Peter K - Why do you think that Charles Keeping included it erroneously in his book 'Cockney Ding-Dong'. These Saturday night get togethers went on into the early 1950's in London and this is a song that would certainly have been sung at all of them. The version I remember in Britain in was by Billy Cotton and I can still picture him performing it on Black & White TV (9 inch screen) where he and the band threw balls (made of cloth I expect) at each other.

I also thought the song was British but then Danny Kaye was very popular in Britain and like Guy Mitchell after him recorded songs aimed at a British audience.