Home | Songs By Year | Songs from 1953
Never Smile at a Crocodile
Buy Never Smile at a Crocodile now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the song. And once you've experienced the song, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
'"Never Smile at a Crocodile"' is a comic song with music by Frank Churchill and lyrics by Jack Lawrence. The music, without the lyrics, was first heard in the Walt Disney Animation Studios film 'Peter Pan'.
History
Churchill, who had composed most of the soundtrack for Disney's 1937 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs', composed "Never Smile at a Crocodile" in 1939 when 'Peter Pan' was already in the planning stage. However, work on four other Disney feature-length cartoons led the studio to shelve the 'Peter Pan' project until 1949. Churchill committed suicide in 1942 and the song was to be his only contribution to the 'Peter Pan' soundtrack. The sung version with Jack Lawrence's lyrics was eliminated from the final print of the film when it was released in 1953. The final soundtrack contains only the instrumental version which is used as a leitmotif whenever the crocodile appears. However, the full version with vocals by Stuart Foster and Judy Valentine was released that same year on an RCA LP of songs from the film.Hischak, Thomas S. and Robinson, Mark A. (2009). [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=dimhg9t2TrUC&pg=PA141 'The Disney Song Encyclopedia'], p. 141. Scarecrow Press.
"Never Smile at a Crocodile" with its original lyrics has been subsequently recorded by several singers including Jerry Lewis and Rolf Harris.Hanson, Bruce K. (2011). [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=k3HHu_CxoWkC&pg=PA331 'Peter Pan on Stage and Screen, 1904-2010', 2d ed.], pp. 202; 209; 331. McFarland. The 1953 Jerry Lewis version became one of the top-10 best-selling children's records that year.'Billboard Magazine' (19 September 1953). [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ZAoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA33&lpg=PA33 "Best-Selling Children's Records"], p. 33. An early Disney demo of the vocal version sung by Henry Calvin was added as a bonus track on later releases of the 'Peter Pan' soundtrack including the 1997 CD release.Maltin, Leonard (4 February 2013). [http://www.indiewire.com/2013/02/the-extended-disney-family-and-peter-pan-180450/ "The Extended Disney Family and 'Peter Pan'"]. 'IndieWire' The song also appears on a 1965 recording by Billy Cotton and his band with vocals by Rita Williams and on the soundtrack of the 2007 film 'Rogue' sung by The Paulette Sisters and Larry Clinton and His Orchestra .Shelley, Peter (2012). [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=rsOSKIVbGUQC&pg=PA223 'Australian Horror Films, 1973-2010'], p. 223. McFarland. This version is briefly featured in the 1998 film 'You've Got Mail' (during the scene where Joe first meets Kathleen) although it is not on the official soundtrack album.
References
Buy Never Smile at a Crocodile now from Amazon
<-- Return to songs from 1953