The Best Things in Life Are Free (1956)

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

William Bowers (writer)
Phoebe Ephron (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

28 September 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Musical

Plot:

Ray Henderson joins Buddy De Sylva and Lew Brown to form a successful 1920s musical show writing team...

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Gordon MacRae	...	B.G. 'Buddy' De Sylva
Dan Dailey	...	Ray Henderson
Ernest Borgnine	...	Lew Brown
Sheree North	...	Kitty Kane
Tommy Noonan	...	Carl Frisbee
Murvyn Vye	...	Manny Costain
Phyllis Avery	...	Maggie Henderson
Larry Keating	...	Winfield Sheehan
Tony Galento	...	Fingers
Norman Brooks	...	Al Jolson
Jacques d'Amboise	...	Specialty dancer
Roxanne Arlen	...	Perky Nichols
Byron Palmer	...	Hollywood star
Linda Brace	...	Jeannie Henderson
Patty Lou Hudson	...	Susie Henderson
Julie Van Zandt	...	Patricia Van Seckland
Larry Kerr	...	Brewer
Charles Victor	...	Andrews
Eugene Borden	...	Louis
Harold Miller	...	Percy - The Reporter
Emily Belser	...	Photographer
Paul Glass	...	Piano Player
Bill Foster	...	Dance Director in film
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Adelle August	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Robert Banas	...	Newsboy (uncredited)
Lois Barnes	...	Clara Bow-type (uncredited)
Gail Bonney	...	Woman in Back Row (uncredited)
Jack Boyle	...	Dance Director (uncredited)
Barrie Chase	...	Chorine (uncredited)
Juanita Close	...	Telephone Operator (uncredited)
Richard Collier	...	Pawnbroker (uncredited)
Clancy Cooper	...	Bootlegger (uncredited)
Suzanne Dalbert	...	Hostess (uncredited)
Harvey Daniels	...	Usher (uncredited)
Barbara Darrow	...	Brenda (uncredited)
Ann B. Davis	...	Hattie Stewart (uncredited)
Lisa Davis	...	Limp Party Girl (uncredited)
Denise De Lacey	...	Silent Film Ingenue (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum	...	Theatregoer (uncredited)
Joseph Forte	...	Man in Theatre Lobby (uncredited)
James Gonzales	...	Movie Director (uncredited)
Paul Grant	...	Usher (uncredited)
Marcoreta Hellman	...	Wardrobe Woman (uncredited)
Bob Hopkins	...	Broadway Character (uncredited)
Betsy Jones-Moreland	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Claire Kelly	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Peter Leeds	...	Genius (uncredited)
Peter Mamakos	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Natalie Masters	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Marjorie May	...	Silent Movie Vamp (uncredited)
Patricia McMahon	...	Party Girl (uncredited)
George Offerman Jr.	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Joe Ploski	...	Bootleg Runner (uncredited)
Gordon Richards	...	Butler (uncredited)
Mary Rodman	...	Girl in Low-Cut Dress (uncredited)
Ric Roman	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Marion Ross	...	Nita Naldi-type (uncredited)
Cosmo Sardo	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Sam Schwartz	...	Bootlegger (uncredited)
Steffi Sidney	...	Dancer in Marathon (uncredited)
Rachel Stephens	...	Society Reporter (uncredited)
Mary Thomas	...	Party Girl (uncredited)
Sally Todd	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey	...	First-Nighter (uncredited)
Billy Wayne	...	Stagehand (uncredited)
Cecil Weston	...	Wardrobe Woman (uncredited)
Yvonne White	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Barbara Wilson	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Ward Wood	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Norma Yost	...	Theresa (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Curtiz

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
William Bowers		writer
Phoebe Ephron		writer
John O'Hara		story
Frank Tashlin		uncredited

Produced by
Henry Ephron	....	producer

Original Music by
Lionel Newman

Cinematography by
Leon Shamroy

Film Editing by
Dorothy Spencer

Art Direction by
Maurice Ransford
Lyle R. Wheeler

Set Decoration by
Paul S. Fox
Walter M. Scott

Costume Design by
Charles Le Maire

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Silver	....	assistant director

Art Department
John DeCuir	....	art director: musical settings

Music Department
Lew Brown	....	composer: songs
Buddy G. DeSylva	....	composer: songs
Earle H. Hagen	....	orchestrator (as Earle Hagen)
Charles Henderson	....	music arranger: vocals
Ray Henderson	....	composer: songs
Bernard Mayers	....	orchestrator
Lionel Newman	....	conductor
Lionel Newman	....	music supervisor
Herbert W. Spencer	....	orchestrator
Eileen Wilson	....	singing voice: Sheree North (uncredited)

Other crew
Rod Alexander	....	choreographer
Bill Foster	....	choreographer

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1956) (USA) (theatrical)

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:15

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Soundtrack:

Lucky Day

Bland composer bio in CinemaScope

This was the swan song of a genre - that of the fictional composer biography - that began with MGM's TILL THE CLOUDS ROLL BY in 1946. It looks pretty tired now. The unusual writing team of three men (Henderson,Brown and DeSylva) is presented in pretty blase Hollywood terms, even though it's in CinemaScope (Fox used the same title writing and backgrounds as it had for another of its Scope features that year, CAROUSEL). The scoring earned an Oscar nom but it's nothing special. The costumes are lavish and did deserve the nod. This is another of those musicals where you come out humming the costumes. Unremarkable and ordinary. Although you DO get to see and hear Ernest Borgnine sing and dance. Adults are non-plussed at the sight and it makes small children cry.