Clint Eastwood is not only an actor and producer, but he is very much into music, specifically jazz. He is the executive producer of this informative film, Johnny Mercer – The Dream’s On Me, about legendary composer Johnny Mercer, whose songs have touched almost everyone on the planet.
Clips of Johnny Mercer singing his songs and talking about his songs give viewers a whole picture of the man. There are also interviews with John Williams, Michael Feinstein and others who discuss the legacy of the man and his music.
Who does not know the wonderful song “Moon River”? Mercer collaborated with Henry Mancini on that Academy-award winning classic. He also wrote the fabulous words for one of Hollywood’s trademark songs, “Hooray for Hollywood.” The lyrics, “Hooray for Hollywood. That screwy ballyhooey Hollywood,” satirizes the craziness of the film industry.
Johnny Mercer’s Career as a Singer, Songwriter and Actor
Many people do not realize that Johnny Mercer was more than a lyricist. He was also a singer and had many number one songs in his day. He began singing for the Paul Whitman orchestra and at the time he also wrote songs. Mercer proved to excel at everything he tried, except for acting. While he did have a few parts in some films, his acting profession never took off. But that was not a tragedy, as he continued singing and especially writing the songs that are part of today’s Great American Songbook.
Some of his classic tunes include “The Days of Wine and Roses,” “Skylark,” “On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe,” "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening," "One For My Baby," “Dream," "Something's Gotta Give," “Charade,” and “Jeepers Creepers.”
Johnny Mercer’s Talent with Words
He is called “America’s poet.” Johnny Mercer was a master of words. He managed to put words and phrases together that other songwriters would shy away from, and do it in a way that made them endearing to the public. "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive" is a perfect example of this.
While many of his songs were fun, upbeat, and whimsical, there were those that touched the hearts of listeners. “One For My Baby” is a classic example of a “story” song in which the singer croons about being alone in a bar. Frank Sinatra became associated with this tune when he recorded it and made it one of his famous songs of his repertoire.
Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, and others were singers whose careers were boosted by the songs of Johnny Mercer. As a lyricist, Mercer worked with songwriters like Henry Mancini, Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen, Richard Whiting, and John Williams.
Being from the south, Savannah, Georgia, Johnny Mercer blended a lot of jazz with his songs, and brought some of the southern feeling to his tunes.
Johnny Mercer the Man and His Music
Besides his career as a lyricist and singer, this portrait also sheds light on the man himself. He was madly in love with Judy Garland and they had an on-again off-again love affair that spanned many years.
And something most music fans probably do not know is that Johnny Mercer co-founded Capitol Records in 1942. This recording company is still a top label and the Capitol Records tower is an icon in Los Angeles.
Mercer was nominated for many awards and during his life he won four Oscars. He was a part of Broadway and Hollywood for decades and his music will live on as Americana.
Commemorating the 100th Birthday of Johnny Mercer
November 2009 is the 100th birthday of Johnny Mercer and TCM is celebrating all month long.
Johnny Mercer – The Dream’s On Me premiers Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 8 PM ET. Every Wednesday in the month TCM will air classic films which include some of the great songs by Mercer, and on his birthday, November 18, the entire day will be devoted to his work.
Some of the films to air on TCM in November 2009 are: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954), Blues in the Night (1941), Hollywood Hotel (1937), The Harvey Girls (1946), Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), The Days of Wine and Roses (1962), The Americanization of Emily (1964), Li’l Abner (1959), and The Belle of New York (1952).
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