From 1945, here's the skinny young Frank Sinatra singing his obviously Communist-inspired ode to tolerance "The House I Live In."
It is perhaps no accident that Albert Maltz, the screenwriter of this little short, went on to become one of the (jailed for their political beliefs) Hollywood Ten. And I was hardly surprised to learn that songwriters Earl Robinson and Lewis Allan would become victims of the blacklist that former Screen Actor's Guild president Ronald Reagan, who should have fricking known better, famously insisted never existed.
But, of course, I have no animus whatsoever against the rightwing Republicans responsible for HUAC or the blacklists. Nor their contemporary progeny. Nosirree.
Okay, sorry to let my politics intrude here. As the guy says in Monty Python and the Holy Grail -- This is supposed to be a happy occasion. Let's not bicker and argue over who killed who.
In any event, a coveted PowerPop No-Prize will be awarded the first reader who gleans the clip's relevance to the theme of tomorrow's Weekend Listomania.
I would also like to say, and for the record, that the jacket Frankie is wearing in that clip is just way, way cool.
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Songs/titles about locations?
I have a soft spot for that song -- I sang that song in elementary school chorus long before I ever saw the short or knew it was originally by Sinatra. I can imagine wingnut whiners and their even whinier progeny raising bloody hell if that happened in a public school today.
Oh, wait, what am I thinking -- wingers don't send their kids to public school!
And I just realizes -- David Byrne wrote the definitive answer to this song 35 years later -- This is not my beautiful house, this is not my beautiful wife....
Funny you should mention the Byrne song...well, you'll see.
Songs about home, houses, or buildings.
Trey
We sunk a battleship with a 500-pound tomato? Man, it's lucky no one got hurt.
Songs referencing religion or the Old Guy in the Sky?
The Different Strokes for Different Folks list of songs suggesting come on, people, let's get together, let's love one another right now?
The clip reminds me of a story a comedian, maybe Shecky Green, told about Sinatra. Seems the comedian had been razzing Frank about dating Mia Farrow, who was all of 18 or 19 at the time. The comedian says "Frank Sinatra saved my life. It is true! Three guys were beating me up and Frank said "That's enough."
Trey
Verbose song titles. (The Madness title says the same thing in fewer words.)
songs about presidents.?
political songs ?
songs about war?
songs about freedom?
That Sinatra story's great.
:-)
Speaking of him and Mia, did you know that as their relationship started to deteriorate, she used to deliberately piss him by blasting Yardbirds albums, which she knew he hated?
True...
Oh, and BTW -- despite my heroic attempts at misdirection with all that political stuff, Trey nailed it.
:-)
Kudos and huzzahs, my friend, and your coveted PowerPop No-Prize is on its way to you as we speak.
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