"Big Girls Don't Cry" is a song written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio and originally recorded by the Four Seasons. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on November 17, 1962, and, like its predecessor "Sherry", spent five weeks in the top position but never ranked in the Billboard year-end charts of 1962 or 1963. The song also made it to number one, for three weeks, on Billboard's Rhythm and Blues survey. It was also the quartet's second single to make it to number one on the US R&B charts. Background According to Gaudio, he was dozing off while watching the John Payne/Rhonda Fleming/Ronald Reagan movie Tennessee's Partner when he heard Payne's character slap Fleming in the face. After the slap, Fleming's character replied, "Big girls don't cry." Gaudio wrote the line on a scrap of paper, fell asleep, and wrote the song the next morning. However, the line does not appear in that film. According to Bob Crewe, he was dozing off in his Manhattan home with the television on when he awoke to see Payne manhandling Fleming in Slightly Scarlet, a 1956 film noir based on a James M. Cain story. The line is heard in that film. Like "Sherry", the lead in "Big Girls Don't Cry" is sung mostly in falsetto. With this song, the Four Seasons became the first rock-era act to hit the number one spot on the Hot 100 with their first two chart entries (their first single, "Bermuda"/"Spanish Lace", did not appear on any Billboard chart in 1961). Personnel Partial credits. The Four Seasons Frankie Valli – lead vocals, handclaps Tommy DeVito – harmony and backing vocals, guitar, handclaps Nick Massi – harmony and backing vocals, bass, handclaps Bob Gaudio – harmony and backing vocals, piano, handclaps Additional musician and production staff Panama Francis – drums Bob Crewe – producer Bruce Swedien – engineer Charts Weekly charts All-time charts References External links Lyrics of this song 1962 songs 1962 singles Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Cashbox number-one singles The Four Seasons (band) songs Songs written by Bob Crewe Songs written by Bob Gaudio Vee-Jay Records singles Song recordings produced by Bob Crewe