Johnny Mercer
Estados Unidos (1909 - 1976)
Fue uno de los compositores estadounidenses más destacados. Sus canciones se hicieron famosas que el mismo y otros interpretaron. Sus letras tenían algo especial, llenas de sentimiento, tranquilas, capaces de llegar al corazón. «Alguien dijo una vez: “Sus estaban llenas de montañas y prados, nieblas y bosques. Sus canciones fueron inclusivas; celebraron el corazón y el hombre común de una manera que nadie lo había hecho».
A Mercer le encantaba cantar en el coro de la iglesia, pero también estaba interesado en la interpretación, llegando a convertirse en compositor profesional. Al unirse a un club de actuación local, fue con ellos a Nueva York, donde Broadway lo cautivó al instante.
Su primer estreno importante fue con la canción; «Out of Breath, and Scared To Death Of You» (1930). Años más tarde le preguntaron sobre cómo había escrito esta buena canción y respondió; «Cuando eres joven y tienes hambre, puedes lograr muchísimo». En 1932 Paul Whiteman organizó un concurso para encontrar un nuevo vocalista para su banda y Mercer fue el ganador. Pronto no solo cantaba, sino que además escribía canciones para el grupo.
Con 23 años conoció a Hoagy Carmichael, compositor y cantante. Le pidió a Mercer que escribiera la letra de una melodía. «Lazybones» (título de la canción), se convirtió en el primero de muchos éxitos que Carmichael y Mercer escribirían juntos. Aquello le dio la oportunidad de trabajar con Harold Arlen o Benny Goodman. Y poco tiempo después RKO Pictures lo invitó a Hollywood para escribir canciones para las películas.
Era un hombre emprendedor y creativo. A principios de los años 40 tenía su propio programa de radio llamado ‘Johnny Mercer’s Music Shop’, en el que contaba historias divertidas, interpretaba sus propias canciones y presentaba a otros cantantes. Cuando no estaba en el aire, estaba ocupado escribiendo nuevas canciones, y con Hoagy Carmichael escribió un musical de Broadway de corta duración llamado ‘Walk With Music’ (1940).
En 1942 fundó ‘Capitol Records’. En su programa de radio transmitía sus propios discos, así como los de otros artistas The Pied Pipers, The Nat «King» Cole Trio, Margaret Whiting o la Orquesta Tommy Dorsey, con un joven vocalista llamado Frank Sinatra. Para 1946, Capitol ya era una de las compañías discográficas más grandes y exitosas del país.
Mercer nunca dejó de escribir canciones y continuó colaborando a través de los años con Harold Arlen, su amigo Carmichael, Jerome Kern, Jimmie Van Heusen etc. Escribió musicales de Broadway y partituras de películas. En 1951 ganó el Oscar a la mejor canción por «In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening», de la película ‘Here Comes the Groom. Su carrera está llena de películas importantes.
En los años 60, trabajaría con Henry Mancini escribiendo dos de sus canciones más importantes y emotivas, «Moon River» (Desayuno con diamantes, 1961) y «Días de vino y rosas» (Días de vino y rosas, 1962). Juntos harían la música de las películas, ‘Darling Lili’ (1970) y ‘La carrera del siglo’ (1965).
Reconocimientos
- Óscar de la Academia de Hollywood 4 premios y 15 nominaciones
- Globos de Oro 2 premios
- ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards 2 premios
- Grammy 3 premios
- Walk of Fame en 1960
- Trabajos en el cine
| Año | Película | Canción |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Como plaga de langosta | "Jeepers Creepers" |
| 1974 | El último testigo | "Moon River" |
| 1974 | La conversación | "I Remember You" |
| 1974 | Ladrones como nosotros | "Dream Awhile" |
| 1973 | Robin Hood | "The Phony King of England" |
| 1973 | Curso del 44 | "Blues In The Night" |
| 1973 | Un largo adiós | "The Long Goodbye" "Hooray for Hollywood" |
| 1971 | Sexual Therapist | "Days of Wine and Roses" |
| 1971 | Un lugar seguro | "I'm Old-Fashioned" |
| 1971 | Señor Kotcher | "Life Is What You Make It" |
| 1971 | ¿Qué le pasa a Helen? | "Goody Goody" |
| 1971 | Conocimiento carnal | "Dream" |
| 1971 | El abominable Dr. Phibes | "One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)" |
| 1971 | Eso del matrimonio | "Tangerine" |
| 1970 | El fabuloso mundo de Alex | "Hooray for Hollywood" |
| 1970 | Darling Lili | "Whistling Away the Dark" "The Girl in No Man's Land" "Smile Away Each Rainy Day" "I'll Give You Three Guesses" "Your Good-Will Ambassador" |
| 1969 | How to Commit Marriage | "Dream" |
| 1968 | Faces | "Strip Polka" |
| 1967 | Rosie una señora riquísima | "Rosie" |
| 1967 | Descalzos por el parque | "Barefoot in the Park" |
| 1966 | Chica sin barreras | "That Old Black Magic" |
| 1966 | Bromas con mi mujer... no | "Big Beautiful Ball" "My Inamorata" "Not With My Wife You Don't" |
| 1966 | Álvarez Kelly | "Alvarez Kelly" |
| 1966 | Plan diabólico | "That Old Black Magic" |
| 1966 | Johnny Tiger | "The World of the Heart" |
| 1966 | Momento a momento | "Moment to Moment" |
| 1965 | Up Jumped a Swagman | "I Remember You" |
| 1965 | La carrera del siglo | "The Sweetheart Tree" "He Shouldn't-A Hadn't-A Oughtn't-A Swang on Me!" |
| 1964 | La americanización de Emily | "Emily" |
| 1963 | Amores con un extraño | "Love with the Proper Stranger" |
| 1963 | Consejos a medianoche | "Tangerine" |
| 1963 | La pantera rosa | "It Had Better Be Tonight" |
| 1963 | Charada | "Charade" |
| 1963 | Rosas perdidas | "Something's Gotta Give" |
| 1963 | El profesor chiflado | "That Old Black Magic" |
| 1962 | Días de vino y rosas | "Days of Wine and Roses" |
| 1962 | La conquista del Oeste | "Raise a Ruckus" "Wait For the Hoedown" "What Was Your Name in The States?" |
| 1962 | ¡Hatari! | "Just For Tonight" |
| 1962 | Un optimista de vacaciones | "Cream Puff" |
| 1961 | Desayuno con diamantes | "Moon River" |
| 1960 | Pepe | "Hooray for Hollywood" |
| 1960 | Los hechos de la vida | "The Facts of Life" |
| 1959 | Li'l Abner | "It's a Typical Day" "If I Had My Druthers" "Jubilation T. Cornpone" "Don't That Take the Rag Offen the Bush" "Room Enuf for Us" "Namely You" "What's Good for General Bullmoose" "Unnecessary Town" "The Country's in the Very Best of Hands" "It's a Nuisance Having You Around" "I'm Past My Prime" "Oh Happy Day" "(I Wish It Could Be) Otherwise" "Put 'Em Back" "The Matrimonial Stomp" |
| 1959 | Mujeres frente al amor | "Something's Gotta Give" |
| 1959 | Hey Boy! Hey Girl! | "Autumn Leaves" |
| 1959 | Blue Denim | "Something's Gotta Give" |
| 1959 | La ciudad frente a mí | "Too Marvelous for Words" |
| 1958 | Senior Prom | "That Old Black Magic" |
| 1958 | Onionhead | "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby" |
| 1958 | Loco por el circo | "Chin Up Stout Fellow" "Everything Is Tickety Boo" "The Pipes of Pan" "Salud" "The Square of the Hypotenuse" "You Can't Always Have What You Want" |
| 1957 | Esposa culpable | "One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)" |
| 1957 | Bop Girl Goes Calypso | "Fools Rush In" |
| 1957 | Bernardine | "Bernardine" "Technique" |
| 1957 | Su otra esposa | "Something's Gotta Give" |
| 1957 | Deep Adventure | "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby" |
| 1957 | Kronos | "Something's Gotta Give" |
| 1957 | Spring Reunion | "Spring Reunion" |
| 1956 | Don't Knock the Rock | "Temporarily" |
| 1956 | La chica no puede remediarlo | "Something's Gotta Give" |
| 1956 | You Can't Run Away from It | "You Can't Run Away From It" "Howdy Friends and Neighbors" "Thumbin' A Ride" "Temporarily" |
| 1956 | Bus Stop | "That Old Black Magic" |
| 1956 | Hojas de otoño | "Autumn Leaves |
| 1956 | Esa extraña sensación | "Hit the Road to Dreamland" |
| 1956 | The Lieutenant Wore Skirts | "Something's Gotta Give" |
| 1956 | La historia de Benny Goodman | "Goody Goody" "And the Angels Sing" |
| 1955 | Ilegal | "Too Marvelous for Words" |
| 1955 | Papá piernas largas | "History of the Beat" "C-A-T Spells Cat" "Daddy Long Legs" "Welcome Egghead" "Sluefoot" "Something's Gotta Give" "Dream" "Texas Millionaire" "International Playboy" "Guardian Angel" "Sluefoot" "Something's Gotta Give" "Dancing Through Life" "Dream" |
| 1955 | Titanes de la montaña | "He's Dead But He Won't Lie Down" |
| 1954 | Siempre tú y yo | "One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)" |
| 1954 | Siete novias para siete hermanos | "Bless Yore Beautiful Hide" "Wonderful Wonderful Day" "When You're in Love" "Goin' Co'tin'" "Lonesome Polecat" "Sobbin' Women" "June Bride" "Spring Spring Spring" |
| 1954 | Nieves traidoras | "One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)" |
| 1954 | Top Banana | "My Home Is in My Shoes" "Have You Written Any Books Lately?" "You're O.K. for TV" "Meet Miss Blendo" "Be My Guest" "A Dog Is a Man's Best Friend" "Havin' a Ball" "That's for Sure" "A Word a Day" "I Fought Every Step of the Way" "Man of the Year This Week" "Elevator Song" "Nobody Understands Me" |
| 1953 | The Eddie Cantor Story | "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby" |
| 1953 | Walking My Baby Back Home | "The Glow-Worm" |
| 1953 | Those Redheads from Seattle | "I Guess It Was You All the Time" |
| 1953 | Mojada y peligrosa | "I Got Out Of Bed on the Right Side" "I Like Men" "In My Wildest Dreams" "Ain't Nature Grand" |
| 1953 | Remains to Be Seen | "Too Marvelous for Words" |
| 1953 | She's Back on Broadway | "Blues in the Night" "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby" |
| 1952 | Everything I Have Is Yours | "Derry Down Dilly" |
| 1952 | The Devil Makes Three | "On the Atchison Topeka and the Santa Fe" |
| 1952 | El hijo de Rostro Pálido | "In the Cool Cool of the Evening" |
| 1952 | She's Working Her Way Through College | "We're Working Our Way Through College" |
| 1952 | Una aventura en Macao | "One for My Baby" |
| 1952 | Chica para matrimonio | "That Old Black Magic" |
| 1952 | La bella de Nueva York | "When I'm Out With the Belle of New York" "Who Wants to Kiss the Bridegroom?" "Seeing's Believing" "Baby Doll" "Oops" "A Bride's Wedding Day Song (Currier and Ives)" "Naughty but Nice" "I Wanna Be a Dancin' Man" |
| 1952 | Te presento a Danny | "That Old Black Magic" |
| 1951 | Mi espía favorita | "I Wind Up - Taking A Fall" |
| 1951 | Carnaval en Texas | "I'm An Old Cowhand" |
| 1951 | Sunny Side of the Street | "Too Marvelous for Words" |
| 1951 | Aquí viene el novio | "In The Cool Cool Cool Of The Evening" |
| 1950 | Ciudad en sombras | "That Old Black Magic" |
| 1950 | Mensaje de otro mundo | "My Shining Hour" |
| 1950 | When You're Smiling | "That Old Black Magic" |
| 1950 | La sensación de Broadway | "Fancy Free" "Calypso Song" "I Loves Ya" "The Petty Girl" |
| 1950 | Bill qué grande eres | "You've Got Me This Way (Whatta-Ya Gonna Do About It)" |
| 1950 | El trompetista | "Too Marvelous for Words" |
| 1949 | Always Leave Them Laughing | "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby" |
| 1949 | Querida esposa | "Fine Thing" |
| 1949 | Mi sueño eres tú | "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby" "Jeepers Creepers" |
| 1949 | Make Believe Ballroom | "Make Believe Ballroom" |
| 1949 | Mamá es mi rival | "Dream" |
| 1948 | El parador del camino | "One for My Baby (And One More for the Road)” |
| 1948 | Domador de sirenas | "The Caribees" |
| 1947 | La senda tenebrosa | "Too Marvelous for Words" |
| 1947 | El solterón y la menor | "My Shining Hour" |
| 1947 | Querida Ruth | "Fine Things" |
| 1947 | Dick Tracy's Dilemma | "One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)" |
| 1946 | Dirty Gertie from Harlem U.S.A. | "Blues In The Night" |
| 1946 | La dalia azul | "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive" |
| 1946 | Las chicas de Harvey | "In the Valley (Where the Evenin' Sun Goes Down)" "Wait and See" "On the Atchison Topeka and the Santa Fe" "The Train Must Be Fed" "Oh You Kid" "It's a Great Big World" "The Wild Wild West" "Swing Your Partner Round and Round" |
| 1945 | Alma en suplicio | "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby" |
| 1945 | Radio Stars on Parade | "My Shining Hour" "That Old Black Magic" |
| 1945 | The Falcon in San Francisco | "My Shining Hour" |
| 1945 | Out of This World | "Out of this World" "June Comes Around Every Year" "I'd Rather Be Me" |
| 1944 | Here Come the Waves | "That Old Black Magic" "Let's Take the Long Way Home" "There's a Fellow Waiting in Poughkeepsie" "Ac-Cen-Tchu-Ate the Positive" "I Promise You" "Come Join the Waves" "Here Come the Waves" |
| 1944 | Laura | "Laura" |
| 1944 | Tener y no tener | "How Little We Know" "The Rhumba Jumps" |
| 1944 | Juventud salvaje | "My Shining Hour" "One for My Baby (And One More for the Road)" |
| 1944 | Make Your Own Bed | "Blues in the Night" |
| 1943 | True to Life | "The Old Music Master" "There She Was" "Mister Pollyanna" |
| 1943 | La chica del gobierno | "Lazy Bones" "My Shining Hour" |
| 1943 | Adorables estrellas | "Blues in the Night" |
| 1943 | Murder on the Waterfront | "In Wakiki" |
| 1943 | El límite es el cielo | "My Shining Hour" "A Lot in Common with You" "One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)" |
| 1943 | King of the Cowboys | "I'm an Old Cowhand" |
| 1943 | Me tenían cubierto | "Palsy Walsy" |
| 1943 | La pitonisa | "Tangerine" |
| 1943 | The Hard Way | "Jeepers Creepers" "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby" |
| 1943 | Estambul | "I'd Know You Anywhere" |
| 1942 | Fantasía de estrellas | "That Old Black Magic" "Hit the Road to Dreamland" "Old Glory" "A Sweater a Sarong and a Peek-a-Boo Bang" "Sharp as a Tack" "I'm Doing It for Defense" "On the Swing Shift" |
| 1942 | Bailando nace el amor | "You Were Never Lovelier" "Dearly Beloved" "Wedding in the Spring" "These Orchids" "I'm Old Fashioned" "The Shorty George" |
| 1942 | Hubo una luna de miel | "Strip Polka" |
| 1942 | El mayor y la menor | "Blues in the Night" |
| 1942 | Yanqui Dandy | "Jeepers Creepers" |
| 1942 | Capitanes de las nubes | "Captains of the Clouds" |
| 1942 | Rivales por un beso | "Arthur Murray Taught Me Dancing in a Hurry" "I Remember You" "Not Mine" "Tangerine" "The Fleet's In" "When You Hear the Time Signal" "If You Build a Better Mousetrap" "Tomorrow You Belong to Uncle Sammy" |
| 1942 | A través de la noche | "All Through the Night" |
| 1941 | Blues in the Night | "Blues in the Night" "Hang on to Your Lids Kids" "This Time the Dream's on Me" "Wait Till it Happens to You" "In Waikiki" "Says Who? Says You Says I" |
| 1941 | Birth of the Blues | "The Waiter and the Porter and the Upstairs Maid” |
| 1941 | Navy Blues | "Navy Blues" "When Are We Going to Land Abroad" "In Waikiki" "You're a Natural" |
| 1941 | You're the One | "You're the One" "The Yogi Who Lost His Will Power" "Oh Johnny" "Gee I Wish I'd Listened To My Mother" "Strawberry Lane" "I Could Kiss You For That" |
| 1941 | Let's Make Music | "Central Park" |
| 1940 | Al fin solos | "Would You Like to Be the Love of My Life" "Poor Mr. Chisholm" "Dig It" |
| 1940 | El castillo de los misterios | "You've Got Me This Way" "I'd Know You Anywhere" "Like the Fella Once Said" "The Bad Humor Man" "I've Got a One Track Mind" |
| 1940 | Ride Tenderfoot Ride | "Ride Tenderfoot Ride" |
| 1940 | Sandy Is a Lady | "Could Be" |
| 1940 | Buck Benny Rides Again | "I'm An Old Cow Hand (From The Rio Grande)" |
| 1939 | Jeepers Creepers | "Jeepers Creepers" |
| 1939 | Smashing the Money Ring | "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby" |
| 1939 | Los hijos de la farándula | "Bob White (Whatcha Gonna Swing Tonight?)" |
| 1939 | The Cowboy Quarterback | "I'm an Old Cow Hand" |
| 1939 | Naughty But Nice | "Millions of Dreams Ago" "Remember Dad (On Mother's Day)" "Hooray for Spinach" "I'm Happy About the Whole Thing" "In a Moment of Weakness" "Corn Pickin'" "I Don't Believe in Signs" |
| 1939 | Lying Lips | "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby" |
| 1939 | Yes My Darling Daughter | "The Girl Friend of the Whirling Dervish" |
| 1938 | Going Places | "Jeepers Creepers" "Say It With a Kiss" "Oh What a Horse Was Charlie" "Mutiny in the Nursery" |
| 1938 | Dramatic School | "Lost" |
| 1938 | Ángeles con caras sucias | "I've Got a Heartful of Music" |
| 1938 | Hard to Get | "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby" "There's a Sunny Side to Every Situation" |
| 1938 | Brother Rat | "We're Working Our Way Through College" |
| 1938 | Garden of the Moon | "Garden of the Moon" "Love Is Where You Find It" "The Lady on the Two Cent Stamp" "Confidentially" "The Girl Friend of the Whirling Dervish" |
| 1938 | Boy Meets Girl | "Boy Meets Girl" |
| 1938 | Mr. Chump | "As Long as You Live" |
| 1938 | Cowboy from Brooklyn | "Cowboy from Brooklyn" "Ride Tenderfoot Ride" "I've Got a Heartful of Music" "I'll Dream of You Tonight" "Howdy Stranger" |
| 1938 | Men Are Such Fools | "I've Hitched My Wagon to a Star" |
| 1938 | Gold Diggers in Paris | "Daydreaming (All Night Long)" "My Adventure" |
| 1937 | Hollywood Hotel | "Hooray for Hollywood" "I'm Like a Fish out of Water" "Silhouetted in the Moonlight" "I've Got a Heartful of Music" "Let That Be a Lesson to You" "I've Hitched My Wagon to a Star" "Sing You Son of a Gun" |
| 1937 | Varsity Show | "Old King Cole" "We're Working Our Way Through College" "On with the Dance" "You've Got Something There" "Have You Got Any Castles Baby?" "Love Is on the Air Tonight" "Moonlight on the Campus" "When Your College Days Are Gone" "Let That Be a Lesson to You" "Gasoline Gypsies" |
| 1937 | Forty Naughty Girls | "Eeny Meeny Miney Mo" |
| 1937 | The Singing Marine | "Night Over Shanghai" |
| 1937 | Ready Willing and Able | "Too Marvelous for Words" "The World Is My Apple" "There's a Little Old House" "Handy with Your Feet" "Just a Quiet Evening" "Sentimental and Melancholy" |
| 1936 | Rhythm on the Range | "I'm an Old Cowhand (From the Rio Grande)" |
| 1935 | To Beat the Band | "Eeney-Meeney-Miney-Mo" "If You Were Mine" "Santa Claus Came in the Spring" "I Saw Her at Eight O'Clock" "Meet Miss America" |
| 1935 | A Fire Has Been Arranged | "P.S. I Love You" |
| 1935 | Los licenciados del amor | "There's Nothing Like a College Education" "Boys Will Be Boys" "Comes the Revolution Baby" "I Never Saw a Better Night" "Old Man Rhythm" "When You Are in My Arms" |
| 1934 | Transatlantic Merry-Go-Round | "If I had a Million" |
| 1934 | Este hombre es mío | "After Twelve O'Clock" |
| 1933 | College Coach | "What Will I Do Without You" |
| 1933 | Polvorilla | "Lazybones" |