Hollywood in the 40s was a very small town. Even though there were great stars by today's standards everybody was friendly and, in almost all instances, tried to help each other up the ladder of creativity.
There was a house on Oakhurst Drive in Beverly Hills which really was my High School of Performing Arts. It belonged to the great lyricist Johnny Burke. He collaborated with many melody writers but his greatest success came with the talents of James Van Heusen. I probably am overly sentimental about the latter affiliation simply because I was Van Heusen's roommate. He was the landlord of a house on Rodeo Drive and I was looking for a place to live and work and he offered me a partnership which meant a great deal to me at the time and forever.
They weren't lucky on Broadway even though the song Here's That Rainy Day came from one of their Broadway expeditions. I somehow miss the artistry that emanated from the pens of people of this stature. Van Heusen's melodies and Burke's warm and meaningful lyrics are part and parcel our culture and will live with us for many more years.
I'm personally indebted to Mary for putting these songs together once again. In this confused era of contemporary music its nice to sit down and listen to something that shows quality from all directions. If you haven't been a fan you will be when you hear Mary sing these beautiful songs. From an older roommate I'm glad I was there when all of this was booming. |
