I feel pretty, oh so pretty
I feel pretty and witty and gay
And I pity
Any girl who isn't me today
I feel charming, oh so charming
It's alarming how charming I feel
And so pretty
That I hardly can believe I'm real
See the pretty girl in that mirror there?
Who can that attractive girl be?
Such a pretty face, such a pretty dress
Such a pretty smile, such a pretty me!
I feel stunning, and entrancing
Feel like running and dancing for joy
For I'm loved
By a pretty wonderful boy
It's a song from 1961's film, "West Side Story".
The words were written by young Stephen Sondheim.
Natalie Wood, who looked a little bit older, acted a young maiden girl and sang the song.
But, her voice was dubbed by a singer named Marni Nixon.
Marni dubbed for not Natalie only, but sang for Audrey Hepburn (on "My Fair Lady") and Deborah Kerr (on "The King & I" & "An Affaire To Remember") also.
The film had won many Oscars.
They are included the Best supporting Actor, George Chakiris, the best supporting Actress, Rita Moreno, Art Direction, Cinematography, Costume, Best Director, Editing, Music Scoring, Best Picture and Best Sound. They won 10 sections
This site has a lot of great pictures of "West Side".
Then, talking about the song,
I had heard it by Annie Ross "Sings a Song with Mulligan" before the film came.
We had been heard Dave Brubeck playing on vinyl record very often.
I listend to Oscar Peterson Trio more often.
I heard Andre Previn's often also.
Sarah Vaughn on "Sassy Swings the Tivoli" was in her most swinging era, which I love most till those days.
I can't remind myself the album name that Nancy Wilson sang it. You could listen to her on this box-set anyway.
It's a different touch that Ms. Kiri Te Kanawa sings on "Kiri on Broadway".
Mar. 22 is the birthday of Stephen Sondheim who wrote the lyric.
He was born in 1939, NYC.
Was the son of a wealthy dress manufacturer. When his parents divorced, his mother moved to Pennsylvania. Then he found his life work.
A neighbor of his mother's, Oscar Hammerstein II was working on "Oklahoma!". That's it. It might have been in 1941-42.
Details are showed here and this page in Japanese has his photo.
He wrote lyrics for "Gypsy", with Jule Styne, the composer.
This musical was filmed in 1962, Natalie starred too.
Natalie performed as a famous stripteaser, Gypsy Rose Lee.
Mr. Sondheim won The Best Movie of Edgar Alan Poe Awards with Anthony Perkins (co-writer) for the film, "The Last of Sheila"(73), starring such sexy ladies like Raquel Welch and Dyan Cannon.
Won an Oscar of The Best Original Song for 1990's "Dick Tracy".
(TK, 03/22/02)
P. S.
On this "West Side" page, as I clicked the song "I feel Pretty", it began to play "Sukiyaki Song" sung by late Sakamoto Kyu, a famous Japanese Pop singer. The song was played full-choruses, which is so much familiar to me as I have listened more than three minutes, though. Well, well, how comes to that way?
(TK)
Go to ---------- another song.
---- Japanese page
Any errors, omissions or comments would be greatly appreciated.
Please mail them to Taro Kimura (artanisrome@yahoo.co.jp).
