Briefly Lyrical

[MilesArcher]

Very good, Starlit.  It was also done by Jack Haley in "Alexander's Ragtime Band" in 1938.  Thank you for the clip.  That may have been Irving Berlin's only movie role.  You're up next, Starlit.   

[starliteyes]

You're the nth of perfection

Of them all, you're the star

[starliteyes]

Hint:  The co-stars of this musical made two other musicals together, both of which were more successful than this one.

[starliteyes]

This was the second of three musicals that co-starred the stars of the film.

[MilesArcher]

The song is "You Can Do No Wrong", written by Cole Porter for the 1948 movie "The Pirate".  It was sung by Judy Garland to Gene Kelly.  Here it is:

 

 

Their other movies together were "For Me And My Gal"  and "Summer Stock".  

[starliteyes]

That is correct, Miles.  You may now proceed to the next musical challenge. 

[MilesArcher]

This one shouldn't be too difficult.

Though it's you and it's I all the time
Every meeting's a marvelous pastime 

 

[MilesArcher]

I'll  make it a bit easier with a few more lines:

Though it's you and it's I all the time
Every meeting's a marvelous pastime
You're increasingly sweet
So whenever we happen to meet
I greet you 

 

These lines are from the verse, or intro, to the song.  The song was written by a famous songwriting team.  It has been performed in several movies over many years.

[starliteyes]

I was on the verge of answering this question several hours ago, but was interruputed and had to close down.  Anyway I am now back and ready with the answer, which is With a Song in My Heart by Rodgers & Hart.  It was originally performed in the show Spring Is Here, which was made into a film in 1930 starring Lawrence Grey and Berniece Claire, who both sang the song. 

I don't know how many other movies it was in, but it was heard in Words and Music, the bio-pic of Rodgers & Hart, and it was also the title of the bio-pic of Jane Froman, portrayed by Susan Hayward with the singing being done by Jane Froman herself.

[MilesArcher]

You are correct, Starliteyes.  Last week, on Wednesday the 9th, TCM showed a 1933 short called "Yours Sincerely", which was a condensed version of "Spring Is Here" and "With A Song In My Heart" was sung by Lanny  Ross.  That's where I got the idea for this question.  Here is a clip from the 1930 movie "Spring Is Here".  

 

 

Alexander Gray, no relation to Lawrence Gray, played the man who walked into the garden while the couple was singing.  He had been a partner of Bernice Claire in vaudeville and the two of them had toured in the stage show "The Desert Song".  They were cast in several movies together in the early thirties.  You might say they were the Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy  of their day.  

Wikipedia lists the following as other films where "With A Song In My Heart" is performed:

Other film appearances[edit]

In 1933, it was included in a two-reel version of the film re-titled Yours Sincerely, part of the Broadway Brevities series, starring Lanny Ross.

In the 1944 Hollywood musical This Is the Life, it was sung by Donald O'Connor and Susanna Foster.

It was included in the 1948 musical film, Words and Music, a biography of Rodgers and Hart, where it was sung by Perry Como.

A notable version of the song features in Michael Curtiz's 1950 Hollywood musical biographical drama Young Man with a Horn, performed by the film's star Doris Day with iconic trumpeter Harry James and His Orchestra.

In the 1951 Hollywood musical Painting the Clouds with Sunshine it was sung by Dennis Morgan and Lucille Norman.

It was the title song in the 1952 Hollywood musical With a Song in My Heart, a biographical movie about Jane Froman, in which it was sung by Froman on the soundtrack for Susan Hayward.

In the 1953 science fiction classic The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms the song is playing in the background while Tom Nesbitt is trying to identify the beast he saw from sketches of prehistoric creatures.

 

Starliteyes, You are up next.

[starliteyes]

This is my house, but it's your house

If you'll come and live with me

[starliteyes]

This song is the first one heard in this musical and, if you look closely, a young, blonde Lucille Ball can be spotted in the chorus.

[starliteyes]

The movie also featured a singer about whom a biopic would be made a couple of decades later.

[Princess of Tap]

On 9/16/2020 at 9:23 AM, starliteyes said:

This is my house, but it's your house

If you'll come and live with me

"Build A Little Home" by Warren and Dubin from   Roman Scandals( 1933)

This is from one of those Eddie Cantor musicals produced by Sam Goldwyn with Lucy in the cast of chorus girls and with Ruth Etting onboard singing.

[starliteyes]

Absolutely right, Princess!

Yours for a song.

[Princess of Tap]

Next:

" Learn to grin,

   Take it on the chin,

Then everything will be okay. "

[Princess of Tap]

Hint: The song was written for Fred Astaire.

[MilesArcher]

The song is "don't Let It Bother You".  It was written by Mack Gordon and Harry Revel for the 1934 movie "The Gay Divorcee", and it was performed by chorus girls in a very cute number, as you will see in this clip:

.   

Later, Fred Astaire dances to it.

 

 

 

[Princess of Tap]

1 hour ago, MilesArcher said:

The song is "don't Let It Bother You".  It was written by Mack Gordon and Harry Revel for the 1934 movie "The Gay Divorcee", and it was performed by chorus girls in a very cute number, as you will see in this clip:

.   

Later, Fred Astaire dances to it.

 

 

 

 Miles, thanks for the videos. This number is very special to me because it's the first time I ever saw Fred Astaire dance on a big movie screen.  And it was the first time I ever saw" The Gay Divorcee" and that was in a Revival theater in Paris.

 In those days there was no YouTube, no DVD, no VHS, no nothing-- people in the audience had home movie cameras filming the dance numbers. The management didn't seem to care-- but the whole thing had kind of an excitement to it.

Miles, to quote the Dave Clark Five, "You've Got What It Takes".

 So, you take the next turn.....

[MilesArcher]

Princess, I think that Fred was a fan of the Dave Clark Five because he was such a perfectionist that he would rehearse every dance number "Over and Over" again until he was "Glad All Over".

Now, who knows this next one?

One magic moment, and my heart seemed to know
That love said Hello!
Though not a word was spoken.

[starliteyes]

That would be Love Walked In, by George & Ira Gershwin and sung by Kenny Baker, I believe a number of times, in The Goldwyn Follies.

[MilesArcher]

You are correct, Starliteyes.  The movie was released in 1938 after the 1937 death of George Gershwin, so the song "Love Walked In" was among the last of his film songs.  Here it is:

 

 

Kenny Baker at the time was a regular on Jack Benny's radio program.  He left the show in 1939 and was replaced by another tenor named Dennis Day, who stayed with Jack Benny on radio and then television for the rest of Benny's career.

The young lady in the print dress is Andrea Leeds, who had a rather short film career.  She was one of many actresses who tested for the role of Melanie Hamilton in "Gone With The Wind", which eventually went to Olivia DeHavilland.

The actress in the gray dress is Ella Logan, who was also a singer,  She was originally from Scotland.  Nine years after this film was released she adopted an Irish accent when she starred as Sharon McGlonergan on Broadway in "Finian's Rainbow", the role played by Petula Clark in the movie version.

Ella Logan had a young niece who was billed as Annabelle Logan when she sang in this 1938 "Our Gang" short.

 

  

A few years later, the youngster played Judy Garland's sister in "Presenting Lily Mars."  When she grew up, she changed her name to Annie Ross and became one of England's top singer/actresses.

You probably never expected so much information when you answered the question.  Starliteyes, you're up next.

[starliteyes]

A park, a bench and a tree

They all go together

And honey, so do we!

[MilesArcher]

I believe that the song is "I Take To You", written by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon for the 1941 film "The Great American Broadcast".  It was sung by Alice Faye, John Payne, and Jack Oakie, who also appeared together in "Tin Pan Alley".  Here is a clip:

 

[starliteyes]

You believe correctly, Miles, and furnished the evidence to prove it!

And now it's your turn.