Paper Moon (1973)

Peter Bogdanovich's "Paper Moon" (1973) was my favorite movie when I was 12 years old, and it's one of the loveliest recreations of the Depression that's ever been done in later years in Hollywood.

• Review by Robert Ebert.
• Review by DVD Savant

Clip from film:

Classic scene: "You want a Nehi and a Coney Island"?



The Nehi soda brand is not that well known outside the US; so here are a couple of old ads for us none-Americans:

The song "It's Only a Paper Moon" was written in 1933 by Harold Arlen, with lyrics by E. Y. Harburg and Billy Rose. The version in the movie is by Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra.

Say, it's only a paper moon,
Sailing over a cardboard sea,
But it wouldn't be make believe,
If you believed in me.

Yes, it's only a canvas sky,
Hanging over a muslin tree
But it wouldn't be make believe,
If you believed in me.

Without your love it's a honky tonk parade,
Without your love it's a melody played in a penny arcade.

It's a Barnum and Bailey world
just a phony as it can be,
But it wouldn't be make believe
If you believed in me. 

Great songs from the 30's part I: "Brazil"

The original version of the immortal "Brazil" is actually named "Aquarela do Brasil" ("Watercolor of Brazil")

According to Wikipedia: "it is one of the most popular Brazilian songs of all times, written by Ary Barroso on a rainy night in 1939. This song marked the creation of a new genre, the samba-exaltação (Exaltation Samba), which was looked upon favorably by the nationalist dictatorship of Getúlio Vargas. Some people have suggested that the composer was kowtowing to the Vargas regime, although the Barroso family strongly denies it, and Ary Barroso is known to have written at least one anti-fascist song, "Salada Mixta," recorded by Carmen Miranda in October 1938."

The song was used in Terry Gilliam's "Brazil". The cover version that Kate Bush did for the movie wasn't actually used , but it appeared on the soundtrack.

Brazilian version:



Kate Bush version:



Arcade Fire version:

Randy Newman's"In Germany Before the War" and Fritz Lang's "M"

Speaking of Fritz Lang's "M" - Randy Newman's "In Germany Before the War", which is inspired by the movie, is one of the most chilling songs ever written.

Here's a great youtube clip, which combines the song and the movie:



In Germany before The War
There was a man who owned a store
In nineteen hundred thirty four
In Düsseldorf

And every day at five o nine
He'd cross the park down to the Rhine
And he'd sit there by the shore

I'm looking at the river
But I'm thinking of the sea
I'm looking at the river
But I'm thinking of the sea

A little girl has lost her way
With hair of gold and eyes of grey
Reflected in his glasses
As he watches her
A little girl has lost her way

I'm looking at the river
But I'm thinking of the sea
Thinking of the sea
Thinking of the sea

We lie beneath the autumn sky
My little golden girl and I
And she lies very still

This song was written in the 1970's. So basically yes, I'm not ONLY going to cover 30's culture, I'm also going to cover later books and movies that references the 30's