Music in the Shadows This page intentionally left blank Music in the Shadows Noir Musical Films sheri chinen biesen Johns Hopkins University Press Baltimore © 2014 Johns Hopkins University Press All rights reserved. Published 2014 Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 1 Johns Hopkins University Press 2715 North Charles Street Baltimore, Maryland 21218-4363 www.press.jhu.edu Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Biesen, Sheri Chinen, 1962– Music in the shadows : noir musical films / Sheri Chinen Biesen. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-4214-0837-8 (hardcover : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-4214- 0838-5 (pbk. : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-4214-0839-2 (electronic) — ISBN 1-4214-0837-6 (hardcover : alk. paper) — ISBN 1-4214-0838-4 (pbk. : alk. paper) — ISBN 1-4214-0839-2 (electronic) 1. Musical films—United States—History and criticism. 2. Film noir—United States—History and criticism. 3. Jazz in motion pictures. I. Title. PN1995.9.F54B535 2014 791.43'657—dc23 2013027717 A catalog record for this book is available from the British Library. Special discounts are available for bulk purchases of this book. For more information, please contact Special Sales at 410-516-6936 or [email protected]. Johns Hopkins University Press uses environmentally friendly book materials, including recycled text paper that is composed of at least 30 percent post-consumer waste, whenever possible. For my grandmother, uncle, and family of writers, artists, and musicians who continue to inspire my fascination with film noir and the musical This page intentionally left blank Contents List of Illustrations ix Acknowledgments xi 1 The Noir Musical 1 2 Preludes to the Noir Musical 10 3 Blues in the Night: The Noir Musical on the Brink of World War II 20 4 Smoky Melodies: Jazz Noir Musical Drama 39 5 Le Rouge et le Noir: From The Red Shoes to A Star Is Born 76 6 Dark Musical Melodrama: From Young at Heart to West Side Story 118 7 The Legacy of the Noir Musical 145 Notes 177 Index 203 This page intentionally left blank Illustrations Blues in the Night publicity still 27 Blues in the Night publicity still 33 Jammin’ the Blues publicity still 45 Dead Reckoning publicity still 47 Cover Girl publicity still 51 To Have and Have Not publicity still 54 Phantom Lady publicity still 56 Christmas Holiday publicity still 57 Gilda publicity still 59 Gilda publicity still 61 Black Angel publicity still 63 The Man I Love lobby card publicity 66 The Red Shoes publicity still 81 The Red Shoes publicity still 83 Words and Music publicity still 89 Young Man with a Horn lobby card publicity 94 The Band Wagon publicity still 102 A Star Is Born publicity still 111 A Star Is Born publicity still 113 Young at Heart publicity still 120 Love Me or Leave Me publicity still 124