Another Season, Another Reason... For Makin' Whoopee

I'm excited to share this video that I've been saving up for a Thirties Thursday!
If you've never seen Eddie Cantor perform, I think you are going to be completely charmed.

This is from the 1930 early sound film Whoopee!, which is based on Florenz Ziegield's hit stage musical of the same name.  Not surprisingly, Whoopee! made Eddie Cantor a movie star.

Photo courtesy of Bright Lights Film Journal

His eye-rolling song-and-dance routines eventually led to his nickname, "Banjo Eyes". In 1933, the artist Frederick J. Garner caricatured Cantor with large round eyes resembling the drum-like pot of a banjo. Cantor's eyes became his trademark, often exaggerated in illustrations, and leading to his appearance on Broadway in the musical Banjo Eyes (1941).

Photo courtesy of On This Day In Jazz Age Music

One of 12 Eddie Cantor caricatures by Frederick J. Garner for a 1933 Brown & Bigelow advertising card set.
(Photo: Wikipedia - Majestic Theater of the Air)

Don't miss this video - I promise you, you'll be smiling.  The Makin' Whoopee song, with its clever rhyming lyrics is also great fun.  Enjoy!

courtesy of YouTube's Voglesque89 - "The Eddie Cantor Channel"


MAKIN' WHOOPEE!
(Note: there are several versions of this song. These lyrics are sung by Cantor in the 1930 film)

Every time I hear that dear old wedding march
I feel rather glad I have a broken arch
I have heard a lot of married people talk
And I know that marriage is a long, long walk
To most people weddings mean romance
But I prefer a picnic or a dance

Another bride, another groom
The countryside is all in bloom;
The flow'rs 'n trees is,
The birds and bees is
Makin' Whoopee.

The choir sings, "Here comes the bride"
Another victim is at her side
He's lost his reason
'Cause it's the season
For Makin' Whoopee.

Down through the countless ages,
You'll find it ev'rywhere:
Somebody makes good wages,
Somebody wants her share.

She calls him Toodles
And rolls her eyes,
She makes him streudels
And bakes him pies,
What is it all for?
It's so he'll fall for
Makin' Whoopee.

Another year
Or maybe less
What's this I hear?
Well, can't you guess?
She feels neglected
And he's suspected
Of Makin' Whoopee!

She sits alone
'Most every night
He doesn't 'phone
Or even write,
He says he's "busy"
But she says "is he?"
He's Makin' Whoopee!

He doesn't make much money
Five thousand dollars, per
Some judge, who thinks he's funny
Says, "You pay six to her."

He says: "Now judge, suppose I fail?"
The judge says, "Budge, right into jail!
You'd better keep her,
You'll find it's cheaper
Than Makin' Whoopee!!"

Words by Gus Kahn - Music by Walter Donaldson - Copyright 1928