The Definitive American Songbook: Arthur Schwartz Pt. 3

During the 1940’s, Arthur Schwartz moved to Hollywood where he continued to write songs and started producing movies. He made Cover Girl in 1944 starring Rita Hayworth and Gene Kelly, and the 1946 pseudo-biography of Cole Porter: Night and Day, starring Cary Grant. This week’s list features songs from his time on the left coast and his final Broadway revue.

“A Gal in Calico” Johnny Mercer from Thanks For the Memory-Great Songs by Lyricist Leo Robin

Arthur Schwartz teamed up with Leo Robin to write “A Gal in Calico” for the 1948 film The Time The Place and The Girl. The song was nominated for an Oscar, but was snubbed for a zippy little Disney song from a long forgotten movie not worth mentioning here. Johnny Mercer’s version reached #5 on the Billboard Charts in 1946. The west, specifically Santa Fe, is where that special girl lives in the song, and the arrangement has a bit of a turquoise tinge to it. The backing chorus, seemingly a mandatory production element in the 1940’s, gives it that western cowboy vibe. There is also an obvious nod to the mode of transportation of the day: the locomotive. The drums are reminiscent of a steam engine cruising down the line and the horns imitate a train whistle.

“Haunted Heart” Jo Stafford from Autumn in New York

Schwartz moved back to New York in the late 1940’s and collaborated with Howard Dietz on one last Broadway revue: Inside USA. Timing is everything, and unfortunately, there was an ASCAP strike that delayed recording the music from the revue. Only a couple songs from the show have endured.“Haunted Heart” is one of them, and Jo Stafford gives us a sweet performance here.

“Rhode Island Is Famous For You” Blossom Dearie from Blossom Dearie Jazz Masters 51

The other song from Inside the USA that became a standard was “Rhode Island is Famous For You.” It’s a list song -- songs that are based on a list of something -- in this case a list of things the US states are famous for. Blossom Dearie is in the driver’s seat of a fun arrangement. It starts with a quote from the Miles Davis album Birth of the Cool before settling into a sneak peak of where popular jazz was headed in the 1960’s. She delivers the lyrics with her trademark sweet & sassy style, which almost distracts from how hip her phrasing is.

“Love Isn’t Born” Ann Sheridan from Thank Your Lucky Stars

During WWII, US citizens were in an all-hands-on-deck situation, and that included songwriters and movie producers. The 1943 film Thank Your Lucky Stars was made to raise money for the war effort. The actors donated their salaries to the Hollywood Canteen, an organization that fed and entertained troops on their way overseas. The cast was filled with stars: Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, Eddie Cantor, and Ida Lupino, to name just a few. It also marked the film debuts of Dinah Shore and Spike Jones and his City Slickers. “Love Isn’t Born” is about the effort it takes to make love work. Was Hollywood encouraging the country’s single ladies to be loyal while their beaus were overseas? Or is the song a cynical look at how to land a date? Regardless, this is an outstanding ensemble performance of the Schwartz/Loesser tune featuring Ann Sheridan.

“They’re Either Too Young or Too Old” Bette Davis from Hollywood’s Best: The Forties

There was a second song by Arthur Schwartz in Thank Your Lucky Stars, and it was nominated for an Academy Award. It became a big hit at the time thanks to the movie’s popularity. The critic James Agee called it “the loudest and most vulgar of the musicals. It is also the most fun.” Bette Davis sang “They’re Either Too Young of Too Old”  in the film and her recording made it a hit. The song is about how all the good men are in the military, and those left home are either too young or too old for love. Was the song speaking to the troops worried about their sweethearts back home? Or maybe a recruiting tool for the war effort? We may never know for sure, but we do know that this scene from the movie is kind of hilarious.

Part 1 | Part 2