Girl Crazy - Gershwin Brothers
by Claire J Rottenberg
"Girl Crazy" was written in 1930 by George and Ira
Gershwin. It ran for 272 performances on Broadway and
starred two young performers, Ginger Rogers and Ethel
Merman. Included in the orchestra were several
well-known musicians, such as Glen Miller, Gene
Krupa, Tommy Dorsey, and Benny Goodman. Two of the
best-known songs from "Girl Crazy" are "Embraceable
You" and "I Got Rhythm."
"Girl Crazy" was made into three different films. The
first version, in 1932, retained the score but that
is where the resemblance to the Broadway version
ended.
The second and best film version of "Girl Crazy" was
released in 1943 and it starred Mickey Rooney and
Judy Garland. It was co-directed by Busby Berkeley
who was responsible for the direction and
choreography of numerous Broadway and movie musicals
of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, and Norman Taurog
who, twenty years later, would become the director of
many of Elvis Presley's films. "Girl Crazy" of 1943
co-starred June Allyson and Nancy Walker.
The third film version of "Girl Crazy," released in
1965, was repackaged as a 1960s rock and roll film
starring Connie Francis and renamed, "When the Boys
Meet the Girls." Its only resemblance to the
Gershwins' original production is probably the score
which includes some of the Gershwin songs, such as
"Embraceable You," "Bidin' My Time" and "I Got
Rhythm."