Recordings, Film, and Television
The song has been recorded by Bing Crosby with John Scott Trotter & his Orchestra; Steve Conway with Jack Byfield & his Orchestra; Thomas Hampson with Jay Ungar (mandolin), David Alpher (piano), and Molly Mason (guitar); John Leyton; Jerry Lee Lewis;, and Roy Orbison on the album In Dreams (a top ten Australian single in 1964).
In an unusual twist, Jim Reeves recorded a version of the song while on tour in South Africa in 1962. Reeves' version was sung in Afrikaans under the title "Bolandse Nooientjie". (A brief translation is fraught. "Lass of the hinterland" is one possibility). Although Reeves could not speak Afrikaans, this was remedied by the South African composer and songwriter Gilbert Gibson, who would stand behind Reeves and whisper the words of the song to Reeves, who would then sing the same words into the microphone.
It has been heard in various guises in many films including Gone with the Wind; Duel in the Sun; Mighty Joe Young; The Death Collector; Batman (1989); The Secret Life of Walter Mitty; the animated An American Tail; Drop Dead Gorgeous; Friends 'Til The End; Office Space; the Marx Brothers's Go West; The Old Chisholm Trail; and The Naked Spur. In Young Frankenstein (1974), it echoes almost as a non-representation; the ghoulish Marty Feldman, hearing a shrill and anguished female wail from a remote dungeon, smiles and (almost ) sings "Beautiful Screamer" .....
Gerry Goffin and Jack Keller wrote a doo-wop version which took considerable liberties with the original. This version was released as a single by Tony Orlando in 1963 and was a regular part of Rory Storm and The Hurricanes' live performances.
In television the song has cropped up in episodes and programs that include The Berenstain Bears and the Talent Show; The Berenstain Bears and the Female Fullback; Rawhide; Garfield and Friends; The Care Bears; Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman; Saved by the Bell; All That; Kenan & Kel; Drake and Josh, SpongeBob SquarePants, That's So Raven; Rugrats; Cat in the Hat; Peter Gunn; Little House on the Prairie; Our Gang; The Twilight Zone; Wind at My Back; Leonardo and Shining Time Station.
It has also been used for background music on spoken recordings.
Read more about this topic: Beautiful Dreamer
Famous quotes containing the word television:
“In full view of his television audience, he preached a new religion—or a new form of Christianity—based on faith in financial miracles and in a Heaven here on earth with a water slide and luxury hotels. It was a religion of celebrity and showmanship and fun, which made a mockery of all puritanical standards and all canons of good taste. Its standard was excess, and its doctrines were tolerance and freedom from accountability.”
—New Yorker (April 23, 1990)