I was rewatching the 1955 movie Kismet which was adapted from the Broadway musical that won the Best Musical Tony award in 1954 for Best Musical and Leading Actor (Alfred Drake). The film adaptation was directed by Vincente Minnelli and starred Howard Keel, Vic Damone and Ann Blyth. The Broadway show was based on compositions by Alexander Borodin with all of the songs and sources shown below.
Here is the Richard Kiley Broadway version of Night of my Nights. Below is the Vic Damone film version. I like Damone, but Kiley knocks this beautiful song out of the park.
| Song Title [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] | Original Alexander Borodin Source Material |
|---|---|
| “Sands of Time” | In the Steppes of Central Asia (Symphonic Poem) |
| “Rhymes Have I” | String Quartet No. 2 in D major (Movement 1: Allegro moderato) / Prince Igor themes |
| “Fate” | Symphony No. 2 in B minor (Movement 1: Animato) |
| “Bazaar of the Caravans” | Prince Igor (“Polovtsian Dances”) |
| “Not Since Nineveh” | Prince Igor (“Polovtsian Dances”) |
| “Baubles, Bangles and Beads” | String Quartet No. 2 in D major (Movement 2: Scherzo) |
| “Stranger in Paradise” | Prince Igor (“Polovtsian Dances” – specifically the Gliding Dance of the Maidens) |
| “He’s in Love” | Prince Igor (“Polovtsian Dances”) |
| “Gesticulate” | Symphony No. 1 in E-flat major (Movement 4) & Prince Igor (“Aria of Khan Konchak”) |
| “Night of My Nights” | Petite Suite (“Serenade” / “Dreaming of a Love Song”) |
| “Was I Wazir?” | String Quartet No. 1 in A major (Movement 4: Allegro vivace) |
| “Rahadlakum” | Prince Igor (“Polovtsian Dances”) |
| “And This Is My Beloved” | String Quartet No. 2 in D major (Movement 3: Notturno) |
| “The Olive Tree” | Prince Igor (Act III Trio) |
| “Zubbediya” | Prince Igor (“Aria of Vladimir Galitsky”) |
| “Samaris’ Dance” | Prince Igor (“Polovtsian Dances”) |
The 1955 film adaptation omitted two major musical numbers from the original Broadway score: Was I Wazir and He’s In Love. Additionally, the stage song “Rhymes Have I” was heavily cut, with its musical portion dropped in favor of a short dialogue sequence. To make up for these cuts, the studio added a brand-new song to the film, “Bored”, which was written specifically for actress Dolores Gray in her role as Lalume.
Kismet was a major hit on Broadway despite some critical quibbles (reviews below), but thanks to the glorious Borodin themes and the talents of Alfred Drake who was considered the star of his era (and many years since) it received the following awards in the 1954 tony honors:
Best Musical 1954
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical (won by Alfred Drake for his role as Hajj)
Because the rules stated that the authors of the music must be named on the award, the American Theatre Wing officially listed Borodin as a joint winner alongside:
- Robert Wright & George Forrest (Musical adaptors and lyricists)
- Charles Lederer & Luther Davis (Book writers)
- Charles Lederer (Producer)
As a result, Borodin officially won the Tony Award for Best Musical 68 years after his death in 1887, making him one of the most uniquely historical winners in Broadway history.
The original Broadway 1953 production received a highly polarized critical reception, with theater critics split down the middle regarding its musical identity. However, overwhelming audience word-of-mouth eventually triumphed over the colder print reviews.
The Music Advocates: Many theater columnists were completely enchanted by the score. Reviewers raved that “Broadway never heard a more luscious score”, praising how seamlessly Robert Wright and George Forrest converted Alexander Borodin’s classical themes into “irresistible showtunes” and “fabulous, enduring hits”.
The “Kitsch” and “Cribbing” Critics: Highbrow theater purists and classical music aficionados were less impressed. Some prominent critics dismissed the adaptation as high-level “kitsch”, accusing the songwriters of assembling a show out of “a storehouse of spare parts” rather than executing pure theatrical composition.
Praise for the Cast: While the book faced criticisms for being silly and reliant on cliché Arabian Nights tropes, critics universally lauded the original cast. Alfred Drake was widely celebrated as the definitive, charismatic anchor of the show.
1955 Movie Adaptation Critical Reception
The film version directed by Vincente Minnelli was met with predominantly negative and disappointed reviews, largely viewed as a clunky, uninspired effort from MGM’s otherwise legendary musical department.
The Vocal Silver Lining: The singular saving grace for most critics was the vocal performances. The singing talent of Howard Keel, Ann Blyth, and Vic Damone were highly praised for beautifully executing the rich, Borodin-based melodies.
Indifferent Direction: Critics and film historians noted that the movie utterly lacked the signature creative spark found in Minnelli’s masterpiece, An American in Paris. Minnelli openly admitted in later years that he had no artistic connection to the material and only directed it under intense studio pressure to secure his next passion project.
Garish Visuals: Instead of translating the fantasy of Baghdad elegantly to film, reviewers widely panned the production design. The sets were frequently labeled as “gaudy,” “garish,” and “obviously fake backdrops” that made the movie feel cheap and unconvincing on the wide CinemaScope screen.
“Lumbering” Energy: Film critics felt that the energetic theatrical pacing of the Broadway show was entirely lost in translation. Rather than soaring, reviewers complained that the film “lumbers” and could be “tough going at times”, lacking the overall humility or genuine wonder required to make the fantasy work.
Two songs from the film became major hits in 1955. First Ann Blythe with Baubles, Bangles and Beads and then Vic Damone with Stranger in Paradise
