HMR Project: History of Music & Modern Recording

Gracie Fields Suffers a Passionate Apache Dance

Gracie Fields

Gracie Fields, born on 9 January 1898 in Lancashire, England, was a British actress and vocalist with a sense of humor. Wikipedia has her performing professionally as early as 1910 at the Rochdale Hippodrome Theatre. Five years later she acquired manager, Archie Pitt, whom she would marry in 1923. They staged their first revue together in 1915 titled 'Yes I Think So', then toured Great Britain together through several productions until 1924. In the meantime she'd made a couple of unissued recordings as a comedian for HMV in 1923: 'Deedle Deedle Dum' and 'Romany Love'. Laird ['Moanin' Low: A Discography of Female Popular Vocal Recordings 1920-1933'] has her on a couple more unissued titles in April of 1928 with an unidentified orchestra: 'Because I Love You' went down again on 3 May with 'My Blue Heaven' toward HMV B2733.

'My Blue Heaven' Gracie Fields

3 May 1928 in London Matrix Bbl3261-l HMV B2733

Composition: George Whiting / Walter Donaldson

'Take a Good Look at Mine' Gracie Fields

13 Jan 1929 in London Matrix Bbl5547-3 HMV B2965

Music: Dan Dougherty Lyrics: Phil Ponce

Fields' first film was 'Sally In Our Alley' in 1931 followed by 'Looking On the Bright Side' in 1932. In 1933 she established the Gracie Fields Children's Home and Orphanage. After her divorce from Pitt in 1939 she donated the house in which they had lived (with Pitt's mistress) to a maternity hospital. In 1940 she and new husband, Italian film director Monty Banks, moved to Santa Monica, California, to avoid his getting inducted into the military. She was in New York City to star in the Broadway production of 'Top-Notchers' for three weeks in 1942.

'He's Dead But He Won't Lie Down' Gracie Fields

From film 'Looking on the Bright Side' released 21 November 1932

Composition: Michael Carr / William Haines / Jimmy Harper

IMDb Wikipedia

'Little Man, You've Had a Busy Day' Gracie Fields

8 July 1934 Matrix OB-7438-6 HMV B8210

Composition: Al Hoffman / Mabel Wayne / Maurice Sigler

Fields starred in the film, 'Queen of Hearts' in 1936. She therein performed a comic version of the French 'Apache Dance' aka 'Dance of Death' aka 'Dance of the Underworld'. This dance has nothing to do with Indians, being pronounced ah-pahsh, not uh-patch-ee. Performed to Jacques Offenbach's 'Valse des Rayons' from the 1861 ballet, 'Le Papillon', the 'Apache Dance' was created by dancers, Maurice Mouvet and Max Dearly, in 1908. It is unclear what relation, if any, it may have to the earlier 'Bowery Waltz' performed by James T. Kelly and Dorothy Kent in 1897 or the 'Tough Dance' of 1902 performed by Kid Foley and Sailor Lil.

'Bowery Waltz' Silent film 1897 in NYC

Dancing: James T. Kelly and Dorothy Kent

'Tough Dance' Silent film 1902 in NYC

Dancing: Kid Foley and Sailor Lil

Apache Dance

'La tournée des grands ducs' Silent film by Pathé Frères 1910 in France

('The Tour of the Grand Dukes')

Directed by Léonce Perret Dancing: Polaire and Gaston Silvestre

Piano accompaniment by Fernand Le Borne

IMDb Wikimedia Commons

'Les Vampires' Silent film by Gaumont released 23 Nov 1916 in France

Directed by Louis Feuillade Dancing: Possibly Georgette Faraboni Male unidentified

IMDb Wikipedia

Apache Dance

'Sunshine of Paradise Alley' Silent film released 15 Dec 1926 in the US

Directed by Jack Nelson for Chadwick Pictures Dancing: unidentified

IMDb LOC Wikipedia

Apache Dance

'Now for Alexis and Dorrano' Film released by Pathe in London 1934

Dancing: The Adagio Dancers

British Pathe

Apache Dance by Gracie Fields

'Queen of Hearts' Film released by Associated British in the UK on 5 Oct 1936

Directed by Monty Banks Dancing: Unidentified other than Fields

British Comedy Guide Gracie Fields IMDb Wikipedia

'Goodnight My Love' Gracie Fields

Decca F6403 / Rex 9116 1937

Composition: Harry Revel / Mack Gordon for the 1936 film 'Stowaway'

'A Foggy Day in London Town' Gracie Fields

5 Jan 1938 Matrix R-2563-1 Rex 9237

Composition: George & Ira Gershwin

'Whistle While You Work' Gracie Fields

22 Feb 1938 in London Matrix R-2625-1 Rex 9258

Music: Frank Churchill Lyrics: Larry Morey

Comp for the 1937 film 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'

'The Sweetest Song in the World' Gracie Fields

From the film 'We're Going to Be Rich' released 3 July 1938

Composition: Harry Parr-Davies 1938

Gracie Fields IMDb Wikipedia

'Walter, Walter (Lead Me to the Altar)' Gracie Fields

From the film 'We're Going to Be Rich' released 3 July 1938

Composition: William Haines / Jimmy Harper / Eugene Butler

Gracie Fields IMDb Wikipedia

'Two Sleepy People' Gracie Fields w Tommy Fields

17 Feb 1939 Matrix OGF-20-1 Regal Zonophone MR2996

Composition: Hoagy Carmichael / Frank Loesser

Apache Dance

From the film 'Montmarte Madness' directed by Arthur Dreifuss

Released by Columbia Pictures in the US on 2 June 1939

Dance troupe: Les Mazzone Apaches

IMDb

'Woodpecker Song' Gracie Fields

7 March 1940 in Hollywood Matrix PBS-042558-1 Regal Zonophone MR3288

Composition: Al Stillman / James Paul McGrane

'Little Curly Hair in a High Chair' Gracie Fields

7 March 1940 in Hollywood Matrix PBS-042559-1 Columbia FB 2448

Composition: Nat Simon / Charles Tobias

Apache Dance w Jimmy Durante

From the film 'You're in the Army Now' directed by Lewis Seiler

Released by Warner Brothers in the US on 25 Dec 1941

Dancing: Armando & Lita

IMDb Wikipedia

'Swinging on a Star' Gracie Fields

Radio broadcast of 1943

Music: Jimmy Van Heusen Lyrics: Johnny Burke

'Lord's Prayer' Gracie Fields

From the film 'Stage Door Canteen' directed by Frank Borzage

Released by United Artists in the US on 22 Nov 1943

Music by Albert Hay Malotte

Text of 'The Lord's Prayer': Matthew 6:9-13 / Luke 11:2–4

IMDb Wikipedia

'I'll Get By (As Long As I Have You)' Gracie Fields

Radio broadcast of 1945

Music: Fred E. Ahlert Lyrics: Roy Turk 1928

During World War II Fields entertained Allied troops. Returning to Great Britain after the war, Fields had her own BBC radio show in 1947: 'Our Gracie's Working Party'. Her issue of 'Now Is the Hour' reached the #3 spot on the charts in America in January of 1948 [Music VF], She also sang at the London Palladium that year.

'Forever and Ever' Gracie Fields w the Robert Farnon Orchestra

23 October 1948 Decca F9031

Music: Franz Winkler Lyrics: Malia Rosa 1948

Upon the death of Gracie's husband, Banks, in 1950, she married a Romanian radio repairman, Boris Alperovic, two weeks later, then somewhat afterward established La Canzone Del Mare, a bathing and restaurant complex for the very rich on the Isle of Capri.

'At the End of the Day' Gracie Fields w the Robert Farnon Orchestra

Decca F9713 Matrix DR 16142 Issued Sep 1951

Composition: Donald O'Keefe

Fields appeared numerously in American television, including eight dates on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' from 1953 to 1959. In the meantime she issued her highly popular plate in the UK, 'Around the World' / 'Far Away' in 1957 on Columbia. That was also released in the United States where Fields had attracted a limited audience throughout her career.

'Christopher Robin Is Saying His Prayers' Gracie Fields Television

'The Ed Sullivan Show' 5 April 1953

Music: Harold Fraser-Simson Lyrics: A.A. Milne

'We’ll Pray For You' Gracie Fields Coronation of Elizabeth II

'Henry Hall’s Guest Night' on BBC radio from Westminster Abbey 2 June 1953

'Around The World' Gracie Fields w Tony Osborne and His Orchestra & Chorus

Matrix 1 CA 24065-1 L Columbia DB 3953 1957

Composition: Harold Adamson / Victor Young

'Now is the Hour' Gracie Fields w Tony Osborne and His Orchestra & Chorus

'The Big Record' television show w Patti Page 1958

Composition

Fields published her memoir, 'Sing As We Go', in 1960. In 1978 she opened the Gracie Fields Theatre in Lancashire. It was January 1979 when Fields made her last television appearance on 'The Merv Griffin Show', the same year she was made Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.