My Shining Hour

Last updated

"My Shining Hour" is a song composed by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Johnny Mercer for the film The Sky's the Limit (1943). In the film, the song is sung by Fred Astaire and Sally Sweetland, who dubbed it for actress Joan Leslie. The orchestra was led by Freddie Slack. [1] "My Shining Hour" was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song but lost to "You'll Never Know". [2]

The film was released on July 13, 1943. [3] The song became a hit the following year by Glen Gray's Casa Loma Orchestra with Eugenie Baird as vocalist, reaching No. 4 on the Billboard "Best Selling Retail Records" chart. [4] The song's title may have been a reference to Winston Churchill's speech to British citizens during World War II: "if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, this was their finest hour." [1]

In the 1944 film Youth Runs Wild an instrumental version of the song plays during a scene with Kent Smith and Glen Vernon. [5] The song was also used in the film Radio Stars on Parade (1945) when it was sung by Frances Langford accompanied by the Skinnay Ennis orchestra. [6] An instrumental version of the song was also used in The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947).

Other notable recordings

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harold Arlen</span> American composer of popular music

Harold Arlen was an American composer of popular music, who composed over 500 songs, a number of which have become known worldwide. In addition to composing the songs for the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, including "Over the Rainbow", Arlen is a highly regarded contributor to the Great American Songbook. "Over the Rainbow" was voted the 20th century's No. 1 song by the RIAA and the NEA.

"Blues in the Night" is a popular blues song which has become a pop standard and is generally considered to be part of the Great American Songbook. The music was written by Harold Arlen, the lyrics by Johnny Mercer, for a 1941 film begun with the working title Hot Nocturne, but finally released as Blues in the Night. The song is sung in the film by William Gillespie.

One for My Baby (and One More for the Road) Song

"One for My Baby " is a hit song written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer for the movie musical The Sky's the Limit (1943) and first performed in the film by Fred Astaire.

<i>Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Harold Arlen Song Book</i> 1961 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Harold Arlen Song Book is a 1961 album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, with a studio orchestra conducted and arranged by Billy May. This album marked the only time that Fitzgerald worked with May.

"Too Marvelous for Words" is a popular song written in 1937. Johnny Mercer wrote the lyrics for music composed by Richard Whiting. It was introduced by Wini Shaw and Ross Alexander in the 1937 Warner Brothers film Ready, Willing and Able, as well as used for a production number in a musical revue on Broadway. The song has become a pop and jazz standard and has been recorded by many artists.

"Out of This World" is an American popular song composed by Harold Arlen, with lyrics written by Johnny Mercer. It was first recorded by Jo Stafford with Paul Weston and his Orchestra in 1944.

"Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead" is a song in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. It is the centrepiece of several individual songs in an extended set-piece performed by the Munchkins, Glinda and Dorothy Gale. Highlighted by the Lollipop Guild consisting of Frankie Rumpf, Jaelen Hurst and Jesse-Carr was also sung by studio singers as being sung by the Winkie soldiers. It was composed by Harold Arlen, with the lyrics written by E. Y. Harburg. The group of songs celebrate the death of the Wicked Witch of the East when Dorothy's house is dropped on her by the tornado and the death of the Wicked Witch of the West after being splashed with water.

A Fine Romance (song) 1936 song composed by Jerome Kern, lyrics by Dorothy Fields; from the 1936 film "Swing Time"

"A Fine Romance" is a popular song composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Dorothy Fields, published in 1936.

"Goody Goody" is a 1936 popular song composed by Matty Malneck, with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. First recording of the song was by Ted Wallace and His Swing Kings [Bluebird, B-6252-B, 1936]. The song is referenced several times in the 1936 Kaufman and Hart play "You Can't Take It With You". Popular recordings in 1936 were by Benny Goodman and his Orchestra, Freddy Martin & His Orchestra, and by Bob Crosby & His Orchestra.

Its Only a Paper Moon

"It's Only a Paper Moon" is a popular song published in 1933 with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by Yip Harburg and Billy Rose.

"Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" is a song written by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin for the 1937 film Shall We Dance, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers as part of a celebrated dance duet on roller skates. The sheet music has the tempo marking of "Brightly". The song was ranked No. 34 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fascinating Rhythm</span> Song composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin performed by Cliff Edwards

"Fascinating Rhythm" is a popular song written by George Gershwin in 1924 with lyrics by Ira Gershwin.

"Let's Fall in Love" is a song written by Harold Arlen (music) and Ted Koehler (lyrics) for the film Let's Fall in Love and published in 1933. In the film, it is heard during the opening credits and later sung by Art Jarrett and chorus, and by Ann Sothern.

Paul Thatcher Smith was an American jazz pianist. He performed in various genres of jazz, most typically bebop, but is best known as an accompanist of singers, especially Ella Fitzgerald.

"I Wished on the Moon" is a song composed by Ralph Rainger, with lyrics by Dorothy Parker. Bing Crosby sang the song in The Big Broadcast of 1936.

"This Time the Dream's on Me" is a song composed by Harold Arlen, with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. It was written for the 1941 film Blues in the Night when it was sung by Priscilla Lane.

"I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart" is a 1938 composition by Duke Ellington, with lyrics added by Irving Mills, Henry Nemo and John Redmond. The song became a number one hit for Ellington in 1938. Other hit versions the same year were by Benny Goodman, Connee Boswell, Hot Lips Page, and Mildred Bailey. It was performed as part of The Cotton Club Parade of 1938.

"Spring is Here" is a 1938 popular song composed by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Lorenz Hart for the musical I Married an Angel (1938), where it was introduced by Dennis King and Vivienne Segal.

"Old Devil Moon" is a popular song composed by Burton Lane, with lyrics by Yip Harburg for the 1947 musical Finian's Rainbow. It was introduced by Ella Logan and Donald Richards in the Broadway show. The song takes its title from a phrase in "Fun to Be Fooled" a song Harburg wrote with Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin for the 1934 musical Life Begins at 8:40.

<i>Rosemary Clooney Sings the Music of Harold Arlen</i> 1983 studio album by Rosemary Clooney

Rosemary Clooney Sings the Music of Harold Arlen is a 1983 album by Rosemary Clooney, of songs composed by Harold Arlen. The album was the first of five to feature guitarist Ed Bickert, and it also featured longtime Clooney collaborators Scott Hamilton, Warren Vaché Jr., and Jake Hanna. The album is also the only small-group album in her Concord discography not to feature either Nat Pierce or John Oddo on piano. Instead, Dave McKenna, who had a long-established solo career as a jazz pianist, joined Clooney for the album.

References

  1. 1 2 Mueller, John (1986). Astaire Dancing - The Musical Films. London: Hamish Hamilton. p. 229. ISBN   0-241-11749-6.
  2. ↑ "oscars.org". oscars.org. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Internet Movie Database". imdb.com. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  4. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954 . Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p.  185. ISBN   0-89820-083-0.
  5. ↑ "Internet Movie Database". imdb.com. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  6. ↑ "Internet Movie Database". imdb.com. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  7. ↑ "allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.