Artist:Ava Gardner
Song:Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man
Album:Show Boat: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Of course Ava Gardner was one of the most popular actresses of the 50's. The 1951 film Show Boat was her only appearance in a musical. She did her own singing but ultimately MGM had Annette Warren dub her vocals. But you can hear Ava's vocal on the soundtrack CD. She was born Sept. 24, 1922 in Grabtown, NC. She was in New York visiting her sister when a photography studio displayed her portrait in the window. An MGM talent scout saw it and Ava signed with MGM. The film that made Ava a star was the 1946 film The Killers. After that, Ava was one of MGM's biggest stars. Of course she wasn't known for her singing and Show Boat was her only musical. In her autobiography, Ava said she could sing but don't mistake her for Maria Callas or Ella Fitzgerald. For Show Boat, Ava wanted to emulate Lena Horne. She worked with a vocal coach who had worked with Lena. She recorded a demo and gave it to MGM producer Arthur Freed. He told her no. They brought in Annette Warren, a jazz singer who had dubbed Ava's singing in the past. But Ava insisted and associate producer Roger Edens finally agreed to let her sing. After some indecision, MGM decided to bring Annette back and record the vocals. The claim was preview audiences didn't like Ava's singing voice. But I suspect that when Freed said no he meant no. Ava's vocal was restored and the clip appeared in the 1994 film That's Entertainment III. And it's a bonus track on the Show Boat soundtrack CD. Of course Ava went on to a long career in films until she died on Jan. 25, 1990 at age 67. Here's Ava Gardner performing Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man in the 1951 film Show Boat.
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