At the Music Hall: The Limehouse Blues, 1922

And those weird China blues
Never go away
Sad, mad blues
For all the while they seem to say

Oh, Limehouse kid
Oh, oh, Limehouse kid
Goin' the way
That the rest of them did
Poor broken blossom
And nobody's child
Haunting and taunting
You're just kind of wild

Oh, Limehouse blues
I've the real Limehouse blues
Can't seem to shake off
Those real China blues
Rings on your fingers
And tears for your crown
That is the story
Of old Chinatown

Rings on your fingers
And tears for your crown
That is the story
Of old Chinatown 

For me, hearing “Limehouse Blues” brings to mind the brilliant and talented Gertrude Lawrence as well as the 1968 film about her life, "Star!" starring Julie Andrews.  “Limehouse Blues”  is a celebrated jazz standard written in 1922 by Douglas Furber (lyrics) and Philip Braham (music).  The song was made famous by Gertrude Lawrence, but it has been recorded thousands of times. 

This tune of betrayal and sadness was prominently featured in a 1934 film which borrowed its name (also known as “East End Chant”).  The film  was set in London's Chinese district and starred George Raft and Anna May Wong. The song was also performed in “Ziegfeld Follies” (by Fred Astaire and Lucille Bremer in Asian makeup).

Enjoy this clip from the Gertrude Lawrence biopic with Julie Andrews performing the song:

The Great Al Hirschfeld depicted Andrews as Lawrence performing the "Blues," in 1968

At the Music Hall: “Parisian Pierrot,: 1923

Gertrude Lawrence

Parisian pierrot, society’s hero
The lord of the day, the Rue de la Paix
Is under your sway
The world may flatter but what does that matter?
They’ll never shatter your bloom profound
Parisian pierrot, your spirit’s at zero
Divinely forlorn, with exquisite scorn
From sunset to dawn
The limbo is calling, your star will be falling
As soon as the clock goes round

Parisian pierrot, your spirit’s at zero
Divinely forlorn, with exquisite scorn
From sunset to dawn
The limbo is calling, your star will be falling
As soon as the clock goes round 

This popular song with music and lyrics by Noël Coward is known to many of us from its appearance in the film “Star!” which starred Julie Andrews as Coward’s longtime friend, Gertrude Lawrence. However, the song was one of Coward’s most memorable long before Miss Andrews turn in the biopic. Coward debuted “Parisian Pierrot” as well as a host of others in the 1923 musical revue “London Calling!” which was produced by André Charlot.

“London Calling!” opened in London's Duke of York's Theatre on September 4, 1923. It was famous Noël Coward's first publicly produced musical. The revue caused quite a sensation, not only for its music, but also for incorporating a 3-D stereoscopic shadowgraph during the opening act.

"Parisian Pierrot", as sung by Gertrude Lawrence, was Coward's first huge hit and, consequently, it became one of his signature tunes—a song which her performed himself until his death. We have two versions here. One as performed by Coward and, the other, a clip from “Star!”

At the Music Hall: “Parisian Pierrot,: 1923

Gertrude Lawrence

Parisian pierrot, society’s hero
The lord of the day, the Rue de la Paix
Is under your sway
The world may flatter but what does that matter?
They’ll never shatter your bloom profound
Parisian pierrot, your spirit’s at zero
Divinely forlorn, with exquisite scorn
From sunset to dawn
The limbo is calling, your star will be falling
As soon as the clock goes round

Parisian pierrot, your spirit’s at zero
Divinely forlorn, with exquisite scorn
From sunset to dawn
The limbo is calling, your star will be falling
As soon as the clock goes round 

This popular song with music and lyrics by Noël Coward is known to many of us from its appearance in the film “Star!” which starred Julie Andrews as Coward’s longtime friend, Gertrude Lawrence. However, the song was one of Coward’s most memorable long before Miss Andrews turn in the biopic. Coward debuted “Parisian Pierrot” as well as a host of others in the 1923 musical revue “London Calling!” which was produced by André Charlot.

“London Calling!” opened in London's Duke of York's Theatre on September 4, 1923. It was famous Noël Coward's first publicly produced musical. The revue caused quite a sensation, not only for its music, but also for incorporating a 3-D stereoscopic shadowgraph during the opening act.

"Parisian Pierrot", as sung by Gertrude Lawrence, was Coward's first huge hit and, consequently, it became one of his signature tunes—a song which her performed himself until his death. We have two versions here. One as performed by Coward and, the other, a clip from “Star!”

At the Music Hall: The Limehouse Blues, 1922

And those weird China blues
Never go away
Sad, mad blues
For all the while they seem to say

Oh, Limehouse kid
Oh, oh, Limehouse kid
Goin' the way
That the rest of them did
Poor broken blossom
And nobody's child
Haunting and taunting
You're just kind of wild

Oh, Limehouse blues
I've the real Limehouse blues
Can't seem to shake off
Those real China blues
Rings on your fingers
And tears for your crown
That is the story
Of old Chinatown

Rings on your fingers
And tears for your crown
That is the story
Of old Chinatown


For me, hearing “Limehouse Blues” brings to mind the brilliant and talented Gertrude Lawrence as well as the 1968 film about her life, "Star!" starring Julie Andrews.  “Limehouse Blues”  is a celebrated jazz standard written in 1922 by Douglas Furber (lyrics) and Philip Braham (music).  The song was made famous by Gertrude Lawrence, but it has been recorded thousands of times. 

This tune of betrayal and sadness was prominently featured in a 1934 film which borrowed its name (also known as “East End Chant”).  The film  was set in London's Chinese district and starred George Raft and Anna May Wong. The song was also performed in “Ziegfeld Follies” (by Fred Astaire and Lucille Bremer in Asian makeup).

Enjoy this compilation of Gertrude Lawrence performing the song:

At the Music Hall: Has Anybody Seen Our Ship?




Noel Coward and Gertrude Lawrence
in The Red Peppers from
Tonight at 8:30, 1935

 

Has anybody seen our ship?

The H.M.S. Peculiar

We've been on shore for a month or more
And when we see the Captain
We should get what for

Heave ho, me hearties
Sing Glory, Hallelujah

A lady bold as she could be
Pinched our whistles at the Golden Key
Now, we're in between the devil and the big blue sea
Has anybody seen our ship?

In 1935, celebrated composer, playwright, actor, director and general bon vivant Noel Coward introduced a series of ten short plays collectively entitled Tonight at 8:30. The cycle was intended to be performed over a three night period. The cycle opened in Manchester and played in London, New York and Canada until 1938. Since then, many revivals have popped up.

Originally, Gertrude Lawrence played opposite Noel Coward (who rather enjoyed performing in his own plays). One of the ten plays was called, The Red Peppers and centered around a husband and wife musical act. For this comic tale of theatrical dysfunction, Coward wrote two new songs in the style of traditional music hall numbers. One of these was Has Anybody Seen Our Ship? Coward and Lawrence performed the song dressed as sailors—in character as George and Lily Pepper. Audiences enjoyed the song, but especially the Vaudevillian patter between the verses.

In the 1968 film, Star!, based on the life of Gertrude Lawrence, Julie Andrews and Daniel Massey perform Has Anybody Seen Our Ship? as Coward and Lawrence. For today, however, we’ll go to the original source. Enjoy this 1935 recording of Noel Coward and Gertrude Lawrence performing Has Anybody Seen Our Ship?