Newspaper Page Text
In New Picture LOUISE BEAVERS, one of the most popular member of Holly, wood’s sepia colony, is currently ! working- on the Metro-Goldwyn- ! Mayer lot in “The Shadow of the Thin Man.” which stars William Powell and Mvrna Loy. The picture Is to be ready for distribution around the middle of October. “Native ” Moves Out Of The Red BOSTON—(TYP)—Preparations in staid Boston indi cate that “Native Son,” which opened here at the Majestic Theatre on Monday, will do a big business. The advance sale was terrific. Plans now indicate that “Son’’ will be a hold-over. Last week before leaving New York, Lee, who recently was em | barrassed when notes of Iris ‘gift’ car came due received notice that his salary was raised to four hundred and fifty dollars per week which indicates that the much publicized B'way play of sex in that Inter-racial manner is nov; out of the well-known red that caused it to come to a sudden stop in New York. On last Sunday Lee was lie3id over WINS (New Ycrki 4:30-5 p.m. in an adaption of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” the seme radio script that recently found mammy singer Al Jolson in over MBC in the Star Spangled Theatre. Lees perform ance topped that of Jolscn. Ellington’s ‘Joy’ Jumping To Fame By TED YATES NEW YORK — (TYP)— Sky rocketing two of his latest tunes, •‘Flamingo,” and “Take the A Train,” Duke Ellington deserted the East jumped to the Coast and there starring in his own re vusical, “Jump for Joy” at the Mayan in Los Angeles, has won the praise of both press and pub lic. Last week ‘the Duke’ mopped the airwaves, appearing on an East-West hook-up of “Jubilee’’ (all-N*egro) with Ethel Waters, the Hall Johnson Choir, Comedian Hamtree Harrington and many others. It was CBS’s j^dieu of the swelegant Forecast program. Horace Henderson Now Sweet Band NEW YORK — i ANP> —Horace Henderson, brother Fletcher Hen derson, noted orchestra leader, composer and arranger, has recent ly organized a new band to play “sweet’’ music designed exclusively for the dancing set and is making a tour of a dozen or more band stands along the eastern seaboard. Much skepticism is going the rounds as to whether he wall be able to realize his ambition to cre ate one of the nation's distinctive sweet bands, or whether his brain child will be a flop. Either way, he will hold tne distinction of being the first colored band leader to cater to the public's taste for sweet rhythm. The band is composed of artists who have at some time or other been connected with one or more bands as hot or jazzmen. From Jackie Fields, who handled alto sax in Coleman Hawkins outfit, down to Willie Beason, who replac ed the late Chick Webb, the or ganization reads iike a page out of , w’ho’s who in the world of music, j The combine is under exclutive contract to Amusement Book ing corporation. Henderson, himself a graduate of Wilberforce university where he re ceived his A. B. degree, entered the music profession in the footsteps of his illustrious brother, Fletcher. His entrance into the music world brought to light that he was a personality in his own right and not trading upon his brother’s pop ularity. Using essentially the same instru mentation employed by Basie and Lunceford. Henderson’s aggregation has the distinguishing feature of striving for sweetness of tone, a blending of sections that is com monly associated only with ranking white bands. He points out that music of this nature is the “inherent preference of colored people” and that com mercialism and various exploitation motifs alone are responsible for the mistaken idea that no colored band can do justice to a sweet tune. He further avers, that no attempt is being made to copy the Miller or Dorsey style. In some quarters, it is held that his new venture will be a remarkable success, with opin ions based upon the superlative bal lad arrangements made by Horace while acting as chief arranger for Charlie Barnet’s orchestra for over a year. RATING THE RECORDS Hv FRANK MARSHALL DAVIS ELDRIDGE BLOWS . t | HIS TOP If you listen to a pair of new Okeli platters by Gene Krupa’s band, you'll understand why the \ great Louis Armstrong ranks Roy Eldridge a: one of history’s finest trumpet stars. The tunes on which Little Jazz,” the only dusky mem ber of Krupa's crew, struts his stuff i ‘‘Rockin’ Chair.” The first is a breakneck speed after a jive intre. Eldridge then gives his brass a phenomenal work out, making unbelievable runs from the stratosphere into the low reg ister at Jesse Owens speed. This is show stopping stuff. Couple is KICK IT a jump and jive tune with more hot horn and good bit of hide handling by Krupa _ON ROCKIN’ CHAIR, Roy improvises at a much slower pace and his ideas and phrasing are sensational except for one clinker. The echo ending is excellent, and incidental ly a little reminiscent of Arm strong’s old work. The companion piece is TUNIN' UP best described as a musical joke cnat to me falls flat except for a chorus of top clarinet. On Decca the Ink Spots revive the Andy Kirk tune, UNTIL THE REAL THING COMES ALONG and give it the works with their success formula. The song fits them perfectly and it sounds like a best seller. Flipover is KEEP COOL FOOL, slow and smoky in the “Java Jive” manner. However, Ella Fitzgerald has the best press ing of this number . Matty Mal neck, the salon syncopation special ist, draws rays for his Columbia of MEDITATION and SONG OF INDIA. He bounces strongly or lightly and his arrangements are brilliant. This biscuit appeals es pecially to devotees of sophisticat ed swing. Bob Eberle and Helen O’Connell team up on the season’s No. 1 tor clier, JIM, by Jimmy Dorsey on Peeca, This means the platter’s commercial success is just about as sured. Other side is A NEW SHADE OF BLUE, a smooth tune boasting a fancy intro and rather intri cate scoring behind Eberle’s vocal Benny Goodman’s Columbia is strictly soft lights music. He pairs two pop tunes in a slow and mel low manner with Tommy Taylor, his new vocalist, heard on both They are FROM ONE LOVE TO ANOTHER and ANYTHING Boasting gutty, rhythmic accom paniment by piano and harmonica Peetie Wheatstraw comes up with a sparkling blues double, SEEING IS BELIEVING and I’M A LITTLE PIECE OF LEATHER, the latter gentle boogie woogie. Mme. Garner To Aid Todd Duncan LOS ANGELES. Calif.—Music lovers of the Angel City will have jan opportunity hardly bargained for, if not unoreampt of the aft ernoon of Sunday, October 12, when the Rev. Waiter L. Bryant, pastor of the Birch Street Christian Church, presents baritone artist Tod Duncan in concert at the Mayan theatre, but, will have the pleasure of hearing and seeing Mme. Netta Paulyn Gardner, in ternationally famed concert pianist on the same program Mme. Gardner will appear only as guest artist, however, since she must prepare or her own concert season. Both she and Mr. Duncan are appearing in this concert in order to assist raising the Organ Fund for the church. Some of the nation’s most prominent people are listed as patrons. She s New Honey With Louis Negro Artists Booked For Air Show Sept. 21 Freedom’s People To P#e Aired Over Nat’l Networks By IIAROIJ) JOVIEN CHICAGO — (ANP> — Joshua White, famous singer of spirituals: W. C. Handy, composer of “St. Louis Blues”; Paul Robeson. the great baritone who was just signed by Columbia records; the De Paur j Chorus and either Noble Sissle’s or Jimmy Lunceford’s orchestra, will highlight the program. Freedom’s People. Sunday. September 21, at ' 10:30 p. m. New York time over the NBC Network. The program, depicting the Ne ; gro's contribution to American mu sic, will present dramatizations of the origin of spirituals and of the blues: and interview with W. C. Handy, w'ho will tell how’ he came to write the “St. Louis Blues”; demonstrations of spirituals and the blues by White. Robeson and the orchestra, with the De Paur chorus finishing a choral background. Fight coverage of the NBC Blue network now includes bouts staged by the Chicago Stadium, the 1 world’s largest indoor boxing arena. Addition of Chicago now gives ex : elusive fight right* in four fistic top arenas, the others being Shibe ! Park, Philadelphia; Griffith Sta | dium. Washington. D. C.; and Eb bets Field, Brooklyn. Another important boxing bout— a 10 round lightweight match be-1 | tween the sensational Ray Robin-! j son and Maxine Shapiro, white, has 1 been added to the Mutual network’s ■ ! impressive roster of pugilistic j ; events. The Robinson-Shapiro contest1 will be aired Friday, September 19. | i from New York’s Madison Square ; Garden. Two other bouts will be heard | over Mutual this month. On Friday, j September 12. “Sailor’’ George Ab rams faces Tony Zale, N. B. A. I j middleweight champion in a ten, 'round contest from the Garden. Monday. September 29, is the time set for the eagerly anticipated bat tle for the world's heavyweight championship fray between Joe Louis and Lou Nova. The broad cast, scheduled to reach listeners all over the globe, will come from New Pork’s Polo Grounds. 165,000 LEARN ABC’S WASHINGTON— )ANP'— Ac co: ding to a report made public last week by the educational section of WPA. there have been 165.000 adult Negroes taking training in their various projects. NEW YORK CITY—(S N S) — Another testimonial attesting to the popularity of Cab Calloway j was received this week when the I Burrelle Press Clipping Bureau, one of the largest services in the world, wrote Cab and stated that his ac count was the most active one on their ’ists. The letter stated in part: “In going: over or records. I thought you would be interest ed in knowing that one oij our accounts on which we were able to produce the most number of clippings is that of yours, for whom we have been furnishing press clippings from all papers throughout the country for the past ten years.” “In all of our experience in the press clipping business, this is one of Uie most active theatrical accounts that we have ever handled.” Calloway recently celebrated his tenth anniversary as a band lead er. The Burrelle Bureau represents about 70 percent of the nation's j outstanding stars and band lead- ; ers. Calloway completed an engage- j ment at the State-Lake "Theatre in Chicago last week and despite the He s Ending 17-Week Tour Eddie “Rochester” Anderson is scheduled to end his current 17-week personal appearance tour at Providence, R. I., the week of September 19, it was announced this wee.k, Rochester is " scheduled to return to his home in California to resume his duties on the air as the dandruff in Jack Benny’s thinning thatch. <C), Charming new singing honey with Louis Armstrong and his orchestra is Ann Baker, pictured here. Miss Baker, whose favorite forms of recreation are horseback riding, swimming, skating and hiking', will be heard in Atlanta, Thursday evening, Sept. 18 when “0!’ Satchmo” plays at the City Auditorium.. In addition to sing, ing, she also plays 'he piano and dances. Cab Rips Record On dipping Front lact that it matked the fourth time Within 24 months that he has play ed the Loop playhouse, Cab, who holds the theatre’s attendance rec ord, smashed his own mark. In Epic Of War Photo bp White PUtdio, N. Y. C. HOLLYWOOD. Calif.—In a mov-j mg drama depleting tne changes in i th*> ordnance and motive power ot the armed forces of the U. S. Army, Ernest Whitman, famed actor singer has been cast as Carteret, a faithful friend Sergeant “Hap” Dean (Wallace Beery), in ihe cur rent Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio; production “Steel Calvary”. Hattie Noels In New Film Role By LAWRENCE F. LaMAR HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — To Hattie Noels, buxom sepia cine ma actress, goes the largest femme screen role handed out to a sepia screen actor since the memorable ‘mammy’ role in “Gone. With The Wind,” played by Academy Award winner Hat tie McDaniel. Miss Noels will es say the role of ‘Dora,’ a lovable governessmaid in Republics stu dio’s current production, “Lady For A Night,” starring Joan Blondell and Ray Middleton. Miss Noels since her arrival here nearly four years ago for film roles after a sensational success as the sweepstakes win ing laundress of Eddie Cantor’s radio broadcast, has consistently risen to new'er and loftier heights via the celluloid screen. Jimmy Lunceford Booked For Films HOLLYWOOD. Calif. — What with Duke Ellington. Erskine Haw kins. and Earl (Father) Hines or chestras already gathered here on the coast, come now news that Jimmy Lunceford and his classy ag gregation are enroute here for ano ther fling at the films. At this writing it is not definite but, the rumor seems well enough grounded, that the Lunceford or chestra will report for their film assignment at the Warner Brothers studio in Burbank. Enough later will be reported on the subject, when the band arrives here. Pinkard Lays Plans For New Revusical Miller Will Be in Lead Of New Army Musical ‘Private Biscuit Jones’ To Be Farce On Army By BERNICE and DOLORES CALVIN (Exclusive fur Calvin Service) NEW YORK CITY—(C>—Maceo Pinkard. ace composer of such hit tunes as ‘'Sweet Georgia Brown." "Sweet Girl,” the famous ‘‘Here Comes Showboat” and etc., reveal ed to us his plan to do a musical farce on Broadway this season uthen we visited his comfortable studio at 767 St. Nicholas Avenue this week. Cleverly titled “Private Biscuit Jones,” this satire of Army Life was originally intended for an oil-white cast, but it was later thought a Negro cast could do it better justice Mr. Pinkard plans to have Floui'noy Miller in the lead. "This show will give new talent a chance to appear before the public and new faces for the auditorium to see.” Mr. Pinkard went or to explain, relaxing on a soft red leath er chair, but “plans are yet prema ture.” Then the conversation drifted to the filming of Pinkard’s Sym phonic Fantasy, extravaganza on the 18th, 19th and 20th century composers. There’s been much talk on several major studios dickering to put the masterpiece in the movies and it's all true. “The only thing, there are sev eral difficulties.” put in this un assuming and most calm gentle man! “First, the company we want doesn’t have a very good studio here. You know the studios are in Hollywood where climate and all are suitable. I'd rather not take the 75 members of the cast out there. And what's more, it’s t#ch- | nicolor equipment is on thp coast and we do hope to have the picture in color, it would look so swell.’ We added that the $30,000 cos tumes would look grand in techni color. Nonetheless contract sign ing ought to commence in about two weeks, as scon as all difficul ties are ironed out. Once shooting starts, it'll only take about a month before you'll be seeing right in your nighborhood theatre Pinkard's Symphonic Fantasy. DELAY SCHOOL OPENING CHATTANOOGA. Tenn.— (ANP) —The opening of school was de layed here until September 15. due to prevalence of infantile paralysis in the community. SEEIN' STARS With DOLORES CALVIN NEW YORK —(C) — Exclusive!. Exclusive1!—CANADA LEE SIGNS NEW CONTRACT FOR $400. A WEEK!!. . Canada Lee. in a big leap from his measly $75 weekly, v hen “Native Son’’ was at its peak on Broadway, has signed a new' contract this week to draw' $400 everv 7 days. . In the contract, also,' “Bigger Thomas” of the stage receives a percentage on the side. . . Insiders tell me that “Son" has just about retrieved the $'36,000 it lost when the show< went into the red here on Broadway. Right now. “Son" is paying re peat performances in surburban theatres near New York and is ex pected to do wonderfully well on a gigantic tour this Fall. . . .And right now. too, our Canada Lee is believed to be the highest paid colored dramatic actor in the busi ness. . .” PATRIOTIC STREET SCENE A chic coloied girl, most likely from Harlem, socked an obnoxious ofay woman and then once again Girls’ Orchestra Is Hit In Harlem NEW YORK— (TYP)— Mem bers of the “Sweethearts of Rhy thm” orchestra, the all-girl aggre gation. domiciled at the Hotel Theresa, completed a popular en gagement here this week at the Harlem famous Apollo Theatre. The girls are; Sadie Palsey; Cor rine Palsey; Johnnie Rice; Bernice Rothchild; I v a Bell; Evelyn Thompson, Mae Wang Williams, Edna Williams: Evelyn McGhee, Helen Jones, Pauline Cortez. Lora McGhee; Annie Garrison and Reece Mae Jones. RODRIQUEZ JOINS FACULTY DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.—(ANP) —Edward R. Rodriquez, former state director of the NYA of Flori da and recently the area director of Negro affairs of the NYA in Chicago, has joined the faculty at Bethune-Cookman college to serve in the capacity of college minister and instructor in the field of social science, Planning New Revusical Mateo Vinkard, ace composer, has revealed plans to do a new musical farce to open on Broadway during the current season. Clever ly titled “Private Biscuit Jones,1’ the show will be a satire on the life of a draftee in a Southern army camp. Eye Racial Issue In Movie s Probe By LAWRENCE F. LaMAR HOLLYWOOD. Calif. — Word seeping out of the Hays Office, of the Association of Motion Picture Producers, Inc., indicate the seri ousness of the charges made by Senator Nye, John J. Flynn and others, that the great film indus : try with the connivance of the j Roosevelt administration is busily ; engaged in the making of propi j ganda pictures designed to get the U. S. into the piesent world war. ' Wendell L. Willkie, former Re merged with the crowds. . All this was gravely done this week. . The annoying woman was prarading on a street corner calling America to join Lindbergh “in his herioc ef forts to save our country . After the blow, which presented her with a beautiful black eye, the woman appealed to a near-by policeman to escort her tD her home, a few blocks off the main avenue. . The cop's answer was a thing of beauty, “Lady, I’m not a Aryan!’’. (Meaning thev didn't think alike! T WONDER if you knew that the wealthy 4 Ink Spots, each with a valet and plans* in their pockets lor a new home, are finishing up at the Brooklyn Flatbush Theatre? if you knew that the Nichols Brothers are a smash hit on taps in “Sun Valley Serenade’’ starring Sonia Henie and John Payne. . . at the Roxy Theatre? In Famous Door NEW YORK—(T Y P)—Fresh from a sensational dance tour ANDY KIRK and His Band, which won praise from both press and public in the iiitheriands, steamlined in to town a fortnight and almost immediately was booked for the Famous Door—ace nitery here, publican presidential candidate, as counsel for the entire motion pic. ture industry in defending Its policy during the debate on Reso lution 152 before the Senate sub. committee, charged in a letter to U. S. Senator D Worth Clark, co author of the resolution, that the measure was a broad attempt to smear the motion picture industry Negro actors here on the scene, who have long urged the industry to give a fair and more accurate airing of their more advance social and economic position in the Amer ican scheme of things without avail sense in this investigation an op portunity to be heard and seen. Wilikie has stated the motion pic ture industry is opposed to the Nazi program of racial discrimina tion. His letter to Senator Clark regarding the proposed investiga tion in part reed: “If the committee feels that the racial and geographic background of American citizens is a condition to be investigated, there is no need for the investigation. We frankly state that the motion picture in dustry there are in positions, both prominent and inconspicuous, both Nordics and non-Nordics, Jews and Gentiles, Ibrotestants and Catholics, native and foreign bom. This in dustry. with many others in ou»* country, demonstrates that neither race, creed nor geographical ori gin is essential qualifications to participate in American business. This fact illustrates a basic prin ciple of American life, as we have known is over 150 years. The mo tion picture industry, romposed like other industries of loyal patriotic Americans, despises the racial discrimination of Nazism and is devoted to the cause of free- > dom both in this country and abroad.’’ Negro actors and interested theatre-goers, may select one of their own number who will appear at the committee hearings as an “observer” with authority to seek an insertion of question calculat ed to properly boost their position in the vast motion picture indus try. DANCE FOR SOLDIERS RALEIGH, N C.—(A N P)—The state recreation department of North Carolina, through its Negro director, M. G. Burckus, gave a colorful formal dance tor 400 sol dier from Port Bragg, September 15. The department picked 400 girls with chaperones to attend the affair. Soldiers were in complete khaki uniforms and the girls dress ed formally. KILLED IN CRASH NEW YORK—(ANP> — Funeral services were held Friday for David L. Clendenin, 34, white, founder of Workers Defense league, who was killed in an auto accident near Phillipsburg. Kan., while enroute from Hawthorne. Nev.. to New York. Among those preesnt at the rites was Walter White. NAAC? secretary.