Audiences were lukewarm about Capra’s (1897-1991) It’s a Wonderful Life in 1946. Perhaps a down & out story about one man fighting for his soul was too much for Americans in the aftermath of World War II. Now, however, we cannot imagine the holiday without Jimmy Stewart shouting, “Merry Christmas, you wonderful old Building and Loan!”
Happy birthday Frank Capra!
In Christmas Music, Perry (1912-2001) was one of the three Cs: Crosby, Cole, & Como. And “(There’s No Place Like Home) For the Holidays” perfectly captured the American holiday zeitgeist of the 1950s.
Happy birthday Perry Como!
Yes, the moment I’ve been waiting for is almost here: the proofs for Sleigh Rides are ready and will soon be in the mail. In a day or two I’ll be up to my allergy-sensitive eyeballs reading the manuscript one more time.
Are the illustrations in the right place? Are there any typos? Does everything look tip-top?
There are a couple of ways to go about proofing a proof. One, hire somebody else to do it; two, do it yourself. It’s not a real choice, though.
Even if a hired gun looks over your proofs, you still need to read the proofs yourself. In my case, I’m splitting the difference: while I’ve opted to not hire a proofreader, an intern at the University Press of Florida will also look over the manuscript. So while I’ve opted to do it myself, I’m happy to have a second pair of eyes looking over the proofs.
Do I dread the process. Not really. Yes, it will be a little monotonous and there’s the worry of whether you remove every mistake, but what of it? Writing a book is mostly fun, or I wouldn’t do it, but there’s also a lot of make-work to smooth out the wrinkles.
My goal: to have a book as wrinkle free as possible.
Starting this week, I’ll post at least once a week on Wednesday. I’ll also continue to post (usually daily) winter and holiday-related images on Facebook.
Is there anyone more important to Christmas music than Bing Crosby? Maybe. Without Irving Berlin (1888-1889), there’s no “White Christmas” (1942), not to mention Holiday Inn (1942) and the movie White Christmas (1954). Berlin also wrote the winter-flavored, jazz fav, “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm” (1937). 
Fred Astaire (1899-1987) was never as closely associated with Christmas music as Bing Crosby, but his roles in Holiday Inn (1942) and the animated Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town (1970) clearly enriched all things Christmas.
Happy birthday Fred!
Thanks to a sick cat (Charlie), CPR training at work, and a field trip (I drive a yellow school bus), I’ve been pretty much sidetracked from the blog. Charlie, thankfully, is better, though none too happy about being kept in until he fully recovers. He’s rather noisy too, so I hope he remains settled until I finish this entry!
Yesterday was Harry Simeone’s birthday (1911-2005), which left me thinking about “The Little Drummer Boy.” Simone adapted Katherine Davis/Henry Onorati’s “Carol of the Drum” in 1958, and it quickly became very popular.
A sure sign of its success? By the early ’60s, Bing Crosby, Johnny Mathis, and Johnny Cash had waxed their own versions.
One thing, I think, that sticks out with “Little Drummer Boy,” is that it’s one of a handful of original carols that became popular after World War II (Simeone would later help make “Do You Hear What I Hear?” popular). Most popular Christmas music focused on the family, home, children, and Santa.
Even so, “The Little Drummer Boy” hardly reminds me of “O Holy Night” or other traditional carols. The Drummer Boy himself remains as important (if not more so) than the infant Jesus, leaving the listener to fill in the blanks in regard to the Gospels’ message.
While I’ve always liked “The Little Drummer Boy,” I confess I also find it curious: I can’t imagine that the Virgin Mary or any new mother with a babe in the crib would be pleased by the sound of drums.
Crosby changed American Christmas music forever when he sang “White Christmas” in 1942. Happy birthday to the Voice of Christmas!
As much as I love the music from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964), I’ve rarely heard any of those songs outside of the TV special. MCA, however, eventually issued a soundtrack.
Indeed, the soundtrack gave General Electric (GE), who sponsored Rankin/Bass, and NBC another way to promote the program.
In a Meriden Journal piece on Rudolph (from 1964), Harvey Pack joked about the commercial tie-ins between GE, NBC, and songwriter Johnny Marks:
Contractual difficulties prevented any record company from issuing an original cast album this year, but if the show is successful as GE and NBC expect, you’ll probably be able to get one next Christmas tucked inside your toaster or electric knife.
However, if you’re desperate for an album right now simply send the labels from 2,000 price-fixed GE appliances and they’ll mail you Johnny Marks and his piano for your Christmas and music pleasure.
I’m not sure whether there was a delay in issuing the soundtrack, but Pack is certainly having a bit of fun at GE’s expense. He added:
Winners are advised to use him [Marks] up before December 26th because on that day he and Rudolph collect their royalty checks and undoubtedly head south for the Winter.
Whatever the facts, I’m almost sure that I (and anyone else who wishes too) can pick up the album today without buying a single GE product!
While Lionel Barrymore never had the chance to bring his radio rendition of Scrooge in A Christmas Carol to the film screen, we nonetheless remember him as the hard-hearted Mr. Potter from It’s a Wonderful Life. Indeed, you might even say his role as Henry F. Potter offered an American version of Scrooge!