Movie Time: "The Marshall of Mesa City" (1939)

So, I was watching the 1939 RKO feature “Marshall of Mesa City” starring George O’Brien on TCM.

I hadn’t seen it in a while but remembered that I had thought it was very good.

In fact, if someone were to say it was the best B-Western ever, I wouldn’t argue!

"One in a Million" (1936) - Part 2!

For an alternate version of the title song from the 1936 Fox film “One in a Million,” let’s check in with the great Fats Waller on Victor Records:

He’s having a blast!

"One in a Million" (1936)

Still at 20th Century Fox, we have a star whom the studio didn’t have to worry about having a recording contract – Sonja Henie!

The three-peat Olympic gold medalist in figure skating made her feature debut in 1936’s “One in a Million.”

Sonja is very cute and charming, but couldn’t really act, so they loaded up her movies with lots of songs and specialties to keep us entertained until her big ice routine at the end!

Here’s the title song as recorded on Decca by Boston-area bandleader Mal Hallet and his Orchestra with Jerry Perkins:

Sounds good!

"Wake Up and Live" (1937) - Part 2!

Without further ado, here’s Alice Faye’s Brunswick recording of the title song from 1937’s “Wake Up and Live”:

Very fun!

"Wake Up and Live" (1937)

Staying with "Wake Up and Live" from 1937, the British version of the sheet music for the movie's title song is shown above. 

As I've mentioned, I find the British ones to be interesting, as they often feature different (sometimes better) graphics and sometimes emphasize different things about the movie in question. 

As can be seen, the British sheet music for “Wake Up and Live” spotlights Alice Faye and Jack Haley over Walter Winchell and Ben Bernie. 

My thought is that British audiences may have been familiar with Ben Bernie from his records as a bandleader, but they probably had no idea who Walter Winchell was nor knew about his good-natured radio feud with Mr. Bernie. 

Jack Haley is really the lead in the film anyway, despite being sixth-billed, as the plot revolves around him having an unexpectedly great singing voice. Said voice was courtesy of dubbing from the great Buddy Clark, who at that point was a relatively anonymous radio singer. 

OK, so let’s hear Cab Calloway sing “Wake Up and Live” with his great band on Variety (another Irving Mills label):

 

That song is up Cab’s alley!

"There's a Lull in My Life" (1937) - Part 2!

As I mentioned last time, Alice Faye did get the chance to record the songs from 1937’s “Wake Up and Live,” so here she is with “There’s a Lull in My Life” on Brunswick Records, backed by Cy Feuer:

 

Glad that we get to enjoy that!

"There's a Lull in My Life" (1937)

Up next is another 20th Century Fox movie with Alice Faye, but she takes a back seat in 1937’s “Wake Up and Live” to Walter Winchell and Ben Bernie, as the movie exploits their then-current radio feud.

 Alice actually did get a chance to record the songs from the movie and we’ll get to her, but let’s start with this recording of “There’s a Lull in My Life” by Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra with vocalist Ivie Anderson on Irving Mills’s short-lived Master label:

Duke composed so many brilliant pieces for his band that it’s easy to forget that they sometimes recorded pop songs, but they always sound terrific!