If I Forget You (1940)

I found this drippy song interesting and somewhat moving only because I was a BIG fan of Will Rogers in the 1930's. A BIG fan, that is, for a little kid -- 10 years old when he died. (I went with a friend to hawk an "EX-TREE!!" edition of the local newspaper announcing the 1935 plane crash in Alaska, in which Rogers and Wiley Post -- another hero of mine -- died.)

In this mini-short -- only 3 minutes -- Judy sings the title song to a miniature statue of Rogers on horseback. Nothing happens; she just sits there looking dewy-eyed and runs through the song -- THE END.

One of the strange things about this bit of film is that it took MGM 5 years to come out with it. I've always (for the last 2 or 3 years, since this bit has been turning up on the cable) suspected that it's an excerpt from a longer production, maybe a one- or two-reeler. I have no evidence to support this, however.

It's worth watching if you're a fan or a history buff.