Certain hit musicals become the exclusive property of one star, and such a show is Half a Sixpence, which had its world premiere at the Cambridge Theatre in London on March 21, 1963. It was based on H. G. Wells's Kipps, a novel that had been successfully filmed in 1941 with Michael Redgrave in the lead. It tells the story of orphan boy Arthur Kipps, an apprentice draper in turn-of-the-century England who inherits a fortune. Sudden wealth causes Kipps to desert his childhood sweetheart, servant-girl Ann, in favor of upper-crust Helen. Realizing he doesn't fit in with the blue bloods, however, Kipps marries Ann but remains seduced by his newfound wealth. Kipps ultimately loses his fortune but settles down happily, with the promise of newfound financial security.

For Half a Sixpence, the Wells novel was adapted by Beverly Cross, who would later become Maggie Smith's husband. Providing one of the best British musical scores of the era was David Heneker, who had previously collaborated on such London successes as Expresso Bongo, Make Me an Offer, and the English-language version of Irma La Douce, and would go on to compose West End scores for a hit, Charlie Girl, along with the unsuccessful Jorrocks, Phil the Fluter, The Biograph Girl, and Peg.

Half a Sixpence might never have existed had it not been for the fact that producer Harold Fielding was looking for an original stage-musical vehicle for a young rock 'n' roll star named Tommy Steele. Steele had already conquered recordings and films and had made his stage debut in Fielding's 1958 London mounting of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella.

A winning song-and-dance man with a big, toothy grin, Steele would play Kipps in Half a Sixpence for 679 performances in London, then star in the Broadway version, which opened at the Broadhurst Theatre on April 25, 1965 and played 512 performances.

Half a Sixpence got an overhaul for New York, with its original London director (John Dexter) and choreographer replaced for Broadway by Gene Saks (after The Fantasticks' Word Baker didn't work out) and Onna White. White's choreography proved to be a major factor in the show's American success. On Broadway, Joel Grey subbed for Steele during a vacation, and Tony Tanner then Dick Kallman took over, the latter going on to head the national tour.

But when it came time for the 1967 film version, Steele was once again the only choice for the lead, and Half a Sixpence became one of three Hollywood films that the star made in the space of about a year, along with Finian's Rainbow and The Happiest Millionaire. The Sixpence score had been significantly weakened between London and New York by the elimination of such songs as "The One That's Run Away" and "I'll Build a Palace"/"I Only Want a Little House." The film version made matters worse by eliminating the show's big ballad, "Long Ago" (it's heard briefly in the opening credits), along with five other numbers, but it restored a London song dropped on Broadway ("I'm Not Talking to You") and added three new numbers ("I Don't Believe a Word of It" for Ann, "The Race Is On" and "This Is My World" for Kipps, the latter two co-written by Irwin Kostal).

Cross got to write the screenplay, although there was an "adaptation" by Dorothy Kingsley, and directing the picture was George Sidney, veteran of such Hollywood stage-musical adaptations as Annie Get Your Gun, Show Boat ('51), Kiss Me, Kate, Pal Joey, and Bye Bye Birdie. In place of White's choreography were new numbers staged by Gillian Lynne (Cats, Phantom, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang).

In a perhaps unique instance, the show's original West End leading lady, Marti Webb, agreed to dub the singing voice of the film's Ann, Julia Foster. To match the wispy Foster, Webb had to rein in her belt much of the time. Cast as actor-playwright Chitterlow, who first informs Kipps of his inheritance and later makes him a second fortune, was Cyril Ritchard, well-known from telecasts of the Mary Martin Peter Pan. Retained from the Broadway company was lead dancer (and Steele's understudy) Grover Dale, who would go on to become a Broadway choreographer.

Half a Sixpence beat the most successful British musical of the '60s, Oliver!, to the screen by a year, but it was not to find the acclaim won by the film of Lionel Bart's hit. (The Oliver! film employed Sixpence's Broadway choreographer, Onna White.)

Half a Sixpence does offer a handsome depiction of Edwardian England. But at 147 minutes, it's drawn out and overblown, with production numbers that go on far too long, and the charm of the stage version absent. Then too, Steele was one of those performers whose boyish, hard-working affability were better suited to the stage. Still, the film, which has just been released on a Paramount DVD, will give you at least some idea of the star's stage appeal. Naturally, the Sixpence film was more successful in the U.K., where Steele has always been a much bigger attraction, and where the show never toured, as the essential Steele had moved on to Broadway and Hollywood.

Like Paramount's other recent release, The Little Prince, the Sixpence DVD includes no extras at all. But it does have a short intermission and entr'acte break; Sixpence was one of many big musicals of the period (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Doctor Doolittle, Camelot, Funny Girl, Star!, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) offered to viewers in reserved-seat, "road show" engagements, even if the less successful ones quickly transferred to regular runs, often in abridged versions. Like The Little Prince, this is an unexpected DVD release. And because it preserves at least a semblance of a Broadway/West End hit with its original star, it's the sort of film one is happy to get on DVD.

One of the major English musical hits of its era, Half a Sixpence has never been revived in London, and remains identified with its original star. Steele went on to head West End versions of Hans Andersen, Singin' in the Rain, and Some Like It Hot, but Sixpence remains his happiest stage vehicle.

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