COVER GIRL
A Columbia Picture (1944)
Producer: Arthur Schwartz
Director: Charles Vidor
Screenplay: Virginia Van Upp, Marion Parsonnet, andPaul Gangelin
From story by Erwin Gelsey
Screenplay: Virginia Van Upp, Marion Parsonnet, andPaul Gangelin
From story by Erwin Gelsey
The Stars:
Rita Hayworth as Rusty Parker/Maribelle Hicks
Gene Kelly as Danny McGuire
Lee Bowman as Noel Wheaton
Phil Silvers as Genius
Cover Girl was just the kind of escapist film America wanted in the midst of World War II. It made people forget their troubles for the afternoon. It's full of lighthearted songs, plenty of dancing, and in Technicolor! It's one of the musicals that made Rita Hayworth one of the most popular pin-up girls of World War II.
The score for Cover Girl created by Jerome Kern and Ira Gershwin, which featured the Oscar nominated "Long Ago and Far Away", was a major factor in the film's success. The picture also received four other nominations, including as "Best Color Cinematography" and "Best Interior Color Decoration". Cover Girl is perhaps Rita's most famous musical. The magic she created in the numbers with Gene Kelly is still dazzling musical fans today.
Although the song “Long Ago and Far Away” was a major factor in the film’s success, less people know there were 6 versions of this song. Ira Gershwin wrote the first to sixth with no inspiration. He felt bad for all and was trying to write the new one while there was no time enough left since the show was ready to go.
One day Arthur Schwartz called him, saying that things could wait no more. Ira decided to read the sixth version for Arthur. Fortunately, Arthur liked it and told Ira he needed this version in the show.
That’s it. That’s why we all can have such a beautiful song ever since.
Long Ago And Far Away
Words & Music by Ira Gershwin & Jerome Kern, 1944
Recorded by Glenn Miller, 1944
Sung by Rita Hayworth and Gene Kelly in the Movie
A6 F#m7 Bm7-5 E7 AM7
Long a - go and far away,
Bm7-5 E7 A6
I dreamed a dream one day,
Bm7-5 E7 A6 F#7 Bm7-5 E7
And now that dream is here be-side me;
C Am Dm7 G7 CM7
Long the skies were o-ver-cast,
B7 E+7
But now the clouds have passed;
C#m7-5 Bm7-5 E7
You're here at last!
A6 F#m7 Bm7-5 E7 AM7
Long a - go and far away,
Bm7-5 E7 A6
I dreamed a dream one day,
Bm7-5 E7 A6 F#7 Bm7-5 E7
And now that dream is here be-side me;
C Am Dm7 G7 CM7
Long the skies were o-ver-cast,
B7 E+7
But now the clouds have passed;
C#m7-5 Bm7-5 E7
You're here at last!
A6 F#m7 Bm7-5 E7 AM7
Chills run up and down my spine;
Bm7-5 E7 A6
A-lad-din's lamp is mine;
Bm7-5 E7 A6 F#7 Bm7-5 E7
The dream I dreamed was not de - nied me.
Em7 A9sus4 A7 DM7 Dm6
Just one look and then I knew
G9 A6/C# Cdim Bm7-5 E7 A6 Bm7-5 E7
That all I longed for long a-go was you.
Last time:
G9 A6/C# Cdim Bm7-5 E7 A6 D9 BbM7 A
That all I longed for long a-go was you.
Chills run up and down my spine;
Bm7-5 E7 A6
A-lad-din's lamp is mine;
Bm7-5 E7 A6 F#7 Bm7-5 E7
The dream I dreamed was not de - nied me.
Em7 A9sus4 A7 DM7 Dm6
Just one look and then I knew
G9 A6/C# Cdim Bm7-5 E7 A6 Bm7-5 E7
That all I longed for long a-go was you.
Last time:
G9 A6/C# Cdim Bm7-5 E7 A6 D9 BbM7 A
That all I longed for long a-go was you.
