Rex had a favourite tune which is music to Dick Powell's ears when he hears the young lady playing it again on the piano one night. If anyone recognizes the title of this melody, could they please state the title on these boards. Tks very much
Nick Rhodes
It's a traditional Irish song, known as "Cockles and Mussels"
The words are:
In Dublin's fair city, where the girls are so pretty
'Twas there that I first met sweet Molly Malone.
she wheeled her wheelbarrow thru the streets broad and narrow
carying "cockles and mussels alive alive-o!
She was a fishmonger but sure 'twas no wonder
For so were her father and mother before
And they each wheeled their barrow thru,,,,
She died of a fever and no one could save her
And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone.
Her ghost wheels her barrow thru....
thank you very much for your help ! How a traditional Irish melody ended up being music to Rex's ears we'll never know !!
Thanks once again
Nick
[deleted]
Molly Malone was a very popular ballad throughout many countries, not just Ireland.
I remember singing Molly Malone when I was very little in school here in Australia in the 1960's.
The USA has a lot of people of Irish descent and the Irish immigrants probably sang it and it became popular there too.
In the 1950's when this movie was set, I'm sure that Ellen Hathaway, had she existed, would have learned it as a young girl.
A lot of American movies included Irish melodies and ballads. And remember that General George Custer even adopted an Irish drinking song as the theme for his 7th cavalry.
Maybe all this will help you to understand the choice of that tune.