They made us happy : Betty Comden and Adolph Green's musicals and movies

Betty Comden and Adolph Green were the writers behind such classic stage musicals as On the Town , Wonderful Town , and Bells Are Ringing , and they provided lyrics for such standards as "New York, New York," "Just in Time," "The Party's Over," and "Make Someone Happy," to name just a few. This remarkable duo, the longest-running partnership in theatrical history, also penned the screenplays for such cinematic gems as Singin' in the Rain and The Band Wagon . In the process they worked with such artists as Leonard Bernstein, Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Judy Holliday, and Jule Styne. They Made Us Happy is the first book to tell the full story of their careers, lives, and work, starting with their acclaimed appearances as part of the sketch troupe the Revuers and moving through their bi-coastal lives as a pair of Broadway's top writers and two of Hollywood's most valued scribes. The book takes readers on a trip through almost the entirety of the twentieth century, and along the way there are appearances by the likes of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Greta Garbo, and Charlie Chaplin. Author Andy Propst brings both their produced work to life as well as many of the projects that that never made it to the stage or the screen, including an aborted musical version of Thornton Wilder's The Skin of Our Teeth , a bio-pic about director-choreographer Busby Berkeley, and their version of the book for Cole Porter's musical Out of This World . Comden and Green's wit and deft satire inspired laughs during their lives, and their musicals and movies have endured, amusing generation after generation. It's work that will always be making audiences happy. "Betty Comden and Adolph Green were the writers behind such classic stage musicals as On the Town, Wonderful Town, and Bells Are Ringing, and they provided lyrics for such standards as "New York, New York," "Just in Time," "The Party's Over," and "Make Someone Happy," to name just a few. This remarkable duo, the longest-running partnership in theatrical history, also penned the screenplays for such cinematic gems as Singin' in the Rain and The Band Wagon. In the process they worked with such artists as Leonard Bernstein, Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Judy Holliday, and Jule Styne. They Made Us Happy is the first book to tell the full story of their careers, lives, and work, starting with their acclaimed appearances as part of the sketch troupe the Revuers and moving through their bi-coastal lives as a pair of Broadway's top writers and two of Hollywood's most valued scribes. The book takes readers on a trip through almost the entirety of the twentieth century, and along the way there are appearances by the likes of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Greta Garbo, and Charlie Chaplin. Author Andy Propst brings both their produced work to life as well as many of the projects that that never made it to the stage or the screen, including an aborted musical version of Thornton Wilder's The Skin of Our Teeth, a bio-pic about director-choreographer Busby Berkeley, and their version of the book for Cole Porter's musical Out of This World. Comden and Green's wit and deft satire inspired laughs during their lives, and their musicals and movies have endured, amusing generation after generation. It's work that will always be making audiences happy." --Amazon.com A comprehensive and first-ever examination of the careers, lives and work of Betty Comden and Adolph Green, __They Made Us Happy__ turns the clock back to the glamorous world of Broadway and Hollywood of the 1930s through 1950s, examining the creation of such shows as __On the Town__ and __Wonderful Town__ and such movies as __Singin’ in the Rain__ and __The Band Wagon.__ As it moves forward, the creation of such shows as __Do Re Mi__, __Subways Are for Sleeping__, and __On the Twentieth Century__ comes to life as this pair of witty authors also pursues their lives as performers and moves on to become one of the longest-running writer partnerships in theatrical history. Beyond their work together, __They Made Us Happy__ explores their collaborations with other artists, such as composers Leonard Bernstein, Jule Styne, and Cy Coleman, as well as their work with artists such as Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, and Vincente Minnelli. Offstage their lives were just as glamorous, and the book contains appearances by the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Greta Garbo, John F. Kennedy, and Jacqueline Kennedy, to name just a few. Childhood Dreams -- The Revuers Emerge, Soar ... And Coast -- Taking The Town -- Turning To The 1920s -- Theatrical Disaster ... Cinematic Success -- Broadway To Hollywood And Back Again -- Turning Back The Clock -- Theatrical Adventures On Screen And On- And Offstage -- Serious Screen Fare, But Flying High On Stage -- Hollywood Passes, Broadway Says Yes -- Throwing A Stage Party And A Cinematic Revel -- A Movie, Some Tv ... And Jukeboxes -- Writing A Darker Musical Fairy Tale -- Stage And Screen Confections ... And Something A Little Deeper -- Part Of The Times, Personally And Professionally -- Going Backstage, Then Getting Nostalgic -- Returning (artistically) To The 1930s -- Ten Years Of Performing And Writing -- A Follies Finish And Farewell. Andy Propst. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 247-251) And Index. They Made Us Happy is the first book to tell the full story of the extraordinary careers and lives of two of Broadway's and Hollywood's most gifted writing teams: Betty Comden and Adolph Green, encompassing triumphant musical successes (On the Town, Wonderful Town) and much-loved movies (Singin' in the Rain and The Band Wagon).