Trudy Gold
‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’: The Yip Harburg Story

Trudy Gold - ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’: The Yip Harburg Story

- I’m going to tell you a story. And so it happens that Jacob Gershowitz, Israel Baline and Hyman Arluck became George Gershwin, Irving Berlin and Harold Arlen, and together with those of similar original names, made musical history in a country that had given them a chance. They set to words and music the American dream. It was of course given a huge boost with the origins, with the inventions of the 20th century, with the radio, the microphone, talking pictures, long playing records. And these outsiders somehow they got the zeitgeist of the immigrant, the Zeitgeist of America. And basically if you think Hollywood and you think the musicals and you think the songs and lyrics that accompanied the musicals, what is fascinating is that it’s a Jewish story, but at the same time it appeals to every immigrant group. I mean many of the children of the immigrants, they were very keen to assimilate. They were Cantor sons who became songwriters. Irving Berlin and Harold Arlen, both the sons of Cantors, as was Al Jolson who we talked about last week. They tended not to be observant Jews. Many of them intermarried. But you can make the case that the spirit of the Jew lingers in their creative work. And this is some quotes from Cole Porter who of course was the very upper class American wasp. He said, “I figured out the secret of writing hits.” He said to Richard Rogers, “I’m going to write Jewish tunes.” And if you think of some of his great hits, the minor key melodies of “Night and Day,” “Begin the Beguine,” “My Heart Belongs to Daddy,” they are unmistakably Jewish. And he said, you don’t have to be Jewish to write Jewish songs.

You just have to have the ear for it. And he once said that I am the only decent American songwriter of my generation who is not Jewish. And now of course I want to come on to the song that was the song of America in the 20th century. It’s top of every poll. And it is of course part of that extraordinary film, “Wizard of Oz.” And according to Yip Harburg, “Over the Rainbow” was a ballad, and I’m quoting, “from a little girl who was in trouble "and wanted to get away from Kansas, "a dry, arid, colourless place. "She’d never seen anything colourful in her life "except a rainbow.” Now there were three people involved in “Over The Rainbow.” Of course there was Yip Harburg, his collaborator, Jay Gorney, which I’m going to talk about. Fascinating individual who had witnessed the Białystok pogrom, and Ira Gershwin. They are the three that made the film that really identified American music in the 20th century. So let’s hear the incomparable Judy Garland. And I should tell you that we are going to have a session just on her late next month. So let’s hear her singing “Over the Rainbow,” from “Gone With the Wind.” Little France’s gum. Oh, and how did MGM mistreat her? Louis B. Mayer made her diet. He got her on pills, drugs, but, and the horror of it all. But out of it comes that absolutely pure voice. And that’s how I like to remember Judy Garland. So can we hear it, please, if you don’t mind, Jude?

♪ Somewhere over the rainbow ♪ ♪ Way up high ♪ ♪ There’s a land that I heard of ♪ ♪ Once in a lullaby ♪ ♪ Somewhere over the rainbow ♪ ♪ Skies are blue ♪ ♪ And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true ♪ ♪ Some day I’ll wish upon a star ♪ ♪ And wake up where the clouds are far behind me ♪ ♪ Where troubles melt like lemon drops ♪ ♪ A way above the chimney tops ♪ ♪ That’s where you’ll find me ♪ ♪ Somewhere over the rainbow ♪ ♪ Blue birds fly ♪ ♪ Birds fly over the rainbow ♪ ♪ Why then oh why can’t I ♪ ♪ If happy little blue birds fly ♪ ♪ Beyond the rainbow why oh why can’t I ♪

• And of course much has been written into that song. Was it a response to the pogroms in Russia? Don’t forget that Gorney who co, that Gorney who was such an influence on him, he had escaped the Białystok pogrom. Is it the yearning for American Jews for the world? So let’s have a look at Yip. And I should, I’m sorry. The music was by Harold Arlen. I’m sorry, but that was a stupid mistake of mine. So it was Harold Arlen, who I’m going to talk about later. Yip Harburg wrote the lyrics, and Ira Gershwin helped. And it’s in fact Jay Gorney who’s going to work with him on many other songs. So let’s talk about Yip Harburg first. He was born in 1896. He lived a very long life. He died in 1981. He was born Isidore Hochberg. His nickname was Yip. That comes, those of you who are Yiddish-ists, Yipsel for squirrel. And this is what he wrote of him. He wrote his autobiography. He said, “I’m one of the last "of a small tribe of troubadours who still believe "that life is a beautiful and exciting journey "with a purpose and grace "which are well worth singing about.” He had an incredibly optimistic personality. He was the youngest of the four surviving children, out of 10. His parents had actually, they were Yiddish speaking Orthodox Jews who had made it out of the pogroms of Eastern Europe. Now they settle on the lower East side. And let’s see the next slide please. Can you go, this Townshend Harris High School in New York, it was actually, this was a school for gifted children, and the students sat together alphabetically. And who does he sit next to, but a boy called Ira Gershwin. They bonded. Let’s see the next slide please. They’re going to be friends all their lives. There you see Ira Gershwin. I’ll come back to him later.

They were born in the same year. They were very, very close all their lives, and they bond over a shared love. They were both crazy about music. And let’s have a look at what they bonded over. The next slide, please, Judy. They bonded over Gilbert and Sullivan. And where did they hear Gilbert and Sullivan? At the Gershwin’s home. At the Gershwin’s home they also listened to opera on a Victrola. They made up tunes to amuse themselves. And of course in the home there was also George Gershwin, the brilliant George Gershwin. But going back to the story of, going back to the story of Harburg, he graduated and in World War I, he was so against the war, he was already a socialist. He’s living on the lower East Side. He’s very much aware of all the horror and the poverty. He didn’t want to fight in what he said was a capitalist army, so he went to Uruguay for three years, and he survived by writing as a journalist. He returned to America in 1921. He married. He had children, and he started his own electrical appliance company. But then of course the Wall Street crash. He went bankrupt. He had huge debts, which he eventually is going to repay. Now throughout the 20s, Harburg and the Gershwin Brothers, they continued to write ditties for the papers alongside news and alongside stories to boost the sales. And after he went bankrupt, Ira encouraged him to write for Broadway reviews. And this is where he starts his collaboration with Jay Gorney. Can we see Jay Gorney please?

This is Jay Gorney. His dates are 1896 to 1990. They all lived wonderfully long lives. And so he’s trying to pay back his debts. He meets up with this chap Gorney, and they write a review. Can we see the slide please? Now Gorney had been incredibly influenced by the Bialystok Pogrom. He was only, see he was born Abraham Jacob Gornetzsky in Bialystok. He was the son of Jacob Gornetzsky, and he witnessed the Bialystok Pogrom. The family had to hide for two weeks, and they fled to America in 1906. They settled in Detroit where the father became an engineer at Ford. The mother who wanted her children to have a cultural life, she bought a piano. And at age 14, after only two years of lessons, he was offered a job at the local Nickelodeon. Now if you remember, the Nickelodeon is where you paid one nickel to watch the one reelers. And of course to accompany the one reelers, they had the pianist. And of course it became a very big part of his life. He worked his own way through university and through law school as a pianist. And in World War I, he was in the Navy. He practised law only briefly. But then his fantasy comes true. Through Ira he meets up with Yip Harburg, and they start a very fruitful collaboration. And let’s have a look at the first of their collaborations, the most important. Now of course this is Tim, where did they all hang out? They hung out in Tim Pan Alley as it was called. Can we see the next slide please, Jude? The new Americana.

Now it wasn’t that successful. It’s Sam Shubert. And of course he was the great theatre Impresario who I talked about when I talked about the Jolson story. Because of course Jolson went to work for him. And he was so good that in the end, Shubert named one of his theatres, the old Jolson, the old Jolson Theatre. And you’ll remember Jolson was the first entertainer to sell a million records. Now but in the new Americana, a song is based on a Russian lullaby that Gorney remembered as a child. And I want, it wasn’t a great success in the, when it first came out, and nor was the show. But this song becomes a huge success. 1932, not going to talk about it until you’ve heard it. And can we hear, there were three versions of it. And let’s hear the first, and of course it’s “Brother, Can you Spare a Dime?” which really becomes the hymn of the Depression. And Gorney said, the reason, we were walking, he and Harburg were walking in Central Park, and already Harburg himself is suffering from the recession. Remember he’s lost his business. And as they walk through Central Park, people are coming up to them. Can you spare a dime? This is the horror of the depression. Is it the death of the American dream? This is what people went through. And even Roosevelt said, this is, this is the hymn to the Depression. So let’s hear the Crooner Bing Crosby sing it. It was also covered that year by Rudy Vallée, and also by Al Jolson. And that’s what made it a huge hit. And it really got to the essence of the depression. Let’s go on, and let’s hear Bing Crosby.

♪ They used to tell me I was building a dream ♪ ♪ And so I followed the mob ♪ ♪ When there was earth to plough or guns to bear ♪ ♪ I was always there, right on the job. ♪ ♪ They used to tell me I was building a dream ♪ ♪ With peace and glory ahead ♪ ♪ Why should I be standing in line ♪ ♪ Just waiting for bread? ♪ ♪ Once I built a railroad, I made it run ♪ ♪ Made it race against time ♪ ♪ Once I built a railroad, now it’s done ♪ ♪ Brother, can you spare a dime? ♪ ♪ Once I built a tower up to the sun, ♪ ♪ Brick and rivet and lime ♪ ♪ Once I built a tower, now it’s done ♪ ♪ Brother, can you spare a dime? ♪ ♪ Once in khaki suits ♪ ♪ Gee we looked swell, full of that Yankee Doodly Dum ♪ ♪ Half a million boots went slogging through hell ♪ ♪ And I was the kid with the drum ♪ ♪ Say don’t you remember, they called me Al ♪ ♪ It was Al all the time ♪ ♪ Why don’t you remember I’m your pal ♪ ♪ Say buddy, can you spare a dime. ♪ ♪ Once in khaki suits, ah, gee, we looked swell ♪ ♪ Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum ♪ ♪ Half a million boots went slogging through hell ♪ ♪ And I was the kid with the drum ♪ ♪ Oh say, don’t you remember ♪ ♪ They called me Al ♪ ♪ It was Al all the time ♪ ♪ Say, don’t you remember, I’m your pal ♪ ♪ Buddy, can you spare a dime? ♪

• Absolutely amazing that rendition. And of course it’s about a betrayed American. It’s about the man who’s given everything for his country. He’s worked the railways. He’s served in the army, and he has been betrayed. And of course this is something that Williams already covered, how in the end, Roosevelt does manage to turn American around with the New Deal because whereas Europe, the response to the Depression in Europe and to the huge recession in Europe was tragically the polarisation of politics. In America, it was the New Deal, and in the end, isolationism and ultra nationalism at this particular stage in history, lost in America. But that song to me is so plaintively Jewish. It’s this, the minor key and the sentiment. And as I said, Roosevelt said, this is the hymn to the, it is the hymn to the Depression. And see it against the backdrop of prohibition, the Speakeasies, and of course the dance halls where people paid to dance with someone. They had, there was no food. There was this horrific story, and this is the song that backs it. Now, the partnership between Gorney and Yip Harburg unfortunately came to a rather abrupt ending when Yip had an affair with Jay Gorney’s wife who he later married. And then, so what happens is Yip moves off to Hollywood where he’s offered a contract, and he works then with Harold Arlen on “The Wizard of Oz.” And of course that amazing song that we played at the beginning, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” written by Yip, by Harold Arlen, and also added to by Ira Gershwin. So just to tell you what happened to Yip, to Harburg, he was finally blacklisted by HUAC.

Remember he was a socialist. He was blocked from working 1950 to 1962. This is a fascinating story that we’re going to do in some depth, the House of un-American activities. Because the way it was manifested, ironically, it begins in the 30s, and it’s actually anti-fascist. But post World War II, it takes another life in another direction and it becomes violently anti-communist as a response to Stalin and Russia. And one of the problems was that a disproportionate number of the characters in Hollywood and the songwriters, they were either Jewish or liberals or socialists or both. And of course they were anti-fascists. And it didn’t take much to push you into the arms of the left when you had the Nazis marching through Europe. So think about it, so many Jews turned to, turned to the left, and Yip himself was blacklisted. But before that, in 1940, he did win an Oscar for “Over the Rainbow” which he shared with Harold Arlen. But when he was blacklisted, this is what he said, “As the writer of the lyric of the song God’s Country, "I’m outraged by the suggestion that somehow I’m connected "with the belief in or sympathetic with communist "or totalitarian philosophy.” He had his passport revoked. ‘Cause this is interesting. To be a socialist is not to be a communist. He believed passionately in social justice. He was anti-war. But nevertheless, he like so many of them, they found communism with its authoritarianism, and its totalitarianism in many ways when you’re dealing with fascism and communism, they come together. They’re both authoritarian.

They’re both about the power of the state, and people like Yip Harburg and thousands like him, that was not their idea of social justice at all. But as I said, his partner in “Wizard of Oz,” of course, was the extraordinary Harold Arlen. And just to reemphasize “Over the Rainbow” voted the 20th Century’s best song. Now he said in his autobiography, I don’t know how to explain it, but I hear in jazz and gospel my father singing, and of course his father was a cantor. He was born Hyman Arluck. His dates are 1905 to 1986. And this is what Irving Berlin said of him. “He wasn’t as well known as some of us, "but he was a better songwriter than most of us. "And he will be missed by all of us.” He wrote over 500 songs, many of which became huge hits. He was born, he was first generation. His parents were Eastern European. They’d come over from the pale, escaping the pogroms. They would’ve come through Ellis Island. Father was a cantor. And also he was a brilliant pianist. And there was a piano in the home. His twin brother, he was born a twin, but his brother died after one day. And he learnt to play the piano very, very young. And he moved to New York City where he appeared first as a band vocalist. His first hit, he wrote shows for the Cotton Club. And of course the Cotton Club was that incredible nightclub that had been first set up in 1922 when the first, by the first African American boxing world champion, And at first it was for whites only, but Black performers. Later on that idea is going to transfer into some of the great nightclubs of New York. But Arlen and Harburg are going to be writing for the Cotton Club. So his first hit was “Get Happy,” and which he, can we see the next slide, please? From “Summer Stock.”

♪ Forget your troubles, come on, get happy ♪ ♪ You better chase all your cares away ♪ ♪ Shout hallelujah, come on, get happy ♪ ♪ Get ready for the judgement day. ♪ ♪ The sun is shining ♪ ♪ Come on, get happy ♪ ♪ The Lord is waiting to take your hand ♪ ♪ Shout Hallelujah, come on, get happy ♪ ♪ We’re going to the promise land ♪ ♪ We’re heading across the river, ♪ ♪ Wash your sins away in the tide ♪ ♪ It’s all so peaceful on the other side ♪ ♪ Forget your troubles, come on, get happy ♪ ♪ You better chase all your cares away ♪ ♪ Shout hallelujah, come on, get happy ♪ ♪ Get ready for the judgement day ♪ ♪ Forget your troubles, come on, get happy ♪ ♪ Chase your cares away ♪ ♪ Hallelujah happy before the judgement day ♪ ♪ The sun is shining, come on, get happy ♪ ♪ The Lord is waiting to take your hand ♪ ♪ Shout hallelujah, come on, get happy ♪ ♪ We’re going to be going to the promised land ♪ ♪ We’re heading cross the river ♪ ♪ Wash your sins away in the tide ♪ ♪ It’s quiet and peaceful on the other side ♪ ♪ Forget your troubles, get happy ♪ ♪ Your cares fly away ♪ ♪ Shout hallelujah, get happy ♪ ♪ Get ready for your judgement day ♪ ♪ Come on, get happy ♪ ♪ Chase your cares away ♪ ♪ Shout, hallelujah, come on, get happy ♪ ♪ Get ready for the judgement day ♪ ♪ Sun is shining come on, get happy ♪ ♪ Lord is waiting to take your hand ♪ ♪ Hallelujah, come on, get happy ♪ ♪ We’re going to the promised land ♪ ♪ Heading across the river ♪ ♪ Throw all your sins away in the tide ♪ ♪ It’s all so peaceful on the other side ♪ ♪ Shout Hallelujah, come on, get happy ♪ ♪ You better chase all your cares away ♪ ♪ Shout Hallelujah, come on, get happy ♪ ♪ Get ready, get ready, get ready for the judgement day ♪

• Oh, she’s glorious. She’s glorious. And so is the, of course, the music. And it’s, in this one he works with Ted Koehler, and the most extraordinary music comes from them. As I told you, they were already, they were really, they’d written for the Cotton Club, and they were more or less the house musicians for it. And but by the mid 30s, Arlen’s spending most of his time in California. So in the 40s he teams up with Johnny Mercer. Can we go on please? Let’s have some more trips to the music, musicals too. There’s the Cotton Club, the famous Cotton Club. Yes, let’s now this, let’s, and of course this was first performed at the Cotton Club, and let’s hear that wonderful, wonderful song. Off we go, “Stormy Weather.” This is Arlen and Koehler.

♪ Don’t know why there’s no sun up in the sky ♪ ♪ Stormy weather ♪ ♪ Since my man and I ain’t together ♪ ♪ Keeps raining all the time ♪ ♪ Life is bare ♪ ♪ Gloom and misery everywhere ♪ ♪ Stormy weather ♪ ♪ Just can’t get my poor self together ♪ ♪ I’m weary all the time, the time ♪ ♪ So weary all of the time ♪ ♪ Since he went away the blues walked in and met me ♪ ♪ If he stays away, old rocking chair will get me ♪ ♪ All I do is pray the Lord above will let me ♪ ♪ Walk in the sun once more ♪ ♪ Can’t go on ♪ ♪ Everything I had is gone ♪ ♪ Stormy weather ♪ ♪ Since my man and I ain’t together ♪ ♪ Keeps raining all the time ♪ ♪ Keeps raining all the time ♪ ♪ I walk around heavy hearted and sad ♪ ♪ Night comes around and I’m still feeling bad ♪ ♪ Rain pouring down blinding every hope I had ♪ ♪ This pitterin’, patterin’, beatin’ and spatterin’ ♪ ♪ Drives me mad ♪ ♪ Love, love, love, love ♪ ♪ This misery is just too much for me ♪ ♪ Can’t go on ♪ ♪ Everything I had is gone ♪ ♪ Stormy weather ♪ ♪ Since my man and I ain’t together ♪ ♪ Keeps raining all the time ♪ ♪ Keeps raining all the time ♪

• Of course, that’s Hollywood-ified, but she first sung it at the Cotton Club. And so many of the great, the great songstresses came to prominence through that club. It started out as a 400 seater. It was extended to be a 700 seater. And there were weekly radio broadcasts, characters like Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Louis Armstrong. The best years were 1922 to 1935 against the backdrop of the Depression. And then unfortunately, the riots of, the Harlem riots of ‘35, it moved to West 48th Street. But by 1941, the special club that was really innovative in music was in fact Cafe Society which was started by an extraordinary individual called Barney Josephson. And it was desegregated, Black and white people coming together. You’ve got to remember this whole issue of segregation was extraordinarily acute in the arts. In 1940, for example, at the premier of “Gone With the Wind,” Hattie McDaniels, who won the best supporting Oscar, an African American actress, she wasn’t even allowed to stay in a hotel there. So you’ve got this extraordinary story of desegregation, and yet the white folk are coming to listen to the Black folk sing. And the other point to make is of course when you listen to a song like “Stormy River,” which is of course another collaboration between Arlen and Ted Koehler, what you hear is this combination of blues, Blues music and also the plaintive Jewish minor key, and it’s absolutely extraordinary. Just, I don’t know, this is the music I grew up loving. I’d hope, and I have a hunch that many of us are around my age.

So this is the music we grew up loving, and I’m just wondering if there are younger listeners, how they’re dealing with this kind of thing. Can we go on to the next slide please? Yes, because Arlen then teams up with Johnny Mercer, and of course this is another incredibly fruitful collaboration. Wonderful, wonderful songs like “Old Black Magic” and “Moon River,” “Days of Wine and Roses,” “Autumn Leaves,” lyrics to more than 1,500 songs. Together they won four Oscars, extraordinary. And Johnny Mercer actually had been born in Savannah and he himself had been brought up in the music of African Americans. He have many African American playmates, and he was also imbued with it. So you see that Arlen, he goes from one writer to another writer to another writer. He’s an extraordinarily talented individual. Can we see the next slide, please? Now the other character, of course, who was involved in “Over the Rainbow” was of course Ira Gershwin. Now later on in the session, I’m going to get one of my colleagues to do a real barnstormer on the Gershwins because so many of these characters do need their own presentation. But I’m going to give you a little bit of a background to him because he, their lives all intertwine, and Ira Gershwin, he was born in 1896. He dies in 1983. He was, and of course he is the older brother of George.

And it was he who sat next to Yip Harburg at school. And they become, they’re close friends all their lives. His grandfather, Jacob Gershovitz was born in Odessa, and he had served for 25 years his, the father, as a mechanic for the Russian Army to earn the rights to travel freely in Russia. There were ways out of the pale, but 25 years, his son Moishe was a leather cutter for women’s shoes. Now Moishe met his future wife, Rosa, in Vilnius where her father was a furrier. It’s very much the classic Jewish pattern. Now she and her family fled the pogroms. Moishe came to New York to avoid the draught. So here you have perfect reasons for people coming to America. He changed his name, Moishe changes his name. So this is the father, to Morris Gershowitz. He lived with a maternal uncle in Brooklyn and worked as a foreman in a woman’s shoe factory. Something like 90% of the immigrants in New York were in the clothing business one way or the other. They brought with them their skills, remember. They’d been, if you think in Eastern Europe, how the Jews perform the service industries for Eastern Europeans. So they made the clothes, they made the shoes, they made the furniture. And later on in America and in Britain and in France, in Germany, wherever they settled, many of them are going to go into these trades and professions. So the couple, his parents marry in 1895. He changes his name to Gershwin, and his first child, Ira is born. The family then moved to Brooklyn where George is born. And then two more children, Arthur and Frances.

The family often moved residences. They lived primarily in the Yiddish Theatre District or on Second Avenue. And of course he was very much influenced, by the Yiddish Theatre, the music, his parents were musical. And we’ve already established that’s where Yip Harburg first heard Gilbert and Sullivan. That’s where he first heard opera at the Gershwin’s home. And it’s about this time that the parents bought a piano. But ironically, it’s George who’s going to play it. And funnily enough, it was the sister Frances, who was the first of the Gershwin’s to use her musical talent to earn money. But she actually married young and became a wife and mother. Now he, so Ira, he leaves school at 13. He becomes a song plugger on Tim Pan Alley, which of course was the collection, we’ve already seen the pictures of it. It’s where the music publishers and the songwriters and anyone with real talent met. And originally, it was on West 28th Street between fifth and sixth Avenues. It started in 1885 where a number of music publishers, most of whom were Jewish actually set up shop. So he, Ira begins writing mainly in about 1921. And because already his brother George, has a huge reputation he writes at first under the pseudonym Arthur Frances, the names of the two youngest siblings. In 1924 though he, so he worked with Yip Harburg, but in 1924, he teams up with George for “Lady, Be Good!” Can we have a look at the next slide, please? There you see, “Lady, Be Good.” And I think, and who are we seeing in it? At the Empire Theatre, the extraordinary Fred and Adele Astaire, Fred Austerlitz. You will remember that when he finally turned up at MGM, Louis B. Mayer didn’t think much of him, didn’t think much of his looks, didn’t think much of his voice. But in the end, he does become Mr. American Dance.

And whether you prefer Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly, my goodness, has anyone really ever equaled them in this kind of dancing? Now can we go on please? Here you see Fred and Adele Astaire, unfortunately just a clip of them. But we’re going to have another treat, “Lady, Be Good!” and “Fascinating Rhythm.” Another one of the songs from the show by the Gershwins. And can we please see who is going to dance to it for us? Unfortunately, we got the music, with

♪ Fascinating rhythm, rhythm, rhythm ♪ ♪ That pit-apats through my brain ♪ ♪ So darn persistent ♪ ♪ The day isn’t distant ♪ ♪ When it’ll drive me insane ♪ ♪ Comes in the morning ♪ ♪ Without any warning ♪ ♪ And hangs around me all day ♪ ♪ Someday I’ll sneak up to it ♪ ♪ Someday I’ll speak up to it ♪ ♪ I hope it listens when I say ♪ ♪ Fascinating Rhythm ♪ ♪ You’ve got me on the go ♪ ♪ Fascinating Rhythm ♪ ♪ I’m all a-quiver ♪ ♪ What a mess you’re making ♪ ♪ The neighbours want to know ♪ ♪ Why I’m always shaking ♪ ♪ Just like a flivver ♪ ♪ Each morning I get up with the sun ♪ ♪ Start a-hopping, never stopping ♪ ♪ To find at night no work has been done ♪ ♪ I know that once it didn’t matter ♪ ♪ But now you’re doing wrong ♪ ♪ When you start to patter ♪ ♪ I’m so unhappy ♪ ♪ Won’t you take a day off? ♪ ♪ Decide to run along ♪ ♪ Somewhere far away off ♪ ♪ And make it snappy ♪ ♪ Oh, how I long to be the man I used to be! ♪ ♪ Fascinating Rhythm ♪ ♪ You got to stop picking on me ♪ ♪ Fascinating rhythm all a quiver ♪ ♪ Why I’m always shaking ♪ ♪ Just like a flivver ♪ ♪ Each morning I get up with the sun ♪ ♪ To find at night no work has been done ♪ ♪ I know that once it didn’t matter ♪ ♪ But now you’re doing wrong ♪ ♪ When you start to patter ♪ ♪ I’m so unhappy ♪ ♪ Won’t you take a day off ♪ ♪ Decide to run along ♪ ♪ Somewhere far away off ♪ ♪ And make it snappy! ♪ ♪ Oh, how I long to be the man I used to be ♪ ♪ Fascinating Rhythm you’ve got to stop picking on me ♪

• That was an incredible collaboration, Fred and Adele Astaire. And I’m going to show you what happened to her later on. Evidently she was by far his greatest partner, not withstanding of course, some of the incredible women he danced with. Ginger Rogers the most famous, but also people like Cyd Charisse. Can we now see though the incomparable Eleanor Powell dancing to the music of the Gershwin brothers?

♪ Fascinating rhythm ♪ ♪ You got me on the go ♪ ♪ Fascinating rhythm I’m all a quiver ♪ ♪ What a mess you’re making ♪ ♪ The neighbours who know ♪ ♪ Why I’m always shaking ♪ ♪ Just like a flivver ♪ ♪ Each morning I’m waking up very happy ♪ ♪ Just to find that no work has been done ♪ ♪ Once it didn’t matter ♪ ♪ But now you do wrong ♪ ♪ When you start to patter ♪ ♪ I’m so unhappy ♪ ♪ Won’t you take a day off ♪ ♪ Shuffle away ♪ ♪ Somewhere far away off ♪ ♪ And make it snappy ♪ ♪ Oh, how I long to be the man I used to be ♪ ♪ Oh, Fascinating Rhythm ♪ ♪ Won’t you stop picking on me ♪

• Amazing, right, we’ll stop there, please. Stop that now. Okay, absolutely amazing. And of course what happens is this begins the collaboration between George and Ira. And they become, I think probably the most powerful force in the history of the American musical theatre. They wrote the music and the lyrics for 12 shows, four films. And then tragically George dies young. He has a, it turns out to be a brain tumour. He’s staying, he’s actually staying with Ira and his wife. The wife can’t cope. So he goes to, in California, he goes to Yip Harburg’s place where tragically he dies. And after George’s death, Ira waited three years before he wrote again. But of course later on he goes on and has an incredible career and was important in “Over the Rainbow.” And this is what happened to the brilliant Adele Astaire. When they were performing in London, she met Lord Charles Arthur Francis Cavendish, the younger son of the Duke of Devonshire, and they married. And now I’d like to finish and what I hope has been quite a light presentation, because I thought it was about time we have a little bit of fun. We’re going to have a couple of renditions of “Over the Rainbow.” And I want you to think about the lyrics of “Over the Rainbow.” So much has been put on it that it actually represents the whole of the Jewish tragedy, the yearning for a homeland. But certainly let’s listen to two. You’ve all got to make your own minds up about this. But let’s have a listen to a couple of renditions.

♪ When all world is a hopeless jumble ♪ ♪ And the rain drops tumble all around ♪ ♪ Heaven opens a magic lane ♪ ♪ When all the clouds knocking up the skyway ♪ ♪ There’s a rainbow highway to be found ♪ ♪ Leading from your window pane ♪ ♪ To a place behind the sun. ♪ ♪ Just a step beyond the rain ♪ ♪ Somewhere over the rainbow way up high ♪ ♪ There’s a land that I heard of once in a lullaby ♪ ♪ Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue ♪ ♪ And the dreams that you dare to ♪ ♪ dream really do come true ♪ ♪ Someday I’ll wish upon a star ♪ ♪ And wake up where the clouds are far behind me ♪ ♪ Where troubles melt like lemon drops ♪ ♪ A way above the chimney tops that’s where you’ll find me ♪ ♪ Somewhere over the rainbow blue birds fly ♪ ♪ Birds fly over the rainbow why then oh why can’t I ♪

• The incomparable Ella Fitzgerald. ♪ Someday I’ll wish upon a star ♪ ♪ And wake up where the clouds are far behind me ♪ ♪ Where troubles melt like lemon drops ♪ ♪ A way above the chimney tops that’s where you’ll find me ♪ ♪ Somewhere over the rainbow blue birds fly ♪ ♪ Birds fly over the rainbow ♪ ♪ Why then oh why can’t I ♪ ♪ If happy little blue birds fly ♪ ♪ Beyond the rainbow why oh why can’t I ♪

• Maybe it’s the anthem of all oppressed people. And I’d like to conclude with a Yiddish version. Over to you, Judi. And can I just thank Judi for stepping in at the last moment to do the slides for me? Bless you, darling. Let’s go.

• We’re listening to this.

• Well, just get right to the verse, yeah, okay, okay. What’ll I do? I’ll just lay out, okay?

• I think that’s right. Yeah, I don’t really know what.

• [Dave] Okay, does he need a microphone or something?

• [Man] Where do I go?

• [Dave] I don’t know. I just got here myself. Here.

• [Producer] Let’s do this.

• Try this. Good luck to us all. I’ll be in the hall.

• First I’ll do the beginning part. ♪ When all the world is a hopeless jumble ♪

• [Dave] Dennis Day. ♪ And the raindrops tumble all around, ♪ ♪ Heaven opens a magic lane. ♪ ♪ When all the, ♪

• Imagine the whole orchestra, ♪ When all the clouds darken up the skyway, ♪ ♪ There’s a rainbow highway to be found ♪ ♪ Leading from your window pane ♪ ♪ To a place behind the sun. ♪ ♪ Just a step beyond the rain. ♪ ♪ Somewhere over the rainbow way up high ♪ ♪ There’s a land that I heard of once in a lullaby ♪ ♪ Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue ♪ ♪ And the dreams that you dare to ♪ ♪ dream really do come true ♪ ♪ Some day I’ll wish upon a star ♪ ♪ And wake up where the clouds are far behind me ♪ ♪ Where troubles melt like lemon drops ♪ ♪ A way above the chimney tops ♪ ♪ That’s where you’ll find me ♪ ♪ Somewhere over the rainbow blue birds fly ♪ ♪ Birds fly over the rainbow ♪ ♪ Why then oh why can’t I ♪ ♪ Someday I’ll wish upon a star ♪ ♪ And wake up where the clouds are far behind me ♪ ♪ Where troubles melt like lemon drops ♪ ♪ A way above the chimney tops ♪ ♪ That’s where you’ll find me ♪ ♪ Somewhere over rainbow blue birds fly ♪ ♪ Birds fly over the rainbow ♪ ♪ Why then oh why can’t I ♪ ♪ If happy little blue birds fly beyond the rainbow ♪ ♪ Why oh why can’t I ♪

• Thank you.

• [Dave] Well, hey, nice job.

• Thank you.

• Nice going, see. If I can do that, if I could do that then we’d have a show. Manny Patinkin. Good to have you here.

• Thank you.

• Good luck with the show. Come back.

• Thank you.

• Manny Patinkin. Thanks, boys. ♪ When all the world is a hopeless jumble ♪ ♪ And the raindrops tumble all around ♪

• Because Cher’s not here. ♪ Heaven opens a magic lane ♪ ♪ When all the clouds darken up the skyway ♪ ♪ There’s a rainbow highway to be found ♪ ♪ Leading from your window pane ♪ ♪ To a place behind the sun ♪ ♪ Just a step beyond the rain ♪ ♪ Somewhere over the rainbow way up high ♪ ♪ There’s a land that I have heard of once in a lullaby ♪ ♪ Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue ♪ ♪ And the dreams that you dare to ♪ ♪ dream really do come true. ♪

• I think, Judy, we should stop it here. I think it will go on, can we stop? The last of it is in Yiddish, but that’s my fault for getting it wrong.

Q&A and Comments:

Lots of people are wishing each other a happy new year over the season. Lots and lots of people wishing we’re all…

This is Ronald, Yip originally was in business, worth a lot until the Depression. He declared bankruptcy. But when he made the money, he repaid everyone. Yes. Yes, he wrote, “Can you Spare a Dime?” with Jay Gorney. Yes, I hope I said that.

Yes, Arlene, they were going to drop it from the film. I also heard her mother put her on pills when she was 10 and playing the vaudeville circuit. Yes, that was, yes, and of course when she, this is we’re talking about Judy Garland, and of course when she started working for Louis B. Mayer, he was an absolute tyrant what he did to her. And she became addicted of course to drugs, as did so many of the actors and actresses.

Yes, “Cabin in the Sky” was the first all Black Hollywood film. And had a fabulous class of all star performers. Vincente Minnelli’s first musical film. He worked with Busby Berkeley.

Yes, Ron, lovely. You’ve got to come back and do another show. Rita is wishing everybody happy 2024. It is an incredible moving song, isn’t it?

Q: Was that really Bing Crosby’s version?

A: Yes, it was. What a voice he had. Rita’s wishing all of us, all of us at Lockdown a happy, happy healthy New Year.

Rose Rahami, so many biblical innuendos in “Get Happy.” Yes, promised land, crossing river. Yeah, they were seeped in it. Never forget that. Yes, of course. It was Lena Horne, who sung , and she made her debut at the Cotton Club, as so many of them did.

Oh, Joan, is wishing us all well. Yes, it does have a Yiddish turn, Monty, of course it does. My barbershop quartet sung Brother in rich, four-part harmony, goosebumps. The Cotton Club is open on Wednesday night is amateur night. And I hear it’s fabulous. Also, it’s so, June’s telling us we should still go there.

• [Judi] Yes, Trudy, we should.

• Oh, that’s a very good idea, Judi Ferreira, who’s just got back from New York. The great Lena Horne was married for many years to Lenny Hayton, the important MGM musical arranger, white and Jewish. The interracial marriage was not an easy one. Two outstanding artists. Yeah, and of course it was so many Jewish musicians and actors and performers at the forefront of trying to break this horrific segregation.

This is from Roberta, “As a second generation American whose forebearers "came over from Białystok around 1910, "I never knew specifically about the pogroms there. "My grandmother was so in love with America. "She never talked about the past.” You know, it’s interesting. I think there’s a difference between the Jewish immigrant experience and others because if you think about the Italian Americans, the Irish Americans, the German Americans, the Swedish Americans, a certain amount of affection for the old country. For the Jews of Eastern Europe, there was no affection for the Tzarist Empire. They cut their ties. America, America was the dream, the golden Medina, the land of dreams. And to some it was. What we’re going through at the moment, let’s just hope that it’s an aberration, that the American dream look, of course, many people suffered as a result of the American dream. We know that. But in the end it was a beacon of light. Let’s hope it can be again.

Cheryl’s saying, “You mentioned younger listeners "knowing the lyric of these wonderful treasures. "While I remember most of the words of the songs "played so far. "I don’t recall most of the words in today’s songs "or show music as truthfully, they just aren’t memorable "or meaningful.” No comparison between Judy Garland and Lena Horne and Beyonce, different times, sure. And memories linger long. This is an argument I’m always having with my children because I just, look, obviously there’ve been some incredible artists post this period, but I just, it’s the period I love best. It’s like I prefer the movies of the 30s and 40s. I don’t know if it’s what I was brought up on. I’ve tried to bring my kids up on it. But it’s interesting. And also you’ve got to remember that particularly when you’re looking at the films, they worked so hard. They had to sing, they had to dance, they had to act. Today it’s special effects.

This is from Lauren. “Thank you for an uplifting, enjoyable presentation. "Took me back to my childhood where my dad played "many of these these wonderful pieces on the piano.” Thanks to you, Wendy, and Wendy’s thanking every. Wendy, Lauren’s thanking us all. Gershwin played piano in the Astaire clip you just played. I’ve read that Astaire would sometimes play the piano and George Gershwin would dance. Wouldn’t it be wonderful Ron if that was actually on film? I mean, Fred Astaire, just watching the fluidity, and those of you who’ve got kids and grandchildren put them in front of an Astaire movie just to see how they react to it.

Oh, there’s Joe Seeger’s recommending Deena Rosenberg’s. “Fascinating Rhythm,” a great book. Thank you, Joe. “Fascinating Rhythm” says Ron was introduced by Cliff Edwards also known as Ukulele Ike, the voice of Jiminy Cricket. The original arrangement is magnificent and was reproduced in the 1980s revival.

Ron, you’ll have to answer this. Do you think any of these revivals are actually as good as what we’ve seen on film of the early ones? That’s a question.

Susan’s wishing and saying we continue to pray for Israel and the return of the hostages. Yes, everyone’s saying they’re glad that it, they’re glad it was lighter today. I think we really needed this. I certainly did. We are living in dark times. But you know, I think with, on Lockdown, there’s so much goodwill from so many of you, and we’ve just got to hope that the decency and humanity prevails.

Roger from Toronto, a pleasant afternoon. Here it’s 10 past eight in a very dark, dank London. Paul wishes us happy New Year.

Lorna says, “Judy Garland is still the best.” And the rainbow’s a wonderful message for the new year, says Claire, wishing us all a wonderful time. The Yiddish version is a million times better. Miriam, that was what I was looking for, and I don’t know where it was. Unfortunately there was a bit of a hiatus. Nothing to do with Judi. She did a magnificent job. I thought I’d got the, I’d sent over the Yiddish, but nevermind. If we can find it, I will break it into another presentation. Thank you, Hermione.

This is Ron, “Finnian’s Rainbow” was a late musical Harburg wrote with Burton Lane. The film version was an overproduced version of the Broadway show. I didn’t enjoy it that much, Ron, not compared with the early stuff.

Myrna says, I don’t think I ever saw Dennis Day in person. I remember him on the Jack Benny show. Yes, Yip Harburg was, yes, the squirrel was responsible for so many firsts. Yes, Mandy recently sought Mandy Patinkin’s version in Yiddish to a mainly non-Jewish audience. Not a dry eye in the house. Yes, it was in London.

Bob says Fred Astaire was born in Omaha. Fred Astaire’s father’s parents were Jewish, but they converted. Yes, Bob, Fred Austerlitz, they came from Linz, but his father’s brother edited a Jewish newspaper.

Thank you, Steve. Thank you. Yiddish version. Look, the Yiddish version, Fanna and Rafel. I dunno if we can go, oh yes, they’ve, there you’ve got it on YouTube. Those of you who are looking at the questions, jot that down and have a look at it on YouTube.

And Claire’s saying she was fortunate to see Lena Horne at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto. Thank you, Susan. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Oh, this is from Naomi. I showed my 14-year-old granddaughter an Eleanor Powell video, and she agreed to see 42nd Street with me and lots of people wishing a happy, happy, happy.

And welcome back Judi says Judith, we’ve missed you.

Susan says, welcome back, Judi. Yes, you see, you can’t go off to America too often. Anyway, darling, Judi, thanks a million for doing this and God bless you all, and a happy, healthy one, and let’s hope it’s a better one.

Thank you.