Underappreciated Geniuses, vol. 1: Betty Hutton

I have only seen one Betty Hutton movie, and it's probably the only one in which she doesn't sing. It's Miracle of Morgan Creek, and it's one of Preston Sturges' greats, which makes it one of the best movie comedies ever. This, by the way, is an empirical fact, not an opinion.

Truth be told, I don't remember Hutton's performance all that well. I'm sure she's great, but the movie really belongs to Eddie Bracken. If I'd never stumbled across Hutton's work outside that movie, I probably would never have given her another thought. Fortunately, a local DJ is a huge fan and she plays a lot of Betty Hutton. It wasn't long before I'd joined the fan club.

When she performs her signature material, Betty Hutton is probably the closest approximation ever of a living cartoon character. She is Spike Jones on speed, pure energy, liable to explode at any second. She's completely over the top, but unlike today's frenzied clowns, there's nothing ironic in her performance; she inhabits a refreshingly postmodern-free zone. All she's doing is selling a song like it's a life-or-death matter to get you to smile.

The disc Somebody Loves Me is a great introduction to her music. Not only does it include many of her biggest and best records--"Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief," "Murder! He Says," "It's Oh So Quiet" (later covered by Bjork)--but also some really wonderful examples of her serious singing. Check out her version of "It Had to Be You" and tell me this lady couldn't have been one of the best crooners of her time.

A performance is worth a thousand words, right? Check this out.