# Movies where a singer sings - let me explain **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [August 8, 2025, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-a-singer-sings-let-me-explain/1021852 "2025-08-08T12:36:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2025, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-a-singer-sings-let-me-explain/1021852/81 "2025-08-11T05:46:23Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > Also, Dominic Chianese in _The Sopranos_. Yet Steven Van Zandt never sings, but we do hear some of his songs playing in the background occasionally. ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2025, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-a-singer-sings-let-me-explain/1021852/82 "2025-08-11T06:00:35Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Are there other movies with songs inserted just because? In television, I can give you an example of them sort of turning that process around – with The Twizzle episode of the The Dick Van Dyke Show, promoting the song and singer was the primary objective, and so they had to write the episode around the song just because. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/8kY037Te_q4/maxresdefault.jpg "The Dick Van Dyke Show - Season 1, Episode 23 - The Twizzle - Full Episode") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kY037Te_q4&t=469) ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2025, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-a-singer-sings-let-me-explain/1021852/83 "2025-08-11T07:03:17Z")
How about James Darren in _The Guns of Navarone_? He joins in with locals singing in defiance of the Nazis in a Greek village, but the scene is clearly there to showcase his singing specifically. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/g531_zWSRCQ/maxresdefault.jpg "James Darren Guns of Navarone Greek folk song") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g531_zWSRCQ) ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2025, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-a-singer-sings-let-me-explain/1021852/84 "2025-08-11T20:07:32Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Are you nuts? Daniels would have won a Tony as John Adams, but the rules at the time defined “lead actor" as someone whose name appears above the show title, which _1776_ had none. I stand by my opinion. Obviously I didn’t see it on Broadway, but I’ve seen the movie numerous times, and he is not always on key. Close…. he does better in some bits than others, like the one where they’re trying to stick someone with the job of writing the Declaration of Independence, and the dialogue between him and his wife. When I saw him in Saint Elsewhere, at one point he and his wife go to a conference in Philadelphia. I didn’t “get” his suddenly singing “It’s hot as hell, in Philadelllllll-phia” (as I hadn’t yet seen the movie). ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2025, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-a-singer-sings-let-me-explain/1021852/85 "2025-08-11T20:16:03Z")
I love it when shows do something like that. Harris is actually a pretty decent singer, insofar as I’ve seen him do so (he nailed it in Doctor Horrible). There was an episode of Northern Exposure where Shelly (who was pregnant by John Cullum’s character) suddenly couldn’t talk, but only sing. Cullum’s response was beautiiful. He was also in 1776 (see my previous post). (eta: I see someone else already mentioned him) [Bing Videos](https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=1776+molasses+to+rum&mid=F899DC48FC5C97417198F899DC48FC5C97417198&FORM=VIRE) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-a-singer-sings-let-me-explain/1021852.md?page=4)