Throwing back to the week of January 16, 1954, we find Eddie Fisher’s ‘Oh My Papa’ with a stranglehold on Billboard’s Weekly Singles chart. The song, which I featured a few weeks back, clung to #1 from the beginning of the year through mid-February.
For a few of those weeks, including this one, it prevented a much better song from reaching #1. Dean Martin’s classic charmer ‘That’s Amore’ peaked at #2.
‘That’s Amore’ was written for the Dean Martin/Jerry Lewis film The Caddy, and received an Oscar nomination for Best Song. But any film lover knows the movie that used it best is 1987’s Moonstruck.
I can’t hear this song without picturing Moonstruck‘s wonderful opening credits sequence (which depicts preparations for a staging of La Boheme at the Metropolitan Opera, Cher’s Loretta Castorini walking through the streets of New York City, and the cleverest placement of a “directed by” credit in film history).
(In Napoli where love is king)
(When boy meets girl)
(Here’s what they say)
[Chorus: Dean Martin]
When the moon hits your eye
Like a big pizza pie, that’s amore
When the world seems to shine
Like you’ve had too much wine, that’s amore
[Bridge: Dean Martin]
Bells will ring, ting-a-ling-a-ling
Ting-a-ling-a-ling and you’ll sing, “Vita bella”
Hearts will play tippy-tippy-tay
Tippy-tippy-tay like a gay tarantella
[Verse: Dean Martin]
When the stars make you drool
Just like a pasta e fasule, that’s amore
When you dance down the street
With a cloud at your feet, you’re in love
When you walk in a dream
But you know, you’re not dreaming, signore
Scusami, but you see
Back in old Napoli, that’s amore
[Chorus: (Choir) & Dean Martin]
(When the moon hits your eye)
(Like a big pizza pie, that’s amore) That’s amore
(When the world seems to shine)
(Like you’ve had too much wine, that’s amore) That’s amore
[Bridge: (Choir) & Dean Martin]
(Bells will ring ting-a-ling-a-ling)
(Ting-a-ling-a-ling and you’ll sing, “Vita bella, vita bella, vita bella”)
(Hearts will play tippy-tippy-tay)
(Tippy-tippy-tay like a gay tarantella) Lucky fella
[Verse: Dean Martin & Choir]
When the stars make you drool
Just like a pasta e fasule, that’s amore (That’s amore)
When you dance down the street
With a cloud at your feet, you’re in love
When you walk in a dream
But you know, you’re not dreaming, signore
Scusami, but you see
Back in old Napoli, that’s amore
[Outro: Dean Martin]
(Amore) That’s amore
Meet Me In Montauk 
I appreciate the song’s use in Moonstruck, but otherwise find it rather schmaltzy and don’t care for it.
I think it was also the last hit co-written by an extraordinary (and often un-mentioned) composer, Harry Warren — who co-wrote a significant number of popular movie songs including “Lullaby of Broadway,” “You’ll Never Know,” and “On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe.”
I love this beginning in Moonstruck ❤️