# Question about musical rhythm used in Hollywood pictures about Native Americans.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-musical-rhythm-used-in-hollywood-pictures-about-native-americans/808257>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 5, 2018, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-musical-rhythm-used-in-hollywood-pictures-about-native-americans/808257 "2018-02-05T20:30:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![fritzkep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/278dde/32.png) [@fritzkep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fritzkep)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2018, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-musical-rhythm-used-in-hollywood-pictures-about-native-americans/808257/41 "2018-02-08T19:39:39Z")

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> [@drad\_dog](#):
>
> This is the Wiki for “The Oriental Riff”
> 
> [Oriental riff - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_riff)
> 
> I had seen it when I was trying to find out who wrote the snakecharmer song. I think the article gives a good idea of how we get these memes, even if the indian theme isn’t addressed.
> 
> The idea may have come from prefilm entertainments or Hollywood. I suppose if you can date it before 1930 it would be pre-cinema.

The snake charmer theme is this one (also the “place in France”):

> **[Arabian riff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Streets_of_Cairo,_or_the_Poor_Little_Country_Maid)**
>
> "Arabian riff", also known as "The Streets of Cairo", "The Poor Little Country Maid", and "the snake charmer song", is a well-known melody, published in different forms in the 19th century. Alternate titles for children's songs using this melody include "The Girls in France" and "The Southern Part of France". The melody is often associated with the hoochie coochie belly dance.
> There is a clear resemblance between the riff and the French song Colin prend sa hotte (published by Christophe Ballard ...

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**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2018, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-musical-rhythm-used-in-hollywood-pictures-about-native-americans/808257/42 "2018-02-08T19:50:00Z")

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> [@Johnny\_L.A](#):
>
> Is that the one that goes _There’s a place in France Where the naked ladies dance…_ ?

Yes. I remembered my cousins singing about girls in France. That was the first search. It took a couple.

The story is well worth the time to look up. It was Little Egypt’s theme song apparently, and composed by her manager.

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