'Long Ago and Far Away' - Cover Girl (1944) Discussion

[–] russellld 17 years ago

It's definitely not just you - I agree, and, just for the record, one of the user review comments for this film (posted by "gayitr" in August, 2002) contains the following lines -

As a musical, COVER GIRL benefits from the beautiful score and songs written by Jerome Kern and Ira Gershwin, including the Oscar-nominated 'Long Ago and Far Away' (possibly one of the most gorgeous ballads ever written and beautifully, sweetly sung as a duet by Hayworth and Kelly)...

so that's at least three of us...

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[–] davidlwp 17 years ago

This song embedded intself in my mind when I saw the film in 1944. (I was 11 years old.) I've never forgotten the music or the words since that exposure to it.

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[–] arm61 16 years ago

This song must be one of the most beautiful ones released during WW II. It holds up today. I personally know one Second World War GI (out of many, I am sure, who are still out there) for whom this is a powerfully meaningful piece.

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[–] aliaslost-1 16 years ago

It's definately in the top 5. It simply is...just.....well it pulls at my heart, that i know.

..."call me Bogie"....."why?"..."Because they belong together".....

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[–] OrwellHuxley 15 years ago

I just post it: http://www.jazz-on-line.com/a/mp3c/DECL3409.mp3

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[–] billk51 14 years ago

You would have to consider two other Kern masterpieces: the Oscar winning "The Way You Look Tonight" from the Astaire-Rogers film "Swing Time" and "All The Things You Are" from the flop Broadway show "Very Warm For May." Kern was the master of melody.

"Long Ago and Far Away" lost the best song Oscar in 1945 to Rodgers and Hammersteins' "It Might As Well Be Spring" from the film "State Fair." A fine song, but I would have gone with Kern.

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[–] don-lockwood 14 years ago

Actually, that was the song that won in 1945. The 1944 winning song was the title song from Going My Way.

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[–] joystar5879 13 years ago

Don't forget YOU ARE LOVE, from SHOWBOAT, and DEARLY BELOVED and I'M OLD-FASHIONED, from YOU WERE NEVER LOVELIER, with Fred Astaire and Rita.

Absolutely SUBLIME! Nobody, BUT NOBODY could write music like Jerome Kern.

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[–] scooterberwyn 12 years ago

No, the title song didn't win the Oscar, but the song "Swinging on a Star."

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[–] logicalskeptic 10 years ago

Sorry billk, but "Long Ago and Far Away" lost to Jimmy VanHeusen and Johnny Burke's "Swinging On A Star" from Bing Crosby's "Going My Way?" in 1944. Although I very much like both VanHeusen and Burke I feel their song didn't even compare to Kern and Gershwin's. Bing Crosby and "Going My Way?" held sway and for the life of me I've never really understood how it could.

The Rogers and Hammerstein song was not even in competition with "Long Ago and Far Away" but won in 1945 as you stated.

Only two things are actually knowable:
It is now and you are here. All else is merely a belief.

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[–] GinaRenee 12 years ago

It's got to be pretty high up there on the list! It really is beautiful.

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[–] rdfarnham 10 years ago

For me the movies in the 40s had several great songs. I like this one and "You'll Never Know", from "Hello, Frisco, Hello", about the best.

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[–] ziggystar86 9 years ago

Beautiful song, Gene sang his part really well, hhm need to check out who sang for Rita.

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[–] dramawriter 8 years ago

I was looking up WWII-era love songs (I love the time period - particularly the music) and found Frank Sinatra's rendition - and then I found Jo Stafford's (absolutely lovely by the way) - and then I found Rita/Gene's film version. According to the Cover Girl trivia page on here, Rita was dubbed by Martha Mears (1910-1986), who was sort of the Marni Nixon of the 1940s-1950s - she dubbed Claudette Colbert, Rita, Hedy Lamarr, Veronica Lake, Eva Gabor, Loretta Young, and Lucille Ball.

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[–] greenbudgie 8 years ago

It is a haunting tune as it persists it's way through this film. Another Jerome Kern that I find lingers in the mind is 'Smoke Gets In Your Eyes.' Beautiful.

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