Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Baby, is it cold outside?


Panorama photo of my snowy view from the balcony. Click to enlarge.


Oh yes, it's friggin' ice cold. But that's not what I was referring to in the title.

I almost had my dreams of a perfect Christmas crushed by people on the Internet. Why? Because they are probably right. But I don't care. I don't! (Okay, I do. But I will push those feelings away into a deep, dark corner of my mind where it will never reach the surface ever again.)

The problem is this. I have an absolute favorite Christmas song: "Baby, It's Cold Outside". I just realized that it's two days left before Christmas (in Sweden we celebrate on Christmas Eve, the 24th), and I still haven't listened to a single Christmas song. Off to YouTube to find my favorite of them all.

Yes, I was a 100% sure that it was Bing Crosby and Doris Day that sang that song. And that made me happy, and I built my love for Bing around that performance. And then some people say that it in actuality is NOT Crosby and Day, but instead Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer. "Yeah, right. Suckers." was my initial reaction. But then those names popped up everywhere, followed by "most people think that it's Bing Crosby and Doris Day, but..."
I did NOT like that. I had to research to save myself.





Wikipedia mentions a 1949 recording of the song with Whiting and Mercer, and a hell of a lot of other artists - but not a word about a Crosby/Day collaboration. My heart started beating fast, and I saw how my dear, wonderful Christmas was starting to fall apart.

Then I just bet everything on one card, namely Google Fight. The result of the match:





Ha! Take that, unbelievers!
Okay, I know that most people thing they know something and then act as if it's the only right answer. But I don't care - this time I will go with the flow like a dead fish and stand by my claim that it is indeed Bing Crosby and Doris Day that sing that wonderful song together. History has been altered before, and I'm doing it now.



If the Commies could change history, so can I!


I just pieced by shattered Christmas together again.

According to every American jolly happy-go-lucky cliché Christmas film ever made, Christmas is all about loving, caring, understanding and forgiving. Therefore I will officially withdraw my Doris Day allergy and revise it into acceptance and mild adoration. I really could not stand her before (accept for the lovely song briefly mentioned in this post), but I have changed my mind this very day. A quite ordinary, but very entertaining, 1960's sex comedy about spies called The Glass Bottom Boat (1966) aired on TCM today. I watched it, laughed and actually liked Doris Day's ordinary looks, self distance and sense of humor.
In about 30 years or so I will probably be able to accept the combination of Doris Day and Rock Hudson. Hu-ha.



Publicity still for The Glass Bottom Boat.


Now, let's listen to the best of the best Christmas songs, sung by Bing Crosby and Doris Day. I wish you all, lovely readers, a Merry Christmas.

Read

Baby It's Cold Outside Lyrics

here.



Lolita and the World of Bad Photoshopping
wish you all a Merry Christmas!

14 comments:

Abe Lucas said...

I'm pleased (or shocked; don't know yet) that we've posted two wildly wacky entries mere minutes apart! "Great minds rip each other off", I always say.

BTW, I think that the Doris Day pic is from "Caprice." But then, I don't know for sure.

Lolita of the Classics said...

C.K. Dexter Haven:
Haha, that's it! I bet there is some telepathy going on, too ;)

Well, there was a scene in The Glass Botton Boat where she was dressed up like that, but perhaps that was a fun reference to Caprice? She was wearing it when Rod Taylor imagined her as a cold-blooded spy, so the context was very humorous. And Napoleon Solo made a cameo!

Meredith said...

haha i love how into it they get in that video.

Abe Lucas said...

You're probably right abou Glass Bottom Boat. However, Caprice is a much better film thatn its reputaion suggests, but then I love 1960s spy stuff.

Robert Vaughn! Here's an actor that should've been HUGE! Too bad, because I've always loved his cold, reptillian demeanor. The man is a real-life PH.D, too.

Merry Christmas to you too, pal. :)

Dymon Enlow said...

I just realized as I was reading your post that my cat, Rambo, is snoring in my ear.

monty said...

Come on Lolita...Doris Day is terrific. I haven't seen Glass Bottom Boat but I have seen several other of her films. I thought she was really funny and had a great singing voice. Swing by my page and check out the link to The Doris Day Page, me and Dawn blog about all things Doris. We have weekly discussions on one Day movie a week also. If you're interested that is. By the way love your pic outside of your balcony. Very beautiful.

Lolita of the Classics said...

Meredith:
Yeah, aren't they cute? The young generation... haha.

C.K. Dexter Haven:
If I would guess my favorite "mainstream genre", I bet 1960's spy movies are big favorites! Even when they are bad they are good.
I'm a little in love with Robert Vaughn, actually.

Darsh:
After a while one fails to notice. Especially when one reads intriguing posts by the great Lolita.
By the way - I just watched the "cerealiously" episode. "It's the manbearpig!"

Monty:
Woah! Sorry if I insulted any Doris fans, I just thought she really seemed too "perfect American housewife dream" for my taste. Especially when she jumoed around singing "Que Sera Sera" in The Man Who Knew Too Much. Not very Hitchcock-like!
Oh, I'll swing by! I have promised myself to give her a shot, and I will!

Matthew Coniam said...

What about after Christmas?

Mykal Banta said...

Lolita: Beautiful Christmas card. Darn, now I have to add something to my christmas list. -- Mykal

Lolita of the Classics said...

Matthew Coniam:
After Christmas I will take back the offer ;)

Mykal:
Haha, now people start commenting on my Christmas card! Maybe I was a little too crazy with my photoshopping?
Oh, so Mykal wants a bad santa/elf/whatever-it's-supposed-to-be with black lace gloves for Christmas?

monty said...

That's cool Lolita. Great about meeting fans of different tastes on here. I mean if everyone liked the same thing or people it would be very boring. There are a few big actors and actors that I don't care for that would probably shock some people. And about Doris, you're right, in some roles she can be a little too perfect and sweet and good. I mean I love the parody they did of her in Grease. I laughed because it was true. Anyway, just wanted to reply to your reply. Talk to ya later.

Mykal Banta said...

Lolita: I always see the good in the baddest elf, Lolita! -- Mykal

Tom said...

Hi Lolita! This is one of my favorite songs too. (Also won the 1949 Oscar for Best Song from the movie Neptune's Daughter) I thought there was a version with Bing and Doris too. I could be wrong, but I think they may have done a duet of this on Bing's radio program one year. For sure there was a version with her and Bob Hope, which I just found on you tube. Merry Christmas! (Is that you scared of Santa? Ha Ha)

Lolita of the Classics said...

Tom:
Well, I do realize that I'm probably very wrong (explained by my Lenin/Trotsky parallel, hehe)!
And no, I was a much prettier child. Just found that Santa pic on the Internet and wanted to include it here to bring some Christmas spirit ;) I was however VERY scared of Santa when I was a child. I honestly remember him as being 11ft tall and laughing like Dr. Evil.