Ethel Merman

Ethel Merman

• Ceremony was on February 8, 1960

Motion Pictures Star for Ethel Merman

Location: 7044 Hollywood Boulevard
https://www.google.com/maps/place/7044+Hollywood+Boulevard

Ethel Merman

• Ceremony was on February 8, 1960

Recording Star for Ethel Merman

Location: 1751 Vine Street
https://www.google.com/maps/place/1751+Vine+Street

The World Is Your Balloon

Ethel Agnes Zimmermann was born in Astoria, New York. She began singing in New York clubs in the mid-1920s, her last pre-professional engagement being at Little Russia, just steps from Carnegie Hall, where, so ironically, she would conclude her meteoric career just over 50 years later.

Those years between engagements on 57th Street are the story of the greatest musical comedy star America has ever known. The Great Ethel, as Cole Porter would call her, was appearing at New York's Palace Theatre, the mecca of Vaudeville during the summer of 1930 when she was brought to George Gershwin's apartment at 72nd Street and Riverside Drive. Here, Gershwin played for Merman the three songs she would be assigned in his upcoming (October 14, 1930, Alvin Theatre, 52nd Street) show. Of the three, it was "I Got Rhythm" that brought Ethel Merman to the attention of all Broadwayites from that moment forward.

In the Eleventh edition of George White's "Scandals", Merm told the late Rudy Vallee "You're An Old Smoothie, and in 1932, Merman proclaimed that "Eadie Was a Lady". But it was back at the Alvin on November 21, 1934 that Ethel had one of her greatest triumphs with Cole Porter's "Anything Goes". The role would forever endear her to Jack O'Brien, Dean of American columnists, and Cole Porter, probably the third greatest of American composers. Porter and "The Great Ethel" would do five smash shows together, completing the cycle with wartime's "Something for the Boys"

When the Porter cycle ended, Merman then starred in two smash Irving Berlin musicals a the Imperial Theatre. "Annie Get Your Gun", gave Merm her longest (1,147 performances) run and "Call Me Madam", affirmed an old show-biz adage: never be an understudy for Merman; during an eighteen month run, Merman never missed a performance.

After "Call Me Madam", self-induced semi-retirement took Merman to Denver, Colorado, but she returned to the Majestic Theatre on December 6, 1956 for "Happy Hunting", her least rewarding, though very melodious, tuner. It was the calm before the storm.

Years later on concert tour in Seattle, Merman would rival Mt. St. Helen's volcano in strength. That power was in full evidence on May. 21, 1959, when Merman opened in "Gypsy", her favorite role, at the Broadway Theatre. It seemed that "Everything's Coming Up Roses" was the perfect capper to the perfect musical comedy career. She always thanked Jules Styne for that number. Merman must have known what was right for her: Stephen Sondheim, then quite young, was to have written both music and lyrics. Merm okayed lyrics only.

Merman next essayed two equally unfamiliar grounds: she toured in "Gypsy", headlined in Vegas, and The Ethel Merman Show" toured the summer circuit. There were TV appearances with Lucille Ball, Marlo Thomas, and every vanity show host. There was a TV production of "Annie Get Your Gun", but no Broadway other than this "Annie" revival.

But on March 28, 1970, Ethel Merman became the seventh Dolly Levi in "Hello, Dolly!" Until December 27 of that year, Broadway was alive again with the incomparable sound of the indomitable Merm.

In my opinion, Merman's December 27 Dolly. closing and her one night only "Together on Broadway", May 15, 1977, Broadway Theatre appearance with Mary Martin were her two greatest performances. All were in agreement as Merman said, "Gee, But It's Good To Be Here".

That number, ironically from "Happy Hunting", opened her last performance, on May 10, 1982 at Carnegie Hall, just steps from where it had all begun.

The recordings represented on this disc are singles that Merman cut for Decca Records from 1950-1951.
Albert F. Koenig, Jr.

Side One

• A Little Girl from Little Rock
• Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend
• Dearie
• I Said My Pajamas (And Put on My Prayers)
• It's So Nice to Have a Man Around The House
• (If I Knew You Were Comin') I'd've Baked a Cake
• Calico Sal
• She's Shimmyin' on The Beach Again
• Hawaii
• Ukulele Lady

• The Lake Song (Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg)
• Don't Believe It
• Once Upon a Nickel
• Oldies
• Love Is The Reason
• The World Is Your Balloon
• Make The Man Love Me
• You Say The Nicest Things
• a Husband--a Wife
• If You Catch a Little Cold (I'll Sneeze For You)