Song 119 - You'll never know by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon

Based on a poem written by a young Oklahoma war bride named Dorothy Fern Norris, You'll never know won the 1943 Academy Award for Best Original Song, beating nine other songs in the category for that year.

With the music written by Harry Warren and the lyrics by Mack Gordon, the song was first introduced in the film Hello, Frisco Hello  where it was sung by Alice Faye. The film tells the story of vaudeville performers in San Francisco during the period of 1915 Panama Exposition when Alexander Graham Bell made the first transcontinental phone call from New York to San Francisco. The film is a remake of King of Burlesque (1936). It was the last musical that Faye worked with Fox on as they were promoting Betty Gables as her successor. Released in the height of war, it became Faye's highest grossing film.  Faye would also perform it in the 1944 film Four Jills and a Jeep.

Like many of the Oscar winning songs that the blog has covered already You'll never know should have been classed as Faye's signature song; but there are two reasons why this didn't really happen; one, Faye never released a recording of the song and it has been covered by many other artists including Frank Sinatra and Dick Haymes. 

As the original version is not available, I have found a version by Vera Lynn, who's own version was very popular during World War 2.

You'll never know, performed by Vera Lynn

Best original song: 1943

Written by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon

Film: Hello, Frisco, Hello