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The Desert Song (Max Liebman Presents)

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The Desert Song is an American live telecast of the 1926 operetta The Desert Song, which was based on a true event - an uprising of the Riff tribes against French colonial rule in Morocco in 1925.

"The Desert Song"
Max Liebman Presents episode
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 15
Directed byMax Liebman
Written byWilliam Friedberg
Neil Simon
Will Glickman
Based onThe Desert Song
Featured musicSigmund Romberg
Original air dateMay 7, 1955 (1955-05-07)
Running time75 minutes
Guest appearances
  • Nelson Eddy
  • Gale Sherwood
  • Otto Kruger
  • John Conte
  • Earl William
  • Salvatore Baccaloni
  • Viola Essen

The music for the operetta was composed by Sigmund Romberg. The book and the lyrics were written by Oscar Hammerstein II, Otto Harbach, Frank Mandel, and Laurence Schwab. Writers for the television adaptation were William Friedberg, Will Glickman and Neil Simon. First telecast live in the United States on May 7, 1955, the conductor for the production was Charles Sanford - while the choreographer for all of the dances and musical segments was Rod Alexander. Due to the time constraints for a live telecast, the television version had to be abridged and adapted and is therefore slightly different from the original operetta. It was made two years after the The Desert Song (1953 film) version with Gordon MacRae and Kathryn Grayson.

The television version features the only surviving footage of Nelson Eddy in a complete live musical.[1][2]

Max Liebman Presents was a United States series of spectaculars - presenting full musicals, plays or revues in live telecasts on NBC (from 1954 to 1956). The Desert Song was the fifteenth live broadcast of the series.[2][3]

Plot

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The French are trying to turn Morocco into a modern colony but are balked from doing so by a native Riff rebellion, led by the mysterious Red Shadow. Unknown to all, the daring and fearless rebel leader is none other than Pierre, the unassuming son of the French commanding officer, General Birabeau. Pierre effectively conceals his Red Shadow identity by assuming a weak mild-mannered persona when at the French military outpost.

When Pierre meets Margot Bonvalet, he falls in love with her. Because he can't show his true personality at the French outpost, Pierre, as the Red Shadow, kidnaps Margot and takes her to the desert fortress of Ali Ben Ali, the caliph, in order to reveal his love for her. It is while she is at Ali Ben Ali's fortress that Margot discovers she is in love with the Red Shadow, despite not knowing his true identity.

When the Red Shadow refuses to fight a duel with his father, General Birabeau, he forfeits the leadership of the Riffs and is banished for his seeming cowardice.

Later, Pierre's secret identity as the Red Shadow is revealed to General Birabeau and Margot, and all ends happily.

Cast members

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Songs

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Act 1

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  1. Overture (music only)
  2. "Ho! Bold Men of Morocco" — Red Shadow, Riffs
  3. "The Riff Song" — Red Shadow, Riffs
  4. "Why Did We Marry Soldiers?" — wives of the soldiers
  5. "French Military Marching Song" — soldiers and wives
  6. "O! Pretty Maid of France" / "Margot" — Paul, Margot, soldiers
  7. "Romance" — Margot, women's ensemble
  8. "Soft as a Pigeon Lights Upon the Sand" — Hassi
  9. "Then You Will Know" — Pierre, Margot
  10. "Romance" (last part of song, only) — Margot
  11. "The Desert Song" — Red Shadow, Margot

Act 2

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  1. "My Little Castagnette" — women's ensemble singing off stage, accompanying dance
  2. "Let Love Go" — Ali Ben Ali
  3. "One Flower In Your Garden" — Hassi
  4. "One Alone" — Red Shadow
  5. "The Sabre Song" — Margot
  6. "One Alone" (reprise) — Red Shadow
  7. "French Military Marching Song" (reprise) — Paul, soldiers and soldiers' wives
  8. "The Desert Song" (reprise) — Pierre, Margot
  9. "One Alone" (reprise) — sung by the entire company during the closing credits

Dances

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  1. A brief Arabian dance — dancer's name is unknown
  2. French dance — danced by some of the wives, with Moroccan men
  3. Azuri's dance — Viola Essen and dancers — dance music: Soft as a Pigeon Lands Upon the Sand
  4. Ballet — Bambi Linn and Rod Alexander (as the Red Shadow and Margot) — dance music: The Desert Song
  5. Spanish dance — Felisa Conde and dancers — dance song: My Little Castagnette
  6. Moroccan dance — Viola Essen and dancers — dance music: One Alone

Broadcast

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The live operetta was originally telecast on May, 7, 1955 on NBC.[4][5][6][7]

Home media

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A DVD-version was published by Video Artists International.[1]

Reception

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A retrospective review wrote, "The picture is a kinescope (a camera filming a television screen) and the sound is obviously not up to today’s standards. But it is such fun and a must for lovers of the old romantic times when Romberg gave the people what they wanted."[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b Leonard, William T. (1981). Theatre : stage to screen to television. Internet Archive. Metuchen, N.J. : Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-1374-8.
  2. ^ a b "THE DVD SHELF: "A Connecticut Yankee," "Desert Song," "Four Weddings and a Funeral," "Honeymoon in Vegas" and More".
  3. ^ "More vintage TV musicals from the '50s". Brattleboro Reformer. October 12, 2012. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  4. ^ "The Desert Song". FILMED LIVE MUSICALS. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  5. ^ kevin (June 23, 2010). "THE DESERT SONG Musical play in 3 acts". Operetta Research Center. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  6. ^ The Desert Song (1955) - ESAN.tv™. Retrieved September 21, 2024 – via www.esan.tv.
  7. ^ "Summary". www.paleycenter.org. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  8. ^ "CD and DVD Reviews". www.arttimesjournal.com. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
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