Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysSan Diego Comic-ConSummer Watch GuideToronto Int'l Film FestivalSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
Back
  • Biography
  • Awards
IMDbPro

News

Geoffrey Parsons

Judy by the Numbers: "Smile"
Anne Marie has been chronicling Judy Garland's career chronologically through musical numbers...

On January 22, 1964, CBS announced the inevitable: The Judy Garland Show would be cancelled after just one season. Though the network stated that the cancellation was so that Judy could spend more time with her family, the subpar ratings and tumultuous backstage difficulties had made the show untenable for the studio. In fact, less than a month after the announcement - after Episode 22 was shot - Judy ended the longest artistic partnership she'd had on the show when she fired Mel Torme. Musical director replaced and show revamped for the fifth time, Judy still ended the series looking and singing like a million bucks.

The Show: The Judy Garland Show Episode 22

The Songwriters: Charlie Chaplin (original score), John Turner & Geoffrey Parsons

The Cast: Judy Garland, directed by Dean Whitmore

The Story: The style the show settled on was...
See full article at FilmExperience
  • 12/14/2016
  • by Anne Marie
  • FilmExperience
Smile (1975)
Emmys In Memoriam: Watch Tribute to Hollywood Stars We've Lost (Video)
Smile (1975)
Before Billy Crystal stepped on stage at the Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday to pay tribute to his friend Robin Williams, singer Sara Bareilles performed the song “Smile” as the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences remembered the stars who died this year. The In Memoriam segment (above) featured “Brady Bunch” star Ann B. Davis, Eli Wallach, Peter O'Toole, Mickey Rooney, Harold Ramis and Paul Walker. Also read: Emmys 2014: The Complete Winners List “Smile” was originally an instrumental Charlie Chaplin composed for the 1936 film “Modern Times,” until lyricists John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons added the words and title in 1954. See...
See full article at The Wrap
  • 8/26/2014
  • by Greg Gilman
  • The Wrap
Morning Meme: Brian Burke Predicts Out NHL Player, Perez Hilton Joins Lindsay Lohan On "Glee," and Thomas Roberts Talks Glsen's Day Of Silence
Well, this should be fun. The three judges for Nationals on Glee are going to be Rex Lee, Lindsay Lohan, and Perez Hilton. Considering Perez has used Lindsay as a money making business for years, that could be awkward.

Well, Morgan, meet the parents: Joseph Gordon-Levitt has cast Tony Danza as his father in his directorial debut, in which Levitt plays a porn addicted player trying to change his ways.

Heather Wilson, a New Mexico Republican running for Senate, says the Student Non Discrimination Act is unconstitutional, because kids before puberty don't know they're gay, compromises the free speech rights of bullies, and criminalizes teasing, which she sees as a rite of passage. Are we sure she's not from Arizona?

We now have a real sonic screwdriver for when the Daleks invade.

Students at Nyu protested against Chik-Fil-a being on campus, but John Sexton, president of Nyu, says that while...
See full article at The Backlot
  • 4/20/2012
  • by lostinmiami
  • The Backlot
'American Idol': Thia Megia, Michael Jackson and the anatomy of a 'Smile'
Out of the mouths of babes!

16-year-old Thia Megia took to the stage during "American Idol's" Top 13 performance night, and after getting a comparison to Michael Jackson from Randy Jackson last week, she wanted to sing one of the artist's songs.

Only "Smile" isn't really a Michael Jackson song. First an instrumental piece scored for Charlie Chaplin's 1936 film "Modern Times," "Smile" got lyrics in 1954 from John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons. That's the same year the Nat King Cole rendition really put the song on the map.

Jackson didn't record the song until 1995 -- the year of Megia's birth -- after dozens of artists gained acclaim for singing the tune.

And almost every rendition of "Smile" has been a straightforward version of the soft, melancholy original -- just like how Megia's started out. Unfortunately, she switched things up mid-way, derailing into a questionably jazzy finish. (Jackson's "Smile" got upbeat too,...
See full article at Zap2It - From Inside the Box
  • 3/10/2011
  • by editorial@zap2it.com
  • Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Pop Culture References in The Colbert Report: Feb 21-24, 2011
Welcome to No Fact Zone’s weekly roundup of cultural references on The Colbert Report. From Darcy to Danger Mouse, String Theory to Shakespeare, we’ve got the keys to this week’s obscure, oddball, and occasionally obscene cultural shout-outs (hey!).

Howdy Zoners! What a whirlwind week this was! It was a really fun ride for me – almost as fun as the rides at Great Adventure (which I have been to as well, Stephen)! I have to admit a soft spot for Stephanie Coontz, because as a Women and Gender Studies minor in school, I had the opportunity to read some of her work, and really enjoyed it. So, I was especially giddy when she was on. What was your favorite segment this week?

Monday:

Rick Santorum Internet Search

In response, friend of the show and even better friend of Dorothy, Dan Savage…

The phrase “friend of Dorothy” is a...
See full article at No Fact Zone
  • 2/28/2011
  • by Toad
  • No Fact Zone
Justin Bieber's 'U Smile' Joins The Ranks Of Great Grinning Tunes
Last week, Justin Bieber officially announced that the newest single from My World 2.0 would be "U Smile," a smooth track with a retro Motown vibe. It's a sweet, straightforward song about devotion to his lady love, and it contains the line "When you smile, I smile" in the chorus. Like most of the other songs he has released to radio, "U Smile" is already gaining airplay and should make its way up the Billboard Hot 100 immanently.

"U Smile" will put Bieber on another list: People with songs about smiles. It's amazing that so many great artists have written songs about such a simple muscle twitch, but then again a smile can be enigmatic and disarming. Check out the top tracks devoted to grins of all kings.

Semisonic, "Secret Smile"

Semisonic had a tough time breaking the second single from their sophomore album Feeling Strangely Fine after the huge success of "Closing Time.
See full article at MTV Newsroom
  • 8/11/2010
  • by Kyle Anderson
  • MTV Newsroom
The Story Behind ‘Smile,’ The Charlie Chaplin Song From Michael Jackson’s Memorial
One of the more stirring moments of the Michael Jackson memorial celebration was Jermaine Jackson’s performance of “Smile,” a pop song made famous in the Charlie Chaplin film “Modern Times.” The tune was one of Michael’s favorite songs, and he recorded a version of it on his 1995 album HIStory.

The song was originally written as an instrumental by Chaplin himself in 1936, but two lyricists named John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons added lyrics to it, giving it the sense of melancholy and optimism that infuses the track. Jackson isn’t the only fan of the song, as it has been covered by an eclectic batch of performers including Elvis Costello, Michael Bolton, Nat King Cole, Michael Bublé, Barbara Streisand and Josh Groban.

Jackson’s version of “Smile” was the final track on HIStory and was recorded as an epic ballad (Jermaine’s version most resembles his brother’s take...
See full article at MTV Newsroom
  • 7/7/2009
  • by MTV News
  • MTV Newsroom
Jermaine Jackson Brings 'Smile,' Tears To Michael Jackson Memorial
Brooke Shields said the Charlie Chaplin song was Mj's favorite.

By James Montgomery

Jermaine Jackson performs at the Michael Jackson public memorial service held at Staples Center on Tuesday in Los Angeles, California

Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

According to Brooke Shields, Michael Jackson's favorite song wasn't one of his own. It was "Smile," a tune written by none other than Charlie Chaplin (with lyrics by the English duo of James Phillips and Geoffrey Parsons) for his 1936 film "Modern Times."

Over the years, the song — with its message of positivity and overcoming adversity — has been covered by a who's who of greats, including Nat King Cole, Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross, Judy Garland and Jackson himself, on his 1995 double album HIStory: Past, Present and Future: Book I. And now, you can add Michael's brother Jermaine to that list.

On Tuesday (July 7), Jermaine Jackson brought the crowd at the Michael Jackson...
See full article at MTV Music News
  • 7/7/2009
  • MTV Music News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.

More from this person

More to explore

Recently viewed

Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
Get the IMDb App
Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
Follow IMDb on social
Get the IMDb App
For Android and iOS
Get the IMDb App
  • Help
  • Site Index
  • IMDbPro
  • Box Office Mojo
  • License IMDb Data
  • Press Room
  • Advertising
  • Jobs
  • Conditions of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your Ads Privacy Choices
IMDb, an Amazon company

© 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.