"I Found a Million Dollar Baby (in a Five and Ten Cent Store)" is a

popular Popularity or social status is the quality of being well liked, admired or well known to a particular group. Popular may also refer to: In sociology * Popular culture * Popular fiction * Popular music * Popular science * Populace, the total ...

song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetiti ...

. The music was written by

Harry Warren Harry Warren (born Salvatore Antonio Guaragna; December 24, 1893 – September 22, 1981) was an American composer and the first major American songwriter to write primarily for film. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song ...

, the lyrics by Mort Dixon and

Billy Rose Billy Rose (born William Samuel Rosenberg; September 6, 1899 – February 10, 1966) was an American impresario, theatrical showman and lyricist. For years both before and after World War II, Billy Rose was a major force in entertainment, with s ...

. The song was published in

1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...

, though a song using the same title, with a similar lyric by Rose and different music, had been published five years earlier. It was introduced in the

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwo ...

''Billy Rose's Crazy Quilt,'' which opened in May, 1931, where it was sung by

Fanny Brice Fania Borach (October 29, 1891 – May 29, 1951), known professionally as Fanny Brice or Fannie Brice, was an American comedienne, illustrated song model, singer, and theater and film actress who made many stage, radio, and film appearances. ...

. Many versions of the song were recorded in 1931. The biggest hit was by

Fred Waring Fredrick Malcolm Waring Sr. (June 9, 1900 – July 29, 1984) was an American musician, bandleader, and radio and television personality, sometimes referred to as "America's Singing Master" and "The Man Who Taught America How to Sing". He was also ...

's Pennsylvanians, with a vocal by Clare Hanlon, released by

Victor Records The Victor Talking Machine Company was an American recording company and phonograph manufacturer that operated independently from 1901 until 1929, when it was acquired by the Radio Corporation of America and subsequently operated as a subsidi ...

as catalog number 22707. The next-most-popular version was by

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

, recorded on June 12, 1931 and released by

Brunswick Records Brunswick Records is an American record label founded in 1916. History From 1916 Records under the Brunswick label were first produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, a company based in Dubuque, Iowa which had been manufacturing prod ...

as catalog number 6128 and a version recorded by the

Boswell Sisters The Boswell Sisters were an American close harmony singing trio of the jazz and swing eras, consisting of three sisters: Martha Boswell (June 9, 1905 – July 2, 1958), Connie Boswell (later spelled "Connee", December 3, 1907 – October 11, ...

and

Victor Young Albert Victor Young (August 8, 1899– November 10, 1956)"Victor Young, Composer, Dies of Heart Attack", ''Oakland Tribune'', November 12, 1956. was an American composer, arranger, violinist and conductor. Biography Young is commonly said to ...

's Orchestra also had some popularity. The song has since become a pop standard, recorded by many additional people (see below).

1926 Song By Billy Rose

Billy Rose first used the title for a 1926 song that had music by

Fred Fisher Fred Fisher (born Alfred Breitenbach, September 30, 1875 – January 14, 1942) was a German-born American songwriter and Tin Pan Alley music publisher. Biography Fisher was born in Cologne, Germany. His parents were Max and Theodora Breitenb ...

. Rose wrote the lyric for the earlier song, which also described a man falling in love with a woman who sold china in a

five and dime A variety store (also five and dime (historic), pound shop, or dollar store) is a retail store that sells general merchandise, such as apparel, automotive parts, dry goods, toys, hardware, home furnishings, and a selection of groceries. It ...

. (The 1931 lyric written largely by Mort Dixon, while using the same idea as the 1926 lyric, is not identical to that of the earlier song.) The 1926, though not a hit, was recorded for RCA Victor in 1926 by Canadian singer

Henry Burr Henry Burr (January 15, 1882 – April 6, 1941) was a Canadian singer, radio performer and producer. He was born Harry Haley McClaskey and used Henry Burr as one of his many pseudonyms, in addition to Irving Gillette, Henry Gillette, Alfred Alex ...

Recorded versions of the 1931 Song

* Frank Auburn and his orchestra (recorded May 28, 1931, released by Harmony Records as catalog number 1331-H, with the flip side "In the Merry Month of Maybe") *

Buddy Blue Bernard R. "Buddy Blue" Seigal (December 30, 1957 – April 2, 2006) was an American musician, music critic and writer, who performed and often wrote under his stage name Buddy Blue. He was a founding member of The Beat Farmers, a Southern Cali ...

and his Texans (recorded May

, released by Crown Records as catalog number 3149A, with the flip side "On the Beach with You"Crown Records listing
/ref>) *

Chick Bullock Charles (Chick) Bullock (September 16, 18981900 U.S. Federal Census, Township #5, Silver Bow, Montana, enumeration district 90, page 5. Bullock's birth date is confirmed by his entries in the Social Security Death Index and the California Death ...

(recorded July 2, 1931, released by

Banner Records Banner Records was an American record company and label in the 1920s and 1930s. It was created primarily for the S.S. Kresge Company, though it was employed as a budget label in other discount stores. History Banner was formed in January 1922 as ...

as catalog numbers 32216 and 32261,Banner Records in the 32000 to 32499 series
/ref> by Oriole Records as catalog number 2294,Oriole Records in the 2000 to 2499 series
/ref> by

Perfect Records Perfect Records was a United States-based record label, founded in 1922 by Pathé Records to produce cheap 78 rpm discs. From the start, Perfect Records sold well. The Pathé and Perfect labels were part of the merger that created the American ...

as catalog number 12735,Perfect Records in the 12500 to 12999 series
/ref> and by

Romeo Records Romeo Records was an American jazz record label that started in 1926 as a subsidiary of Cameo Records. The discs were sold exclusively at S. H. Kress & Co. department stores and retailed for 25 cents each. In 1931 Romeo was acquired by the Ameri ...

as catalog number 1665,Romeo Records in the 1500 to 1999 series
/ref> all with the flip side "I'm Through with Love") * Bobby Byrne and his orchestra (recorded April 29, 1941, released by

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American Decca's president. ...

as catalog number 3771A, with the flip side "On the Beach at Waikiki") * Carlton Dance Orchestra (released by

Madison Records Madison Records was an American record label. It was founded in 1958 by Larry Uttal. It lasted until 1961 when Uttal absorbed the label into his newly acquired Bell Records. Artists *The Bell Notes * Dante and the Evergreens *Nino and the Ebb Ti ...

as catalog number 6023, with the flip side "Walking Without You") * The Carolina Club Orchestra (vocal:

Skinnay Ennis Edgar Clyde "Skinnay" Ennis Jr. (August 13, 1907 – June 3, 1963) was an American jazz and pop music bandleader and singer. Early years The son of Mr. and Mrs. E.C. Ennis, he was born Edgar Clyde Ennis Jr. in Salisbury, North Carolina, United S ...

; recorded May 15, 1931, released by Melotone Records as catalog number 12177, with the flip side "Sing a Little Jingle") *

Russ Case Russ Case (March 19, 1912 – October 10, 1964) was an American trumpeter and bandleader who led jazz and light music orchestras. Biography Case was born in Hamburg, Iowa. His professional career began when he was hired at WOC (AM) in ...

and his orchestra (released by

MGM Records MGM Records was a record label founded by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946 for the purpose of releasing soundtrack recordings (later LP albums) of their musical films. It transitioned into a pop music label that continued into the ...

as catalog number 30337, with the flip side "When a Woman Loves a Man") *

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...

recorded the song on his 1958 album The Very Thought of You with arrangements by

Gordon Jenkins Gordon Hill Jenkins (May 12, 1910 – May 1, 1984) was an American arranger, composer, and pianist who was influential in popular music in the 1940s and 1950s. Jenkins worked with The Andrews Sisters, Johnny Cash, The Weavers, Frank Sinatra, Lo ...

. *

Perry Como Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an Italian-American singer, actor and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, after signin ...

(recorded February 1, 1951, released by

RCA Victor Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Ari ...

as catalog number 20-4035, with the flip side "That Old Gang of Mine") *

(recorded June 12, 1931, released by

as catalog number 6140,Brunswick Records in the 6000 to 6499 series
/ref> and as catalog number 80045,
/ref> both with the flip side "I'm Through with Love"; re-recorded July 10, 1940, released by

as catalog number 25502, with the flip side "Please") * Walter Davis (recorded March 13, 1938, released by

Bluebird Records Bluebird Records is a record label best known for its low-cost releases, primarily of kids' music, blues and jazz in the 1930s and 1940s. It was founded in 1932 as a lower-priced RCA Victor subsidiary label of RCA Victor. Bluebird became known ...

as catalog number 7589, with the flip side "When the Nights Are Lonesome") * Arthur Fields (recorded November

1926 Events January * January 3 – Theodoros Pangalos declares himself dictator in Greece. * January 8 **Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud is crowned King of Hejaz. ** Crown Prince Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thuy ascends the throne, the last monarch of Viet ...

, released by Emerson Records as catalog number 3095, with the flip side "I'm Gonna Park Myself in Your Arms") * Shep Fields and his orchestra (recorded April 29, 1941, released by

as catalog number 11150, with the flip side "Marche Slave") *

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but a ...

with J. Richards (recorded October 31, 1950, released by

Discovery Records Discovery Records was a United States-based record company and label known for its recordings of jazz music. Discovery was founded in 1948 by jazz fan and promoter Albert Marx. The record label eventually would record jazz notables such as Dizzy G ...

as catalog number 143, with the flip side "What Is There to Say?") *

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing". From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His conc ...

and his orchestra (recorded May 5, 1941, released by

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. It was founded on January 15, 1889, evolving from the A ...

as catalog number 36136, with the flip side "Good Evenin', Good Lookin'") *Sam Johnson (pseudonym for Len Joy) and his orchestra (recorded June 9, 1931, released by Aurora Records as catalog number 128Aurora Records listing
/ref> and by Timely Tunes Records as catalog number C-1580,Timely Tunes Records listing
/ref> both with the flip side "The One-Man Band") * Billy Jones with M. Kaplan's Orchestra (recorded November

, released by

OKeh Records Okeh Records () is an American record label founded by the Otto Heinemann Phonograph Corporation, a phonograph supplier established in 1916, which branched out into phonograph records in 1918. The name was spelled "OkeH" from the initials of Ott ...

as catalog number 40726, with the flip side "Elsie Schultz-en-Heim") *

Irving Kaufman Irving Robert Kaufman (June 24, 1910 – February 1, 1992) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern Dis ...

(released by

as catalog number 1854, with the flip side "My Girl has Eye Trouble", also released under the name "Charles Dickson" by Oriole Records as catalog number 740, with the flip side "Down in Mobile") *

Sam Lanin Samuel Charles Lanin (September 4, 1891 – May 5, 1977) was an American jazz bandleader. Lanin's brothers, Howard and Lester, were also bandleaders, and all of them had sustained careers in music. Lanin was one of ten children born to Benjamin ...

and his orchestra (vocal: P. Small; recorded June 2, 1931, released by

as catalog number 32219 and by Oriole Records as catalog number 2295, both with the flip side "Little Girl") * Jack Leonard (recorded April 28, 1941, released by

as catalog number 6200, with the flip side "When Your Lover Has Gone"OKeh Records in the 6000 to 6499 series
/ref>) * Bob Manners and his orchestra (released by

Fortune Records Fortune Records was an American family operated, independent record label located in Detroit, Michigan from 1946 to 1995. The label owners were Jack and Devora Brown, their son Sheldon Brown recorded for the label. Original releases tapered off a ...

as catalog number 117, with the flip side "Arms and Legs Polka") * Radio Franks (recorded September 21, 1926, released by

Cameo Records Cameo Records was an American record label that flourished in the 1920s. It was owned by the Cameo Record Corporation in New York City. Cameo released a disc by Lucille Hegamin every two months from 1921 to 1926. Cameo records are also noted ...

as catalog number 1036, with the flip side "Pretty Birdie", by Challenge Records as catalog number 185, with the flip side "Moonlight on the Ganges", by Champion Records as catalog number CH15178, with the flip side "Here Comes Fatima", and by

as catalog number 279, with the flip side "Don't I Know It?") *

Roy Smeck Leroy Smeck (6 February 1900 – 5 April 1994) was an American musician. His skill on the banjo, guitar, and ukulele earned him the nickname "The Wizard of the Strings". Background Smeck was born in Reading, Pennsylvania. He started on the vau ...

Vita Trio (recorded August

, released by Crown Records as catalog number 3186A, with the flip side "I'm Through with Love") * Paul Specht and his orchestra (vocal: J. Morris; (recorded May 28, 1931, released by

as catalog number 2482-D, with the flip side " Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams") * The Sportsmen and

Billy May Edward William May Jr. (November 10, 1916 – January 22, 2004) was an American composer, arranger and trumpeter. He composed film and television music for ''The Green Hornet'' (1966), ''The Mod Squad'' (1968), ''Batman'' (with ''Batgirl'' theme ...

's orchestra (released by

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of not ...

as catalog numbers 593Capitol Records in the 500 to 999 series
/ref> and 1507,
/ref> both with the flip side " Me and My Shadow") *

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...

recorded the song for the Funny Lady soundtrack (1975). * The Town Criers (released by

ARA Records The Bihari brothers, Lester, Jules, Saul and Joe, were American businessmen of Hungarian Jewish origins. They were the founders of Modern Records in Los Angeles and its subsidiaries, such as Meteor Records, based in Memphis. The Bihari brothers ...

as catalog number 105, with the flip side "Dance with a Dolly") * Tommy Tucker and his orchestra (recorded April 21, 1941, released by

as catalog number 6188, with the flip side "Blues") *

Van A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. Depending on the type of van, it can be bigger or smaller than a pickup truck and SUV, and bigger than a common car. There is some varying in the scope of the word across th ...

and his Orchestra (recorded October 20, 1926, released by

Pathé Records Pathé Records was an international record company and label and producer of phonographs, based in France, and active from the 1890s through the 1930s. Early years The Pathé record business was founded by brothers Charles and Émile Pathé ...

as catalog number 36551Pathé Records in the 36500 to 37089 series
/ref> and by

as catalog number 14732,Perfect Records in the 14500 to 14999 series
/ref> both with the flip side "Hello! Swanee, Hello!") *

's Pennsylvanians (recorded May 4, 1931, released by

as catalog number 22707A, with the flip side "Sing a Little Jingle"Victor Records in the 22500 to 22999 series
/ref>) *

and his orchestra (vocal:

The Boswell Sisters The Boswell Sisters were an American close harmony singing trio of the jazz and swing eras, consisting of three sisters: Martha Boswell (June 9, 1905 – July 2, 1958), Connie Boswell (later spelled "Connee", December 3, 1907 – October 11, ...

; recorded May 25, 1931, released by

as catalog number 6128, with the flip side "Sing a Little Jingle") *Entertainment attorney

Bertram Fields Bertram Harris Fields (March 31, 1929 – August 7, 2022) was an American lawyer noted for his work in the field of entertainment law. He represented many of the leading film studios, as well as numerous celebrities, and lectured at both Stanfo ...

recorded a version of the song with Les Deux Love Orchestra in 2022.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:I Found A Million Dollar Baby (In A Five And Ten Cent Store) Songs with music by Harry Warren Songs with lyrics by Mort Dixon Songs with lyrics by Billy Rose 1931 songs Barbra Streisand songs Okeh Records singles Bluebird Records singles