Enoch Light ~ Musical Explorations In Sound
Frank Sinatra ~ September of My Years
Kay Starr ~ Allez-Vous-En & Half a Photo
Gordon Jenkins -1949
photographer unknown
Showing posts with label Gordon Jenkins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gordon Jenkins. Show all posts
July 25, 2020
Gordon Jenkins articles/mentions
Enoch Light ~ Musical Explorations In Sound
Frank Sinatra ~ September of My Years
Kay Starr ~ Allez-Vous-En & Half a Photo
July 21, 2020
45 RPMs 47: Kay Starr ~ Allez-Vous-En & Half a Photograph
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45 RPM, side 1
photo by Styrous®
Allez-Vous-En is one of dozens of songs by Kay Starr that I loved listening to in the mid fifties. It was written by Cole Porter and was published in 1953. The phrase Allez-vous-en is a French phrase meaning Go away directed to one or more persons with whom one is not familiar. Its more familiar translation is va t´en. The phrases are formed using the reflexive conjugated form of the verb aller which means to go, and the object pronoun en.
45 RPM detail, side 1
photo by Styrous®
The song was featured in the original production of the musical Can-Can when it was introduced by the French actress Lilo who was born in 1921. Her married name was Lilo Jourdan de la Passardière. Gordon Jenkins, Nelson Riddle and Bing Crosby covered the song but Starr's version was the biggest hit. Ferrante & Teicher did an instrumental version of the song as well.
45 RPM record, side 1
photo by Styrous®
The recording was released by Capitol Records as catalog number 2464. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on June 27, 1953, and lasted 9 weeks on the chart, peaking at #13.
45 RPM record label, side 1
photo by Styrous®
The "B" side of the 45 has the song Half a Photograph which was a waltz. I loved it even more than the "A" side.
45 RPM, side 2
photo by Styrous®
The song was covered by Guy Lombardo but the biggest hit version was recorded by Starr, both in 1953.
45 RPM detail, side 2
photo by Styrous®
The music was written by Harold Stanley, the lyrics by Bob Russell who was born Sidney Keith Rosenthal in Passaic, New Jersey in 1914. The song was published in 1952.
I saw half of a photograph
And it took my breath away;
On that face on that photograph
Was my love of yesterday.
It was only half a picture,
There was still another part,
But somebody tore that picture
Like the way he tore my heart!
Somewhere I'm on the other half;
If you find it you will see
That this half of that photograph
Has a smile that he meant for me!
It was only half a picture,
There was still another part,
But somebody, somebody tore that picture
Like the way he tore my heart!
Somewhere I'm on the other half;
If you find it you will see
That this half of that photograph
Has a smile that he meant for me
And it took my breath away;
On that face on that photograph
Was my love of yesterday.
It was only half a picture,
There was still another part,
But somebody tore that picture
Like the way he tore my heart!
Somewhere I'm on the other half;
If you find it you will see
That this half of that photograph
Has a smile that he meant for me!
It was only half a picture,
There was still another part,
But somebody, somebody tore that picture
Like the way he tore my heart!
Somewhere I'm on the other half;
If you find it you will see
That this half of that photograph
Has a smile that he meant for me
45 RPM record, side 2
photo by Styrous®
This recording was released by Capitol Records as catalog number 2464. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on June 6, 1953 and lasted 12 weeks on the chart, peaking at #10.
45 RPM record label, side 2
photo by Styrous®
Viewfinder links:
Bing Crosby
Kay Starr
Bing Crosby
Kay Starr
YouTube links:
Bing Crosby ~ Again/Allez-Vous-En
Ferrante & Teicher ~ Allez-Vous-En
Lilo ~ Allez-Vous-En
Kenny Gardner & Guy Lombardo Orchestra ~ Half a Photograph
Kay Starr
Allez-Vous-En
Half A Photograph
Styrous® ~ Tuesday, July 21, 2020
Bing Crosby ~ Again/Allez-Vous-En
Ferrante & Teicher ~ Allez-Vous-En
Lilo ~ Allez-Vous-En
Kenny Gardner & Guy Lombardo Orchestra ~ Half a Photograph
Kay Starr
Allez-Vous-En
Half A Photograph
Styrous® ~ Tuesday, July 21, 2020
January 20, 2016
Star Wars: Episode VII ~ The Force Awakens in 3D (or am I cross-eyed yet?)
Star Wars tickets
photo by Styrous®
Tonight I saw the latest installation in the Star Wars film series, Episode VII ~ The Force Awakens. It was an interesting experience for me on many levels that had nothing and everything to do with the actual film. The version I saw was in 3D. Special glasses were provided to experience the 3D effects.
3D glasses
Star Wars, Episode VII: The Force Awakens
photo by Styrous®
I love 3D movies! I have since I saw the release of the first color stereoscopic feature, Bwana Devil, produced, written and directed by Arch Oboler. It starred, Robert Stack, Barbara Britton, Nigel Bruce, Ramsay Hill, Paul McVey and Hope Miller. The score was written by Gordon Jenkins who wrote the Broadway-style musical vignette, Manhattan Tower, and Seven Dreams; both were early concept albums. Bwana Devil was released on November 30, 1952.
Bwana Devil movie poster, 1952
The advertising tagline for the film was:
How could anyone pass THAT up? I remember having a spear thrust at me from the screen and dodging to avoid it. I also remember I was cross-eyed when I left the theater and had a headache for hours afterward."A LION in your lap! A LOVER in your arms!"
Hollis Alpert of The Saturday Review wrote on March 14, 1953 . . .
"It is the worst movie in my rather faltering memory, and my hangover from it was so painful that I immediately went to see a two-dimensional movie for relief. Part of the hangover was undoubtedly induced by the photography process itself. To get all the wondrous effects of the stereoscopic motion picture one has to wear a pair of polaroid glasses, made—so far as I could determine—from tinted cellophane and cardboard. These keep slipping off, hanging from one ear, or sliding down the nose, all the while setting up extraneous tickling sensations. And once you have them adjusted and begin looking at the movie, you find that the tinted cellophane (or whatever it is) darkens the color of the screen, so that everything seems to be happening in late afternoon on a cloudy day. The people seem to have two faces, one receding behind the other; the screen becomes unaccountably small, as though one is peering in at a scene through a window. Everything keeps getting out of proportion. Nigel Bruce will either loom up before you or look like a puppet. Sometimes there is depth and sometimes there isn't. One thing is certain: it was all horribly unreal."There is a famous photograph by Life magazine photographer J. R. Eyerman who took a series of photos of the audience wearing 3D glasses at the premiere of the movie. Notice all the men are wearing neckties; people got dressed up to go to the movies in those days.
audience at the premiere of Bwana Devil
November 30, 1952
photo by J. R. Eyerman
I love things that knock my socks off. What did that for me in this film was the droid BB-8! When I first heard Rey use the name, I heard it as DV8 and thought, "What were they thinking????" But that little critter appealed to me on levels I've never experienced with any live actor. It was intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and artistically a total turn on. To say nothing of the cuddle quotient!
Star Wars
Episode VII ~ The Force Awakens
The design of it is totally revolutionary because of a locomotion process I've never seen before; or at least that I never heard of. The art devoted to it was just superb. The sight of a rolling ball with a head that constantly remained in the appropriate position was a truly wonderful mind-blower! So my kudos to those who designed it.
And I wasn't cross-eyed when I left the theater.
Styrous® ~ Wednesday, January 20, 2016
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