Joe Darion Movies
Though known primarily for his Tony-winning work on Broadway's Man of La Mancha, lyricist Joe Darion's considerable range covered more than just Broadway tunes; the versatile lyricist also penned three Top Ten hits in the 1950s and a slew of popular children's songs.Winning a variety of awards for his contributions to La Mancha (later made into a film), Darion's other Broadway work included Illya, Darling (adapted from the 1960 film Never on Sunday), Shinbone Alley, and Better Than Wine. Darion also penned such memorable librettos as the jazz opera Archy and Mehitabel, in addition to making the English-language contributions to the bilingual musical The Megilla. Frequently collaborating with Ezra Laderman, the duo teamed for such oratorio operas as Galileo Galilei and a series of cantatas including A Mass for Cain and A Handful of Souls.
Joe Darion died on June 16, 2001, of natural causes in Lebanon, NH. He was 90. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Dale Wasserman's long-running Broadway smash comes to the screen in this musical based on Miguel de Cervantes' classic satire Don Quixote de la Mancha. Cervantes (Peter O'Toole) is arrested and put in prison by the soldiers of the Spanish Inquisition after staging a comic performance which mocked the Spanish government. Cervantes' fellow inmates are eager to divvy up his belongings, but the author is desperate to save a manuscript of his latest work; in order to win the prisoners over, he stages, with their assistance, his latest comedy about the delusional knight Don Quixote (O'Toole). Don Quixote, with the help of his loyal manservant Sancho Panza (James Coco), is determined to battle evil, though he most often finds himself combating windmills. Don Quixote encounters the beautiful virgin Dulcinea -- personified by a jailed prostitute, Aldonza (Sophia Loren) -- and is certain he has found the love of his life. However, tragedy befalls Don Quixote when a band of savages rape Dulcinea as he sleeps, and he must decide where his greatest loyalty lies when his niece Antonia (Julie Gregg) arrives, asking Quixote to please return home to his family. In a move which was widely criticized at the time of the film's release, Peter O'Toole's singing voice was dubbed for most of his musical numbers, while Sophia Loren did all of her own vocal tracks. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter O'Toole, Sophia Loren, (more)
Based on a Broadway musical by Mel Brooks and Joe Darion, the animated feature Shinbone Alley is an adaptation of the Don Marquis stories. The film is about a love-struck cockroach named Archy (voiced by Eddie Bracken) and the object of his affections, a carefree cat named Mehitabel (Carol Channing). The movie is arranged as a series of episodic adventures and though it never quite gels into something cohesive, it has a number of fine moments, particularly when it sticks to the music. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Bracken, Carol Channing, (more)
- 1954
Marjorie Main is the whole show in the Universal programmer Ricochet Romance. Playing the outspoken new cook at a rundown dude ranch, Marjorie forces everyone around her to pitch in and bring some life back into the place. She also sets her sights on old layabout Chill Wills, scheming to rope the critter into marriage. Veteran comedy director Charles W. Lamont moves the proceedings along with style, never missing an opportunity for a low-comedy slapstick turn. The most surprising aspect of Ricochet Romance is that it is not an entry in Marjorie Main's Ma and Pa Kettle series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marjorie Main, Chill Wills, (more)
