The New York Clipper (September 1919)

September 3, 1919 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER 17 -*-*■ LEO FEIST STARTS A, GREAT AD. CAMPAIGN $250,000 to Bo Spent During the Next v Throe Month* In the Big No- - .""• tional Magaxincm Commencing with next week's issue of The Saturday Evening 'Port,:-which will carry a full page advertisement,' the Feist house will fire the first .gun in a com- - paign of nationwide song popularization which will dwarf into insignificance any- thing ever, attempted in the world of music publishing. ";- To carry: this campaign to its comple- tion, which will' be the end of- November* an appropriation of $260,000 has - been made, and this great sum represents full page display h in the following national . magazines:' The ' Ladirs' }fomn Journal, American Magazine, McCaWs Magazine, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Everybody'* Mag- azine, Qood Housekeeping,' Metropolitan Magazine, Vogue, Hearst's, Medium's, The Delineator, Theatre Magazine. Woman's Home Companion, Pictorial Review and The Red Book. In addition to this a large amount, of special advertising' in trade and other.-channels win be placed. With the exception of The, Saturday Evening Post Ad, which features four of the current Feist popular songs, -the big magazine campaign is to be devoted to but four numbers. Each advertisement '. is to be a full page, and the four, songs ?' advertised are "The Vnmp," "My Baby's > Arms," "Sand Dunes," and "Lullaby : Blues." Sixty-four million readers will read of the songs in' the widely circulated maga- zines,, and the popularity they will re- ceive'in the) homes,-the.retail trade, and in the singing profession is'bound to be enormous. •" • V This great advertising campaign, which but a few years ago would be looked upon ss the height of folly, is now regarded as but a big. and far sighted business ven- ture of a'big house, one more indication that the miisic publishing business is go- ing ahead by - leaps and' bounds and fast taking a prominent place among-the coun- try's' leading industries. SOCIETY GETS NEW MEMBERS The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers,'during the past week added the. following to its member- ship list':. Cliff Hess,' Uda Wardrop,. Sid- ney Mitchell, Joseph San t ley, Milton. Ager, arid Joe. Rosey. The society during the past year has made remarkable finan- cial strides, and now has to its credit in its banks a cash balance of over $03,000.- $5 PRIZE WON BY DOERR Eddie Doerr" is the proud possessor of a Ave dollar gold piece won at a song contest held last ..week at Rockaway Heach. ■ He sang "Carolina Sunshine," and the judge in awarding the prize said that he didn't think much of the singing, but there was no doubt that the audience believed the song the finest number they had ever heard. . ' BERT GRANT SUED FOR DIVORCE Chicago, 111., Aug. 30:—Bert Grant, the Kong writer, has been _ sued for divorce by Ethel Grant, who charges him .with having" broken bis marital vows. The suit .was filed in the Superior Court of Cook:-County. The couple was married on March 13, 1917, and lived together until Juno of last year. KATHRYN JOYCE OUT OF FEISTS Kathryn Joyce, who for the past three years has been connected with the band and 'orchestra department of Leo Feist, Inc., {severed her connection with the house last week. After a week's vacation she will assume the management of the McCarthy & Fisher band and orchestra department. 3?is: '^w^"^~**wp~* WHO OWNS "THREE CAVALIERS"? -. With the signing of' the peace treaty and; the resumption of business relations between this country and Germany and her allies, a number of foreign musical comedy and light opera productions win doubtless be made' when the theatrical season once gets .under way. One of these pieces; of which great things are' expected is "The Three Cava- liers," by Dr. Wulner and A. Berte'. The piece, was originally produced in'Vienna, where ■' it scored a big success, and was 1 owned and published by the Viennese, firm ; Of Eiiben, Schutz & Berte! Louis Berte, a '.son of A. Berte, has- been in America for several years, and during the greater part of the'time has'made his headquarters' at the offices of Leo Feist, Inc. During the war period there naturally were no American productions of Vien- nese plays, although publishing and pro- ducing contracts for many were held. One of the pieces scheduled for presen- tation is the "Three Cavaliers," and as news regarding it was circulated-, the dis- covery that there. were several claimants to the American rights was made. Jerome H. Remick ft Co. claim the Ameri- can publishing rights, and state.'that they .purchased them from Louis Berte, who represented. the Viennese firm, paying a substantial advance. M. Witmark ft Sons also claim the publishing and pro dining .'rights.as well, and also state that they ' purchased them from Berte. At the- Leo - Feist offices, where Berte formerly was located, it was stated that he was no longer in any way connected with the establishment, and when the sub- ' ject of .the "Cavaliers" was mentioned it was' said' that the Feist house also laid claim, to 'the publishing rights of the piece by virtue off an arrangement with Berte. In the meantime the various claimants are looking "to; Berte far an explanation. - WHAT IS A SUGGESTIVE SONG? A Detroit amusement censor, who re- cently sent out a notice' to actors, giving them instructions regarding their perform- ances in the theatres wrote, among other things, "Don't aing a suggestive song I" Vaudeville actors state that there exists no reason for that portion of the notice as no suggestive songs are being sung, song writers to a' man deny ever having written such a number, and who can find a publisher that issued one! BELLE FROMME ON KEITH TIME Belle From me, the soprano, has re- ceived a route'over the B. F. Keith time. She will sing a number of songs of the semi-high class type in addition to a popular ballad. For her popular number she hoe selected the Meyer Cohen song, "Mother's Rosary of Love." JOE COOPER SIGNS CONTRACT Joe. Cooper has signed a contract, by the terms of which he will write ex- clusively for the firm of Gilbert ft Fried- land for a term of years. His first song, which is to be released within the next few days, is called "Dixie Lee." ' I . , LITTLE PLACES. NEW SONG Geo. Little, writer of "Hawaiian But- terfly" has placed a new number with the Jack Mills house. It is called "I'm a Dreamer That's Chasing Bubbles," . SONGWRITERS ON KEITH TIME Frisch and Grossman, writers "of sev- eral successful popular songs are to ap- pear on the Keith time, beginning Sep- tember 1. PHIL. MOORE WITH JACK MILLS PhiL Moore has joined the sales staff of the Jack Mills, Inc., music house. > < PUBLISHERS LOOK FOR GREAT SONG YEAR - **•, ;tkj . • ft" ." «v*",-——— - Opening of Season Proves That Opti- mi.tio Prealctioru of Music Men Are to Com* True. The opening' of the theatrical season, delayed by the actors' strike in the legiti- mate houses,, but well started in the vaudeville theatres' where the big percent- age of popular song hits are made, is show-' ing that .the seemingly exaggerated pre- dictions of music publishers regarding-the fall's music business were modest indeed. Never in the history of the popular music publishing business has there been, such a boom in early September. Prac- tically every publishing house is rushed with orders, and the big houses are so swamped with business that it has be- come not a matter of selling music but . the getting it printed that is the obstacle. Price has become a secondary consider - . ation, and the number of copies of a suc- cess which are selling at present is fully as great for the high priced numbers as those which go at the cheap rate. Tfie million copy song hit which the publisher of two decades ago only dreamed about is common to-day, and during the past year the three million copy distribu- tion has been passed. Publishers in close touch with business conditions are freely predicting that before the next twelve months have rolled around the five million song hit will be issued. HICKMAN'S BAND AT BILTMORE Art Hickman, the San Francisco com- poser, writer of "Tears," "Rose Room Fox Trot," "You and I," and other successful numbers in the Sherman, Clay ft Co. cata- logue, and conductor of the famous Hick- man Jazz band, which has' been a feature at the Hotel St. Francis, San Francisco, is in -New York: .. , Hickman and his band have been 'en- gaged to.make a: number of phonograph records for the Columbia Phonograph Co. and also are appearing nightly at the Hotel Biltmore. SINGERS WANT SHOW SONG HITS The strike of the actors which has closed" practically every legitimate house in New York, as well as seriously affect- ing theatres in Chicago, Boston and Wash- ington, is putting the publishers of the music of the musical comedies and. light operas in' an embarrassing position., In all of .the successful shows there are a number of songs which have scored big hits and vaudeville performers have been looking forward to the time of their re- lease.. Now that the shows have closed with the reopening date indefinite publish- er! are being besieged for permission to use the numbers in the two-a-day bouses. Singers and a few producers of vaudeville acts Insist that'the closing of the shows gives the release right Publishers en the other hand, are firm that the singing rights which were transferred to a produc- tion belong solely to the manager until such time as his production permanently closes or he gives the release right. In the meantime a number of singers are . rehearsing some of the hits of the big shows and intend to try to aing them In vaudeville or cabarets. BOB RUSSAK WITH MEYER COHEN — - Bob Russak is making a road trip for the Meyer Cohen Muiic Co. Jf " - --,-''* *' * BIG MUSIC CO. FORMED The International Music Company, of Indianapolis, Ind., is the latest addition to the ranks of music publishing com- panies. The new corporation is to be a strong - one- financially, planning an in- corporation with $600,000 capital. The new company intends to publish song and instrumental compositions in addition to a monthly musical magazine to be called the Popular Song Monthly. Frank Smith, an Indianapolis song writer, is one of the officers of the new company. NEW COMEDY SONG SCORES Harry Von Tilzer's new comedy song, "Whoa January (You're Going To Be Worse Than July)" is being featured by some of vaudeville's best comedians, and . each one using it is scoring a decided hit with the clever combination of bright comedy lyric and catchy melody. Lew Dockstader, one of the first to use it. Is compelled to respond to numerous en- cores every time he uses it. * COLUMBIA STRIKE SETTLED The strike of the Columbia Grapha- phone employees at the company's big plant in Bridgeport is over and the'men returned to work this week The record m a kin g department has been closed for several weeks, which has held up the mak- ing of a large number of song reproduc- tions from which music publishers had ex- pected big royalty returns. FEIST OPENS TORONTO OFFICE Leo Feist, Inc., has opened a branch office at No. 193 Yorige' Street; Toronto, Canada. Gordon B. Thompson is man- ager. ;..'- .. •a-,.- -.- ■■• ' - - -• --.:.- ' PUBLISHED BY WfTMARKS "Bubble Land," the feature song of the new vaudeville act "Bubbles," staged by "the A. ft A. Producting Company, Is a dainty song attraction, as its title sug- gests. The vaudeville act described as a dream fantasy, is an ambitious pro- duction comprising five scenes, an! em- ploys the services of three clever people. Carle Sebastion sings the song "Bubble Land" and renders it with fine effect. The act scored a decided hit in Baltimore, where it played at the Maryland Theatre recently, and it will be seen in the Keith houses. .M. Witmark ft Sons publish the num- ber. HAMP A HIT IN NEW ACT Charles W. Hamp, late of the U. 8. Army, is scoring a decided hit with "Janet of France," a new vaudeville act Samp's bit in the offering consists of some excel- lent piano work and good singing. Hti featured number is the new Stern song, "I Found the Sweetest Rosa That Grows in Dixieland," a song that is far enough out of the ordinary to be called a unique "Dixie" number. STERN HAS NEW BUSH SONG One of the big applause getters in the current list of songs is "Let's Help The Irish. Now," a timely, tuneful number that has been described as en Irish song with a purpose. In that respect it differs from the usual run of Irish numbers. Frank Muilane was among the first to sing it and since he has been using it many acts are putting It on. VON T1LZER WRITES SHOW Harry Von Tiber- has completed the score of a new musical comedy which is. scheduled for a production in New York* this falL The-strike of the actors has delayed the plans, but it Is hoped to get the piece on before the holidays. OLMAN OrTWESTERN TJUP . Abe Olman.j the composer, who baa been in Newi York" for the past two weeks left on Monday for a western business trip Jo the interests of the For ster Co., of Chicago. GLASON SINGS MILLS* SONG Billy Glason, who is booked solid for the next thirty weeks, is singing the new Jack Mills comedy song, "I Dont Want A Doctor." NEW MEDURESONG READY "I Want Somebody To Love"Me," a new ballad,, has been r e leas e d by—the- Peter Mcdure Music House of Hibbfng, Minn.