Love Me or Leave Me (1955) - A Bad Romance

 

This is my entry in The Biopic Blogathon, hosted by Hometowns to Hollywood.  Click here for more favorite biopics. They’re all true, right?

My heart explodes with love for this film. It has everything that enchants me about the movies. It may never make the list of the greatest films ever made, but it weaves a tale of dangerous emotions and irresistible characters and features knockout performances of epic chemistry by two of my favorite actors, James Cagney and Doris Day. I absorb it. It creates its own world in my imagination. It makes me feel. It makes me care.

Marty thinks he's in control

“Love Me or Leave Me” is a fictionalized (what else) version of the unsavory and pretty appalling professional life of singer Ruth Etting. Ms. Etting was a popular singer in the 1920s and 30s, known as “America’s Sweetheart of Song,” who was married to her violent mobster manager, Martin “Moe” Snyder, charmingly known as “Moe the Gimp.” Once Etting managed to free herself from Snyder she entered a romantic relationship with her accompanist, Myrl Alderman, whom Snyder promptly shot. All of this really happened (Snyder’s teenage daughter was also caught up in the gun play, but there was only so much of this that the movie could show). Anyway, in 1955 Etting, Snyder and Myrl Alderman (now Ruth’s husband), all sold the rights to their story to MGM. So, while the film certainly sanitizes a lot, it also has that smidgen of truth that some biopics can’t claim.

Ruth gets canned from her 10 cents a dance girl job,
but bigger and badder things are on the horizon

The story opens in the Chicago of the 1920s where Etting is working as a 10 cents a dance girl and Snyder is the local hood shaking down the establishment. She catches his eye and he tries his luck for a quick pick-up, offering to help her get a job on stage. She is ambitious and takes the help (she is hilarious when first hired as a dancer who can’t remember her steps) and that’s the beginning of a twisted, sadomasochistic relationship that ends with the above-mentioned shooting.

What makes this film so damn compelling are the performances of Day and Cagney and how they breathe life into a couple entangled in a relationship that is, to say the least, complicated. Each party thinks they are in control, until one of them is not.

Marty is always mouthing off, but Ruth holds the reins (for a while)

Doris Day is no little miss innocent here. Looking sexy as all hell in skimpy, skin-baring outfits (as well as some other less revealing but no less beautiful outfits, all designed by Helen Rose), Day comes across as 100% believable as the overly ambitious, hard drinking singer whose moral compass is a little off kilter. See how she works Marty to get her more of what she wants.

Doris looking amazing

The music, mostly songs Etting made famous, as well as a few new ones, is Doris at her best. Because each song is presented as part of a performance, the musical numbers blend seamlessly with the story. It’s a beautiful soundtrack that was hugely popular in its time.

This was Doris Day’s first real dramatic performance and she is perfect. She goes toe to toe with Cagney in some heated arguments that are downright uncomfortable in their intimacy and she never backs down. There is a real, twisted sexual tension between these two; his combined with hope, violence and jealousy and hers mingled with self-loathing and an over-estimated confidence in her ability to control him.  Cagney loved Doris, lobbied for her to play the role, insisted that she get top billing (what a guy – the first time he relinquished it since attaining star status in 1931) and thought she was a great actress. I have to concur. Next to Judy Garland, I think she is probably the most talented all around performer in film. There was nothing she couldn’t do, and she did it all with a never showy naturalness that is sometimes underrated due to her later undeserved reputation as a professional virgin (although she was married in so many of those later comedies. Go figure). Her transformation from a hopeful, joyous performer to a beaten down woman who drinks to numb the pain is harrowing and touching (her “Ten Cents a Dance” number masterfully illustrates the hardness and sadness she develops after her marriage to Marty).

Marty Snyder was Cagney’s last gangster role and he simply blows up the screen with raw appeal. Nothing is held back in reserve and he takes my breath away. His Gimp is crude, brutal, an animal and yet, at the same time, charming, and lovesick and you just can’t help feeling sorry for the guy. Ruth knows he is nuts for her and initially manipulates him while managing to keep his romantic overtures at bay. She accepts the help he gives her with her career and doesn’t seem to mind that, initially, most of that help was obtained through shady methods. She plays the game well, but in the end pays a big price. After a scandal making altercation backstage during Ruth’s Ziegfeld Follies debut, the couple get into a vicious, heartbreaking argument that ends with an off screen sexual assault and a miserable marriage. When he furiously attacks her because she would never acknowledge their relationship to the Ziegfeld crew, she says she couldn’t and he practically sobs that he would have done it for her (a tough guy holding back a sob is always a gut punch). Whew. It truly feels like watching the most private moments of a couple’s awful argument, feeling like you somehow intruded upon them and you shouldn’t be there.  The 1955 censors apparently cut out more explicit scenes of violence and sexual assault. According to Day's biography, that disturbing scene continued with Marty pushing Ruth against a wall, tearing her dress and raping her. The remaining scenes are disturbing enough. 

This battle is about as emotional as it gets. Marty is a
dangerous and wounded animal and Ruth has run out of luck

Cagney’s Gimp eventually devolves into a man who has lost control of Ruth and his emotions, ending with a mean (and very real) slap across his soon to be ex-wife’s face and the eventual shooting of Alderman. It's debatable if Day knew the real slap was coming, but it was 100% real. Ouch. Audiences gasped at the shocking violence.

Of course, Cagney in the clink is always fun to watch. When Ruth comes to see him there he tells her it makes him feel like a kid again and that he is finally done with her. She realizes she is free, but she is not jubilant. Marty was like a bad addiction. You know it's so bad for you, but you can't imagine living without it.

Marriage to Marty means sadness and the end to sexy pjs

During each of Ruth’s performances the camera repeatedly gives us Marty’s reactions. At first, when a club owner is strong-armed into letting Ruth perform, Cagney is nervous and then relieved when he realizes the girl can actually sing. Next we see him filled with pride when he realizes that he doesn’t have to “stack the joint” with cronies and that customers actually want to pay to see her. Finally, we see the admiration fade to the realization that, after her smashing performance at the Follies, he has lost her and that she doesn’t need him anymore. All of these emotions are spelled out in a single look. I could go on and on about how towering this performance is, but I’ve always been a sucker for Cagney and this is one of  - if not my favorite – performance of his. He justly was nominated for an Academy Award (Ernest Borgnine won that year). Doris, unjustly, was not. The film did win the award for best story.

Marty fears the handwriting on the wall

So, what else? Cameron Mitchell as Alderman is very appealing and sympathetic and makes a nice, strong shoulder for Doris to cry on. 

Myrl Alderman becomes Johnny Alderman in the film

The gal who sings a nightclub jingle in the beginning is Audrey Young, who in real life was Mrs. Billy Wilder. The part of the agent who befriends both Ruth and Marty is played by Robert Keith, who was Brian Keith’s father. And three cheers to Harry Bellaver, who played Marty’s long suffering and ever present stooge and punching bag, Georgie. The look of the film is a little less 1920s and more 1950s MGM, but the lush orchestrations by Percy Faith are top notch. There are tons of little bits of business – Marty casually helping Ruth take off a bracelet during one of their nasty arguments, his inability to remember her name when they first get involved (calling her “Ettling”), Marty genially patting the back of the prison guard as he is led back to his cell – all serve to make these characters knowable to the audience.

Marty finally lands in a place he feels comfortable - the pokey

Ruth Etting was not very happy with the finished product (are they ever?) and would have preferred to have Jane Powell play her. Snyder was also unhappy with the way he was portrayed, but he should have been happy that he wasn’t portrayed more honestly. Ugly stories abound. Happily, after all the drama, Ruth and Myrl Alderman had a long and happy marriage, largely away from the spotlight. Marty, as his film character predicted, did eventually get sprung from prison. His exact fate is a little murky, but it seems he drifted back to Chicago and worked in a mailroom or a license bureau. Somehow I don't think all he did was sort letters....

Here are the real Ruth and Marty, as well as the recently shot Alderman with Ruth, and Marty’s daughter (who ended up living with Ruth - as I said, it was complicated), at his bedside.

 

And here is Ruth Etting singing her signature song, Love Me or Leave Me.

 

On a personal note, I have to say how grateful I am that I watched "Love Me or Leave Me" again for this blogathon. For quite a long time now I have been a little indifferent to classic film. It seemed the old spark was gone, and it saddened me. James Cagney was the very first actor, so many decades ago, who got me hooked on classic films. And here he is again, so many years later, reigniting that passion. Thanks for bringing me home, Mr. C. I better not stray too far from him again.

 

The Cinemascope Blogathon: Move Over Darling (and Cary, Irene, Marilyn, Dean and you, too, Enoch Arden)

While 1963’s “Move Over Darling” can never top it’s inspiration source (1940‘s “My Favorite Wife” with the dynamic duo of Cary Grant and Irene Dunne), it stands on its own as a delightful piece of movie fluff. Good fluff isn’t easy. Fluff has to be light, airy and delightful. While many a film has aspired to just those qualities, they fall as flat as a heavy, stuffy and cloying soufflé baked in an oven full of cigar smoke.

Based on the Enoch Arden poem (of a fisherman who is presumed lost only to return home years later to find his wife and family have moved on and are happy), Ellen Wagstaff Arden (get it? Arden) is presumed lost at sea in a plane crash. Fast forward 5 years and husband Nicky is ready to move on by having Ellen declared legally dead and marrying Bianca Steele (she of the clanging charm bracelet) the very same day. But wait! Ellen has been found, is alive and well and must hurry to get her family back before the new marriage is consummated. She manages to scuttle the neurotic Bianca, but Nicky must contend with the hunk named “Adam” who shared that island with his “Eve,” Ellen, for those lost 5 years.

I know – silly stuff, but representative of all that I love about Hollywood films. Sitting in the theater with my mom, I fell in love with Doris Day the minute I saw her. How did she manage to look so darn cute without benefit of modern beauty supplies?

Ellen looking cute as a button after her naval rescue

Mother Arden is played by the incomparable Thelma Ritter. I don’t care what she is doing; she elevates the film by just being there.

Mother Arden is shocked to learn her favorite daughter-in-law is not dead. She's down for the count here, but soon springs into action

Mother-in-law wants daughter-in-law back and the 2 become partners in crime against the unsuspecting newlyweds.

And look how pretty Doris looks once she is dressed in fashionable clothes. Once hubby sees her, he can't believe his eyes.

Can it be true? Is Ellen really alive?

James Garner and Doris Day have great chemistry. Both are charming and beautiful, but totally comfortable and natural. Don’t be deceived by their ease with their material and with one another - these are film artists at work. It's never easy to make it all look so easy.

Meanwhile, back to the honeymoon that won’t happen……

No honeymoon sex for you, Bianca.

Naturally, the reunion does not go smoothly. Nicky, that dog, has taken Bianca to the same honeymoon hotel that he shared with Ellen. And Bianca (the adorable and lovely Polly Bergen) will not go quietly. She wants sex on her honeymoon, and Nicky has a hard time putting her off (mainly because wife #1 is in the room next door with her ear to the wall). In order to calm Bianca down and find a good way to tell her that the dead wife has returned and he much prefers her, Nicky fakes an injury.

Nicky is a bit tangled in his lies

He returns home with his frustrated bride, only to find that Ellen is keeping an eye on them by impersonating a Swedish nurse who gives a wicked massage. Bianca finally has her fill with these lunatics and decides she should seek solace with her shrink.

At last Ellen and Nicky can reunite, except that Nicky finds out that Ellen was not alone on that island.  A series of deceptions ensue (with Ellen, fearing that Nicky won't be happy knowing she shared the island with a hunky Chuck Connors, trying to enlist the puny Don Knotts to play her island companion). See? The story is silly, outdated, and kind of dumb but with Doris Day, James Garner, Polly Bergen, Don Knotts, Chuck Connors, even John Astin and Edgar Buchanan - come on, it’s like a big old hug from a Hollywood comfortable shoe.

A  Comfort Food Cast

 In 1963, at age 10, this film produced 2 scenes that made me laugh so hard I never forgot them. The first was the scene with Doris Day giving Polly Bergen a Swedish massage that turns into a jealous pummeling. The second was Doris driving through a car wash in a convertible with the top down. It tickled my funny bone then, and, frankly, still does.

Ellen's massage turns into a cat-fight with Bianca

Aside from some fond memories, this film has some gorgeous shots of the pool at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where “Adam” works as a lifeguard.

Ellen and Nicky share a moment at the Beverly Hills Hotel

Once Nicky learns that "Adam" is looks like Chuck Connors rather than Don Knotts, his imagination runs wild. Just what were Adam and Eve doing on that island for 5 years?

 

Nicky's imagination runs wild

As most everyone knows, this was the last film Marilyn Monroe was making before she died. Only a bit of film was shot, but one can only wonder what might have been.

Her co-star was to have been Dean Martin, who begged off of the film when, after Monroe’s death, Lee Remick was cast as Ellen. Eventually we ended up with Doris and Jim – more wholesome, I’m sure.

There’s a kind of disturbing part of the story concerning the children. When Ellen appears to them, they have no idea who she is. What did Nicky do – burn every photo of Ellen?

Of course, all’s well that ends well and Nicky and Ellen and the little girls all reunite for one big pool party. By the way, Jim looked mighty nice in that bathing suit. Okay, so it wasn't "My Favorite Wife," but it was fun and in modern, colorful eye-opening Cinemascope - just the way we liked it back in 1963!

This is my entry in the Cinemascope Blogathon hosted by Classic Becky's Brain Food and Wide Screen World. Click HERE for the big scoop on the Cinemascope!

Mary, Mae, Marlene and Doris: Industrial Strength Blondes

Twelfth in a series about strong women in film. Strong women are independent, beautiful, sexy, feminine and just want everything in life that a man wants and believe that they have every right to have it!

Blondes have a reputation. To have a "blonde moment" these days means something empty-headed and silly. The "dumb blonde" is a long-standing joke - she's sexy, but not very bright. Before the advent of one very sexy blonde by the name of Jean Harlow, blondes were also looked upon as pure and virginal (while the wicked and sinful woman was a brunette). Here are four movie blondes who took those stereotypes and stood them on their heads.

Mary Pickford: Girl Power

Mary Pickford was one of film's first superstars. "America's Sweetheart" stole the hearts of the world. Today, by those not familiar with her work, Mary Pickford is viewed as the virginal blonde, just a woman playing a little girl whose appeal belongs to the ancients. 


Well, that just couldn't be more wrong. Mary Pickford, in the days of Hollywood's infancy, was the embodiment of the all-confident, all-powerful spirit of the adolescent girl. Secure in her strength, no man, woman, child or force of nature can defeat the girl and the high esteem in which she holds herself. The doubts of maturity have not yet invaded her psyche. True to the times, she is morally beyond reproach, but she knows her power. The pre-Raphaelite hair, the sensuous hands, the luminous eyes all held out the promise of womanhood, but before the surrender. Mary was the girl who belonged to no man, only to herself. She was undefeatable. 

In real life, there was no woman in Hollywood more powerful than Mary Pickford. She crafted a career second to none and, along with her Charlie Chaplin, D.W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin and her husband, Douglas Fairbanks, founded United Artists. Her artistry, financial acumen and negotiating prowess were legendary.

Mae West: The Strength to be Fabulous

Is there any woman, blonde or otherwise, more powerful than Mae West? Posing as a 19th century woman of questionable virtue, she was really a very modern woman advocating the shocking notion that a woman had the right to enjoy her life. What a concept!


In the dark days of the Depression, Mae's joyful outlook was a tonic. The Queen of the Double Entendre, she battled the censors like a cat playing with a mouse. One could go on all day about this glorious blonde, but nobody can sings her praises better than Mae herself. Here's just a few a Mae's famous words of wisdom:


"A dame that knows the ropes isn't likely to get tied up."
"A hard man is good to find."
"An ounce of performance is worth pounds of promises."
"Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly."
"Give a man a free hand and he'll run it all over you."
"I believe that it's better to be looked over than it is to be overlooked."
"I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number you get in a diamond."
"Whenever I'm caught between two evils, I take the one I've never tried."
"Too much of a good thing can be wonderful."
"Ten men waiting for me at the door? Send one of them home, I'm tired."
"I used to be Snow White, but I drifted."
"I'll try anything once, twice if I like it, three times to make sure."
"I've been in more laps than a napkin."
"It's not the men in my life that count, it's the life in my men."

Of course, Miss Mae did it with humor, but her confidence in her allure and her brains was a lesson to all those women who just couldn't help being sexy and smart. In real life she was a canny magician who made the illusion last long after the sun had set. To quote Mae once more, "You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough." 

Marlene Dietrich: 
The Strength to be Devastating

Did Marlene really have a choice? So seductive, mysterious and devastating to both men and women, what choice did this creature have but to be herself? Was it her fault that men worshiped her became her slaves? Was it her fault that women envied and admired her? I think not. Garbo shared the same cross, but Dietrich carried it with humor and flair. Garbo's cross at times seemed a heavy burden; Marlene's was light as a feather.


You see, Marlene was quite brilliant. Instead of fighting the inevitable, she embraced her power to devastate and reveled in it. Like a beautiful jungle cat, she simply is what she is and, if you don't like it, well, you're lying.

In real life, Marlene was a mass of contradictions. However, when it came to the courage of her convictions, she was a tower of strength. The bravery she demonstrated during World War II is legendary and helped add dimension to a femme fatale who seemed to have sprung from a fantasy.

Doris Day: The Strength to be 
Independent and Happy

If ever there was an actress whose reputation has been unjustly maligned, it's Doris Day. Anyone who thinks of her as the "professional virgin" who never said "yes" clearly does not know Doris' work. Aside from a few films, Doris was always a woman whose strength was on display. True to the times, if she said "no" (mainly because she didn't like a fellow or just didn't want to), it was interpreted by the rejected suitor as the response of a frigid woman. It was all done in jest, but the image stuck.

The fact is, at the height of her fame, the image Doris Day projected on film was that of an independent woman, many times a career woman, many times a common-sense housewife who was usually more than a housewife. She was well dressed, smart, crisp and honest. She was always sincere, honest and a straight shooter. There was a sureness about her and a competency in all of her characters that made you feel that, as long as Doris was in charge, all would be well.

In real life, Doris had one of the most successful and diverse careers in Hollywood and beyond. A star of radio, recordings, movies and television, Doris endured some private tragedies, but emerged  - well, just like Doris Day - triumphant. Not only has she devoted the last several decades of her life to her passion,  the Doris Day Animal League and the animals whose rights she protects and defends, but she also became the oldest recording artist to top the charts in the UK with an album of new material. At age 87 Doris has a hit album, My Heart, and it couldn't happen to a nicer person.

My Favorite Actors are Singers; My Favorite Singers are Actors!

Some of my favorite actors are singers and some of my favorite singers are actors and, more often than not, they are one in the same. I don't know what it is, but something about being a good singer makes for a good actor. Maybe it's because a singer is acting a story in a song and must do so on an intensely personal level. It just seems that many performers who are chiefly singers seem to have a naturalness before the camera that is comfortable and intimate. Whatever the reason, they display an ease that is irresistible. Here are a few of my favorites. These performers seem to be able to do it all!

Judy Garland

For me, she is the greatest Hollywood star There was nothing - nothing this woman couldn't do. Singing? No contest. Dancing? Do you hear Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly complaining? Beautiful? Yes. Acting? Matchless. Oh, Judy, let me count the ways!

1. Comedy: Judy was a superb comedienne and was well known to have a terrific sense of humor in real life. Her perfect execution of a Buster Keaton-choreographed routine in "The Good Old Summertime" is hilarious, as is her dancing with an over-amorous but under-sized partner in "Meet Me in St. Louis."

2. Dancing: Did you see her "Be a Clown" in "The Pirate"? "A Couple of Swells" in "Easter Parade"? Or how about "Get Happy" in "Summer Stock"?

3. Beauty: Those big brown eyes, that turned up nose, that adorable smile and laugh. And those legs! She should have thought more of herself, but being surrounded by Lana Turner, Ava Gardner and Elizabeth Taylor at MGM made her feel like an ugly duckling. Someone should have told her that inner beauty shows on the screen, too.

4. Acting: Catch Judy in "The Clock" and tell me this woman was not a brilliant actress. And, if that doesn't do it for for you, check out  "A Star is Born." Actors can study for years and never come close to this woman's ability to make you feel.

Academy Award Nominations: "A Star is Born," "Judgment at Nuremberg"

Academy Award Wins: Juvenile Academy Award for "The Wizard of Oz."

Doris Day

I believe that Doris day is the most under-rated of stars. While not as intense and emotional as Judy, there is virtually nothing Doris cannot do.

1. Comedy: Her strong suit (next to singing). She had great timing and always made her co-stars look good. In film after film she showed them all how it should be done: light as a feather and full of fun.

2. Dancing: Before Doris embarked on a singing career she harbored dreams of becoming a dancer. Her dreams were cut short by an injury, but Doris still had the moves. She did some fine dancing in "Love Me or Leave Me," but she also did some great bad dancing in that film - and that is not easy to do!

3. Beauty - no need to elaborate here. In addition to her lovely face, Doris had a knockout figure and was a great clotheshorse. Her style, especially in the 1950s and 1960s, was the envy of women everywhere.

4. Acting: Everything Doris does looks effortless. When given a role with some meat, she was perfection. "Love Me or Leave Me" is my favorite Doris Day performance, followed by "Calamity Jane" and "The Pajama Game." Alfred Hitchcock, who directed her in "The Man Who Knew too Much," was not an easy man to please and he had nothing but praise for Doris. That pretty much sums it up.

Academy Award Nominations: "Pillow Talk"

Academy Award Wins: None. SOMEBODY GIVE THIS WOMAN AN OSCAR, FOR GOODNESS SAKE!

Bing Crosby

The granddaddy of them all - so much talent and ability wrapped in the smoothest, coolest most likable personality that ever appeared in movies. In case you need reminding, Bing was an unbelievably huge mega-star whose celebrity topped the charts in recordings,on radio, in film and TV. He was never once caught "acting," but could act anyone off the screen without breaking a sweat. Just dial "O" for O'Malley.

1. Comedy: Bing had a special talent for comedy. He knew his way around a funny line, especially when paired with buddy Bob Hope, and kept the box office humming in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.

2. Dancing: This is one area where Bing gives a game effort, but falls short. Both he and Frank Sinatra (more about him in a bit), seem to only be able to dance below the waist. The upper torso did not cooperate. Oh well, I'll just close my eyes and listen.

3. Beauty: Is there any wonder those young gals swooned for this crooner in the 1930s? Did you see those big baby blues? Bing was mighty attractive and it was never hard to believe that he would end up with Dorothy Lamour (well, most of the time!).

4. Acting: Effortless, no matter how light or heavy. Comedy and musicals were a given, but he could tug at your heart in "Going My Way," and handle the heavy going in "Man on Fire," and "The Country Girl."

Academy Award Nominations: "Going My Way," "The Bells of St. Mary," and "The Country Girl."

Academy Award Win: "Going My Way"

Frank Sinatra

Well ring-a-ding-ding, the Chairman of the Board was a real movie star (besides being one of the greatest recording artists of all time). Frankie showed them all with cool, style and real acting talent. Really, is it fair that one man should be blessed with so much talent? Good thing he decided to share it with us! While movie stardom was just a fraction of what made him famous, he left quite a celluloid legacy of great performances. Miss you like mad, Frankie.

1. Comedy: Frank was an old hand at the funny stuff and could stand toe-to- toe with any funnyman in the business. "Come Blow Your Horn," "High Society" and "On the Town" were extra delightful for his presence.

2. Dancing: See Bing Crosby! Watch Frank and Gene Kelly in "One the Town." Frank's feet are doing the same steps as Gene's, but that upper torso is strictly immobile! At least he did it with a smile.

3. Beauty: I think Frank got better looking as he got older, but try to tell that to the thousands of bobby-soxers who thought he was the living end!

4. Acting: When given the right part (and when he was in the right mood), he was superb. "Pal Joey," "Guys and Dolls," (shouldn't he have been Sky Masterson?), "The Joker is Wild," "The Man with the Golden Arm," "The Manchurian Candidate," and, of course, "From Here to Eternity" - all home runs.

Academy Award Nominations: "From Here to Eternity," "The Man with the Golden Arm"

Academy Award Win: "From Here to Eternity"

Shirley Jones

A favorite of mine who came to the screen at the tail end of the great musical era in films. There is never a false note in her singing or acting. She was the fresh faced ingenue of "Oklahoma" and "Carousel," but could do the hefty lifting in the acting department when given a chance.

1. Comedy: While Shirley was not known as a funny lady, her appearances in musicals required a bit of a hand for comedy. And just in case you need a reminder, her Marian the Librarian was quite an amusing little minx.

2. Dancing: Again, her Marian the Librarian does tear up the library in "The Music Man," and quite nicely, I might add.

3. Beauty: High marks in this department. Shirley was and is an incredible beauty.

4. Acting: while not usually called upon to do anything but sing and be wholesome, sweet and lovely, Shirley's performance as the unlucky Julie in "Carousel" was moving and, playing against type, she showed them all what she was capable of as a prostitute in "Elmer Gantry."

Academy Award Nominations: "Elmer Gantry"

Academy Award Win: "Elmer Gantry"

Barbra Streisand

Second only to Judy as a great screen musical talent. However, since musicals were becoming a thing of the past when Barbra took front and center, she really got to show off her acting (and directing) ability. She has a legion of fans who worship her and she deserves it. The woman is unique, a great actress and one of the finest singers ever.

1. Comedy: Well, she is "Funny Girl" and "Funny Lady." Barbra is a natural comedienne with a self-deprecating sense of humor that can't help but make you smile. Her Fanny Brice in both films is funny and dramatic, but she was just plain funny in "What's Up Doc?"

2.Dancing: Barbra did what she had to do in "Hello Dolly," but can you forget her "Roller Skate Rag" from "Funny Girl"? Takes talent to do that!

3. Beauty: Barbra is unique and not your conventional beauty, but I think she is beautiful. She shows all other unusual girls that beauty is in your individuality and personality, not in a perfect nose.

4. Acting: Even if Barbra did not sing like an angel, she would have made it as a great actress. Aside from her Fanny Brice roles, she did great acting jobs in "The Way We Were," and in  "The Prince of Tides," and "Yentl" (both of which she also directed).

Academy Award Nominations: "Funny Girl," "The Way We Were" and for the song, "Evergreen" from "A Star is Born"

Academy Award wins: "Funny Girl" and "Evergreen" from "A Star is Born"

ALSO WORTHY OF MENTION:

Elvis Presley

Elvis was a genuine movie star with real on-screen charisma. Too bad he did't get to appear in good films, but he was always fun. We know he could sing, and move, but he was also a very funny fellow who could also handle the acting if given half a chance. In truth, his movies usually stunk, but Elvis always transcended the trash. "King Creole" was halfway good and "Viva Las Vegas" was great fun. If only he was given better chances.

Academy Award Nominations: None

Academy Award Win: None (oh well!)

Cher

Cher is another performer who can do it all. Sadly, her screen time has been limited, but when she gets a good role the woman is dynamite! She is beautiful, funny and, although she is a singer, rarely sings in her films. Everyone doubted her, but she has shown herself to be a natural. She is utterly and impossibly believable as the biker mom in "Mask," the spell-binding sculptress in "The Witches of Eastwick," and the Italian-American widow in "Moonstruck." The only thing wrong with Cher is that she does not make enough movies.

Academy Award Nominations: "Silkwood," "Moonstruck"

Academy Award Win: "Moonstruck"

Other great voices who could hold their own on screen: Dean Martin, Bette Midler, Jeanette McDonald, Gordon MacRae, Alice Faye and Deanna Durbin. Did I miss one of your favorites?

I guess if you have the music in you, you can do anything!