New-York tribune., 1921-03-20
A Decade Of Song
Successes at the
Winter Garder,

J. snd don't CAKE who ronkes her laws"
said a philosopher upon happy occa.
sion.
Whether the singer be Stephen Fos-
ter, with his sentimental negro melo-
dies, or Irving Berlin, with his jazz
mel odics the songs are nevertheless
the nations songs. As such they take
their place in the history of America.
Most of the tunes that America sings
are born on Broadway. Every theater
along the Great White Way has served
as nursery for some song that has
been whistled and sung and phono-
graphed and played on thousand and
one instruments throughout the land.
But it is as certain as anything can
be in this vale Of volstead that the
Winter Garden will be found to have
been the cradle of more honest-to-the
box-ofice song hits in the last ten
years than any other playhouse in New
York
The Winter Garden is celebrating its
tenth anniversary-to be precise, its
doors opened for the first time on
March 20. 1911 So it is fitting to re-
caa scme or the notable song successes
that have helped to make it famous.
In the Winter Gardens decade of en-
tertainment thirty extravaganzaS and
revucs have been presented, vested
with the musical product of some of
Broadway's leading composers, includ-
Ing Louis Hirsch, Sigmund Romberg,
Harry Carroll, Bert Grant, Jean
Schwartz, Jerome Kern, E. Ray Goetz
and Otto Motzan. Perhaps one-sixth
of the six hundred-odd song hits have
had their day in the dance orchestras
of our cities, and have passed on to
oblivion,
But some have had more than q
mere day with an entertainer or with
lightfooted lads and lassies. Some have
been the fortune making song hits that
come at intervals. They have caught
some passing fancy of the crowd, they
have tickled the eardrums of the mob,
they are reminiscent of some great
strain of q master, perhaps, or they are
possessed of irresistible rhythm and
melody
Perhaps the two most successful
were "My Sumurun Girl' and "Omar
y
Louis Hirsch and sung by Al Jolson,
Stella Mayhew and chorus in "The
Whirl of Society" in 1912. The song
was inspired by the presentation of
Max Reinhardt's Oriental fantasy, "Su-
murun," at the Casino Theater. Harold
Atteridge, poet laureate of the Winter
Garden, suggested the idea of intro
ducing the actors to the stage by means
of a bridge or runway built over the
- H.
device. intended not only as an effective
means Of burlesque upon "Sumurun"
but as feature that would bring the
artists into intimacy with the audience.
The runway established at the Winter
Garden for "The Whirl of Society" in
1912 has been feature at the play
house ever since. Naturally the intro
duction Of the runway required song
that would popularize it with the pub
lie. And this song was "My Sumurun
Girl
Although "Omar Khayyam' was a
great song hit, it never earned a dollar
for eithc'g Sigmund Romberg, who COM
posed tae music, or Harold Atteridge,
who wrote the words. At the time it
was presented, in "The Passing Show of
1914 Romberg was under contract to
q certain music publishing firm in New
York. Believing that his contract had
eAPileO, he maue arrangements TO nave
the song published by another firm.
The earlier firm thereupon obtained an
injunction restraining him from pub
fishing the song with the second con-
cern, and the result was that "Omar
Khayyam" never reached the light of
print.
The history of "The Gaby Glide" is
interesting. At rehearsals of "Vera
Violetta," in which Gaby Deslys made
her debut in English, in the fall Of
1911, it was obvious to the directors
that a sensational dance was needed for
Gaby. But nothing was Forthcoming.
though most of the company racked
their brains for an idea which would
be startlingly entertaining. In lull
In the scenes Jolson, Harry Pilcer and
others began to execute some hazardous
steps merely as diversion. 1t oc-
Cured to them that they had hit upon
step which would be "just the thing"
Pilcer was asked to elaborate it.
'"rhe Gaby Glide" was swept into a
big success and its vogue extended to
composed the number, while Harold
Atteridge provided the lyric.
Thc AL Jolson numbers, "The Haunt
ing Melody" and "Rum Tum Tiddle,''
were introduced in "Vera. Violetta.' y
They were rendered with Jolson's char
acteristic gayety and boisterousness
and scored with that public which
doesn't take its music too seriously.
Rum Tum fiddle" was an ingratiat-
ing tune. Its rhythm was extraordi-
narily catchy and the use of the word
fiddle" found ready place on the
tongue, particularly when followed by
the easily remembered phrase, "and the
answer lies right in the middle of the
musical strain--won't you play it
again" Jolson had song hit by Jean
Schwartz in "The Honeymoon Express
called my Yellow Jacket Girl" which
paid melooious tribute to the heroine
OF the Chinese fantasy, "The Yellow
Jacket" In Robinson Crusoe, Jr.," he
sang "gacki Hicki Doola" and in "Sin-
bad" he scored with "Rock-a Bye Your
4 Baby With Dixie Melody" besides
helping to popularize Avalon" Any
seng that AL Jolson elects to sing is
likely to make a small fortune for its
writers, because of the popularity of
the Dlackface comedian in the theatel
and on the phonograph.
Fannie Brice had song in "Ths
Honeymoon Express" with an appealing
swing. 1t was written by Jean Schwartz
who wrote Rum Tnm Tiddle.n II was
called my Raggyadore," and it set the
feet to tingling once its strains were
ssheard. Do you remember q waltz song
called when Was There Ever Night
Like This 2" 1t had wide popularity
in Its day--the day of "The Passino