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Saturday, July 18, 2009 – Manhattan Monochrome

There's a reason Woody Allen had his cinematographer Gordon Willis shoot his 1979 movie Manhattan in black and white – the city is supposed to be in black and white. See the opening three minutes – he says so.

Our friend who has spent decades on Wall Street agrees. Here is the city on a Friday in July – Manhattan as it is supposed to look.

Grand Central Station –

Okay, watch this eight-minute video clip – from the film "Sun Valley Serenade" (1941), the Glenn Miller Orchestra does its instrumental version of "Chattanooga Choo Choo" – followed by Tex Beneke whistling it, then singing the full lyrics with Paula Kelly and The Modernaires – followed by Dorothy Dandridge and Nicholas Brothers really ripping into it –

Pardon me, boy
Is that the Chattanooga choo choo?
Track twenty-nine
Boy, you can gimme a shine
I can afford
To board a Chattanooga choo choo
I've got my fare
And just a trifle to spare …

You leave the Pennsylvania Station 'bout a quarter to four
Read a magazine and then you're in Baltimore
Dinner in the diner
Nothing could be finer
Than to have your ham an' eggs in Carolina...

Of course this is Track 29 at Grand Central, Park and 42nd – Penn Station is down at 34th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues, across the street from New York's General Post Office, and not too far from the Empire State Building.

Photos Copyright © 2009 – Martin A Hewitt, used with permission

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