America’s great vernacular songwriter Frank Loesser was born 100 years ago today. To celebrate, cable tv network TCM is showing the film of his Pulitzer Prize winning musical How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, and Neptune’s Daughter which features Loesser’s evergreen duet “Baby It’s Cold Outside” (see and hear below, I hope — much Loesser material seems to have been removed from Amazon today, after I linked to it).
photo courtesy of Loesser family
On the NPR show Fresh Air Michael Feinstein will talk about the Great Man and his lyrics + music. Guys anywhere may be whistling “Standing On The Corner Watching All The Girls Go By,” while dolls are swooning to “If I Were A Bell.” Gamblers will pray that “Luck Be A Lady Tonight,” Danes might hum “Wonderful Copenhagen,” NRA members proclaim “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition,” the lonely complain “They’re Either Too Young Or Too Old,” kid-cowpokes (are there still any?) boast “I’ve Got Spurs That Jingle Jangle Jingle” and nostalgic  oldsters assert “Once In Love With Amy (Always In Love With Amy).” Loesser wrote something for everybody.