A Musical Up-Roar: 1952

Fewer cartoons, but lots of discography today, as trends continued in MGM cartoons favoring original scores over numbers from Tin Pan Alley. Certainly, as will be seen in subsequent installments, the habit of quoting from MGM musicals was far from dead, and would continue to be employed by Scott Bradley. However, even the musical was beginning to wane, providing less opportunities for Bradley to shortcut by borrowing a winning tune here and there. Bradley still could also remember an old favorite from time to time, leading to some lengthy discographical discussion below on a few that became perennials in the recording industry.

The Flying Cat (1/12/52) -Tom is out chasing again, This time the object of his interest is a canary in its cage. The cage winds up busted, and the canary is flying all over the yard. Tom’s pursuit attracts the interest of Jerry, who attracts Tom’s interest, until Tom is chasing either/or interchangeably. Jerry and the canary hole up in a birdhouse, leaving Tom wondering how to get at them. Tom winds up with a corset tied on his back, and the corset fabric is discovered to serve as a moderately effective set of wings. Of course, when you learn to fly, you also learn how to fall, and Tom does several plummets (including a painful one that splits a tree down the middle, and almost splits Tom as well). The canary and Jerry finally escape into a railroad tunnel, leaving Tom to take a head-on collision with an oncoming train, transforming him into a fattened swinging crossing signal upon a bridge. Having shared a merry chaese, Jerry and the canary, aboard the train, are good friends. Song: “Valse Brilliante in E Flat Major”, by Frederic Chopin. Witold Malcuzynski issued a piano solo recorded in Paris during the 1930’s on European Columbia. Alexander Brailowski performed another piano rendition on red seal Victor. Leopold Stokowski and his Symphony Orchestra recorded a 40’s version on red seal Victor. Claudio Arrau issued a blue Masterworks performance in the early 50’s on Columbia. Vlademir Ashkenazy issued an album version on British Decca.

Magical Maestro (2/9/52) – Tex Avery’s attempt to take UPA’s The Magic Fluke one better, and a classic in its own right. When Spike (aka “The Great Poochini”) rejects a magic act which wants to join his performance, the magician seeks revenge, substituting as conductor, and using his wand instead of a baton. Spike is subjected to every trick and humiliation imaginable, until the magician’s wig slips, revealing his identity. Spike takes hold of the wand, and the tables are turned, as the magician endures every trick he had played upon Spike, at triple tempo. Features a workmanlike version of “Largo Al Factotum” from Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville”, probably the best-known baritone aria in all of opera, and a challenge for anyone in such range. The film also features the following additional songs: “Everything I Have Is Yours”, the big song from 1933’s musical film, “Dancing Lady”. In the cartoon, it is performed as a parody of the Ink Spots, though to my knowledge the group never recorded it, and probably never even performed it. Recorded by Rudy Vallee and his Connecticut Yankees on Victor, Jerry Freeman and his Orchestra on Bluebird, George Olsen and his Music on Columbia, and vocal versions by Irene Taylor on Vocalion, and Gene Austin on Melotone, Perfect, et al. Billy Eckstine had a revival hit of the song for MGM records in 1948. Eddie Fisher would also revive the piece for RCA Victor. Billie Holiday recorded it as an album cut on “Music For Torching” for Clef. In the same year as the cartoon, the song became the title number for an MGM musical starring Marge and Gower Champion, which saw some limited exposure in soundtrack form in a split bill with “Lili” on an MGM 10″ LP.

“Hawaiian War Chant” was written circa the 1850’s, with a title that originally translated “We Two In the Spray”. It was a love song, sung at slow tempo, about lovers who meet on the beach. It was recorded in its original form in 1911 by the Cowel Glee Club in Honolulu for Columbia. The Hawaiian Quintettte, a group from the cast of the show “Bord of Paradise”, recorded a 1913 version for Victor, with new lyric and more akin to the version we know now. The first recording to call it the Hawaiian War Chant was in 1934, by Andy Iona for Columbia. Felix Mendelssohn and his Hawaiian Serenaders performed it for British Columbia. Tommy Dorsey recorded a hit version in 1938 for Victor. Rudy Vallee covered it in the same year on Bluebird. Guy Lombardo issued a Decca. Sammy Kaye issued a somewhat embarassing vocal version on Thesaurus transcription (with the band members merely repeating the phrase “Hawaiian War Chant” rather than trying to sing phonetic Hawaiian). Spike Jones cut his parody version in 1946 for Victor (accompanied by his Wacky Wakikiaans), with one of the most nervous steel guitar passages ever heard. Bob Wills got a Western swing version on a transcription. In 1952, there were versions by the Ames Brothers on Coral, and by Jo Stafford on Columbia. Dave Lambert tried a bebop version on a Capitol single, later revisited by Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross on the LP “Improvisations for the Human Voice”. Don, Dick, and Jimmy, a harmony trio, had a single on Crown. Perez Prado tried to make it a mambo for an RCA Victor single. The Art Van Damme Quintette jazzed it on accordion for Capitol. An entirely anonymous version appeared on a Seeburg background music 45 which is surprisingly swinging, with steel guitar and mixed chorus. The King Sisters issued a mono LP cut on their “Aloha” album for Capitol. Slide guitar specialist Speedy West would include the tune on the Capitol LP “West of Hawaii”. Les Paul and Mary Ford got in a late performance in stereo for Columbia. Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen did a dixieland trad-flavored version for Pye. Henry Jerome and his Orchestra issued an album cut in one of a series of Decca LP’s entitled “Brazen Brass Features Saxes”. Arthur Lyman gave it a tiki treatment for his “Hawaiian Sunset” LP on Hi-Fi. Martin Denny would counter with a cut on the “Quiet Village” album for Liberty. Buddy Rich, original drummer on the Dorsey version, would team up with Gene Krupa for a revisit to the number on the “Burnin’ Beat” LP for Verve. Billy Vaughn included it on the “Blue Hawaii” LP for Dot. Ella Fitzgerald would record a stereo version for Capitol. Ted Heath would include it in a live performance “At Carnegie Hall” for London. A single issued on the Bomarc label by a group called The Dynatones, seemingly with some Duane Eddy influence. The Ventures cut a version on Dolton, on their first LP. Frank Chacksfield recorded it for a Phase 4 Stereo LP, “Hawaii”, for London. Henry Mancini also included it on the RCA Victor LP, “Music of Hawaii”. Leo Addeo had a version on “Songs of Hawaii” for RCA Camden. A faurly jazzy guitarist who only was known as Johnny Poi, recorded it on the “Hawaii Calls” album for Frand Prix Series, which cut crossed over into the Cricket records children’s catalog. Peter Pan records had its own take, with a vocal group who can’t speak a lick of Hawaiian, lamely chanting, “Wicky Wicky Wicky Wack – – Ugh Ugh Oooo, Ya!” The Norman Luboff Choir also included it on “Aloha From Norman Luboff” for RCA Victor.

A powerful if somewhat speedy performance of Tommy Dorsey’s “Hawaiian War Chant” featuring Buddy Rich, in a film clip from MGM’s Ship Ahoy:

Also, the cartoon includes a revisit for “Clementine”, possible predicting the tune’s use in later years by Huckleberry Hound.

The Two Mouseketeers (3/15/52) – In pre-Revolutionary France, Tom is being given his orders – to guard a banquet table laden with food – and is told in no uncettain terms what will befall him if he fails. “Off comes zee head”. Needless to say, Jerry and Nibbles invade the banquet hall, where a pitched battle ensues, with the food and drink not only attracting the appetites of the mice, but serving as weapon in battle. Tom impales various items of food on his sword during the fight, and takes time out to cook them over a candelabra as a shish-kebab. Even a bottle of champagne gets used as a cork shooter, and Tom winds up with a faceful. Nibbles falls into a glass of same, and emerges well-soused, with bravado enough to spear Tom in the rear with his sword, calling out “Touche’, Pussy Cat.” Eventually, Tom pays the price, as the guillotine falls while the mice are taking their leave of the city laden with food. Nibbles momentarily hangs his head in respect, uttering “Poor, poor pussy cat”, then immediately brightens as if nothing has happened, remarking to Jerry “Ç’est la guerre.” The lavish production borrows costume design straight out of Gene Kelly’s successful and possibly definitive MGM production of the Dumas tale, and pulled in an Oscar claimed by Fred Quimby and hoarded in his personal office.

Songs: “Soldiers of Fortune”, a Sigmund Romberg composition for the film, “The Girl of the Golden West”, which MGM had filmed as a feature vehicle for Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, somewhat based upon the script of an opera by Puccini but using none of his music. The song appears in somewhat truncated form in the film, but was recorded in a better version for Victor records by Nelson. No other recordings have been located, though Nelson would also perform it in an aircheck prior to release of the film, backed by the Sportsmen Quartet, in which he gets some additional lyrics which he attempts to take in Spanish-flavored dialect.

Also, the children’s favorite, “Alouette”, sung by Nibbles in the film, and heavily interlaced into the score of the banquet table battle. It was a French-Canadian folk song first published in 1879 in a book of songs associated with Magill University of Montreal, Quebec, used to teach children some introductory French and test their memories, much as with the German “Schnitzelbank” song. Earliest known recording is from 1924 by Stanley Holloway on HMV, who featured the song in that year’s revue, “The Co-Optimist”. It was also recorded in 1930 for Canadian Victor by Harold Leonard ad his Orchestra, then issued here on a series devoted to French-Canadian material. In the 60’s, it was parodied by Allan Sherman as “Al ‘n’ Yetta” for Warner Brothers records (embed below, because its so great). The tune also made the rounds of children’s labels. The song is addressed to a lark, who is about to have various parts of its body plucked! (How many parents were aware of that?)

Also, the famous children’s “round”, “Frere Jacques”. This tune was primarily reserved for children’s labels over the years, rarely appearing in an adult catalog. A version was issued by French Columbia in 1930 by a singer named Malloire, but does not follow the original text faithfully, seemingly embellished with considerable new melody and lyrics, likely for use in a stage act. Another adult version appears on Varsity records, by H. Leopold Spitalny and Orchestra, where it, along with two other French tunes (including “Alouette”) are woven into a lush symphonic suite.

Cruise Cat (10/18/52) – Tom is the mascot of the S.S. Aloha, a cruise ship heading for Hawaii. He is given a warning by the captain, a stern, stiff upper lip Britisher, that if one more mouse is seen aboard ship, there’ll be a new mascot. (Almost the kind of dialogue we’re used to from Mammy Two Shoes.) Jerry, strumming a ukulele, manages after a couple of failed attempts to get on board, and thus the chase continues. Most enduring gag of the film gas Tom clinging to the side of the ship, then sliding down it, leaving claw marks in the steel hull (a gag wgich would be repeated by H-B once in the television era). Jerry ultimately winds up on the captain’s plate at dinner, and Tom winds up in the brig, while Jerry surfs his way to paradise. Song: “It’s a Most Unusual Day”, introduced by Jane Powell in the soundtrack of “A Date With Judy” (embed below). Ray Noble issued a Columbia single. Margaret Whiting performed it on Capitol. Vera Lynn also got a single on London. June Christy performed it later for Capitol. Beverley Kenney sings it slightly jazzy on the Decca LP “Sings for Playboys.” Chris Connor also did likewise on “A Jazz Date With…” for Atlantic. Anna Marie Alberghetti had a version on “Songs By…” for Mercury. Andy Williams included it on “Days of Wine and Roses” Columbia LP. A violin rendition by Bernard Herrmann sneaks into the soundtrack of the later MGM Hitchcock classic, “North by Northwest.” A short version by Louis Armstrong turns up among stray tracks in “Now You Has Jazz – Louis Armstrong at MGM” on Rhino CD. David Rose issued a version, probably on MGM records. Andre Previn also performed an instrumental on the Columbia LP “Soft and Swinging”. Vic Dana included it on the “Warm and Wild” LP for Dolton. Allan Sherman wrote a satiric commentary upon avant-garde off-Broadway productions in his parody “It’s a Most Unusual Play” on the “My Name Is Allan” LP for Warner Brothers records. Jodi Sanhaus issued a 2003 recording. Michael Feinstein included it on “The MGM Album.”

Busybody Bear (12/20/52) – Barney is reading the paper over coffee, seeing that it is be king to your neighbor week. His neighbor is a beaver, building a dam. Barney decides he is going to help, come hell or high water. And the water does come high, when Barney insists on building one the size of Hoover Dam. The film ends with Barney looking into the window of his cabin, which is now entirely underwater in a flooded valley, while the beaver comfortably occupies his bed inside. Song: “Roses From The South” (aka “Southern Roses Waltz”), a favorite waltz by Johann Strauss composed in 1880. An early military band side was performed by Arthur Pryor’s band on Victor in versions circa 1907 and 1912. An alternate style was offered by a string quartet as the “Vienna Quartet” on the same label. Another unusual early version on Victor was by the Hurtado Brothers Royal Marimba Band of Guatemala (who appear to have performed a later version on Romeo). Edison countered with Joe Green and his Novelty Marimba Band. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra performed an HMV issue in proper classical mode, conducted by Frederick Stock, but rather condensed and hurried. The Sieber Choir issed a German master for Parlophon in the late 1920’s. Marek Weber also issued an early HMV version cutdown, circa 1930. The Ochestre Mascotte had a German Odeon master. Richard Tauber did a vocal version on Parlophone Odeon. Al Goodman’s orchestra performed a short version for dancing on Columbia as part of a 78 album set. The Vienna Philharmonic issued a classical version on HMV. Carmen Cavallero again performed a pop dance version on Decca, and likewise Sam Freed for Capitol. Josep Krips and the New Symphony Orchestra included it in an album set for British Decca in the 1940’s and here on London, in a sterling performance. The Boston Pops would handle it for RCA Victor. Victor Sylvester gave it his strictest tempo on British Columbia. The Halle Orchestra conducted by John Barbirolli did an HMV. Mantovani included it on Strauss Waltzes for Dancing on British Decca. Other versions have since appeared on LP, too numerous to mention.

NEXT WEEK: Into 1953.