Billy Rose's Jumbo (1962 Film Soundtrack) [Soundtrack]

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
Billy Rose's Jumbo is a classic Hollywood musical with music and lyrics by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, screenplay by Sidney Sheldon and an all-star cast headed by Doris Day, Jimmy Durante, Martha Raye and Stephen Boyd. This soundtrack continued Doris Day's long succession of hit records for the Columbia label and includes the incomparable The Most Beautiful Girl in the World, My Romance, Little Girl Blue and many more. 9 tracks. 2001 reissue.

Tracks:

The Circus On Parade - Doris Day/Martha Raye/Jimmy Durante
Over And Over Again - Doris Day
Why Can't I? - Doris Day/Martha Raye
This Can't Be Love - Doris Day
The Most Beautiful Girl In The World - Stephen Boyd
My Romance - Doris Day
The Most Beautiful Girl In The World (Reprise) - Jimmy Durante
Little Girl Blue - Doris Day
Sawdust, Spangles And Dreams (Finale) - Doris Day/Stephen Boyd/Martha Raye/Jimmy Durante

Album Description

Billy Rose's Jumbo is a classic Hollywood musical with music and lyrics by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, screenplay by Sidney Sheldon and an all-star cast headed by Doris Day, Jimmy Durante, Martha Raye and Stephen Boyd. This soundtrack continued Doris Day's long succession of hit records for the Columbia label and includes the incomparable The Most Beautiful Girl in the World, My Romance, Little Girl Blue and many more. 9 tracks. 2001 reissue.

Customer Reviews:

Not quite what it could have been.......2005-07-25

Perhaps we've been spoiled by Rhino's superb TCM series, but since those mammoth issues we've expected more from soundtrack albums. Practically every reissue of golden-era music has been touched by their conscientiousness and completeness, from Film Score Monthly's discs to the magnificent "Magnificent Seven." Disappointing then that this comes straight from the Masterworks LP masters. There's probably twice this material in Time Warner's vaults; but evidently Sony BMG owns the musical rights thanks to Doris Day, so we're stuck with a truncated, unsatisfying album with a trebly hissy sound. That said, no album can be totally bad with that supercanary Doris, who positively radiates like the sun here; nor with Schnozz, whose brief but touching "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" led to his late-autumn career with Warner Bros. Records and some beautiful musicmaking; certainly not with its principal orchestrator the great Conrad Salinger -- tragically, his last work (he died shortly after, either of a heart attack or by suicide; the Internet record is unclear); the orchestra plays with a faintly somber cast, as though its members realize this is the end. Though "Billy Rose's 'Jumbo'" may not be top-drawer MGM it is still fine music; if only someone in Narberth or in Sony's licensing operations had cared enough to do this right.

Nice. Just Nice . . . .......2004-12-02

A pleasant, if forgettable little soundtrack. Just like the movie. Light, fluffy. As intended.

Doris Day is at her best here.

And the best thing here is the joy (really!) in hearing the personable Durante (as "Pop Warner") singing (and that IS his singing voice!) on a few tracks. You'll smile in spite of yourself.

A great 35 minutes of happiness and contentment from an age long ago . . .

The stylish renderings of Stephen Boyd..........2004-05-19

Don't believe everything you hear... especially if it comes from a man's publicist. Stephen Boyd did NOT do his own singing in "Jumbo." His voice is heard only in the spoken verse to "Sawdust, Spangles and Dreams." The remainder of his vocals are performed -- magnificently -- by voice double James Joyce.

a classic Broadway score.......2002-12-03

JUMBO was one of Rodgers and Hart's biggest Broadway hits of the 1930's when it played for several months at the Hippodrome. Over 20 years later, MGM producer Joe Pasternak brought it to the screen in a lavish movie version, re-titled BILLY ROSE'S JUMBO.

The score (which was significantly reduced for the film) interpolates the song "This Can't Be Love" from THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE, and adds brassy new orchestrations.

The film starred Doris Day (in her last major musical role) as Kitty Wonder, the bareback-riding queen of the Wonder Circus which is owned by her well-meaning father (Jimmy Durante, who also played in the Hippodrome production). The circus profits are dwindling thanks to Pop's gambling habits and the Noble family want to buy them out. Sam Rawlins (Stephen Boyd), who is the son of the Noble Circus' founder, goes into the circus as the new high-wire performer and ends up stealing Kitty's heart, but the inevitable break-up occurs when the Noble family get their way...

The film also features the delightful Martha Raye as Pop's on-again, off-again squeeze Lulu. The score is performed beautifully - my favorite numbers include "Over and Over Again", "Why Can't I?" (a perfect duet for the lovelorn Kitty and Lulu), "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" and a perfectly-rendered "Little Girl Blue".

Highly-recommended.

A Rare Treat For All.......2002-11-08

This is one of the most beautiful musical scores I have ever heard. I have seen the film many times. Listening to the cd, brings back warm memories of watching, this enchanting movie. Doris Day has never been in better vocal form and is lovely to listen to. Stephen Boyd and Miss Day, have a wonderful chemistery. They are a treat to listen to, together. A note for Mr. Brogan who put a review on here. Stephen Boyd DID, do all of his own vocals His long time friend and publicist, was there to witness it. I have no idea where you got the idea, Mr. Brogan that it was not Mr. Boyd singing. He has a beautiful singing voice. This cd is a rare treat for all.
Anita H. Wisconsin

Music:

Music

Music