MovieChat Forums > Carousel (1956) Discussion > The "Mogambo" Myth

The "Mogambo" Myth

posted 9 years ago by rorysa
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Shirley Jones has famously claimed that she never knew the "real" reason why Sinatra walked off the "Carousel" set in Boothbay Harbor until reporters informed her recently that Sinatra had received a call from Ava Gardner, who threatened to have an affair with Clark Gable in Africa while shooting "Mogambo," unless Sinatra came there immediately.

I don't know whether Sinatra got such a call, but I know it wasn't while he was about to shoot "Carousel" in 1955: "Mogambo" was released in theaters in 1953.

[–] dmnemaine 9 years ago

I see no reason to doubt the story about him not wanting to shoot each scene twice. It probably was something that simple.

[–] rorysa 9 years ago

Not sure if it's that simple: in the DVD commentary, Jones (who admittedly has a suspicious memory about things) claims that the cast was informed about the two-camera shoot well before they traveled to Boothbay Harbor.

[–] dmnemaine 9 years ago

He could have just been nervous about the level of singing required and chickened out.

[–] rorysa 9 years ago

That is definitely another theory. Ken Darby (vocal arranger) later wrote famously of Sinatra's pre-recording difficulties, requiring numerous takes.

[–] dmnemaine 9 years ago

Even "legitimate" baritones find Soliloquy difficult to sing.

[–] rorysa 9 years ago

But Darby said MacRae came in and nailed it on the first take.

[–] dmnemaine 9 years ago

Doesn't mean he didn't find it difficult. :) Gordon MacRae, like John Raitt (the original stage Billy), had a tremendous range that most singers don't have. MacRae sang the music beautifully, but Sinatra would have mopped the floor with him as far as the acting goes.

[–] rorysa 9 years ago

We'll never know--I liked MacRae's performance.

[–] dmnemaine 9 years ago

MacRae was passable in the role. I just found him to be unable to escape his "nice guy next door" image for tough guy Billy Bigelow. He was best in the scenes where Billy's better nature comes through.