1 A Theatricals Music Features A
ROSAMOND JOHNSON, TODD
DUNCAN ARE INCLUDED
IN GERSHWIN MEMORIAL
By LOU LAYNE C
George Gershwin, whose musical
compositions bear the unmistaka
ble stamp of Amnricanism, was in
fluenced to a largc degree by the
Negro idiom. That is incontrover
tible fact. It is only natural, there
fore that in a collection of tributes
to that great composer whose un
timely demise shocked thet nation
little more than a year, that fla
vor should be preserved.
This was only too evident to
Merle Armitage, California impre
sario, to whose care was entrust
ed the editing of an impressive
memorial to Gershwin in the form
the virtuose-composcir’g close fri
ends and associates; for when the
book was published last Tuesday
(“George Gershwin,” Longmans,
Gre 'n and Compary, $5) it includ
ed the names of J. Rosamond John
son, one of the foremost of our
exponents of that Negro idiom, &
Tood Duncan, whose remarkable
singing voice and historic ability
havo won for him world-wide ac
claim a« a true interpreter of that
musi£.
Johnson and Duncan (both of
whom are incidentally outstand
in gmembers of the Negro Actors
Guild of America) were closely al
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lied with Gershwin, principally
through the Gershwin Heyward
folk-opera “Porsry and Bess,’’ and
i'; is mainly of that, association
they have written.
Names easily recognized every
where have combined to produce
this volume from Irving Berlin
representing Tin Pan Alley to Wal
ter Damrosch and Serge Kousse
vitsky, conductor of the Boston
Symphony orchestra. Also includ
ed arc* thq contributions of Paul
Whiteman, (another Guild mem
ber), Olin Downes, outstanding
music critic; Arnold Schoenberg,
modernist classical omposer; Rudy
Valle:, Leonard Liehling, Jeroiiie
Kern, DuBose Heyward, Sam H.
Harris, Rouben Mamoulian, Eva
Gauthier, and Ferde Grofe. In all
there art* 36 of th se memoirs, not
to memtion two reprints of arti
cles by Gershwin himself, which
combine to give a well-rounded
picture of the man, the composer
am! certainly not the least in im
portance, tho artist.
Just as the Negro influence is
present in his work, so too it is
with his paintings', illustrations
of which aro included in the vol
ume. This is borne out by his can
vas titled “Negro child,” done in
1.933, and “Negro Sculpture,” of a
year later. Particularly foreful of
his brush are portraits of Arnold
Schoenberg, one labeled “Emily,”
and his “Self Portrait in Checker
ed Sweater.”
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Consensus of opinion maintains
and tho illustrations uphold the
contention, that if Gershwin had
so chos«n ,he could have earned for
hemself a reputation as an Ameri
can painter which might have
equalled or surpassed the position
| ho holds in the musical world.
Armitage has done a splendid
work on tho volume. In his role
as editor he must have worked
prodigiously to prevent the picture
of the youthful Gorshwin from be
coming a jumbled mass of contra
dictions. As it is, we follow in
charming patchwork the metoric
rise of a youth who was entranc
ed by p. schoolmate’s playing of
“Humoresque,” his first lessons
or. a piano Mother Gershwin
bought “because my aunt had one,”
his immersion into Tin Pin Alley
as p piano pounder in Remisk's
plugging department at $15 a
■ week. Wo recall somewhat poign
antly that in ’23, he composed a 1
ae', opera, “135th Street,” based
on Harlem life, and onec again we
witness the rush with which he
composed tho fist of his "Big
Four,” the “Rhapsody.”
Tho years that followed brought
an endlss succssion of Broadway
shows and films, highlight d by
hmere serious works, the other
three includ« d in the “Big Four,”
“Concerto in F,” “An American in
Paris,” and ‘‘Porgy and Bess.”
It is this r viewer’s regret that
at the time he was too young to
appreciate it, hue he does remem
ber having attended several years
ago a performance at Ne wYork’s
Rexy Theatre when Gershwin,
playing the “Concerto,” was head
lined. Ho remembers the tall easy
going, somewhat gangling figure
which strode, to the piano in the
center of the stage, and in ever so
delightful manner played not only
upon the black and white ivories
of tho keyboard, but on the heart
strings of his audience as well For
those who have never been able to
get any closer to the Gershwin
whose music is in the heart of
every American music-lover, this
volume is a welcome bookshelf
addition—for through his friends
wo have been given the opportunity
to know him.
-o
KINGS OF SWINGS
LEROY “STUFF” SMITH
Leroy Smith—-‘Stuff,” to count
less swing fans through the na
tion—is twenty-eight years old and
was born in Portsmouth, Ohio.
“Stuff” plays violin, guitar and
banjo, and learned to swing out on
theso instruments while working
as a barber at Massillon, Ohio,
left barbering to lead a small col
ored band in a Buffalo night spot.
Charles E. Green, president of CRA
heard “Stuff’s” swing violin play
ing and brought him to New York
where an engagement at the Onyx
Club followed and it was here that
‘Stuff” gained his national repu
tation as a swing artist. “Stuff”
is the composer of “Ise a Muggin, ”
and “It’s Wonderful” has been
featured on the March of Time
reel; made several movie shorts
and has recorded for Brunswick
and Decca; in radio has guest shots
with Paul Whiteman.
Charms Audience
MISS LUE SWARTZ
Famous “One Woman Show” art
ist, who charmed an audience of
the National Baptist Convention
in St. Louis recently with her dy
namic portrayal of the character
of Sojourner Truth, in the inter
lude of the “Pageant of Progress”
which was one °f the features of
th. convention. Miss Swartz is a
national officer of Zeta Phi Beta
sorority and Dean of Women of
Douglass University, St. Louis.
Sho plans a “One-Woman Show”
tour this fall and winter.
—(Calvin Service).
DON REDMAN
Don .Redman, famed as a saxa
phonist, singer and arranger, has
long been nationally known as an
outstanding colored band attraction
for the band has been heard the
past summer at The Surfside Club
Long Beach, Long Island and are
noted for their engagements at
Connie’s Inn, New York and with
the Mills Brothers on the coast
to-coast NBC network.
-0O0
Gossip of the
MOVIE LOTS ,
By HARRY LEVETTE FOR ANP
Hollywood, Oct. 21—With the
war scare over at least for the
timo being, all the major studios
have plunged into production that
many thought would have to be
held up while millions of theatre
patrons the world over count their
pennies and carefully spent them
for bare necessities instead of mo
vie tickets. Both colored companies
funding at present started shoot
ing this week, Million Dollar Pro
ductions on “Gang Smashers” with
Nina Mao McKinney in the role of
a feminine detective who use's not
only her beauty and while to run
apparently immune vice barons to
earth, but also her deftly handled
pistol.
* * *
Nina is “Laura”, a cabaret en
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lAiXI# MARK j
tertainer, in the new thriller, Law
lence Hawley, Reginald Ftnterson,
and Edward Thompson have pow
erful supporting roles.
* * *
Hollywood Productions is the
itber company, rectently organized
and starting off at the Murray
ranch with ‘Bronze Buckaroo.’
* * >
Making new movie history, 20
littlo colored babies aged from six
to ten months old worked at Fox
Western studio last week in the
Jones Family feature, “A Bundle of
Joy.” They were all selected and
cast by Chas. Butler of Central
Casting bureau, and all received
pay checks of $8.26 per day. whe
ther they knew they were being
paid or not. Transportation was
furnishe d 'by the studio to and from
their homes, and trained nurses
were with them at all times in ac
cordance with California laws.
Hattie McDaniels has an important
featured part in the film. Mel
St. Clair is the director .
* * »
In “Kentucky,” at Fox, West
wood, a number of well know
screen players worked last week
including John Lester Johnson, Ed
Short, Robert Jackson, Dan Mar
lowo and Nathaniel Badger.
In “Stand Up and Fight,” at M
G.M., Clinton Rosamond, who leap
ed into the limelight there in ‘ They
Won’t Forget,” has been allotted
the featured role for colored. Oth
er colored players in the film in
cluded Jesse Graves, Wade Dun
can, Ed Allen, Ted Collins, and
Jesso Clark.
HIGH SCHOOL DEVELOPS
FINE PROGRAM OF
NOONDAY ACTIVITIES
St. Louis, Oct. 13 (ANP)—Three
years ago, at Sumner High school
Principal Brantley, impressed at
the great interest shown by 75
boy and girl students in a noon
day table tojiig match, decided to
capitalize on this interest and
broaden the noon-day activities of
students The program as outlined
by him and developed by the teac
hers has won Sumner High city
wido commendation. Assisting the
principal in perfecting the noon
day activities were Messrs. Hud
lin, Fox, Thornton, Beckette, Gar
rett Jackson Payne and Beatty;
Miss Parker and Mrs. Grady.
F. B. I. ASSISTS STUDIO
AUTHORS ON G-MEN DATA
In order to make their story as
authentic as humanly poshible,
the five writers of “Dick Tracy
Returns,’ ’Republic serial secured
every available bit of data they
could from the Federal Bureau of
Investigation in Washington, D.
C.
Many weeks were spent study
ing this information before Barry
Shipman, Ronald Davidson, Rex
Taylor, Franklyn Adreon, or Sol
Shor ewer began on the actual
writing of the script.
I hat the extensive preparation
was well worth while in evidenced
by the type of script the writers
turned out. “Dick Tracy Returns”
is the most exciting serial yet to
be devised by these crack writers.
Starring Ralph Byrd, the story
deals with his adventure while on
,'-hjj trail of an arch criminal fami
ly, the Starks. Pa Stark and his
five sons, Trigger, Slasher, Dude
Champ and the Kid cause ihe (i
Men no end of trouble until Dick
Tracy i3 assigned to the case. Af
ter many perilous exploits, the ace
<1 the FBI finally succeeds in
bringing the entire gang to jus
tice.
-O
Wallflowers are all the same col
or—blue.
Sarah: I hear Cupid almost got
you last week.
John: Yes, I had a narrow es
cape.
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