"There's a Small Hotel" (Jack Whiting, 1937)

From the original, 1937 London production of Rodgers & Hart's "On Your Toes":

THERE'S A SMALL HOTEL

There's a small hotel
With a wishing well,
I wish that we were there together.
There's no bridal suite,
One room bright and neat,
Complete for us to share together.

Looking through the window
you can see a distant steeple,
Not a sign of people,
Who wants people?

When the steeple bell
says "Good night, sleep well"
we'll thank that small hotel, together...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From WIKI:

"There's a Small Hotel" is a 1936 popular song composed by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Lorenz Hart originally written for but dropped from the musical "Billy Rose's Jumbo" (1935), then used in On Your Toes (1936), where it was introduced by Ray Bolger and Doris Carson and also interpolated in the film version of Pal Joey (1957) with a fine Frank Sinatra-Nelson Riddle collaboration.

According to Lorenz Hart's biography, Lorenz Hart - A Poet on Broadway (By Frederick Nolan Published 1994 Oxford University Press, ISBN: 0195102894), the song was inspired by a visit by Richard Rodgers to to the Stockton Inn [2], in Stockton NJ.

Another claimant to be the inspiration is the Montecito Inn, in Santa Barbara, California. Renovations to the hotel in the 1950's replaced the wishing well, mentioned in the song, by a floral fountain.
~~~~~~~~~~

More on Jack Whiting, from Answers.Com:

Whiting, Jack (1901-61), singer, dancer, and actor. The Philadelphia‐born song and dance man made his debut in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1922, then for more than three decades played leading or major supporting figures in two dozen musicals. Among his assignments were The Ramblers (1926), Hold Everything! (1928), America's Sweetheart (1931), Take a Chance (1932), Hooray for What! (1937), On Your Toes--London Prod. (1937), Very Warm for May (1939), Beat the Band (1942), Hazel Flagg (1953), and The Golden Apple (1954).

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Jack
• Whiting
• 1937
• Rodgers
• Hart
• On Your Toes
• There's
• small
• hotel
• London
• cast

[diegofromarizona]

anyone hear the jo stafford verson???

[RReady555]

Yes, it's pretty good. Nice if someone posted it on YT. ;)

[genia106]

RR,

WHO WANTS PEOPLE?

I am in love with this song and

Jack Whiting! :-)

Charming and Sophisticated. Thank you.

[RReady555]

Thanks genia--Jack's too rare today; wish he'd recorded more.

Regards,

-RR

[sherwinjtb]

don't get to hear these types of songs much anymore, its a very gentlemanly art hehe

[RReady555]

Here's to a revival of the great style... ;)

[MissBetteDavisFan09]

I love this version of "There's a Small Hotel"! It's tone and presentation brings back the essense of 1930s sophistication; it's like going to the Dining Room of the Ritz Hotel for cocktails and there's a live band serenading the mood as you enter. I wish we had such wonderful music today!

[bbcisrubbish]

@MissBetteDavisFan09. I wish we had music today, especially in the UK which is a desert of electronic trash.

[AJNorth]

For fanciers of swing, there's also the classic up-tempo arrangement by Jimmy Mundy, recorded by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra, vocal by the inimitable Helen Ward for Victor in June, 1936 (also posted at YouTube).

[charliebubblesoar]

Josephine Baker does a French version that is really, really awesome too

[rymeandreason]

A GREAT MELODY , WITH SOME VERY AWKWARD MONENTS , STILL IT HAS SOME GREAT INVENTION , IT IS STUPID AS TO LYRIC , AND DEFINATLY HINTS AS TO A RENDEVOSE OF AN UNMARRIED COUPLE , WITH A CROK ABOUT THE WAY THE PLACE IS DECORECATED . THE SHIFT AT THE END IS REALLY ALMOST BRILLIENT . WELL IT IS AND MAKES A  LVLEY SENTIMENTAL INSTERMINTAL , THE FRANK SIATRA VERSION IS RUINOUS .

[Mr99BOXER]

This is a very good version of the song. But like paulkate 72 the version by Bebe Daniels and Ben Lyons is the "Tops!" In that version Bebe has a very melodic voice and effortlessly carries the tune with her inflections and Ben is perfect. In the song, Bebe says Ben dear. So you know it is their recording. It is by far...the best....rendition of this song!!!!!

[Mr99BOXER]

This is a very good version of the song. But like paulkate 72 the version by Bebe Daniels and Ben Lyons is the "Tops!" In that version Bebe has a very melodic voice and effortlessly carries the tune with her inflections and Ben is perfect. In the song, Bebe says Ben dear. So you know it is their recording. It is by far...the best....rendition of this song!!!!!

[paulkate72]

This is a good song and a good version of the song. Does anyone have the version by Bebe Daniels and Ben Lyon to upload? It's also very good.

Thank you in advance...

[waltandrus]

The CORRECT original lyric! "There's NO Bridal Suite"!

[AdrianCWalker]

This is absolutly charming. A part of our herirage and a part of our grandparents and great grandparents lives!  How wonderful they were to enjoy good music like this!

[Morahman7vnNo2]

Charming, just charming.