SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES
Music: Jerome Kern- Lyrics: Otto Harbach
Year: 1933
Origin of the song
The musical Roberta premiered on 18 November 1933 at the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York. Despite the negative criticism, it reached two hundred and ninety-five representations. This length of time on the billboard was due, in part, to the appeal of Kern and Harbach's songs, among which, in addition to ‘Smoke Gets In Your Eyes’, were ‘I'll Be Hard to Handle’, ‘Yesterdays’ and ‘Let's Begin’. Another of his strong points was a stellar cast that included Fay Templeton, Lyda Roberti, Sydney Greenstreet, George Murphy, Bob Hope and Fred MacMurray. Tamara performed ‘Smoke Gets in Your Eyes’ the night of the premiere, a song that immediately became a hit.
Shortly after finishing the performances on Broadway, the musical was taken to the screen. The film Roberta (1935), produced by RKO Radio Pictures, directed by William A. Seiter and starring Irene Dunne, Randolph Scott, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, was very well received by the audience, both for the perfection of the score and the brilliant dance numbers of Astaire and Rogers. Irene Dunne sang ‘Smoke Gets In Your Eyes’ in the film. A new version of the play, titled Lovely To Look At (1952), did not have the same fate.
Among Kern's extensive production, apart from the above-mentioned songs, the following stand out: ‘They Didn't Believe Me’ (1914), ’Ol' Man River’ (1927), ‘Make Believe’ (1927), 'Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man’ (1927), ‘The Song Is You’ (1932), ’The Way You Look Tonight’ (1936), ‘A Fine Romance’ (1936), ‘Pick Yourself Up’ (1936), 'All the Things You Are' (1939), 'The Folks Who Live on the Hill' (1937), 'The Last Time I Saw Paris' (1941), 'I’m Old Fashioned' (1942), 'Long Ago and Far Away' (1944), and 'Till the Clouds Roll By' (1946).
Versions in the top charts
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
DAY OF ENTRANCE |
PERMANENCE WEEKS |
HIGH POSITION REACHED |
|
|
1933.11.03 |
1933.12.09 |
15 |
1 (six weeks) |
Bob Lawrence (voc) |
|
|
Emil Coleman Riviera Orchestra |
1933.11.14 |
1934.01.06 |
9 |
4 |
Jerry Cooper (voc) |
|
1933.11.28 |
1934.01.06 |
6 |
3 |
Tamara (voc) |
|
|
Ruth Etting |
1934.02.09 |
1934.02.24 |
3 |
15 |
Ruth Etting (voc) |
|
Artie Shaw Gramercy Five |
1940.12.05 |
1941.03.15 |
1 |
24 |
Instrumental |
|
1958.09.24 |
1958.11.17 |
19 |
1 (three weeks) |
Tony Williams, Zola Taylor, David Lynch, Paul Robi, Herb Reed (voc) |
|
|
Richard Barrett |
1958.??.?? |
1958.04.28 |
1 |
94 |
|
|
Blue Haze |
1972.??.?? |
1972.11.11 |
14 |
27 |
Teddy Brown (voc) |
Jazz. Outstanding performances
Instrumental
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1937.07.20 |
Tommy Dorsey (tb, dir), George Erwin, Joe Bauer, Andy Ferretti (tp), Les Jenkins, Walter Mercurio (tb), Johnny Mince (cl), Fred Stulce (as), Skeets Herfurt (as, cl), Bud Freeman (ts), Howard Smith (p), Carmen Mastren (g), Gene Traxler (b), Dave Tough (d) |
|
|
1940.12.05 |
Artie Shaw (cl, dir), Billy Butterfield (tp), Johnny Guarnieri (p), Al Hendrickson (g), Jud deNaut (b), Nick Fatool (d) |
|
|
1941.04.07 |
Teddy Wilson (p) |
|
|
1947.07.16 |
Dodo Marmarosa (p), Barney Kessel (g), Gene Englund (b) |
|
|
1947.10.?? |
Johnny Guarnieri (p) |
|
|
Don Byas et Ses Rythmes |
1952.04.10 |
Don Byas (ts), Art Simmons (p), Joe Benjamin (b), Bill Clark (d) |
|
1953.12.07 |
Oscar Peterson (p), Barney Kessel (g), Ray Brown (b) |
|
|
1954.05.11 |
Thelonious Monk (p), Ray Copeland (tp), Frank Foster (ts), Curly Russell (b), Art Blakey (d) |
|
|
1955.01.19 |
Clifford Brown (tp), Richie Powell (p), Barry Galbraith (g), George Morrow (b), Max Roach (d), Neal Hefti Orchestra |
|
|
1961.02.17 |
Ramsey Lewis (p), Eldee Young (b), Redd Holt (d) |
|
|
1985.07.29 |
Duke Jordan (p), Jesper Lundgaard (b), Billy Hart
(d) |
|
|
Keith Jarrett Trio |
1989.10.15 |
Keith Jarrett (p), Gary Peacock (b), Jack DeJohnette (d) |
|
1994.??.?? |
Jacky Terrasson (p), Ugonna Ogekwo (b), Leon Parker (d) |
|
|
Pearl Django |
2000.10.?? |
Neil Andersson, Dudley Hill, Shelley D. Park (g), Michael Gray (vn), Rick Leppanen (b), David Lange (aco) |
|
Keith Jarrett Trio |
2001.04.30 |
Keith Jarrett (p), Gary Peacock (b), Jack DeJohnette (d)
In The Metropolitan Festival Hall, Tokyo (Japan) |
|
Harvey Mason Trio |
2003.??.?? |
Harvey Mason Sr. (d), Bob James (p), Charlie Haden (b) |
Vocal
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1946.10.30 |
Nat Cole (voc, p), Oscar Moore (g), Johnny Miller (b) |
|
|
1952.07.23 |
Billy Eckstine (voc), Bobby Tucker (p), Barney Kessel (g), Red Callender (b), Lee Young (d) |
|
|
1955.11.10 |
Dinah Washington (voc), Paul Quinichette (ts), Wynton Kelly (p), unidentified (tb, g), Keter Betts (b), Jimmy Cobb (d), unidentified (bon), string section, Hal Mooney (dir) |
|
|
1956.??.?? |
Jeri Southern (voc), Toots Camarata Orchestra |
|
|
1958.12.15 |
Sarah Vaughan (voc), Thad Jones, Wendell Culley, Snooky Young, Joe Newman (tp), Henry Coker, Al Grey, Benny Powell (tb), Marshall Royal (as, cl), Frank Wess (as, ts, cl), Frank Foster, Billy Mitchell (ts), Charlie Fowlkes (bars), Ronnell Bright (p), Freddie Green (g), Richard Davis (b), Sonny Payne (d) |
|
|
1999.09.09 |
Freddy Cole (voc), Lew Soloff (tp), Lou Marini (fl, as), Gary Smulyan (bars), Cedar Walton (p), George Mraz (b), Curtis Boyd (d) |
On cinemas
The song 'Smoke Gets In Your Eyes' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:
|
ORIGINAL TITLE |
TITLE IN SPAIN |
YEAR OF PRODUCTION |
PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM |
|
Roberta |
Roberta |
1935 |
Irene Dunne; Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers (dance) |
|
Till The Clouds Roll By |
Hasta que las nubes pasen |
1946 |
Cyd Charisse and Gower Champion (dance) |
|
Lovely To Look At |
El amor nació en Paris |
1952 |
Kathryn Grayson; Gower & Marge Champion (dance) |
|
Die Bitteren tranen der Petra von Kant |
Las amargas lágrimas de Petra von Kant |
1972 |
The Platters |
|
American Graffiti |
American Graffiti |
1973 |
The Platters |
|
That’s Entertainment, Part II |
Hollywood, Hollywood |
1976 |
Secuence of 'Lovely To Look At' |
|
Night of the Creeps |
El terror llama a su puerta |
1986 |
The Platters |
|
La Bamba |
La Bamba |
1987 |
The Platters |
|
Good Morning, Vietnam |
Buenos días, Vietnam |
1987 |
Ray Conniff |
|
Someone To Watch Over Me |
La sombra del testigo |
1987 |
Irene Dunne |
|
Always |
Para siempre |
1989 |
The Platters |
|
Kill Me Again |
La muerte golpea dos veces |
1989 |
Dinah Washington |
|
Chaplin |
Chaplin |
1992 |
|
|
Four Weddings And A Funeral |
Cuatro bodas y un funeral |
1994 |
|
|
Les roseaux sauvages |
Los juncos salvajes |
1994 |
The Platters |
|
Smoke |
Smoke |
1995 |
Jerry García Band |
|
Why Do Fools Fall in Love |
A tres bandas |
1998 |
The Platters |
|
October Sky |
Cielo de octubre |
1999 |
The Platters |
|
Payback |
Payback |
1999 |
Vic Damone |
|
Te con il Duce |
Té con Mussolini |
1999 |
Cher |
|
Hearts In Atlantis |
Corazones en Atlántida |
2001 |
The Platters |
|
Being Julia |
Conociendo a Julia |
2004 |
Alison Jiear |
|
5 x 2 Cinq fois deux |
5 X 2 (Cinco veces dos) |
2004 |
The Platters |
|
Breakfast on Pluto |
Desayuno en Plutón |
2005 |
Billy Livsey |
|
Zui hao de shi guang |
Tiempos de amor, juventud y libertad |
2005 |
The Platters |
|
Blue Valentine |
Blue Valentine |
2010 |
The Platters |
|
Somewhere |
Somewhere |
2010 |
Bryan Ferry |
|
Hello, My Name Is Doris |
Hello, My Name is Doris |
2015 |
The Platters |
|
45 Years |
45 años |
2015 |
The Platters |