Songwriting Team Hugh Martin and Ralph Blaine's Unconventional Arrangement.
Songwriters Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane. They wrote the songs for the 1944 Judy Garland film classic, "Meet Me in St. Louis," including "The Trolley Song" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." A musical based on the film is opening on Broadway this week.
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Other segments from the episode on October 31, 1989
Experimental Jazz Saxophonist Anthony Braxton.
Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews two new albums by composer, saxophonist and clarinetist Anthony Braxton. Although Braxton's music has been much criticized, Kevin calls him one of his heroes. Braxton's new albums are "19 Solo Compositions 1988" and "Seven Compositions (Trio) 1989."
John Updike Looks at Art.
Writer John Updike. Updike is known as the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of some thirty novels and short stories, including the "Rabbit" novels. His latest effort is not a work of fiction, but a book on art. It's a collection of 23 essays called "Just Looking" that offers Updike's personal reactions to some of the world's masterpieces. He also comments on some of the recent "megashows" such as Renoir at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts and Andrew Wyeth's "Helga" paintings.
"Indiana Umberto and The Templars of Doom."
Book critic John Leonard reviews "Foucault's Pendulum," the new novel by Umberto Eco. Eco's first novel was the critically acclaimed bestseller "The Name of the Rose."
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How Vincente Minnelli Shaped Movie Musicals.
Stephen Harvey, associate curator in the Department of Film of The Museum of Modern Art. The museum is currently showing a retrospective of the films of director Vincente Minnelli, including "Meet Me in St. Louis" and "An American in Paris." Harvey has written the companion book to the retrospective.
The Story Behind 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas'
Songwriter Hugh Martin co-wrote the Christmas tune that Judy Garland made famous in the 1944 classic Meet Me in St. Louis. Martin, who recently released a memoir, explains how he came up with his famous lyrics.
Songwriter Hugh Martin
Along with Ralph Blaine, Hugh Martin wrote "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." The song was made famous in the 1944 film Meet Me in St. Louis, but since then, many different versions have been recorded with changes in lyrics. Martin also wrote music for Broadway productions including Best Foot Forward, Look Ma, I'm Dancin' and the stage version of Meet Me in St. Louis. Martin is 94.