Frankly, no. (Frank speaking.)
But Joe does.
Jules Munshin only made about two dozen films, but he was more or less a unique presence.
A born and bred New Yorker, he (literally) died there of a heart attack in 1970, at in the relatively young age of 54. He was a seasoned vaudeville performer before starring on the Broadway stage in the 1946 musical, Call Me Mister.
He also worked as an all purpose song and dance man and comedian at the New York Catskills summer resorts — at the time a traditional entry into mainstream show biz for generations of Jewish aspirants, notably including Danny Kaye.
By 1948 , Munshin found himself on the MGM lot playing a “headwaiter Francois” in the Judy Garland, Fred Astaire musical, Easter Parade. It was the beginning of many roles as a second and third banana.
His obvious claim to posterity, however, is that wonderful 1949 musical, On The Town. It was the closest he came to full blown stardom. His somewhat nerdy interpretation as one of three sailors — Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra are the other two — in New York, remains appealing and distinctive.
Munshin also made appearances in other star-laden musicals including the Astaire-Cyd Charisse pairing in 1957’s Silk Stockings. Typically, his character was named “Bibinsky.”
Munshin had a certain ethnic appeal which landed him in European roles, usually as a Frenchman. For example, he turns up opposite a very young Audrey Hepburn in a 1953 French production, We Go To Monte Carlo (aka Monte Carlo, Baby). The picture was made in two versions, one in French and one English, with Munshin appearing in the latter.
Munshin also worked extensively in television, and finished his movie career with something titled Mastermind, a Charlie Chan spoof filmed in 1969 — and released a few years after Munshin’s death. A minor player, to be sure, but an interesting one.
Well, the WESTERN article bit the dust with CLASSIC MOVIE CHAT’s classic silent and indifferent ‘readers’ that’s for sure…
Maybe JULES MUNSHIN can wake them up???
From the Catskill’s to Broadway, and then onto HOLLYWOOD and an early death… Not too much one can say, or at least me about Jules…
So I thought it might be kind of nice to furnish this Joe & Frank article with some PRE-MADE comments from another movie site from nine years ago, just to show how even the most trivial subjects can generate conversation!
This will make JULES MUNSHIN the most COMMENTED on person ever here!
ragoode1-
I’ve always felt this guy was a waste…couldn’t they have found someone better to be the third guy? He’s no match for Gene or Frank. Oscar Levant (another not so terribly talented actor) would have been an improvment. Does anyone have a suggestion on who could have played this part better…like Van Johnson!
murph24-
To create a contrast with the other sailors – the swaggering Gabey and the innocent Chip – Ozzie has often been cast with actors who have a strongly comedic (some would even say goofy) persona. For example, the role was played in the original Broadway production by Adolph Green and in the original London production by Elliott Gould. Jules Munshin was under contract to MGM at the time, and since he’d clicked so well with Kelly, Sinatra and co-director Stanley Donen in the previous year’s Take Me Out To The Ball Game, it came as no surprise when he was cast as Ozzie.
movibuf1962-
Piggy-backing on these great observations, I think Munshin was added because the first two sailors were already played by leading men- Kelly and Sinatra. Munshin, if you will, represented the comic relief/character actor, and balanced the trio. Another comic type like Sid Caesar or Carl Reiner could’ve been used as well, but Munshin was flawless. I was glad to see him graduate from novelty roles (like the fastidious waiter in “Easter Parade” who elaborately demonstrates the making of ‘Salade Francois’) to this film.
elena-28-
I love Jules Munshin and always have – of the three sailors, he was my favorite when I first saw the movie (just as he was my favorite in “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”). He’s part of what connects Kelly and Sinatra and provides contrast; his timing is wonderful; his attraction isn’t “pretty” but rough, honest and forthright. For me, Kelly and Sinatra were pre-programmed as romantic lead; Munshin was purely himself, and I loved him for his support and the freedom it allowed him.
Eric266-
He kind of has the goofy-guy role that most characters have in a threesome. Think of the Three Stooges (Curly) or even more recently, the Hangover with Zach Galiafinakis. There’s always one stooge of the three. I liked Munshin in Take Me Out To the Ballgame better although his role had less screen time. I think his role here was fine and he was a good physical comedian. Realistically, I think the producers probably wanted someone who would not upstage Kelly or Sinatra while also being okay playing the third wheel. I also believe Munshin was friends with Kelly.
greenbudgie-
I like Jules Munschin in the film. No other dancer/actor has his rubber legs.
cowgoesmoo-
There’s the scene/song at the beginning of the movie (“Prehistoric Man”) with Ann Miller in the museum. Not to be overly insulting to Jules, but they did need a guy who looked like a caveman. Van Johnson certainly wouldn’t have fit the part!
mikeoak840-
So, I think Munshin was a perfect choice. He could do the comedy without overdoing it, he wasn’t competing as a dancer with Kelly, he fits into the mix of other cast members well, and he was a “name” in theater and comedy, without being a big enough name to demand changes be made in the show. To go back to Ragoode1’s post – all the others listed have way more charisma. But too much charisma would’ve ruined the role.
Hi All- I am the official Webmaster at my site http://www.JulesMunshin.com !
I hope you also take time to peruse the site-in-progress, and learn that Jules wasn’t JUST a silly character actor but also dedicated to his craft.
THANKS!
One of the pleasures of reading this blog for me is that one thing so often suggests another.
Ann Miller is consistently out of this world. She was tall, with amazing legs (I suppose that was a prerequisite), dished out snappy banter with the best of ’em, and just had that certain something that makes her unforgettable. Her dance sequences were stunning. She was beautiful in an unconventional way, tapped on a par with Eleanor Powell, kicked like a Rockette, and seemed as athletic as any dancer you’ve ever seen. None of those things may have been exactly true, but that’s how I view her. The whole package.
Remember Stan Freberg’s Great American Soup commercial with Ann putting on as good a show as Mickey and Judy ever put on in the barn, and with the bonus of the wonderful Dave Willock (“I’m Writing a Letter to Daddy”) delivering the punch line–“Emily, why do you always have to make such a production out of everything?” Ann was 47 or so at the time, but those legs and her talent were still in their prime.
As usual, I digress. Slightly more on topic:
Nice to find out more about Jules Munshin. If you look at the big Freed unit musicals, it is often the “third bananas” who seem odd insertions at first, but who really make some of these movies special. Jules Munshin, Michael Kidd, and Jack Buchanan come to mind. Each very talented in his own right, but very different than Kelly and Astaire, who tended to crowd the screen by themselves, let alone with their female partners, or with the fantastically adaptable Sinatra. Along with Munshin, Kidd and Buchanan, folks like Ms. Miller, Nanette Fabray, Oscar Levant, Betty Garrett and Donald O’Connor tended to steal whole movies. The common thread, I suspect, maybe with the exception of Oscar Levant, is decades of HARD work and great stage training.
Mr. Levant worked very hard on his neuroses, and was a pleasure to watch. He made insecurity seem effortless.
Cheers to everyone…
Good post DAN…
One thing does lead to another, whether HOLLYWOOD related or anything else!