Jolson and Merman sing Arlen film songs: In the mid-1930's, the Broadway musical business was experiencing difficulty while the Depression area economy was still in the tank. Most of the talented composers and lyricists then ventured to Hollywood with movie studios needing musical talent for the growth in the film business. Arlen and Harburg's first Holywood assignment was an Al Jolson film, to be called The Singing Kid. At the same time Arlen worked with lyricist Lew Brown on an Ethel Merman, Eddy Cantor movie called Strike me Pink. Ethel Merman was given a torch song by Arlen and Lew Brown entitled " First You Have Me High/Then you have me low." It uses a number of short phrases to underscore how distraught the singer has become. Arlen's most distinctive stylistic device, the octave leap, is again used and is quite effective. Personally, I would have preferred a more sensitive and soulful rendition like that of an Ethel Waters or Lee Wiley. Merman has such a powerful persons, its hard to imagine her in such a despondent state of affairs.
With the Jolson film, Arlen and Harburg had Al Jolson sing to six-year old Sybil Jason. He serenaded her with Your the Cure for What Ails Me. It is an attractive , upbeat number which Arlen himself described as a lyric number in which the words are more significant than the melody.
Both Merman and Jolson were overpowering in their delivery and more effective on the stage than in movies, except for Jolsons ground breaking role in The Jazz Singer.
Merman Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9iFKmjhM3Q
Jolson Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75I5IoRiduE
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