Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Oct-Dec 1928)

50 EXHIBITORS HERALD and MOVING PICTURE WORLD October 20, 1928 Do you know that "Diane" and "Charmaine," compositions of Erno Rapee were at one time placed with another publisher and bought back for $50 and placed with Sherman Clay? • * * Arthur Lange still predominates in America as the leading dance arranger. It is uncanny the many new and interesting ideas he introduces in his arrangements, still keeping them at all times on a commercial basis. • • • Well, Eddie Peabody opens at the Paramount theatre, New York City, tomorrow and having heard so much about him in the last few years, the boys around the "alley" are very anxious to see what he can do in such a tough spot as this. We shall see! • * • Frankie Wallace who is recording exclusively for the Perfect and Cameo records leaves on a vaudeville tour of the Southern Loew circuit this week. Wallace is a "nom de plume," for he has a brother whose name is very well known among record buyers, but Frankie wants to depend solely on his own merits without any reflection whatsoever on his brother's name. More power to him ! • * • Do you know that T. B. Harms have disposed with their popular catalogue and are concentrating entirely on their 6how tunes and their new affiliation with Paramount, regarding theme songs? This move necessitated Arthur Behim leaving them, who I understand will shortly connect with one of the other big music publishers after his return from California, where he has gone for a much deserved and needed rest. • * * The biggest radio plug at the present time is the "Lucky Strike Hour" which leaves New York every Saturday night between 10 and 11 over a network of seventy-two stations. This "hour" is under the direction of B. A. Rolfe, and if you want to get to him, address him c/o the Palais D'Or Restaurant, 48th St. and Broadway, New York City. • • • Tom Waring, brother to Fred, is at present doing a single in vaudeville, and "clicking" in grand style. He leaves New York next week on a tour of all the southern Loew theatres. • • * Remember, when theme songs were all the rage! When Berlin and Donaldson wrote the popular songs! When Chicago was a great music town (and Milton Weil was Mayor) ? . . . Remember when Al Jolson got married! ... A song of his entitled "SonnyBoy !" . . . When your check from The American Society was only a few thousand dollars every three months! . . . And YVhiteman was with the Victor Co. . . . Remember when television was a novelty and the guy that owned one always had company at his house. . . . The day the Graf Zeppelin arrived over New York City from Germany! . . . When Alfred Smith was President! . . . Remember when Jerry Vogel and Sid Bcrman only had about one hundred thousand dollars . . . and Karol Kane was Broadway's favorite! . . . Remember when Jay Faggcn only owned one ballroom . . . and Spier & Coslow were small publishers! . . . When the three big music jobbers in New York consolidated and the six big Music Publishers merged into one big tremendous concern . . . Remember when Atlantic City was "America's playground" and a great plug! . . How Al Beilin and Rocco Vocco made hits in the middle wert single-handedly and Philadelphia was a suburb of New York City. . . . When the Yankees won a pennant. . . . Paul Ash had his hair cut. . . . Feist, Inc., were bankers. . . . The Comedy Club only occupied seven floors in the Stevens Hotel I . . . Remember when the game of golf was a past-time and not an "angle" . . . ? • • • Well. I've gotta be in Los Angeles early tomorrow morning (Sunday). . . . Will be back in New York. Monday. . . . Regards. . . . Talking Movie Music Catalogue Issued by Witmark Proof that sound Alms have loomed as a major source of income to the music publishers is evidenced by the pretentious talkingmovie catalogue and music library now .in preparation by M, Witmark and Sons. More than two thousand world rights compositions, selected from the published works of Witmark over a period of forty-three years, are included in two bulky index volumes. The edition will be limited to 50 copies which shall be loaned to the motion picture producing companies participating in the recent affiliation with the music publishers under the trusteeship of E. C. Mills. The catalogue remains the property of Witmark and is returnable at the expiration of the producer contract. In no event will the books be sold. The first volume will be devoted to instrumental numbers and the second volume will cover light operatic music, period successes, and vocal ballads from the Witmark Blackand-White series. Scoring and synchronizing conductors employed by the motion picture producers are to be supplied with the new catalogue together with a library of sheet music comprising over 1000 numbers. In addition to the alphabetical index which gives a telegraphic code word to each orchestration, there is an elaborate classification index which may be used something like a thesaurus dictionary, enabling the conductor to quickly identify the kind of music he is seeking by means of various descriptive heads. ORGAN SOLOS Harold Daniels (Chicago, Buckingham) played a number of popular songs during the film "Street Angel" and offered for the finale of the picture the theme number called "Angela Mia" with a singer named Joe Rizzo singing it in Italian. It seems that Daniels is getting more effect out of hie console lately and never fails to receive a good hand at the finish of his solo. Herbie Koch (Des Moines, Capitol) played a smart musical number called "A Movietone Songfest" in which the sound effects came from the audience. This worked out cleverly and in all probability will be used all over the country by other organists. Arthur Gutow (Detroit, Mich., Michigan) offered a novel solo last week based upon the poor little piano at home. The specialty pined away for lack of attention shown to a piano in anyone's home. The stunt was staged with the aid of a scrim drop and special illustrated slides showing a piano appealing to Gutow to play it once more. Arthur responded by going up on the stage to play it as two individuals rushed out on the stage and demanded the $600 due on the piano. Of course, Gutow could not pay the bill and therefore the piano had to go. "Goodbye Forever" was the tune played by Gutow on the organ, which got a lot of laughs and put over a darn clever idea. Mother in Son's Play Word reaches us that the mother of Robert H. King, formerly of the Daily News, a New York newspaper, and now press representative for the Jack Linder Enterprises, is being featured in "The Squealer," a dramatic play written in collaboration with King and several other wellknown playwrights. The show opened in Philadelphia last week and will make its first appearance in Chicago in the next few weeks. BEST SELLERS "Jeannine, I Dream of Lilac Time" — (Leo Feist). "Girl of My Dreams" — (Jack Mills). "King for a Day" — (Remick Music Corp.). "Old Man Sunshine" — (Remick Music Corp.). "Sonny Boy" — (DeSylva-Brown & Henderson). "Ramona" — (Leo Feist). "Angela Mia" — (DeSylva-Brown & Henderson). "Get Out and Get Under the Moon" — (Irving Berlin). "Down Where the Sun Goes Down" — (Leo Feist). "You're a Real Sweetheart" — (Leo Feist). "I Can't Give You Anything but Love"— (Jack Mills). LOVER, COME BACK TO ME— (Harms, Inc.)— The hit song of the New York production The New Moon. The music by Romberg is beautiful and reports from the East are that the show is a big hit. Book and lyric by Frank Mandel and Oscar Hammeretein 2nd. Music by Sigmund Romberg. • * * WHEN ELIZA ROLLS HER EYES (Irving Berlin, Inc.) — A cute song that has both an excellent tune and melody. Both writers are well known, especially the lyric writer, who is none other than the famous Gus Kahn. Music by Harry Warren. • * * DON'T HOLD EVERYTHING (Let Everything Go) — (DeSylva Brown & Henderson) — The hit song of this new production "Hold Everything" that just opened in the East. Has real merit and should sell. Words and music by B. G. DeSylva, Lew Brown and Ray Henderson. • • • CAROLINA MOON— (Joe Morris Co.)— A southern waltz ballad that is very pretty and is the work of two well known writers. By Benny Davis and Joe Burke. • • • PLEASE MY NERVES— (Ager-YeUen & Bornstein) — A slang saying that has now gone into song. A very funny number with a fox trot melody that should go a long way. Words by Jack Yellen and Benee Russell, music by Milton Ager. • * * SMILING SKIES— (Ted Browne Music Co.)— A philosophical type of song well written both as to lyrics and melody. The writers are local boys, one being the well known band leader, Charley Straight. Words by Walter Hirsch, music by Milton Samuels and Charley Straight. • • • I CAN'T MAKE HER HAPPY (That Old Girl of Mine) — (Shapiro-Bernstein) — -A beautiful ballad that should certainly be a big seller. The lyric is perfect and the tune by Lew Pollack who has to his credit such songs as Angela Mia, Diano and Charmaine is on a par with his best. Co-writer, SHney Clare. • • • HAPPY DAYS AND LONELY NIGHTS— (AgerYeUen & Bornstein) — A fox trot ballad that has merit. The writers both of them well known, will make some real money out of this, their latest effort. Worin by Billy Rose, music by Fred Fisher. • * * TU SAIS (You Know)— (Sherman Clay & Co.)— An imported tango that is a big hit in Europe. It has an American lyric now and will be a big number with the orchestras on account of being different. Music by Serge Walter and Eddy Ervange, lyric by Louis Wcslyn. • • • 'ROUND EVENING— (Remick Music Corp.)— A trick title that develops into an excellent home song that reminds one of Blue Heaven. It makes you feel good just listening to this song. Lyrics by George Whiting, music by Herbert Steiner and J. Fred Coots.