I Wanna Be Loved by You

Last updated
"I Wanna Be Loved by You"
I wanna be loved by you 1928 sheet music.pdf
Song by Helen Kane
ReleasedDecember 1928
RecordedSeptember 5, 1928
Genre
Length2:48
Label Victor
Songwriter(s) Herbert Stothart, Harry Ruby, Bert Kalmar

"I Wanna Be Loved by You" is a song written by Herbert Stothart and Harry Ruby, with lyrics by Bert Kalmar, for the 1928 musical Good Boy. [1] It was first performed by Helen Kane on September 5, 1928, [2] who was the inspiration behind the cartoon Betty Boop. "I Wanna Be Loved by You" was chosen as one of the Songs of the Century in a survey by the RIAA to which 200 people responded (out of 1300 asked). One of Marilyn Monroe's most famous musical performances is her singing the song in Billy Wilder's classic 1959 farce Some Like It Hot.

Contents

The original lyrics and music of the song entered the public domain in the United States in 2024. [3]

Background

The song was first performed in 1928 by Helen Kane, who became known as the 'Boop-Boop-a-Doop Girl' because of her baby-talk, scat-singing tag line to the song. This version was recorded when Kane's popularity started to reach its peak, and became her signature song. Two years later, a cartoon character named Betty Boop was modeled after Kane. Desirée Goyette performs the number as Betty Boop in the 1980s animated film The Romance of Betty Boop .

In 1950, the song was a highlight of the Kalmer-Ruby biopic Three Little Words, performed by Debbie Reynolds and Carleton Carpenter as Helen Kane and vaudeville performer Dan Healy. Helen Kane dubbed the vocal for Reynolds’ voice.

In Gentlemen Marry Brunettes (1955) this song is performed by Jane Russell, Jeanne Crain (dubbed by Anita Ellis) and Rudy Vallee.

In a The Wednesday Play episode ("Up the Junction", November 3, 1965, directed by Ken Loach), Carol White as Sylvie sings the song in a pub.

In a Gilligan's Island episode, Ginger Grant sings the song on at least one occasion for the entertainment of the fellow castaways. Her performance so impresses Mary Ann Summers that she takes on Ginger's personality and identity after hitting her head. However, when Mary Ann tries to sing the song, her lack of talent makes her uncomfortable and she faints, snapping out of her amnesia.

In an episode of The Brady Bunch ("Never Too Old,” October 5, 1973), Bobby (Mike Lookinland) must quarantine from the family after his first kiss from Millicent (Melissa Sue Anderson) could potentially produce the mumps. Meanwhile, Mike (Robert Reed), in his den with Carol (Florence Henderson), pulls out his ukulele as Carol leads them in a duet of their own rendition. Alice (Ann B. Davis) pokes her head in, duster brandishing on cue with her closing "Boop-Boop-Be-Doop."

In an episode of The Golden Girls, ("Journey to the Center of Attention," February 22, 1992), Blanche butchers the song at The Rusty Anchor.

In an episode of Family Matters (Le Jour d'amour, aired on February 14, 1997.), Myra Monkhouse sings the song to her boyfriend Steve Urkel.

In Rob Zombie's 2003 film House of 1000 Corpses , Baby Firefly performs the song for the family's unwitting victims.

In the Australian musical adaptation of King Kong, the number is performed as Ann Darrow is robbed by thugs who taunt her.

The song also been recorded by performers Vaughn De Leath, Annette Hanshaw, Jack Lemmon, Frank Sinatra, Miss Miller and The Chipettes, Rose Murphy, Verka Serduchka, Patricia Kaas, Sinéad O'Connor, Jinx Titanic, Shiina Ringo, Claire Johnston, Eve's Plum and Barry Manilow (in a duet with the Marilyn Monroe recording) among others.

The song is performed in the 2007 television version of Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors .

The song is on the trailer of the Ti West 2022 movie Pearl .

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betty Boop</span> Animated cartoon character

Betty Boop is an animated cartoon character designed by Grim Natwick at the request of Max Fleischer She originally appeared in the Talkartoon and Betty Boop film series, which were produced by Fleischer Studios and released by Paramount Pictures. She was featured in 90 theatrical cartoons between 1930 and 1939. She has also been featured in comic strips and mass merchandising.

Harry Rubenstein, known professionally as Harry Ruby, was an American pianist, composer, songwriter and screenwriter, who was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970. He was married to silent film actress Eileen Percy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bert Kalmar</span> American songwriter and screenwriter

Bert Kalmar was an American songwriter, who was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970. He was also a screenwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mae Questel</span> American actress (1908–1998)

Mae Questel was an American actress. She was best known for providing the voices for the animated characters Betty Boop, Olive Oyl and numerous others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helen Kane</span> American singer (1904–1966)

Helen Kane was an American singer and actress. Her signature song was "I Wanna Be Loved by You" (1928), featured in the 1928 stage musical Good Boy. The song was written for Good Boy by the songwriting team Kalmar and Ruby. Kane's voice and appearance were thought to be a source for Fleischer Studios animators when creating Betty Boop. Kane attempted to sue the studio for claims of stealing her signature "boop-oop-a-doop" style, but the judge decided that the proof of this was insufficient, thus dismissing the case.

<i>Little Voice</i> (film) 1998 British film directed by Mark Herman

Little Voice is a 1998 British musical film written and directed by Mark Herman and made in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. The film starred Jane Horrocks, Michael Caine, Brenda Blethyn, Jim Broadbent and Ewan McGregor.

<i>Three Little Words</i> (film) 1950 American musical film directed by Richard Thorpe

Three Little Words is a 1950 American musical film biography of the Tin Pan Alley songwriting partnership of Kalmar and Ruby. It stars Fred Astaire as lyricist Bert Kalmar and Red Skelton as composer Harry Ruby, along with Vera-Ellen and Arlene Dahl as their wives, with Debbie Reynolds in a small but notable role as singer Helen Kane and Gloria DeHaven as her own mother, Mrs. Carter DeHaven. The film, released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, was written by Academy-Award-winning screenwriter George Wells, directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Jack Cummings. Harry Ruby served as a consultant on the project, and he appears in a cameo role as a baseball catcher. The third in a series of MGM biopics about Broadway composers, it was preceded by Till the Clouds Roll By and Words and Music and followed by Deep in My Heart.

<i>A Symposium on Popular Songs</i> 1962 film by Bill Justice

A Symposium on Popular Songs is a special cartoon featurette made by Walt Disney Productions in 1962. It features songs that were written by the Sherman Brothers, with music arrangements by Tutti Camarata. The Shermans also co-wrote the screenplay but are not credited for this. Host Ludwig Von Drake invites his audience into his mansion where he tells all about popular music through the years, introducing several songs illustrated with stop-motion photography. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.

<i>The Old Man of the Mountain</i> (film) 1933 film by Dave Fleischer

The Old Man of the Mountain is a 1933 American pre-Code live-action/animated short in the Betty Boop series, produced by Fleischer Studios. Featuring music by Cab Calloway and his Orchestra, the short was originally released to theaters on August 4, 1933 by Paramount Pictures. Calloway voices all of the characters in the cartoon save for Betty herself. Calloway and his orchestra also perform all of the music in the cartoon, including two songs Calloway co-wrote.

"Button Up Your Overcoat" is a popular song. The music was written by Ray Henderson, the lyrics by B.G. DeSylva and Lew Brown. The song was published in 1928, and was first performed later that same year by vocalist Ruth Etting. However, the most famous rendition of this song was recorded early the following year by singer Helen Kane, who was at the peak of her popularity at the time. Kane's childlike voice and Bronx dialect eventually became the inspiration for the voice of cartoon character Betty Boop.

Stopping the Show is a 1932 Fleischer Studios animated short, directed by Dave Fleischer. While it is not the first appearance of Betty Boop, it is the first short to be credited as "A Betty Boop Cartoon."

Mother Goose Land is a 1933 Fleischer Studios animated short film starring Betty Boop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Musical short</span> Short films, often before the main feature

The musical short can be traced back to the earliest days of sound films.

Hollywood on Parade No. A-8 is a 1933 American Pre-Code Paramount Pictures short film.

"Don't Take My Boop-Oop-A-Doop Away" is a song, written by Sammy Timberg.

Boop-Oop-a-Doop is an animated short film created by Fleischer Studios on January 16, 1932, as part of the Talkartoon series.

The Romance of Betty Boop is a CBS animated television special featuring Betty Boop that aired on March 20, 1985. The half-hour special was rebroadcast on CBS in December 1987.

I Want to Be Loved may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baby Esther</span> American jazz musician

Esther Lee Jones, known by her stage names "Baby Esther", "Little Esther", and other similar variations, was an American singer and child entertainer of the late 1920s, known for interpreting popular songs with a "mixture of seriousness and childish mischief". After gaining attention in her hometown of Chicago, she became an international celebrity before leaving the public spotlight as a teenager.

<i>Some Like It Hot</i> (album) 1959 studio album by Barney Kessel

Some Like It Hot is an album by guitarist Barney Kessel performing adaptations music from Billy Wilder's 1959 film Some Like It Hot, recorded in 1959 and released on the Contemporary label.

References

  1. Secondhandsongs: I Wanna Be Loved By You. Accessed January 1, 2021.
  2. "Good Boy (Broadway, Ed Sullivan Theatre, 1928)". Playbill . Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  3. "Public Domain Day 2024 | Duke University School of Law". web.law.duke.edu.