Thanks for the Memory

1938 song
the song from The Big Broadcast of 1938

"Thanks for the Memory" (1938) is a popular song composed by Ralph Rainger with lyrics by Leo Robin. It was introduced in the 1938 film The Big Broadcast of 1938 by Bob Hope and Shirley Ross, and recorded by Shep Fields and His Orchestra featuring John Serry Sr. on accordion in the film and vocals by Bob Goday on Bluebird Records (B 7318, 1937). Dorothy Lamour's solo recording of the song was also popular, and has led to many mistakenly believing over the years that it was she who sang the tune with Hope in the film (in which Lamour also appeared). In the film, Ross and Hope's characters are a divorced couple who encounter each other aboard a ship. Near the film's end, they poignantly sing one of the many versions of this song, recalling the ups and downs of their relationship (then they decide to get back together). In the fifth verse of the song for the film, Robin recalled the couple’s romantic weekend in Niagara. His original lyrics were: "That weekend at Niagara when we never saw the falls." However, this was rejected by the film producers who feared it was too suggestive. Robin was furious and a bitter row ensued with neither side giving way. Finally a compromise was reached that has Bob Hope singing: "That weekend at Niagara when we hardly saw the falls." The lyricist never forgave this censorship: he considered it ridiculously prissy and that it ruined the song. However, the way that Shirley Ross responds with, "How lovely that was!" indicates that "never" was indeed the better choice. The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song,

Charlie and his Orchestra, a Nazi sponsored German propaganda swing band, produced a version during World War II. The song was performed by Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, and Desi Arnaz on the episode "Lucy and Bob Hope" on the television sitcom I Love Lucy. Marilyn Monroe's performance of "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" to U. S. President John F. Kennedy in 1962 was followed by an additional verse sung to the tune of "Thanks for the Memory": "Thanks, Mr. President/For all the things you've done/The battles that you've won/The way you deal with U. S. Steel/And our problems by the ton/We thank you so much." The song was parodied as "Thanks for the Medicare" on one episode of the 1980s NBC TV sitcom The Golden Girls. Estelle Getty's character, Sophia Petrillo, sang these lyrics to the melody of the song: "Thanks for the Medicare/For Blue Cross and Blue Shield/For a hip that finally healed/Remember, on prescriptions, generic is a steal/We thank you so much." A special version of the song was used for the closing of NBC Nightly News as Tom Brokaw appears his final broadcast in December 1, 2004. Connie Chung sang a rendition of it with her husband Maury Povich on the final episode of their show Weekends with Maury and Connie in 2006. Judi Dench sang her own "thank you" version especially for Sir Michael Parkinson on his final show The Final Conversation in December 2007.