"Stella by Starlight" is a jazz standard written by Victor Young and featured in The Uninvited, a 1944 film released by Paramount Pictures. Originally played in the film as an instrumental theme song without lyrics, it was turned over to Ned Washington, who wrote the lyrics for it in 1946. The title had to be incorporated into the lyrics, which resulted in its unusual placement: the phrase appears about three quarters of the way through the song, rather than at the beginning or the end.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stella_By_Starlight

“Stella by Starlight” is most often characterized as “haunting” and is usually performed somberly. The song is frequently described as “beautiful” and “rhapsodic,” apt descriptions considering that Young’s compositional influence was Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) whose melodies are often described in similar terms. The song was also set apart from other pop hits of the day because of its A1-B-C-A2 form.

Another film composer who borrowed from Rachmaninoff was Miklos Rosza (1907-1995) who won Academy Award nominations for his work on The Thief of Bagdad, Sundown, The Jungle Book, and Academy Awards for Spellbound, A Double Life, and Ben-Hur. Rozsa said of Young, “He wrote in the Broadway-cum-Rachmaninoff idiom which was then the accepted Hollywood style.”

http://www.jazzstandards.com/compositions-0/stellabystarlight.htm#Reading_and_Research

Practically anything by Chet is worth listening to at least twice.

When you have time see the documentary film: Let's Get Lost  (1988)  about the turbulent life and career of jazz trumpeter Chet Baker written and directed by Bruce Weber.

A prime example from a technical standpoint  of what  pure documentary film should be,  as well as in substance an interesting biography &  fine social history.

Do people make their times?

Or do the times make their people?

My answer: Yes & No.

Stella By Starlight

The song a robin sings
Through years of endless springs
The murmur of a brook at evening tide
That ripples by a nook where two lovers hide

That great symphonic theme
That's Stella by starlight
And not a dream
My heart and I agree
She's everything on Earth to me

The murmur of a brook at evening tide
That ripples by a nook where two lovers hide

That great symphonic theme
That's Stella by starlight
And not a dream
My heart and I agree
She's everything on Earth to me 

--song written by Victor Young (music) & Ned Washington (lyrics)