Fred Waring's America

Waring movies premiere in Libraries

Two movies from Fred Waring's America Collection will premiere on Saturday, June 7, 2008, at 9:30 a.m., in Foster Auditorium, 101 Pattee Library. Varsity Show and The Alma Martyr are free to public, but seating is limited.

Warner Brothers' Varsity Show, nominated for an Academy Award for best dance dirimage from Alma Martyr filmection in 1937, stars Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians as themselves, along with a supporting cast that includes Dick Powell, Ted Healy, and Rosemary and Priscilla Lane. With music and lyrics by Johnny Mercer and Richard Whiting, the dynamic selection of songs in this lively musical includes "Old King Cole," sung by Johnnie Davis; "We're Working Our Way Through College," sung by Dick Powell; "I'm Dependable," sung by Priscilla Lane and Fred Waring and written by Tom Waring and Don Raye; "Love Is on the Air Tonight," sung by Buck and Bubbles; among others. The highlight of Varsity Show is a memorable college finale, orchestrated by Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians and choreographed by Busby Berkeley.