumner) *I’ve Got to Hand It to You *A Nickel to My Name *Who Started the Rhumba? *It Could Only Happen in the Movies ;Act II *Make with the Feet *We’re Having a Baby *Banjo Eyes *The Yanks Are on the March Again *Not a Care in the World *We Did It Before (And We Can Do It Again)

References

External links

* {{Vernon Duke Musicals by Vernon Duke 1941 musicals Broadway musicals Musicals based on plays