Wow, she's got a lovely singing voice. I just discovered Irene Dunne, and I'm hooked. Most movies today is so lacking that I don't even bother to go to the movies anymore. I've been watching shows in the 60's - 50's and now am reaching back in time to the 40's-30's. I'm begining to think I was born in the wrong era.

My favorite rendition of this song. Irene Dunne sings so simply and with such grace. I love the way singing used to be as simple as speaking. The same way Fred and Ginger's lovely dance grows out of simply walking.

You're welcome! Irene Dunne was such a wonderful actress, singer, and person. I am so happy that she is TCM's actress of the month. I will finally get to see Theodora Goes Wild this Thursday!

As beautiful as her voice!

I love Irene Dunne; what a beautiful and talented woman she was -- and such a delightful personality. And yeah -- hearing her sing this song (the way it was meant to be heard) gives me chills.

This is such a lovely and beautiful song. It's pure beauty and wonderful music. Irene Dunne can't be better on it.

I was born in 1940 so I'm an oldie but goodie. I sing and I don't know any singer who hasn't found this song a challenge. It has so much going on in the melody, the intervals, the lyric and it presents a much more detailed story than most popular songs. It is full of messages about illusion, reality, lost love, social embarrassment, hard lessons, heck, it's a whole play in itself. Many singers cannot negotiate the line "cannot hide, so" because of the range.

Irene, Ginger and Lucy! Could that much beauty and talent ever appear in the same movie today? I think not! Perhaps THAT'S what makes it the "Golden Age"!

I've always thought this was one of the most difficult to sing of all the great popular songs. On her remarkable new album Barbra Streisand tries to wrestle it to the ground but I'm not sure who wins, her or the song. The range required is Olympian, but beyond that the gorgeous melody on the reprise can easily sound monotonous. And of course no one ever knew what "so I chaffed them" means. I think Dunne's version has always been the most brilliant.

What a voice! Bring this era back again!

Wow, Irene Dunne was amazing. Hilarious, adorable, a great actress, classy, and the voice of an angel!

the last "so i smiled and say, "when a lovely flame dies, smoke gets in your...." felt so sad... bravo... the dance is also nice, they're a compatible dance couple

The song sung by Irene and the dancing of Astaire and Rogers gave me the chills!

One of the classiest ladies to ever hit the screen...and one of the great funny ones...This is such a treat, thank you. C

Beautiful. And how graceful were Fred and Ginger. Like liquid silk. I can never believe how they skip up those 3 steps backwards and land like feathers. Magic together.

Beautiful, love Irene Dunne.

Thanks for posting this. Never heard the original version before. Sounds great. Irene had a fantastic voice.

Irene Dunne was one of the finest women ever to grace the Hollywood stage.She was beautiful and had an amazing ability to project her character to an audience.Then she comes out with that wonderful singing voice and you think what else can she do?

Irena Dune... Una gran dama del cine cantando una de las canciones que más me impactan. Me recuerda mi juventud y mis buenos tiempos de colegio. Ya no hay gente así. Es una dicha poder rescatar momentos de arte como éste.. Gracias a la tecnología y ... gracias a Dios todavía podemos escuchar este arte y no los griteríos de ahora. Pufff

Qué voz increible! mi madre me la ha mencionado algunas veces, de peliculas...pero es la priimera vez que escucho a esta cantante...envidiable! gracias x compartirla!

Hi violinthief, Thank you for posting this wonderful clip of Irene singing Smoke Gets in Your Eyes. She was such a great singer and a beautiful human being. I love Irene Dunne!!!

Though I like the Platters' version, this one hits the nail on the spot. Ms Dunne sang it just the way it should be- how one is denying what already is. Saw the film on TCM which this clip was from, and after hearing it first, I never forgot it.

One of my favorite singers. People don't remember her enough these days for her singing. Great comedienne, great singer, great actress.

Irene Dunne was a class act and that's an understatement. If there were just ladies like that in the movies now....

Such incredible, diverse talent. Singing in musicals-ROBERTA-SHOWBOAT, crying in melodramas-BACK STREET, MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION, PENNY SERENADE, strong willed in psychological dramas-SILVER CORD, ANN VICKERS, hilarious in comedies-AWFUL TRUTH, MY FAVORITE WIFE, THEODORA GOES WILD, magnificent in wartime-WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER, GUY NAMED JOE, and sublime in ANNA AND THE KING OF SIAM, I REMEMBER MAMA, LIFE WITH FATHER. Truly versatile, she could do anything. So glad she lived a long life(age 91).

Irene Dunne, Barbara Stanwyck, Ginger Rogers, Doris Day...who else? these ladies were already great and talented at something else beyond the cinema. Irene, was so versatile...she could appear very romantic and sweet but she could even spread a foxy beauty.

beautiful so beautiful, i wish i could have met her and told her how lovely she was...

I've watched this many times, but I've just realised that Fred and Gingers' dance scene was done in one take, almost. Right up to where they jump up the stairs. Effortless, superb dancing. They can't do that in today's movies.

I like Irene Dunne too. I have always liked this song. ---------Ellen

I love Irene Dunne, and I love this movie! Thanks so much for posting! Like countrygirltori said....a movie with Irene, Fred, Ginger AND let's not forget Randolph Scott! How can it get any better!

Ginger and Fred-The most elegant dance routine ever. A permanent work of art on film.

Que beleza... Um clássico da música universal lindamente interpretado por esta fabulosa Irene Dunne culminando em seu fecchamento com a leveza sutil deste igualmente fenomenal Fred Astaire. Belo vídeo..Lindíssimo

Maravillosa interpretación de esta bonita canción.

Jerome Kern knew how to write great show songs, Irene Dunne knew how to charm, act, flirt, dance with grace and humour, and especially how to sing...

This is heartbreaking beauty.

I don't think that Irene Dunne = love and gentleness, but that love and gentleness = Irene Dunne. I don't know how to explain it, but even when she acts or sings that is always what I take from her.

Dear Irene - I love her still - she was just great..a real person always.........

Such nostalgia. Simply wonderful.

There is a wonderful video tribute to Irene Dunne here on youtube. Just type in 20 years without Irene Dunne in the search bar. This person obviously put a lot of work into making the tribute of video clips. Watch some of her films and you will become addicted as I have...

This is wonderful, I love Irene Dunne and I think she is the only one who can sing this song the best. And Wow Ginger and Fred are wonderful, there is something different about it, but boy are they coordinated - wow! Excellent video!

"smoke gets in my eyes" knowing ther is no more grace and class left in this world

This is the generally considered the definitive performance of this song (Jerome Kern surely thought so). The famous Joni James version recorded her in famous album of Jerome Kern music uses the countermelody that Dunne actually sings in the film and is sung in a higher range than Miss James had ever recorded before. It is gorgeous. She then recorded the song again with a symphony orchestra at Abbey Road Studios in London exquisitely. Bravo, Joni!

A great movie & wonderful song! Thanks for uploading it.♥

Simply splendid!!!!! Perla.

A very beautiful video ! Thank you very much for uploading and al your work on it, GREAT !

View her work, observe her talent, witness her life: it becomes very obvious that NO female 'star' of our time comes close to the true stardom personified so brilliantly by Irene Dunne!

my brother's b'day too. she was already 65 when he was born.

What a beautiful voice and song, I understand Irene was the original singer Wow.......

Omg i lovee Irene Dunne!! thank you soo much:)!!!!

Always loved her. Penny seranade, but best of all...I REMEMBER MAMA!!! NO ONE LIKE THIS ANY MORE:(

@Cnat123 ---A truly wonderful talent. Irene Dunne was what is often termed "a natural". What is most striking is that she was an even better person.

this is absolutely marvellous

Such a great actress and to believe she was never awarded am Oscar.

I agree with all below... it's so sad that she is not as widely known as she would deserve.

Thanks for editing and posting it, great work!

God! How beautiful was that!

Irene, you were are and will be a goddess. I love you

SHE WAS WONDERFUL

LaChicaChoca, This scene melts me, too - that's why I posted it! Glad you like it.

Aww how precious!

Jerome Kern wrote a real challenge to every singer with this song. The range it requires is enormous as is the breath control to sustain unusually long line ends. Negotiating the complicated melody is a challenge, too. When it's done right it's a song without equal. When it's not done right, it's a trainwreck. Dunne does it right.

irene dunne was simply incredible. an immortal.

Thank you for your compilation and effort . . . it was a joy to listen to and watch.

Great to again hear this much loved song presented without embellishments.Miss Dunnes voice is beautiful enough. Fred and Ginger ain`t bad either.

Those who are familiar with the movies of Irene Dunne are well aware of her versatility. Another special aspect of her acting talent is her consistency. Reviewing Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide, for instance, one finds, even when the movie is not highly regarded, almost without exception, Dunne's performance is.

Incomparably beautiful!

A lovely clip, and thoughtfully compiled, esp. the Fred and Ginger sequence at the end of the song. Long live elegance, style and class.

Just discovered her by watching a Cary Grant movie. I'm 26 and I wish I could see more intelligent and refined actresses like her today!

I was in Madison, Indiana last week and saw her name in several places - she really loved that little town and they loved her too.

Amazing !

Perfect.

Bellisima mujer!!! bellisma cancion!!! Gracias

Absolutely fine.Especially these day,when smoking is a kind of crime.

great song

Thank you for posting this. It is absolutely lovely.

Hi IheartVegie, I wish Irene had never died either. She was one of the most sweetest, kindest people to have ever lived. We need more people like her in this world of Pete Wentz, Ashley Simpson, Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and other other non-talents in Hollywood.

Who can listen to this and not have tears well up in their eyes? Not I...

i TOTALLY agree with what you say there!

Roberta was one of the biggest hits of the 30s. MGM did an inferior remake in 1952 - "Lovely to Look At". MGM bought the rights to Roberta and would not allow it to be shown again until the late 1990s. They did this to several Irene Dunne films.

I like this song ^^

I just watched the whole thing; spellbinding. What a fabulous voice she had and I agree with the comment below, Fred and Ginger, just superb. Aren't you just so clever finding this.

have i already said thank you for this?

Unquestionably one of the greatest performers on the 'silver screen'. And, therein is the problem. Virtually all her films were black and white, yet so good that MANY were remade--- in color. Those were the ones the TV execs decided to show late night. Her brilliance was lost. But, perhaps with greater ability than any other, she could "do it all". Drama, comedy, musical: she was superb.

Magnificent

Dear MVillani1985, I like Doo-Wop from the 50s in addition to older, Golden Era Broadway Musicals from the 20s to the 40s. But it's a shame that so many people think The Platters' rendition was "the original" rather than a charming novelty number.

Irene Dunne could also have a humorous sparkle in her eyes. She, and a few others out of the past, like Greer Garson, salvaged my belief in the potential of today's womanhood.

Very nicely done! Thanks for sharing this.

Cannot believe in all her excellent films she never won and Oscar. Shame on you Hollywood

the dance reprise is also pretty wonderful, people rave about the romance in dances like cheek to cheek but for me this is more special

The first time I saw sing was in The Awful Truth - it was wonderful. She was so talented, funny and beautiful too ... rare indeed.

Once upon a time when the world was still free.

violinthief - Thanks for uploading - classy song, classy singer...

@Rena1934 ---what a wonderful (and creative!) tribute you offer to the incomparable Dunne. She has cast a shadow that no one now, or for that matter since, has come close to filling.

The movie is available in DVD/VHS at a number of e-commerce sites. The song was written for this movie, but wasn't nominated for an Oscar. Another song from this movie 'Lovely to look at' was nominated.

Great post.

Not only was she a talented actress and humanitarian but, more importantly, she was faithful and devoted to her Church and its teachings.

Bellissimo questo video dove penso ci sia la prima interpretazione di questa fantastica melodia di Jerome Kern. Grazie mille.

@LidiaSovrano

10 жыл бұрын

e che dire di Fred? insuperato!

My Grandma said her mom use to sing this song to her when she was little.

WOW!!!!

bravo...bravo... fantastique