1953 Best Original Song - Jerry Lewis Ruins Everything

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WON: "Secret Love," Calamity Jane

SHOULD'VE WON: "My Flaming Heart," Small Town Girl

When I saw Dean Martin's "That's Amore" was among the Best Original Song Oscar nominees in 1953, I was enormously excited and convinced I'd for sure peg it as my favorite of the line-up. I've long been a fan of the tune, mostly on account of my adoration for Norman Jewison's Moonstruck and its prominence in that picture.

Little did I know, however, that this favorite of mine actually began as a duet between Martin and longtime comedy partner Jerry Lewis...and a truly aggravating duet at that. For while Martin's performance of the tune in The Caddy is just fine, the hideously unfunny Lewis, in hyperactive cartoon form, pretty much kills the song. For what it's worth, I've been a fan of Lewis' on occasion in the past - he is, for instance, flat-out brilliant in Martin Scorsese's The King of Comedy and his filmmaking in The Ladies Man, while imperfect, is quite neat and original - but his slapstick comedy is, to put it mildly, a very acquired taste and it's just not something I can embrace. I find him downright cringe-inducing on this song.

So, with that said, this category is actually a really close call for me between the winning tune, "Secret Love," and "My Flaming Heart," from the so-so Jane Powell MGM musical Small Town Girl. I can't fault anything about either of these songs - Doris Day sounds just glorious in the former and Nat King Cole is smooth and soulful as ever performing the latter. Having listened to this line-up several times in recent days, I would say "My Flaming Heart" holds up a tad better on repeat listens but it's an awfully close call. I can't much fault the Academy's choice.

(On a related note, Day in early 1954 actually refused to perform "Secret Love" live at the Oscars, with Ann Blyth from Mildred Pierce filling in. Louella Parsons' Hollywood Women's Press Club responded by bestowing upon Day their infamous Sour Apple Award for uncooperative celebrities. The "award" left Day distraught and she didn't leave her home for weeks after.)

The remaining two nominees I can't get terribly excited about - "The Moon Is Blue," the title track from the underappreciated William Holden-Maggie McNamara comedy, runs a minute in length and comes and goes without leaving any real impression. And "Sadie Thompson's Song (Blue Pacific Blues)" has Rita Hayworth (dubbed by Jo Ann Greer) singin' the blues and it's just as dull and unremarkable a song as the picture it's featured in.

The Oscar-winners ranked (thus far)...

  1. "Over the Rainbow," The Wizard of Oz (1939)
  2. "The Way You Look Tonight," Swing Time (1936)
  3. "Mona Lisa," Captain Carey, U.S.A. (1950)
  4. "You'll Never Know," Hello, Frisco, Hello (1943)
  5. "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe," The Harvey Girls (1946)
  6. "Baby, It's Cold Outside," Neptune's Daughter (1949)
  7. "High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, On My Darlin')," High Noon (1952)
  8. "Secret Love," Calamity Jane (1953)
  9. "White Christmas," Holiday Inn (1942)
  10. "When You Wish Upon a Star," Pinocchio (1940)
  11. "Thanks for the Memory," The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938)
  12. "Lullaby of Broadway," Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935)
  13. "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," Song of the South (1947)
  14. "It Might As Well Be Spring," State Fair (1945)
  15. "The Last Time I Saw Paris," Lady Be Good (1941)
  16. "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening," Here Comes the Groom (1951)
  17. "Swinging on a Star," Going My Way (1944)
  18. "Sweet Leilani," Waikiki Wedding (1937)
  19. "The Continental," The Gay Divorcee (1934)
  20. "Buttons and Bows," The Paleface (1948)

1952 Best Original Song - The Snubbin' of Singin' in the Rain

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WON AND SHOULD'VE WON: "High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, On My Darlin')," High Noon

Here's a question that needs to be asked - what on earth was the Academy smoking in 1952? This was the year the dreadful The Greatest Show on Earth defeated the legendary likes of High Noon (the winner in this category...which I'll get to in just a bit) and The Quiet Man. It was also the year overbaked garbage like Ivanhoe and John Huston's tedious Moulin Rogue racked up loads of nominations. Anthony Quinn and Gloria Grahame? Not exactly among the all-time finest Supporting Actor and Actress winners.

But for my money, the clearest, most egregious display of nonsense by the Academy in '52 is their near-ignoring of the superb Singin' in the Rain, only bestowing upon this classic two nominations - one for Jean Hagen's hilarious supporting turn, and the other for Lennie Hayton's scoring (which was somehow defeated by With a Song in My Heart, the campy-as-hell Susan Hayward vehicle).

Now, to be fair, when it comes to Singin' in the Rain and Best Original Song in '52, only two of the film's tunes were original and hence eligible for consideration here - the delightful "Make 'Em Laugh," performed by Donald O'Connor, and the O'Connor-Gene Kelly number "Moses Supposes," which, while probably among the weaker tunes from the film, still would've been plenty worthy of a nomination. I would argue "Make 'Em Laugh" should've been in contention for the win.

The good news is, while Singin' in the Rain certainly deserved a presence in this category (and many more), the Academy's line-up for Best Original Song in '52 isn't half-bad.

I'm admittedly not the biggest fan of westerns or the music typically in them, but Tex Ritter's title track from High Noon is pretty darn pitch-perfect; a moody, well-written number, superbly fitting for the film it's in. Playing over the opening credits, it sets the scene so beautifully for the Gary Cooper picture. I'm also quite taken with the Bob Hope-Jane Russell duet "Am I in Love," from Son of Paleface, the sequel to The Paleface, which prevailed in this category in 1948 but ultimately left me rather bored. This one, however, is a real charmer.

I would argue "Zing a Little Zong" is more or less on-par with "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening," the Bing Crosby-Jane Wyman number that triumphed in 1951 - it's enjoyable-enough but not terribly memorable. "Because You're Mine" is also admirably performed, by the great tenor Mario Lanza, but the song itself doesn't stand out in any real way. Finally, "Thumbelina" is fun and bouncy, performed with a lot of pep by Danny Kaye, though like a lot of these minute-and-a-half nominated numbers from this time, it comes off like a TV jingle (though not a bad one, in this case) and is awfully fleeting.

The Oscar-winners ranked (thus far)...

  1. "Over the Rainbow," The Wizard of Oz (1939)
  2. "The Way You Look Tonight," Swing Time (1936)
  3. "Mona Lisa," Captain Carey, U.S.A. (1950)
  4. "You'll Never Know," Hello, Frisco, Hello (1943)
  5. "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe," The Harvey Girls (1946)
  6. "Baby, It's Cold Outside," Neptune's Daughter (1949)
  7. "High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, On My Darlin')," High Noon (1952)
  8. "White Christmas," Holiday Inn (1942)
  9. "When You Wish Upon a Star," Pinocchio (1940)
  10. "Thanks for the Memory," The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938)
  11. "Lullaby of Broadway," Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935)
  12. "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," Song of the South (1947)
  13. "It Might As Well Be Spring," State Fair (1945)
  14. "The Last Time I Saw Paris," Lady Be Good (1941)
  15. "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening," Here Comes the Groom (1951)
  16. "Swinging on a Star," Going My Way (1944)
  17. "Sweet Leilani," Waikiki Wedding (1937)
  18. "The Continental," The Gay Divorcee (1934)
  19. "Buttons and Bows," The Paleface (1948)

1951 Best Original Song - Ah, To Be Young, Rich and Pretty

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WON: "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening," Here Comes the Groom

SHOULD'VE WON: "Wonder Why," Rich, Young and Pretty

Ah, 1951. That marvelous year in cinema that produced the legendary likes of, among others, Strangers on a Train, A Streetcar Named Desire, A Place in the Sun and The Day the Earth Stood Still  (yes, I purposely overlook the overrated and exhausting An American in Paris). It's one of those years where I have a nearly impossible time deciding on certain categories, whether it's Streetcar vs. Place in the Sun in Picture or Brando vs. Clift in Lead Actor. All of the Death of a Salesman acting nominees are aces too.

Best Original Song this year is a bit tough too - less, unfortunately, due to the strength of its nominees, but rather on account of the overall ho-humness of the category.

It's not hard to see why "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening" prevailed - it is a real pleasure watching Bing Crosby and Jane Wyman sing and dance, in a nicely choreographed scene (in the otherwise forgettable Here Comes the Groom, one of Frank Capra's later and lesser efforts). This is also one of those instances, however, where if the video is stripped and the song itself is judged exclusively on its own terms, there just isn't much meat on the bone. It's pleasant fluff, which might be enough for me in a uber-weak year, but I can't quite select it as my favorite of the five.

I suppose my least favorite of the nominees here would have to be "Too Late Now," which, while admirably performed by Jane Powell in Royal Wedding, is a bit dreary and feels overlong, even at just three and half minutes length. (I have to wonder what Judy Garland, who was originally attached to the Powell role before MGM gave her the boot, would've done with this). I also have mixed feelings on "Never," a mix of dense orchestrations and a bombastic vocal (by Dennis Day), which, when combined, make for an overproduced and nearly unintelligible song.

"A Kiss to Build a Dream On" is an interesting nominee, as it's performed by several folks in The Strip - gorgeously by Louis Armstrong and forgettably by Mickey Rooney, Kay Brown and Sally Forrest. I'm of the mindset Armstrong could sell just about the most average of tunes, while someone like Rooney is dependent on great lyrics and music to prevail, so I tend to think perhaps this isn't the greatest of songs on its own terms. Also, it's a bit curious as to how this song was nominated in 1951 in the first place, given it was written in 1935 and even included (in instrumental form) in 1950's Mister 880. Odd.

Anyway, my pick for Best Original Song of 1951 is "Wonder Why," a lovely tune performed with ample charm by Vic Damone in the cute (and gorgeous-looking) MGM musical Rich, Young and Pretty. It's not the most substantial or powerful or memorable of songs but in a lukewarm field like this, it still stands out in a big way.

The Oscar-winners ranked (thus far)...

  1. "Over the Rainbow," The Wizard of Oz (1939)
  2. "The Way You Look Tonight," Swing Time (1936)
  3. "Mona Lisa," Captain Carey, U.S.A. (1950)
  4. "You'll Never Know," Hello, Frisco, Hello (1943)
  5. "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe," The Harvey Girls (1946)
  6. "Baby, It's Cold Outside," Neptune's Daughter (1949)
  7. "White Christmas," Holiday Inn (1942)
  8. "When You Wish Upon a Star," Pinocchio (1940)
  9. "Thanks for the Memory," The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938)
  10. "Lullaby of Broadway," Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935)
  11. "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," Song of the South (1947)
  12. "It Might As Well Be Spring," State Fair (1945)
  13. "The Last Time I Saw Paris," Lady Be Good (1941)
  14. "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening," Here Comes the Groom (1951)
  15. "Swinging on a Star," Going My Way (1944)
  16. "Sweet Leilani," Waikiki Wedding (1937)
  17. "The Continental," The Gay Divorcee (1934)
  18. "Buttons and Bows," The Paleface (1948)

1950 Best Original Song - The Ultimate Battle: Nat King Cole vs. Cinderella's Fairy Godmother

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WON AND SHOULD'VE WON: "Mona Lisa," Captain Carey, U.S.A.

I've always been quite fond of the 1950 Oscars - not only does it include one of my all-time favorite pictures (Billy Wilder's sensational Sunset Boulevard), but you have unimpeachable classics like All About Eve, Born Yesterday, The Third Man and (to a little lesser extent quality-wise, but still great) Father of the Bride in there too with lots of nominations.

Best Original Song in 1950, I'm afraid, is more of a mixed bag, with really only two particularly memorable nominees - one, the winning "Mona Lisa," and second, the catchy-as-can-be "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo."

"Mona Lisa," featured in the forgettable Alan Ladd war pic Captain Carey, U.S.A., is performed sumptuously here by the always-marvelous Nat King Cole. I consider myself quite a Cole fan and while I've never typically considered "Mona Lisa" among my favorite tunes of his', I am awfully taken by it during this revisit. His performance, coupled with the rich orchestrations, makes for a simply irresistible product.

I do like "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" as well - it has admittedly been stuck in my head in recent days as I've run through this category, and Verna Felton's delivery of it is pitch-perfect. At the same time, I would probably argue Cinderella's "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" and "The Work Song" were even more deserving of Oscar nods. And at less than a minute and a half, the song is a little on the fleeting side. Still, it is an iconic and memorable tune and I wouldn't be protesting much if it had prevailed.

The other three nominees are tough to get very excited about. "Be My Love" is richly performed by Kathryn Grayson and Mario Lanza but the song itself isn't terribly interesting, a rather cookie-cutter duet from the lackluster musical The Toast of New Orleans. "Wilhelmina," performed by Betty Grable, reeks of a '50s television commercial jingle. And "Mule Train," while mildly endearing with its "clippetty-clop" chorus, just isn't anywhere near in the same league as something like "Mona Lisa."

The Oscar-winners ranked (thus far)...

  1. "Over the Rainbow," The Wizard of Oz (1939)
  2. "The Way You Look Tonight," Swing Time (1936)
  3. "Mona Lisa," Captain Carey, U.S.A. (1950)
  4. "You'll Never Know," Hello, Frisco, Hello (1943)
  5. "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe," The Harvey Girls (1946)
  6. "Baby, It's Cold Outside," Neptune's Daughter (1949)
  7. "White Christmas," Holiday Inn (1942)
  8. "When You Wish Upon a Star," Pinocchio (1940)
  9. "Thanks for the Memory," The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938)
  10. "Lullaby of Broadway," Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935)
  11. "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," Song of the South (1947)
  12. "It Might As Well Be Spring," State Fair (1945)
  13. "The Last Time I Saw Paris," Lady Be Good (1941)
  14. "Swinging on a Star," Going My Way (1944)
  15. "Sweet Leilani," Waikiki Wedding (1937)
  16. "The Continental," The Gay Divorcee (1934)
  17. "Buttons and Bows," The Paleface (1948)

1949 Best Original Song - Warming Up with Esther Williams

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WON AND SHOULD'VE WON: "Baby, It's Cold Outside," Neptune's Daughter

'Pleasant' would have to be the word that most comes to mind when describing the Academy's picks for Best Original Song in 1949 - it's an all-around agreeable, appealing set of songs, though nothing quite veers into movie music greatness.

The selection I can get most excited about is the winner - the classic and iconic "Baby, It's Cold Outside," which here is performed charmingly by Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalban, as well as Betty Garrett and Red Skelton. The tune was later covered by the likes of Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer and Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan, among others, eventually becoming a go-to during the holiday season. It also marks the sole Oscar for composer Frank Loesser, who soon after this went on to barnstorm Broadway with Guys and Dolls and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. I wouldn't rank "Baby, It's Cold Outside" among my favorite movie or holiday tunes, but it's typically performed so delightfully (as is the case here), that I can still easily get into it.

"It's a Great Feeling" marks another Doris Day-Jule Styne-Sammy Cahn collaboration and it's a fun, breezy track, but I don't find it quite as powerful as "It's Magic," which I selected as my favorite of the 1948 nominees. "Lavender Blue" is another nice selection, performed warmly by Oscar-winner Burl Ives, but it's ultimately too short to leave that significant an impression.

The remaining two nominees are a tad weaker. Come to the Stable is a terrific and enjoyable motion picture, but does anyone really remember this song from it, "Through a Long, Sleepless Night"? It's listenable, performed by Hugh Marlowe, but ultimately completely forgettable. As for "My Foolish Heart," which had the misfortune of debuting in the notoriously underwhelming film of its title (the J.D. Salinger adaptation so inept the author refused to ever again allow his work to be translated to the big screen), the orchestrations are very nice but it's basically as maudlin and sappy as its film.

Onward to the '50s!

The Oscar-winners ranked (thus far)...

  1. "Over the Rainbow," The Wizard of Oz (1939)
  2. "The Way You Look Tonight," Swing Time (1936)
  3. "You'll Never Know," Hello, Frisco, Hello (1943)
  4. "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe," The Harvey Girls (1946)
  5. "Baby, It's Cold Outside," Neptune's Daughter (1949)
  6. "White Christmas," Holiday Inn (1942)
  7. "When You Wish Upon a Star," Pinocchio (1940)
  8. "Thanks for the Memory," The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938)
  9. "Lullaby of Broadway," Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935)
  10. "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," Song of the South (1947)
  11. "It Might As Well Be Spring," State Fair (1945)
  12. "The Last Time I Saw Paris," Lady Be Good (1941)
  13. "Swinging on a Star," Going My Way (1944)
  14. "Sweet Leilani," Waikiki Wedding (1937)
  15. "The Continental," The Gay Divorcee (1934)
  16. "Buttons and Bows," The Paleface (1948)