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27-865: Friml was born Rudolf Antonín Frymel on December 2, 1879, in Staré Město 445, Prague , Bohemia (then part of the Austro-Hungarian empire) and was baptized Roman Catholic at the Kostel svatého Jiljí . Friml showed aptitude for music at an early age. He entered the Prague Conservatory in 1895, where he studied the piano and composition with Antonín Dvořák . Friml was expelled from the conservatory in 1901 for performing without permission. In Prague and soon afterwards in America he composed and published songs, piano pieces and other music, including

54-508: A book and lyrics by Rida Johnson Young and music by Rudolf Friml . Additional lyrics are by Ed Wynn . The romantic story concerns a couple kept apart for five years after the man is seen in a compromising position with another woman, but it turns out that this was a ruse planned by the other woman, and the man is innocent. The story enfolds in flashbacks (a novelty at the time) set in New York and Buenos Aires; with periodic shifts in time to

81-409: A couplet which ended: "I trust your conclusion and mine are similar: 'Twould be a happier world if it were Frimler." Similarly, satiric songwriter Tom Lehrer made a reference to Friml on his first album, Songs by Tom Lehrer (1953). The song "The Wiener Schnitzel Waltz" includes the lyric, "Your lips were like wine (if you'll pardon the simile) / The music was lovely, and quite Rudolf Friml-y." Near

108-533: A total of 120 performances. After The Firefly , Friml produced three more operettas that each had longer runs than The Firefly , although they are not as enduringly successful. These were High Jinks (1913), Katinka (1915) and You're in Love (1917). He also contributed songs to a musical in 1915, The Peasant Girl . Trentini was named as a co-respondent in Friml's divorce from his first wife in 1915, and evidence

135-463: Is a medieval settlement of Prague , Czech Republic . It was separated from the outside by a semi-circular moat and wall, connected to the Vltava river at both of its ends. The moat is now covered up by the streets (from north to south-west) Revoluční, Na Příkopě , and Národní —which remain the official boundary of the cadastral community of Old Town. It is now part of Prague 1 . Notable places in

162-571: Is also often performed. In 1967, Friml performed in a special concert at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco . As he often did in his concerts, he began the concert with a piano improvisation, then played special arrangements of his own compositions as well as composers who had influenced him. He even played Dvořák's Humoresque as a special tribute to his teacher. He also appeared on Lawrence Welk 's television program in 1971. He

189-508: The Ziegfeld Follies of 1921 and 1923. Friml wrote music for many films during the 1930s, often songs adapted from previous work. The Vagabond King , Rose-Marie and The Firefly were all made into films and included at least some of Friml's music. His operetta version of The Three Musketeers was never filmed. In 1930, he wrote a new operetta score for film, The Lottery Bride . Like his contemporary, Ivor Novello , Friml

216-721: The Bohemian Reformation and Hussite movement . In 1402–1413 the church reformer Jan Hus preached there. In 1689, a great fire (called the French fire ) damaged a big part of the Old Town, including the Jewish Town. In 1784, the four towns of Prague were united into the Royal Capital City of Prague with a common administration. Sometime (musical) Sometime is a musical in two acts, with

243-510: The Grieg A minor piano concerto with the orchestra, and a solo improvisation. He later settled for a brief time in Los Angeles where he married Mathilde Baruch (in 1909). They had two children, Charles Rudolf Jr. (born 1910) and Marie Lucille (born 1911). His second marriage was to Blanch Betters, an actress who had appeared in the chorus of Friml's musical Katinka . His third marriage

270-717: The Czech singer Emmy Destinn . His first regular post in New York was as a repetiteur at the Metropolitan Opera , but he had made his American piano debut at Carnegie Hall . On November 17, 1904, there, he gave the premiere of his Piano Concerto in B-flat major with the New York Symphony , under the baton of Walter Damrosch , in a concert that also included Friml playing his own Etude de concert, Op. 4, Smetana 's "Am Seegestade", Liszt 's Liebesträume No. 3,

297-643: The Old Town include Old Town Square and Astronomical Clock . The Old Town is surrounded by the New Town of Prague . Across the river Vltava connected by the Charles Bridge is the Lesser Town of Prague ( Czech : Malá Strana ). The former Jewish Town ( Josefov ) is located in the northwest corner of Old Town heading towards the Vltava. From its early existence, around the 9th century, Staré Město

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324-546: The almost unknown Friml because of his classical training. After a month of work, Friml produced the score for what would be his first theatrical success. After tryouts in Syracuse , New York, The Firefly opened at Broadway's Lyric Theatre on December 2, 1912, to a warm reception by both the audience and the critics. The production moved to the Casino Theatre after Christmas, where it ran until March 15, 1913, for

351-505: The composition of the operetta, Trentini appeared in a special performance of Herbert's Naughty Marietta conducted by Herbert himself. When Trentini refused to sing "Italian Street Song" for an encore , an enraged Herbert stormed out of the orchestra pit refusing any further work with Trentini. Arthur Hammerstein , the upcoming operetta's sponsor, frantically began to search for another composer. Not finding another theatre composer of comparable reputation to Herbert, Hammerstein settled on

378-887: The end of the 1957 musical The Music Man , Harold Hill lies to Marian Paroo: "I'm expecting a telegram from Rudy Friml, and this could be it." Friml died in Los Angeles in 1972 and was interred in the "Court of Honor" at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California . On August 18, 2007, a death notice in the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Kay Wong Ling Friml (born March 16, 1913), Friml's last wife, died on August 9, 2007, and would be buried with him in Forest Lawn. Star%C3%A9 M%C4%9Bsto, Prague The Old Town of Prague ( Czech : Staré Město pražské , German : Prager Altstadt )

405-539: The mid-14th century the importance of the Old Town of Prague increased rapidly. The city was prospering thanks to the development of trade and craftsmanship and became one of the most important Central European metropoles. Its brilliance and fame still further increased when the Bohemian king Charles IV became the Roman Emperor in 1355. Quite suddenly the attention of all medieval Europe was turned towards Prague,

432-638: The moat and wall were dismantled. In 1348, the University of Prague was founded by Charles IV. Since the late 14th century its main seat has been in Carolinum located in the Old Town of Prague. In 1357, Charles IV commenced building of a new bridge over the Vltava river connecting the Old Town with the Lesser Town of Prague . In 1391, the Bethlehem Chapel was built in the Old Town for sermons in Czech. The chapel played an important role in

459-545: The piano in concert and composing art music, which he did into his nineties. He also composed the music for the 1947 film Northwest Outpost , starring Nelson Eddy and Ilona Massey . A few of Friml's works have seen revivals on Broadway ; these include a 1943 production of The Vagabond King and a 1984 production of The Three Musketeers . " The Donkey Serenade " from the film version of The Firefly , "The Mounties" and "Indian Love Call" are still frequently heard, often in romantic parody or comic situations. His piano music

486-536: The present in an unknown location. The musical opened at the Schubert Theatre on Broadway on October 4, 1918, and transferred the following month to the Casino Theatre , running there until June 7, 1919 for a total of 283 performances. It was produced by Arthur Hammerstein and directed by Oscar Eagle. The music director was Herbert Stothart . It starred Wynn, Francine Larrimore , Harrison Brockbank and Mae West . This musical theatre related article

513-550: The prize-winning set of songs, Písně Závišovy . The last of these, Za tichých nocí , later became the basis for a famous film in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia in 1941. After the conservatory, Friml took a position as accompanist to the violinist Jan Kubelík . He toured with Kubelik twice in the United States (1901–02, 1904) and moved there permanently in 1906, apparently with the support of

540-523: The residence of the head of the Holy Roman Empire . The original town hall was extended by a mighty square stone tower, a symbol of the power and pride of the town council of the first city in the Kingdom and Empire. In 1364 when it was completed the tower was the highest in the city. After the city was expanded in the 14th century by Charles IV with the founding of the New Town of Prague ,

567-562: Was a hit worldwide, and a few of the songs from it also became hits including "The Mounties" and " Indian Love Call ". The use of murder as part of the plot was ground-breaking among operettas and musical theatre pieces at the time. After Rose-Marie's success came two other hit operettas, The Vagabond King in 1925, with lyrics by Brian Hooker and William H. Post, and The Three Musketeers in 1928, with lyrics by P. G. Wodehouse and Clifford Grey , based on Alexandre Dumas 's famous swashbuckling novel . In addition, Friml contributed to

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594-417: Was formed. According to ancient records, the city had around 13 gates, and a huge moat, providing strong defenses. In 1338, the councilors of the Old Town of Prague were granted a permission by John of Luxembourg , King of Bohemia, to buy a magnificent patrician house from the family Volfin od Kamene ( German : Wolfin von Stein ) and rebuild it into their town hall – the still existing Old Town Hall . In

621-467: Was introduced that they were having an affair. Another show, Sometime , written with Rida Johnson Young and starring Ed Wynn and Mae West , ran successfully on Broadway in 1918–19. Friml wrote his most successful operettas in the 1920s. In 1924, he wrote Rose-Marie . This operetta, on which Friml collaborated with lyricists Oscar Hammerstein II and Otto Harbach and co-composer Herbert Stothart ,

648-467: Was laid out of settlements which appeared from the spacious marketplace on the bank of Vltava. Records dating back to 1100 AD indicate that every Saturday a market was held on the marketplace, and large military gatherings also took place there. Thanks to trade the merchants of the area became rich, and when King Wenceslaus I of Bohemia gave them the privileges of township, the Town of Prague ( Město pražské )

675-539: Was one of the original inductees into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame . His two sons also worked as musicians. Rudolf Jr. was a big band leader in the 1930s and 1940s, and William, a son from Friml's third marriage, was a composer and arranger in Hollywood. William married Shelby Payne after her divorce from actor Douglas Fowley . In 1969, Friml was celebrated by Ogden Nash on the occasion of his 90th birthday in

702-431: Was sometimes ridiculed for the sentimental and insubstantial nature of his compositions and was often called trite. Friml was also criticized for the old-fashioned, Old World sentiments found in his works. Friml's last stage musical was Music Hath Charms in 1934. During the 1930s, Friml's music fell out of fashion on Broadway and in Hollywood. Rather than trying to adapt to popular taste, Friml decided to focus on playing

729-405: Was to actress Elsie Lawson (who played the maid in Friml's Glorianna , and by whom he had a son, William). His fourth and final marriage was to Kay Wong Ling. The first three marriages ended in divorce. In 1912, it was announced that operetta diva Emma Trentini would star in a new operetta on Broadway by veteran Victor Herbert and lyricist Otto Harbach titled The Firefly . Shortly before

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