Out of print for several years, the popular soundtrack to the Joseph L. Mankiewicz film Guys and Dolls (1955) has been repackaged in a deluxe edition by Blue Moon and is better than ever. Featuring the sophisticated music and lyrics of
Frank Loesser, this 2007 reissue boasts renditions by
Frank Sinatra as Nathan Detroit, Jean Simmons as Sister Sarah,
Vivian Blaine as Miss Adelaide, and Marlon Brando as Sky Masterson (who, despite having a poor singing voice, did the best he could with his material). For anyone who loved the marvelous Damon Runyon characters and the lavish production of the film, but lamented the musical omissions (and dubious additions, such as "Pet Me, Poppa" and "Adelaide"), this reissue provides everything needed for the full Runyonland experience. The bonus tracks of songs not included in the movie are a mix of performances by cast members from the original stage production: Robert Alda,
Isabel Bigley, and Pat Rooney, Sr., along with studio outtakes by Brando and Simmons, including alternate versions of "I'll Know," "If I Were a Bell," and "A Woman in Love." (One suspects that the gorgeous "My Time of Day" was cut from the film because Brando couldn't handle the difficult intervals, though Alda's suave delivery makes them seem easy.) The sound quality of most of the tracks is clear and crisp, though a few are muffled and boxy, possibly due to being taken from a less than pristine copy of the film, rather than a master tape.