1950 Best Original Song - The Ultimate Battle: Nat King Cole vs. Cinderella's Fairy Godmother

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WON AND SHOULD'VE WON: "Mona Lisa," Captain Carey, U.S.A.

I've always been quite fond of the 1950 Oscars - not only does it include one of my all-time favorite pictures (Billy Wilder's sensational Sunset Boulevard), but you have unimpeachable classics like All About Eve, Born Yesterday, The Third Man and (to a little lesser extent quality-wise, but still great) Father of the Bride in there too with lots of nominations.

Best Original Song in 1950, I'm afraid, is more of a mixed bag, with really only two particularly memorable nominees - one, the winning "Mona Lisa," and second, the catchy-as-can-be "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo."

"Mona Lisa," featured in the forgettable Alan Ladd war pic Captain Carey, U.S.A., is performed sumptuously here by the always-marvelous Nat King Cole. I consider myself quite a Cole fan and while I've never typically considered "Mona Lisa" among my favorite tunes of his', I am awfully taken by it during this revisit. His performance, coupled with the rich orchestrations, makes for a simply irresistible product.

I do like "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" as well - it has admittedly been stuck in my head in recent days as I've run through this category, and Verna Felton's delivery of it is pitch-perfect. At the same time, I would probably argue Cinderella's "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" and "The Work Song" were even more deserving of Oscar nods. And at less than a minute and a half, the song is a little on the fleeting side. Still, it is an iconic and memorable tune and I wouldn't be protesting much if it had prevailed.

The other three nominees are tough to get very excited about. "Be My Love" is richly performed by Kathryn Grayson and Mario Lanza but the song itself isn't terribly interesting, a rather cookie-cutter duet from the lackluster musical The Toast of New Orleans. "Wilhelmina," performed by Betty Grable, reeks of a '50s television commercial jingle. And "Mule Train," while mildly endearing with its "clippetty-clop" chorus, just isn't anywhere near in the same league as something like "Mona Lisa."

The Oscar-winners ranked (thus far)...

  1. "Over the Rainbow," The Wizard of Oz (1939)
  2. "The Way You Look Tonight," Swing Time (1936)
  3. "Mona Lisa," Captain Carey, U.S.A. (1950)
  4. "You'll Never Know," Hello, Frisco, Hello (1943)
  5. "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe," The Harvey Girls (1946)
  6. "Baby, It's Cold Outside," Neptune's Daughter (1949)
  7. "White Christmas," Holiday Inn (1942)
  8. "When You Wish Upon a Star," Pinocchio (1940)
  9. "Thanks for the Memory," The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938)
  10. "Lullaby of Broadway," Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935)
  11. "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," Song of the South (1947)
  12. "It Might As Well Be Spring," State Fair (1945)
  13. "The Last Time I Saw Paris," Lady Be Good (1941)
  14. "Swinging on a Star," Going My Way (1944)
  15. "Sweet Leilani," Waikiki Wedding (1937)
  16. "The Continental," The Gay Divorcee (1934)
  17. "Buttons and Bows," The Paleface (1948)

1949 Best Original Song - Warming Up with Esther Williams

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WON AND SHOULD'VE WON: "Baby, It's Cold Outside," Neptune's Daughter

'Pleasant' would have to be the word that most comes to mind when describing the Academy's picks for Best Original Song in 1949 - it's an all-around agreeable, appealing set of songs, though nothing quite veers into movie music greatness.

The selection I can get most excited about is the winner - the classic and iconic "Baby, It's Cold Outside," which here is performed charmingly by Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalban, as well as Betty Garrett and Red Skelton. The tune was later covered by the likes of Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer and Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan, among others, eventually becoming a go-to during the holiday season. It also marks the sole Oscar for composer Frank Loesser, who soon after this went on to barnstorm Broadway with Guys and Dolls and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. I wouldn't rank "Baby, It's Cold Outside" among my favorite movie or holiday tunes, but it's typically performed so delightfully (as is the case here), that I can still easily get into it.

"It's a Great Feeling" marks another Doris Day-Jule Styne-Sammy Cahn collaboration and it's a fun, breezy track, but I don't find it quite as powerful as "It's Magic," which I selected as my favorite of the 1948 nominees. "Lavender Blue" is another nice selection, performed warmly by Oscar-winner Burl Ives, but it's ultimately too short to leave that significant an impression.

The remaining two nominees are a tad weaker. Come to the Stable is a terrific and enjoyable motion picture, but does anyone really remember this song from it, "Through a Long, Sleepless Night"? It's listenable, performed by Hugh Marlowe, but ultimately completely forgettable. As for "My Foolish Heart," which had the misfortune of debuting in the notoriously underwhelming film of its title (the J.D. Salinger adaptation so inept the author refused to ever again allow his work to be translated to the big screen), the orchestrations are very nice but it's basically as maudlin and sappy as its film.

Onward to the '50s!

The Oscar-winners ranked (thus far)...

  1. "Over the Rainbow," The Wizard of Oz (1939)
  2. "The Way You Look Tonight," Swing Time (1936)
  3. "You'll Never Know," Hello, Frisco, Hello (1943)
  4. "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe," The Harvey Girls (1946)
  5. "Baby, It's Cold Outside," Neptune's Daughter (1949)
  6. "White Christmas," Holiday Inn (1942)
  7. "When You Wish Upon a Star," Pinocchio (1940)
  8. "Thanks for the Memory," The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938)
  9. "Lullaby of Broadway," Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935)
  10. "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," Song of the South (1947)
  11. "It Might As Well Be Spring," State Fair (1945)
  12. "The Last Time I Saw Paris," Lady Be Good (1941)
  13. "Swinging on a Star," Going My Way (1944)
  14. "Sweet Leilani," Waikiki Wedding (1937)
  15. "The Continental," The Gay Divorcee (1934)
  16. "Buttons and Bows," The Paleface (1948)

1948 Best Original Song - Doris Day's Delightful Debut

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WON: "Buttons and Bows," The Paleface

SHOULD'VE WON: "It's Magic," Romance on the High Seas

What a supreme pleasure it is listening to the legendary Doris Day, in her film debut in Michael Curtiz's underrated musical Romance on the High Seas, singing "It's Magic," yet another beautiful composition from the Jule Styne-Sammy Cahn team. The song and its scene are glorious Technicolor magic. It simply had to be inevitable at the time that Day was about to become an incredible big screen star.

Alas, "It's Magic," while indeed a tremendous breakthrough for Day, did not win Best Original Song in 1948. Instead, the prize went to "Buttons and Bows," an amusing but awfully slight Bob Hope tune from his comedy western The Paleface, which has largely gone forgotten and for understandable reason - it's just not that terribly funny, particularly in comparison with the rest of his filmography. It's a bit of a curious win, especially considering the competition.

Another nominee, "This Is the Moment," is really terrific too - a lush, romantic duet for Betty Grable and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. "For Every Man, There's a Woman" is nicely performed by Tony Martin in Universal Studios' flop musical Casbah, but too short to leave much of an impact. "The Woody Woodpecker Song" is the clear weak link here, essentially just a recycling of the classic Woody Woodpecker laugh, complimented by some cheesy lyrics and vocals that leave the final product sounding like bad sitcom theme song.

The Oscar-winners ranked (thus far)...

  1. "Over the Rainbow," The Wizard of Oz (1939)
  2. "The Way You Look Tonight," Swing Time (1936)
  3. "You'll Never Know," Hello, Frisco, Hello (1943)
  4. "White Christmas," Holiday Inn (1942)
  5. "When You Wish Upon a Star," Pinocchio (1940)
  6. "Thanks for the Memory," The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938)
  7. "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe," The Harvey Girls (1946)
  8. "Lullaby of Broadway," Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935)
  9. "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," Song of the South (1947)
  10. "It Might As Well Be Spring," State Fair (1945)
  11. "The Last Time I Saw Paris," Lady Be Good (1941)
  12. "Swinging on a Star," Going My Way (1944)
  13. "Sweet Leilani," Waikiki Wedding (1937)
  14. "The Continental," The Gay Divorcee (1934)
  15. "Buttons and Bows," The Paleface (1948)

1947 Best Original Song - The Oscar Win Disney Won't Speak Of

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WON: "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," Song of the South

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SHOULD'VE WON: "Pass That Peace Pipe," Good News

Much like the rest of the 1947 Oscars - the year when the dry and heavy-handed Gentleman's Agreement topped the brilliant likes of Crossfire and Great Expectations, and Ronald Colman and Loretta Young topped superior competition for Best Actor and Actress - Best Original Song this year is a bit of an eyebrow-raiser.

That is, of course, because the prize in '47 was taken home by Song of the South, the Disney picture deemed so racist, insensitive and just downright wrong that it has never seen the light of day on DVD or even VHS domestically. I must admit, I have viewed the film previously online and it's a mixed bag to say the least - the animation is pretty terrific and James Baskett is a real delight as the iconic Uncle Remus, but the children in the picture are insufferably obnoxious and the film's happy-go-lucky depiction of the deep south during Reconstruction is stunningly reprehensible (and, on another note, what a shame to see the great Hattie McDaniel slumming it here).

With that said, "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" is a breezy, enjoyable number...when it's Baskett singing. Once it turns over to the kiddos, it's a headache-inducer and proof the song needs the right vocalist to be pulled off.

Beyond the winner, "A Gal in Calico" is a pleasant swing number but not terribly memorable in any way. "You Do" is nicely staged in the Betty Grable musical Mother Wore Tights, and Dan Dailey gives a nice, energetic performance, but I don't think it's a tune that stands so well on its own terms, beyond the choreography. And Betty Hutton is warm and moving as she sings "I Wish I Didn't Love You So" in The Perils of Pauline, but the song is just too short to leave much of an impact.

My favorite of this bunch would have to be "Pass That Peace Pipe" from the woefully underrated MGM musical Good News. The tune's performer, Joan McCracken, isn't the most naturally gifted vocalist, but her performance is so committed, enthusiastic and fun that technical vocal prowess here doesn't much matter. She's a delight, the song is a lot of fun and the choreography in its scene is quite terrific.

I'm not as offended by "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah"'s Oscar victory as I am by Song of the South itself, but "Pass That Peace Pipe" (and perhaps one or two of the other nominees) is clearly superior.

The Oscar-winners ranked (thus far)...

  1. "Over the Rainbow," The Wizard of Oz (1939)
  2. "The Way You Look Tonight," Swing Time (1936)
  3. "You'll Never Know," Hello, Frisco, Hello (1943)
  4. "White Christmas," Holiday Inn (1942)
  5. "When You Wish Upon a Star," Pinocchio (1940)
  6. "Thanks for the Memory," The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938)
  7. "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe," The Harvey Girls (1946)
  8. "Lullaby of Broadway," Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935)
  9. "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," Song of the South (1947)
  10. "It Might As Well Be Spring," State Fair (1945)
  11. "The Last Time I Saw Paris," Lady Be Good (1941)
  12. "Swinging on a Star," Going My Way (1944)
  13. "Sweet Leilani," Waikiki Wedding (1937)
  14. "The Continental," The Gay Divorcee (1934)

1946 Best Original Song - A Jolly Train Ride with Judy

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WON AND SHOULD'VE WON: "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe," The Harvey Girls

1946 marks one of my favorite years at the Oscars - not only did The Best Years of Our Lives (one of my all-time favorite films) take home the Best Picture trophy, but I also adore fellow Best Picture nominees Henry V, It's a Wonderful Life and The Razor's Edge (as for The Yearling, it's fine, albeit not quite in the same league). This year also sports a really dynamite and underrated Best Actress line-up, with winner Olivia de Havilland, the brilliant Celia Johnson, Jennifer Jones, Rosalind Russell and Jane Wyman all operating right around the tops of their games.

'46 Original Song, however, is a pretty obscure and all-around merely decent crew of songs. There's not really a rotten apple in the bunch, but there's also nothing to get terribly head-over-heels about.

Bing Crosby's "You Keep Coming Back Like a Song" is listenable enough, but hardly in the same tier as the likes of "White Christmas" or "Pennies from Heaven." "All Through the Day," from Otto Preminger's musical Centennial Summer, is pleasantly performed by James Melton but not a particularly interesting tune itself.

Getting a bit warmer, "Ole Buttermilk Sky" if a fun, toe-tapping piece of fluff, performed completely convincingly by Hoagy Carmichael. And Betty Grable delivers a stunning vocal turn on "I Can't Begin to Tell You," even though the song itself kind of sounds like a microwaved "You'll Never Know" wannabe.

Ultimately, I think the Academy got this one right - the delightful "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" is the strongest in a rather modest bunch. It's hardly among the best Judy Garland songs (though her performance of the tune on The Judy Garland Show is pretty damn fantastic, and more effective than the movie track), but it is a plenty enjoyable sing-a-long that's really just as satisfying as "The Trolley Song."

The Oscar-winners ranked (thus far)...

  1. "Over the Rainbow," The Wizard of Oz (1939)
  2. "The Way You Look Tonight," Swing Time (1936)
  3. "You'll Never Know," Hello, Frisco, Hello (1943)
  4. "White Christmas," Holiday Inn (1942)
  5. "When You Wish Upon a Star," Pinocchio (1940)
  6. "Thanks for the Memory," The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938)
  7. "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe," The Harvey Girls (1946)
  8. "Lullaby of Broadway," Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935)
  9. "It Might As Well Be Spring," State Fair (1945)
  10. "The Last Time I Saw Paris," Lady Be Good (1941)
  11. "Swinging on a Star," Going My Way (1944)
  12. "Sweet Leilani," Waikiki Wedding (1937)
  13. "The Continental," The Gay Divorcee (1934)