by Rachel Newstead
As some of you may have noticed in the second part of my recent essay about Tex Avery’s early years at Lantz, I love the cartoon She Done Him Right, especially the signature number of the cartoon, “Minnie The Moocher’s Wedding Day.” I first fell in love with that number in Hugh Harman’s Swing Wedding, but the hot blues rendition in She Done Him Right is far superior. I had to know the identity of that voice, and in an effort to find out, I wrote to the webmaster of the Walter Lantz Cartune Encyclopedia. Well, it seems I not only have him stumped, but the people to whom he forwarded my letter: neither Jerry Beck, Mark Kausler, nor even Keith Scott had any idea.
Since I seem to have done the near-impossible and stumped the animation historians, I thought it best to appeal to the music historians. Lantz likely used a popular artist of the day, as Fleischer was inclined to do. My knowledge of the artists of that period is sadly limited, however, so I would appreciate hearing from anyone who can give me at least an educated guess.
To whom does this voice belong?
