The Happiest Millionaire (Disney) (1967)

Young Choreographers Score In Three Straight Screen Musical Hits Walt Disney’s musical comedy, “The Happiest Millionaire,” is only the third motion picture to be choreographed by the talented husband and wife team of Marc Breaux and Dee Dee Wood, but the first two were blockbusters — “Mary Poppins” and “The Sound of Music.”’ The combined grosses of these two films have already passed the $100 million mark. Marc and Dee Dee staged all of the memorable dance sequences for both pictures, including the twelve-minute roof top dance of the chimney sweeps in “Mary Poppins” and the delightful dances on the streets of Salzburg, Austria, in “The Sound of Music.” Breaux is a former Navy test pilot whose collegiate studies were aimed toward a career in chemistry. In fact, a dance career was the farthest thing from Marc’s mind when he enlisted as an Air Cadet in World War II. Beginning his training while only 18, Breaux was assigned to a base in the Philippines for the remainder of the conflict. Following the war, he spent a year in Johnsville, Pennsylvania, testing some of America’s first jet fighters. Completing his Navy career, Breaux returned to school for additional studies in chemistry, and that’s where fate in the form of a girl changed his life. Marc had a girl friend in his home town of Lafayette, Louisiana. who went to New York every summer for a ten-week dance course. Thus, Breaux accepted a job as a lab assistant in the Bell Laboratories in New York, and went along. However, before reporting to work, Breaux visited the dance class to watch his girl friend. Having participated in track in high school, Marc decided that dancing must be fairly easy, and gave it a try. The instructor offered him a scholarship on the spot, Mat HAP 2-E (Available and Breaux never saw the inside of the Bell Laboratories. Breaux later met his wife while performing on a Stan Kenton television show, and together, they danced in such Broadway musicals as “Kiss Me Kate,” ”Guys and Dolls,” and “Can Can.” They assisted noted dance director Michael Kidd with “‘Lil Abner” and “Destry,” then were elevated to the position of co-choreographers with Kidd for the musicals ‘“Do-ReMe” and “Subways Are For Sleeping’ Striking out on their own, Marc and Dee Dee turned to television and set the dances for many TV specials, including those of Bing Crosby, Judy Garland and Dick Van Dyke. They then joined Walt Disney for “Mary Poppins.” Among Marc’s toughest assignments in connection with “The Happiest Millionaire” was to choreograph for Tommy Steele a dance with an 8foot, 200-pound alligator named George. Up to that point, no one really knew whether the alligator would mind having someone dance next to his head. The reptile’s skull can break a man’s leg in one swipe. When filming began, Tommy Steele quipped, “To dance with an alligator, you’ve got to be one of two things — out of work or out of your mind.” Since Marc, Dee Dee, and Tommy are among the most sought after talents in Hollywood, everyone on the set reached the conclusion that they were simply out of their minds. In Technicolor, “The Happiest Millionaire”’ stars Fred MacMurray, Steele, Greer Garson, and Geraldine Page, and introduces Lesley Ann Warren and John Davidson. Bill Anderson co-produced the Buena Vista release with Walt Disney. Norman Tokar directed from an A J Carothers screenplay. Clancy’s Bar becomes the site of a major dance sequence in Walt Disney’s “The Happiest Millionaire.” Looking on (left background) are stars Tommy Steele and John Davidson. Filmed in brilliant Technicolor, “The Happiest Millionaire” stars Fred MacMurray, Steele, Greer Garson and Geraldine Page, co-stars Gladys Cooper and Hermione Baddeley, and introduces Lesley Ann Warren and Davidson. Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman, whose work on “Mary Poppins” brought them two Academy Awards, have written eleven new songs for the musical comedy. Lesley Ann Warren — A Lifetime Of Study To Prepare For Overnight Stardom When Walt Disney’s musical comedy, “The Happiest Millionaire,” premieres across the country, Lesley Ann Warren will surely be hailed as one of the nation’s new Cinderella stars. Her singing-dancing role as Cordelia Drexel Biddle is a tailor-made showcase for a motion picture debut. And, in a certain sense, those plaudits will be correct, since the beautiful brunette did portray “Cinderella” in Rogers and Hammerstein’s original musical for television. “But if anyone says I’ve reached stardom overnight;’ retorts Miss Warren, “they’ll be completely wrong.” The fact of the matter is that Lesley Ann Warren has been studying some facet or other of show business almost constantly since she was three years old. Born August 16 in Manhattan, the brown-eyed Lesley Ann started dancing at age three, then began actual ballet training at six, studying regularly for eight years. Show business was not new to her family, since her mother had sung on the London stage and in New York night clubs. Her father is a realtor. “Nevertheless, show business was all my own desire. I wasn’t pushed at all,” says Lesley Ann. “In fact they wouldn’t let me go into the theatre until I had graduated from high school.” For instance, at age 14, Lesley Ann sneaked out of her parents’ New York apartment and auditioned for “Bye Bye Birdie,” just for the fun of it. She won the part, but her parents insisted that she turn it down because it meant a national tour. But, Lesley Ann kept on auditioning, still just for the fun of it. Out of half a dozen treks she was offered parts in two shows, including “Little Me’’ but turned them both down anyway. Finally, at age 17, she was chosen from 300 girls for the ingenue lead in the Broadway production of “110 in the Shade,” and she accepted. The producer had a blond in mind, but after watching the dark-haired Miss Warren he decided that brunette would do just as well — better, in fact. Miss Warren spent ten months with the show on Broadway, where she was seen by Charles S. Dubin, producer of the “Cinderella” TV special. Two auditions for Richard Rogers followed. Several weeks later, while appearing in the road company of “110 in the Shade?’ Lesley Ann learned that she had won the coveted role. Following “Cinderella,” she won critical acclaim for a straight dramatic performance in CBS-TV’s “For the People,” then hit a streak of bad luck. “A Sign of Affection,” a Broadwaybound show in which she co-starred with John Payne, opened and closed in Philadelphia. Then came the female lead in the Broadway musical, “Drat the Cat.” The show closed within a week, due to financial difficulties, but Lesley Ann emerged from the wreckage with rave reviews. “T don’t want to try Broadway again, at least not in the near future,” says Miss Warren. “ ‘Drat the Cat’ was a great role and I worked hard on it. To have the show close so quickly was heartbreaking.” However, her sadness proved shortlived. Only one day after completing a screen test for Walt Disney, Lesley Ann was notified that she would make her motion picture debut in ‘‘The Mat HAP 1-D (1 col. width — coarse screen) Happiest Millionaire,’ the Studio’s first musical since ‘““Mary Poppins.” Immediately, she moved to California and began studying voice with Louise Gilbert and jazz dancing with “Shindig” choreographer Bobby Bannif. While waiting for rehearsals to begin on “The Happiest Millionaire,” Miss Warren guested in a four-part “Dr. Kildare’ show and in ‘“‘Gunsmoke.” Then in April, 1966, she began five months of filming at Disney Studios, working with top stars like Fred MacMurray, Tommy Steele, Greer Garson, Geraldine Page, Gladys Cooper and Hermione Baddeley. In “The Happiest Millionaire,’ Lesley Ann portrays the romantic lead opposite John Davidson, and has the opportunity to sing and dance five new songs by Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman, Academy Award winners for their “Mary Poppins” score. She recently returned to the Disney lot for a starring role with John Davidson, Walter Brennan, Buddy Ebsen and Janet Blair in another exciting musical, ‘““The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band.” Just before shooting ended on that film, Lesley Ann surprised everyone by marrying hair stylist and dress designer Jon Peters. They reside in Beverly Hills with two poodle dogs. With another film role optioned by Disney Productions and constant inquiries from other studios, both in New York and Hollywood, Miss Warren’s career seems more than secure. Filmed in Technicolor, “The Happiest Millionaire’’ was directed by Norman Tokar from a screenplay by A J Carothers. The film is based upon the book and Broadway play by Cordelia Drexel Biddle and Kyle Crichton. Bill Anderson co-produced the Buena Vista release with Walt Disney. Page 15