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“Liza Jane” Meets the Media
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This chapter examines how “Liza Jane” songs appeared at crucial moments in twentieth-century popular culture. From the 1929 Mary Pickford film Coquette, to an early Mickey Mouse animation; from the Fibber McGee and Molly radio show to the 1960 Harry Belafonte television special New York 19, (not to mention the Andy Griffith show), tens of millions of listeners and viewers experienced “Liza Jane” songs afresh. Strikingly, Belafonte presented a mixed-race cast of singers, dancers, and musicians, which famously led his sponsor, Revlon, to cancel several future shows. The irony of this—a “beautification” company demanding the ugliness of segregation—proved that American popular culture had not yet transcended the ugly days of minstrelsy. At the same time, “Little Liza Jane” continued to appeal. The popularity of new media as well as the popularity of “Liza Jane” songs intersected, further installing these catchy tunes in the American consciousness.
Title: “Liza Jane” Meets the Media
Description:
This chapter examines how “Liza Jane” songs appeared at crucial moments in twentieth-century popular culture.
From the 1929 Mary Pickford film Coquette, to an early Mickey Mouse animation; from the Fibber McGee and Molly radio show to the 1960 Harry Belafonte television special New York 19, (not to mention the Andy Griffith show), tens of millions of listeners and viewers experienced “Liza Jane” songs afresh.
Strikingly, Belafonte presented a mixed-race cast of singers, dancers, and musicians, which famously led his sponsor, Revlon, to cancel several future shows.
The irony of this—a “beautification” company demanding the ugliness of segregation—proved that American popular culture had not yet transcended the ugly days of minstrelsy.
At the same time, “Little Liza Jane” continued to appeal.
The popularity of new media as well as the popularity of “Liza Jane” songs intersected, further installing these catchy tunes in the American consciousness.
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