Who Knew Nora Johnson's Little Book Would Produce Future Iconic Works???????????????

                               There were not only people in my world who left us, but those on the fringes.  On October 5, Nora Johnson, daughter of the screenwriter, Nunnally Johnson, died at the age of 84.  Nothing more would be  known about her, save for one book she wrote, and its results.

                               Around 1947, as a young teen, she had a crush on Oscar Levant.  Now, there is no accounting for taste, darlings, but something more tangible than romance came out of this crush.

                                Using these memories, Johnson wrote her novel, "The World Of Henry Orient," which was published in 1958.  I have doubt her father helped shape it, and aided in its publication, in 1958.  But the work was all Nora's.

                                The short and charming novel was the story of two NYC private school girls, Marian Gilbert and Valerie Boyd.  Val, especially, develops a crush on this esoteric pianist, named Henry Orient, and the two follow him all over the city in a series of adventures.  The book has been in and out of print, but should remain in print, for it is the gold standard story, when it comes to groupie-ism.

                                 If this sounds at all familiar, it is because George Roy Hill made it into a film, released in 1964.  Shot in and around Manhattan, Orient was played by Peter Sellers, his mistress by Paula Prentiss, Val's mother by Angela Lansbury, and the girls themselves by Tippy Walker (Val) and Merrie Spaeth (Gil).  Tippy is an artist in Connecticut, but Merrie betrayed her roots by becoming a small fish in the big pond of the Republican party.  Shame on her.  She had such promise, in the movie.

                      But wait!  As theater queens, and readers on here, may know from me, this film was turned into the cult Broadway musical, "Henry, Sweet Henry."  It opened at the Palace Theatre on October 23, 1967--50, this year!!!!!!!!--closing on December 31 of that year.  George Roy Hill, who directed the movie, did the same with the show.  Bob Merrill, fresh after the lyrics on "Funny Girl," wrote the entire score, one of the best.  Don Ameche played the title character, and Louise Lasser the mistress.  Carol Bruce played Mrs. Boyd, but what counted here were the performances of Robin Wilson, as Val, and the emergence of Musical Theater Legend, Neva Small, whose status was born that night, with her signature rendition of "I Wonder How It Is."  The same went for another cast member, the late Alice Playten, with her signature turn of "Nobody Steps On Kafritz," earning for her a TONY Nomination.

                     The musical is beloved to this day.  Neva recently hosted a version of it, at 54 Below, which I reported on, and whose cast album jacket Neva herself autographed!!!!!!!!!  Thanks again, Neva!!!!!!!!

                       All this would not have been possible without Nora Johnson, so it is sad to hear of
her passing.

                       Thanks, Nora for this iconic legacy, and Rest In Peace!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!