What Makes Sammy Run? is based on the 1941 novel by Budd Schulberg and tells, through memorable songs and tragicomic situations the story of movie producer Sammy Glick, brilliantly portrayed by Steve Lawrence. The plot turns the inspiring rags-to-riches story upside-down revealing Sammy's manipulative rise to the top of Hollywood through intimidation, blatant plagiarism and back-stabbing. Sammy will stop at nothing yet he always seems to come out ahead, making Sammy Glick among the most memorable and complex of Broadway show villains. In addition to Steve Lawrence, the cast includes Sally Ann Howes as ghostwriter Kit Sargent, Bernice Massi as Laurette Harrington and Robert Alda as Al Manheim.
The songs for the 1964 musical were composed by Ervin Drake with the show's script written by novelist Budd Schulberg and his brother, Stuart Schulberg. What Makes Sammy Run? was earlier dramatized into several made-for-TV plays starring José Ferrer and later Larry Blyden, but in its depiction of the decadent side of Hollywood, it is telling that though the rights to a movie version were purchased by Warner Brothers, the musical and the original novel and TV dramas have never been made into a movie.
The album includes all the songs from the original Broadway cast recording plus an illustrated booklet with a thorough and entertaining story of the show and complete plot synopsis written by Curtis F. Brown and Lucy E. Cross.
What Makes Sammy Run? Based on the novel by BUDD SCHULBERG Music and Lyrics by ERVIN DRAKE Book by BUDD and STUART SCHULBERG Starring STEVE LAWRENCE, SALLY ANN HOWES, BERNICE MASSI, ROBERT ALDA Musical Staging by MATT MATTOX with BARRY NEWMAN, ARNY FREEMAN, RICHARD FRANCE ,GEORGE COE, GRACIE LA DANIELE , MACE BARRETT , RALPH STANTLEY,EDWARD MCNALLY and WALTER KAVUN Vocal Arrangements and Musical Direction by LEHMAN ENGEL Orchestrations by DON WALKER Dance Arrangements by ARNOLD GOLAND Production Manager: MICHAEL THOMA
Production Supervised by ROBERT WEINER Directed by ABE BURROWS Produced for records by GODDARD LIEBERSON
