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JOHNNY MERCER and GENE DE PAUL
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Johnny Mercer, lyricist,
and Gene de Paul, composer, have, since their merger in "Seven Brides
for Seven Brothers," become one of the nation's top songwriting duos.
But before the partnership began, each had covered himself with glory and
top royalties.
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Mercer, who has
roughly three score of hits to his credit, is a native of Savannah, Georgia.
He attended the best prep schools his family could afford until the
depression caught up with him. After a brief experience in the real estate
business, he turned actor, eventually appearing in two Theatre Guild
productions in New York. His ability to blend words to music come to the
fore and his first lyrical contribution to the theatre was made in 1929 in
"The Garrick Gaieties." While adding to his reputation as a
lyricist, he also scored heavily as a singer on radio and records, as a
master of ceremonies for some of the most important radio programs of the
'30s and early '40s, and as a record company executive.
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Some of the hits bearing
the Mercer label include "Lazy-bones," "Pardon My Southern
Accent," "Goody-Goody,""Jeepers Creepers,"
"You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby," "And the Angels
Sing," "Laura," "Blues in the Night That Old Black Magic
Accentuate the Posi-tive," "Autumn Leaves" and
"Something's Got to Give,"to list a few.
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Gene de Paul was born
on New York's upper East Side. While still in high school, he started to
play piano professionally. He was a member of Jan Savitt's bond after which
he accepted an offer to go to Hollywood to write movie scores. He has
composed such hit tunes as "I'll Remember April","
Mr. Five by Five," "Milkman," "Keep Those Bottles
Quiet,"Cow Cow Boogie" and many others.
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The Mercer-de Paul
score for "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" is considered a
high mark in movie musical writing. Before tackling "Li'l
Abner," they collaborated on the music for "You Ccn't Run Away
from It," a remake of "It Happened One Night."
SYNOPSIS OF SCENES
Act I
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Scene 1. Dogpatch, U.S.A.
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Scene 2. The Yokum Cabin
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Scene 3. Fishing Hole
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Scene 4. Cornpone Square
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Scene5. Dogpatch Road
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Scene 6. Cornpone Square
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Scene 7. Washington, D.C. Sequence,
Act II
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Scene 1. Government Testing Laboratory,
Washington
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Scene 2. The Yokum Cabin
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Scene 3. General Bullmoose's Office
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Scene 4. Corridor in Bullmoose Mansion
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Scene 5. Ballroom in
Bullmoose Mansion
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Scene 6. Corridor in Bullmoose Mansion
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Scene 7. The Government Testing Laboratory
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Scene 8. Cornpone Square
MUSICAL NUMBERS
Act I
"A TYPICAL DAY"................................. DOGPATCHERS
"IF I HAD MY DRUTHERS".......................... LI'L ABNER and
CRONIES
Reprise: "IF I HAD MY DRUTHERS "
.................DAISY
"JUBILATION T. CORNPONE"...................... MARRIN'
SAM and DOGPATCHERS
"RAG OFFEN THE BUSH" ............................DOGPATCHERS
"NAMELY YOU" ....................................DAISY and LI'L
ABNER
"UNNECESSARY TOWN "
.................... LI'L ABNER, DAISY and
DOGPATCHERS
"WHAT'S GOOD FOR GENERAL BULLMOOSE" .............SECRETARIES
"THERE'S ROOM ENOUGH FOR US "....................
DOGPATCHERS
"THE COUNTRY'S IN THE VERY BEST OF
HANDS".........ABNER,SAM,DOGPATCHERS
"SADIE HAWKINS DAY" (Ballet)................... DOGPATCHERS
Act II
"OH HAPPY DAY".............DRS. FINSDALE, SMITHBORN, KROGMEYER
& SCHLEFITZ
"I'M PAST MY PRIME" ...............................DAISY and
MARRYIN' SAM
"LOVE IN A HOME" .....................................LI'L ABNER
and DAISY
"PROGRESS IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL" .................... GENERAL
BULLMOOSE
"SOCIETY PARTY"....................................GUESTS and
DOGPATCHERS
Reprise: "PROGRESS IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL"............ GENERAL
BULLMOOSE
"PUT'EM
BACK".....................................................WIVES
Reprise: "NAMELY
YOU".............................................DAISY
"THE MATRIMONIAL STOMP" ......................MARRYIN'
SAM and DOGPATCHERS
Reprise: "PUT'EM
BACK"........................................... WIVES
"FINALE"...................................................ENTIRE
COMPANY
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