Sunday, August 11, 2019

Love Songs From The 50's Are As Pretty As Their Stars



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Song 1: A Summer Place (1959)

On this posting, I connect beautiful actresses from the late 50's and beginning 60's with beautiful songs from the same period. The connecting link is the movie they appear in.  Below are the images of the actresses and the song related movies they starred in. 

Today? Do we get pretty ladies singing romantic songs in movies? No, they'll fight on the screen as superheroes. Sigh.

Sandra Dee: A Summer Place

She starred in this sizzler which started a trend in the early '60s. The gossip movie about small towns, whispers, and dangerous teenage liaisons. 


The song was a hit staying for weeks on the charts of Billboard Hot 100. In Singapore, most moviegoers lapped up the movie and song for weeks. The book was a best seller too. And Sandra Dee became a teen idol as many local girls called themselves, Sandra Tan, Sandra Lim or Sandra Ng.



Song 2: Come September (1961)

Gina Lollobrigida: Come September

While Sandra Dee in 1960 became the sweet girl from next door, Gina Lollo was the sultry sex symbol in 1961 and a hit around the world. Singaporeans can never forget her in Trapeze with Burt Lancaster where she showed her hourglass figure and Come September with Rock Hudson, Bobby Darin, and Sandra.


The instrumental was heard everywhere over Rediffusion, the radio and coffee shops. Composed by singer Bobby Darin and performed by the famous Billy Vaughn and his Orchestra, Come September also played match-maker to Darin and Dee who got married.


Song 3: Moonglow (1955)


Kim Novak: Picnic

One of the prettiest actresses in the  late 50s Kim Novak was, personally, what Charlize Theron is today. Bewitching and with celebrity looks, she was incomparable. 


I shall never forget her in the movie, Picnic where she danced with William Holden and the enchanting medley of the Picnic theme song and the 1933 independent hit Moonglow lives forever. The youtube video says it all.


The poised and sensual Kim Novak dancing to the Picnic Theme Song with William Holden.

Song 4: Pretty Blue Eyes (1959)

Stella Stevens: The Nutty Professor

When I went to see The Nutty Professor starring Jerry Lewis I wasn't sure if the popular song, Pretty Blues Eyes by Steve Lawrence was referring to Stella Stevens in the movie, as depicted on the YouTube video but the lyrics fitted her like a glove.


But there she was outside the classroom door staring at her professor with forlorn eyes and our slapstick comedian mesmerized by her beauty. Stevens, on the other hand, was pretty cool handling our lovesick Professor with her come-hither poses. Nearly a million viewers for this 1963 movie and song. That's something.




Song: 5 Moon River (1960)


Audrey Hepburn: Breakfast At Tiffany's:

One could be your neighbor's daughter, another a sultry pussycat working in a nightclub and the third, someone's quiet mistress. But Audrey Hepburn was sophistication personified in this gorgeous movie laden with gold, silver, and shimmering diamonds.


Henry Mancini filled the cinema hall and screen with his everlasting song, Moon River, sung by crooner magnifico, Andy Williams. Both the movie and song were the greatest hits.



Moon River as sung by Andy Williams, 
😊 from the movie 'Breakfast At Tiffany'. 

The Capitol Cinema from the 50's onwards.
It's a landmark for motorists because it lies
on the crossroads at North Bridge and Stamford.
Many top hit movies were shown at this cinema.
At times some of these movies were accompanied
by stage shows performed by our local band boys and girls.

15 comments:

FACEBOOK CHATBOX said...

Andy
The most romantic love songs with the loveliest stars. No more today. But yesterday, ahhh...:-) Check out the song titles and ladies.

Nyonya Jenny Yeo Andy these are during my dad’s era and I was still a young girl

Stephen Han
Wow, Andy Young ,you sure know how to jolt our memories of those lovely songs that were played on the Radio Singapore Airwaves as well as the Rediffusion box set. The actresses who were featured in this story were not only popular in the 50s and 60s,they were so beautiful. Sandra Dee was the rage of that era and I sad she is no more with us, so does. Audrey Hepburn. Kim Novak and La Lolla were so pretty to look at.

Andy Young
Thanks again Stephen and all who LIKE this post. It's true, no more movies now with such pretty romantic stars. Nowadays they only fight. :-)

Jimmy Appudurai-chua
Andy Young those were the days Andy. Sandra Dee, Audrey Hepburn, Connie Francis, Claudia Cardinale, Nancy Sinatra and many more.. Great times
Thank you dear Jimmy for your list of pretty ladies. And they sing too yes.

Jimmy Appudurai-chua
Andy Young they sure are pretty..... Too many to list

Freda Hanum
Wow wow
Awesome Andy you featured all these so beautiful & legendary actresses. So agreeable with you those most romantic songs and so are the movies too. Especially A Summer Place and Breakfast At Tiffany with moon River glued to my head from those days.

Never get tired of watching the movies which I kept in my collections till today & listening to the songs over and over again, gives such emotional & overwhelming feelings… especially Sandra Dee she was so cute, so lovable and the prettiest face I've seen in the movie A Summer Place.

So are movies starring Audrey Hepburn, sexy Gina Lollobrigida, Kim Novak and many others. Wonderful & delightful post Andy.

Andy Young
Ah Freda, what you just wrote is music from your keyboard. The mind is free to write and play. Now you must compose songs and put them on Facebook. I'm glad you like the topical combination of songs and sultry stars. Thanks

Koh Daisy
Summer Kisses Winter Tears...Summer Wine ... love those songs too... VACATION with Connie Francis ... love them all.

Andy Young
Hey Daisy. That's a whole lot of great songs. Thanks.
Thank you all for writing in on a Sunday morning.
Enjoy the sunshine outside and music inside.
"THOUGH I WAS IN LOVE BEFORE, AND THEN YOU MOVE IN NEXT DOOR..."

EDDIE ENG said...

A light entertainment piece that's written with the gravitas of an academic researcher. You have wiped off the dust of history to reveal, in a refreshing manner, the classic beauties and great songs of yesteryear.

I have been whistling the tune all these years but didn't know that it's called A SUMMER PLACE.
COME SEPTEMBER is one of my old favorites which I still play on my guitar.

Nice piece of work.
Congrats.

JIMMY PRESLEE (SINGAPORE ELVIS TRIBUTE ARTISTE) said...

Thanks for the memories.

Will watch all the movies again,
cheers and God Bless.

FACEBOOK CHATBOX said...

Freda Hanum:
Double Trouble😂😂 joking only Andy

Andy Young
Very much so Freda.
Don't play play! Thanks :-)
'Pretty Blues Eyes'.
I always sing when we're on stage.

Freda Hanum:
That's a nice song, Stella Stevens definitely have the most beautiful blue eyes and Omg Jerry Lewis always have a nutty character in most of his movies, love his acts so much😂

TAN SOO KHOON (FORMER SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT) said...

You left out River of No Return
By MM.

Haha, I was wondering how you could leave out the unforgettable MM.

anon said...

Thanks, Andy,

I always have an eye for beauty since the day I could differentiate between a boy and girl.

I always see them as God's fine specimen of the female species.
I remember saying this to one exceedingly beautiful young lady.
She was a personal secretary.

Appreciating and verbalizing beauty through the eyes of an artist though.

STEPHEN HAN said...

This blog brings fond memories of four beautiful starlets of the 50s and the 60s. Sandra Dee, the wife of popular Bobby Darin looked so pretty with Troy Donahue in the movie “The Summer Place”.The theme song was an instrumental number by Percy Faith and the vocal one was by the Letterman.

Audrey Hepburn sang “Moon River” but it was Andy Williams who made the song a hit. Lollo was seductive in “Come September”.This catchy instrumental was done by Bobby Darin’s band, Sanyo and Johnny and a host of other bands.

Kim Novak had a sultry look and so is Stella Stevens. Steve Lawrence’s version of “Pretty Blue Eye” was lovely so was the one by the Blue Diamonds. Carry on with your informative blog, Andy.

Ivor Lesslar said...

All the girls get prettier at closing time.

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Truly Ivor,

They do get prettier at closing time.
I love your perfect humour!
Thanks so much.

ALFRED WONG said...

I first heard PRETTY BLUE EYES sung by you, Andy, at my place during the YARDLEY JAMMING - the song and melody stuck in my mind forever and I like your version and style singing this sentimental song too.

Plus your version singing MEAN WOMAN BLUES, better than Elvis, in my humble opinion.

Mean Woman Blues ain't PRETTY WOMAN.

No breakfast but still wrote the longest comment ever not because of the pretty ladies - I didn't watch their movies being too young n no money but because of the two songs, PRETTY BLUE EYES, sung by you and MOON RIVER [one of the earliest sentimental songs I love] by ANDY WILLIAMS.

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Best Christmas and New Year present ever!
Thanks for the biggest compliment from another guitarist and singer too!!!
Cheers.

Thank you Alfred.

RICHARD RAJOO [GUITARIST] said...

Oh Andy, don't make me have to choose!
I remember and loved them all...

"Saw you from my window,
My heart skipped a beat
Gonna sit by your doorstep
So that I can mee-eet...
Pretty Blue eyes."

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Thank you Richard for your comment and for reading this blog.
Your encouragement to always reply and send your ideas and feelings are so welcoming.

FACEBOOK CHATS said...


Kuo Tung Pang
Thanks for sharing it

Andy Young
Author
Kuo Tung Pang thanks for reading the post. Cheers.

Weera Chak
Beautiful Connections.

Andy Young
Author
Weera Chak thank you. Yes, we're all connected somehow with each other. Cheers.

Andy Young
Author
Thanks to Nostalgic SG and friendly readers for liking this post.

Andy Young
Author
I was encouraged to repost this because of STELLA STEVENS' passing away. The song PRETTY BLUE EYES by Steve Lawrence originally and another version by The Blue Diamonds [Dutch/Indonesian duo] were so well-known in Singapore. Thanks guys.

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

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