Tangerine

Though Victor Schertzinger was best known as a motion picture director in the 1920s and '30s, he originally was a violinist and conductor, and composed music all through his directing career. Two of his best- known songs were the glowing romantic ballads "Marcheta" and "One Night of Love." "Tangerine," with lyrics by Johnny Mercer, was also a heartthrob until Bob Eberly and Helen O'Connell sang it with Jimmy Dorsey's orchestra in the 1942 film The Fleet's In and gave it the same slow-fast-slow swinging treatment that they applied to such other Dorsey hits as "Green Eyes" and "Amapola."


	As a young Naval Aviation Cadet I spent about four days in New York City awaiting assignment to Naval pre-Flight school. It was a four hour wait to get into the theater where Frank Sinatra was appearing, so I opted to see Jimmy Dorsey. I was up in the third balcony of a very packed theater. (after a two hour wait to get in) Jimmy put on a great show, and the drummer "Gene Kruppa" (sp?) was a guest star. He had just gotten out of prison on a "Pot"charge. He held the audience spellbound with a drum number using a match box, and two kitchen matches held close to a microphone. On the last lick of the number he lit the matches. Jimmy Dorsey was married to movie actress Patricia Dane at the time, and he brought her out on to the stage and introduced her. She was wearing a full length mink coat, high heel shoes, and had a small bandage across the top of one of her feet. She gratefully acknowledged the "Hand" the crowd gave her. as she slowly walked off the stage her limp gave her a very provocative swing of her hips. The huge theater was almost deathly silent as a crowd of mostly servicemen watched her. Suddenly someone gave a low wolf whistle, and the crowd exploded in applause and laughter. Jimmy rose to the occasion by saying "Not bad eh ? And with a trombone yet." Remmel (aka the Storyteller)

17:04 7/6/2004 (Update)