==Songs used in films==
==Songs used in films==
While employed by Shapiro, Bernstein & Co., Moll co-wrote music for “talkie” films: “Sergeant Flagg and Sergeant Quirt” for ”[[The Cock-Eyed World]]” (1929), “Atta Boy” for ”Howdy Broadway” (1929) and “Lil” for ”[[For the Love o’ Lil]]” (1930). “So The Bluebirds and the Blackbirds Got Together ” featured in the 1930 movie ”[[King of Jazz]]”.
While employed by Shapiro, Bernstein & Co., Moll co-wrote music for “talkie” films: “Sergeant Flagg and Sergeant Quirt” for ”[[The Cock-Eyed World]]” (1929), “Atta Boy” for ”Howdy Broadway” (1929) and “Lil” for ”[[For the Love o’ Lil]]” (1930). “So The Bluebirds and the Blackbirds Got Together ” featured in the movie ”[[King of Jazz]]”.
“[[Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (song)|Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams]]” was sung by [[Frankie Laine]] in the film ”[[Rainbow ‘Round My Shoulder]]” (1952),<ref>{{cite web|title=Internet Movie Database|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045068/soundtrack?ref_=tt_trv_snd|website=imdb.com|accessdate=9 October 2025}}</ref> and it is included in the soundtrack for the 1974 [[Barbra Streisand]] film ”[[The Way We Were: Original Soundtrack Recording]]”.<ref>{{cite web|title=www.allmusic.com|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-way-we-were-original-soundtrack-mw0000103300|website=allmusic.com|accessdate=9 October 2025}}</ref>
“[[Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (song)|Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams]]” was sung by [[Frankie Laine]] in the film ”[[Rainbow ‘Round My Shoulder]]” (1952),<ref>{{cite web|title=Internet Movie Database|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045068/soundtrack?ref_=tt_trv_snd|website=imdb.com|accessdate=9 October 2025}}</ref> and it is included in the soundtrack for the 1974 [[Barbra Streisand]] film ”[[The Way We Were: Original Soundtrack Recording]]”.<ref>{{cite web|title=www.allmusic.com|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-way-we-were-original-soundtrack-mw0000103300|website=allmusic.com|accessdate=9 October 2025}}</ref>
American songwriter, lyricist (1905–1968)
Billy (Wilbur) Moll (1904 – January 17, 1968)[1] was an American songwriter and primarily lyricist, the co-writer of several popular songs such as “Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams“, “I Want a Little Girl”, “Hang Out the Stars in Indiana” and the novelty song “Ice Cream (I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream)“.[2] His works were performed by artists such as Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Bessie Smith, Frankie Laine, Barbra Streisand, Eric Clapton, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie and Al Bowlly.
Life
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Moll was born in Madison, Wisconsin in 1904, the son of Mr and Mrs Frank Moll.[1] His father was a carpenter at the University of Wisconsin. Moll attended Randall Grade School at Madison, followed by High School. His first song, “The Memphis Maybe Man”, was published in 1924; this was followed by “Six Feet of Papa”, first recorded in August 1926. Moll worked mainly as a lyricist, sometimes working with other lyricists such as Ted Koehler.
Moll married Lauretta Radecki of Stoughton in 1928. In August 1929 the couple moved to New York City, where Moll had gained employment with the Tin Pan Alley company of Shapiro-Bernstein Music Publishing Company. Here music was produced for popular songs, and music for movies and plays: his work was mostly to do with lyrics. In 1930, he wrote the lyrics for a Broadway musical, Jonica (credited as William Moll).[3] In the early 1940s the couple relocated back to Stoughton where Moll continued to write songs for the company. Moll was a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.[1]
Moll died in Stoughton, Wisconsin on January 17, 1968, aged 63, and was buried in St. Ann’s Catholic Cemetery, Stoughton. He was survived by his wife and three sons.[1]
Songs used in films
While employed by Shapiro, Bernstein & Co., Moll co-wrote music for “talkie” films: “Sergeant Flagg and Sergeant Quirt” for The Cock-Eyed World (1929), “Atta Boy” for Howdy Broadway (1929) and “Lil” for For the Love o’ Lil (1930). Also in 1930, “So The Bluebirds and the Blackbirds Got Together ” featured in the movie King of Jazz, and “Ro-ro-rollin’ Along” in the [Western (genre)|Western]] film Near the Rainbow’s End.
“Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams” was sung by Frankie Laine in the film Rainbow ‘Round My Shoulder (1952),[4] and it is included in the soundtrack for the 1974 Barbra Streisand film The Way We Were: Original Soundtrack Recording.[5]
The August 25, 1931 version of “Hang Out the Stars in Indiana“, recorded in London with Al Bowlly as vocalist, accompanied by Ray Noble and his New Mayfair Dance Orchestra.[6] was used by film director Bruce Robinson in his 1987 film, Withnail and I.[7] It also features in the soundtrack of the 2020 film Six Minutes to Midnight. The 2008 film The Edge of Love, starring Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller, Cillian Murphy and Matthew Rhys, featured pop singer Suggs (credited as Graham McPherson) as crooner Al Bowlly. He sings “Hang Out the Stars in Indiana” in a scene filmed in a nightclub. Knightley also briefly sings the song in another scene.
Partial discography
Information about Moll’s songwriting credits is largely taken from the Discography of American Historical Recordings.[2]
| Song | Contribution | Primary performer | Recording company | Date of first recording |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| “The Memphis Maybe Man” | Lyricist | 1924 | ||
| “Six Feet of Papa” | Lyricist | Virginia Childs | Columbia | 1926-08-20 |
| “Gid-ap Garibaldi” | Lyricist | Pennsylvanians; Fred Waring | Victor | 1927-06-23 |
| “Ice Cream (I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream)” | Lyricist | Pennsylvanians; Fred Waring / The Rollickers | Victor / Edison | 1927-11-30 |
| “Loving You Like I Do” | Lyricist | Jean Goldkette Orchestra | Victor | 1928-07-16 |
| “So the Bluebirds and the Blackbirds Got Together” | Lyricist | Paul Whiteman’s Rhythm Boys | Victor; Columbia | 1929-01-25 |
| “Sergeant Flagg and Sergeant Quirt (I’ll Tell the Cock-eyed World)” | Songwriter | Billy Murray; Walter Scanlan | Edison | 1929-09-12 |
| “I’m Keeping Company Now” | Lyricist | 7 Blue Babies; Jack Dalton | Edison | 1929-09-20 |
| “Atta Boy” | Songwriter | Tom Gerun Orchestra | Brunswick | 1930-02-03 |
| “Me and the Girl Next Door” | Songwriter | Eddie Walters | Columbia | 1930-02-27 |
| “I’d Go Barefoot All Winter Long (If You’d Fall for Me in the Spring)” | Lyricist | Helen Kane | Victor | 1930-03-18 |
| “Ro-ro-rollin’ Along” | Lyricist | Roy Evans | Columbia | 1930-04-10 |
| “Baby, Have Pity on Me” | Songwriter | Bessie Smith; Charlie Green; Clarence Williams | Columbia | 1930-04-12 |
| “Moonlight on the Colorado” | Lyricist | Bud Billings; Carson Robison | Victor | 1930-07-01 |
| “I Want a Little Girl” | Songwriter | McKinney’s Cotton Pickers; George Thomas | Victor | 1930-07-30 |
| “Waiting by the Silv’ry Rio Grande” | Lyricist | The Cavaliers | Columbia | 1930-11-12 |
| “Twenty Swedes Ran Through the Weeds (Chasing One Norwegian)” | Songwriter | The California Ramblers | Columbia | 1930-12-02 |
| “Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams” | Lyricist | Bing Crosby | Victor | 1931-03-02 |
| “Hang Out the Stars in Indiana” | Lyricist | Roy Evans | Columbia | 1931-03-27 |
| “I Love You in the Same Sweet Way” | Lyricist | Ted Lewis and his Band | Columbia | 1931-07-01 |
| “Somewhere in the West” | Lyricist | Dick Robertson | Victor | 1932-01-15 |
| “‘Long about Sundown” (aka “Round about Sundown”) | Lyricist | Don Bestor Orchestra | Victor | 1932-09-29 |
| “This is No Dream” | Lyricist | Frank Munn; Victor Arden-Phil Ohman Orchestra | Victor | 1932-10-27 |
| “At the Close of a Long, Long Day” | Lyricist | Don Hall Trio; Dick Robertson | Victor | 1932-11-30 |
| “There’s a House on a Hill” | Lyricist | Freddie Rich and his Orchestra; Paul Small | Columbia | 1933-02-07 |
| “My Cat Fell in the Well (Well, Well, Well)” | Lyricist | Eddie DeLange Orchestra | Victor | 1939-09-21 |
| “Seven Women in One” | Lyricist | Panhandle Punchers; Texas Jim Robertson | Victor | 1946-09-18 |
