Amazing find!

That would be super. Great idea, particularly as the DVD market doesn't seem as vibrant - but I must admit loving owning hard copy discs of these things. I need to hunt down a DVD copy of the 1956 remake, which our webmaster, David Lobosco has so nicely reviewed in the International Club Crosby's "Bing" magazine. 

The 1936 version of 'Anything Goes' has always been at the top of my list of Bing's movies that I would love to see in re-mastered HD versions rather than ropey old YouTube transfers, so it's amazing that David has managed to track down just a version! I know that a lot of the wonderful Cole Porter songs were ditched, but I love the on-screen chemistry between Bing and Ethel Merman.

David, add me to the list please. Happy to pay postage.

Me too please, David if you would be so kind. This is just marvellous of you. I'll send a private message if that is agreeable for us to arrange address and postage payment details?

Very grateful to Archiefit for the link to 'The Star Maker' but - er - the thread concerns a hi-def copy of the 1936 'Anything Goes'..!

Please add me to the list David. Cheers from Graham

Archiefit,

I've just been having  a yet another look at the beautiful restored title sequence of the 1936 version of "Anything Goes", with all its gorgeous black and white imaginative imagery (it's all I currently have in my pathetic life until my freshly ordered DVD copy from Dave (dmgprod) plops through my letterbox) and suddenly a new thought struck me.

Although the working titles of the original stage version of "Anything Goes" went through a couple of alternative names ("Crazy Week" and "Hard to Get"), I'm just wondering if it's possible that you ended up accidentally considering "Star Maker", with any of the various cinematic incarnations of "A Star is Born", whose first unofficial film version was the alternatively titled "What Price Hollywood?" in 1932? This was of course long before we eventually became spoilt for choice by the more known title versions starring Janet Gaynor, Bing's radio friend Judy Garland ("Country Girl" style, wouldn't Bing have made a great James Mason in the role of Judy's husband?), Barbra Streisand and Lady Gaga came along.

As I'm sure you'll be aware none of these versions, unlike "Anything Goes" was set on a ship. Although the sea and its shore, did of course suicidally (as readers of this must now surely feel) play a part in "A Star is Born" -  I just wondered if any of this was worth your consideration?

If not, I'll just have to crawl off, shamefacedly into a corner and comfort myself with a chorus of "Blow, Gabriel Blow" - and hoping that particular rousing song of the original show, made it into my as yet to be viewed DVD copy of the original, now restored film version. 
 

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (22/10/2022 12:44 pm)

Oh I see!!!!!!
Thank you SO much for the explanation,  Archiefit.
You've really cleared that one up for me and I now fully understand.
Renaming films for clarity or familiarity is something I've come across before.

I think the first example I heard of in precisely the same spirit and same number of years between was when the Bob Hope and Shirley Ross (with whom he originally sang "Thanks for the Memory" the year before) comedy "Some Like it Hot" (1939) was renamed "Anything Goes" (only kidding)  - it was actually renamed "Rhythm Romance" for US television after the Billy Wilder/Marilyn Monroe film of the same appeared in 1959.

I believe in the UK for television purposes we may show duplicated titled films under their original names but I'm open to correction, here. I do know during Hollywood's "Golden Age", the UK would sometimes alter first run US cinema film titles to avoid confusion or for reasons of decorum. For example, the 1950 Judy Garland/Gene Kelly  musical "Summer Stock" had it's titled altered for its original UK theatrical release as "If You Feel Like Singing", simply because very few people in the UK would have heard of this concept.

Just a year later, the Astaire musical "Royal Wedding" had its UK cinema title changed to "Wedding Bells"  to show dereference and distinction that our then almost universally popular monarchy and new queen, at whose wedding the film was set four years before - would not be considered in the "same frame" as a "frothy" Hollywood musical. Both films are now shown on UK television under their original titles. How times change. 

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (22/10/2022 5:20 pm)