Johnny Mercer In Hollywood
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Click on these links:
Centennial Celebration
Johnny Mercer Movie Song Hits
Centennial Commemorative CD
Recommended Books and CDs with Johnny Mercer
Sammy Film Lifetime Achievement Award
Centennial Celebration
2009 marked the centennial of the birth of
one of the most popular and prolific songwriters from the past,
John Herndon Mercer
born: Savannah, Georgia on November 18, 1909
died: Bel-Air, California on June 25, 1976
Best known as Johnny Mercer,
he wrote over 1,200 songs,
including 18 Oscar nominations
and
he was awarded 4 Oscars
for his song lyrics
(1946, 1951, 1961, 1962)
He was also one of the founders
(along with B.G. (Buddy) DeSylva and Glenn Wallichs)
of Capitol Records in 1942.
Johnny Mercer Movie Song Hits
Many of his best known song lyrics were featured in movies, including
the first time a songwriting team had received back-to-back Oscars
for their songs in dramatic films (1961-62).
Among them are these 20 great movie songs:
"I'm An Old Cowhand (From The Rio Grande)
from RHYTHM ON THE RANGE (1936)
music and lyrics by Johnny Mercer
"Hooray For Hollywood" from HOLLYWOOD HOTEL (1937)
music by Richard Whiting
"Too Marvelous For Words" from
READY, WILLING AND ABLE (1937)
music by Richard Whiting
"Jeepers Creepers" from GOING PLACES (1938)
music by
Harry Warren -- Oscar nominee
"Blues In The Night" from film of same title (1941)
music by Harold Arlen -- Oscar nominee
"This Time The Dream's On Me" from BLUES IN THE NIGHT (1941)
music by Harold Arlen
"Dearly Beloved" from
YOU WERE NEVER LOVLIER
(1942)
music by Jerome Kern
"Tangerine" from
THE FLEET'S IN (1942)
music by Victor Schertzinger
"Hit The Road To Dreamland" from
STAR SPANGLED RHYTM
(1942)
music by Harold Arlen
"My Shining Hour" from
THE SKY'S THE LIMIT (1943)
"That Old Black Magic" from
STAR SPANGLED RHYTHM (1943)
music by Harold Arlen -- Oscar nominee
"Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive" from
HERE COME THE WAVES (1944)
music by Harold Arlen-- Oscar nominee
"Laura" from film of same title (1945)
music by David Raksin
"On The Atcheson, Topeka And The Santa Fe"
from THE HARVEY GIRLS (1946)
music by Harry Warren
--- Oscar-winning song
"In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening" from
HERE COMES THE GROOM (1951)
music by Hoagy Carmichael
-- Oscar-winning song
"Something's Gotta Give" from
DADDY LONG LEGS
(1955)
music and lyrics by Johnny Mercer--
Oscar nominee
"Moon River" from
BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY (1961)
music by Henry Mancicni -- Oscar-winning song
(#4 on The Top 100 Movie Songs from American Film Institute)
"Days Of Wine And Roses" from film of same title (1962)
music by Henry Mancini -- Oscar-winning song
(#39 on The Top 100 Movie Songs from American Film Institute)
"Charade" title song from film of same title (1963)
music by Henry Mancini-- Oscar nominee
"Whistling Away the Dark" from
DARLING LILI (1970)
music by Henry Mancini-- Oscar nominee
Forty years after his Oscar-winning song lyrics for "Moon River," Johnny Mercer was named for a
Lifetime Achievement Sammy Award in 1991
Read about Johnny's collaborator at
"Moon River" - Memories of Henry Mancini
Johnny Mercer On Radio
On WGBH-FM in Boston I paid tribute to Johnny's birthday
where I had the pleasure of speaking about and playing some of his wonderful songs. I believe he was one of America's greatest lyricists.
Excerpts from several of these radio tributes are
available on a special private pressing Centennial CD.
For me, Johnny Mercer was a man who put his philosophy of life in his lyrics.
It didn't matter if his songs were happy or sad.
To quote from one of his best known songs,
he always did
"accentuate the positive."
-- Roger Hall, Editor, Film Music Review
Johnny Mercer On Radio
"Film Music On Radio" is a CD with highlights from guest appearances
on WGBH-FM and WBET-AM
by Roger Hall from 1982 to 1992.
It includes film music tributes to Bernard Herrmann and John Williams,
also Oscar-winning lyricist Johnny Mercer,
and
the annual Sammy Film Music Awards,
named
after movie lyricst, Sammy Cahn.
The cost for this limited edition CD
is $19.95 (USA orders only including shipping)
For orders outside the USA, click the Quanity button
Two Times and the CD will be shipped by Overseas Air Mail.
To order click the "Add to Cart" button below
to pay through safe and secure PayPal.
Recommended Books and CDs
Johnny Mercer: The Life, Times and Song Lyrics of Our Huckleberry Friend
by Bob Bach and Ginger Mercer
Portrait of Johnny: The Life of John Herndon Mercer
by Gene Lees
The Complete Lyrics of Johnny Mercer
by Robert Kimball, Barry Day, Miles Kreuger
Too Marvelous For Words:
The Magic of Johnny Mercer
(Songbook)
CDs with Johnny Mercer
Capitol Collectors Series
Mercer Sings Mercer
Film Music Review
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