Flint Spokesman [Volume: 1, Issue: 9]

|
7

an.

SATURDAY, MAY 18, 1946

Memphis Movie Censor Uses
Scissors on Negro Stars
Lena Horn and Rochester

_ Feel Keen Edge of Shears

MEMPHIS. ~ ANP. ~The sCissors: wielding -moving picture
censor - of: Memphis.,:is. 77-year
old, Lloyd T. Binford,
tist deacon:.. from M:s3issippi,
who asSerts ~there is. too,, much

gin in cinema and. it, is his duty

~to! dip it uot,~~He must, feel the
sate way about. color if his
merciless. shearing of. Lena
HHort-e and Rochester wherever
they appear. in a. picture, is
_~any indication.

Binford appars to be,;in the
~censor job.for ~pure pleasures~
since he came to it from. $20,000. a year insurance executive,position and has been. working
yor $25 per month. This was recently hiked to $200 presumably -because Memphis citizens
thought he merited the raise.

Crime, sex, and Negroes featurned in ~too prominent roles~
are specialties for the Binford
paper-doll cutting. ~Brewster~s
Millions~ was cut becauSe Rochester ~had too familiar ways~
about him; ~The Sailor Takes
a Wife~ for the same reason,
Films featuring Lena Horne are
shown in entiely only in Negro theatres.

~We can~t allow movies where
Negroes are given social equality with white people; it might
cate -disturbances down here,*
Binford says.

He banned ~The Southerner~
because he declared it portrayed the people of the south as
~literate | mendicants,~> arid
most recently has prohibited
~The Outlaw.~ He didn~t: object to Jane Russell~s curves,
he said, but ~the picture had~
too much _ shooting.~

Bintord has been the cause
of much wry laughter in Hollywocc and has. been threatened
with a suit by at least one producer. However, he goes merrily on with his whittling, and
comments,

~Criticism bounces off~ me like
water off a duck~s back.~

Texas Is Locale.
F r a....

or Negro Film

GALVESTON, Tex. ~ ANP~
Priacipal scenes for the all-Negro film, ~Divty Gerty. from
Harlem, U. S. A.~ will be made
_ here sometime this month by
the Hollywood Pictures corporation, The scene will show a
Harlem theatrical troupe debarking from a steamer and being met by a local welcoming

committee, Said Bert Goldberg,
producer.
Roy Mack, formerly with

Metro-Goldwyn and director of
~Rio Rita~ and other screen successes, will direct the new_picture. A large proportion of the
pictures shown in colored movie houses are produced by the
Hollywood Pictures corporation.

Res. 639 E. Adams Ave. Apt, 602 |:

Phone CHerry 1308,
DerKOr ts, MIGHIGAN

a Bap-.

BY

- ak aA ~seérétary of the. Panter ior, ~to receive. ~the ~Alpha
| Méaaliton set. $995.46 ~has been
announced, py. NU. Chapter,, Al
_ [on the~ by my 13."

9

St iSuis ~Woman

Squabble Ends;

Principals, Serene

By Joe Bostic

NEW YORK ~ ANP ~Broad-.

way~s historic; precedent setting

~ ~showdown~ battle~ between Mu
riel Rahn on the one hand and
Rex Ingram and Harold Nichols
on the other ar~sing out of Miss.
Rahn~s brief appearance in the:
cast of ~St, Louis Woman,~ was
settlod amicably among the
principals involved in the ~controversy here last~ week. ~The
settlement followed the receipt
of Miss Rahn of (an _ opology
~rom Ingram and Nichotas,.in
which they denied having any
intent to impugn the artistic abilities of the famous singing
star.

Miss Bahn had contended that
statemenis made by the Messrs.
Ingram and Nicholas before several of the cast of ~Woman~
east aspersions on her temperament and impugned her artistic
ability, She sought redress before the council of Actor~s Equity. That redress was to take the
forra of public censure to the
actors whom she felt had wrong
ed her from Equity 6n the bas~s.
of ~their: action being irregular,
unien ~ behavious;
from. the two men, There -had already been bearings ~Sefore the
Equity council;
other

an apology\

There was a:hearing that promised to
be quite. explosive, with a num
ber of witnesses -appearing for

both 'sids, scheduled: for~ last
4 ~, ~

Weadnesday.. * $a

During the interim between
the hearings, Clarence Derwent,
incoming executive of the actors unions, talked to the three
principals individually and discovered a basis on whch dis-:
cussons might be opened. looking towards a settlement out of
the hearing rcom. As a result
o: Derwent~s inservention there
was an exchange of letters between the principals, The lettei~s
were the Ingram-Nichols apoloend the Rahn acceptance.
Foliowing this acceptance Miss
Raliui withdrew her action
against the two men and. the
hatchet was buried.

Mzanwhilé despité the difficult.2s
become a solid: hit, Miss: Rahn~s
contract. which had until July
to run is still in effect and therefore the singing~ star~s feelings
are being somewhat assuaged by
her Substantial weekly pay
oy In other words, every:
body is happy.once again and

everything, is husky dory with
Louis Woman. ld

TSt;

Saingei, and: ~Harold

phe Pi ~Fratérnity vf Lincoln
University: ~The ~awards will be
presented. at special ceremonies

anne Record Distributors. 4512. Hastings St.,

~ed

quni

~We

~girl,

exquisite pleasute

SCHUYLER
~The Coleridge.
Taylor~ of the
~Female. Sex?.

Well!. The

~BY William Pickens for ANP |=
finest thing thatig

RR
&

EOWA) OOO

eae A

lous little musical genius,

for -hersélf im music, and. is just
~now. 14 years of age,.:having
still. (by.modern standards of
~life and hygiene hore than 60 or
70 ~years. to go.~
Hove you ever sat and listen~to, and ~admired and loved
this child?) We had that~ pleasure: May 3 in the lobby auditorof Midway hall here in
Washington ~ together with
an astonished and pléased audience of both our ~races,~ We
quote ~races,~ because of this
~occasion ~that is exactly where
wére NOT ~ but just a
group of good-hearted American
adults, Mstening to the music
of cne 6f our wonder-children~
one who is finely polite, modest
and well-trained in manners as
she is expert in the music of the
masters, especially ~of Chopin.
Chopin seems to be ~~~the master~
best suited to this little brown
as he has done the styles
of music best adapted to her
soul and her fingers, Somewhere
out there in the world of ~spirits~ ~we hope ~he can have the
hearing ~Philippa do his music on the piano.

Is Latest Sugar

~carrots,

~St. ~Louis Woman~ has|:

Ysaw plenty of Van Johnson.

| looks,

Detroit 1, Michigan~

inotoetetetntetetotecetetetetetetntetete

ST. LOUIS WOMAN. SQUABB

~Don~t Quit Me,~ |;

Chile Phrase

By Dolores Calvin

NEW YORK CITY ~ C Agile
Sugar~ Chile Robinson, turning
eight on December 28th and
small for his age, actually like
spinach, chicken and
milic ahd ~add a bowl of corn
flakes and ~wheaties ~to begin
with,~ he chuckled, We met him
at the Hotel -Theresa last week

while he was on a short vacation between his latest MGM
film, ~No Leave, No~ Love~ and

a tour of one nighters. |

~Why so~ many: reporters?~ he
asked in a clear, un- child-like
Yor; $i

~STi | aitte tony~ two ot us,~
we blushed..

~But why two?~ he asked.

~Because you're important
enough for two. of us to come,~
we smoothed it over, Sugar

George..and Josephine have done; F
~and, we think, the: first thing }
that--they iwill ever do (for this fF
~Thing~ promises to grow fin- ~
er. with. the years that are coming), ~ is Philippa, the marve- }
This.
chiki. has really made a place~

Chiid didn~t have an answer for
that so he turned and looked
out of the window to think up
one,

~Did you like Holiywood?~ was
our first question. This started
the little genious off,

~Not particularly,~ ne shrugged his shoulders. ~It was nice
~We had lunch with movie stars
every date on the set and I

But Hollywood didn~t make me
go crazy,~ ~he smiled,

~Do you think Van Johnson
is handscme?~ we put in.

~He looks like he does on
the screen~just like himslf,~
he told ws,

~But is he
pressed.

~I don~t know,~ replied Sugar Chile. I don~t. sotice ~other
men~s looks. 1 notice girl's
"he bedmed.

~What do you do all day
long?~ we wanted to know.

~I sit here in the winccw and
look at the pédple and rest a
great deal. Since I~m on vacation I must get plenty of rest.
This is~ my first vacation in a
long time and I won~t get an
handsome,~. we

~Elks

other soon.~ he~ answered,

PHILIPPA Still Packin~ Em In

~HEY BA BA REBOP~

BAND IS TOPS

FAMED SWINGSTERS DUE IN
MOTOR CITY IN JUNE

WASHINGTON ANP
Since their record breaking 4
weeks stand at the Nev York
City Warner Brothers Strand
theatre in January where they
grossed~ over -308,000. Lionel
Hampton and, his. ~Hey Ba-Ba
Rebop~ swing band have ~broken four more of his old box of
fice records at theatres in the
~ANSt.
Bcoked into the Aquarium

restaurant on Broadway by his
wife manager, Gladyce Hampton, following the Strand engagement, _Hampton and _ his
crew cpened that spot to its new
policy of hiring big name artists. Nightly, while playing a

six. weeks engagement - there,
Hamp had among his guests
whu joined him in his torrid

sessions such outstanding stars
as Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Sammy ~Kaye,
Louis ArmStrong and Bill Robinson,. Their combined efforts
spurred on by the versatile Lionei nad Br ~oadway crowds outside the restaurant dancing in

the streets,;; if

- -

' From the ~Aquarium, Gladyce
booked Lionel and the band into the famed Apollo theatre of
Harlem. Here Lionl establishd
another new: box office high by
breaking his old ~record at this
spot with a $35,000 gross for a
week~s engagement.

Recently booked at the Royal

theatre. in Baltimore for another on2 week stand, Hamp
reneeted by topping his old rcord at that house with a $24,000
Oss,
Last week at the Earle theatre in Philadalphia, another
Hampton record: toppled -when
the band grossed $49,000,

Currently appearing at the
Howard theatre in Washington,
where the district police have
had their {hands full keeping
cverflow good natured Hamp
fans in long quest waiting to
hear him, the band -ig in process of establishing-a new top
of their old record there.

Another Hampton record is
expected to fall when the band
opens up at the Downtown,

theatre in Detroit: in June,

Nite Life in NewYork

By ALVIN MOSES

OASIS IN
DESERT-SPARKLES

NEW YORK ~ ANP ~John
Barrone is a familiar name to
Harlem pleasure seekers, ~This
Italian gentleman who sold
Réndezvous to the Murrain interests. is rushing work
on his new theatre-cabaret but
a block away from the nitery

~he disposed of. This spot was

known as the John McGraw
Billiard, parlor back in 1919.
Since then it has been a temple of worship~ until. Barrone
came.on the scene.

~Surely Harlem has known
nothing like the ~suppez-club
theatre idea that the Barrone
brain has devised. I feel that
he ~23 building on the~ sound (up
to this time) policy that colored
patrons of such places will shell
out high prices for the jewelcase setting his proposed club
suggests. I wouldn~t bet a
pluged nickel against a $20
~aote that nitely it will be filled to the rafters by the pleasure-mad, gin-swiggling thou..
sands who make nitelife invest
~

ments in this section profitable
~where enough money has been
spent on the window ~
side of the ledger.

DAWN ~PATROL
REPORTS

and ~ succes3ful
and Musical ~lub) fram SaraJimmy Edwards,

duled to go on

role being among the first tc

and camps
The National Equal.
leagu2, sponsors ef the -broadcast, decided upon

for the lads in khaki.

success to you, Jimmy.

~might be

Macd:son Square

Wh. @ column. And~

Had a long ~distan~e phone:
call from Joe Wells, prominent: restauranteur
and his pal Kleeber Willis ~Art

toga Sprisigs a fortnight ~ago.
head of the
New Talent ~studios, has been~
chosen commeéiitator or ~M. C.
for the GI quiz broadcast schethe air Sun-)
day, from the Golden Gate ball-}
room, Edwards ~strikes ~me as
being well qualified for this

enlist his talent in this connection at servicemen~s center
the country over,
Rights

Edwards |
after ~a look-see into ~his four
years ~on the entertainmnt side
Much

"gt. LOUIS, Missouri~Flash!
A distinguished

Lillian. Evanti,

| Singing Star Who brngs joy

| ousncss In Song Was Heara
At Central Baptist Ch hurch
tare in the Cit Lasi Wed
nesday Nite.~At this point it
interesing to give
you some of the nighlights in
the life of this great singer.
Known as ~te Fist Lacy of
Opera in aer rave, she has 24
operas. in ~her repertoire. She
won. her operatic fame in the
leading Euopein Capitals and
in her native ~America, has
sung the role of Violetta in La
Traviata to eapieit~ audiences
at the Washing~c, Water Gatce,
Garden in
Mosque in
the famous

New York, Syr:a
Pittsburgh. and
Civic Opera Hous2 in Chicago,
TWinois.. Critics have used
Superlatives ~charming, exciting, ~thrilling, actress of great
~emotional appeal,~ Sn2 stands
in the front rank. of Prima
Donnas. A quote from C, J,
Bulliet in the Chicago Daily
News said in part:
~Mature now and
tionally known Evanti
haps leading agrument in
America for position in the
sun of Negro Grand Opera.~ I
doubt if any artist in her race
could meet her on her own
cperatic -grounds.~

Frem the time she steps on
the stage she establishes a
mood that absorbs and fascinates her audience. Evanti provides
glamor and sincere musicianship, a*strkingly -graceful figure with a lush- voice, suave/in
its lyric texture and brilliante

inteenn.
is per
~n fioritura passages. Her subtle

i averpretations as a concert
singer reflect her educational
background and her rich ex
perience in many lands. She is a
fluent linguist and thus captures the musical and dramatic

moods of Italian, German and

French classics as well as Span
ish and her native American
Folk music. She touches the
heart-strings. of her audiences,

for each Song in a finely. chiseled like a distant cameo,

~Tis no wonder that such a
great personality as Lillian
Evanti has a following: of. unlimitad music- lovers. She lives
up te everything whieh has
beeti, said about her, Orchids to
sucha great. When she sings
in ~your; ~Community, | bear - her.

~Every State~ in the Union
must: have been representated

~here in thé ~Sho-Me~ city last

week when the CME held ~its
Conféretice, ahd from the: looks
of ~thin 3s, that is the attendance
| there~ ~thust have been something of interast during every
seazion. Too -much to ~reprint
C ~LOVE, Hap3, and ~Order were there
eutatanding features ~about the
seasions held at the Palace Gard-'
ens, Such gees to show that
CROWDS do Rot naturally~
mean disorder, as was in the
fase when Louis Jordan apeared at the Same place.
The night ~after Louis Jordan~s
appearance ~here in the com-.| munity when ~the place was

jammed and a long line of
pleasure seekers wer2 trying
to get inside the talk of the
town was ~the ~shooting scrape~
at the dance, Was it due to the

~over-crowded:iess?~ Definite...
not. ~Just due to some thingss
whch séems to. seze some of
the p26ple When there is so
much pleasure. Some one be-'
came irked, So we'd say,

We begin ~to wonder should |.
~we attend a public dance, even~
though we are news -jotters.~
Stray bulléts have no choice.

What a grand and glorious

~datice lovers learn to leavé their |
ullets, whizzing and carving~
~hings at home and go to a
lance to enjoy the music and |
the darncirig. Nuff said.
Your Lou Swartz,

Hotel Theresa takes the mail.
Will t2 back in the big city

in June.

un

FAST AND SLOW

The new 12-inch Blue Note by Benny Mortor~: Fee: ~Stars
presents a nice balance between fast and
HOUSE BLUES, the side gets off to a rousing hie with Bar~ney Bigard~s clarinet and keeps firing away with Morton's
trombone, Ben Webster's tenor and Sammy Genskin~s s~ngle
All the boys calm down to a slow, mel ow mood
for MY OLD FLIAME. with Barney's low and middle register
blackstick especially effective end sliphora muted.
Crosby's bass and Eddie Dougherty~s drums round out two
tasteful performances of excellent contemporary jazz maintain~ng the Blue Note tradition.

Everybody's re-boppi {
Majestic and Tex Beneke witn the Clues Mi ller band on Victor jump through HEY BA BA RE BOP with the Victor having
the mosf fire and polish musically to counteract the wildness of
The Beneke pairing is a jump version of
THE WHIPPENPCOF SONG which may bring this band a
blackl'sting from Yale, and it is we'l arranged. Prima~s
over is JOSEPHINE PLEASE NO LEAN ON THE BELL, the
novelty dialect opus Louis does so well, and it also bounces.
Woody Herman now at the height of his popularity, has
Best of the sides is PANACEA, a
strict_y urbanized and somewhat surrealistic blues with Woody
The band then jumps to the finCRYING AGAIN,
i Socly ~ well scored. His other pairing is of two pop tunes, WELCOME TO MY DREAM
in which Frances Wayne displays aa appealing voice, and IT~S
eat Sapa SPRING. Notring here of special-interest to... Jack Smith, that too cute voiced swoon spebacks SOMETHING OLD SOMETHING NEW with
a good guitar b't, to the rhythmic HOW CUTE YOU CAN BE
in which the Five~DeMarco Sisters help out.

Johnny Desmond de~erts the ballads to ge on the warmeside with his Victor of | DON'T KNOW ABOUT YCU w
has a hot choral background coupled with SHCO FLY PIE
AND APPLE PAN DOWDY which jumps throughout...
With Charlie Ventura~s tenor sax making telliag runs the Genc
Krupa Columbia of WE~LL GATHER LILACS:
from the ordinary sweet anl commercial class.

oldie GIMME A LITTLE KISS which starts slow with Budd: |
Stewart singing, jumps with Krupa~s drums and Carolyn Grey 3.
vocal, then ends slowly with Buddy back again...
and the Miler band~s second Victor is thoroughly comme:

STRANGE. LOVE and CYNTHIA'S IN LOVE are th:

titles, both slow and lovely.

Benny Goodman also is represented with two Columbias.
His sextet~ s heard on DON~T BE A BiABY, a mild and harm: -
less concoction with Art Lusd singing and the whole thing
disappointment to those who expect grade-a stuff from Gooc. But the full band uipever, ALE. THE CATS. JOIN ft.
*eaps and has some very live! /

cut of TTS TH.

~Lov,s Prima on

the Prima lyrics.

two new Columbia discs.

singing over good backing.
ish. Plattermate ~s YOU'VE |

thoroughly commercial ~bat ex

Paired ~s thc

has partial. redemption.. His revival on tne second bisc
TALK OF THE TOWN is an excellent commercial job. Paire<'
is SWING ANGEL wh ch jumps but is run of the mi]... A:
other bandsman named Goodman, Al being his first nam.
pairs LOST WEEKEND with MISSOURI WALTZ on a I~ -
This is on the concert side and is well rendeve:.
Pearl Bailey offers her tvvo hit numbers from ~St. Lou:
~ on Columbia and puts them over as ony she ca::.
The lyrics'are plenty peppy and Pearl's spoken interpolatio- 5
Numbers are LEGALIZE MY NAME, which he:
good talking trumpet and ITS A WOMAN'S PREROGAZ.

TIVE. Band support 's eXcellent...
back for his Majestic of IT TAKES A LONG TALL BROW. ~
SKIN GAL and~ adds barrelhouse. piano plus slaptime to p~

across one of his best s des to date.
BLUES whicr showed Louis~ trumpet in a Harry James Moo~.
But the band truns this classic into a ric romp, destroying it
Sammy Kay's Victcr of [VE NEVER FOB -
GOTTEN is -:p easantly rhythm~c and ~s companioned with. th:
commertial LAUGHING ON THE OUTSIDE CRYING One

THE INSIDE.

The Harry James Columbia of AS IF I DIDN'T HAWS

ENOUGH ON MY MIND gives Wilke Smith a chance to sc}
like Hodges on his alto sax at the start.
~, it-is coupled to DO YOU LOVE ME, a bouncir.~
pop tune with the James horn in high...
mantic tenor does nicely with STRANGE LOVE and I'D B*
LOST WITHOUT YOU, Maiestic, while Perry Como com-:
through for his fans on Victor with THEY SAY ITS WON.
DERFUL ~and IF YOU WERE THE ONLY GIRL...:
~et the ~Three Suns Maje:tic of EVERYBODY LOVES MY

it is-not.the immortal tune but~ a new sec-_
However, it is reasonably rhythmic

is~ the -plattermate, IT COULDN'T BE TRUE.

inch Victor.

Louis Prima goes we ~
Paired is ~ST. Lou! 5

real beauty.

Slow and mild: -
Phil Reagan's ro-.

| BABY fool you.

end rate composition.

' ~Big Sister~ Lovelies a

feeling it will be~ when ~those |~ Z?

McCambridge,
Bas collén bétn on St. Patrick~s Day, Has the title role in:
CLS~ ~Biz Sister~. Serjal._

Patsy Pama one of fadio~s most Versatile ~yéung ~players, is heard as Ginnie Price,
ingenue in CBS~ ~Big Sister.~