Brownsville Weekly News

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4,

1941

Two Little Starlets And A Star

Fred Toones, who Plays Snowflake for Republic
Pictures, brought his two tiny tots on the lot one
day during production of ~Death Valley Outlaws.~

rd

~

Here you see the future sepia starlets Francis and
Francine Toenes posing with Lynn Merrick, favorite Republic star,

Tough Road Leading To
Top, Comedy Team Admits

Have Ambition
To Obtain Rest
In the Country

By TED YATES
NEW YORK,~(TYPE)~You can
take it from the male partner of the
~téam Ajpus and. Estrellita, ~ Apus,
(who seldom has much to say until
he~s* before the footlight); that it
isnt~ an easy road to the top of
that mountain climb to success. He
modestly puts it that the help of
sincere critics, appreciative audiences booking agents and a willingness to listen and learn from more
_ experienced - performers nas in
every: way enabled them to hecome
* finally independent and win the
acclaim of toih press and public.
The act last week was billed next
to the feature attraction, Fats~
Waller and His Victor Recording
Orchestra, at ~Harlem~s Apollo
Theatre where they aided in putting
the OK stamp of approval on the
week~s stage vresntation.

The writer in an exclusive interview learned that the pair, who
are considered by far the best-liked
couple in show business, thought
not ~craving for things on the sen.
timental side ~believe that it is
actually peaceful in the country.

Moreover, they plan io try i!

after an extensive cross-countr}
tour which they hinted ovrobably
will be climaxed with a fling at
motion pictures via Hollywood. ~A
vacation,~ Fstrellita said, ~would
do us a world of good.~. Apus added, ~It would give
Estrellita an opportunity to complete a number of strapbooks that
she began. That~s her hobby, you
know.~ We asked just,.what materia] did the scraps consist of. ~I
collect clippings on the activities of,
many stars of radio, stage and
sereen,~ Estrellita put in.

~Apus: likes automobile
Long drives out into the country to
the places where they both have in
mind to settle down in the not so
distant future. Though the act is
now, the team Apus and Estrellita,
individually, is a known name to the
theatre dating back t, the heyday of Lew Leslie~s ~Blackbirds,

and the famous ~Cotton Club.

Boogie-Woogie
Aces On NBC

NEW YORK--(C)~Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson, hoogiewoogie pianisi at Cafe Society Uptown and two of the leading cxponon of eight-to-the-bar ivory
ng, were cuest-starred on

the ~Chamber Music Society of

ae Street~ Series over

ar NBC-Blue on Monday, Sepfember 15.

These hefty lads, who can neither
reac nor write music but can
create it aplenty, have been heard
at Carnegie Hall in three different
concerts,

including Cafe Society~s

own, and by the Beethoven Society
of New York.

~The Roger Posie boys have

ove. influence on contemporary

music and Be sprees have been
ed coast-to-coast vesting America~s
hot jazz bands,

hikes.

With sc many bookings they

Both Like The Country

cannot possibly fill all, Apus and

Estrellita, now on tour with Fats Waller and his orchestra, look hope* fully to the time when they can take a much-needed rest~in the country. Both are nuts en the subject of rustic life, but the country rest
must wait until after a Hollywood contract has heen filled. 4

Prattle Tattle: Una Mae Carlisle turned down MCA~s~ offer to
tour with Bddie (Rockester) Anderson, and it~s town talk!..

Jimmie~s Chicken Shack in Harlem
is the latest early mawnin~ rendezvous of N. Y. celebrites, both white
and black....Snub Moseley~s Band,
a sensation at the Roadside Rest
in Long Island, N.Y
and George returned to Maxim's,
in the Bronx, where they ran up
@& 15-week stay last year. It~s here

~= eteee

where N. Y.~s most upper mingle

is. 5D uni

to hear the sepia lads warble in
foreign iingo.

Moe Gale got a swell write-up in
the~ SA~ -Harlem~s
~White~ ~father deserved as much
for it was he who brought fame to
the igte Chick Webb, Cab Calloway, the Four Ink Spots, Ella
Fitzgeraid and many others.

Jimmie Lunceford up and about
after that air crash.....- Nicholas
ids in itt I ~ a Bory Tee

reported
scocph aight ch spor im XY.

NEW YOR

~Lucky~ Wows
~Em At Harlem's
Apollo Theatre

Sister Tharpe

Does Her Bit:
To Create Mood

NEW YORK, (TYP)~ It turned
out to be a case of, ~Slide, Mr.
Trombone~ at Harlem~s Apollo
Theatre as Lucky Millinder took the
stage with his famous orchestra.
Lucky~s new song (title just given)
proved to be one of the highlights
of the current stage presentation
that is a well-evened up production with Sister Tharpe, the swing
evangelist who is now co-featured
with the Millinder orchestra, singing and sway the audience with
her numbers that always are easy
and, yes, soothing to this writer~s
very larz= 2ars.
The revusical~is a very good entertainment bill. It begins with the
usual Apollo stamp introduction,
musical fanfare in the background
with Lucky Millinder conducting
his band and practically running
the whole show. And Lucky is always good at this. There are a
ways good at this. There is a number of acts that fit in well. Among
those: Ross and McClain, now a
polished ballroom duo~, DeMay
Moore and Martin, do splendidly.
But the shew-stopper is Strut
Flash.: Here is a boy who can dance
as the hest of tap-dancers produces
will have to give us better comedy
however. You don~t always have a
Mrs, Millinder about.

Flying Cadets
Form Glee Club

JUSKEGEE~(A N P)~Uneer
tne~ enthusiastic leadership of
Charles Foxx, former tenor ~with
the famous Tuskegee Institute
quintet, the flying cadets have
organized a glee club.

Already, Foxx reports, a surprising number of good voices hav:
been found in the two classes nov
on the post. From the ten, cr so,
new men arriving for reception in
a few days, additional singers will
be gathered to strengthen thr weak
spots in the musical organization.

It is rumored that the glee club
will be invited ts go on the air, if

Captain Davis gives his OK, when
Director Foxx gets the weak
Cleude Hopkins scoring in the
South....Fats Waller tops with

his large Victor Recording Band at
Heilem~s Apoll> Theatre....Nina
Mae McKinney opens in ~The Good
Neighbor~ at the Lindsay October 2....Latest fad with the women is stockings to match _ their
gloves. ~There now!

Hit Was Written. -
By Race Musician

K.-~(ANP)~If you~ re among the hundreds |
of thousands of persons who are singing, whistling and humming ~I Don~t Want To Set The World On Fire~, then you
ought-to know that Benny Benjamin, a colored boy with a
guitar in his hand and love in his heart, is responsible in
great measure for the tune that today has all America agog.

Yesterday it was ~Walking By
The River,~ bur, today it~s ~Worli
on Fire,~ and is it selling! Ask
the publishers, Cherrio Music, Inc.
and they~ll tell you that since
Tommy Tucker started playing the
number about ten weeks ago, no
less than a dozen recordings have
been made, vver 100,000 copies of
sheet music have been sold, the
Decca recording by the Ink Spots
found 135,000 takers in the first
five days, and Columbia Recorcing
is said to have no less than 80,000
unfilled orders, However, the origina! recording was mad3 by Harlan Leonaré on Bluebird more than
a year ago, but-it failed to catch
on.
The hit was written cthree years
ago. Benjamin had a little idea
and both Sol Marcus and Eddie
Suler, white, associates in the
writing, thought he had something
there. Together they worked out
a ballad tune and fitting lyrics. Of
course, they played it occasionally
but it didn~t quite take. So many
good numbers have that experience.
Finally, however, Tommy Tucker
heard the piece and saw in it just
the sort of tune that would ao
things to people locked in embrace
while dancing. He wasn~t far frem
right either, in fact, more hearts
have been burned up by. a little
flame with modest pretensions than
has ever been known to heppen
before.

Benjamin came here from che
Virgin Islands while very young,
went to school in New York and

took music under the tutorship of
Hy Smith. He plays the guitar,
and since 1929 has written other
numbers but none with the notable
success that is presently being enjoyed by ~I Don~t Want to Set the
World on Fire.~

It~s No secret now to say that
Mary Anthony had something to
do with the song hit. Mary ~is the
girl Bennie has been wanting to
marry ever since she inspired the
tune, She hasn~t said yes yet, and
definitely refuses to say no, only
perhaps. But she will. Bennie says
she has to. Shouldn~t he know.
Mary only smiles when he says
that.

Set For Con

~

~concert tour October 10 opening at
companied bya full troupe of ballet

cert Season

" Magnetic Katherine Dunham, California daibicase hwihhead pero
ty has flashed through many a Hollywood production, beginsher fall

Garmel, California, She.is being acdancers, many of whom she trained.

NEW YORK, City~(SNS)~Dorothy Maynor, soprano, and Sir
Thomas Beecham, conductor, are
Ford Sunday Evening Hour guests
Sunday, October 5, in a program
that includes works by great Russian, French, German and Bohemian composers in addition to Negro spirituals. (WABC-CBS, 9:00
to 10:00 P. M. EST. mate

The dintinguiened ~soprano: was|

NEW YORK pee ee ee
Theatre School announces that its
regular yearly scholarship for 3
Negro student will be awarded for
the coming Fall term, which opens

ries a $60 value and covers a full
course, day or evening school, fo:
one four-months~ term at ~ New
Theatre School.

The scholarship will be awarded
on the tasis of ability and need, as

voices toned up and the harsh.
voices toned down.

Charles Foxx, the director for
the Flying Cncets glee clu, was
recently transferred from Tuskegee~s CAA field, where. he has been
serving as primary flying instructor to be elementary flving instructor for the U. S. Army Air
Corps detachment, Tuskegee Institute.

New Theatre School In~
Race Scholarship Offer

| judged by the faculty of New Thea
October 6th. The scholarship car- @

tre School, on the basis of the
student~s application, references
and interview.

The full course for the Fall
term includes c&yjsses ip Acting
Technique, Body and Voice Training, Make-up, Stage Technique,
and History of the Theatre. There
are also special courses in Directing, Playwrighting and other separate asvects of the ~Theatre. which
can be secured at New Theatre
School, 135 West 44th Street, New
York City, Bryant 9-5928.,

DEDICATED NEW ARMY
CHAPEL

FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz., Sept.
~(ANP)~ Dedicatory services in
one of the first of the new army
chapels were held in the 368th Infantry chapel here Sunday, September 14, with capacity attendance

from the members of the regiment.

St 8 bas

chine shop at ilies the ~He, was 3
Or Man felibons, sew ugpeesing~ot Btaits Siated:

Inspect Boston NYA Machine Shop

oer

Musca bleed |e a
folic-:to- inspect ~the shop; -Miss |
Sativa fine of the~ mbthihist ~instructors ~and |

~

Kisteres i fo x.9ep. Se Side

who-in- |

Dorothy Maynor
On Sunday Hour

~discovered~ by Dr. Serge Koussevitsky, conductor of the Boston
Symphony, while she was studying
at Westminister Choir School, Impressed by her yoice anid artistry,
the conductor invited her ta r
as soloist at the Berkshire M
Festival. Since that debut,~ Miss
Maynor has given recitals and
been soloist with igpaing bgp aot
~allover the country

Chere Nuit by Bachelet, Richard.

| Strauss~ Cecily, Dubussy~s Beau.
Soir, ~and two _ spirituals,. Steal.
Away and I Couldn~t Hear Nobody.
Pray.:

The closing number, in which the;

soloist and orchestra, is ~Willtams~
Let There Be Light. *

ISSUES SERVICE
CALL

~ RALEIGH, N. C.~A fervent plea.
for response to the call to service

va

University characterized the address
of the Reverend Clifton E. Griffin,
executive secretary of North Carolina Baptists, who. delivered. the
main address: at.the formal ops
exerciges at Shaw University - held
Friday, September.19, in.the Shaw
University Greenleaf Memorial Hall
crowded with approximately. four
hendres ried students.

7

For her solos, Miss Starnie one f

chorus and studio audience ~ join }

as exemplified by the spirit of Shaw | ga

usical
opening | in two-piano duets by

ton~s Ork.- will lead on:the
Booked f a 15
Appearan->
South of Border

By DoT ORES CALVIN
NEW YORK ~ (Cc) ~
SCOOP! MAXINE
BIGNS CONTRACT FOR
AN TOUR~Here in little
Maxine

1942. She~s booked for 15.2)
ances South of the Border and, incidentally, she sings in eight different languages.

Unable to reach her, as she had -: skipped off to Boston, her manager,

Moe Gale, Inc., told me that. they
have ~loaned~ the ~Loch Lomond~
lass to another major studio to
manage the tour, naming the Columbia Broadcasting Co. She'll be.
the first American colored cabaret

~| singer to ever tour the Latins and

are we proud!
NEWS TOWN~Jimmie
Lunceford, vith~ band last his eg
uous tour with season, is
in town. taking a ~Harlem
Dean Dixon, one of the coun
conduct

concerts in the winter season. This
is the second time Conductor Dixon
has.been conferred such an jhonor.
Cafe Society Uptown hegins its
second year with
policy and Count Basie surperb outfit, to be followed by Duke -Elling
Of course Hazel Scott,;
vocalist and pianiste will pe
the featured attraction. Small bands
are out. Teddy Wilson~s- -swell little
band was sent. down by Proprietor |
Barney Josephson to downtown
Cafe Society to join blues:
and M. C. Helena. Horne.
Ammons and: Pete Johnson
boogie-woogie painists are
the fort to- packed houses... Bi.
INCIDENTALLY. ~ The:

famed.
Golden Gate Quartet has just. returned fror Where it.

F

Blues~ where. eight
F tions

boogie-woegie, ahd the
happly intricate figurations of tis
smoky m ~idom are

gered Pete. Johnson and

f RATING

~
JIM CROW: BLUES ~
Of significance: 4
to every Negro
and all democracy loving whites is

the collection of jim cr

called ~Southern | Mek blues
Aiscs published by Keynote. Record-,
ings and sung and.played on guitar
by Joshua White. Both Write and
Waring Cuney wrote the words and
~Richard Wright authored a special
fereward for this album.

Bearing the titles UNCLE. SAM
SAYS, SOUTHERN ~EXPOSURE,
DEFENSE FACTORY BLUES, JIM
CROW TRAIN, BAD HOUSING
PLUES, 1nd HARD TIMES BLUES,
these songs describ. the plight and
resentment of the Negro ~to sotial
and economic conditioris ~in ~ this
land of ours. Nothing comparable
has appeared since Billy ~Holiday's

~Strange Fruit~ and only a progressive record ccmpany not controlled
_by commercial considerations would
have had the to isspe them.

And, inci. ig and this
pportunity ve their versions
at, your fingertips.

SIWINGN~ ALONG

e

For the first~ time in ages, Mite
Waller is heard with full bandon
the Bluekird of COME AND GET
TT and CHANT OF THE GROOVE,

The first has the Waller Piano.

its new band |

mange, dee

Toe ety jin

ARE Me

' ok ae |

Pee

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