The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-09-14

MS Is my last year as composer
and an actor and it may be my last
year as a producer. I'm about ready
to take a long rest" said Joseph E.
Howard, star and composer of THE
Goddess of Liberty" which comes to
the Metropolitan tonight Mr.. Howard
has probably put across" more mu-
steal comedy successes than any 9TH
er one man. .sThe Goddess OF Lib
erty" is not the least of them. but
people are still singing and whistling
the melodies from 1.-The Prince of To-
might" '"rhe Time. the Place and the
Girl" "The Stubborn Cinderella"
and others of Mr.. Towards successes.
"You know I've composed over 400
song melodies and it's pretty hard
sometimes to write one that is differ
ent," Mr.. Howard said in discussing
his work. There is so much popular
music that find difficulty at times in
getting something new to catch the
fancy Of the public. They say that
composers steal melodies, but I don't
think SO. They do it unconsciously. I
find a melody running through my
head and sit down and have my con-
ductor take 1t down. / hear it played
over and it's fine. l. start to sing it
at rehearsal and some little chorus
girl pipes up, oh that's from $50 and
So,"' and away goes my melody"
Mr.. Howard has put song hits on
thousands Of pianos throughout the
United States and perhaps the great
est of them. in popular esteem, is II
Wonder Who's kissing Her Now"
which has run into 100000 copies.
"It's queer how people take to a
song" he said, Give got piece rum
ming at the Lasalle in Chicago now
The Sweetest Girl in Paris. You
been running three weeks. There is
that figured was going to be the hit
people grabber onto 'fller,' Don't
Forget the Number and they're sing
ing, whistling and playing it all over
Chicago. The crowds are rushing to
the LaSalle principally to hear Don't
Forget the Number and I thought
"The Sweetest Girl was going to be
the principal attraction to the people
and dollars.
"A popular song is worth some
money to the composer and the pub
Usher. Take I Wonder Who's Kiss
ing Her Now A million copies have
been sold and every copy means If
teen cents straight to the publisher.
OF that amount five cents copy is
split between the composer and the
writer Of the lyric. Figure it up for
yourself.
1--WE got one low that wouldn't
sell for $4,000. The publisher of the
songs from Madame Sherry thought
they had the biggest hit ever made in
Every Little Movement. heard that
they offered to bet $1,000 that no
American composer could equal it.
asked for forty-eight hours, wrote the
words and music on the train and
then offered to post $4,000 on my song
They sal dthey offered that amount
for the song. should say they
would. I've got that song packed
away for my next production and II
would take a good deal more than
5000 to buy 1t. believe 1t will be
as great a success as I Wonder
Who's kissing Her Now and l wrote
words and music so therell be nc
split to my end.
II write as go along. My con-
ductor, Bert Daugherty, stays right
with me all the time. He even sleeps
in the same room as l do. When a
melody comes to my head, whether
it's on the train, at the theater or in
my room. he takes It down and I try
1t out. II It suits me-. Il lay It away
j and take It into production when