Variety (November 1954)

Wednesday, November 10, 1954 me 53 RETAIL DISK REST SELLERS — PfistiETf Survey of retail disk best, sellers based on reports ob-^ tained from leading stores in 21 cities and showing com- parative sales rating for this and last week. National Ratine This Last o P c? w. S P5 a b . O. tM It . 4> 0) .59 it ft u a> • a n b.. or. ■ft ■O w fl o ■** M .&• 'S n > 0 O. .s «/} 3 ■S : bi 01 A. t/j o. a - •B o O o *H w- 3 a fe- b> 3 O' c cd i> 3 n •O 3, b< o> (0 s «■ o: •• eo 3. A a t-3 A ft .^4 4) >d (d. bi cd T3 & •■o ft>' •a-: bl 3 . pO. u 3 M •S . t/1 + ■ 3 ed s 0) >• o ■p s cd ♦ C- tt in ft o £ W T3 bi' o o o «. ■ CO o. 0) ft W. E cd cn C' o (fl 3 W bi o*. fti X «N A ft E 4) O tH in ■A.- •a . 01 A £ X. a 73 o U o 3 cd cH ft. o E cd §: •3 < s Cd (0 CO o 05 3 0 CO T3 .■3 K 1 W Cd o C0 e> 3 O co b ■cd 4) ..ft. ■ .1 ■l Cd ft '«■ '3 c £ Cd Qi ’ J 3 O Q M ■ •M *3 o. Cd ' 4> 3 .3 .*S3 ,a; Q ■ U Wi 3 bt ■ Q N 4-> cd ■tt X •4-» ' tPd P ■ in' Cd CO 3 Cd 0) in' -3 O K o w 3 a 00 < '$ •a 3. ’&■ •m . 3 O P" bi Cd a. no bi O O- cu .05 X :s Cd 73. > 4) .TO 3 <d 'O b< 0 01 <u 05 H z *m.. A' 4 i O A co 3 a Cd X5 £ ■3 3* .u O y co •44 y 3 cd 'bi ft 3' cd . in ’O O • o p >> ■bi bi <u > c ■y P- bi y > 3 y o U '■>> Cd D j c cd y r-« • 1—4 • 03 cd c> T O T A ix p 0 1 ■N: T Muzak Corp. won a $750 judg- lerit in N. Y. Federal Court last week Against . Wilskers Inc., a Yonkers restaurant, a copyright infringement suit, involving threes tu copyrighted by Muzak, It was*alleged in the suit that Wils- kers had installed an FM receiver, in the resstaurant with a device to eliminate commercial npunce- hients ; and all other vocal material, thus getting the same material transmitted to Muzak's subscribersi The suit only involved ‘Wilskers use of tunes specifically, copyrighted by Muzak. After the court decision, incidentally, Wilskers signed up as a Muzak subscriber. In Maryland Federal Court, Paul Sojka, operator of the Sunset Lounge, Glen Burnie, Md., was similarly hit with a $750. judgment in a copyright infringement ac- tion filed by three ASCAP pub- lishers. Sojka was charged with playing tunes in his spot without * license. Tunes involve^ were “Oh, Lady Be Good" (New World Music), “I’ll Walk Alone” (May- fair) and "Walking My Baby Back Home” (PeSylva, Brown & Hender- son). \ Fellow Jazzters, Unite “Jazzsters of the world unite’’ will be the keynote of the worldwide organization be- ing set up by Stan Kenton un- der the banner of Jazz Interna- tional. Former British Broad- casting Corp. bandleader Howard Lucraft has been set as the org’s managing-director. Aim of Jazz International is to unify devotees and musi- cians via International jazz fes- tivals, supply a steady stream Of jazz news and to produce a series.of radio and tv programs and films in various countries to spread the jazz idiom. The Organizers point, ut that you don’t have to be a Kenton fah;. to belong. Trade Reports that.. Julius" La- Bosa was ankling Cadence Records for a Coral pact were denied by Archie Bleyer, who heads up the former diskery. LaRosa’s contract with Cadence has another two years to run, with an option that’s up next month. Whether it’s picked up Or not is up to Bleyer. Bleyer is now sole owner of Cadence, which was formed almost two years ago -with LaRosa as its first disker. HAILS TV SALUTE TO EDWARD MAC DOWELL Hollywood. Editor , Variety: Ai writing this, after watching tv and the “Hallmark Hall of. Fame” presentation of the life of Mrs. Edward MacDowell. If I \vere the producer; and of • course “I” would overlook the viewers—and. think onjy of ASCAP—I .would have called the Show “ASCAP Gets In The Hall of Fame.” This great story of the woman behind the. man was a gem. Like George Gershwin, he went too early because of a brain tumor, lie \vas the first, of the American serious composers to be recognized by the world—‘with all. deference to Victor Herbert. The sacrifice of this grand wom- an—who married, nurtured,, and Oven financed this great talent, so that he could compose such mas- terpieces as ‘‘To. A W'ild Rose,” “Woodland Sketches” and the“Irir dian Suite." The little, money her father left her in Peterborough, N. H., provided the cottage, the manuscript paper .and the pencils and piano. She played piano. He was her tutor—he hated to teach, he'want- ed to compose: He was. offered a job at the college, to teach for the rest of his life. The faith of a woman—what a story. That’s the I program—the .show—the tv pres- entation. Here I am, minstrel bard—a rhymester—so emotional, and why? Because of ASCAP, the haven, the last port of security for serious, as well as popular composers. ASCAP recognized this great man, Edward MacDowell, and realizing that in- come from serious music is so- in- adequate, quite some time ago, it voted an emolument to the estate of this great man. And that is our legacy—recognition of those whose works (if not subsidized by patron saints), earn so little. I’m proud, as a Tin Pan Alley songwriter to look at the culture of America without an apology, L. Wolfe Gilbert. COL RUSHING SKELTON K1DISK ITEMS FOR XMAS Hollywood,. Nov. 9. Columbia has a “super-rush” tag On the material, etched by Red Skelton last week, in a frantic ef- fort to get it out in time to, corral [ as much of the Christmas trade as possible. Session consisted of two items,, both kidisk material, tagged “The Little Christmas Tree” and “Baby Factory.” Skelton penned the material, which is of an unusual length. Plat- tery will probably issue it as an EP albumette. David Rose and a big orchestra provided the musical backing. 1 Rosemary Clooney is setting a . hot selling pace for.; the disk biz, i with, orders for her . Columbia re- leases coming in at the rate' of 60.000. a day. Thrush currently is riding high with the “Hey There”-. “This Ole House” coupling .(al- ready over the 1,200,000 disk sales mark). and “Mambo Italiano,” which is nearing the 200,000 sales bracket in Jess than three weeks ion the.market. Her etching of i “Sisters” and “Love You Didn’t Do Right By Me,’’ which was released, a few, weeks before “Mambo Italiano,” also: is developing into a good seller. Despite the steady sales being racked up by these three platters, Col ' prepping her waxing of •■White Christmas” and “Count Your Blessings” for release within the next week. The sides w CMlled from the “White Christmas” album, which also is being readied for. rush release. Album contains" tii from Irving. Berlin’s “White | Christmas” pic in Which she op- stars with Bing Crosby, : Danny I Kaye and Vera-Elleri. Miss Clooney ; currentl'y Is repped in the album, •field with“While We’re Young” i and it, too, is pulling ‘ hefty orders" from the distributors and dealers. ‘Dixie- Composer’s Home Saved From Wrecking; To Serve as Museum ML. Vernon, 0., Nov. 9 ; . The shaky: frame birthplace, of Daniel Decatur Emmett,- composer • of “Dixie” and “Old Dan Tucker,” ! was moved six blocks recently;and. i will: be restored to the condition it ! was in on Oct. 29, 1815, the com- poser’s birth date; The 140-year-old Emmett house was saved from wrecking here by Dr. Robert L, Eastman and Ogden .WinlermUte, an antique dealer. The two will put in doors and windows of the period,, uncover the home's fine wood paficling and relay the double-sided fireplace. Into the house will go the original “Dixie" manuscript, Emmett’s violin,- his piccolo,: his canes and all the home’s old fur ilUre, now owned by Winlermute. Emmett worked on newspapers, played his fiddle and flute fbr [ dances and parades arid composed | “Old Dan Tucker” when he was 15, He joined the Army at 17 and wrote the first A rm y drummer’s manual; ..Emmett played in circus., bands until 1847, when he was in ! New York,. Where he arid three [ other rneri got Up a little blackface i entertainment that was a hit, which I some claim was the first minstrel : show. j . In 1887 Emmett returned to Mt. , Vernon and built with his own hands a two-r.oonrl cabin on his grandfather’s farm. In the 1890s he went on sentimental rem- iniscent minstrel tours with the Al G. FielcU company. He died in 1904. STOKY TO OFFER ORFF CANTATA IN N. Y. BOW * '* Leopold Stokowski will present the N. Y. premiere of Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana” at Carnegie Hall Nov. 21, with his orchestra, soloists, and Boston TJ. Chorus: Work is a cantata based on medie- val poeriis, set to modern music by the cojnteniporary German coj poser, Presentation will be coupled with; “Prairie,” tonepoem by. the American composer, Norma nd Lockwood. Andrew Schulliof is managing the event. , < X > Label's 1st Cincy Sesh Disks ‘Mr. & Mrs. Melody' Ciricinriati, Nov. 9, First recording session under the. Crosley-RGA “X” label con- tract was coriducted here last week by Eddie Kissack, assistant ‘to Jimmy Hilliard, general manager of the RCA division; Billy and Phyllis Holmes did the firsk»four of 20 sides to be cut by century and Western talent on. Crosley radio and tv stations.. The Holmes’ are “Mr. and Mrs. Melody” of Crosley's “Hayride” tele show.