224:
on May 16 called the song "more pleasing" than the A-side of the record but ended, "Little here save for Mills fans at particular locations." It did make number 9 in the South Region on
October 24, 1942, for one week, then reappeared on May 22, 1943. It finally hit number 10 on August 7 and number 1
208:
as their new single, with "Paper Doll" as the B-side. It is rumored that it took less than fifteen minutes to record the latter. Harry Mills recalled that he and his brother
Herbert did not initially like the song, although their brother Donald did. However, Harry said, "as we went along rehearsing
183:
Black was apparently inspired to write the song after he was jilted by a girlfriend. The author Jack London Riehl wrote that Black was "a pianist, who augmented his income by boxing. His girlfriend ran off with another boxer, and he wrote this song, which began, 'I'd like to buy a paper doll that I
146:
singles chart for twelve weeks, from
November 6, 1943, to January 22, 1944. The success of the song represented something of a revival for the group after a few years of declining sales. It is one of the fewer than 40 all-time
179:
on the violin, after which Marks bought it for $ 25 in advance royalties. Marks put "Paper Doll" on the market, but it was a flop. In 1936, Johnny Black died after a fight with a customer at his
Hamilton, Ohio, roadhouse.
384:'s singing "Paper Doll", in which the lyrics express a man's regret that his girlfriend has left him. Gail Lumet Buckley wrote in her book about the Hornes, "Lena ... sang 'Paper Doll' and 'hated it' ('It's a
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The song was written in 1915 (although it was not published until 1930) by Johnny S. Black, whose greatest success would come with his song "
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It is mentioned (as the song being played by a Negro band in a bar near the
Kowalskis' home) in stage directions of the third scene of
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In addition to its film appearances, the Mills
Brothers version of the song appears in the British television miniseries
361:) recorded a novelty version of the song. It reached number 41 in the UK singles chart in 1975. As with their cover of "
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can call my own ...' and ended 'I'd rather have a paper doll to call my own than have a fickle-minded real live girl.
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832:"WINDSOR DAVIES & DON ESTELLE | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company"
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on
November 6, which is where it stayed through January 22, 1944, charting forty weeks in all.
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Heart and Soul: An
Inspiring Collection of Light Verse on Life, Love, Faith, and the Military
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729:"70th Anniversary: The Mills Brothers' 'Paper Doll' Tops the Charts"
595:
Tin Pan Alley: An
Encyclopedia of the Golden Age of American Song
852:
Hit Songs, 1900-1955: American
Popular Music of the Pre-Rock Era
620:
Pop Chronicles the 40s: The Lively Story of Pop Music in the 40s
167:", which sold 5,000,000 copies in a recording by the bandleader
175:. In 1922, Black played "Paper Doll" to the music publisher
95:
267:
US Billboard National Best Selling Retail Records Year-End
462:
Four lines of it are sung by Rodolfo in the first act of
1161:It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
676:"Mills Brothers, 56 Years and 2,246 Records Later"
220:in May but generated little interest. A review in
191:
1370:
246:Billboard National Best Selling Retail Records
1042:
416:– played on piano and sung by all at a party.
308:Songs I Wish I Had Sung the First Time Around
298:. Many artists have recorded it, including
557:78 RPM Record (Mills Brothers, Decca 18318)
1049:
1035:
967:The Vocal Group Hall of Fame Foundation, "
380:– This presented the unusual situation of
171:in 1920 and a further 2,000,000 copies of
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778:. March 7, 2001. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
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1394:Number-one singles in the United States
140:it held the number-one position on the
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758:Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004
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609:
607:
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276:US Billboard R&B Records Year-End
1030:
727:Makamson, Colin (November 13, 2013).
443:– The Mills Brothers version is used.
434:– The Mills Brothers version is used.
425:– The Mills Brothers version is used.
155:(or more) physical copies worldwide.
1399:Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients
1252:Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You)
1080:The Board of Directors Annual Report
228:
604:
578:A Century of American Popular Music
368:
290:The song has been named one of the
285:
13:
1014:A Singing Detective Plays It Again
447:
14:
1410:
1266:Nevertheless I'm in Love with You
919:"The Execution of Private Slovik"
708:Orodenker, M. H. (May 16, 1942).
674:Holden, Stephen (July 17, 1981).
1245:I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm
1210:You Always Hurt the One You Love
854:. McFarland & Company, Inc.
1119:Baby Won't You Please Come Home
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793:Recording Academy Grammy Awards
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760:. Record Research. p. 291.
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500:number-one singles of the 1940s
422:The Execution of Private Slovik
294:and has been inducted into the
16:1942 song by The Mills Brothers
1231:Mañana (Is Soon Enough for Me)
873:The Hornes: An American Family
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701:
667:
646:
587:
570:
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192:Recording and slow chart climb
1:
795:. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
733:The National WWII Museum Blog
597:(New York: Routledge, 2003),
580:(New York: Routledge, 2002),
505:
871:Gail Lumet Buckley. (1986).
278:
270:
260:
249:
7:
1224:When You Were Sweet Sixteen
652:Jack London Riehl. (2012).
489:
365:", they sung in character.
355:(both known for the sitcom
257:Billboard Harlem Hit Parade
68:Edward B. Marks Music Corp.
10:
1415:
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1308:Suddenly There's a Valley
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341:I'll See You in My Dreams
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482:A Streetcar Named Desire
388:song,' she complained)."
347:In 1975, British actors
1140:Chinatown, My Chinatown
1315:Standing On the Corner
1273:Be My Life's Companion
1073:The Board of Directors
523:"Music: Johnny's Doll"
469:A View from the Bridge
377:Two Girls and a Sailor
196:On February 18, 1942,
159:Author and inspiration
1358:Count Basie Orchestra
1168:I've Found a New Baby
1012:Stephanie Zacharek, "
456:The Singing Detective
358:It Ain't Half Hot Mum
132:" was a hit song for
772:Songs of the Century
529:. November 8, 1943.
292:Songs of the Century
1259:Daddy's Little Girl
1105:Nobody's Sweetheart
875:. Alfred A. Knopf.
850:Don Tyler. (2007).
789:Grammy Hall of Fame
330:Come Swing with Me!
296:Grammy Hall of Fame
216:It was released by
1175:Darling Nelly Gray
1058:The Mills Brothers
974:2008-10-15 at the
969:The Mills Brothers
680:The New York Times
477:Tennessee Williams
405:Red Sky at Morning
198:The Mills Brothers
134:The Mills Brothers
41:The Mills Brothers
1366:
1365:
894:"The Way We Were"
662:978-1-4502-3182-4
630:978-1-55935-147-8
393:Hi, Good Lookin'!
283:
282:
236:Charts (1943–44)
229:Chart performance
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85:February 18, 1942
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1020:, 20 April 2003.
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710:"On the Records"
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369:Film appearances
363:Whispering Grass
286:Other recordings
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413:The Way We Were
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177:Edward B. Marks
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153:sold 10 million
122:Johnny S. Black
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317:for the album
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716:. p. 82.
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656:. iUniverse.
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996:. Retrieved
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953:December 22,
951:. Retrieved
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944:"Radio Days"
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926:. Retrieved
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22:"Paper Doll"
1353:Discography
1329:Yellow Bird
1301:Say "Si Si"
810:Discogs.com
395:– starring
349:Don Estelle
315:Perez Prado
303:Bing Crosby
206:Alec Wilder
173:sheet music
1384:1942 songs
1379:1915 songs
1373:Categories
1336:Cab Driver
1287:Lazy River
1196:Paper Doll
506:References
431:Radio Days
382:Lena Horne
200:recorded "
169:Ben Selvin
165:Dardanella
130:Paper Doll
1322:Get a Job
1217:Till Then
1098:Tiger Rag
714:Billboard
688:0362-4331
535:0040-781X
498:Billboard
337:Pat Boone
222:Billboard
143:Billboard
136:. In the
63:Published
998:June 19,
972:Archived
928:June 19,
903:June 19,
862:. p. 271
816:June 19,
756:(2004).
738:July 31,
693:July 31,
639:31611854
617:(1994).
563:July 30,
540:July 31,
496:List of
490:See also
479:'s play
466:'s play
151:to have
82:Recorded
77:May 1942
74:Released
1090:Singles
776:CNN.com
664:. p. 61
343:(1962).
211:feeling
149:singles
1238:Gloria
1065:Albums
883:p. 191
879:
858:
812:. 1962
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637:
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599:p. 199
582:p. 155
533:
437:2001,
428:1987,
419:1974,
410:1973,
402:1971,
391:1944,
374:1944,
333:(1961)
321:(1959)
311:(1956)
49:A-side
37:Single
1133:Shine
1112:Dinah
386:boy's
239:Rank
213:it".
204:" by
186:'
110:18318
108:Decca
103:Label
91:Genre
66:1922
1000:2017
993:IMDb
955:2017
948:IMDb
930:2017
923:IMDb
905:2017
898:IMDb
877:ISBN
856:ISBN
818:2017
740:2021
695:2021
684:ISSN
658:ISBN
635:OCLC
625:ISBN
565:2021
542:2021
531:ISSN
527:Time
351:and
96:Jazz
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244:US
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