[Dixielandjazz] Irving Berlin

[Eric Holroyd]

Regarding "Berlin wrote "White Christmas" as part of the "Holiday Inn" score 
that required a
song for each major holiday. So he also wrote the almost equally famous 
"Easter Parade,"
about another holiday built on the story of Christ".

I read an interview somewhere - but have now forgotten where - in which 
Berlin was asked how he came to write the Easter Parade song.

He replied that he had written the song a dozen or more years before he was 
asked for songs for the Easter Parade movie.

The original title was 'Smile And Show Your Dimple' and the lyrics were 
apparently somewhat trite.

Not surprisingly, no-one wanted the song - which he had written 'on spec'.

So Irving put it in his desk drawer and promptly forgot about it - until the 
Easter Parade movie came up.

Apparently, he had the line 'In your Easter Bonnet' in mind as the first 
line of the lyric, then he remembered that he had a number of unused songs 
in the desk drawer, and one of them had a first line which scanned just 
right.

So 'Smile And Show Your Dimple' was transformed into 'In Your Easter Bonnet' 
and the rest - as they say - is history.

I now wish I'd kept that interview...

Eric Holroyd
Sydney, Australia