Put the Blame on Mame
Encyclopedia
"Put the Blame on Mame" is a song by Allan Roberts and Doris Fisher, originally made for the film Gilda in 1946 - where it was sung by the title character, played by Rita Hayworth
and with the singing voice actually that of Anita Kert Ellis
.
In keeping with the film character Gilda being "the ultimate femme fatale
", the song sung by her at two scenes facetiously credits the amorous activities of a woman named "Mame" (the name evidently chosen to rhyme with "blame") as the true cause of three well-known cataclysmic events in American history: The Great Chicago Fire of 1871, Great Blizzard of 1888
in New York City
and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
.
Mame is also credited with causing the fictional Shooting of Dan McGrew
during the Yukon Gold Rush - an event derived from a short narrative poem published in 1907 by Robert W. Service
.
In 1946 the song was also recorded by Nat Gonella & His Georgians.
Put the Blame on Mame also appeared as a mini-short film for "Smooth Criminal
" for
Michael Jackson's This Is It
. Shortly after Gilda sings the song, Jackson is chased down the stairs and into a hardware store floor, where he jumps out of the window, and was supposedly to land on the stage and shoot a marqee behind him. The song was later reprised as an instrumental version in 1953's "The Big Heat", when "Gilda" star Glenn Ford first meets Lee Marvin's character in a bar.
It was later also recorded by:
Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth was an American film actress and dancer who attained fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars...
and with the singing voice actually that of Anita Kert Ellis
Anita Kert Ellis
Anita Kert Ellis is a Canadian-born American singer and actress. Born to Orthodox Jewish parents, Harry and Lillian Pearson Kert, her younger brother was actor/singer Larry Kert ....
.
In keeping with the film character Gilda being "the ultimate femme fatale
Femme fatale
A femme fatale is a mysterious and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers in bonds of irresistible desire, often leading them into compromising, dangerous, and deadly situations. She is an archetype of literature and art...
", the song sung by her at two scenes facetiously credits the amorous activities of a woman named "Mame" (the name evidently chosen to rhyme with "blame") as the true cause of three well-known cataclysmic events in American history: The Great Chicago Fire of 1871, Great Blizzard of 1888
Great Blizzard of 1888
The Great Blizzard of 1888 or Great Blizzard of '88 was one of the most severe blizzards in United States' recorded history. Snowfalls of 40-50 inches fell in parts of New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut, and sustained winds of over produced snowdrifts in excess of...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
.
Mame is also credited with causing the fictional Shooting of Dan McGrew
The Shooting of Dan McGrew
"The Shooting of Dan McGrew" is a narrative poem by Robert W. Service, first published in The Songs of a Sourdough in 1907 in Canada.The tale takes place in a Yukon saloon during the Yukon Gold Rush of the late 1890s...
during the Yukon Gold Rush - an event derived from a short narrative poem published in 1907 by Robert W. Service
Robert W. Service
Robert William Service was a poet and writer who has often been called "the Bard of the Yukon".Service is best known for his poems "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" and "The Cremation of Sam McGee", from his first book, Songs of a Sourdough...
.
In 1946 the song was also recorded by Nat Gonella & His Georgians.
Put the Blame on Mame also appeared as a mini-short film for "Smooth Criminal
Smooth Criminal
"Smooth Criminal" is the seventh single from Michael Jackson's 1987 Bad album. The song contains a fast-paced beat intertwined with Jackson's lyrics about a woman named Annie, who has been attacked in her apartment by a "smooth" assailant. It was released as a single on October 24, 1988 and peaked...
" for
Michael Jackson's This Is It
Michael Jackson's This Is It
Michael Jackson's This Is It is a 2009 American documentary–concert film directed by Kenny Ortega that documents Michael Jackson's rehearsals and preparation for the concert series of the same name scheduled to start on July 13, 2009, but canceled due to his death eighteen days prior on June 25. It...
. Shortly after Gilda sings the song, Jackson is chased down the stairs and into a hardware store floor, where he jumps out of the window, and was supposedly to land on the stage and shoot a marqee behind him. The song was later reprised as an instrumental version in 1953's "The Big Heat", when "Gilda" star Glenn Ford first meets Lee Marvin's character in a bar.
It was later also recorded by:
- Liane FolyLiane FolyLiane Foly, is an popular French blues and jazz singer, actress, presenter and impressionist.-Early years:Foly was born the 16 December 1962 in the 7th arrondissement of Lyon. Her parents, a merchant family in French Algeria, returned to France in 1962 with the Pied-Noir community and moved to...
- John WilliamsJohn WilliamsJohn Towner Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning almost six decades, he has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T...
- Miyuki Koga
- Quinn Lemley
- Milt HerthMilt HerthMilton "Milt" Herth was an American jazz organist, known for his work on the Hammond organ soon after it was introduced in 1935. Herth's work is available from his recordings of the 1930s and 1940s.-Biography:...
Trio - Banu Gibson
- Nancy Murphy
- Somethin' Smith and the RedheadsSomethin' Smith and the RedheadsSomethin' Smith and the Redheads were an American vocal group doing mostly pop standards in the 1950s. Their biggest hit single was "It's a Sin to Tell a Lie" in 1955, which reached #7 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart....
- Sandra Lawrence
- Tapio RautavaaraTapio RautavaaraKaj Tapio Rautavaara was a Finnish athlete, singer and movie actor.-Early life:...
(in FinnishFinnish languageFinnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
) - Alexia
- Viktor LazloViktor LazloViktor Lazlo is a French-Belgian singer of Grenadian and Martiniquan descent. She studied in Belgium, where she is primarily known. Her biggest hit was "Breathless" in 1987...