Dennis Day - My Wild Irish Rose

I have always liked Dennis Day's singing, but I am sure my tastes have been influenced by watching and listening to him on Jack Benny's television and radio programs for so many years in my youth.

For those of you outside the US, or of a young age, Day played a "boy" tenor - a silly kid, as Benny called him - well into middle age, and played the role perfectly. He was both an excellent singer and a master of comic timing. He was so popular that when this album first came out, he also had his own radio program.

1947 Billboard ad

This set was first issued on 78s in December 1947, and on 10-inch LP and this double-EP set in 1952. It contains songs from the film My Wild Irish Rose, and the cover may give you the impression that this is a soundtrack and Day appeared in the film. Not so. The film's lead role was taken by tenor Dennis Morgan.

It is likely, however, that the movie did occasion the recording of these particular songs, which were issued on singles earlier in 1947. It was common then and now to use songs from the film for promotional purposes.

Day

My Wild Irish Rose was a biopic in honor of the turn-of-the-century Irish American singer-actor-composer Chauncey Olcott, who wrote the title song and was involved in composing "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" and "Mother Machree" as well. In another song, "By the Light of the Silvery Moon," Day assumes his "Dennis Day" character, rather amusingly.

Olcott appeared in minstrel shows, and to recognize that, I suppose, RCA included a blackface minstrel character on the cover. I don't have any desire to use offensive images, so I have removed that for purposes of this post, although the original is also included in the download.

Among the cast of the film, I noted the presence of Sara Allgood, the original Juno from Sean O'Casey's Juno and the Paycock. I am preparing a transfer of the 1955 recording of that play, with Siobhan McKenna as Juno.

Final note: Mark Warnow provides the orchestral backing on "Hush-a-Bye, Sweet Rose of Killarney," "By the Light of the Silvery Moon," "My Nellie's Blue Eyes" and "My Wild Irish Rose". Charles Dant handles "A Little Bit of Heaven," "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" and "Mother Machree," and Russ Case does "Remember When You Sang 'Oh Promise Me'". The sound is very good.

1947 Life Magazine ad