The Movie Hits
	Previously released material
	Released on May 1992
	no chart information
	Find it at GEMM
PAST CD 9784 cover [high resolution scan]

F lapper released a few generous and well-annotated compilations of Bing Crosby’s music from the 30s and 40s, including this collection of movie tunes from such potboilers as Doctor Rhythm, If I Had My Way, Paris Honeymoon and The Star Maker. The Movie Hits also includes tunes from some of Bing’s better early movies: The Road To Singapore (“Too Romantic”), Pennies From Heaven (“Let’s Call A Heart A Heart”) and Anything Goes (“Moonburn,” “My Heart And I”). If I were ranking Bing’s best 100 songs, a good half-dozen of these might make the grade, including “The Waiter, The Porter, And The Upstairs Maid,” “Meet The Sun Half-Way” and “My Heart Is Taking Lessons.” The Bing Crosby/Johnny Mercer duet “Small Fry” is another standout, even serving as the inspiration for a cartoon by Fleischer Studios. Most of the songs collected here were written by longtime Crosby lyricist Johnny Burke, with music by James V. Monaco or Arthur Johnston. Peppered throughout are songs from the day’s leading tunesmiths: Mercer, Hoagy Carmichael, Frank Loesser, Harry Revel & Mack Gordon, Leo Robin & Ralph Rainger. The work represented here may not be among their most memorable, but the quality is strictly top shelf. The musical accompaniment is also very good, recorded in the studio with the orchestras of John Scott Trotter, Jack Teagrden, Georgie Stoll and others. The recording quality, sadly, is not; like most songs from the 30s, the fidelity is no better now than it was 70 years ago. However, you might find the scratchy sound of an imagined victrola wobbling in the background strangely satisfying (I often do), like watching old black-and-white movies. (And as I write this, someone is probably working on a colorized, 3D version of Casablanca.)

TRACK LISTING

1. AN APPLE FOR THE TEACHER    (James Monaco/Johnny Burke)    3:04
2. A MAN AND HIS DREAM    (James Monaco/Johnny Burke)    3:01
3. IF I HAD MY WAY    (James Kendis/Lou Klein)    2:50
4. TOO ROMANTIC    (James Monaco/Johnny Burke)    3:12
5. I HAVEN'T TIME TO BE A MILLIONAIRE    (James Monaco/Johnny Burke)    3:10
6. MEET THE SUN HALF-WAY    (James Monaco/Johnny Burke)    2:35
7. MY HEART IS TAKING LESSONS    (James Monaco/Johnny Burke)    2:45
8. THE FUNNY OLD HILLS    (Ralph Rainger/Leo Robin)    2:44
9. I HAVE EYES    (Ralph Rainger/Leo Robin)    3:01
10. STILL THE BLUEBIRD SINGS    (James Monaco/Johnny Burke)   
11. MOONBURN    (Hoagy Carmichael/Eddie Heyman)    3:07
12. LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR    (Harry Revel/Mack Gordon)    3:08
13. THE WAITER, THE PORTER AND THE UPSTAIRS MAID    (Johnny Mercer)    3:09
14. SMALL FRY    (Hoagy Carmichael/Frank Loesser)    3:05
15. THE MOON GOT IN MY EYES    (Arthur Johnston/Johnny Burke)    3:10
16. SMARTY (YOU KNOW IT ALL)    (Burton Lane/Ralph Freed)    2:34
17. WITHOUT A WORD OF WARNING    (Harry Revel/Mack Gordon)    3:10
18. MY HEART AND I    (Frederick Hollander/Leo Robin)    3:24
19. LET'S CALL A HEART A HEART    (Arthur Johnston/Johnny Burke)    3:02
20. GO FLY A KITE    (James Monaco/Johnny Burke)    2:38
21. EMPTY SADDLES    (Billy Hill)    3:00
22. BIRTH OF THE BLUES    (Buddy De Sylva/Lew Brown/Ray Henderson)    3:12

CREDITS

BING CROSBY -- vocals
JOHN SCOTT TROTTER and HIS ORCHESTRA -- orchestra
Connie Boswell -- vocals (1)
Dorsey Brothers Orchestra -- orchestra (17)
Nat W. Finston and The Paramount Orchestra -- orchestra (12)
Guardsmen Quartet -- vocals (21)
Mary Martin -- vocals (13)
Johnny Mercer -- vocals (14)
Georgie Stoll and His Orchestra -- orchestra
Jack Teagarden and His Orchestra -- orchestra (13,22)
Victor Young's Small Fryers/His Orchestra -- orchestra (14,21)
Colin Brown and Tony Watts -- compilation/production

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