The Washington times., 1932-05-20
From Speech to Song

From Speech to Song
anxious to learn from Robson what he thought
of the song which constitutes his single contribution to
"show Boat" the famous cor Man River" and as he
talked about it he murmured few of its phrases to
illustrate point, went talking, sang few bars
farther on and presently creating profound emo
ton by singing the whole chorus. And when he
done he returned to what he had been saying
may add the only in the room capable of speech
at that moment Later he did what he had done sue
cessfuy the air in Great Britain he read the first
two poems of James Weldon Johnsons Gods from
polated the appropriate spiritual to which it seemed
to lead.
Kerns' Masterpiece
AS for cor Man River" Robson feels that musicaly
it is complete miracle, the creation of the tone of the
negro spiritual by an alien to the negro's traditions
The proof that he sing it between two spirtuas
and is not false note there is change in the
tonal response of the audience. Two songs, now
extremely popular attempt to achieve the miracle
"Ryer Stay Away From My Door" and "Thats Why
Darkes Are Born" Robson sang them both, express
ing opinion casting the magic of his voice over them
But found them synthetic and artificial and when he
sang "De Lor' Deliver Daniel directly after, the diff
ference marked
What to Sing
AS concert singer, Robson had pretty problem to
solve. AS negro he could make his greatest
by singing spirituals, but singer he had range far
beyond that required by the negros songs. He deter
mined he says, to sing other songs but to sing
songs which could spoil his singing Of sprtqas by fore
ing him to adopt style foreign to him. Iaanate aras
and at least half of the sentimental German he had
to rule out and only recently learning Russian if by
instinct he has uncovered and sympathetic reper
tory of songs for himself.
Shooting Stars
The masters of the movies must be pondering these
days the star system which they took from the
stage and, by doing helped the stage to abandon
James Cagney and Marlene Dietrich and Greta Carlo
worrying Hollywood and it happens they three
of the players picked by astute movieman
worth all they paid in immediate boxoffice returns
The manufacturers would gladly let go of the hot poker
of the star system, but it is hot it has bent itself
around their hands. The exhibitors keep yelling for
stars and stars keep quietly insisting money stories
and happiness of which the producers guaran-
tee
The Old Days
Oddly the movies to have anticipated this situa-
tion long ago. In the old Bograph and Mutual days.
players anonymous. Mary Pickford was Little
Mary" to be but knew her last name there
were the girls" known by the companies which kept
them; the Gaumont girl, the Biograph girl, and
People began to camor to know their favortes and the
favorites not exactly reluctant camored to be made
known It John Bunny believe who first attained
notoriety at any rate he the first movie star to
have movie house named after him. Isnt it odd by
the way, that there is famous Chaplin Pickford
or Davies theater) Then, when the pictures had to
pay Chaplin and Pickford in the millions they naturally
determined to get publicity value for their money