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Singer in "Sleuth" (1972) [PROBABLY FOREVER AN UNSOLVED MYSTERY]

posted 9 years ago by salzmank
62 replies | jump to latest

I'm sure somebody has posted about this before because it's seemingly such a big mystery (see http://www.soundtrackcollector.com/forum/displayquestion.php?topicid=7598, http://en.allexperts.com/q/Classic-Film-2786/Cole-Porter-Sleuth-movie.htm, and http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069281/board/thread/10107549), so, if there is another thread about this, it would help me a great deal if someone can post a link to it.

The mystery is that just about no one seems to know who sang three Cole Porter songs--"Just One of Those Things," "You Do Something to Me," and "Anything Goes"--in the movie Sleuth (1972). Here's a link to a video of Laurence Olivier's character dancing to them in a scene from the movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_VVr8ScGOc. One would think that by this time someone would have some idea of who sang them, but the identity of the singer just seems a mystery despite some promising leads over the years, none of which have panned out. Even more curiously, there is no singer identified in the end credits, and the three songs did not appear on the movie's soundtrack.

From what I could find, the last time that someone could look into this question was at the website "Soundtrack Collector" on March 5 of this year; the last poster stated that he had found "the exact song" of "Anything Goes" on Amazon Music for $1.29. After checking Amazon Music and looking through/previewing the many different versions of "Anything Goes," I was unable to find the song to which he referred and could not find the version from Sleuth. The poster immediately before him suggested that "You Do Something to Me" was on the soundtrack for Woody Allen's Magic in the Moonlight, but, after checking that, I discovered that that version was sung by Frank Luther for Leo Reisman's orchestra, a candidate considered since the beginning--and not the actual singer from Sleuth. The weird thing about the whole thing is that it seems so mysterious. Why should it be so difficult to find who sang three songs? Why wasn't the singer's name in the credits? Why didn't the soundtrack include the songs?

My only guess--and I concede that this is far-fetched--is that it's on purpose. The film is all about tricks, games, mysteries, puzzles, etc., and, unlikely as it sounds, I wonder if director Joseph Mankiewicz and screenwriter Anthony Shaffer made this mysterious singer so hard to find on purpose. That is to say, I wonder if the versions were specially created for the film or put together from other recordings (somehow)--or that it's someone whom we wouldn't suspect of being a singer (someone suggested Michael Caine himself, though I very much doubt it). More likely, of course, no one ever thought that anyone would be trying so hard to find this guy--but that still leaves the above questions unanswered. I apologize for going on so long, but I did want to provide all the background that I could. Thank you all very much--it would be great if someone could finally put this old question to rest!

[–] WillEd 9 years ago

Some mystery. I found it easy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V42nPAv06ag

[–] salzmank 9 years ago

WillEd--
I apologize if this sounds glib, but did you read the whole post? I know it's long, but I gave all that background for a reason. About halfway through, I wrote this line: "... I discovered that that version was sung by Leo Reisman, a candidate considered since the beginning--and not the actual singer from Sleuth." I have just now changed that because the song wasn't actually sung by Mr. Reisman--the accompaniment is his orchestra--but it's the same as your 1929 Leo Reisman version--and not the version in Sleuth. The singer in Sleuth has a softer, more melodious voice (sorry for all the lay terms. I'm not a musician), I think; and, just to prove it, Frank Luther (the singer in the Leo Reisman version) says "tah tah" (or some sound like it) after the line "Do do that voodoo that you do so well," which the singer in Sleuth does not say. Mr. Reisman's versions--and Luther's vocals in particular--have been considered before (see http://www.soundtrackcollector.com/forum/displayquestion.php?topicid=7598) , but they're not it. So, respectfully, I would have to say that this still is "some mystery."
Thank you for searching, though, and all the best!

[–] WillEd 9 years ago

I don't care if he says "tah-tah" in one version and doesn't say it in another. That is the same arrangement and the same singer. I played them both together at the same time and the phrasing is the same. The differences you think are picking up in the tone of the voice is most likely from the from the quality of the record. There is no way the singing could be that close and not be the same singer.

[–] salzmank 9 years ago

OK, in that case I suppose we shall have to agree to disagree. Believe me, I don't want to drag this mystery out longer than it needs to be, but I just really feel that isn't it--nor have other listeners, in fact, judging from the comments both on the Soundtrack Collector site and YouTube (look at the comments under the Olivier video)--so I'm not alone in believing that. Like you, I played them together; I certainly don't feel that they have the same singer and even less so the same arrangement. I get what you're saying about the quality of the record, but I'm still not seeing (or hearing!) it. As for your last point--I first got interested in figuring this thing out a few months ago when I listened to the songs again. I didn't think about it again for a while, but, both in looking up details for posting today and having listened to many versions of "You Do Something to Me," I can confidently state that there are many, many singers with very similar sounding voices. That does not mean, of course, that any one of them sang the songs in Sleuth. (Sure, one of them could have. For the reasons I've stated, however, I don't think Mr. Luther is the right one.) Whether you're right or I am, I would be interested in knowing why you so quickly jumped to Luther as the singer. Did you know his voice before? Have you looked up this question before? This might be another good resource: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Classic-Film-2786/Cole-Porter-Sleuth-movie.htm. Whichever one of us is right, though, thank you so much for looking into it!
I'd like to open this discussion up to everyone else who might be interested: do you think that Frank Luther is the singer in Sleuth? Are the YouTube commenters, the Soundtrack Collector commentators, and I right--or are we just hearing changes because of the quality of the record? Please comment! I'm interested in hearing everyone else's guesses!

[–] WillEd 9 years ago

I don't think he is anymore. But he is awfully close and so is another singer I found. In any event, I think Luther does better on the song. Nice, smooth sound.

[–] salzmank 9 years ago

Yes, he is awfully close, isn't he? And I like Luther's sound too, although--you're right--the record doesn't help. That's a big problem with these songs--so many voices that sound so similar! Oh, well, back to the old drawing board again...

[–] WillEd 9 years ago

It has to be a recording from that year or not long after because later recordings like, say 1936, don't sing it like that. It sounds like the singers around then are copying the style of whoever first made the song famous.

[–] salzmank 9 years ago

Good point.
The only other possibility I could see is my ridiculous theory that someone sang it exclusively for the movie--purposely imitating the late 20s/early 30s style of someone like Frank Luther. That would explain a lot of the problems we have finding it--but it seems like an awful lot of trouble for something so relatively minimal and doesn't seem very likely. I'm hoping that we can look more into the whole question; the subject was broached in 2006 at Soundtrack Collector, and nobody has been able to find it from then to now.