It’s Sort Of Romantic

Abstract

This chapter turns to the British musical in the 1950s. As in the 1920s, the spirit of “America” was again prominent in the 1950s. The American influence on British shows is clear, for example when producer Emile Littler commissioned the score to Love From Judy (1952) from Hugh Martin and Jack (later Timothy) Gray. Indeed, we can see many “American” touches in the musicals of the 1950s. The most completely “American” musical was Grab Me a Gondola (1956). The only un-American about Gondola was its modest staging: the sets looked cheap, the orchestra contained only thirteen players, and the twenty-three-person cast wasn’t enough to constitute a chorus. Nevertheless, the overall effect was that of a guilty pleasure, and the show's popularity as seen through its 673 performances convinced many a producer to try to find a way to slip American elements into British forms, even pantomime. Looking at those musicals which were free of foreign influence, we can see that many had period settings, charm, and a decorous attitude. These musicals include Dear Miss Phoebe (1950) and Peter Tranchell and James Ferman's Zuleika (1957).