OCR Text |
Show IV J.VII1 ifVUIII down Tiger hoopsters, who have, YEAR' DJUuTlliET Ills az-it-in-on, led lb- lo loo Oft, ; " ' AMUin'"l"""'"""',it. i: nw' " i , l II CS ih. 'ed ik- m-je-sr- ds r he y-t. Refiiember "K 1 lien...? 5 V E7 1 V aroic ces. J Reprinted news stories from olden day "Billboard" magazines recall memories of progress and success IS tie At JOLSON, BLACKFACSO COMEDIAN with the operatic voice, tfnr idle. Address a.llbesrs', Cincinnati, O. (From Hit Billboard. January 12.. 1907.) :h L 3k f- j s nc, imod Ti HE RECENT DEATH of beloved Al Jolson opened a flood of memories mem-ories in the hearts of people every- i '- U- IT C Rrw-irirriTior nfresh were see nBre 1 " , br Oughts of show business during the past wo"i scades the successes, the failures, the tsgedies. ' By coincidence, at the same time "Bill-an "Bill-an : ' jard" magaztne, which is one of the fore- 0 m fcst publications for people cf the show iere brld, issued a special souvenir issue that 1 ,a ' ', printed stories they had carried in past jiars. Those reprinted stories graphically ic st tesented all the progress, the heartaches, ur i ie beginnings, and the endings of theatric-leas theatric-leas places and people who are now famous jn i uerywhere. lay t I Speaking of Al Jolson, directly above is h jt ike reprint of a simple three-line advertisement advertise-ment he placed in "Billboard" in 1907. It Was a long step from that brief ad to the jazz singer who left over four million dol-t, dol-t, Tt tars when he died. He certainly was "never nt i Mle." . oppii 4 Another tale of success is pointed in two , it's (liferent "Billboard" stories printed 21 lick years ' apart. In 1929 appeared this small ngstt story about a comic with possibilities. .' f Kew Comic, Bob Hose, . Gets 3 Yr. RXO Deal CHICAGO, Nov. 1929 Discovered hers recentlv by Lee Stewart when he wps with the WLS Showboat Revue. Bob Hope, youthful ente-1-"ner, showed great promise to the RKO bookers, who promptly signed bim to the circuit for a year, with an option on his services for two years more. Twentv-cre years later this same man ijusi ?as receiving $40,000 for an hour and a. actia talf of his time. The contrast in the story s.-t t.:. : VZ iUW 17113 1119 111U3I11UU111111K lUta Tt M u ibler lys i luctii irrt b : ti , ben id tt sr Hope Gels 40G for 90 Minutes NEW YORK, Feb. 1950 What is be-. be-. lieved to be the highest salary ever to be paid performer for one show will be chalked up by Bob Hope in his television tele-vision debut this coming April. The comic was signed this week by the Frigidaire division of General Motors for the Easter ahow, and will be paid $40,000 for his stint! The program will run an hour and a half. Going back to the days of World War I, we find this surpiising story about the comedy com-edy team that had all America laughing. Did you know they once balked at entering vaudeville. Here is that story: Weber & Fields Set for Palace . At Record $$ NEW YORK, Aug., 1915 Weber and ' Fields, who have for years refused aU offers to appear in vaudeville, have finally final-ly decided to heed the call of the two-a-day and will open a week's engagement next Monday at the Palace Theater. No . mention has been made of the salary consideration, but inasmuch as the comedians com-edians have in ' .the past refused very large offers for similar appearances it probably approaches close to the record mark for vaudeville. .For two men who disliked vaudeville, they certainly captured that field, and will-long will-long be remembered for just that thing. She went on to become "America's Sweetheart", and today she owns her own motion picture companies and is worth millions. But in the early days Mary Pick-ford Pick-ford did not get a very big story. This brief movie review appeared in. 1915. Pickford in Sweet Story cf Esmerelda ESMERALDA By Frances Hodgson Burnett. Bur-nett. Produced by the Famous Players Film Co. Presented by. Daniel Frohman .i th. Strand Theater. New York, Sept. 6, SOPHIE TUCKERS i The Ltary Csrdsn cf Hsgiias THE EIGGE5T BOX OFFICE 1UGKET ill VAUDEVILLE THE CIRL WHO PUT "POP" IN POPULARITY FRANK C. WESTPHAL Accompanist jiiiiiiMimiiffli MAX I. HAYES Agent j Yr. pass, but this 1914 Sophi. TsicUer "Billboard" ad is .a true now. THE CAST 1915.. C 3 ;h bi IV. II IV V.AX HART SAYS: Hpij IODIC UONAIto "Smaf4xd all records in Kew .York. silisiicaUy nd financially. Five monlhs' consecutive run in S. r. Xeiih's New York Thcalers lo erreaiesJ tuccess' ever .achieved ty any black-face slar in iht hislory cf vaudeville." '. (Sigrxc!) MAX HART.' lax Hart bad warm worda for black-face Eddie Leon3rd in thia 1918 ad. Eameralda Mary Pickford Her Mother Ida Waterman Her Father Fuller Melliah Count de Monteeeuj ' Arthur Hoops William Estnbrook William Buckley David Hardy Charles WaWron A five-reel film. The heroine is the daughter of a mother who conceives that because she married early and underwent under-went hardships she hat been cheated of life. In her mellow years the homestead home-stead becomes an oil rusher. With the money therefrom she takes the family to the city and arranges an ambitious match for Esmeralda (Mary Pickford). Esmeralda's father condoles with her, but ' the wedding arrangements nevertheless proceed to the wedding, day. At the altar the intended bride is confronted by her boyhood sweetheart, faints in his arms, and love is triumphant. A aweet story, sweetly and artistically portrayed and worthy of all praise for staging, photography and its human interest. Do you remember? The motion picture industry has certainly grown from those days. Particularly humorous is the comment of Carl Laemmle, today a Hollywood leader, lead-er, in the "Billboard" of January 4, 1908. He wrote: "Your five-cent theater, Mr. Manager, will be a permanent thing if you build it upon the rock of quality." Why, Mr. Laemmle! It seems motion 'picture tickets cost more than five cents these days! And do you recall the days when artists 'received nothing when their records were played? Then read this 1929 story. Jolson, Vallee, Durante Want $$$ From Jox NEW YORK, Dec. 1929 The Artists' Protective Society, Inc., is preparing its first test case to determine whether radio stations have legal right to broadcast a phonograph record made by popular . orchestra leaders, musical comedy, stage or vaudeville artists without payment to the recording artists. The Columbia Phonograph Company has stated to officials of the society that in some cases radio broad casting of records rec-ords has cut down the sales of records '60 per cent. Particularly is this true m the case of Moran and Mark. Rudy Vallee, Paul Whiteman, Al Jolson and' Jimmy Durante are but a few of the artists who declare aalee of their records and royalties to them have been lessened lessen-ed by the radio broadcast of records. Of course you know the artists were upheld, up-held, and today, they make thousands of dollars from the playing and replaying of single record. - Who would have ever thought that Fred Allen once had difficult days in radio. But his early trials were considered "disappointing', "disappoint-ing', as witness this comment which appeared ap-peared in a "Billboard" of November, 1932. Allen Feeling His Way; Helen Morgan A St Mallit IF I 1 euuansklee n Valval KlaJ -at rreu nucu - - - the highlight in intimate typ of ttage revue, but be ha yet to feel hit way in - handing out the required punch m radio entertainment. There is no doubt that he is clever and hat every possibility to build. However, hit first radio venture it very disappointing, at least to this reviewer's re-viewer's way of thinking. Altho he tried to be different, the how is too much along the lines of a vaudeville revue, and when it comes to aurh things then the idea it far from new. The judge or jury propositions cannot be classified as unioue and extraordinary extra-ordinary by a long shot. Thus it resolves itself into a question of material. More programs such as these and radio fans will be convinced that Allen is one of those artists who must be seen. Not that the program was a total loss. Helen Morgan's effort stood out easily and couldn't mitt. e Harry James received just a one paragraph para-graph notice, as reprinted below, when he decided to form an orchestra. tepefer James To Take Out Band NEW YORK, Jan., 1939 Harry James, Benny Goodman's star, trumpet pupil, is staking it out in the ork world in bis own right, band being sponsored by Williard (MCA) Alexander and Goodman Good-man . , . but tliey won't start him on the top, booking James in smaller locations loca-tions lor schooling. And just as humorous now seems the even shorter mention a fellow named Sinatra Sin-atra received when ha became the vocalist for that James) band. Frank Sinatra Joins James Ork As Singer Sinatra, cousin of maestro Ray, this week joined Harry James at the Roseland ' Ballroom, New York, as vocalist. Young Sinatra ia a Hoboken boy. Apparently the only thing known about Sinatra was the fact he came from Hoboken, Ho-boken, Today however M". Sinatra is the star of radio, television, recording, and movie ventures, and it reputed to be worth millions of dollars. What's that saying about "Mighty oaks from tiny acorns , . ."? Those many stories graphically portray the developments and changes over the years. Do you remember? 5-1 on nd he ; v, er V. m ff al le tf 5S - n- r- . ;a le I- ,.-u !,. ta.uic - t-iopper' gram, t or' tnree years, sne was - mg ine past six years, Recording and family, Mr. and Mrs. Elmer awarded sterling silver safety to her record, and has shown re-Leetham re-Leetham and family and Mr' medals for carrying out the best markable skill In selecting pat- Leadership Meet Sot for flrpm ared is auu.ciut new i ear S ua "ing I party on Monday evening. A large crowd enjoyed dancing to |