The other day, I posted a piece that CBS This Morning did about the song "Strange Fruit" that Billie Holiday famously recorded and focused the story on its writer, Abel Meerapol. Alas, CBS This Morning didn't hold up their end of the bargain and deleted their own video. Nonetheless, at the end of the report when it did initially air, they mentioned that Meerapol also wrote the words to the song the reporter mistakenly called "What is America to Me?", though its actual name is "The House I Live." And she noted that Frank Sinatra had had success with the song. Although Frank Sinatra did record the song and sang it throughout his career, the impression given was that he introduced the song, but in fact it was written for a musical Let Freedom Sing in 1942. Sinatra did popularize it, however, when he starred in a short 10-minute film, The House I Live In, in which he sang the song. The short was released in 1945 and won a special Oscar. It was made, in part, to combat anti-Semitism as the end of WWII, which makes one change to the song in the film all the more surprising -- they only sang the first verse and cut the second...which has the line about "my neighbors black and white," a cut which enraged lyricist Meerapol and he protested. Also notable is that the song was equally made famous earlier by the great Paul Robeson. Which adds a bit of irony to the song's history, since he was later blacklisted. As was Earl Robinson who wrote the music. And Albert Maltz, who wrote the Special Oscar-winning film that brought the song to the wider American public was one of the famous Hollywood 10 screenwriters, who were jailed for defying the House Un-American Activies Committee looking into Communism in the U.S. And Abel Meerapol felt he had to use a pseudonym for his work, Lewis Allan. Here is Paul Robeson especially-wonderful recording of "The House I Live In" -- with the second verse intact. This should also be a treat to anyone who hasn't heard Paul Robeson sing. By the way, know that Paul Robeson starred in the original 1936 movie of Show Boat and brought "Old Man River" to fame. In fact he was cast in the original 1927 Broadway stage production and was supposed to introduce the song, but the musical got delayed, schedules got changed and he had to bow out -- though did play the role when the show opened in London's West End. Also...well, I'll be posting more about Other Things Robeson upcoming. And as a bonus, this is that aforementioned Special Oscar-winning 10-minute movie -- without the second verse. (If for some reason the video does play, since I've been having some trouble with it embedding, just click on the link here.)
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AuthorRobert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. Feedspot Badge of Honor
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