“Why? Because!” – Judy Garland asks and Fanny Brice answers in “Everybody Sing”!

“Why? Because!” sings Judy Garland and Fanny Brice from the 1938 musical, Everybody Sing.

Although not a short subject, I couldn’t resist showing this film clip with Judy and Fanny together. Obviously, Judy needs no introduction, but Fanny, on the other hand, might for many of you.

Fanny Brice, probably more well-known for Barbra Streisand playing her in Funny Girl and Funny Lady, was a consummate comedian, singer, and actor of almost every medium. About Fanny’s two husbands, both portrayed in the biographical movies, she amusingly reminisces, “With Nick Arnstein, I was miserably happy. With Billy Rose, I was happily miserable.” 

Fanny does one of her best characters, “Baby Snooks” in this film clip. A two-star, Hollywood Walk of Famer, Fanny was born in NY in 1891. A cerebral hemorrhage ended her life in 1951.

Judy Garland stars in Everybody Sing a year before she wows us in the 1939 movie, The Wizard of Oz. Keep an eye out for Judy’s witch pal, Billie Burke (Glinda), if you get a chance to watch the whole feature of Everybody Sing. 

Thank you gcuriosidades for making it available on YouTube!

 

“The Prisoner of Zenda”? No! “The Prisoner of Swing”!

“The Prisoner of Swing” with a very young June Allyson singing and dancing with hoofer Hal Le Roy. Only a few minutes of this short subject are here, but it’s worth it to see 21-year-old June Allyson.

Per IMDb, “When she was eight years old, she was crushed by a falling tree limb while riding a bicycle. She wore a back brace for four years and taught herself to dance by watching Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies.” So glad June recovered; she gave us many musical hours of movies to watch!

Hal Le Roy is always wonderful to watch too. A talented and distinctive dancer!

A Warner Brothers, “Broadway Brevities,” short of 1938, which was a take-off of the 1937 “The Prisoner of Zenda” movie with Ronald Coleman. Thanks to GoodOldDaysReturns on YouTube!

 

Gracie – “I have brains I haven’t even used yet.” George – “Well, leave them alone, don’t bother with them.”

Lambchops is a must-see film for Burns and Allen fans! Enjoy this early 1929 sound film from Vitaphone (a Warner Brothers subsidiary). In this eight-minute short, straight man George and comic Gracie will show off their wonderful comedic chemistry, and their whimsical singing and hoofing in a sweet version of “Do You Believe Me.”

Already married by this time, the duo continued to work together for another twenty-nine years. No two were better at banter than these two!

 

“Those that know, do. Those that understand, teach.” Aristotle

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For all the real mentors and teachers in our world … YOU ROCK!

 

Bab’s Baby Sister – Roslyn Kind

I just love digging out little bits of movie or TV trivia! So, this is what I found today…

Barbra Streisand’s little sis, singer and actress Roslyn Kind, talks to Unscripted on YouTube about being the baby of the family, and growing her career.

I always knew Barbra had a sister, and recalled seeing and hearing her sing in the 70’s. As you watch this video, you’ll see how much Roslyn and Barbra look and talk alike. It’s uncanny! I think even more so as they have aged.

Now, hear Roslyn sing. Perhaps, she has a deeper voice and less pitch control than Barbra, but their similarities sure prove their kinship.

 

Nat King Cole? Tony Bennett? James Stewart? Nope! It’s Sammy Davis, Jr.!

Watch Sammy Davis, Jr. “channel” Nat King Cole, Tony Bennett, James Cagney, James Stewart, Jerry Lewis, and more as he wows us with his on point impersonations of popular singers and actors of 1954!

Many of you remember Sammy Davis for his clear voice and terrific tap dancing. However, you may not recall or know that he was an amazing impersonator as well. “Because of You,” a Hammerstein & Wilkinson tune that I grew up listening to, superbly showcased Sammy’s amazing ear and talent for mimicry.

It looks like this 1954 TV appearance was done before the severe car crash that took his left eye in November of the same year. In 1955, Sammy released his “Starring Sammy Davis Jr.” album; on the cover, he is sporting an eye patch. This album introduced me to Sammy, which I will be forever grateful. Thanks, Mom!

 

The Singer Behind the Stars – Marni Nixon

Do you know that a secret singer dubbed songs for Deborah Kerr in “An Affair to Remember” and “The King and I,” Natalie Wood in “West Side Story,” and Audrey Hepburn in “My Fair Lady”? And, even touched up some lines for Marilyn Monroe and other stars? You do?

Well, how about this one…do you know that the secret singer is Marni Nixon and that she sang for all those movies without getting any credit? You knew that too?

Okay, one last one…do you know that Nixon starred in “The Sound of Music” as a singing nun for the song, “How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?” Did I stump you on that one?

If I didn’t stump you, give yourself mega movie points! And, while you are giving yourself those points, watch the first video of Marni Nixon narrating select clips of her career. Then, if you still want more, choose the second video to watch her sing a “Sound of Music” medley that was done during the filming of that movie. 

Often referred to as “Singing Voice of the Stars,” Marni Nixon was amazing and gracious about all for whom she dubbed songs. “Stardom isn’t the goal,” says Nixon. “Staying in the industry and being successful at whatever you do is.”

 

Makin’ Music with Sheldon and Leon!

Sheldon and Leon are showing off their musical talents: they are both producing eerie sounds from an instrument called the theremin. First, listen to Sheldon: he’ll play the “Star Trek” theme and “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen” on his modern theremin. Next, listen to Leon: he’ll perform “The Swan” on his classical theremin…the original! 

You might have heard this strange voice-like instrument before, maybe in movies like “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” or “The Lost Weekend,” or “Spellbound.” The theremin was the first electronic musical instrument, a 1919 creation by Russian inventor, Leon Theremin, who originally made it for classical music. 

When I was young, my grandfather, who played violin and saxophone, also played the theremin, and I was fascinated to watch him sweep his hands over the antennae, magically producing music! 

You can read more about Leon, his theremin, and its predecessors at Theremin World.

 

Frances Gumm, aka Judy Garland, in “Bubbles” (1930)

In this clip from a Warner Brothers Vitaphone Varieties short called “Bubbles,” Frances Ethel Gumm, aka Judy Garland, is seen at the age of eight, belting out “The Land of Let’s Pretend.” Young Judy is joined by her older sisters, Mary Jane and Virginia Gumm; all three known to Hollywood as “The Gumm Sisters.” If you want to hear just Garland’s two-line solo and see her in a close-up, skip through the clip to about 1:04. Sorry, that it isn’t a better print.

The 1930 short was originally filmed in Technicolor, but did not survive in that format. However, during the 1990’s, in the Library of Congress, a black & white print was discovered. You can watch the full 7+ minutes on Dailymotion. And, to read more about Judy’s short films, please visit thejudyroom.com.

Warner Brothers made hundreds of short films showcasing many great talents of the 20’s and 30’s. Judy starred in a few more short subjects before making feature films. Isn’t it fun to see our “Wizard of Oz” girl so early in her career?

 

“Without music, life would be a mistake” – Friedrich Nietzsche (macro photo)

Andreas Mierswa, Bjoern Ewers, Der Berliner Philharmoniker photo

As someone who breathes music like air, I love this macro photo! It is a glimpse inside a delicate, stringed instrument. Can you imagine yourself tiny enough to stand under the sound hole (f-hole) and experience the music in the air as it vibrates from the inside out?   

This photo was used for an ad campaign poster, created by a team of two German photographers, Andreas Mierswa & Markus Klusk, along with another talented photographer, Bjoern Ewers. Click on their names to visit each website. The poster translation is: “Closer to the chamber music of the Berlin Philharmonic.”