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A Thurber Carnival [Masterworks Broadway 88691 91138]
The winter of 1960 was brightened, in the environs of Broadway at least, by the arrival of A Thurber Carnival. This was what might be considered a jukebox musical revue, except the jukebox selections were prose rather than song. The unique American humorist James Thurber (1894-1961) had since 1927 been writing stories, articles, and even one hit Broadway comedy, The Male Animal; he had also made a name for himself as one of the unlikeliest cartoonists of his time.

"A Thurber Carnival" was a best-selling anthology first published in 1945, containing much of the best of Thurber to that point. As the '50s came to an end, director Burgess Meredith — with Thurber's active participation — assembled a stage version of the anthology. Meredith is best remembered as a star of stage (Winterset), screen (as the trainer in the "Rocky" films) and the small screen (as Batman's recurring nemesis, the Penguin); his career in 1960 was in limbo, courtesy of Joe McCarthy's blacklist.

Meredith assembled a group of strong comic actors. Heading the cast was Tom Ewell, who had achieved widespread fame and a Best Actor Tony in the 1952 comedy The Seven Year Itch; he repeated his role in the motion picture version, where he was somewhat overshadowed by his iconic costar. (That's the film in which Marilyn stands over the subway grates, dress in mid-air.) Ewell had two co-stars in the Thurber revue: Peggy Cass, who already had a Tony Award and an Oscar nomination for her role of Agnes Gooch in "Auntie Mame"; and Paul Ford, who had starred in the Pulitzer-winner Teahouse of the August Moon (on stage and screen) and was well known as Colonel Hall to Phil Silvers' "Sergeant Bilko." The stars were supported by the likes of John McGiver and Alice Ghostley.

All are present on the original cast recording of A Thurber Carnival, performing selected sketches from the show. These include the opening and closing numbers, discussed below, and a number of comedy skits. There are also two lengthy scenes topping ten minutes: "File and Forget," an extended sequence of letters between a fictional Thurber and his fictional publishers; and Ewell's solo reading of the short story classic, "The Night the Bed Fell."

I well remember enjoying this cast album when I was a lad; at least I think I remember finding it refreshingly bright. Listening to it now for the first time since Nixon was reelected, I can only wonder. Perhaps my appreciation for Thurber's brand of comedy has dimmed? I hope not. But I find little of this recording funny or even amusing; as much as I appreciate hearing these actors — all of whom clearly have a feel for the material — the whole thing falls flat for me.

What is especially good is the music by Don Elliott, performed by the Don Elliott Quartet. There is not all that much of it, but the jazzy intro gets the recording off to a swinging start. There are two additional musical pieces, "Word Dance" sequences that open and close the show. This is cocktail party music — a swinging 1960 cocktail party — interrupted by comic punchlines. (This idea seems to have been borrowed by the producers of the television series "Laugh-In," which began in 1968.)

Punchlines such as "How could I tell the man what happened, when I didn't know the French for 'I have flushed my passport?'" and "I never dreamed their union had been blessed with issue, 'til their little daughter stabbed the superintendent of schools." And that old favorite, "If I called the wrong number, why did you answer the phone?" Which is to say, captions from Thurber's New Yorker cartoons, without the cartoons. I feel certain that these seemed very funny back when I first heard them, and I still find the cartoons effective. Here and now, on the recording, most fall flat.

Which leaves A Thurber Carnival, now finally back in circulation, slightly less than effervescent.

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