"We Need a Little Christmas"

[Gman496]

Well what do you know? I never realised (I'm too young) that the popular Christmas tune affectionately referred to as "Haul out the holly" or "Roll out the holly" was originally performed by Angela Lansbury (well known for her role in the TV series Murder she wrote). What an infectious warm personality she has too? Funnily enough, every time I hear this tune the first thing that comes to mind is Disney.


Angely Lansbury in a studio publicity photo, 1950


The correct title for the tune is of course "We Need a Little Christmas" and it's a popular Christmas song originating from Jerry Herman's Broadway musical, Mame, and first performed by Angela Lansbury in that 1966 production.

In the musical, the song is performed after Mame has lost her fortune in the Wall Street Crash of 1929, and decides that she, her young nephew Patrick, and her two household servants "need a little Christmas now" to cheer them up.

Pretty appropriate for the times we currently find ourselves living in?


Here she is singing the original:

[video=youtube;Lb9OVjlEZho]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lb9OVjlEZho[/video]





And here she is in more recent times singing that same tune: (not bad for an 87 year old lady?)

[video=youtube;0i14Yb1QMXY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0i14Yb1QMXY[/video]



Merry Christmas to all at Techkings ;)

 

[imd]

One of the earliest films I can remember Angela Lansbury in (and I know some will look at the film to find her) is "Murders in the Rue Morgue" from the 1930's with Bela Lugosi. She was the beautiful young woman under the lamp post, foggy night, one of the first victims.

The pleasures of the larger, high def screens are innumerable...even with such old B&W films as that.