"When You're Smiling" is a popular song written by Larry Shay, Mark Fisher and Joe Goodwin in 1928. It bears resemblance to the Spanish

Canción ''Canción'' ("song") is a popular genre of Latin American music, particularly in Cuba, where many of the compositions originate.Orovio, Helio 2004. ''Cuban music from A to Z''. p42 Its roots lie in Spanish popular song forms, including tiranas, ...

" Amapola" by José María Lacalle García. Early popular recordings were by Seger Ellis (1928),

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and Singing, vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and se ...

(1929), and Ted Wallace & His Campus Boys (1930).

Other notable recordings

Andy Williams Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...

released a version on his 1963 album, '' Days of Wine and Roses and Other TV Requests''. *

Bob and Alf Pearson Bob and Alf Pearson were an English musical variety double act, consisting of brothers Robert Alexander Pearson (15 August 1907 – 30 December 1985) and Alfred Vernon Pearson (15 June 1910 – 7 July 2012), who were mainly known for their singi ...

in 1930 for Piccadilly * Caroline Henderson for her album ''No.8'' (2008). * Cliff Bruner's Texas Wanderers – recorded September 13, 1938 and it reached the country charts in 1939. *

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

(1952). Later, he sometimes

parodied A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its sub ...

it as "When You're Drinkin'". *

Doris Day Doris Day (born Doris Mary Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was an American actress, singer, and activist. She began her career as a big band singer in 1939, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, " Sent ...

– for her album '' What Every Girl Should Know'' (1960) *

Dr. John Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (November 20, 1941 – June 6, 2019), better known by his stage name Dr. John, was an American singer and songwriter. His music encompassed New Orleans blues, jazz, funk, and R&B. Active as a session musician from ...

– for his album '' Ske-Dat-De-Dat: The Spirit of Satch'' (2014) *

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was bas ...

– several recordings in 1930. *

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

– acc. by Lou Levy (p), Max Bennett (sb), Gus Johnson (dm) live ''Teatro Sistina'', Rome, Italy — '' Ella in Rome: The Birthday Concert'' (1958) *

Erroll Garner Erroll Louis Garner (June 15, 1921 – January 2, 1977) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his swing playing and ballads. His instrumental ballad " Misty", his best-known composition, has become a jazz standard. It was first re ...

– in his album ''Piano Moods'' (1950). * Fats Domino – recorded in September 1967; included in his album ''Fats'' (1971). *

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the " Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...

– ''

Sing and Dance with Frank Sinatra ''Sing and Dance with Frank Sinatra'' is the sixth studio album by Frank Sinatra. The tracks were arranged and conducted by George Siravo and his orchestra (except for track four, which was conducted by Hugo Winterhalter). Original Columbia 10- ...

'' (1950) and also for his album '' Sinatra's Swingin' Session!!!'' (1961). Sinatra also sang the song in the film ''

Meet Danny Wilson ''Meet Danny Wilson'' is the debut album by Scottish pop group Danny Wilson. It became a significant hit in America on the strength of the summer of 1987 hit single "Mary's Prayer". Track listing All tracks composed by Gary Clark. # "Davy" ...

'' (1952). *

Frankie Laine Frankie Laine (born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio; March 30, 1913 – February 6, 2007) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned nearly 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final ...

– performed the song in the film '' When You're Smiling'' (1950). * Jack Hylton – recorded June 6, 1930. *

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...

performed the song at the Judy at Carnegie Hall concert in 1961. * Julia Lee – ''The Chronological Julia Lee 1947'' (2005). *

– ''Satchmo: A Musical Autobiography'' (1956). In his recording from 1929, Armstrong tried to adapt the "white" style of Guy Lombardo through the inclusion of an expansive saxophone section sound. * Louis Prima – ''The Call of the Wildest'' (1957). * Michael Bublé – for his album '' BaBalu'' (2001). 17 years later he re-recorded it for his album, Love *

Mickey Mouse Mickey Mouse is an animated cartoon Character (arts), character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime mascot of The Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red sho ...

(

Bret Iwan Bret William Iwan (born September 10, 1982) is an American voice actor and illustrator. He has been the fourth official voice of Mickey Mouse following the death of Wayne Allwine in May 2009. Early life Iwan was born on September 10, 1982, and ...

) – ''The MousePack – Mickey and Friends Singing Standards'' (2022) * Nat Gonella and His Trumpet — recorded November 15, 1932. * Nat King Cole – '' Ramblin' Rose'' (1962) *

Patti Page Clara Ann Fowler (November 8, 1927 – January 1, 2013), known professionally as Patti Page, was an American singer and actress. Primarily known for pop and country music, she was the top-charting female vocalist and best-selling female ar ...

– ''Page Two – Sings a Collection of Her Most Famous Songs'' (1957). *

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 ...

– a single release, recorded November 25, 1947. * Rufus Wainwright recorded the song for his 2007 album '' Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall'' * Teddy Wilson & His Orchestra, with

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop s ...

, recorded this song on January 6, 1938, in New York City for Brunswick/Columbia, with Teddy Wilson on piano, Benny Morton on trombone, Buck Clayton on trumpet,

Lester Young Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 – March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinetist. Coming to prominence while a member of Count Basie's orchestra, Young was one of the most ...

on tenor sax, Freddie Green on guitar,

Walter Page Walter Sylvester Page (February 9, 1900 – December 20, 1957) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist and bandleader, best known for his groundbreaking work as a double bass player with Walter Page's Blue Devils and the Count Basie Orchestr ...

on bass and

Jo Jones Jonathan David Samuel Jones (October 7, 1911 – September 3, 1985) was an American jazz drummer. A band leader and pioneer in jazz percussion, Jones anchored the Count Basie Orchestra rhythm section from 1934 to 1948. He was sometimes ...

on drums.

In popular culture

* In "The Rock Vegas Story" episode of '' The Flintstones'', first aired March 30, 1962, Barney and Betty Rubble perform the song * At the start of each episode of '' The Comedians'', first aired June 12, 1971, '' Shep's Banjo Boys'' are seen playing an instrumental version of this song, underscoring the opening credits. * In the ''

Seinfeld ''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. It aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, over nine seasons and 180 episodes. It stars Seinfeld as a fictionalized version of himself and ...

'' episode " The Jimmy", Mel Torme dedicates the song to Kramer. * The song was sung by

Rachel Berry Rachel Barbra Berry is a fictional character and one of the two main protagonists, alongside Mr. Schue in the Fox musical comedy-drama series '' Glee''. The character is portrayed by actress Lea Michele, and appears in ''Glee'' from its pilot ...

(

Lea Michele Lea Michele Sarfati (; born August 29, 1986) is an American actress, singer, songwriter, and author. She began her career as a child actress on Broadway, appearing in productions of ''Les Misérables'' (1995–1996), ''Ragtime'' (1997–1999) ...

), a character on the television series '' Glee'', in the episode "

Mattress A mattress is a large, usually rectangular pad for supporting a lying person. It is designed to be used as a bed, or on a bed frame as part of a bed. Mattresses may consist of a quilted or similarly fastened case, usually of heavy cloth, conta ...

". * The version recorded by

was featured in an advertisement for

Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus '' Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancest ...

's new iPhone 4 in 2010. It had previously appeared in a commercial for

Kodak The Eastman Kodak Company (referred to simply as Kodak ) is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in analogue photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorpor ...

. * The Louis Prima version is featured in the 2010 video game '' Mafia II'' on the fictional Empire Classic Radio station during the 1951 section of the game and also during the end credits. This version also appears in the movies '' Analyze This'', directed by Harold Ramis, '' Anger Management'', directed by

Peter Segal Peter Segal (born 1962) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. Segal has directed the comedic films ''Tommy Boy'' (1995), ''My Fellow Americans'' (1996), '' The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps'' (2000), ''Anger Manageme ...

, and ''

Find Me Guilty ''Find Me Guilty'' is a 2006 American courtroom comedy-drama film co-written and directed by Sidney Lumet. The film is based on the true story of the longest Mafia trial in American history. Much of the courtroom testimony was taken from the or ...

'', directed by

Sidney Lumet Sidney Arthur Lumet ( ; June 25, 1924 – April 9, 2011) was an American film director. He was nominated five times for the Academy Award: four for Best Director for ''12 Angry Men'' (1957), '' Dog Day Afternoon'' (1975), ''Network'' (1976 ...

. * In the

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Group. It ...

TV series '' The Backyardigans'', the song's tune is used in an episode titled "It's Great to be a Ghost!". * At the end of the 1995

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

movie '' Mighty Aphrodite'' the Greek chorus sings a version of this song. * At the end of the '' Everybody Loves Raymond'' episode "Sweet Charity" (Season 7, Episode 16),

Debra Barone This is a list of fictional characters from ''Everybody Loves Raymond'', an American sitcom, originally broadcast on CBS from September 13, 1996, to May 16, 2005. The show revolves around the life of Italian-American Ray Barone, a sportswriter ...

( Patricia Heaton) sings the song in front of a group of unhappy hospital patients. * At the end of the 2003 movie ''

Windy City Heat ''Windy City Heat'' is a made-for-TV reality film produced by Comedy Central. It first aired on October 12, 2003. Background Perry Caravello is an aspiring celebrity and struggling comedian and actor who was "discovered" in 1992 by comedian Don ...

'' the song is used over a montage of the main characters. * Pablo Bubarre introduced "When You're Smiling" in one of the musical romance sketches of "Pablo the Romantic" from ''

Boom Town A boomtown is a community that undergoes sudden and rapid population and economic growth, or that is started from scratch. The growth is normally attributed to the nearby discovery of a precious resource such as gold, silver, or oil, although ...

'', broadcast by BBC Three (UK, 2013). This version includes the piano music of Ross Leadbeater. * The song is sung by

Roberta Flack Roberta Cleopatra Flack (born February 10, 1937) is a retired American singer. She topped the ''Billboard'' charts with the No. 1 singles " The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", " Killing Me Softly with His Song", " Feel Like Makin' Love", " W ...

in the 1971 film '' $'' ("Dollars"). * It was adopted by

Leicester City F.C. Leicester City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Leicester in the East Midlands of England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home m ...

as the club anthem and can be heard at many of the team's games. * The Armstrong rendition features in the 2016 South Korean film ''

The Age of Shadows ''The Age of Shadows'' (; lit. "Emissary") is a 2016 South Korean period action thriller film directed by Kim Jee-woon and written by Lee Ji-min and Park Jong-dae. The film is set in Shanghai and Seoul in the 1920s and stars Song Kang-ho and Gon ...

'' as a juxtaposition to a violent montage unfolding. * The song was used by Labatt's during the 1970s in commercials for Labatt's Blue beer, with the words "Blue smiles along with you" in place of "The whole world smiles along with you". * Helena Bonham Carter (acting

Princess Margaret Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, (Margaret Rose; 21 August 1930 – 9 February 2002) was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and the younger sister and only sibling of Queen Elizabeth ...

) sings this song in the second episode of Season 3 of ''The Crown''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:When You're Smiling 1939 songs Songs with music by Larry Shay Louis Armstrong songs Andy Williams songs Football songs and chants Pop standards Songs written by Mark Fisher (songwriter)

Other notable recordings

In popular culture

See also

References