Alice Faye: The Star Next Door

Peter Graves narrates this account of the life and career of Alice Jeane Leppert who would rise from an impoverished New York City childhood to become an almost overnight singing sensation as film star Alice Faye.

(IMDb's first reviewer does an excellent job of capturing the essence of this poignant song-studded biography, and Alice's rise to and fall from grace with 20th Century Fox Studio, so I'll merely add a few additional highlights from the episode, without glancing at her essay for now....)

Alice's Broadway accomplishments include her chorus dancing in Vaudeville, her featured co-starring role (at sixteen) with Rudy Vallee in "George White's Scandals" (1931), and her later return in "Good News" (1973), with John Payne.

Radio clips are presented here of Jack Benny's program with husband Phil Harris, and of "The Phil Harris/Alice Faye Show," which runs for eight years, with very favorable popular reception throughout.

Miss Faye also pens an inspirational book, "Growing Older - Staying Young."

Alice's marriages are with Tony Bennett (1937-40) and Phil Harris (1941–1995), with whom she welcomes daughters Alice and Phyllis.

Phyllis Harris speaks of Alice as "Generous to a fault," Jane Withers as "Sensational in everything she does," Pat Boone as "One not singing a song, but singing her heart," and Roddy McDowall as "Never anybody like her, a deliciously sensual girl next door."

Interview Guests for this episode consist of Daughter Phyllis Harris, Actress Jane Withers, Actors Pat Boone and Roddy McDowall, Broadway Chorus Co-star Betty Scharf, Music Composer/Arranger Walter Scharf, Publisher Hugh M. Hefner, Producer/Archivist Wade Williams, and Film Historian Doctor Drew Casper.

Archive footage includes Alice Faye with Co-stars Rudy Vallee, Warner Baxter, Shirley Temple, Robert Young, Tony Martin, Tyrone Power, Betty Grable, John Payne, Dana Andrews, Linda Darnell, Pat Boone and others in speaking parts, and Jack Haley, Don Ameche, Buster Keaton, Ann-Margret, Bobby Darin and others in non-speaking parts.

Film Clips include a screen glimpse of Alice through the years, in scenes from "George White's Scandals" (1934), "She Learned About Sailors" (1934), "Now I'll Tell" (1934), "Music Is Magic" (1935), "George White's 1935 Scandals" (1935), "King of Burlesque" (1936), "Poor Little Rich Girl" (1936), "Sing, Baby, Sing" (1936), "In Old Chicago" (1937), "Sally, Irene and Mary" (1938), "Alexander's Ragtime Band" (1938), "Rose of Washington Square" (1939), "Hollywood Cavalcade" (1939), "Lillian Russell" (1940), "Tin Pan Alley" (1940), "Down Argentine Way" (1940), "Week-End in Havana" (1941), "Hello, Frisco, Hello" (1943), "The Gang's All Here" (1943), "Fallen Angel" (1945), and "State Fair" (1962) plus a Pharmaceutical Public Service Endorsement.