Vincent Lopez

Turner Classic Movies is the marvel of the cable TV universe. There are no commercials! When movies fail to fill the designated time slots, TCM fills in with travelogues, previews, and other "shorts" (but, sadly, never cartoons) that we fondly remember from our days at the neighborhood cinema.

Last night, TCM showed a 10 minute "short" from 1939 featuring Vincent Lopez and his Orchestra. Now, Vincent Lopez was my parents' favorite bandleader. They planned their wedding night at the Hotel Taft in NYC because Vincent Lopez was playing there. If not for their shared affection for Vincent, they might never have gotten together and I would not be here today.

I'd never seen or heard Old Vince in action. I figured him as a second rate Xavier Cugat, all frilly sleeves, fruit bowl on the head, 30s caricature of Latin Culture. The "short" showed Vincent as a dapper, tuxedo-clad pianist, his orchestra as Glenn Miller wannabes replete with the deal where the brass section chants catch phrases while the reed section plays. It featured Betty Hutton "America's #1 Jitterbug" as the requisite girl singer / dancer. My opinion of my parents' musical taste skyrocketed. These guys were cool and unlike the dour Lawrence Welk types that I remembered actually seemed to be having fun.

Then I realized that 1939 was every bit of 70 years ago. The "short's" final number had Betty backed by the male quartet. They were all smoking cigarettes while singing, apparently to give the song a sophisticated look. How tough it must be to hit that high C after a drag on a Chesterfield. I'm surprised that Vincent would allow it.