On this International Day of Happiness, The "Thanks for the Memory" Oscar-Winning Lyricist Has Brought Great Happiness to the World: Now the Hollywood Walk of Fame Should Honor its Duty to Install "#LeosLostStar" as Awarded to Him Over 30 Years Ago
*SHERMAN OAKS, CA / ACCESSWIRE / March 20, 2021 /* On this celebration of this March 20 day, which has been established as the annual International Day of Happiness, Leo Robin Music wishes everyone true happiness and wellbeing. "His lyrics struck such a positive note...such hopeful themes...The feelings of joy he conveyed will lift hearts for generations to come. And if you don't believe that, just hum the lyrics of "Beyond the Blue Horizon" a few times. I guarantee you'll never have to visit an analyst." Bob Hope said this in his eulogy of lyricist Leo Robin on January 2, 1985. Last year, Leo Robin Music celebrated this Day of Happiness with the choice of "Beyond the Blue Horizon."
In praising Leo Robin, Bob Hope was spot on about "The feelings of joy he conveyed" in his lyrics and his songs, and it wasn't difficult to make a selection from the Leo Robin songbook for this year's March 20 day of 2021. Leo Robin Music celebrates this Day of Happiness with the choice of "Up With the Lark" to bring happiness to the world and and lift everyone's spirits. Leo Robin wrote the lyrics to this cheerful jazz standard, composed by Jerome Kern, which was introduced in the 1946 musical film Centennial Summer directed by Otto Preminger. It was produced in response to the hugely successful 1944 MGM musical film Meet Me in St. Louis, which starred Judy Garland. This song was again popularized by jazz pianist Bill Evans in the 1970s, who performed it regularly as a part of his set and he would take it wherever he went in live performances around the world.
The cheerful song "Up With the Lark," composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Leo Robin,
was introduced at the beginning of the film Centennial Summer in 1946 by various members of a Philadelphia household played by
Jeanne Crane, Linda Darnell and Walter Brennan followed by a performance of the song by jazz pianist Bill Evans at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1975
More than 30 years ago, in 1988, both Cherie Robin, and actor, Bob Hope, wanted to see to it that Leo would be acknowledged for the legacy that Roy Trakin reported on in his Variety article, "Thanks for the Memory: How Leo Robin Helped Usher In the Golden Age of Song in Film." To this end, Cherie Robin and Bob Hope sponsored Leo for a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Tragically, Cherie Robin never received the good news about Leo's star because she passed away on May 28, 1989, a little over one year before the letter from the Hollywood Chamber was sent out on June 18, 1990 announcing that her husband had been awarded the star. As a result of these ill-fated circumstances, Leo's star was never installed.
On July 6, 2017, Leo's grandson discovered Leo's long-lost star when he stumbled upon it on the internet. When, later that day, the grandson called the Hollywood Chamber and spoke to Ms. Martinez, he told her about his discovery of Leo's long-lost star; she officially confirmed it was true and said, "Nothing like this has ever happened before."
Almost two years later on May 23, 2019, Ashley Lee from the Los Angeles Times first broke the grandson's serendipitous discovery in her story, "Leo Robin never got his Walk of Fame star. Now his grandson is fighting for it." When, more than 30 years ago, the acceptance letter was mailed to Mrs. Robin (deceased) and subsequently returned to sender, Ms. Lee reported what happened, "The envelope was returned to its sender and has since remained in the Chamber of Commerce's records." She also tweeted, "at first I didn't believe that Leo Robin's star had really slipped through the cracks" with a photo of that acceptance letter and the envelope stamped "RETURN TO SENDER." The Hollywood Chamber made no attempt to notify the co-sponsor, Bob Hope, who has four stars on the Walk.
In The Jerome Kern Encyclopedia, Thomas S. Hischak gives this background on the song chosen for this March 20 day of 2021, "Up With the Lark" is the exhilarating waltz that Kern and lyricist Leo Robin wrote for the period movie musical Centennial Summer (1946). The chipper "good morning" song was sung at the beginning of the film and at various points later on by various members of a Philadelphia household played by Kathleen Howard, Jeanne Crane (dubbed by Louanne Hogan), Constance Bennett, Dorothy Gish, Buddy Swan, Linda Darnell (dubbed by Kay St. Germaine) and Walter Brennan. At the end of the movie the song was reprised by the Frenchman Phillippe Lascalles (Cornell Wilde) and Philadelphian Julia Rogers (Crain/Hogan). Kern's music uses rests after the initial notes in each musical phrase, giving the waltz a lovely flavor. Barbara Carroll, June Ericson, Bill Evans and Barry Tuckwell are among the handful who recorded "Up With the Lark."
This song was again popularized by jazz pianist Bill Evans in the 1970s, who performed it regularly as an upbeat waltz during live appearances, sounding especially inspired in duets with the talented young bassist Marc Johnson on several live CDs. He would take it wherever he went in live performances around the world from The Netherlands to Tokyo in '73, the Monterey Jazz Festival to Switzerland in '75, Madison Union Theater in Madison, Wisconsin (well-known as On A Monday Evening) in '76 to other places in between and Paris to Stuttgart, Germany to Boston and to Iowa in '79. Pianist Dave Catney along with clarinetist Putte Wickmann are among other jazz artists who recorded this jazz standard.
Rehearsing around the piano. Standing from left to right: legendary actor Bob Hope, singer -actress Shirley Ross and
Leo Robin with Ralph Rainger playing the piano.The Famous Songwriting Team -- Leo Robin and Ralph Rainger --
received the Academy Award for Best Song in 1938 for "Thanks for the Memory" and the tune became Bob Hope's signature song
The officials of the Hollywood Chamber should take Bob Hope's advice and hum the lyrics of "Beyond the Blue Horizon" and/or "Up With the Lark"* *a few times. The happiness they get from humming these songs may cheer up these very unhappy people and assist in resolving the dispute between Leo Robin Music and the Hollywood Chamber regarding the, as of yet, uninstalled star awarded to Leo Robin more than 30 years ago. In contradiction to its mission, the Hollywood Chamber is not doing justice to the nomination of Robin. Instead we are witness to the injustice of Leo's long-lost star and the Hollywood Chamber's refusal to honor their commitment to his memory.
It has always been true when a letter has been "Return to Sender," the sender will verify the address and resend it. In 1990, the Hollywood Chamber obstructed installation of the star when it placed the acceptance letter that was returned to sender in its files and made no attempt to resend it. The Hollywood Chamber made no attempt to notify the sponsor, Bob Hope, who was one of the most famous entertainers in the world at the time. The Hollywood Chamber must have had Bob Hope's number from their own dealings with him. What the Chamber did after the letter was (marked) "Return to Sender" was not customary practice but smacks of disregard for the individuals honored by the Walk of Fame Committee.
Throughout the past sixty years, the Hollywood Chamber has successfully kept track of 2,694 honorees and has seen to it that each and every one of them received a star, which was then successfully installed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame -- except for Leo Robin. On this International Day of Happiness, one can't help but conclude that Leo Robin has been treated unjustly by the Hollywood Chamber. Johnny Grant, the honorary mayor of Hollywood for life, was proud of his mission in life of bringing the Hollywood story to everyone and in 1987, the town's centennial year, he told Times columnist Jack Smith about Hollywood, "It's a magic word all over the world." It's about time for the Hollywood Chamber to preserve the Hollywood magic and happiness and to honor the decision made by the 1990 Walk of Fame Committee, which was presided over by Johnny Grant, and honor its vow to put Leo's long-lost star in its rightful place on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
For more information, visit the Newsroom at the official website of Leo Robin at http://leorobin.com/.
*About Leo Robin Music*
Leo Robin Music manages the copyrights of songs written by Leo Robin, who was known as the "Dean of Lyric Writers." He created lyrics that have inspired popular music and become part of the fabric of our culture. Considered to be one of the most influential songwriters of the 20th Century, he wrote many of the country's most popular jazz standards including "Blue Hawaii," "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," "Easy Living," "If I Should Lose You," "My Ideal," "Prisoner of Love" and "Thanks for the Memory."
*CONTACT:*
Scott D. Ora
President - Leo Robin Music
thanks4thememory@icloud.com
(818) 618-2572
Leo Robin (@LeoRobinMusic) / Twitter
*SOURCE:* Leo Robin Music
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