Variety (May 1946)

•IICHBSTftAS-MIJSIC WedneMlu), May 22, 1946 Robbins Exits Metro kowitz and Leopold Friedman agreed to buy out their limited partner. Robbing has already placed his sinck in escrow with Chase National Bank in New York, along with his resignation as an officer and director or the companies, general releases, eli-.. and the veteran music man will thus be free to take a trip around the world with his wife as is one in- tention, or go into a specialized phase ol the music and'or show business which is another idea. Those knowing the volatile Robbins —despite doctor's orders that lie take il easy—are inclined to reckon with him' further as an active showman'. Battle With I.. B. Mayer The real climax to a lingering st-ries ot differences which hark back to the time when Louis B. Waver and Bobbins had their first bis blowup several years ago. when the latter barred himself off the Metro lot in Culver City, came in recent weeks. Julian T. Abeles.. special copyright attorney to Loew- Meiro (also 20th Century-Fox Film), was sustained by Moskowitz and Friedman in vetoing certain moves which Robbins wanted to make. Firstly. Abeles blocked Robbins" desire to resign from the Music Pub- lishers Protective Assn. at a time when Herman Starr (Warner Bros, music group) and Richard F.'Mur- ray (then head of Pararounl's music publishing interests, but now an ASCAP executive at $35,000 a year) wanted the Metro-Robbins taction to join them in an insurgent group op- Continued from pair I posing the already established VOCALISTS YOU WONT BE! ABSENT-MINDED WhM Yea Cr*oa tot Miller-* N«w Nevefty Tmm ADVANCt COMS MOW ■ROWN It' HENDERSON IXC 1 . ISA* HrwduBV. New Verb MPPA. Secondly. Robbins. as an ASCAP board member, had voted to cede his linns' television rights to the Society, but attorney Al'cles blocked that too. Most recently. Abeles, kayoed Rob- bins' intention to cede the British publishing agency to Reg Connelly (Campbell-Connelly Co.^ and the Australian rights to D. Davis 4:. Co. The publisher made il a showdown issue with the Loew veepee that •either I run the music companies or Abeles does: one of us must go." Moskowilz and Friedman sustained the attorney (it's been known to in- siders that Robbins long ago. wanted Abeles ousted from the boards of Robbins. Feist and Miller Music Corps.) and quickly took up Rob- bins' bid to ''buy me out." The Metro-Robbins affinity is one of the all-time success stories, of Tin Pan Alley. The manner in-which the support of a powerful film company. Olman Takes Over Abe Olman. who had been second to Jack Robbins in the operation of Robbins. Feist and Miller catalogs, takes over man- agement of the three firms with Robbins' exit. He also assumes Robbins' place in the Metro governing scheme and will he designated for the publisher's spot on the directorate of ASCAP. Robbins. of course, is automatically relieved of the latter position. Olman had been secretary of the Robbins and Feist com- panies and a v.p. of Miller. ARNOLD S. GOODMAN MUSIC ARRANGER CLASSICAL—VOCAL—POPULAR 130 W. lOItt St.. Now York. N. Y. MOnument 2-5*92 l with the advent of sound, pyramided t he modest Robbins Music interests into one of the world's greatest copyright pools is for the annals of show business. Jack Robbins always had a feel for mood music, as the then "movie editions"' were called. Dr. Edward Kilyeni. Dr. William Axl. Hugo Ric- senfeld. S. L. (Roxy) Rothafcl. Jules Mastbau'm. Domenico Savino, Hugo Frey. Nat Finston. Erno Rapee. Charles Previn. . Major Edward Bowes. Moe Mark—all these pio- neers of the de luxe presentation policy picture houses, many of them now gone, favored Robbins' "movie scores'' for their elaborate musical presentations. The film majors knew it and. with sound, it was natural for Robbins to segue into the Hollywood orbit. And paradoxically, il was Abeles. acting for the music publisher, who en- gineered b $75,000 sale of 51"! of the Robbins company to Loe^v's. Inc. It was no secret that Robbins' for- tunes at that time (1927) were at a pretty low ebb. The quick success thereafter was electrifying. In rapid succession came "Broadway Melody.'' "Hollywood Revue," "Pagan Love all the CafcsJoinjn Song." "Cuban Love Song" and m host of other early musical talkers which boomed Robbins' music slock". Add* Miller, Feist. Sherman Clay Moving fast. Abeles and Robbins, with support'of the Loew-Melro in- terests, made 20-year exclusive mu- sic publishing hookups with 20lh Century;Fox and Universal. Out or profits tliey. bought the valuable Mil- ler . Music Corp. catalog for what loday is a paltry sum of $15,000. con- sidering its wealth of Vincent You- nians works alone. For $65,000 they bought the old established San Fran- cisco music publishing house or Sherman Clay and -merged it with Miller. Out of profits. Robbins" grand coup was purchase of the old house.^iK. Leo Feist. Inc.. for S350.000 and in v three' years, from ASCAP • dividends alone, that 350G was paid - off. H.m.M» Deal—Almost ' (An idea of the accruing value of 'the original Metro-Robbins deal with Feisl for $75,000 is the fact thai Ihis same firm was almost sold for S2.- 500.000 in 1930 on the eve of the ASCAP-BMI battle. Another deal then brewing, with Nick Schenck. William S. Paley of CBS. Abeles. and BMI v.p.-counsel. Sidney M. Kaye. as principals, was a S4.000.000 purchase of Robbins-Fcisl and Mil- ler by BMI. But Tor the technicality whereby John Shepard III. head of (he Yankee Network, insisting thai Loew"s. Inc.. indemnify the pur- chasers on four then pending copy- right suits— subsequently kayoed— ihe deal might have gone through. Attorney Abeles urged the late David Bernstein, v.p. and treasurer or Loews. Inc.. at the time,-to OK thai, but. Bernstein balked. There- arter Abeles engineered the Edward B. Marks deal with BMI for $200,000 per annum, for five years, with op- tion for a $1,000,000 outright buy which. - incidentally, may. well go' through some time this summer or fall. > Other situations cropped up in Ihe Robbins-Melro relations. One whs Robbins Music Corp. of Cuba. S. A., which went $100,000 into the red. resulting in Locw's deciding lo take the loss although Robbins. an ardent Lalinophile. had dreams of extending his international activities to include a Mexico City subsidiary and others. Robbins Artists Bureau was an- other Metro loss for around $100,000 resulting in a $3,000 ' wash sale" (tax loss) to his son. Buddy (Howard) Robbins. and his nephew. Howard Richmond, both of whom are con- tinuing RAB. (May well be that Jack Robbins may give that adjunct more attention.") Gripes Pyramid When David Bernstein was alive, the veepee and treasurer of Locw's Inc. was a tower of strength on be- half ot Robbins despite the attack rrom Culver City studio powers like Mayer. Louis K. Sidney. Arthur Freed. Harry Warren and others who waxed captious over the song- plugging "lack of cooperation" be- ing accorded Metro fllmusicals. Bernstein stood oft Mayer, et a I., and also Abeles in New York, despite the repercussions, contending that Robbins" "had a lot of his own prob- lems." When Bernstein died ihe gripes multiplied. Metro conlrail song- smiths like Harry Warren. Johnny Mercer. Haloid .Alien. et al.. squawked thai "it's a cinch lo make song nils like 'Trolley Song' and 'Atcheson. Topeka & Santa Fe.' but the trick is to gel Ihe secondary ballad iip there on the Hit Parade." Robbins voiced Ihe attitude or all Hollywood-affilialed. music publish- ers that—lo borrow a plirase from a pop song—"wishing won't make it so." They'd battle. "If the song ain'l got it hot all the moolah in Metro can make the public buy il." and Robbins, known - for his outspoken .independence,'frequently if undiplo- matically put himself on record, via letters wherein he ' lold off"' Maver, et al. Abe Olman. who has been general manager or the three firms under Robbins — technically chairman of the board, veepee and director-gen- eral of the Big Three—will lake over as an even more potent g.m. With Loew's adding Robbins' 26V to its basic 51?i control, the remaining 2W is divided among Domenico Savino, Bernard Prager. Stephen Levil/. and Jack Brcgman. First three are' Robbuis excc.->. Savino owns about 10?,. and the remaining \1*fo is about equally divided among the other three. Savino is chief mu- sical editor of The Bi« Three: Prager in sales manage;-; Levitt the pro- duction manager. Breginan. era I- ! while biz manager for Hobbim, had I long n'nee resigned to become prexy of the Breginaii-Vocco-Conii arm; I Music Notes Bobby Mel I in. professional manager of BMI. back in N. Y. after 10 davs on Coast. . . .Sid Goldstein, back in Hollywood as Coast chieftain of Fa- mous and Paramount Music Companies Ken Nelson handling produc- tion for Capitol Transcription in Chicago... .Lew Forbes named musical dierctor on pic "The Fabulous Dorscys".... Bob, Crosby signed to record fin- Decca. Pact with ARA expired last week... Al Friedman quit as Coast rep of Stevens Music Co. (Charlie Spivak firm) and is en route to Chicago become midwesl rep of Carol Music (ARA, pop-platlery, subsidl. Murray Massey, currently on Coast from Stevens'. N.Y. headquarters, will remain for interim Harry Scribncr, N-Y. rep of 4 Star Records, on Coast hud- dling with Dick Nelson, firm prexy... .Hans Bisler writing background music for RKO's "Woman on the Beach" Franz Waxman scoring "Nora Prentiss" for Warner Bros... .Judy Canova cut four sides for ARA. Oscar Hammerstein II will work with Sigmund Romberg on two sorii-s for "Sunny River," Skirball-Manning pic. when lyricist returns f 10n , Australia in July... .Leopold Stokowski in Hollywood setting tip schedule for Bowl summer season.;. .Walter Davidson, general sales manager or Capitol Transcriptions, on Coast for two week6 from N.Y. headquarters. Leo Ei'dody will score "Blondes on the Loose'" for PRC Republic's " Angel and Outlaw" will be scored by Richard Hageman Columbia Records will issue album of score of Ben Hecht's Republic film. "Specter of the Rose." Music by George Antheil Al K. Armer named general mu- sical contractor for Mercury Records' Hollywood setup....Al Donahue band waxed six sides for 4 Star Records yesterday (Tues.).... but retained his slock ownership. The Robbins .music board comprises Robbins. Abeles, Moskbwil7. and J. Robert Rubin. BVC. incidentally, had long since taken away maiiy of the 20lh-Fo.\ flhmisical publication rights from Robbins. despite (he latter Arm's 20- year deal. This was done in a man- ner whereby the songwriters have Ihe prerogative of placing their wares for publications as they saw fit. This look in Mack Gordon, Har- ry Warren, el al. Nonetheless, on a straight studio hookup whereby 20th has the publication saysb, these rights must go to Robbius-Feisl-Mil- ler. The contracts with 201h and Universal have some 11 years yet to go. Cole Porter-Arnsteii Infringement Case To Jury Today (Wed.) Attorneys for both Cole Porter and Ira B. Arnstein. will wind up their respective cases today (Wednesday) in connection with Arnstein's suit for alleged infringement of his un- published and published tunes be- fore Federal Judge John C. Knox and a jury in New York. Upon resumption or the trial yesterday (Tuesday ). Porler 'testify- ing in his own behalf, stated that he never heard nor saw any of Arn- stein's tunes. Deems Taylor, presi- dent of ASCAP, testifying as an expert, stated that in his opinion he saw no similarities in the music of both the plaintiff and Porter. ROBBINS HAS SEVERAL MUSIC-TALENT PLANS Jack Robbins says he has a num- ber of plans. He may align with Reg Connolly as U. S. song broker for that English publisher. He him- self, will concentrate on special song publications. He has an educational music publishing idea. Robbins hav- ing always been partial lo school- room usage of music for the future betterment of American music. He may help build up Robbins Artists Bureau for his son. Buddy, and later start a small independent publishing company for his younger son. Mar- shall (Brother > Robbins. Meantime RAB has Georgie Auld. Noro Mor- ales. George Paxton. Sarah Vaughn and other personalities-in its artists stable. Robbins says that with the grape- vine news or his departing Metro he has had countless bids from his col- leagues. One pub. kidding-on-the- square, cracked, "If you get out of music publishing it'll hurt me as frankly we have stolen a lot of your ideas, as what music publisher hasn't?" Robbins observes thai Ihe romance of the music business is gone with the advent of Big Business into Tin Pan Alley; thai the ability of the inne-hohored music man to take a song ms. and cajole plugs and get H into ihe hit classification was the lileblood of the business. As a cor- poration employee he found himself without individual voice or power and so while it was a hard thiug for him to blow rrom the firm bear- ing his name—and its whollv owned subsidiaries—he decided to "get out. The subservience to the pictures' release dales made it too tougb on tin relations with recording com- panies through miscues on releases when and ir something happened with a film, and retakes or logjam of product stalled distribution tor moulds. Connors Vice Fischer Frank Connors, general manager of the Carl Fischer music publishing company, and son-in-law of the late A. Walter Fischer, was appointed to the directors board or ASCAP yes- terday (Tuesday j. The • society's monthly board meeting was moved up from uexl week (30' because of Memorial Day. Connors takes his post immedi- ately. GONE...! Ta P«t* *4 Thanks Again, LOU WALTERS— And the same goes lor your gang over there. PefSMMl MaMfer; HERS RUBIN fTOERICK MOS. 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