"The Happy Clip" Site
Just a little place for modern audiences to forget today's
troubles for a moment and look back to some happiness of
yesteryear...
troubles for a moment and look back to some happiness of
yesteryear...
January 2009
Visit our online shop
We love old stuff! Come and visit our Ruby Lane store!
How Happy Clips came to be: I was working on my computer late one evening and really just wanted to quit what I was doing
and go to bed. I was feeling a bit frustrated with the current project I was working on and just temporarily overwhelmed by life
in general. Desperately in need of some sort of recreation before I turned in for the night, I decided to skip over to You Tube
and see what I could find, just for a change of pace for a few minutes before bed. I'm not a person to sit down and watch TV
or movies anymore, I just don't really have the time or the patience. And yet, that sort of escapism is something that people
have recognized for the past 100 years. Our grandparents knew the value of an escapist movie!
and go to bed. I was feeling a bit frustrated with the current project I was working on and just temporarily overwhelmed by life
in general. Desperately in need of some sort of recreation before I turned in for the night, I decided to skip over to You Tube
and see what I could find, just for a change of pace for a few minutes before bed. I'm not a person to sit down and watch TV
or movies anymore, I just don't really have the time or the patience. And yet, that sort of escapism is something that people
have recognized for the past 100 years. Our grandparents knew the value of an escapist movie!
So as I browsed through many You Tube clips of yesterday's films, my memory began to open up and I excitedly searched for
more and more clips that I thought had been lost to my memory. I found myself rediscovering, along with a new You Tube
generation, what millions of our grandparents already knew years ago: that sitting and watching a feel-good movie can sort of
hit the reset button in our stressful lives and sometimes, if we're lucky, maybe even make us look at things a different way.
We all love to pass on Youtube clips to each other, but sometimes they can clutter up an email box! Therefore, I decided to
create this sort of "blog" page to share and spotlight some of the "feel good" clips with you whenever you want to visit. I know
that many people have no idea who the entertainers of yesteryear were, so I will put a little intro on each clip and I can almost
guarantee that you'll leave here each week having learned something you didn't know before! :) You'll have to promise me
though, that you'll watch it in context! Today we're conditioned for a certain kind of entertainment and performer that is very
different from the kind people enjoyed years ago. Yet so much of this is so absolutely timeless, that it deserves to be seen by
people today.
So this page will sort of spotlight and focus on one or two clips at a time, and I hope to put on a new clip or two every couple of
weeks! It will be my little get-away as much as yours!
more and more clips that I thought had been lost to my memory. I found myself rediscovering, along with a new You Tube
generation, what millions of our grandparents already knew years ago: that sitting and watching a feel-good movie can sort of
hit the reset button in our stressful lives and sometimes, if we're lucky, maybe even make us look at things a different way.
We all love to pass on Youtube clips to each other, but sometimes they can clutter up an email box! Therefore, I decided to
create this sort of "blog" page to share and spotlight some of the "feel good" clips with you whenever you want to visit. I know
that many people have no idea who the entertainers of yesteryear were, so I will put a little intro on each clip and I can almost
guarantee that you'll leave here each week having learned something you didn't know before! :) You'll have to promise me
though, that you'll watch it in context! Today we're conditioned for a certain kind of entertainment and performer that is very
different from the kind people enjoyed years ago. Yet so much of this is so absolutely timeless, that it deserves to be seen by
people today.
So this page will sort of spotlight and focus on one or two clips at a time, and I hope to put on a new clip or two every couple of
weeks! It will be my little get-away as much as yours!
I started to look up old things on You Tube that I had either remembered from my childhood, or from old films that I used to love.
I've always been somewhat of a pop culture/music/film buff, mostly focusing on the era between the 1920's and the 1940's. I
have just always loved old movies. My earliest recollection is when I was seven and was miserable with the chicken pox. I
remember sitting on the floor that Sunday afternoon, covered in green Caladryl, watching The Shirley Temple Theater on Channel
13. That was probably my first indication that an old fashioned feel-good movie could just make you feel better - even
temporarily! For years as an older kid or teenager I either stayed up and watched the Late, Late Show or I taped it. Very early
on, I became an avid fan of 1930's and 40's music and entertainment.
I've always been somewhat of a pop culture/music/film buff, mostly focusing on the era between the 1920's and the 1940's. I
have just always loved old movies. My earliest recollection is when I was seven and was miserable with the chicken pox. I
remember sitting on the floor that Sunday afternoon, covered in green Caladryl, watching The Shirley Temple Theater on Channel
13. That was probably my first indication that an old fashioned feel-good movie could just make you feel better - even
temporarily! For years as an older kid or teenager I either stayed up and watched the Late, Late Show or I taped it. Very early
on, I became an avid fan of 1930's and 40's music and entertainment.
Bundled up in winter
clothes, kids in 1935
wait patiently to be
treated to a free
movie and popcorn!
clothes, kids in 1935
wait patiently to be
treated to a free
movie and popcorn!
Sometimes in our fast paced, stressful lifestyles, just a little bit of a "happy
clip" is just what we need. Kind of the way a piece of chocolate makes you
feel better. Everybody knew it years ago - have we forgotten it now? In fact,
during America's hardest and poorest times, movie ticket sales were at an
all time high. How is it that Depression era families who were lucky to
scrape together a nickel for a loaf of bread still somehow scraped up the 10
cents for a Saturday Matinée just to get away for a couple of hours? For
many, it was as necessary for their survival as that loaf of bread..........
Well, it seems as if I somehow missed Christmas
altogether, or rather Happy Clips missed it. But it's a
new year, so going to try to do something a little
different.
The 1940's and 50's were Hollywood's golden age of
musicals. MGM, which boasted "More Stars Than
There Are In Heaven", led the pack as far as movie
musicals went. However, other studios also produced
some very memorable films, and MGM's musicals were
so popular that they sometimes copied themselves!
So here we go!
altogether, or rather Happy Clips missed it. But it's a
new year, so going to try to do something a little
different.
The 1940's and 50's were Hollywood's golden age of
musicals. MGM, which boasted "More Stars Than
There Are In Heaven", led the pack as far as movie
musicals went. However, other studios also produced
some very memorable films, and MGM's musicals were
so popular that they sometimes copied themselves!
So here we go!
Copycat Musicals....and the
links that connect them
links that connect them
In 1946, Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun opened
on Broadway. The show was about famous Western
sharpshooter Annie Oakley. Audiences loved the
catchy tunes and also the character of Annie herself.
World War II had just ended and women's roles were
shifting. Many of them had become employed
outside the home during the war and had a newly
found independence. Annie reflected that in her
independent spirit, even if she did make a fool out of
herself continuously over sharpshooter rival Frank
Butler. (In my opinion...at least....)
In 1949, the show was made into a musical film
starring Betty Hutton. Originally, it was supposed to
have starred Judy Garland and screen test photos,
the entire audio recording and a couple of songs
filmed with Judy survive today. However, after 27
films for MGM since 1936, she was worn out. Her
behavior was too erratic to continue the film and on
the verge of a mental and physical breakdown, she
was suspended from the film on May 10, 1949. She
was replaced by Betty Hutton with Howard Keel as
Frank Butler.
The movie wasn't shown on TV for many years,
apparently due to copyright reasons, but has been
released on VHS and DVD. These both have bonus
features of Judy as Annie.
on Broadway. The show was about famous Western
sharpshooter Annie Oakley. Audiences loved the
catchy tunes and also the character of Annie herself.
World War II had just ended and women's roles were
shifting. Many of them had become employed
outside the home during the war and had a newly
found independence. Annie reflected that in her
independent spirit, even if she did make a fool out of
herself continuously over sharpshooter rival Frank
Butler. (In my opinion...at least....)
In 1949, the show was made into a musical film
starring Betty Hutton. Originally, it was supposed to
have starred Judy Garland and screen test photos,
the entire audio recording and a couple of songs
filmed with Judy survive today. However, after 27
films for MGM since 1936, she was worn out. Her
behavior was too erratic to continue the film and on
the verge of a mental and physical breakdown, she
was suspended from the film on May 10, 1949. She
was replaced by Betty Hutton with Howard Keel as
Frank Butler.
The movie wasn't shown on TV for many years,
apparently due to copyright reasons, but has been
released on VHS and DVD. These both have bonus
features of Judy as Annie.
In 1952, Warner Brothers answered MGM's Annie
Get Your Gun with their own Western musical
Calamity Jane, starring their official sunshine girl,
Doris Day. The movie plots were completely
different, but Warner's further rode on Annie's
success by borrowing Annie's love interest, Howard
Keel, to play opposite Doris as Wild Bill Hickock.
The result is a marvelous film. I would even go so
far as to say that this time, the copycat film beats
the Annie Get Your Gun hands down!
Get Your Gun with their own Western musical
Calamity Jane, starring their official sunshine girl,
Doris Day. The movie plots were completely
different, but Warner's further rode on Annie's
success by borrowing Annie's love interest, Howard
Keel, to play opposite Doris as Wild Bill Hickock.
The result is a marvelous film. I would even go so
far as to say that this time, the copycat film beats
the Annie Get Your Gun hands down!
I know I've featured it on here before...but it's worth doing again. I love, love LOVE this movie- as a kid, I watched it
over and over and over again when we first got our VCR. I wanted to be Calamity Jane and live in a cabin in South
Dakota! (Okay....briefly I wanted to....) Doris Day is amazing in the role and I think Howard Keel had a better on screen
chemistry with Doris than with Betty Hutton.
You be the judge! The song writers even copied the battling duet from Annie's "Anything You Can Do, I Can Do
Better". The result in Calamity Jane was "I Can Do Without You". I love Irving Berlin....but I think this is a catcher
song with less redundant lyrics than "Anything You Can Do" with cleverer choreography. SO here they both are
(above)- Howard Keel in both!
over and over and over again when we first got our VCR. I wanted to be Calamity Jane and live in a cabin in South
Dakota! (Okay....briefly I wanted to....) Doris Day is amazing in the role and I think Howard Keel had a better on screen
chemistry with Doris than with Betty Hutton.
You be the judge! The song writers even copied the battling duet from Annie's "Anything You Can Do, I Can Do
Better". The result in Calamity Jane was "I Can Do Without You". I love Irving Berlin....but I think this is a catcher
song with less redundant lyrics than "Anything You Can Do" with cleverer choreography. SO here they both are
(above)- Howard Keel in both!
The year before she began "Annie",
Judy Garland starred in the 1948 film
"The Pirate". The score was written by
Cole Porter. The finale featured a great
song and dance number by Gene Kelly
and Judy called "Be A Clown". It is a
marvelous moment in an otherwise less
than stellar musical. Judy would use the
clown get up again in concert and on
her TV show after she left MGM,
enjoying hiding behind the silly
personality. Judy and Gene were
always magical on screen together and
if anything saves The Pirate, it would be
that!
Judy Garland starred in the 1948 film
"The Pirate". The score was written by
Cole Porter. The finale featured a great
song and dance number by Gene Kelly
and Judy called "Be A Clown". It is a
marvelous moment in an otherwise less
than stellar musical. Judy would use the
clown get up again in concert and on
her TV show after she left MGM,
enjoying hiding behind the silly
personality. Judy and Gene were
always magical on screen together and
if anything saves The Pirate, it would be
that!
While The Pirate was not copied, the
song "Be A Clown" was. In 1952, MGM
produced the blockbuster Singin' In The
Rain. The score features a song sung
by Donald O'Connor called "Make 'Em
Laugh." The melody is remarkably
similar to "Be A Clown". In fact, it is
nearly identical! And even more
suspicious.....The Pirate producer Arthur
Freed also produced Singin' in The Rain
and is credited as having written the
score! In fact...Singin' in the Rain's
director called it "100 percent
plagiarism". However, the number
remained in the film...and remarkably,
Cole Porter never sued!
So here are two great, great screen
moments. In watching "Make 'Em
Laugh", it's nearly impossible to believe
that Donald O'Connor wasn't seriously
injured somehow during the filming, or at
least really, really sore the next morning!
The link that connects these two films;
besides being of the same studio and
same director and pretty much the same
song? Gene Kelly starred in both! :)
song "Be A Clown" was. In 1952, MGM
produced the blockbuster Singin' In The
Rain. The score features a song sung
by Donald O'Connor called "Make 'Em
Laugh." The melody is remarkably
similar to "Be A Clown". In fact, it is
nearly identical! And even more
suspicious.....The Pirate producer Arthur
Freed also produced Singin' in The Rain
and is credited as having written the
score! In fact...Singin' in the Rain's
director called it "100 percent
plagiarism". However, the number
remained in the film...and remarkably,
Cole Porter never sued!
So here are two great, great screen
moments. In watching "Make 'Em
Laugh", it's nearly impossible to believe
that Donald O'Connor wasn't seriously
injured somehow during the filming, or at
least really, really sore the next morning!
The link that connects these two films;
besides being of the same studio and
same director and pretty much the same
song? Gene Kelly starred in both! :)
Bonus Clip: I snagged a piece of The
History of MGM off of Youtube and
pulled out the small portion of Judy
Garland's rushes for Annie Get Your
Gun and uploaded it to Daily Motion.
(Sorry, it's grainy and partial; it's the
best I can do since I don't have a way
to convert my VHS copy to my
computer.) Unfortunately, this special
doesn't show all of the song (although
all does exist and is on the VHS and
DVD versions) but it's still really
interesting to see a little bit of it (and
one of the kids mess up!) The
children in Judy's clip are much older
than the ones that ended up in the film
(and much less BLOND!) It's extremely
amazing that this footage survived at
all! Enjoy!
History of MGM off of Youtube and
pulled out the small portion of Judy
Garland's rushes for Annie Get Your
Gun and uploaded it to Daily Motion.
(Sorry, it's grainy and partial; it's the
best I can do since I don't have a way
to convert my VHS copy to my
computer.) Unfortunately, this special
doesn't show all of the song (although
all does exist and is on the VHS and
DVD versions) but it's still really
interesting to see a little bit of it (and
one of the kids mess up!) The
children in Judy's clip are much older
than the ones that ended up in the film
(and much less BLOND!) It's extremely
amazing that this footage survived at
all! Enjoy!