Chosen for the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress as culturally and historically significant.
The comic champagne here is fizzy, but there are many dark references to the misery of the Great Depression, and the film concludes on a serious note with a number in the style of German expressionism and a Sprechstimme ode to the 'Forgotten Man' performed by Joan Blondell:
I don't know if he deserves a bit of sympathy
Forget your sympathy, that's all right with me
I was satisfied to drift along from day to day
'Til they came and took my man away
Remember my forgotten man
You put a rifle in his hand
You sent him far away
You shouted hip-hooray!
But look at him today
Remember my forgotten man
You had him cultivate the land
He walked behind the plow
The sweat fell from his brow
But look at him right now
And once, he used to love me
I was happy then
He used to take care of me
Won't you bring him back again?
'Cause ever since the world began
A woman's got to have a man
Forgetting him, you see
Means you're forgetting me
Like my, my forgotten man
Remember my forgotten man
You put a rifle in his hand
You sent him far away
You shouted hip-hooray!
But look at him today
Remember my forgotten man
You had him cultivate the land
He walked behind the plow
The sweat fell from his brow
But look at him right now
And once, he used to love me
I was happy then
He used to take care of me
Won't you bring him back again?
'Cause ever since the world began
A woman's got to have a man
Forgetting him, you see
Means you're forgetting me
Like my, my forgotten man
You remember(we are the main forgotten man)
Yes remember(won't you bring this side back again)
'Cause something must apply, the glory must apply
But soon I want it all(now the dawn shall never end)
Oh remember(remember your forgotten man)
We remember
Because you never sleep again, it only makes the way
It's time for you I say, but never mean today(but never mean today)
And once, he used to love me(hmm hmm hmm)
I was happy then(hmm hmm hmm)
He used to take care of me(hmm hmm hmm)
Won't you bring him back again?
Oh bring him(oh bring him back)
'Cause ever since the world began
A woman's got to have a man
Forgetting him, you see(ah ah)
Means you're forgetting me(ah ah)
Like my forgotten man