50 years ago: Guys and Dolls opened on Broadway

Guys and Dolls Frank Loesser (music & lyrics)

Cast Album

Stage Debut: November 24, 1950 Recorded: December 3, 1950 Released: January 8, 1951 Peak: 11 US Sales (in millions): -- Genre: show tunes

Soundtrack

Released: November 3, 1955 Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Genre: show tunes

Songs on Cast Album: Runyonland Music/ Fugue for Tinhorns/ Follow the Fold The Oldest Established I’ll Know A Bushel and a Peck Adelaide’s Lament Guys and Dolls If I Were a Bell My Time of Day I’ve Never Been in Love Before Take Back Your Mink More I Cannot Wish You Luck Be a Lady Sue Me Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat Reprise: Guys and Dolls Songs on Soundtrack: Song Title (Performers) Overture (JACK BLACKTON) Fugue for Tinhorns (STUBBY KAYE / FRANK SINATRA) Follow the Fold (JEAN SIMMONS) The Oldest Established Floating Crap Game in New York (STUBBY KAYE / JOHNNY SILVER / FRANK SINATRA) I’ll Know (MARLON BRANDO / JEAN SIMMONS) Pet Me Poppa (VIVIAN BLAINE) Adelaide’s Lament (VIVIAN BLAINE) Guys and Dolls (STUBBY KAYE / JOHNNY SILVER / FRANK SINATRA) Adelaide (FRANK SINATRA) If I Were a Bell (MARLON BRANDO / JEAN SIMMONS) A Woman in Love (MARLON BRANDO / JEAN SIMMONS) Take Back Your Mink (VIVIAN BLAINE) Luck Be a Lady (MARLON BRANDO) Sue Me (VIVIAN BLAINE / FRANK SINATRA) Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat (STUBBY KAYE) Guys and Dolls Finale (JACK BLACKTON) Singles/Hit Songs: As was common in the pre-rock era, songs from musicals were often recorded by artists not associated with the musical and released as singles. Here are some of the most notable hit singles resulting from the show: ”A Bushel and a Peck” – Perry Como & Betty Hutton (#3, 1950), Margaret Whiting & Jimmy Wakely (#6, 1950), Doris Day (#16, 1950), the Andrews Sisters (#22, 1950), Johnny Desmond (#29, 1950) ”If I Were a Bell” – Frankie Laine (#30, 1950) ”Luck Be a Lady” – Frank Sinatra (--, 1965)

Rating: 4.428 out of 5.00 (average of 11 ratings for cast album and soundtrack combined) Awards (Cast Album and Soundtrack): (Click on award to learn more).

About the Show: “Guys and Dolls, based on the stories of Damon Runyon about New York gamblers, became a stunning success upon its Broadway opening in 1950. While Abe Burrows’ libretto was much praised, the show's main asset is Frank Loesser’s songs, which are unfailingly tuneful and which accurately represent the vernacular of Runyon’s characters, from Fugue for Tinhorns, a trio song full of horse racing slang, to Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat, a revival meeting pastiche in which a gambler claims to have found salvation. Luck Be a Lady, a gambler’s ode to good fortune, became a standard.” WR “Winning as these are, love songs such as I’ll Know and I’ve Never Been in Love Before are equally affecting. And that isn’t even to mention the songs that became contemporary hits, If I Were a Bell and A Bushel and a Peck.” WR The show premiered on Broadway on November 24, 1950 and ran for 1200 performances. It won the Tony Award for Best Musical. It was selected as the winner of the 1951 Pulitzer Prize, but got vetoed because Abe Burrows had problems with the House Un-American Activities Committee. WK-C WR The 1955 film adaptation starred Blaine along with Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, and Jean Simmons. Five songs from the stage musical were omitted from the movie and Loesser wrote three new songs for the film: Pet Me Poppa, Your Eyes Are the Eyes of a Woman in Love, and Adelaide. The last was written specifically with Sinatra in mind. WK-S

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Frank Loesser WR William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide WK-C Wikipedia (cast album) WK-S Wikipedia (soundtrack) First posted 8/11/2008; last updated 12/22/2021.