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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZFRIML, Rudolf(b 7 Dec. 1879, Prague; d 12 Nov. '72, LA) Czech-born composer whose operetta style, like that of Sigmund Romberg and Victor Herbert, was superseded by composers like Jerome Kern, who started out to write operetta but invented the Broadway 'musical comedy'. Friml's work survived, especially on film, as late as the '50s. Rose Marie was written by Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein II '24 to his music, filmed '36 with Allan Jones, Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald, and '54 with Howard Keel: incl. title song and 'Indian Love Call', a two-sided C&W hit for Slim Whitman '52. The film of Victor Herbert's Naughty Marietta '35 had established the popular team of Eddy/MacDonald, Friml's The Firefly '37 had Jones and MacDonald; The Vagabond King '56 incl. Kathryn Grayson and Rita Moreno. |