Strike Up the Theme Songs, Part Two

The second half of the Siren's tribute to the art of the title tune

Brief intro to part two! If you’re a person who does things like counting, you might notice that there are nine entries here. If you’re also the type of person who does arithmetic, you will further note that 9 + 6 = 15, not 12 as the Siren said before. Um, yeah. Explanation: The Siren noticed she’d left out a theme song she shouldn’t have, and 7 + 6 = 13, and the Siren’s a little bit superstitious. So she added another one. Then, in a fit of exuberance, she added another. The Siren hopes no one will be flustered by this unannounced adjustment. 

The Long Hot Summer (1958) Music by Alex North, lyrics by Sammmy Cahn

Sung by: Jimmie Rodgers (for clarity, that’s this Jimmie Rodgers)

Sample lyrics:
The long hot summer
Seems to know every time you’re near.
And the touch of a breeze gently stirs all the trees
And a bird wants to please my ear.
The long hot summer
Seems to know what a flirt you are.
Seems to know your caress isn’t mine to possess—
How could someone possess a star?

Oscar contender?: No, and for once the Siren thinks that’s fair enough. It was a competitive year. “Gigi” won. The Siren would have voted for “A Certain Smile.” That achingly lovely song is in the middle of the movie, hence not on this list. 

Martin Ritt’s The Long Hot Summer begins with a barn bursting into flames, then shifts to the flaming-hot Ben Quick (Paul Newman) on trial (sort of, they’re assembled in a local store) for the act of arson. He’s not guilty by reason of no evidence, but he’s told to clear out anyway, so off Ben goes, cast out of the town. Newman could even make carrying a battered suitcase look seductive. Cue the Alex North/Sammy Cahn theme song, crooned by Jimmie Rodgers: "The long, hot summer, seems to know what a flirt you are ..."