Valentine’s Day is on Friday so this week one has the option to find a song with Valentine’s Day or the colour Red. I’m going towards Valentine’s Day with Love as the emphasis. You have to check out Curious As a Cathy who always showcases the weekly music series on Mondays..but I always post on Wednesday. We are supposed to be receiving a bad storm Wednesday afternoon into the night and Thursday with rain, freezing rain and snow…who know what we will receive, probably all 3. Thankfully, my hubby will be picking me up from work tomorrow night. Without further adieu, here are my 3 musical picks…
1. WILL YOU REMEMBER SUNG BY JEANETTE MACDONALD AND NELSON EDDY-1937
These 2 were the singing sweethearts and were a huge hit from 1935 to 1942. Their stardom, together, was brief but very memorable, at least to film buffs. This film, “Maytime” is considered their best and it was the first one I watched as a kid and I was hooked. This was my mushy romance that I could not get enough of. This song, written by Sigmund Romberg with lyrics by Rida Johnson Young became very famous and seem to exemplify love. Funny, when I was young, I read that the 2 stars did not get along but now, it seemed they had a huge love affair that the studio ( MGM) did not like and did their best ( successfully) to keep them apart. Truthfully, that makes no sense as it would make them even more famous if the 2 were in love. I bet MGM would have made even more money and that was their bottom line.
2. BE CAREFUL, IT’S MY HEART SUNG BY BING CROSBY-1942
This song, written by Irving Berlin, was supposed to be the big winner of the film, not the little Christmas ditty, “White Christmas”, but, boy, were they wrong. Bing owns an Inn and decides to make it into a restaurant and entertainment place but only open on the holidays. This is set for Valentine’s Day where Bing serenades Marjorie Reynolds who is looking lovingly at him until Fred Astaire swoops in and takes her for a twirl. It seems she thinks, “Bing who?” This is a beautifully danced number and Marjorie can hold her own with the great Astaire.
3. MY FUNNY VALENTINE SUNG BY MITZI GREEN-1937
This is a famous song written by Richard Rogers and Lorenz Heart and introduced by Mitzi Green in the musical, "Babes in Arms". Many famous people sang this with Frank Sinatra being one of the most famous but I thought it would be cool to hear the original singer. She was a child actress and was quite popular before she went to Broadway. Sadly, she died of cancer in 1968 at 48.
Hi, Birgit!
ReplyDeleteHappy Valentine's week, dear friend! Seeing that picture, I wanna smooch you and my buddy Harley. I awoke this morning to four inches of pure white snow blanketing my neighborhood!
I well remember the film pairings of Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy. I'm thinking the studio didn't want the public to know they were offscreen lovers for the same reason studios and record companies kept secret the marital status of many stars on their rosters. It helped preserve the fantasy for members of the audience, the belief that their favorite star might be available, attainable, and could actually belong to them someday.
I watched Marjorie Reynolds as wife Peg opposite Wm. Bendix in all 76 episodes of the TV reboot of The Life Of Riley. The Binger always impressed me with his ultra-natural singing and acting style. In every role he played, he made it seem like he wasn't acting at all.
I particularly enjoyed hearing for the first time the original version of "My Funny Valentine" sung by Mitzi Green. She had a lovely voice.
The songs by The Bingster and Rosie were also wonderful, and the clarity and stereo separation made their medley a genuine treat.
I had a great time this morning, and will be waiting for you again tamale, sitting in the balcony-- "At The Movies!" If you can, please join me this Friday or over the weekend to experience my annual Valentine's Day post at Shady's Place. Until then, enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend BB!