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[0:00] Paul Lazarus: Hi, this is Paul Lazarus. In the 1980s, I produced and hosted a radio series called Anything Goes, a celebration of the American musical theater. Now the Broadway Podcast Network is bringing back these shows. This is the first of a three-part program paying tribute to renowned lyricist Ira Gershwin. Originally broadcast in 1982 on the occasion of Gershwin's 86th birthday, the show featured songs that Ira wrote with other collaborators besides his brother George, composers like Harold Arlen, Burton Lane, and Kurt Weill.

[12:43] Paul Lazarus: Good afternoon and welcome to Anything Goes. I decided that since it's Ira Gershwin's 86th birthday tomorrow, Monday, that we would do a birthday tribute. Ira Gershwin was born December 6th, 1896, and he's still alive and well in California. I'm sure you joined me in wishing him a very happy birthday tomorrow on his 86th. And today I thought it might be interesting to hear what Ira had to say in the years following his brother George's tragic death and with all the other collaborators that he wrote with. You just heard several songs from the show Life Begins at 840, which he wrote with Harold Arlen, composing the music and collaborating on the lyrics with Yip Harburg. We started out with You're a Builder Upper, and that was indeed performed by Harold Arlen with the Leo Reisman Orchestra.

And then from a new record in my collection called Music of 1933, 1934, a Music Masters record, you heard a recording of Fun to Be Fooled from that show, featuring Joey Nash and the Richard Himber Orchestra. Once again, a show written by Harold Arlen and lyrics by Ira Gershwin and Yip Harburg. And it's Ira's 86th birthday tomorrow, so we're going to listen to all Ira Gershwin lyrics today, primarily those that he wrote after George's death. Of course, Life Begins at 840 was a show he wrote without George prior to George's death. And then we finished off those four songs from Life Begins...

[14:57] Paul Lazarus: was a show he wrote with Vernon Duke, The Ziegfeld Follies of 1936. And a record just recently came my way called The Lyrics by Ira Gershwin, featuring Nancy Walker, Louise Carlyle, David Craig, with musical arrangements by composer David Baker. And it was a Walden record, a very rare record, and I didn't have it in my collection, and it was a present to me. And luckily, we have from The Ziegfeld Follies of 1936, Vernon Duke wrote the music, Ira Gershwin the lyrics, Nancy Walker singing I Can't Get Started.

[M:SS] ♪ Musical number: "I Can't Get Started" — performed by Nancy Walker ♪

[20:36] Paul Lazarus: Let me introduce a gentleman. Hard class people call a louse. Not a very sentimental man. Nothing in one around the house. Yet, he twists me round his finger. Funny, that is a rat I adore. Oh, I really can't tell why I'm under his spell. The chances are slim I'll ever see what I see in him. I give you his highness, a pain worse than sinus. Though I felt all hopped up, the minute he popped up. It's easy to see he hasn't a thing except me.

[M:SS] ♪ Musical number: "He Hasn't a Thing Except Me" — performed by Ethel Chate ♪

[23:38] Paul Lazarus: You've heard, he hasn't a thing except me, and you may have recognized that Folly's voice, Ethel Chate singing. And according to Ben Bagley, who I must remind you is incurably insane, this song was originally sung in the Folly's by Fanny Bryce, and Ethel Chate told Bagley about going to a party at Fanny Bryce's one night after Billy Rose had been caught by Miss Bryce in a love nest with the Ziegfeld Folly's beauty. And she was apparently heartbroken by this and was in the process of filing papers for divorce. At the party, some of Miss Bryce's friends were making disparaging remarks about Billy Rose, and Fanny said, I won't let anybody say nothing bad about Billy. It's not his fault he fell out of love with me. That's according to Ben Bagley. Two songs, once again, from Ziegfeld Folly's of 1936. And today is a salute to Ira Gershwin, the day before his 86th birthday, and we wish him very well out in California.

[24:37] Paul Lazarus: I want to move on to a few rather rare songs by Ira Gershwin. This one he wrote together with Harry Warren, and Billy Rose is co-credited with the lyrics. I often wonder just exactly what Billy Rose contributed, but he did obviously sign the contract that said his name would appear. So whatever he offered, I'm sure it's primarily Ira's work. This is from a show called Sweet and Low, premiered in November of 1930 and ran about 184 performances, and a song entitled Cheerful Little Earful.

[M:SS] ♪ Musical number: "Cheerful Little Earful" — performed by Jack Hilton Orchestra ♪