Radio Digest (Nov 1930-Apr 1931)

75 RUDY FALLEE ship, but also because it is published by Phil Kornheiser who, as I said, directed the policies of Leo Feist, Inc. for many years, finally going into business for himself and getting together one of the best catalogues of songs that anyone along Tin Pan Alley has ever seen. Kornheiser has been the power behind a throne for many years. A small man. and one who physically seems very out of place as a picker of songs, he has, nevertheless, not only picked and started on their way to hitdom many of our greatest songs over a period of twenty years, but is known to and knows every figure in the fascinating land of Tin Pan Alley. He gave such men as Earl Carroll, Vincent Lopez, Joe McCarthy, Theodore Moss, Jimmy Durante, Ernie Golden, Walter Donaldson, Harry Akst, L. Wolfe Gilbert, Mabel Wayne, J. Harold Murray, Fred Fisher, Jimmy Monaco, Grant Clark, Joe Young, Ray Henderson, and Lew Brown their first jobs, and it was through his efforts that I became associated with the firm of Leo Feist. He took blindly from me I'm Just a Vagabond Lover and gave me a substantial advance without having heard the song. Naturally, I was only too pleased, as was Paul Whiteman, Ben Bernie, Lopez, and all the other orchestra leaders who have a high regard for his friendship, to assist him in presenting his songs to the songloving public, and from time to time Hurt has found a place on my programs. Recently on one of my Fleischmann Hours I seem to have presented the number in a way that called for applause from the critics. Several Radio editors have commented on that particular rendition of the number, which shows that I have come to like the song or I could not do justice to it. As its title would convey, it is the unhappy thought of the deceived one. I hear the urchins outside my dressing room window whistling it from time to time, which indicates that it is "commercial," that is, down to the level of the working masses. At the present time it has every indication of becoming a hit. Hurt is best done at about thirty-five measures a minute. Rudy Vallee in a new guise — author and business man. J. — When Your Hair Has Turned to Silver THERE are so many of the Tobias family that they get in your hair! There is Charles, and Harry, and Henry, and they are all song-writers. Charles, I believe, is the one who has been on the stage as a wisecracker, M.C., and many other things for years; at least, I remember him when he came to a New Haven theatre to bolster up its waning trade for a while. His younger brothers, Henry and Harry, had much to do with Miss You, one of my early recordings, and a beautiful song. From time to time they bring forth fine examples of the art of songwriting; in fact I could almost say that two out of four songs seem to have one of the Tobias brothers as a contributor. In the case of this song, Charles was the contributor of the thought whereby Peter de Rose was able to express to his sweetheart of the air. May Singhi Breen, this promise of undying devotion. Anyone who knows Peter de Rose and May Singhi Breen knows that they constitute not only one of the finest teams on Radio, but two of the sweetest personalities, very happy together and never apart, that one could wish to see. While the melody is reminiscent of The Blue Danube, yet no one could hold thai against Peter de Rose, because there is nothing new under the sun, and it is quite possible to tear apart any song and show a similarity between its various phrases and the phrases of other songs. The thought is very simply and sweetly expressed, and it fits the melody admirably. I had the pleasure of recording it a few weeks ago and I think the record will be a good one. This song is published by the firm that sponsored and brought to hitdom Carolina Moon, namely Joe Morris. Inc., whose manager, Archie Fletcher, is responsible for its appearance. We play it as a medium tempo waltz. ./. — My Temptation THE few months I spent in Boston after my graduation from Vale, before I came to New Vork to seek my fortune, saw me playing with several Boston orchestras. The big number in vogue then, the Fall of P>2 7, was Dancing Tambourine, written by one W. C. Polla, whose name I had seen as an arranger of various song's. Mr. Polla 's main function in Tin Pan Alley life is to make orchestrations tor dance orchestras and bands of the various song hits, but he is also the composer of these various novelty songs such as Dancing Tambourine, Bohemia, and Gondolier, but Dancing Tarn