Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man

Lena Horne

“The singer in 1946”

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Lena Horne always wanted to play Julie in the filmed version of Showboat but, due to the racial situation, it never happened; Ava Gardner (who was not a singer) got the part instead.

The closest that Lena Horne ever came was this 1946 filmed version of one of the songs from the Jerome Kern show

She would have been perfect for the part, both in her looks and musically, so it was a tragedy that it never happened but, in partial compensation, one does have this dramatic performance to show what might have been.

– Scott Yanow

 

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