ALWAYS

KATHRYN GRAYSON
(1922-2010)

Yes, another Hollywood legend has left us...

With her exquisite operatic voice, Kathryn Grayson trilled her way through some of MGM's greatest musicals: Anchors Aweigh, Till the Clouds Roll By, Show Boat, Desert Song, Kiss Me Kate and The Vagabond King among others.

Here are a few visual memories of Miss Grayson accompanied by her recording of Irving Berlin's 'Always'...

And here she is singing the closing number from MGM 1945 extravaganza, Ziegfeld Follies which all goes to shows what Hollywood could do with dozens of pretty girls and several hundred gallons of bubble-bath!

For those who share my fascination with movie trivia, here is the story behind this extraordinary piece of movie campery...

'There's Beauty Everywhere' was originally filmed as a balletic finale with tenor James Melton singing and Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse and Lucille Bremer dancing their way through the landscape of soap bubbles. Unfortunately, the bubble machine malfunctioned, went out of control and soap poured out into the hallways around the sound-stage!

As only a fragment of the number had been filmed, it was re-staged with Kathryn Grayson replacing Mr Melton and with Astaire and Bremer's footwork going down the plughole, although a few stray moments of Cyd Charisse's bubbly performance still remain as a testimony to Hollywood silliness at its silliest!