Frank LOESSER (1910-1969)
Hans Christian Andersen (1952)
Danny Kaye; Jane Wyman
Gordon Jenkins Chorus and Orchestra; additional selections with Victor Young and his Orchestra
English notes included.
rec. 1952, Decca Studios, Los Angeles. ADD
ELOQUENCE 4841361 [45:55]
In 1952 independent film producer Samuel Goldwyn released a big budget musical fantasia on the story of Danish poet and storyteller Hans Christian Andersen. The cast starred the versatile comic actor, singer, dancer Danny Kaye alongside Farley Granger and French ballerina Zizi Jeanmaire, who was re-christened by Hollywood as “Jeanmaire”. The film was an enormous success at the time, becoming one of the top grossing films that year. The Motion Picture Academy would give it 6 Oscar nominations, including the nomination for best song of 1953 for Thumbelina although that award would eventually go to the theme song from High Noon instead. All of the hoopla surrounding the film and its star did not obliterate the fact that it had absolutely nothing at all to do with the incredibly sad life of the real Hans Christian Andersen; a point that was not lost on the Danes, who attended the film in droves but sensibly refused to allow it to be shown in Odense, the town where Andersen was born.
This new Eloquence release is of a studio cast recording that was made just after shooting on the film concluded. This is a selection of song highlights only, and does not include the longer ballet sections seen in the film. The soundtrack for the film was conducted by film music composer Walter Scharf, who also had a respectable career as a conductor in such films as Funny Girl and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Scharf was the composer of the music for the ballet sequences of the film, of which the major one was a telling of the Little Mermaid story. The song arrangements for the recording seem to have been altered from the Jerome Moross ones used in the original film, but I doubt that anyone would quibble over that tiny detail. Kaye was not only a crazy comic performer but he was also a talented actor with the ability to be both sincere and authentic in scenes that displayed human emotions. This was a talent that he was able to carry over into his vocal renditions of many songs. He had a unique onscreen rapport with children that is still enjoyable when viewing his films today. On the disc he is equally at home in the sentimental charm of such numbers as The Ugly Duckling and Inchworm, as he is in the more extrovert comic numbers like The King’s New Clothes or the jaunty polka of Thumbelina. There is a brief but pleasant contribution by noted actress Jane Wyman of Jonny Belinda fame in the duet No Two People. The catchiest song in the score is undoubtedly the delightful Wonderful Copenhagen, a song which makes repeated use an incorrect English pronunciation of the Danish capital city’s name. From personal experience I can warn readers that this is something that most Danes will instantly point out to you should you ever be foolish enough to pronounce it that way. The mono sound is clear, although there is an occasional edgy sounding rattle to some of Kaye’s dialogue because of the sound booth which kept him isolated from the orchestra during the recording process. Incidentally Eloquence does not provide the recording dates for any of the additional tracks but these were easy to obtain with a brief internet search.
Among the extra songs included as fillers on the disc are the Tubby the Tuba stories, which are clearly aimed at very young and naive children, something which our present days crop of cheeky cherubs are likely far too sophisticated to find entertaining. The final two songs, Uncle Pockets and There’s a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea are quite timeless in their appeal and are among the most delightful tracks on the disc.
Mike Parr
Contents
1.Hans Christian Andersen
Words and Music by Frank Loesser (1910–1969)
I’m Hans Christian Andersen (2:38)
Anywhere I Wander (3:14)
The Ugly Duckling (3:06)
The Inch Worm (3:14)
Thumbelina (1:47)
No Two People (2:24)
The King’s New Clothes (3:35)
Wonderful Copenhagen (2:06)
2.Tubby the Tuba (8:59)
Music by George Klensinger (1914-1982) words by Paul Tripp (1911-2002)
rec. 19 May, 1947, Los Angeles
3.Tubby the Tuba at the Circus (9:02)
Music by George Klensinger (1914-1982) words by Paul Tripp (1911-2002)
rec. 18 August, 1950, Los Angeles
4. Uncle Pockets (2:40)
Music and lyrics by Sylvia Fine (1913-1991)
rec. 26 November, 1951, New York
5. There’s a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea (2:23)
Music and lyrics by Sylvia Fine (1913-1991)
rec. 26 November, 1951, New York
* 2-5 with Victor Young and his orchestra
