The Song That Almost Never Was
The following really has nothing to do with my book, ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD: From the Secret Files of Harry Pennypacker, except that it is also a good show biz story. So, enjoy.
In a past blog, I told you about my former publicity client and friend, the late Paul Francis Webster. Despite 3 Academy Awards and 14 nominations for "Best Song," Paul always seemed to be fighing to keep his tune in the movie for which it was written.
"'Love Is a Many Splendored Thing' was the real battle," claimed Webster. "I won my second Oscar with it, but at first it was an orphan. Nobody wanted it."
The song had been written with Sammy Fain for the 1955 20th Century-Fox film of the same name, which starred William Holden and Jennifer Jones.
In those days, when most popular singers relied on others to write their songs, rather than using their own compositions, Eddie Fisher refused to record the Webster-Fain tune. So did Perry Como, Doris Day, and Nat King Cole, who turned down a Fox offer of a Cadillac El Dorado and ten thousand dollars to make a recording.
A desperate Fox production chief, Buddy Adler, phoned his "dear friend," Tony Martin, and asked him to record the song "as a personal favor." Martin, who was then appearing in Las Vegas, agreed and Adler had the music flown over to him. Next day, Adler received a two-word telegram from his "dear friend": "It stinks."
Finally, "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing" was recorded by The Four Aces, a new group that was yet to hit the big time. With the song about to be ejected from the picture, Adler had offered to subsidize an entire album for the Aces... with the proviso that the Webster-Fain tune be one of the cuts.
The song was an instant hit with the public. Doris Day, Nat King Cole and the others who'd previously rejected it rushed to make their own recordings. In all, over a hundred artists turned out renditions of this now all-time top standard.
Years later, Tony Martin sang the song at Buddy Adler's funeral. "That always amused me," said Webster.
In a past blog, I told you about my former publicity client and friend, the late Paul Francis Webster. Despite 3 Academy Awards and 14 nominations for "Best Song," Paul always seemed to be fighing to keep his tune in the movie for which it was written.
"'Love Is a Many Splendored Thing' was the real battle," claimed Webster. "I won my second Oscar with it, but at first it was an orphan. Nobody wanted it."
The song had been written with Sammy Fain for the 1955 20th Century-Fox film of the same name, which starred William Holden and Jennifer Jones.
In those days, when most popular singers relied on others to write their songs, rather than using their own compositions, Eddie Fisher refused to record the Webster-Fain tune. So did Perry Como, Doris Day, and Nat King Cole, who turned down a Fox offer of a Cadillac El Dorado and ten thousand dollars to make a recording.
A desperate Fox production chief, Buddy Adler, phoned his "dear friend," Tony Martin, and asked him to record the song "as a personal favor." Martin, who was then appearing in Las Vegas, agreed and Adler had the music flown over to him. Next day, Adler received a two-word telegram from his "dear friend": "It stinks."
Finally, "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing" was recorded by The Four Aces, a new group that was yet to hit the big time. With the song about to be ejected from the picture, Adler had offered to subsidize an entire album for the Aces... with the proviso that the Webster-Fain tune be one of the cuts.
The song was an instant hit with the public. Doris Day, Nat King Cole and the others who'd previously rejected it rushed to make their own recordings. In all, over a hundred artists turned out renditions of this now all-time top standard.
Years later, Tony Martin sang the song at Buddy Adler's funeral. "That always amused me," said Webster.
No comments have been added yet.
