SAY IT ISN'T SO - Dick Powell 1932

Say It Isn't So, early thirties hit sung by young Dick Powell as you've never heard him, crooning like Columbo before he made it big time in Hollywood. I wish the audio was better but this is too good not to let you all hear and enjoy. Dick Powell had been a dance band singer and MC before his movie career. The way he delivers this song was a nice surprise!

Irving Berlin wrote this classic song and Rudy Vallee sang it first over the radio making it a hit. The whole story is that Berlin hadn't had a big hit since Puttin On the Ritz in 1930 and with the changing music sounds of the 30s, felt uncertain if his songs still had public appeal. Rudy Vallee was asked to sing it on his radio show, and it became a smash hit. Top bands recorded it, including Paul Whiteman and Guy Lombardo. Dick Powells version is my favorite. Is it possible that some Warner Brothers exec heard Powell sing this and was moved to contact him for a movie contract? What ever the story, Warners made it so easy for Powell to become a movie star, asking Powell to just do what he did best (in his first film, Blessed Event 1932) , appear as a popular dance band singer crooning over the radio! .Enjoy

update: A big collector friend identified this band as Jack Gilbey and his Orchestra! Thanks a million Geoff!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Say
• It
• Isn't
• So
• Dick
• Powell
• 1932
• 1930s
• music
• hits
• crooner
• Philco
• radio
• Irving
• Berlin
• fox trot
• dance
• Columbo
• Depression
• sweet
• bands

[alexhuxley1]

The story goes that Rudy Vallee's marriage was in trouble but when his wife heard him sing this song they decided to stick together and the marriage was saved! Aaaaah!

[2reeler]

@alexhuxley1 Thanks for this great story. Heres another part: Rudy first saw his wife when she was the girl on a magazine cover. He was so infatuated with the sexy illustration he tracked down the artist that did her picture and got in contact with the model, then began working on her till she agreed to marry him! I read about it in a 1934 Liberty magazine story of Rudy's life. The whole concept of "falling in love with the girl on the magazine cover" was later used in musicals.

[vertxxgg]

no one man singing in hollywood Musicals like Dick

[2reeler]

@vertxxgg Very well said! Thank you for your comment! Amazing that he has so many fans all these years later.

[bedfordbanjoshop]

Thanks for uploading this. There's a 94-year-old woman here in Bedford, PA, who knew Dick Powell when he was an MC in a local movie theater. She'd see him every Saturday until he went to Hollywood.

Mike

[2reeler]

@bedfordbanjoshop Thanks for this awesome story Mike! I bet that elderly gal must have been so proud to follow Dicks carreer and soon see him up on that big movie screen, where she saw him standing on that stage earlier! Amazing! Thanks for sharing this great story!

[MrChinkinabox]

This is beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[plasmoplasmoplasmoer]

im heavily in love with dick powell <3

[honeybee7700]

beautiful

[bedfordbanjoshop]

Hi,

My wife spoke with Lyda, who knew Dick at the Liberty Theater. She has some info for you. Sorry I misplaced your phone #. Please get back to me at bedfordbanjoshop@yahoo.com  I'll send my phone # via personal email.

Mike

[lovintap]

what a great post, love the song and the footage of Dick frolicking out to his pool with his dogs...

[meathwoman100]

Thank you for this song-I had a crush on him long after he was young. That's one of the magic things about the movies, isn't it?