That Columbia main title waltz

[CoffeeDan]

While watching A FEATHER IN HER HAT on TCM last week, I was pleasantly surprised by still another use of a singularly delightful hesitation waltz over the opening credits. Columbia used it as main title music in several of its films in the early-to-mid-1930s. I tend to associate it most with IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT and TWENTIETH CENTURY.

I have also heard it in several early episodes of the Lux Radio Theatre from the same period, which leads me to believe it might have been a "stock" arrangement in the music director's library.

Anyway, whenever and wherever I've heard it, I end up humming or whistling it for several days, adding my own improvisations, often to the distraction of my friends and co-workers.

Do any of our music experts know the title of this tune (if it has one), or the composer? I've been trying to find out for years, and now I'm dying to know!

[Richard Finegan]

While watching A FEATHER IN HER HAT on TCM last week, I was pleasantly surprised by still another use of a singularly delightful hesitation waltz over the opening credits. Columbia used it as main title music in several of its films in the early-to-mid-1930s. I tend to associate it most with IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT and TWENTIETH CENTURY.

I have also heard it in several early episodes of the Lux Radio Theatre from the same period, which leads me to believe it might have been a "stock" arrangement in the music director's library.

Anyway, whenever and wherever I've heard it, I end up humming or whistling if for several days, adding my own improvisations, often to the distraction of my friends and co-workers.

Do any of our music experts know the title of this tune (if it has one), or the composer? I've been trying to find out for years, and now I'm dying to know!

Hi Dan,
The title of the tune is "Charming" and it was composed by Louis Silvers who was Musical Director at Columbia at the time and who wrote much of the incidental music we hear in Columbia features and shorts of that period. After leaving Columbia in the mid-1930's one of his jobs was musical director for The LUX Radio Theater in the late 1930's and that's why the tune is used there. He just sort of brought it with him from Columbia.
I wrote a very detailed piece on the tune and Silvers in "Classic Images" a few years ago in which I listed a few other films in which the tune was used in as well as some other info on it (wish I could remember which issue...)
But basically that's your answer.
It is a charming little tune, isn't it?

[CoffeeDan]

Hey, thanks Richard! I figured if anybody knew the answer, you would. Yes, "Charming" is indeed an appropriate title for the tune. And now the LRT connection makes sense . . .

I tried to find your article on the Classic Images website, but no luck. They list the contents only for issues from 2000 and before. Past issues of CI are still available on the website, so if you remember the date, send me a PM. I'd really like to read it.

[Hal Erickson]

I heard an interesting orchestration of "Chaming"--with a very fast violin crescendo--in, of all places, Andy Clyde's 1935 Columbia 2-reeler I'M A FATHER.

[Richard Finegan]

I heard an interesting orchestration of "Chaming"--with a very fast violin crescendo--in, of all places, Andy Clyde's 1935 Columbia 2-reeler I'M A FATHER.

Yes, that's a cool and unique version (and it's used for the end title, too).
The other versions sound like they're all the same recording as in IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT. But for this Andy Clyde short they certainly did something new and different with it.
I believe it's used for another Columbia short around that time, too, but don't recall which one, right now...perhaps one in the Collins & Kennedy series.

[Richard Finegan]

Someone recently asked the question again - what is that IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT titles music, this time on the TCM Message Boards. I responded there but since I've done further research on the subject since I last posted about it here, I thought I'd post my updated info, including my listing of 15 Columbia films I've (so far) found that tune used in. Can anyone add any more to my list?

IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT titles music:
The title of this tune is "Charming". It was written by Louis Silvers and its first known usage was as main titles music for the movie IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, released February 23, 1934. Columbia used the music again for their movie TWENTIETH CENTURY, released a few months later. The studio continued using it often through 1937 usually as Main Titles music but also occasionally as incidental music during the course of a film. By the way, there is no evidence that the tune ever had lyrics or was ever performed or recorded as a song.

Louis Silvers left Columbia about 1936 for other pursuits, including Musical Director at 20th Century-Fox Pictures and a music director for the radio program "LUX Radio Theatre". He brought his composition "Charming" with him to LUX and it was used there as a theme tune for many shows through the 1940's, including, fittingly, the LUX version of IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, broadcast March 22, 1939.

By the way, the song "Charming" written by Herbert Stothart and Clifford Grey for the 1929 M-G-M Picture DEVIL-MAY-CARE should not be confused with the Louis Silvers composition "Charming".

Over the years each time I discover another Columbia film appearance of the tune "Charming" I have been compiling a listing of them and so far have logged 15 Columbia films in which we may hear the tune "Charming".

In the following list "Charming" is used as the Main Titles music unless noted otherwise.

1. IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (2-23-34).
2. SISTERS UNDER THE SKIN (4-15-34). Used incidentally.
3. TWENTIETH CENTURY (5-11-34).
4. I'M A FATHER (Andy Clyde short) (2-7-35).
5. UNKNOWN WOMAN (7-14-35).
6. SHE MARRIED HER BOSS (9-19-35).
7. JUMP HORSE JUMP ("New World of Sports" short) (9-27-35).
8. PUBLIC MENACE (9-30-35). Used as End Title.
9. A FEATHER IN HER HAT (10-17-35).
10. DANGEROUS INTRIGUE (1-4-36).
11. LADY OF SECRETS (1-25-36). Used incidentally.
12. LUCKY FUGITIVES (1-27-36). Used as Main Title and incidentally.
13. I PROMISE TO PAY (4-21-37). Used incidentally.
14. A WOMAN OF THE WOOD (short) (4-23-37). Used incidentally.
15. THE GOOSE WOMAN (short) (5-30-37). Used incidentally.

I believe "Charming" was also used in some entries of Columbia's "Screen Snapshots" shorts series.

[bobfells]

Richard, thanks for the info. I guess I'm safe in assuming that Silvers never published "Charming" and there is no sheet music available. I'd love to try it out on my piano.