Anybody know the reason?
Does anybody know why the A sections of "My White Knight" were replaced with "Being In Love"? Seems to me that the original "My White Knight" lyrics fit the character of Marian better.
shareThe official word at the time was that Meredith Willson wanted to write a song specifically for Shirley Jones' voice, so he replaced "My White Knight" with "Being in Love." But some have said the real reason is that "My White Knight" was party (or mostly) written by Frank Loesser, who was one of the show's producers. Was Loesser looking for credit and/or financial renumeration? Or was Willson determined that movie audiences would only hear HIS music in the film? It's been a subject of speculation for years, so it's difficult to know what the real reason actually is.
However, I do think "Being in Love" is a terrific song and I love the way it's used in the film - not just in the scene with Marian & her mother, but also when it underscores Marian's first encounter with Harold Hill. It also sounds great in the overture.
Oh, I don't dispute that it's a good song. My only issue with it is that Marian is clearly presented to the audience as the type of woman who's been waiting all her life for the ideal man to come along, so she's not ever allowed herself to entertain any romantic feelings. The first time we see her, she's being rude and deliberately aloof to Harold Hill. Right after that, her mother nags her about her impossible standard for men and not being married, and it's obvious that this is something that is a regular topic of conversation between them. "My White Knight" amplifies this aspect of Marian's personality beautifully. In the film, Marian suddenly is presented to the audience as a dreamy, romantic woman with the song "Being In Love", which is completely at odds with everything that we know about her attitude towards love and romance up to that point.
shareWhile it's true that Marian & her mother may have discussed this subject on many occasions, it's quite possible they haven't always discussed it in the same way; Marian may be choosing this moment to open up to her mother in a way she hasn't before. And I don't think any of Marian's sentiments in "Being in Love" are inconsistent with her character.
Taking the two into account (and discounting who may have actually written the song), I can understand why the change was made. To me, "My White Knight" has always sounded more like a THEATER song; something that was belted to the last row of the balcony. "Being in Love," on the other hand, sounds more intimate and better suited to the film's cozy kitchen setting.
But if you're wondering WHY the song was replaced, I only know the official and unofficial versions, and those are the ones I mentioned above.
We'll just have to agree to disagree about the song and the character of Marian. I also wonder if it may have had something to do with the more "legit" sound of "My White Knight" versus the more "pop" sound of "Being In Love". I know there was a notion that moviegoers weren't as sophisticated as theatergoers, so they may have simply asked Willson to write a more "pop" sounding song in place of "My White Knight".
shareI know there was a notion that moviegoers weren't as sophisticated as theatergoers, so they may have simply asked Willson to write a more "pop" sounding song in place of "My White Knight".
Or it could be that "My White Knight" was replaced because the setting had been changed. The song was originally staged on an outdoor porch, where its declamatory style didn't seem out of place. But since the scene was now taking place indoors, a different type of song was needed ("My White Knight" would have blown Mrs. Paroo out of the room). But without a definitive statement from Willson, we can only speculate.
However, I don't agree that Marian has never "allowed herself to entertain any romantic feelings." The song "Goodnight, My Someone" makes it clear that she has romantic feelings, and there's nothing in "Being in Love" that contradicts them. And if she's "rude" and "aloof" to Harold Hill when they first meet, it's because she doesn't appreciate the way he's approaching her. This is 1912, and a respectable person like Marian isn't accustomed to strange men trying to pick her up on the street - or as she puts it, "accosting women like a Saturday night rowdy at a public dance hall." share