Why would today’s moviegoers want to know about Betty Hutton?
To me, Betty Hutton was an anomaly. She sang swing, blues, ragtime, ballads, show tunes, jazz a limitless sound uniquely her very own. Also, she was an engaging performer whose vitality jumped off the screen and seemingly grabbed you to her. Today’s moviegoers want that connection. According to the various Web sites, YouTube, new CD releases, Betty is not just back, she’s here to stay. As contemporary as ever. What was the genesis of your book? I had no intention of writing a book about Betty Hutton. It was her idea. We met here in San Francisco, and I did an interview with her on my program for KQED-FM. She was so open and comfortable talking to me about herself it became a intimate conversation, rather than one of those formula question and answer interrogations. She wanted to continue and we did almost daily until she suddenly left town without fanfare. And so many questions remained unanswered. Betty Hutton hit a career peak in the early 1950′s – but then went downhill and never tr
