Stealth Journeys with the Steam Mapper

Chapter 85: Musical Trivial Pursuit

"Okay, here is another trivia question that's about movies and music.  There is a tune that has been used for at least two very popular romantic songs and the tune is featured in two or more movies: The Heiress in 1949, starring Clift and de Havilland, and in 1961, Blue Hawaii starring Elvis Presley.  One song has a French title, and was composed in 1784 with the lyrics being taken verbatim from a poem inside a novel written in the same year.   The songwriter and the poet/novelist were two different men.   Montgomery Clift had to learn to play it on the piano and sing the French lyrics at the same time, for his acting performance as he tries to woo "The Heiress".  Then he sings the English translation, too.   I'll give you a hint.  The title of the song was requested in a San Francisco bar in a 1952 movie called The Sniper.    That movie was kinda groundbreaking for focusing on a misogynistic unstable man who goes after women he barely knows because of perceived slights that different people make towards him."   Stef was on a roll, finding trivia that could only a genius eidetic memory could summon up.

"The tune from 1784 was used again by three American composers who used to play instruments up in the Borscht Belt summer retreat bands of the Catskills.  Same tune but new lyrics written for a pop star back in 1961 and they are not the English translation of the original song.  By the way many, many pop tunes have music taken from classical composers from way back.  It is amazing.  I guess there's no copyright infringements on music that old.   So, what popular hit song title has a melody almost 200 years old?"

MYKA was stumped and had to admit it.  Then Stef gave a long explanation involving Mom's older sister, Aunt Lili, who left her Elvis albums with Grandma Nora and Mom listened to them just as much as she did Beatles, and the Monkees and Moody Blues.   Mom is just an old fashioned girl and this ballad has always been one of Mom's favorites.   'Can't Help Falling in Love', which by the way has been performed by many, many groups since 1961.    And by the way, it seems that Montgomery Cliff is typecast as a man after women with money.  First Elizabeth Taylor in A Place in the Sun and then he goes after The Heiress.   Stef paused and MYKA spoke up, "Who played the heiress?"

"A very plain looking Olivia de Havilland.   She was a pretty good sport to portray such a dowdy, unsure character.   Those roles were pretty common in that soap opera genre of the 1940s and 1950s.  Take Bette Davis in Now Voyager.

MYKA spoke up.  "Okay, so you are right that "Can't Help Falling in Love" is the title and it has been used many times, even reggae versions.   But, 'Plaisir d'amour' has been performed by far more groups and artists for a couple of centuries now.   And, it has been used in several movies from 1955 into present.   The melody has been used for several other songs.  Joan Baez even translated the original song lyrics into English and many other current artists have included it on their albums, too.   Aphrodite's Child used it for their song 'I Want to Live'.  And then to Stef's amazement, MYKA softly sang all of the French lyrics as they were composed in 1784".

"Well once again, you have matched me with your knowledge of trivial information, MYKA.    I think you liked that question because it gave you an opportunity to demonstrate your fluency in French!"   As soon as the words popped out, Stef blushed with embarrassment.   MYKA  never made any deal about being fluent in multiple languages and suggesting that this was a bit of showing off was uncalled for.   Jealousy was rearing an ugly side in Stef.   "Listen. I'm sorry for that remark.   Please forgive me.   And speaking of 'I Want to Live', I'm tired and relaxed enough now to say. . . I want to sleep!"   The long spell at the snack bar, had StLF feeling groggy and careless and embarrassed for being tactless.

StLF had already been seated at the table for more than an hour when MYKA showed up and the trivia game commenced.   Stef had been engrossed in writing a new chapter to the journal and quickly hid it below the table as MYKA approached.   The two of them were now yawning and making wisecracks as they stretched their legs and wandered from the snack bar.