MANILA, Philippines ? One of my early movie idols was Dennis Morgan. I distinctly remember his high voice, which my elder brother, Bob, referred to as Irish tenor. Indeed, before Hollywood, Morgan worked as a radio announcer and performed with a traveling opera company.

He was billed as Stanley Morner in his 1937 film debut, ?Mama Steps Out.? Thereafter, he was renamed Richard Stanley, but later found fame as the easygoing ladies? man, Dennis Morgan.

Gigantic tower

The singer-actor is best remembered as the soloist in the finale of ?The Great Ziegfeld,? where he sang on top of a gigantic tower specifically built to support dozens of Ziegfeld?s gorgeous gals. However, what was to be his biggest break turned out to be a disappointment: MGM?s studio executives dubbed his wonderful tenor voice with that of Allan Jones, the father of ?60s musical luminary, Jack Jones.

Naturally, the musically trained Morgan took umbrage. He moved to Warner Brothers, where he was given a juicy role in the 1943 version of Sigmund Romberg?s ?Desert Song,? opposite Irene Manning?although critics assailed the film for turning the simple operetta into a Nazi-versus-Nazi melodrama. Nevertheless, to this day, the Morgan-Manning duet, ?One Alone,? remains a memorable tune.

Dennis reached the peak of his career in the ?40s when he appeared with the likes of Barbara Stanwyck (?Christmas in Connecticut?) and Ginger Rogers (?Kitty Foyle?). The actor soon became his studio?s highest-paid actor.

Best friend

Morgan was popular with his leading ladies. But, despite portraying suave characters onscreen, he was known for being a nice guy and remained married to the same woman?Lilian Vedder?until his death in 1994.

Morgan was a likable performer. However, his vocal approach was dated and is considered shrill by today?s standards. It can only be appreciated if you?re familiar with the history of the Irish tenor and his role in the development of the musical genre that was later known as the barbershop quartet.