knees reprise

I've now watched that Let's K-nock K-nees sequence a dozen times in the spirit of Nick's prescription to fight flu (and the blues) with funny movies and rolling the eyes. Yes it's a tonic.

To recap: This is a very fine description:

The arrival in Brighton sets the stage for a unique song and dance number in the Astaire/Rogers series, one that involves neither of the principals. Instead, we get one of cinema’s true odd couples, 47-year-old Edward Everett Horton and 17-year-old Betty Grable, in "Let’s Knock Knees." Horton appears in a bathing suit, pushing the envelope about as far as anyone would want it to be pushed (fortunately, he’s wearing a tank top). Grable, on the other hand, is a glistening dream, the gal who put the phat in platinum.

I searched the web for the lyrics to no avail - always surprised when things aren't there... so I transcribed some

You’re my type of a shy type of a beau dear
Beg Pardon
So let’s do things,
Really?
I’ll teach you a few things…

It makes one feel so thrillable
Well you’ve exhausted every syllable
I crave frivolity
Let’s knock knees.

They say make hay while the sun shines
so let's oh let's make hay hey hey while the moon shines

and then I wrote these lines on the appeal of it:

It’s Betty bobbing her head to concentrate
on the complicated swing
tip-toeing with a ukulele
as you do
around a pillar
in a foyer
in full bodied pyjama
stalking any old prey
her unsinkable vamp
and spark in the face of
the camp man in socks and sandals
who tolerates tickles
and big declarations of love
and agility
sung in a difficult key
with studied kid assurance
clutching ukulele

and then the chorus of odd choreography
all patellar reflex and kneeing in groin
flirtation of bathing suits and cravat dudes
dancing dud sex

before Fred turns up and betty disappears
no big deal

have ukulele will travel


I crave frivolity
Let’s knock knees.

---

Comments: knees reprise

I doubt this site has been a wallflower at the boynton dance, but jus in case...

http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/sheetmusic/covers.html

"Of all the people well-informed on topics new and strange, Commend me to the knowing girl at the telephone exchange..."
Posted by nardo at August 4, 2004 11:44 AM

That's a great site. I may have crashed the dance a coupla times via google image search, but have now had a proper Browse - which is a slow tempo stroll at dialup. Only done half the alphabet of 1910-20 - but lovely stuff on show there.

Couldn't find the elusive k-nock k-nees number, closest I got was a reference to a betty here:
http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/dynaweb/sheetmusic/1910-1920/@Generic__BookTextView/8213;nh=1?DwebQuery=a2121#X

Title: Eyes have a language of their own; Betty
First Line: Eyes have a language of their own
Refrain: Eyes have a language of their own
Posted by boynton at August 4, 2004 01:53 PM