We all know that Frank Loesser was the composer-lyricist of five of Broadway’s best known musicals. But he also had written songs for Hollywood films for fifteen years, with most of his early contributions being lyrics only! His first contributions as a composer included the best patriotic song to emerge from World War II "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition." We will examine the best of the early pre-Broadway Loesser songs from the period 1934-1950, as well as those wonderful numbers he wrote for the film Hans Christian Anderson in 1952.