Brownsville Weekly News

__ FLINT BROWNSVILLE NEWS, FLINT, MICHIGAN Be

_ SATURDAY, FEBRUARY. 22, 1941 ee

Calloway Done In Bronze

_

Cab Calloway is shown here posing for a statue while the nimble
fingers of Max Kalish, internationally famous sculptor, models in clay
a typically characteristic pose of the Royal Highness of- Hi De Ho.
Kalish selected Calloway to represent modern music for an exhibition

of leaders of the popular arts.
in the spring.

The statue will be placed on exhibition

Singing Of Theodore
Stone Thrills Dallas

DALLAS, Texas~ one of the
most outstanding contributions of
the current season in Dallas was

~made by the famed Negro _baritone who achieved _internaticnal
fame in Finland, and the other

_by the Athenaeum Club here

Scandinavian countries, Theodore
Charles Stone, who was presented
in

Highland Park~s exclusive Town
Hall Friday morning.
~ A capacity audience was held

spell bound from tle exaciing first
number~ of his interesting. and deversified program. The singer who
lived up to what the European and
Bastern critics had. said of his
singing, impressed quite definitely
his divine gifs upon his hearers,
and proved himself one of the few
rea] interpreters of our day. Fach

song. or work was presented in the

that

ena ke manner of its __ tradiwith such power and in
tha
a the

keights. His program; Was so well
arnanged that, never moment
seemeq uninteresting for the vast
throng of women who demaenced
many encores, His program was
the first of its type to be presented
by this. group of. women (white)
who did a splendid jcb in making

a

the concert a great trea, for all
who hag the pleasure of lsearing
him.

In addition to Old French Airs,
Early Italian and English works,
he used German leicer Finnish

songs from his collestion ef Finhish music and a group of Negro
Spirituals. As encores the artist
rendered ~Sea Fever~ by ~ Ireland,

~Water Boy~ by Kcbvinson and
~Sometimes I Feel Like a Motkerless Chile~ arranged iy |} Clarence
Cameron White. D. A. Sternberg,
Vienise pianist and corcser, who is |

<snusle ans in|~

~sided at the ~

RATING THE

By FRANK

RECORDS

MARSHALL DAVIS

BENNY STARS COOTIE

Through 12 inches of boiling
jazz, Benny Goodman gives Cootie
Williams a staring role on Columbia's SUPERMAN. A bouncing concoction, it goes through many riffs
in jitterbug tempo to conclude in
half time Cootie growls an plays
straight horn to perfection with full
band. providing mainly a_ background, but I have heard better
tunes. The coupling is MOR
THAN YOU KNOW, slow and meltlow with Helen Forrest singing her
heart out. -

Speaking of torchy vocals, hear
Ella~ Fitzgerald on Decca~s THE
ONE I LOVE. The gal is sensational! Coupled is THREE LITTLiZ
WORDS. more splendid warbling
along with good orchestra work..Reissued on Columbia are MEAN
TO ME and I'LL GET BY, with the
great Billie Holiday in top form,
backed by an all-star band led by
Teddy Wilson and including Johnny Hodges, Buck Clayton, Lester
Young and Coze Cole. Wilson and
Hodges in particular stand out. If
you don~t already have the original
Brunswick, grab this.

gh

HAMPTON MAKES TWO

Lionel Hampton pleases two
audiences on Victor, the jitbugs
with his jumpy SMART ALECK
and the sentimental with LOST
LOVE. Small band stuff, the first
features strong rhythm plus -excellent guitar, good fiddle and medi
-ocre clarinet On the flipover Lec

Girls..

Young sings aided by the Rhythm. The Andrews Sisters melt

the wax on BOOGIE. WOOGIE
~BUGLE BOY and BOUNCE MF

BROTHER WIT'H A SOLID FOUE,
Decca. This means htat both sides

-are as hot as these gals can make

them... - On Okeh Gene Krupa
fe-records. two of his top tunes
APRURKSODY, his pre-BMI theme
song, and JUNGLE MADNESS, that
drum fit.

The Decca

of PREACHIN~

~TRUMPET BLUES by Bob Pope

aE a oh le eae Mal

_ poorly sung by Joan Lee.
amy Dorsey gives tunes by: two of
* his contest winners, YOU MIGHT
_.HAVE BELONGED TO ANOTHER

reveals Wingy Carpenter~s anility
on a hot horn. He makes a trum
pet talk in the middle register in

somewhat the manner of the old
timer, Johnny Dunn. But there's

~ too much jive shouting by the ~con.

gregation~ to, suit me. Coupled -is
THATS ALL I ASK OF YOU.. Tom
and OH LOOK AT ME, a good
ff on Victor. Both are hap-... Bob Crosby~s Decca of BLUE
ECHOES and CHICK-EE-CHICK
is just so much commercial mess
fluffed off by a band) that could
do better.

Fats Waller goes on another sentimental kicis on COME ON DOWN
TO EARTH MY ANGEL, playing
beautiful electric organ in the last
half. The geompanion piece on this
Eluebird is LIVER LIP JONES,
done up in blues style with the
place..: Jimmy Dorsey has an
Round One fussing -all over. the
cutstanding success for the lovelorn
in the Decca of I UNDERSTAND.
The turnover is HIGH ON A
WINDY HILL, another Sweet one..,. Bing Crosby alsb scores on
Decca with NEW SAN ANTONIO
ROSE and IT - MAKES NO DIFFERENCE NOW... While Glenn Miller~s Bluebird of THE MEM~RY OF
4 ROSE. and PRAIRIELAND LULLABY is also in the very lovely
vein.

- 4 ~

~LOTS OF DRIVE

Buddy Johnson's small band is
exceedingty capable. His Decca of
SOUTHERN ECHOES) has -a nice
kounce and -is fine for easy rug
cuttin~ but the flipover, YOU
WON'T LET ME GO, in a ~Song
of the Wanderer~ vein, find the
leader~s vocal hindering what
otherwise would be an- acceptable
performance... Will Bradley returns t> his boogie woogie ways
on the Columbia of THIS LITTLE
ICKY WENT TO TOWN. Lots ~of
fast drive but I've heard bettez
work. The other side is BREAK
IT TO ME GENTLY, |in medium
tempo with considerable jive and
many riffs. Not a bad piece of
work... The woods are full of
rhythm singers these) days.. On
Decca the Four Blues debut with
EASY DOES IT and JITTERBUG
SADIE. Nothing extraordinary.

' Here's a platter that is a natural
for blues fans.: Joe Turner, the
Kansas City singer, ig heard with
Benny Carfter~s allxstars on the
Okeh of JOE TURNER BLUES and
BEALE STREET BLUES, two
Handy nmbers. Bill). Coleman~s
trumpet and Benrly Morton~s trombone are particular fine..

JUMPIN~ THE B IE by Sam
Price on: Decca does just.what the
name applies. Price himself is @
remarkable pianist and scores in
this. sort of thing. Coupled is
THINKING, more bad singing in
small night club style... Charlie

Barnet gets a high rating for his
Bluebird of LUMBY, ~4 rhythm)

1 py numbers and may become hits mie with live Keshatt and PHYL
~acteacher. at-Hockaday Sollege -pre~{- saa

Hampton Players of Hampton

FOOTLITE
FLICKERS

By ALVIN MOSES

NEW YORK~ETHEL WATERS
put most of that: $2,500 per (plus
slice of earnings) frém ~Cabin in
the Sky~, into.. Mansions in
Harlem. It is said. on _ reliable
authority that La Waters has her
eyes on a Convent avenue apartment house that is the last word
in. modern: livine. smart girl.
wed say.

bes ROSCOE CONKLIN. writes~

us that though they~re just swell
friends, he can~t stop. thinking of
the days when PEARL BAYNES
and he put bankrolis together for
sec~so~long.. dces sorta get you
down I imagine, Roscoe, me jad:.. EDNA HARRIS, can st0Op you
on the ~Gay Black Way~ ~~wouldn~t
you call 7th Avenue in Harlem
that?), with a rich, mellow ~pur
ring~ that~s a~cross between a
Hawaiian greet and an ~Esquimo
huddle~ (do you dig?)... EUBIE

BLAKE and ANDY RAZAF's song
creations for ~Tah Manhattaan~
have. APOLLO THEATRE
steady g0ers whistling them from
the. -lowlands of 110th Street to
BOWMAN~S lush stationery on the
snooty-snooty Hilltop: sort of; velvety strains that get inside of
you before you~re fully decided
whether you~ll invite them in or
not!~LUCKEY ROBERTS, who
eculd group your hand like a professional stropgman before that
accident that would have killed
outright most mortals. plays
the piano just as well as in. the
days when he was. the ~toast
(still is) of America~s ~60 FAMILIES~, receiving Only checks in
four figures (ala Paul Whiteman),
for an evening~s nonsense.....JIMMY MARSHALL is starting to develop a punch (don~t
laff) after all these zillion years
and most of the show girls out to

put the beg on two days after draw
day tickle him in- the ribs and
sweetly exclaim. ~Jimmy, we

just love 40 see you fattening up~.... Manager Marshall~s answer to
that one usually follows...~Mr.
Schiffman~s not honoring anyone's
I. O. U's, today~.. sad music:

ERYANT, have them standing in

artists. in the Villlage sin den.

ON THE BARBARY COAST..:@ cabaret there has the only
(in the United States) ~All
Chinese-girl-line-chorus~???.from
photos w~ve seen of the slant-eyed
lovelies..few white or Negro
chorus lines compare with the.

to say nothing, or ourranking
them. Méelybe an All Copper-All
Yellow~All Black and All White
line by some enterprising sin den
owner, wouldn~t pack them in--
SO LONG.:

"ART TATUM and WILLIE |

the aisles down at swank... Cafe
Society.. here~s hoping a long
run for both of you talented

RICHMOND, Va. ~As a feature cf the exchange pro.
gram of the Negro Intercollegiate Dramatic Association, the

Institute. will present a three
act play at Virgie Union University cn March 24.

Arrangements for the presentation of the group here are being made by Pref. John M. Moore,
director of the Union Piayers.

As participants in the ~same
program, the Union Players are
scheduled to fill an engagement
at Virginia State College.

At present, the Union group is
1ehLearsing for three one-act plays
~to be presented in Coburn Hall
on Wednesday, Feb. 26, ~~Blackcut,~ a drama, is a story of wartorn Eurcpye during the present
conflict, ~Mid-niekt Sailing~ is
also a dfama_ while ~~Assorted
Ladies in a Jam~ is a_ hilarious
comedy.

As the second presentation in
the broadened program of the
dramatic club, the plays are expected tc draw a large audience.
Several new faces will appear in
the casts.

Annual Festival
Of Drama To Be
Staged at-Hampton

HAMPTON INS'ITUTE, Va. ~
The Hampton Institute Little
Theatre Group, under the direc
tion of Miss Elizabuth = Whiting,
will play kost to the anrual play
festival of the Nevio Intercollegiate Dramatic Asscciation early
in April, officials ~i the Associa
tio: have announced

The players will present their
annual Spring preduction, ~Double
Door~~~ a three-act. play by Eliza
beth McFadden, on March 15, according to Lamar Thompson, of
Louisville, Kentucky,
the group. Among the members who
will take principal parts are
Dorothy R. Reeves cf Turtle Creek,
Pa.; Esther Merle Jacksen, El
Dorado, Ark.; George R. Hicks ITI,
Dayton,- Ohio; and Edwin M.
Wesley, Washington, D. C.

Floyd Ray and
Band Are Swinging
Thru South Again

a series of record breaking engagements on the Pacific Coast, Floyd
Ray and His Orchestra left here
last Thursday: night for a swing
through the South and East with
tentative looking which will take
him to New York City.

This band,. well known for its
entertainment values has been one
of the best drawing cards on the

Coast and last month played a
Sunday matinee at the Alabamn
Theater Cafe to a turn-away

crowd. Curtis. Mosby offered.them
a return date. but previous | bookings forced them to turn this offer down.

The band is slated to open in

NEW YORK~(ANP) ~ Holding
that the snowing of the film, ~Birth
of the Nation.~ weuld incite a riot,
the Greater New York Coordinating
committee and the Association of
Trade and Commerce group repre:
Sented by Atty. Harrison S. Jackson presented, the facts to the District Attorney Dewey who ordered
a Broadway theater to stop the run
of the picture. ~

Originally scheduled to Open

LYSSE, slow and moody. You
figure out what the~ titles mean

Andy Kirk features Henry
Wells in the singing. style that
made Pha Terrell famous on the
Decca of IF I FEEL THIS WAY
TOMORROW and OR HAVE L
both ballads.

Jimmie Noone~s clarinet, aided i
Gidéon~Honore~s piano and John Simons~ bass, parades- two slow blues
on. Bluebird, THEY GOT My
~NUMBER NOW and MOODY MELODY. The playing. is excellent.
But the singer, Ed Thompson, cfiten
sings poorly despite a natural voice
for this kind.of jazz... One of the
funniest blues ard in many.
moons~and it~s dlean too~is WELFARE STORE BLUES on Bluebird
by Sonny Boy Williamson. He has
exactly the right voice to put it
across. Companidn piece is TRAIN
FARE BLUES...-. Curtis Jones~
Okeh of CRADLE ROCKIN BLUES
and DOWN TOWN BLUES is lowdown and solid. Drums and harmonica accompany the leader~s
barrelhouse piano. don't go for
EVIL DEVIL WOMAN BLUES and
PLEASE BABY by the Mississippi
Mudder:on Decea.

Harlemites Stop Showing
Of ~Nation~~ On Broadway

Monday, February 3, the ~Birth of
the~ Nation~ was not exhibited until
the following day because of the
efforts of several organizations including the NAACP.

Pointing out to the district attorney that the picture had caused
many riofs in other cities where it
had been shown, and arguing that
its showing exhibits 2 high degree
of intolerance by the white man designed to incite hatred among the
races, Atty. Jackson was able to
have the picture~s showing discontinued after the second day.

president of

~POs ANGELES=tws)" = Atler

| To Be Bing Crosby~ s Guests

do any of their best known hits.

only problem is whet to have them sing in vjew of
war between ASCAP and the radio networks,

The Ink Spots, one of ~Bing Crosby~s favorite Socal groups, are:
scheduled to appear on the crooner~s broadcast February 27.

The
the~ current

The foursome can~t

By O. C. HALL
SEDALIA, N. C:~(ANP) ~ At
the culmination of 40 years of

service, Dr. Charlotte Hawkins
Brown ~will have the unique distinction, of.presenting to the

Gveenskoro public three outstanding stars in the field cf,music and
dance who are bringing distinction
to the cultura, and aesthetic training for which the Palmer Memorial institute has stood ~during thes
vears.

Carol Lovette Brice, enjoying a
géecond year fellowship at the Juilara school, whom music critics
have already named a ~second
Marian Anderson,~ will be the outstanding artist for the- occasion.
She will be accompanied by her
brother, Jonathan Brice. who from
the: time he was seven years old: early oe.

Graduate Stars Plan
ConcertForAimaMater

attracted attention of outstanding
musicians. He has since studied at
Julliard school ~ander private
teachers.. -He has accompanied
Clyde Barrie and other outstanding
artists.

One of the outstanding young artiixs at present in the field of the
dance, Elizabeth~ Anne Ray of
Winston-Salem will give interpretations cf of Russian, Spanish, and
Negro cances as a part of the program.

hese people had their elementary, hie school and junior college training at. Palmer and.as
students were outstepding in these
fields. They return to honor their
alma mater and to make;heir contribution towards the ~5-000 drive
which Dr. Brown hopes to culminate in this concert. effort in, the

>
SS Abed cn. Sih

te Dies -oraghealt

HOLLYWCCD~Fantlasia! How
in the heck diq I let one week pass |
by without writing a story cm the
preview of this crowning achievement of Walt Disney which by invitation from the studio I covered
at Cathay Circle opening night?
For Charley Hawkins snd I sat
spellbound as did all the cthers in
the capacity audience as in marvelous technicolcr, the eight episodes of, music put into living moving

figures unfolded on the screen.
Well, if ~piossible, Tl slip a review of it in this chapter; if not,
you shall have it in g separate
stor=.

Most ~important arrivals of the
week. The Ink Spots, for ~Great

American Broadcast~ at Twentieth
Century-Fox. Moe Gale their manager also ~n the ground with plans
to make, Class-A pictures featuring
colored talent for a major

Dallas, Texas and tentative plans
zall for appearances in HoustOn as
well as other cities in that state.
According to members of the organization, they will appear in

Louisiana, Florida and other states
en route to New York~ City.

Headed For The Top Hat

2

~ AL COOPER'S SAVOY SULTANS.

Fhe hottest little band ~in, the world, Al Codper and his Savoy
Sultans under the management of Moe. Gale are back.on the road
again and look forward to an early date at ~Atlerta~s exclusive nitery,
the~ Top Hat Club. ~The band~ is.being brought: to. the South~s Gate
a iad Somtheastern Artists. Beda ings)

SOP MOVIE LM

Ae LEVET TE
~/ ASSCCLATED NEGRO

studio.

be

Pie iS

Gale aiso has Ella Fitzgrerald,
Tiny Bradshaw, Erskine Hawkins,
Lucky -Miilinder, the Savoy Sultans
and the Sunset Royals. With such
an array of talent and his knowledge, cf the amusement game he
should be able to turn out some
good pictures that wiuld sell both
at the ail-cclored theatre and for
national release ~ Letter f-r o m
Bill Robinson says -new Mimo Club
now ander his. banner at New York
going giiod. \He has introducod
~Special. night~ on Mondays when

luminaries are. presented. First
night saw Glenda Farrell, Lyle
Talbot, Allan Dinehart. and ~others
present. The nights will be called
acquaintance nights and feature
colored as well as white ~stars. Biggest show of week: Andy Kirk's orchestra and boogie senia revue at
Paramount in addition te two spook
screen play thrillers. Leon Heflin,
ace dance promoter. is also to
present Kirk at a public ball upon
c:mpletion of his other engagements ~here.;

ODDS AND ENDS

Have you started your story titled
~Where Black Race Traitors
Breed~ yet? Well you can start another if you have finished it on whr
de Calfiornia Negroes gang up into the few. large cities instead of:
making money on the rich farms?
Editor Charlotta A. Bass of the
Eagle wonders about. - this in her
current editorial -f the week. Mantan Moreland shivered and his
teeoh chattered from the: time she
arrived on location at Big Bear
lake, last. week, until he returned
last "Monday. sie
There was a fall of five inches
of snow the same night he got
there with Monogram~'s ~Sigh of
the Wolf~ company and. it kept
getting worse. Poor Mantan was too
softened up and just eculdn't take
it. Well the Coloreq Actor~s Protective league has been jumping
all over the exhibitors who barred
colored pictires for the past several montns. Now they are going
to let the exhibitors tell their side
of the controversy. It is only fair
to hear both sides. So watch. for
sigrted statements by the man
agers of theatres on Central ave
nue that have a 100. per cent Negro. patronage.

Headed by Michael Whalen ~sah
Grace: Bradley, who appear in the
leeding yotes, Paul * Malyern~s
~Sien of the Wolf~ wait returned

day, ssa~ 10)

ty Per 10. hey ae a
pohetgorna

} lar Productions, witith for the
| four ~years has been filming and

Broadway stars and. visiting movie.

Showin~ Sundays

By FRANK T. WARD ~

~~~Cabin in the Sky,~ Ethel Waters~
Broadway musica! hit, began regular Sunday performances
last week. The reason: A~ successful Sunday benefit performance tht week before... Bill Robinson is grabbing headlines from most of New York~s best in his new show at the
Versailles, East Side night club, where he shares top ire
with Peggy Fears, popular song bird.

NEW YORK~(C)

The Hollywood Theatre Alli
~ance is preparing a Colored re
yue to open on the Coast this
spring..If it~s a success, it will
tour its wav to Broadway playing
all the big cities on the way.

East Side nities are offering
something new in s~pia entertainment these days.
Bill Robinson~s engagement at
the Versailles, comes the news
that the. Trinidad Calypso Trou
uled for a.week ef studio shooting
on this Jack London production
for ~Monogram. Howard Bretherton
is directing the film from the
screen play by Elizabeth Hopkins
and Edmund Kelso. Prominent in
supportting roles are Darryl Hickman, Louise Beavers,
Moreland, Wade Crosby,
Paton and Joseph Bernard.
Miss Beavers did not have to go
on locaticn at Big Bear where the
snow stayed ~six inches deep, but
Moreland did.

Tony

Letters Pour In
Seeking More Big
Colored Pictures

HOLLYWPOD~(ANP)~ Foliowing a plea ftom the Negro Actor~s
Protective league, a recently organized group here, letters have been
pouring in to Harry M. Popkin,
executive producer of Millici Dolpast

releasing all-colored cast pictures.

The letters. inspired by the plea
4 | appeared in scores of nationla ers: asked Mr. Popkin to
reconsider his announced intention
to discontinue making movie with
colored costs from stories of Negro
~

Mantaii;

badours are booked for a _ two
week engagement at

Page Club, an East Side club...
And Me-Think they~ll be there
much longer! In the show there~s
the Duke of Iron heading the
singing end; Bill (Calypso Kid)
Matons, Helen Lynne and June
MacClaren holding up the dant+

jng end..and a native orchestra.On the heels of |-.The Troubadours are featuring, among other things, acented songs and.a West Indian version of the can-can.

The Negro. Melody Singers, ~a
unit of N. Y.~s WPA Music Proje
ect directed by Clyde Turner,
had a busy week filling after
noon and evening engagements

in the city~s free concert schedule _
last week..And speaking of-sing-.

ers we see by the papers where
the Daughters of the American
Revolution, who refused. to let
Marian Anderson give a eoncert
in Constitution Hall two years
ago, put the O. K. on the Golden
Gate singers for the inauguration
eoncert..Which shows that some
ag Say has ~been made.. Thanks
to Mrs. F.D.R.

The American Society of Compesers, Authors and Publishers,
in its fight against the National
Association of Broadcastings, is
sponorig a ~~~ASCAP onn Parade~
program to compete with CBS~
~Your Hit Parade~ which uses all
RMT tunes..ASCAP~s program is
piloted by Billy Rose and is heard
through WMCA and more than
100 independent ~ stations...We
wonder~ if it~s not the ASCAP
and BMI fight that~s causing
bands to record such weak plater
jive..Of Columbia~s recen
lar~ ~reléases, ~ Eddy ~
Jeanie With the ~Light Brown
Hair~ rates ~four stars~ for weakhess..But on the other hand,
Teddy Wilson comes on with flying colors~ with his new version
~f the old standbys, ~My Melancholy Baby~ and ~I Cried fot
You.~..As do Jimmie Lunceford
with ~Rock It for Me~ and ~Barefcot Blues.~,

She's In ASCAP Parade

While: aca e

wise sotbah aches aaosatab dl ~19, Ella Fitzgerald and hee
celebrated orchestra will appear on
on Scturday evening, 8 to @ p. m. over four newtork stations; name-:
a bad elenndivye

~ASCAP. on Parade~ broadcast

a Ping dete wb nemer mine ier me

aor