Music at The Oscars, Part 1: A Decade Study

Before I officially get started this, week, I wanted to thank everyone who has read this blog over the last two years. This Thursday marks the two year anniversary of my very first post, and I absolutely love writing these posts every week and learning more about music from different places, different times, and different people.

This week, we're diving into a new decade study surrounding the ever-glamorous Academy Awards. As I said close to a year ago when I started researching Grammy winners, I'm not a big awards show fan, but since I am a big music fan I believe the songs that are honored with these prestigious awards definitely deserve some attention.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, more commonly referred to as either the Motion Picture Academy or just The Academy, was founded in 1927 to help advance the arts and sciences behind filmmaking. What most people know about The Academy, however, is their annual awards show The Academy Awards, which is arguably the biggest event to happen in Hollywood each year. Known to virtually the whole world as The Oscars, these prestigious awards are hosted in late winter/early spring each year.

While the First Annual Academy Awards were held in 1929, music did not come into play until almost a decade later, when the two Best Music categories were introduced. Best Original Score and Best Original Song are The Oscars' two big musical awards, and Best Original Song is the award we'll focus on in these posts. The Best Original Song awards is presented to the songwriters who have written an original song specifically for a feature film. Keeping that in mind, let's rewind to 1929, realize what we've done, then fast forward a tiny bit to the mid-1930s.

1935

The 7th Annual Academy Awards were held February 27th, 1935 in Los Angeles, California. Hosted by author Irvin S. Cobb, this awards ceremony was not televised.

Best Original Song - The Continental by Lillian Miles (written by C. Conrad, H. Magidson)

The Continental, with music by Con Conrad and lyrics by Herb Madgison, was one of three nominees for the inaugural Best Original Song category, beating out Carioca from Flying Down to Rio and Love in Bloom from She Loves Me Not. The song was featured in Mark Sandrich's 1934 film The Gay Divorcee, which was based on the 1932 Dwight Taylor musical Gay Divorce. Starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Best Original Song was the film's only win that night out of five total nominations (the others being Outstanding Production, Best Original Score, Best Sound Recording, and Best Art Direction). Other notable recordings of this song include those by Leo Reisman and Rosemary Clooney.

Beautiful music, dangerous rhythm/It’s something darling, the Continental/A way of dancing that’s really ultra-new/It’s very subtle, the Continental/Because it does what you want it to do/It has a passion, the Continental/An invitation to moonlight and romance/It’s quite the fashion, the Continental/Because you tell of your love while you dance

1936

The 8th Annual Academy Awards were held March 5th, 1936 in Los Angeles, California. Hosted by director Frank Capra, this awards ceremony was not televised.

Best Original Song - Lullaby of Broadway by Dick Powell & Winifred Shaw (written by A. Dubin, H. Warren)

Lullaby of Broadway, with music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Al Dubin, was one of three nominees for Best Original Song 1936, beating out Cheek to Cheek from Top Hat and Lovely to Look At from Roberta. The song was featured in Busby Berkeley's 1935 film Gold Diggers of 1935, the fourth film in the Gold Diggers series. Starring Dick Powell and Adolphe Menjou, Best Original Song was the film's only win that night out of two total nominations (the other being Best Dance Direction). Other notable recordings of this song include those by Reginald Forsythe, Doris Day, Bing Crosby, Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald, and Bette Midler.

Come on and listen to the lullaby of Broadway/The hip hooray and ballyhoo, the lullaby of Broadway/The rumble of the subway train, the rattle of the taxis/The daffy-dills who entertain at Angelo’s and Maxie’s/When a Broadway baby says goodnight, it’s early in the morning/Manhattan babies don’t sleep tight until the dawn

1937

The 9th Annual Academy Awards were held March 4th, 1937 in Los Angeles, California. Hosted by actor George Jessel, this awards ceremony was not televised.

Best Original Song - The Way You Look Tonight by Fred Astaire (written by D. Fields, J. Kern)

The Way You Look Tonight, with music by Jerome Kern and lyrics by Dorothy Fields, was one of six nominees for Best Original Song 1937, beating out Did I Remember from Suzy, I've Got You Under My Skin from Born to Dance, A Melody from the Sky from Trail of the Lonesome Pine, Pennies From Heaven from Pennies From Heaven, and When Did You Leave Heaven from Sing, Baby, Sing. The song was featured in George Stevens's 1936 film Swing Time. Starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Best Original Song was the film's only win that night out of two total nominations (the other being Best Dance Direction). Other notable recordings of this song include those by Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby & Dixie Lee, Tony Bennett, Olivia Newton-John, Phil Collins, Rod Stewart, Ella Fitzgerald, and Durmot Mulroney.

Someday, when I’m awfully low/When the world is cold, I will feel aglow just thinking of you/And the way you look tonight/Oh, but you’re lovely with your smile so warm/And your cheeks so soft, there is nothing for me but to love you/Just the way you look tonight

1938

The 10th Annual Academy Awards were held March 10th, 1938 in Los Angeles, California. Hosted by comedian Bob Burns, this awards ceremony was not televised.

Best Original Song - Sweet Leilani by Bing Crosby (written by H. Owens)

Sweet Leilani, with music and lyrics by Harry Owens, was one of five nominees for Best Original Song 1938, beating out Remember Me from Mr. Dodd Takes the Air, That Old Feeling from Walter Wanger's Vogues of 1938, They Can't Take That Away From Me from Shall We Dance, and Whispers In the Dark from Artists and Models. The song was featured in Frank Tuttle's 1937 film Waikiki Wedding. Starring Bing Crosby and Bob Burns, Best Original Song was the film's only win that night out of two total nominations (the other being Best Dance Direction). Other notable recordings of this song include those by Rosemary Clooney, Les Paul & Mary Ford, Andy Williams, Percy Faith, Burl Ives, Henry Mancini, and Cliff Edwards.

Sweet Leilani, heavenly flower/Nature fashioned roses kissed with dew/And then she placed them in a bower/It was the start of you/Sweet Leilani, heavenly flower/I dreamed of paradise for two/You are my paradises completed/You are my dream come true/Jealous because you’re mine

1939

The 11th Annual Academy Awards were held February 23rd, 1939 in Los Angeles, California. With no official host, this awards ceremony was not televised.

Best Original Song - Thanks for the Memory by Bob Hope & Shirley Ross (written by L. Robin, R. Rainger)

Thanks for the Memory, with music by Ralph Rainger and lyrics by Leo Robin, was one of ten nominees for Best Original Song 1939, beating out Always and Always from Mannequin, Change Partners from Carefree, The Cowboys and the Lady from The Cowboy and the Lady, Dust from Under Western Stars, Jeepers Creepers from Going Places, Merrily We Live from Merrily We Live, A Mist Over the Moon from The Lady Objects, My Own from That Certain Age, and Now It Can Be Told from Alexander's Ragtime Band. The song was featured in Mitchell Leisen's 1938 film The Big Broadcast of 1938, the final installment of The Big Broadcast series. Starring W.C. Fields and Martha Raye, Best Original Song was the film's only win that night as well as it's only nomination. Other notable recordings of this song include those by Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, and Rod Stewart.

Thanks for the memory/Of sentimental verse, nothing in my purse/And chuckles when the preacher said, "For better or for worse"/How lovely it was/Thanks for the memory/Of Shubert’s Serenade, little things of jade/And traffic jams and anagrams and bills we never paid/How lovely it was/We who could laugh over big things/Were parted by only a slight thing/I wonder if we did the right thing/Oh, well, that’s life, I guess/I love your dress, do you, it’s pretty

1940

The 12th Annual Academy Awards were held February 29th, 1940 in Los Angeles, California. Hosted by comedian Bob Hope, this awards ceremony was not televised.

Best Original Song - Over the Rainbow by Judy Garland (written by E. Harburg, H. Arlen)

Over the Rainbow, with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by Yip Harburg, was one of four nominees for Best Original Song 1940, beating out Faithful Forever from Gulliver's Travels, I Poured My Heart Into a Song from Second Fiddle, and Wishing from Love Affair. The song was featured in Victor Fleming's 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, based on the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Starring Judy Garland and Frank Morgan, Best Original Song was one of three wins that night (Best Original Score, Best Original Song, and the Honorary Academy Juvenile Award presented to a seventeen-year-old Judy Garland) out of five nominations (the others being Outstanding Production, Best Art Direction, and Best Special Effects). Other notable recordings of this song include those by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, Ariana Grande, and Patti LaBelle.

Somewhere over the rainbow/Way up high/There’s a land that I’ve hard of/Once in a lullaby/Somewhere over the rainbow/Skies are blue/And the dreams that you dare to dream/Really do come true/Someday, I’ll wish upon a star/And wake up where the clouds are far behind me/Where troubles melt like lemon drops away above the chimney tops/That’s where you’ll find me

1941

The 13th Annual Academy Awards were held February 27th, 1941 in Los Angeles, California. Hosted by comedian Bob Hope, this awards ceremony was not televised.

Best Original Song - When You Wish Upon A Star by Cliff Edwards & The Disney Studio Chorus (written by L. Harline, N. Washington)

When You Wish Upon A Star, with music by Leigh Harline and lyrics by Ned Washington, was one of nine nominees for Best Original Song 1941, beating out Down Argentine Way from Down Argentine Way, I'd Know You Anywhere from You'll Find Out, It's a Blue World from Music in My Heart, Love of My Life from Second Chorus, Only Forever from Rhythm on the River, Our Love Affair from Strike Up the Band, Waltzing in the Clouds from Spring Parade, and Who Am I? from Hit Parade of 1941. The song was featured in Ben Sharpsteen & Hamilton Luske's 1940 film Pinocchio, the Disney animated retelling of The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. Starring Cliff Edwards and Dickie Jones, Best Original Song was one of two wins that night (the other being Best Original Score) making Pinocchio the first Disney film to win either category. Other notable recordings of this song include those by Linda Ronstadt, Louis Armstrong, Glenn Miller, and Rod Stewart.

When you wish upon a star/Makes no difference who you are/Anything your heart desires will come to you/If your heart is in your dream/No request is too extreme/When you wish upon a star as dreamers do

1942

The 14th Annual Academy Awards were held February 26th, 1942 in Los Angeles, California. Hosted by comedian Bob Hope, this awards ceremony was not televised.

Best Original Song - The Last Time I Saw Paris by Ann Sothern (written by J. Kern, O. Hammerstein)

The Last Time I Saw Paris, with music by Jerome Kern and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, was one of nine nominees for Best Original Song 1942, beating out Baby Mine from Dumbo, Be Honest With Me from Ridin' On A Rainbow, Blues in the Night from Blues in the Night, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B from Buck Privates, Chattanooga Choo Choo from Sun Valley Serenade, Dolores from Las Vegas Nights, Out of the Silence from All-American Co-ed, and Since I Kissed My Baby Goodbye from You'll Never Get Rich. The song was featured in Norman Z. McLeod's 1941 film Lady Be Good. Starring Eleanor Powell and Robert Young, Best Original Song was the only win and only nomination for the film that night. Other notable recordings of this song include those by Dinah Shore, Dean Martin, and Tony Bennett.

The last time I saw Paris, her heart was warm and gray/I heard the laughter of her heart in every street cafe/The last time I saw Paris, her trees were dressed for spring/And lovers walked beneath those trees, and birds found songs to sing/I dodged the same old taxicabs that I had dodged for years/The chorus of the squeaky horns was music to my ears/Oh, the last time I saw Paris, her heart was warm and gay/No matter how they changed her, I’ll remember her that way

1943

The 15th Annual Academy Awards were held March 4th, 1943 in Los Angeles, California. Hosted by comedian Bob Hope, this awards ceremony was not televised.

Best Original Song - White Christmas by Bing Crosby (written by I. Berlin)

White Christmas, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin, was one of ten nominees for Best Original Song 1943, beating out Always in My Heart from Always in My Heart, Dearly Beloved from You Were Never Lovelier, How About You? from Babes on Broadway, I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo from Orchestra Wives, I've Heard That Song Before from Youth on Parade, Love Is a Song from Bambi, Pennies for Peppino from Flying with Music, Pig Foot Pete from Hellzapoppin', and There's a Breeze on Lake Louise from The Mayor of 44th Street. The song was featured in Mark Sandrich's 1942 film Holiday Inn. Starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, Best Original Song was the only win out of three nominations for the film that night (the others being Best Original Motion Picture Story and Best Scoring of a Musical Picture). Other notable recordings of this song include those by Michael Bublé & Shania Twain, Gwen Stefani, Meghan Trainor & Seth McFarlane, Frank Sinatra, The Drifters, Andy Williams, Michael Bolton, Andrea Bocelli, and Bette Midler.

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas/Just like the ones I used to know/Where the treetops glisten and children listen/To hear sleigh bells in the snow/I’m dreaming of a white Christmas/With every Christmas card I write/May your days be merry and bright/And may all your Christmases be white

1944

The 16th Annual Academy Awards were held March 2nd, 1944 in Los Angeles, California. Hosted by entertainer Jack Benny, this awards ceremony was not televised.

Best Original Song - You'll Never Know by Alice Faye (written by H. Warren, M. Gordon)

You'll Never Know, with music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Mack Gordon, was one of ten nominees for Best Original Song 1943, beating out A Change of Heart from Hit Parade of 1943, Happiness is a Thing Called Joe from Cabin in the Sky, My Shining Hour from The Sky's the Limit, Saludos Amigos from Saludos Amigos, Say a Pray'r for the Boys Over There from Hers to Hold, That Old Black Magic from Star Spangled Rhythm, They're Either Too Young or Too Old from Thank Your Lucky Stars, We Mustn't Say Goodbye from Stage Door Canteen, and You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To from Something to Shout About. The song was featured in H. Bruce Humberstone's 1943 film Hello, Frisco, Hello, a remake of the 1936 film King of Burlesque. Starring Alice Faye and John Payne, Best Original Song was the only win out of two nominations for the film that night (the other being Best Cinematography, Color). Other notable recordings of this song include those by Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, Barbra Streisand, Bing Crosby, Doris Day, Bobby Darin, Eartha Kitt, Bernadette Peters, and Michael Bublé.

You’ll never know just how much I miss you/You’ll never know just how much I care/And if I tried, I still couldn’t hide/My love for you/You oughta know, why haven’t I told you/A million or more times/You went away, and my heart went with you/I speak your name in every prayer

Whether you're well-versed in the music and film history of the 1930's and 1940's or just discovering a lot of these songs like me, I hope you found some fun music to check out. Happy listening, and see ya'll next week!