[Dixielandjazz] Johnny Mercer: The Dream's on Me

[Robert Ringwald]

Johnny Mercer: The Dream's on Me
Warner Bros. / Unrated / December 8, 2009 / List price: $29.98
by Jamie S. Rich
DVD Talk, November 28, 2009
The Show
Johnny Mercer is a name not everyone may know, but you can almost guarantee that
everyone knows one of his songs. A lyricist whose wit and sentimentality, as well
as his eye for talent, defined popular music from the Great Depression through the
early 1970s, Mercer has written such classics as "Moon River," "Jeepers, Creepers,"
"Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive," and "One for My Baby (And One More for the Road)."
Hell, if you've ever seen Bugs Bunny or Daffy Duck sing "My momma done told me..."
then you've heard Johnny Mercer. They are riffing on his song "Blues in the Night,"
written with Harold Arlen in 1941.
November 18, 2009, marked the centennial of Mercer's birth, and it's on this occasion
that executive producer Clint Eastwood, director Bruce Ricker, and Turner Classic
Movies put together the celebratory documentary "Johnny Mercer: The Dream's on Me,"
named for another 1941 tune the writer cooked up with Arlen. The movie is part biography,
part archive, and part recontextualization, taking Mercer's tunes and putting them
in the hands of modern singers like Jamie Cullum and Dr. John to show they are still
relevant today.
Ricker builds the film based on the songs, letting them create the map for how he
will weave through Mercer's history. He covers all aspects of Mercer's life: early
childhood in Georgia, his trek to Hollywood, his love for his wife Ginger and affair
with Judy Garland, the many musical collaborators, and an aspect of the story I didn't
know, that Johnny Mercer was one of the co-founders of Capitol Records, signing Nat
"King" Cole as one of his first artists. Many of Mercer's tunes were written for
the movies, and relevant clips of their staging are shown alongside television performances
from the 1950s and 1960s featuring Cole, Andy Williams, Lena Horne, Dinah Shore,
and many more -- most notably, Mercer himself in quite a few of them. There is also
a ton of later footage of Mercer appearing on the Merv Griffin talk show and on the
BBC talking about his art. He's a dashing raconteur, often rolling straight out of
an anecdote and into a song, his pianist jumping right in with him.
Interspersed in this is Eastwood organizing performances in a studio, sitting alongside
composer John Williams, listening to stories from Michael Feinstein, or capturing
singers like Maude Maggart or even his own daughter. There are also new interviews
with Blake Edwards, Andre Previn, Tony Bennett, and Julie Andrews, all of whom either
collaborated with Mercer or performed his music in some way.
Overall, "Johnny Mercer: The Dream's on Me" is an informative, lively look at the
man and his art, a testament to the vitality of the material and an appreciation
for the creative mind behind it. I was unaware of Mercer's vast influence, as well
as his own accomplished career as a performer. (The film doesn't even touch on his
famous recording of "Baby It's Cold Outside," sung with Margaret Whiting in 1949
and released on his then-young Capitol label; I am sure I am not the only one who
thought Mercer actually wrote the famous track.) For any fan of old movies or of
vintage jazz, chances are you have appreciated Mercer's songcraft at some point,
and "Johnny Mercer: The Dream's on Me" will make you appreciate it even more.
The DVD
Video: This new program is presented as a "matted" widescreen image, and it looks
very good, newly minted. The resolution is sharp, and the colors vivid, and even
the old footage is clearly taken from the best possible sources.
Sound: The stereo mix sounds very good, with nice work done to give us clear recordings
of the music, which is oh so important.
Subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired are available for those who require them.
Extras: "Johnny Mercer: The Dream's on Me" is a 2-disc set, released in a standard
DVD keepcase with a hinged double-tray. DVD 1 is the show, DVD 2 is devoted to bonus
features.
Most of the extras are extended sequences and performances from the film proper.
The "At the Piano with Clint Eastwood" section has 8 minutes with Clint and John
Williams, and 6 minutes with Jamie Cullum, discussing the technique and influence
of Mercer.
Studio performances that were excerpted in the documentary are shown here in full.
Ten songs, nearly thirty-five minutes, featuring Jamie Cullum, Dr. John, John Williams,
Cleo Laine, Morgan Eastwood, Maude Maggart, Audra McDonald, and Michael Feinstein.
You can select each song individually or choose "play all."
A biographical section features two video slideshows, one of Mercer's family photos
and one of his watercolor paintings, both narrated by his niece Nancy Gerard. There
is also a biographical essay to read through, written by Glenn T. Eskew.
Final Thoughts
Recommended. "Johnny Mercer: The Dream's on Me" is a well-constructed documentary
about the legendary songwriter. The man behind such hits as "That Old Black Magic"
and "Moon River" was an endlessly creative, complex individual, and this celebration
of his work puts the music on center stage, combining performances new and old. It's
an informative portrait of a truly special talent.
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/40931/johnny-mercer-the-dreams-on-me/
 

__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 4647 (20091129) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

http://www.eset.com