May I ask 12 questions, please?

3-5 Iron lungs used in the polio epidemic of the time - to mechanically breath for the patient, because of diaphramatic muscle paralysis - isn't nature nice?

Although the polio virus general attacks and destroys motor nerve cells in the cord, it can and does affect neurons (nerve cells) in the brain resulting in encephalitis (encephalon, Gk. for brain and itis, inflammation)

Being in the rain has nothing whatsoever to do with catching this infection (arguably it may compromise immune function?, and Red Nichols's dtr was shown coughing suggesting either the presence of a cold virus, or a polio hearald, if the later it suggests the dtr. was harboring polio, and the virus was disseminated. That is to say, viral particles had migrated from the gut (the understood root of entry - the polio virus **not** coming from the cold or rainy air!) to the blood, and other tissues - isn't nature nice?

9) Hot towels have no therapeutic efficacy against polio. And there was not any medication in the 1920's, nor today for an active infection.

Just thought I'd throw in my 2 cents:

#2...no, I doubt that Mr. Kaye could play himself. Just like Kirk Douglas in "Young Man with a Horn" someone else was really playing and they were only pretending. Mr. Kaye was very musical, though...you never know how good he really was. His wife Sylvia Fine wrote some of the songs in his movies.
#6...I think it was a play on words...a funny word for a Raggedy Ann/Andy doll.
#8...also a play on words...he meant "baritone". Mr. Kaye was very good at doing that...he did it a lot!
As for #1...this was one of my favorite musicals so I'm going to dig it out and watch it again to see what "wire" you're talking about. I remember the scene very well...when Red was set up with Bobbi - he drank for the first time and got a bit snockered. Remember Satchmo's line "someone put alcohol in our liquor". Too cute. I'll get back to you on that one. ;)

And in case you didn't know it, polio at one time was very serious. You didn't catch it by just being out in the rain. It was communicable and spread like measles or chicken pox. Only it was a lot more serious. When I was little...very little...we were all required to take the vaccine at my elementary school. Polio was pretty much very rare after that. Thank God.

#2): Kaye studied how to mime and fake playing

#7): Yes Schnitzelbank was a real song, popular back in vaudeville during the early part of the 20th century. There are lots of references to it in popular culture in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, including some Warner Brothers Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies cartoons.

#9): The towels were to make the patients more comfortable after the fact by helping to improve circulation.

#2.) The soundtrack cornet was actually played by the real Red Nichols (who was still alive at the time of filming).

Let Zygons Be Zygons.

I know you asked your question 5 years ago...but how old were you when you asked it, I'm curious to now as I guess I didn't realize polio is so long gone from our collective memory that young people might not know it even existed. (hurray)

Thanks!

"I jumped off a roof for you"