Born in Gillespie, Illinois, to Navyman-turned-coalminer Homer Keel and his wife, Grace Osterkamp Keel, young Harry spent his childhood in poverty. After his father's death in 1930, he and his mother moved to California, where he graduated from Fallbrook High School at the age of 17 and took various odd-jobs until finally settling at Douglas Aircraft Company, where he became a traveling representative.
At the age of twenty, he was overheard singing by his landlady, Mom Rider, and was encouraged to take vocal lessons. One of his musical heroes was the great baritone Lawrence Tibbett and Howard would later say that finding out that his own voice was a basso cantante was one of the greatest disappointments of his life. Nevertheless, his first public performance came in the summer of 1941 when he played the role of Samuel the Prophet in Handel's oratorio Saul and David (singing a duet with bass-baritone George London).
Just a couple years after this, in 1943, Harold met and married his first wife, actress Rosemary Cooper. In 1945 Harold briefly understudied for John Raitt in the Broadway hit Carousel, before being assigned to Oklahoma! by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. It was during this time, he accomplished a feat that has never been duplicated. He performed the leads in both shows on the same day.
In 1947 Oklahoma! became the first American musical, post-war, to travel to London, England, and Harold went with it. Opening night , 30th April, at the Drury Lane Theatre, the capacity audience (which included the Queen) demanded fourteen encores. Harold Keel was hailed as the next great star and was the toast of the West End.
During the London run, the marriage of Harold and Rosemary ended in divorce, and Harold fell in love with a young member of the show's chorus, dancer Helen Anderson. They married in January 1949 and, a year later, Harold - now called Howard - became a father for the first time to daughter Kaija.
While living in London, Keel made his film debut as Howard Keel at the British Lion studio in Elstree, in The Small Voice (1948), released in the US as Hideout, playing an escaped convict, holding up a playwright and his wife in their English country cottage.
Additional Broadway credits include Saratoga, No Strings, and Ambasador. He appeared at The Muny in St. Louis, MO as General Waverly in White Christmas (2000), Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady (1996); Emile de Becque in South Pacific (1992), and Adam in Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (1978).
From London's West End, Howard ended up at MGM making his film musical debut as Frank Butler in Annie Get Your Gun.
Howard's MGM career was to be a frustrating business. MGM never seemed to know quite what to do with him and, outside of plum roles in the films Show Boat, Kiss Me, Kate and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, he was forced into a stream of worthless musicals and B-films. On loan-out at Warner Bros., he played Wild Bill Hickok in Calamity Jane, a highly popular, Oscar-winning musical filmed in 1953, starring Doris Day in one of her most famous screen roles. This was Warner's answer to Annie Get Your Gun, and the film that produced the smash hit number, "Secret Love".
There were two more children born to Howard and Helen, daughter Kirstine in 1952 and son Gunnar in 1955. Soon after, Howard was released from his contract and returned to his first love, the stage.
Sadly, as America's taste in entertainment changed, finding jobs became harder and harder for Howard. The 1960s held little chance for career advancement with a round of nightclub work, b-Westerns and summer stock. Under the strain, Howard began to drink heavily, and his marriage to Helen crumbled. They divorced in 1970.
But 1970 proved to be fortuitous for Howard after all. He was set up on a blind date with airline stewardess Judy Magamoll who was twenty-five years his junior and had never even heard of him. They were married in December 1970 and his drinking problem soon ceased.
By 1980 he had had enough of struggling to find work and he moved his family to Oklahoma, intending to join an oil company. They had barely settled there when Howard was called back to California to appear with Jane Powell on an episode of The Love Boat. While he was there, he was told that the producers of the smash hit television series Dallas wanted to talk to him. After several cameo appearances, Howard joined the show permanently as the dignified, if hot tempered, oil baron Clayton Farlow and his career reached heights it had never seen before.
With his renewed fame, Howard began his first solo recording career at age sixty-four, as well as a wildly successful concert career in the UK. He released an album in 1984 called "With Love", that sold poorly, thus indicating that though the American public were happy to see him as a supporting actor on hit TV show, they were not prepared for a full resumption of his previous stardom.
Even after Dallas he continued to sing, and kept his voice in remarkable shape. In 1994, he and Judy moved to Palm Desert, CA. The Keels were always active in charity events, helping their community and were well loved amongst the residents. In particular, Howard and Judy attended the annual Howard Keel Golf Classic at Mere Golf Club in Cheshire, England, which raised money for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). He attended for many years, up until the year of his death.
Howard died at his home in Palm Desert on November 7, 2004, six weeks after being diagnosed with colon cancer. He is survived by Judy, his wife of thirty-four years, his four children, ten grandchildren and a great-granddaughter. He was cremated and his ashes scattered at various favorite places including Mere Golf Club, Liverpool John Lennon Airport, and in Tuscany, Italy.
There's No Business Like Show Business
Howard Keel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like no business I know
Everything about it is appealing
Everything that traffic will allow
Nowhere could you get that happy feeling
When you are stealing that extra bow
There's no people like show people
Even with a turkey that you know will fold
You may be stranded out in the cold
Still you wouldn't change it for a sack of gold
Let's go on with the show
The butcher, the baker, the grocer, the clerk
Are secretly unhappy men becau-ause
The butcher, the baker, the grocer and the clerk
Get paid for what they do but no applause
They'd gladly bid their dreary jobs goodbye
For anything theatrical and why, why-y?
There's no business like show business
Like no business I know
You get word before the show has started
That your father died inside of dawn
Top of that, your pa and ma have parted
You're broken-hearted, but you go on
There's no people like show people
They smile when they are low
Yesterday they told you you would not go far
That night you open and there you are
Next day on your dressing room
They've hung a star
Let's go, on with the show
The song "There's No Business Like Show Business" is a classic show tune from the 1950 musical "Annie Get Your Gun," made famous by Howard Keel's performance in the film adaptation. The song celebrates the glitz and glamour of show business, with lyrics that highlight the unique appeal of the industry. The first verse sets the stage, with the singer proclaiming that there is no other business quite like show business, with its irresistible appeal and opportunities for recognition. The second verse focuses on the people who make up the world of show business, from performers to crew members, and praises their resilience and willingness to persevere in the face of setbacks.
The rest of the song takes a more satirical tone, contrasting the world of show business with the mundane and unappreciated work done by other professions. The bridge of the song highlights this contrast, with the lyrics painting a portrait of unhappy but well-paid professionals who secretly long for the glamour of show business. The final verse brings things full circle, with the singer acknowledging the personal sacrifices that come with pursuing a career in show business, but ultimately affirming the joy that comes from being a part of such a dynamic and exciting industry.
Overall, the song "There's No Business Like Show Business" captures the energy and excitement of the entertainment industry, while also poking fun at its excesses and contradictions.
Line by Line Meaning
There's no business like show business
The entertainment industry is incomparable to any other field
Like no business I know
I cannot think of any other industry that is as unique as show business
Everything about it is appealing
The entertainment industry possesses attractiveness in every aspect
Everything that traffic will allow
The entertainment industry can exploit every opportunity available for greater success
Nowhere could you get that happy feeling
In no other realm can you experience the happiness that the entertainment industry provides
When you are stealing that extra bow
The sense of satisfaction that comes from receiving an extra round of applause is unmatchable
There's no people like show people
The individuals in the entertainment industry are unlike any other
They smile when they are low
Individuals in the entertainment industry maintain a positive demeanor even during their downtimes
Even with a turkey that you know will fold
Despite the knowledge of a performance's inevitable failure, they maintain a positive attitude
You may be stranded out in the cold
There may be difficult times, but it does not discourage them from persevering
Still you wouldn't change it for a sack of gold
Even if offered a substantial amount of money, entertainment industry individuals would not abandon their field
Let's go on with the show
The show must go on despite any difficulties faced
The butcher, the baker, the grocer, the clerk
These individuals in traditional jobs
Are secretly unhappy men becau-ause
They are unhappy with their current jobs
The butcher, the baker, the grocer and the clerk
Individuals in regular jobs
Get paid for what they do but no applause
They receive compensation for their work but do not receive recognition for it like in the entertainment industry
They'd gladly bid their dreary jobs goodbye
They would be happy to leave their mundane jobs behind
For anything theatrical and why, why-y?
They would rather pursue the glamor of the entertainment industry
You get word before the show has started
Prior to the start of the show, you receive news
That your father died inside of dawn
Your father has passed away earlier that day
Top of that, your pa and ma have parted
Furthermore, your parents have separated
You're broken-hearted, but you go on
Despite the hardships, the show must go on
Yesterday they told you you would not go far
The previous day, others told you that you will not succeed
That night you open and there you are
But then that night you succeed in your performance
Next day on your dressing room
The following day in your dressing room
They've hung a star
You are now highly praised and esteemed
Let's go, on with the show
The show must continue despite all of the adversities faced
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Irving Berlin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Maridun50
Betty Hutton completely stole the scene!
She' s perfect for this role.
She made it HER picture!
A formidable comedienne, singer, dancer and looked pretty as well.
@alanellaway5489
She's SENSATIONAL! Her reputation and renown should be much higher!
@bears-ec5db
I am a young kid, but I grew up with Annie Get Your Gun and all of the songs that came with it! My parents even convinced me to sing this for the 3rd-grade talent show. It was such a blast and this is one of my favorite scenes!
@user-mn4kg3jb4j
Betty Hutton is the best Annie Oakley ever! I own the 1950 MGM classic movie Annie Get Your Gun on videotape, Laser Disc, DVD and Blue Ray. I was born in 1978. Thank you for posting and sharing this movie magic! I love it!
@garydickson9450
Their teeth are too perfect.
@willtisdale7543
Gary Dickson its because there was no soda or mcdonalds back then
@kh23797
@@willtisdale7543 ... Sorry, sir, both soda and MacDonald's long predate 1951when AGYG was made. The Coca-Cola company invented Father Christmas's now-ubiquitous red outfit back in 1931, as the Father Christmas 'wiki' shows. MacD's came along in the forties.
@katwolf897
@@kh23797 back then meaning Annie Oakley's time in the 1870s, not 1950 when the movie came out. Though either way their teeth realistically speaking would not have been perfectly noce. But it's a good movie so it doesn't matter.
@maeves.w.7156
It's actually most likely because of the technicolour used to make the film
@Sophie-vw5ol
even at this time they bleached their teeth