''Glamorous Night'' 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 ...

in two acts with a book and music by

Ivor Novello Ivor Novello (born David Ivor Davies; 15 January 1893 – 6 March 1951) was a Welsh actor, dramatist, singer and composer who became one of the most popular British entertainers of the first half of the 20th century. He was born into a musical ...

and lyrics by Christopher Hassall. Hassall was Novello's collaborator in six of the eight musicals Novello created between 1935 and 1951. ''Glamorous Night'' was the first of several hit Novello musicals in the 1930s given expensive, spectacular productions. The musical was first performed in London in 1935. In 1937 it was adapted as a film of the same name starring Mary Ellis and

Otto Kruger Otto Kruger (September 6, 1885 – September 6, 1974) was an American actor. Originally a Broadway matinée idol, he established a niche as a charming villain in films, such as in Alfred Hitchcock's ''Saboteur (film), Saboteur'' (1942) and Dougla ...

Background

After beginning the 1930s by writing a series of non-musical plays, Novello returned to musicals in 1935 with ''Glamorous Night'', the first of several very successful large-scale operetta-style pieces that he premiered in spectacular productions. The musical featured extravagant scenery, including a street with a horse-drawn carriage, a ship, an operetta production and a bustling gypsy wedding, and a ballroom; extensive dance numbers; and shipboard skating. The story echoed the political situation in Romania, where King Carol II had renounced his throne to live with, and eventually marry, a Romany actress,

Magda Lupescu Magda Lupescu (born Elena Lupescu; 3/15 September 1899 – 29 June 1977), later officially known as Princess Carol of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, was the mistress and later wife of King Carol II of Romania. Early life and family Many of the fa ...

.Ellacott, Vivyan
"London Musicals 1935–1939"
, ''Over the Footlights'', accessed 12 March 2013

Productions

''Glamorous Night'' was produced by Ivor Novello. The musical opened at the

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and listed building, Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) an ...

in London on 2 May 1935 to robust ticket sales, but it had a limited run due to the pre-booking of a

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment, generally combining gender-crossing actors and topical humour with a story more or less based on a well-known fairy tale, fable or ...

at the theatre. It then toured in the British provinces before re-opening at the

London Coliseum The London Coliseum (also known as the Coliseum Theatre) is a theatre in St Martin's Lane, City of Westminster, Westminster, built as one of London's largest and most luxurious "family" variety theatres. Opened on 24 December 1904 as the Lond ...

in May 1936 for another short run, for a total of 234 London performances. The role of Anthony Allen was played by Novello, and that of the gypsy (Militza Hajos) was played by Mary Ellis. It was directed by

Leontine Sagan Leontine Sagan (born Leontine Schlesinger; 13 February 1889 – 20 May 1974) was a theatre director and actress of Jewish descent, whose life and career took her from the Austro-Hungarian Empire to South Africa, Britain and the United States. ...

, with choreography by Ralph Reader. The plot echoed current events in Rumania, where the king was willing to give up his reign to marry a Romany actress, Mme. Lupesco. A movie was made of '' Glamorous Night'' in 1937, with Barry MacKay taking the role of Anthony Allen,

as King Stephen and Mary Ellis reprising her stage role of Militza. The show was briefly revived in November 1975 at the

New London Theatre The Gillian Lynne Theatre (formerly the New London Theatre) is a West End theatre located on the corner of Drury Lane and Parker Street in Covent Garden in the London Borough of Camden. The Winter Garden Theatre occupied the site until 1965. On ...

, and was part of a UK tour. It was directed by Alexander Bridge and starred

John Hanson John Hanson ( – November 15, 1783) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father, merchant, and politician from Maryland during the American Revolution, Revolutionary Era. In 1779, Hanson was elected as a delegate to ...

and Pamela Field.

Synopsis

A young inventor, Anthony Allen, has created a working television but has not had much success in promoting it. The head of a radio broadcasting company fears competition and pays Allen to suppress his invention. Allen takes a luxury cruise to the " Ruritanian" kingdom of Krasnia in Central Europe. There he sees an operetta, ''Glamorous Nights'', starring the gypsy princess Militza Hajos, the prima-donna of the state opera. He meets the star and learns that she is betrothed to the King of Krasnia. Allen saves her from an assassin and, after she flees the country aboard his cruise ship, he rescues her from a shipwreck caused by another assassination plot. They soon fall in love. Meanwhile, the gypsies side with the King to overcome a revolution and also promote the reunion of Militza and King Stefan. Brokenhearted, Anthony gives her up, for the good of the kingdom. The king finances Anthony's invention. Back in England, Allen watches the king's wedding to Militza on his television.

Principal characters

* Anthony Allen, ''an inventor'' – Novello, and later Barry Sinclair * Militza Hajos, ''a Gypsy princess'' – Mary Ellis * Phoebe, ''her maid'' – Minnie Rayner * Stephen, ''King of Krasnia'' – Barry Jones * Nico, ''a footman'' –

Peter Graves Peter Graves (born Peter Duesler Aurness; March 18, 1926 – March 14, 2010) was an American actor who portrayed Jim Phelps in the television series ''Mission: Impossible (1966 TV series), Mission: Impossible'' from 1967 to 1973 and in its reviv ...

Replacements included Robert Andrews,

Olive Gilbert Olive Sarah Gilbert (22 November 1898 – 19 February 1981) was a British singer and actress, who, in a career spanning seven decades, performed first in opera and then in many of Ivor Novello's musicals in London's West End theatre, West End. Af ...

Elisabeth Welch Elisabeth Margaret Welch (February 27, 1904July 15, 2003) was an American singer, actress, and entertainer, whose career spanned seven decades. Her best-known songs were " Stormy Weather", " Love for Sale" and "Far Away in Shanty Town". She was ...

and Muriel Barron.

Musical numbers

* Glamorous Night * Fold your wings * Shine through my Dreams * When a Gypsy Played * Far Away in Shanty Town * Why Isn't It You? * The Girl I Knew

Film adaptation

A 1937 British

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

adaptation of the musical, with the same name, was directed by

Brian Desmond Hurst Brian Desmond Hurst (12 February 1895 – 26 September 1986) was an Irish people, Irish film director. With over thirty films in his filmography, Hurst was hailed as Northern Ireland's best film director by BBC film critic Mike Catto.Scree ...

and starred Mary Ellis,

Victor Jory Victor Jory (November 23, 1902 – February 12, 1982) was a Canadian-American actor of stage, film, and television. He initially played romantic leads, but later was mostly cast in villainous or sinister roles, such as Oberon in ''A Midsummer Ni ...

and Barry MacKay.

Notes

External links

''Glamorous Night''
at the Guide to Musical Theatre

{{Authority control 1935 musicals West End musicals Musicals by Ivor Novello Fictional representations of Romani people British musicals Musicals set in Europe Musicals set on ships Musicals by Christopher Hassall