The Golden Age of Movie Musicals and Me

An academy award winner who worked on more than sixty films as songwriter, vocal arranger, pianist, musical director, and producer shares his insider's view of the major studios and his working relationships with great songwriters and performers of his era. UP. Saul Chaplin worked on more than sixty films as a songwriter, vocal arranger, pianist, musical director, or producer. He received Academy Award nominations for Kiss Me Kate, High Society, An American in Paris, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and West Side Story and won Academy Awards for the last three. He was also the associate producer on The Sound of Music, the most popular movie musical ever filmed. In this fascinating autobiography he takes us inside the music departments of Hollywood's big studios and reveals how the classic musicals were planned, prepared and produced. Chaplin knew most of the major songwriters and performers of his era. The reader sees them through his eyes in working situations. In separate chapters Chaplin describes Cole Porter, Ira Gershwin, Al Jolson, Leonard Bernstein, Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Julie Andrews, Frank Sinatra, and others. His insider's memoir is uniquely focused on the behind-the-scenes aspect of moviemaking. In this autobiography, Saul Chaplin takes the reader inside the music departments of Hollywood's big studios and reveals how the classic musicals were planned, prepared and produced. The author worked on over 60 films as songwriter, vocal arranger, pianist, musical director or producer.