America's Sweetheart (musical)

The show is a Hollywood satire, and is mainly set in Los Angeles but with some scenes in Agua Caliente, Tijuana in Mexico and in the state of Tennessee.^[1] Two young lovers hitchhike to Hollywood to make their fortune. The girl hits it big and loses interest in her boyfriend, who hasn't fared as well. Later, the introduction of talking pictures reverses their fortunes, and the boyfriend's career eclipses the girlfriend's, but they make up.^[1]

The book for America's Sweetheart was written by Herbert Fields, the music was written by Richard Rodgers, and Lorenz Hart wrote the lyrics.^[1][2] Rodgers and Hart opened seven other musicals together during the 1930s: Jumbo, On Your Toes, Babes in Arms, I'd Rather Be Right, I Married an Angel, The Boys from Syracuse, and Too Many Girls.^[1]

America's Sweetheart premiered on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre on February 10, 1931, and closed on June 6, 1931, after 135 performances. It was produced by Laurence Schwab and Frank Mandel, directed by Monty Woolley, with choreography and production supervision by Bobby Connolly, with set design by Donald Oenslager and costume design by Charles Le Maire. The show starred Jack Whiting, Ann Sothern (using her real name Harriet Lake), Inez Courtney,^[3] and Virginia Bruce.^[1]

In 1977, Dorothy Hart, the sister of lyricist Lorenz Hart, put an ad in Variety asking for assistance in locating the lyrics for nine songs from America's Sweetheart that had been lost.^[1]

• Internet Broadway Database listing