This collection of 40 songs used in the movies consists largely of recordings taken directly from soundtracks, although there are occasional studio recordings, notably the first track, Al Jolson's "My Mammy," which he sang in the first talkie, The Jazz Singer, in 1927. The performers include most of the major musical film stars of Hollywood's golden era, among them Louis Armstrong, Fred Astaire, Maurice Chevalier, Bing Crosby, Doris Day, Judy Garland, and Gene Kelly, and the selections include such standards as "Cheek to Cheek," "I'm in the Mood for Love," "Over the Rainbow," "Puttin' on the Ritz," "Singin' in the Rain," "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," "White Christmas," and "Hello, Dolly!" But what is curious about the collection is its large number of performers who are less known as singers or not thought of as singers at all. There are a host of people who achieved renown onscreen primarily for other attributes, even though they sometimes burst into song: James Cagney, Marlene Dietrich, Bob Hope, Marilyn Monroe, and Mae West. But then there are many actors and actresses whom one simply doesn't think of as singers who are heard warbling here, such as Marlon Brando, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, Clark Gable, Ava Gardner, Cary Grant, Jean Harlow, Rock Hudson, Sophia Loren, Jack Nicholson, Tyrone Power, Rita Hayworth, James Stewart, and Gloria Swanson. And some are better than others, but that's part of the fun, at least, if you're a movie musical buff. The set contains no annotations and the sound quality is uneven. Despite the title, the album covers only about 45 years. And the song Jack Nicholson is singing is "Who Is There Among Us Who Knows?," which was cut from On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, not the title song as the credits have it. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide