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I can hoot and holler, loosen up my collar
Nov. 6th, 2013 03:05 pmLately I've been digging up information about a movie that was never made. Specifically, a movie that wasn't made in 1950, not titled The Keystone Girl. It was supposed to be a biopic about the silent film star Mabel Normand, starring Betty Hutton. And a musical, because it was to be made in that period of time where everything had to be a musical.
It's not that I'm particularly invested in neither Normand or Hutton, but the soundtrack is spectacular, a joint effort between my two favourite songwriters from that period: Hoagy Carmichael (music) and Johnny Mercer (lyrics).
(I've been on a bit of Carmichael binge lately, it's always so much fun to spot him in some post-war film in the background of a nightclub; Looking decidedly not Hollywood with his long gaunt face and hair constantly falling into his eyes. He was the only part about those nightclubs that seemed at all seedy.)
Anyway, the soundtrack was the thing that really grabbed my interest and held it. Seeing as there never was a musical biopic named The Keystone Girl, they released the demo recordings sung by Mercer (though Carmichael's obviously there too, occasionally scatting and probably playing the piano), and each song is introduced with a short explanation about which character is supposed to sing it.
And the songs are just... wonderful, with such fun lyrics! 'I'm All Tied Up', 'When I Get You in the Back of My Cadillac' -- and the breakaway hit, 'In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening' (which was later incorporated into the Bing Crosby vehicle Here Comes the Groom). Right now I'm in love with a fun little number, 'Queenie the Quick-Change Artist' (I wonder how it's related to Mercer's 'Strip Polka', also featuring a burlesque artist named Queenie), it's got some prime, playful Mercer lyrics:
I made a Spotify playlist of them all here, if you're curious.
It's not that I'm particularly invested in neither Normand or Hutton, but the soundtrack is spectacular, a joint effort between my two favourite songwriters from that period: Hoagy Carmichael (music) and Johnny Mercer (lyrics).
(I've been on a bit of Carmichael binge lately, it's always so much fun to spot him in some post-war film in the background of a nightclub; Looking decidedly not Hollywood with his long gaunt face and hair constantly falling into his eyes. He was the only part about those nightclubs that seemed at all seedy.)
Anyway, the soundtrack was the thing that really grabbed my interest and held it. Seeing as there never was a musical biopic named The Keystone Girl, they released the demo recordings sung by Mercer (though Carmichael's obviously there too, occasionally scatting and probably playing the piano), and each song is introduced with a short explanation about which character is supposed to sing it.
And the songs are just... wonderful, with such fun lyrics! 'I'm All Tied Up', 'When I Get You in the Back of My Cadillac' -- and the breakaway hit, 'In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening' (which was later incorporated into the Bing Crosby vehicle Here Comes the Groom). Right now I'm in love with a fun little number, 'Queenie the Quick-Change Artist' (I wonder how it's related to Mercer's 'Strip Polka', also featuring a burlesque artist named Queenie), it's got some prime, playful Mercer lyrics:
I acted Josephine and all of her gownsSome part of me is sad the movie never got made, but the again, if it had I'd probably never even know about these demos, and I'd never hear Mercer cheerfully singing them or Carmichael shouting encouragements in the background.
One night I even played the St. Louis Browns
I was Queenie the quick-change artist
Highness of hand-me-downs
I made a Spotify playlist of them all here, if you're curious.
