"The Footlifter" (1929) - A March by Henry Fillmore, Commissioned By An Insurance Agency Selling Policies For "A Penny A Day"

[DonRocks]

There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. If we wish to make it louder, we will bring up the volume. If we wish to make it softer, we will tune it to a whisper. We can reduce the focus to a soft blur, or sharpen it to crystal clarity. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. For the next few minutes, sit quietly, and we will control all that you see and hear. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to ... The Outer Limits.

Serious band members will tell you that Henry Fillmore (1881-1956) is no John Phillip Sousa (1854-1932), but, like it or not, he's one of the most famous - and certainly one of the most prolific - composers of marches in American history.

Earlier today I mentioned Carl Stalling's screamer (the first time I heard that term, I thought exactly what you thought - we're all a bunch of degenerates), and that reminded me of a certain march I heard performed a couple years ago that got into my head, and stayed there for about a week.

"The Footlifter" was composed in 1929 by Henry Fillmore, and published in 1935.

The march was commissioned by a Cincinnati insurance agency who wanted something catchy to go along with their company's slogan: "A penny a day" (apparently an annual policy was $36.50). This agency sponsored the radio broadcasts of Fillmore's band, so Fillmore had plenty of incentive to do it - especially considering the economic climate of the time.

It was dedicated to Harry T. Garner, Secretary of the Cincinnati Automobile Dealers Association. I'm not sure if the two men were friends, or if there was a business relationship (if anyone wants to research this, I'd be very interested in knowing the information). It was composed under the pseudonym "Harold Bennett" - I'm also not sure why Fillmore used a pseudonym.

I put "A penny a day" in bold two paragraphs back, because that's the phrase that's going to mess with your mind for the next few hours or days, depending on your level of mental control. The opening statement of "The Footlifter" uses the exact same rhythm as "A penny a day," and that motif is repeated throughout the march - you'll hear it dozens of times. You'll hear it tonight while you're trying to sleep.

It's a catchy piece - not a great piece of music, but the very definition of an earworm - only the strongest among you will be able to fend it off. All you need to do is listen to the entire thing one time, and you'll be cursing yourself (and me) tomorrow as you walk around endlessly singing to yourself, "A penny a day!" The Footlifter is also widely played by high school bands because it's not that difficult, and offers "a lot of bang for the buck." Still, some bands are better than others, and this version is about as good as any I've seen on YouTube (it's the U.S. Air Force Band of the Rockies).

The second theme, becoming quiet and shifting to E-flat major (around 1:05 in this video), is particularly insidious, as it, too, uses its own form of the "A Penny A Day" motif.

Some conductors choose to play it as something close to a screamer - The Footlifter is a showpiece, and offers a lot of leeway (this version is played at a moderately fast speed, but I actually kind of like its brashness).