Baby, It's Cold Outside

[PalJoey]

Posted: 12/9/10 at 12:16am

For Reginald Tresilian, who mentioned this song in the Banned Christmas Songs thread, here is perhaps the most bizarre version of this song ever: warbled by Elsa Lanchester (The Bride of Frankenstein) and Charles Laughton (Quasimodo, Captain Bligh), from a 1949 radio show:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJ5UIuAa0eM

Even odder than the idea of Charles and Elsa singing this song is the idea that the two of them were married for over 30 years.



The song itself is a strange addition to the world of Christmas-songs, when you think about it, given that it is somewhat of an Ode to Date Rape. ("Say, what's in this drink?" the poor girl asks.)



But in the hands of the great Frank Loesser, it becomes adorable and sexy. It even won the Oscar for Best Song, from the movie Neptune's Daughter, where it was performed twice: first by the romantic couple--a dashing Ricardo Montalban and a non-dripping Esther Williams--and then by the comic couple, with the gender switch of Betty Garrett as the chaser and Red Skelton as the chasee.

So here, for the Glee fans, is the boy-boy version, with Chris Colfer as the chasee and Darren Criss as the chaser:



You have to admit: They do it flawlessly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-_5RBPrK2o

[PalJoey]

Posted: 12/9/10 at 12:26am

Here are a few other of my favorite renditions of the song, each flawless in its own way:

The classic: Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jourdan:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-70qMhLfjLI


Equally classic: Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTNheCEUP_A


Doris Day and Bob Hope:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JPlKbRzxOo


Without a doubt the sexiest--or dirtiest--version of the song--Ann-Margret and Al Hirt:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVfrtmzpOuY


And I love the little one-act play that Carmen McRae and Sammy Davis Jr make out of it. If you can make it past Sammy's cringe-worthy "funny" voices, he and Carmen reach moments of sublimity:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqxlKQuUXx8


But, for sheer 1960s swinginess, nothing beats Steve and Eydie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4kb0hlGA9k


And one of the most bizarrely conceived: Miss Piggy in a steamroom, using the song to seduce Rudolf Nureyev, naked except for a towel. And, no, I'm not making this up. Watch for yourselves:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EJ1SBAO1HU


Other memorable versions of the song missing from YouTube:

Ray Charles and Betty Carter
Bette Midler and James Caan
Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson
Liza Minnelli and Alan Cumming

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 12/9/10 at 12:32am

I'm a big fan of the Liza Minnelli / Alan Cumming duet. Especially when he tells her to stop showing off. So cute.

Such a classic wintery song that warms the heart.

[strummergirl]

Posted: 12/9/10 at 1:09am

Will Ferrell and Zooey Deschanel in Elf:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp3UoqOkFJo

[PalJoey]

Posted: 12/9/10 at 7:32am

Did Zooey and Will Farrell ever release a full version of that? I love her voice and he actually sounds pretty good.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 12/9/10 at 8:50am

The Miss Piggy version was actually my first introduction to the song. The Muppets were very big in my house as they were in probably many houses.

Just this past weekend I was at the Celtic Thunder concert in Atlantic City and the song was performed. It's available on youtube but I can't access it from work.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 12/9/10 at 9:45am

PalJoey-Zooey sings it on the Elf soundtrack with Leon Redbone. It is one of my favorite versions.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 12/9/10 at 9:58am

Thank you, PJ!

[Eris0303]

Posted: 12/9/10 at 6:15pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X59aHoFQ3BU

[PalJoey]

Posted: 12/10/10 at 7:27am

I've never heard of this Celtic Thunder group, but I like them. Thanks!

[Eris0303]

Posted: 12/10/10 at 9:10am

Their Christmas special is airing on PBS stations across the country at the moment. It was on NJN last Friday so maybe your local station will be airing it.