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By Decca Records – Public Domain, Link
| “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing” | |
|---|---|
| Single by The Four Aces | |
| from the album Hits From Hollywood | |
| B-side | “Shine On, Harvest Moon“ |
| Released | August 1, 1955 |
| Recorded | 1955 |
| Genre | Traditional pop |
| Length | 2:56 |
| Label | Decca |
| Songwriter(s) | Sammy Fain, Paul Francis Webster |
| The Four Aces singles chronology | |
| “Sluefoot” (1955)”Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing“ (1955)”A Woman in Love” (1955) |
“Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing” is a popular song with music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. The song was publicized first in the movie, Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955), winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song. From 1967 to 1973, it was used as the theme song to Love is a Many Splendored Thing, the soap opera based on the movie. The song’s refrain is based on the aria Un bel dì vedremo from Giacomo Puccini’s opera, Madama Butterfly.
The music was commissioned for the movie Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing and initially included in the film’s Oscar-winning score, composed and conducted by Alfred Newman. Lyrics were subsequently added to make it eligible for the Best Original Song category of the Academy Awards. The original lyrics were rejected by the studio so new ones were written.
Before the Four Aces recorded their hit version, several artists, including Doris Day, disliked the song, until the result of the Four Aces hit version caused several vocalists to record their versions of the song.
This song is noted for its memorable lines: “In the morning mist, two lovers kissed, and the world stood still”.
The best-selling version of the song was recorded by The Four Aces backed by the Jack Pleis Orchestra and issued by Decca Records as catalog number 29625. It reached number two in the UK Singles Chart, and number one on both Billboard and Cash Box in 1955. The recording by The Four Aces is featured in the film Cookie (1989). It became a gold record.
This song has been a staple of Engelbert Humperdinck‘s live show since 1995.
By sheet music by Miller Music Corporation – eBay item, probably either sold or delisted; see other similar items, Fair use, Link. One of sheet music releases (1955)
Other covers
A version by Don Cornell was recorded approximately at the same time. It was issued by Coral Records as catalog number 61467. Bing Crosby recorded the song in 1955[4] for use on his radio show and it was subsequently included in the box set The Bing Crosby CBS Radio Recordings (1954-56) issued by Mosaic Records (catalog MD7-245) in 2009. The song has also been recorded by Ringo Starr (on his album Sentimental Journey), Frank Sinatra, Andy Williams,
Shirley Bassey, Nat King Cole and Barry Manilow. Neil Sedaka recorded the song in Italian as “L’Amore E’ Una Cosa Meravigliosa”.
Connie Francis recorded the song in Italian in 1960 during the work for her album More Italian Favorites, although this version remains unreleased to this day. Francis also recorded the original English lyrics in 1961 for her album Connie Francis Sings ‘Never on Sunday’ and Other Title Songs from Motion Pictures. The instrumental playback of this 1961 recording was also used when Francis cut a German-language version, “Sag, weißt du denn, was Liebe ist”, in 1966.
The song was about that time also performed by Fairuz in Arabian language (“Zar Bisukun Al Lail”).
French-Malaysian singer “Shake” (French Wikipedia – Sheikh Abdullah Ahmad) recorded a French version of the song in 1977 titled “Rien n’est plus beau que l’amour”.
A Disco version was recorded by Tina Charles in 1980.
Jeff Lynne recorded his version for his nostalgic cover album Long Wave in 2012.
In popular culture
This song can be heard in the movies Grease, Circle of Friends, Private Parts, St. Trinian’s, St. Trinian’s 2: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold, and The Nutty Professor 2. The song, among others, was referenced in Moulin Rouge! when Christian says, “Love is like oxygen – love is a many splendored thing – love lifts us up where we belong! All you need is love!.”
It has been also heard in the series Bones, in the 14th episode of the third season sung by Dr. Zack Addy (Eric Millegan).
This article is about the film.
| Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing | |
|---|---|
| Original film poster | |
| Directed by | Henry King |
| Produced by | Buddy Adler |
| Written by | John Patrick |
| Based on | A Many-Splendoured Thing 1952 book by Han Suyin |
| Starring | Jennifer Jones William Holden |
| Music by | Alfred Newman Sammy Fain title song |
| Cinematography | Leon Shamroy, ASC |
| Edited by | William H. Reynolds |
| Distributed by | Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation |
| Release date | August 18, 1955 |
| Running time | 102 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1.78 million |
| Box office | $4 million (US and Canada rentals) |
Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing is a 1955 Deluxe color American drama–romance film in CinemaScope. Set in 1949–50 in Hong Kong, it tells the story of a married, but separated, American reporter Mark Elliot (played by William Holden), who falls in love with a Eurasian doctor originally from China, Han Suyin (played by Jennifer Jones), only to encounter prejudice from her family and from Hong Kong society.
The film was adapted by John Patrick from the 1952 autobiographical novel A Many-Splendoured Thing by Han Suyin. The film was directed by Henry King.
The film later inspired a television soap opera in 1967, though without the hyphen in the show’s title.
Public Domain, Link. Jennifer Jones as Dr. Han Suyin
Production
The rights to the novel were bought by David Brown of 20th Century Fox for the producer Sol C. Siegel. However, when he left the company the project was given to Buddy Adler. The screenplay struggled to get Motion Picture Production Code approval due to its themes of adultery and miscegenation.
Parts of the film were shot on location in Hong Kong by second-unit director Otto Lang, which was unusual for its time. Two weeks of location filming in Hong Kong had been completed before the final screenplay had been finished by screenwriter John Patrick. He then had to adapt the screenplay to include as many of the shots as possible.
Despite the film’s romantic subject and their chemistry on the screen, Holden and Jones could barely stand each other on set. Holden was turned off by Jones’ obsessive involvement with her character and complaints about her makeup (which she said made her “look old”), about her costumes and about her dialogue. Soon they were barely speaking to one another. According to Holden’s biography, Jones was also generally rude and abrasive to everyone involved in the production. Their relationship was also not helped by Jones’ worries about Holden’s reputation as a womanizer. Holden claimed she chewed garlic before her love scenes, which she may have done to discourage him. Once, Holden tried to make peace, offering Jones a bouquet of white roses, which she tossed back in his face.
The film was completed on time, within the planned three months schedule.
Locations
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, then located at 41A Conduit Road, is portrayed in the film as a hospital. The building was demolished in the late 1960s.
- The former Mok residence located at 41A Conduit Road became the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in 1951. In the film it is portrayed as a hospital. The building is now demolished and Realty Gardens apartment complex has occupied the site since 1970.
- The former colonial-style Repulse Bay Hotel, demolished in 1982, and now the site of The Repulse Bay apartment building.
- The Tai Pak Floating Restaurant, now part of the Jumbo Kingdom.
- The famous hill-top meeting place where the lovers used to meet was located in rural California and not in Hong Kong.
Reception
Variety characterized it as “beautiful, absorbing.”
The film earned rentals of $4 million in the United States of America and Canada.
In Ireland and Quebec (Canada), the censors did not like the suggestions of divorce and cut the film to make it appear that Holden was single.
Awards and nominations
| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | Best Motion Picture | Buddy Adler | Nominated |
| Best Actress | Jennifer Jones | Nominated | |
| Best Art Direction – Color | Lyle R. Wheeler, George Davis, Walter M. Scott and Jack Stubbs | Nominated | |
| Best Cinematography – Color | Leon Shamroy | Nominated | |
| Best Costume Design – Color | Charles LeMaire | Won | |
| Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture | Alfred Newman | Won | |
| Best Song | “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing” – Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster | Won | |
| Best Sound Recording | Carlton W. Faulkner | Nominated | |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Film Promoting International Understanding | Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing | Won |
| New York Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Actress | Jennifer Jones | Nominated |
| Photoplay Awards | Gold Medal | Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing | Won |
The music was initially commissioned from Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster as background music. It was extensively developed and woven into the film’s orchestral score by Alfred Newman and his choral director Ken Darby. To make it eligible for the Best Original Song category of the Academy Awards lyrics were subsequently added. The original lyrics were rejected by the studio so new ones were written. The resulting sentimental and upbeat song, “Love is a Many-Splendored Thing” was one of the first songs written for a movie to become No. 1 in the charts in the same year.
The song was subsequently recorded by The Four Aces
and also by Jerry Vale,
and Frank Sinatra,
among others. Italian-language versions were recorded by Nancy Cuomo, Neil Sedaka,
and Connie Francis. Francis also recorded the song with its original English lyrics,
and a German-language version, Sag, weißt du denn, was Liebe ist.
Matt Monroe
Here is a sample of the song’s lyrics:
Love is nature’s way of giving
a reason to be living,
The golden crown that makes a man a king.
In the film, charged romantic moments occur on a high grassy, windswept hill in Hong Kong. In the bittersweet final scene on the hilltop, the song (heard on the sound track) recalls the earlier encounters:
Once on a high and windy hill,
In the morning mist, Two lovers kissed,
And the world stood still.
The theme song won the Academy Award for Best Song, and the recording by The Four Aces went to #1 on the charts for three weeks in 1955, shortly before rock and roll became a dominant force on the charts. Newman’s orchestral score, which made heavy use of Fain’s tune, also received an Oscar.
Watch the movie “Love Is A Many-Splendour Thing”
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