How Little We Know is a song written by Hoagy Carmichael (music) and Johnny Mercer (lyrics) for the 1944 Warner Bros film To Have and Have Not. In the movie it is performed by Lauren Bacall as Slim, with Carmichael at the piano, and the first theatrical release was October 11, 1944. Andy Williams recorded the song for the film as a possible alternative to dubbing Bacall, but Bacall said they used her voice. After the film, a hit recording was issued by Judy Johnson, and Nick Perito and his orchestra released an instrumental cover for Muzak in the 1970s. A 1948 Columbia release was issued by Steve Conway, and the tune has been covered many times, including Michael Feinstein with the Maynard Ferguson Big Band on the 1999 album Big City Rhythms. It should not be confused with the Carolyn Leigh and Phillip Springer tune "(How Little It Matters) How Little We Know," first recorded by Frank Sinatra in 1956. The song is a pop standard - a film ballad - and a familiar part of the mid-20th century American soundtrack repertoire.
