The Stingiest Man in Town

I've written before about the original musicals written for American television in the 1950s. Fifty-five years ago tomorrow, "The Alcoa Hour" presented a musical version of A Christmas Carol called The Stingiest Man in Town.

The creative team (Fred Speilman, music, and Janice Torre, book and lyrics) is not well known these days, but they produced quite a good score, memorialized in this 1956 Columbia release.

Damone, Madigan, Rathbone

At their service are an array of singers from both the pop and opera worlds; also Basil Rathbone as Scrooge.

Vic Damone, Johnny Desmond, Patrice Munsel and Betty Madigan offer an array of attractive numbers, although none became holiday standards. The Four Lads are utilized as a sort of Greek fraternity chorus in the guise of carollers commenting on the story.

Rathbone and Martyn Green

Spielman was a German expatriate composer who spent time in Hollywood. His biggest hit (written with Torre) was "Paper Roses," a country song.

Lost for many years, a kinescope of the original production was recently discovered and issued on DVD. The sound on the cast recording is vivid, although Columbia added a wash of reverberation, possibly to cover up dry studio sound.

The LP's back cover notes are fairly confusing, so a relevant cast list may be helpful:

Vic Damone - Young Scrooge
Johnny Desmond - Fred
The Four Lads - Carolers
Martyn Green - Bob Cratchit
Betty Madigan - Martha Cratchit
Patrice Munsel - Belle
Basil Rathbone - Ebenezer Scrooge
Robert Weede - Marley's Ghost
Robert Wright - Spirit of Christmas Present

LINK

Patrice Munsel as Melba

This is the 1953 soundtrack to a sanitized version of the life story of famous soprano Nellie Melba. True to form, Hollywood cast young singer Patrice Munsel, who was much better looking than Melba, and made her version of the diva into a sweet character, whereas the real thing was a pain in the larynx region.

Munsel did very well in the role, on the aural evidence. Her attractive soprano and forthright approach suited the familiar arias and songs nicely, and she was well accompanied by Covent Garden forces under Muir Mathieson and Warwick Braithwaite.

Patrice Munsel as a glamorized Nellie Melba

This 10-inch LP consists almost entirely of popular opera arias, from Gounod, Puccini, Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti and Verdi, salted with the usual chestnuts (now there's a mixed culinary metaphor): the Bach-Gounod "Ave Maria," Mendelssohn's "On Wings of Song," and, be it ever so humble, "Home Sweet Home."

Munsel pushes Melba toast

What it does not include are the songs written for the film by Mischa Spoliansky and lyricist Norman Newell. This is an odd omission because RCA Victor recorded the two songs with Munsel and an orchestra conducted by Henri René, and issued them as a single. For this revised (2021) post, I've included these numbers, which although delightful are somewhat similar waltzes, via an HMV pressing. Completing the package is Victor Young's instrumental recording of the "Melba Waltz."

Melba was Munsel's only starring role in film, although she often appeared on American television, either as a talk show or musical variety guest, and occasionally as an actor in roles that generally involved singing. She had her own television show in 1957-58. One of her TV roles was in The Stingiest Man in Town, which has appeared here.

Munsel was in the Met company from 1943, when she was just 18, until 1958. She continued appearing in opera and eventually musical comedy until 1981. She died in 2006.

Back then, opera stars often appeared in ads. Above, Munsel endorses Old London brand Melba toast. Below, she does away with "fingertip monotony." And in common with many singers, she also appeared in cigarette ads.

The download includes more ephemera, including a Life magazine article on Melba.