Paper Doll

About Paper Doll

"Paper Doll" was a hit song for The Mills Brothers. In the United States it held the number-one position on the Billboard 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 forty all-time singles to have sold 10 million (or more) physical copies worldwide. 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 it, we got to feeling it". The song has been named one of the Songs of the Century and has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Many artists have recorded it, including Bing Crosby for his album Songs I Wish I Had Sung the First Time Around (1956), Frank Sinatra for the album Come Swing with Me! (1961) and Pat Boone for his album I'll See You in My Dreams (1962). In 1975 British comedians "Don Estelle" and "Windsor Davies" released a comedic version of the song. Davies and Estelle were actors in the successful sitcom "It Ain't Half Hot Mum". It reached number 41 in the UK Singles Chart in 1975. Much like their earlier cover of "Whispering Grass" the record was sung in character. It has appeared in various films and in the British television miniseries The Singing Detective. Four lines of it are sung by Rodolfo in the first act of Arthur Miller's play A View from the Bridge. It is also referenced in stage directions of the third scene of Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire. more »