Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl

[Barry A. Popik]

     This was probably the easiest one I've done.
     The Arts & Entertainment section of the 2 May 1999 Chicago Tribune had
an interesting article on the state of the modern musical:  "Singing a new
tune: Forget song, dance and romance; the new American musical challenges
with dark subjects and deep meanings."  The old had "memorable tunes"; the
new has "lots of music, but no tunes."
    From section 7, page 1:

THE OLD
Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl.
Examples: "Oklahoma!" (left), "The Pajama Game"
THE NEW
Boy meets boy, boy never meets girl, no romantic attachments.
Examples: "Falsettos," "Violet" (below)

     "Boy meets girl, boy gets girl, boy loses girl" is the plot line cliche
that every writer knows, but it's not in any of my phrase books, such as
Partridge's DICTIONARY OF CATCH PHRASES, Rees's DICTIONARY OF CATCHPHRASES,
THE OXFORD DICTIONARY OF PHRASE, SAYING, & QUOTATION, or Mieder's DICTIONARY
OF AMERICAN PROVERBS.
     I went to the Performing Arts Library today (late hours until 7:45
p.m.!) and requested the clipping files for BOY MEETS GIRL and THE
FANTASTICKS.
     BOY MEETS GIRL was a comedy by Bella & Samuel Spewack, produced by
George Abbott, that opened on 27 November 1935.  It was later made into a
movie, then a musical.  It's a satire about Hollywood.
    The Daily News review the next day had: "They have one theory for
pictures: 'Boy meets girl; boy loses girl; boy gets girl.'  Or 'Girl meets
boy,' etc."
    The Herald-Tribune review had: "Their underscoring formula is 'Boy meets
girl; boy loses girl; boy wins girl.'"
     "Boy meets girl..." was virtually the entire plot of the 1960 musical,
THE FANTASTICKS.  I found the phrase there, too.
     OKAY, SOMETIMES THESE THINGS ARE EASY!!

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CAN'T GET ARRESTED IN THIS TOWN

     Julia Lee's "You Ain't Got It No More," which possibly has "can't get
arrested," wasn't immediately available for listening.  It'll be ready on
Monday.