Last Friday’s feature on 10 great musical numbers from films that never quite achieved classic status but are too much fun was so well received that we’re serving up another 10 under-the radar numbers that deserve some extra attention.
“Everything I’ve Got Belongs to You” from “Pie Pie Blackbird” (1932)
The vivacious Nina Mae McKinney never found her full potential in Hollywood, but here she enjoyed a chance to shine in a Vitaphone short.
“On the Boulevard” from “Diplomaniacs” (1933)
The comedy team of Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey rarely get the level of respect they deserve, which is a shame since they brought a refreshing sense of zaniness to their Pre-Code comedies, as witnessed in this elaborate jamboree.
“I Ain’t Hep to That Step But I’ll Dig It” from “Second Chorus” (1940)
Paulette Goddard was not a dancer, but weeks of intense rehearsal made her an entertaining hoofer who was able to partner with Fred Astaire in this lively number.
“Taking a Chance on Love / Jericho” from “I Dood It” (1944)
This extended sequence featured two of the most glamorous Black musical stars of the 1940s, Hazel Scott and Lena Horne, in a stylish and swinging interlude plunked in the middle of an otherwise forgettable Red Skelton comedy.
“Every Baby Needs a Da Da Daddy” from “Ladies of the Chorus” (1949)
Marilyn Monroe’s first leading role as a burlesque performer in this Columbia B-picture included this playful number that showed her voluptuousness and sense of mischievous playfulness.
“Well, I’ll Be Switched” from “The French Line” (1953)
Jane Russell brought her va-va-voom charms to this delightful number, with an unbilled Theresa Harris bringing an extra degree of merriment to Russell’s musical insouciance.
“Lizzie Borden Hoedown” from “New Faces” (1954)
The notorious axe murder case involving Lizzie Borden is the unlikely inspiration of this wild song-and-dance segment with Ronnie Graham as the melodic district attorney and Virginia De Luce as a not entirely remorseful Lizzie.
“The Wind! The Wind!” from “Pardners” (1956)
With the exception of “That’s Amore” from “The Caddy,” none of the songs in the Martin & Lewis features ever became hit tunes. Arguably, this Western-themed ballad from the team’s penultimate flick showed Dean Martin’s vocal styling at its finest.
“Where’s the Birdie?” from “Tommy the Toreador” (1959)
This bouncy number from a low-budget British musical features Tommy Steele getting prepared for a photo shoot, with funnymen Sid James and Bernard Cribbins joining in the happy shenanigans.
“Lost in the Stars” from “Lost in the Stars” (1974)
The Kurt Weill-Maxwell Anderson musical version of “Cry, the Beloved Country” was adapted for the screen as part of the American Film Theatre series. And while this production was terribly uneven, it offered one genuinely thrilling segment with the title song beautifully performed by Brock Peters as a rural reverend who determinedly searches Johannesburg for his missing son.