Around the World ... in song!

[dmolson]

Caught a radio re-broadcast of the Mercury Summer Theatre's Around the World in 80 Days - quite engaging and fast paced, mainly due to its 1/2 hour format. But it was part musical, so listened eagerly as O.Welles, as the villian, sang quite compellingly! It was very well done (duh!) and thoroughly entertaining. Are there many more incidents of OW warbling a tune... I recall seeing a clip on TV of him on either the Dean Martin or Red Skelton show doing a song and dance #...

[Jeff Wilson]

Welles briefly sings (always in a comedic context) in a handful of the Orson Welles Almanac (Mobil) episodes, if I recall correctly, and in the first episode of Hello Americans, at the prodding of Carmen Miranda, who guested.

That "Around the World..." episode is a great one, if only because it's one of the few traces of a Welles theatrical production to survive. Does anyone know if any of the Porter songs have been recorded anywhere else? It seems like a nice opportunity for some record label to dig up a "lost treasure" and record it, regardless of the actual quality of the score.

[allegra]

The songs may indeed have been recorded. I found "Around the World" listed as "Record. Dust Cover has some rips,It called Michael Todd's Around the World in 80 Days.Rare" and ordered it. However, when I got the purchase notification back, it said "Audio CD, Greg Wiggins Trio." I've sent a note to the seller, and if it's the real deal, I'll be happy to make a copy for anyone who'd like one when it arrives (2-3 weeks).

[Jeff Wilson]

I'm pretty sure that the Michael Todd production has music by Victor Young, which is what was used in the film version he produced after ditching the Welles production.

[Jeff Wilson]

Recordings update: after doing a brief bit of digging around, I've found three recordings of songs from the show. In 1946, cast member Larry Laurence, with Ray Carter and Orchestra, recorded two 78's: "Should I Tell You I Love You" / "Look What I Found" (catalog Real 1195A-B), and "If You Smile at Me" / "Pipe Dreaming" (catalog Real 1195C-D). A project dedicated to recording forgotten and obscure B'way stuff on a label called Painted Smiles has done six volumes of Porter material, and Volume 5 has "Should I Tell You I Love You." Info on the first two came from this Porter site page on the show.



Edited By Jeff Wilson on Oct. 11 2003 at 12:35

[mteal]

I agree The Mercury Summer Theatre show of Around The World is valuable for historical purposes, but I don't think Porter's songs are very memorable. Somehow Welles and Cole Porter seems like an odd artistic marriage to begin with, and Porter definitely didn't bring his best stuff to the production. In fact, Naremore's book mentions Welles complaining that Porter, who was born rich, got richer off his music, and even married rich, didn't contribute one dollar to the financing of AROUND THE WORLD.

AROUND THE WORLD-
(A 1946 Stage production by Orson Welles)

**** MOVIES shown silently (presumably with music) on a scrim curtain show Phileas Fogg, a fastidious English gentleman, walking into a
LONDON BANK.
One the way in he bumps into a policeman, Dick Fix, and the two make several unsuccessful attempts to get out of each other's way before they finally get past each other. Fogg enters the bank and withdraws all of his money. Right after Fogg exits the bank, a robber is seen onscreen breaking the glass of the bank's front window. At the same moment, the sound of broken glass is heard behind the curtain which rises to reveal the bank interior onstage and the robber walking on firing loud gunshots at the ceiling.
**** PLAY takes over as the robber robs the bank and makes a getaway. Fix and two assistants enter stage and query the bank employees. Fix suspects Fogg of having robbed the bank although the bank teller says it wasn't Fogg. Fix ignores him and tells his two assistants to start searching the town for Fogg. Scrim curtain comes down.
**** MOVIES take over showing Fix's assistants searching in various locales around London. The last locale is a park. On film Fix asks a woman with a baby carriage if she has seen anything.She says no, and Fix leaves. Passepertout (Pat), an American, starts to follow the woman, named Molly, in the park. The curtain rises and
**** PLAY takes over as Pat is rebuffed by Molly against a spectacular
LONDON PARK
backdrop. He explains to her that he's lonely and penniless in a foreign country and manages to charm her eventually. Pat finds a shilling on the ground and the two start singing the
**** SONG: "Look What I've Found"

After the song there is a quick change of scenery to the outside of
PHILEAS FOGG'S HOME.
Molly suggests to Pat that he start working for Fogg, whom she cleans house for. Pat applies to Fogg for a job, and Fogg hires him as valet. Fogg says he is going to the Whist Club. As he starts out for the Club, curtain comes down and we hear several townspeople sing the
**** SONG: "There He Goes, Mr. Phileas Fogg"

Curtain rises to reveal the interior of the
WHIST CLUB,
with another spectacular backdrop that is somewhat reminiscent of the receding doors of Kane's Xanadu. Fogg meets four other gentleman, Runcible, Albamarle, Baring and Mandiboy.

They discuss the robbery and Baring notes how strange it is that Fogg took all of his money out of the bank just before the robbery occured. Fogg says he thinks the Police will catch the robber as the world is much smaller then it used to be. He and Runcible argue about this and eventually make their 20,000 pound wager that the globe can be circled in 80 days. At home, Fogg tells Pat to pack for a tour of the world. Fix comes knocking just as they have left and assumes that they are running away from the law. With a quick change of scenery we are taken to the
RAILROAD STATION,
and as Fogg and Runcible confirm their bet, the theatre is filled with the sound of a train whistle. As they board the train, Pat tells Fogg that he left the stove burning. Fogg tells him that it will run for 80 days at his expense.
With the curtain still up, and to the sound of the train whistle, the scenery for
A DOCK AT SUEZ
rolls, rises, and is lowered into place in front of the audience. In other words, the scenery assembles itself as the audience watches.
Fix enters, disguised as a Greek businessman, Matapopoulis. He starts talking to a consul about Fogg. Two Indian spies enter and tell Fix they can help him catch Fogg. Fix realizes he is actually ahead of Fogg, due to delays in Fogg's train. When Pat and Fogg arrive, Fix, still in disguise, talks to them about further transportation. When Fogg goes to an office to find out, Fix asks Pat why they are traveling around the world, Pat says he does not know. They watch as Fogg comes back and talks to the consul, then to the Indian spies who perform some
**** MAGIC for him: the famous "Hindu rope trick", where a rope is made to straighten out by itself to the ceiling. When Fogg leaves, Fix tells the two spies and a belly dancer to follow him.
The conductor tells Fogg that the train cannot go to Hong Kong because part of the track has not been built. Pat says the delay will ruin Fogg, but Fogg decides to use elephants. Fix describes many other modes of transport used in the area, but eventually negotiates the price for him, and Fogg buys an elephant for 2,000 pounds.
**** CURTAIN falls as a parade of all kinds of vehicles that Fix had described goes back and forth in front of the curtain: various wagons, sedans and rickshaws, etc. The passengers are mainly British women who sing "There he goes, Mr. Phileas Fogg" as they crisscross the stage.
Then, in front of the curtain, we see Fogg, Fix, and Pat riding on an elephant (!). The elephant stops as we hear savage sounding music. Fix explains that a woman is about to be burned with her husband's corpse. At this point, Fix was to sing the
**** SONG: "Mrs. Aouda" (eventually cut from the show).
Then, behind the scrim curtain, we hear the sound of gongs and cymbols. The curtain rises to reveal
JUNGLE SCENE
with steps rising up to a pyre. Mrs. Aouda, standing illuminated in a second story window, is brought down and laid on one of the steps along with another woman (another wife?) to be burned. As Fix tells Fogg that Mrs. Aouda was educated in England, Fogg negotiates with the tribal priest for her release.
**** CURTAIN comes down, and in the front left-hand corner of the stage, Fix is seen with a spotlight in a small doorway wiring London that Fogg will be delayed because 'I've taken his elephant away'.
Curtain rises on
AN ENCAMPMENT IN THE JUNGLE
Fogg and Mrs. A talk a bit, and she thanks him for saving her. Fogg goes to patrol the area, while Mrs. A and Pat discuss differences in India and America concerning love and marriage courting. Each thinks the other seems civilized, considering where they're from. Pat tells her he's in love with Molly, then exits. Curtain comes down as Mrs. A, apparently having fallen in love with Fogg, sings the
**** SONG: "Should I Tell You I Love You"
Curtain rises on
A STREET IN HONG KONG
Script says "Various supernumeraries mill about the stage colorfully". Fogg talks to a coolie about getting transportation to America. The coolie says that no boats are leaving due to a typhoon. Fogg exits, and the coolie pulls off his mask- it's Fix!
A real, sinister-looking Chinese man comes onstage and helps Fix take off his costume. Fix orders him to send his beggars and coolies to follow Fogg. Fix then arranges transport for himself to America.
Curtain falls as two American sailors carrying a drunken friend enter. Molly Muggins enters, having followed Fogg and Pat all the way to China. The sailor is not really drunk after all- he is out cold, having been punched by Molly for getting fresh. Fix talks to Molly and the sinister Chinaman about Fogg's whereabouts. Molly exits and Pat enters, having just missed her. Pat asks Fix how to get transport to America. Fix tells him he knows a place and to follow him. They exit, and Fogg and Mrs. A enter. Fogg sees Pat entering an Opium den, and says 'it's too bad China is not part of the British Empire- they would cure all Chinese of the Opium habit'. Curtain rises on
AN OPIUM DEN
Script says 'Lights come up behind scrim backdrop showing the interior of the "opium hell"'. Pat is puffing on a pipe. Fix is filling his pipes, trying to loosen his tongue. They start discussing large sums of money back in London. Fix thinks Pat is talking about the money stolen from the bank, but Pat is actually talking about the wager Fogg has made with Runcible. Pat then accuses Fix of being an agent sent by the Whist Club to try and sabotage Fogg's journey, so he'll lose the bet. Fix then tells Pat that he is really a detective, and that Pat has been duped by Fogg. Fix promises Pat a share of the reward money if he betrays Fogg. Fix leaves, sees Molly, and tells her to catch the Canarctic for America. Curtain falls as Fix sings
**** SONG: 'Pipe Dreaming'
Curtain rises on
JAPAN- HONORABLE OKA SAKA CIRCUS
Pat wakes up from his pipedream and realizes he's been shangheid to Japan, and is now a slave of a man in Kimona who runs a circus. We see an elaborate
**** CIRCUS NUMBER

with acrobats, aerialists, and clowns. Pat is caught up in the act (sounds a bit like O'Hara in the 'Funhouse' sequence from Lady From Shanghai). Then Fu San, the Magician (Fix in disguise?) comes and does some
**** MAGIC TRICKS
As it turns out, Fogg and Mrs. Aouda are in the audience! They grab Pat and start heading for the boat to America. Curtain falls, rises to reveal a boat (in miniature?) while in the left-front corner of the stage an illuminated portal shows Japanese man sending wire for Fix to London about Fogg's progress. Blackout. Curtain rises
ABOARD THE S.S. GENERAL GRANT

Saloon on boat, Pat tells Fogg that the China mis-adventure was Fix's fault and that he thinks Fix may be onboard the boat in disguise. Mrs. A enters. Fogg leaves abruptly. Pat and Mrs. A once again discuss Fogg. Mrs. A, alone in the saloon sings a reprise of 'Should I Tell You I Love You'. As the song ends, a very slow curtain for
END OF ACT 1
INTERMISSION
Around the World
Original Broadway Production