The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-06-30

IL was II years ago That Billy
Mann, George Kelly and Charlie
Adler-now three-fourths Of the
Yacht Club Boys-played fiddle,
drums and sax with "The Easy
Riders" a five-piece band on one
Of the three floors Of the famed
Reisenweber's Restaurant, Column
bus Circle, N. Y. C. The Dixie
land Five" later to make music
history with their swing rhythm
and Tiger Rag" played the floor
below.
At this same time they doubled
at former Police Captain Church
ills well-known dinery at Forty
ninth and Broadway. Here John
Kranze (now Ricardo Cortez) and
the late Rudolph Valentino were
professional dancing hosts. Five
years later when the Yacht Club
Boys, in one Of their first bookings
under that label, played the ex-
elusive Club Lido across on Sew
enth Avenue, Valentino headlined
at 1000 a show.
When THE Easy Riders" split,
the team Of Adler and Kelly
played vaudeville and night spots.
At the Alamo, Coney Island, they
introduced Jean Hutchinson, a song
stress with their turn, who met
and married the extra piano play
er in the cabaret and became
Mrs. Jimmy Durante. Shortly af-
ter this in McLaughlin's a glor-
flied hot-dog stand at Sheepshead
Bay, they sang their numbers
while Vincent Lopez, a youngster
in short pants, played piano and
tried to make up his mind whether
or not to study for the priesthood.
Jimmy Kern, who completes this
foresome, got his first break when
George Olsen fired his banjo1st
and hired him from a Meyer Davis
New York band, as a banjo-vocal
feature when Olsen's outfit went
into Good News" for 17-month
Broadway run. Billy Mann, Incl
dentally, organized band for
Sophie fuckers vaudeville unit
and played his first date here at
Keith's. Richard Himber, now
noted maestro. played fiddle with
the act.
Charles Adler, in his first act
THE California Humming Birds
played the first half-pint-sized
pony piano on the vaudeville
stage, while George Kelly's first
partner was Lou Clayton, later to
60 with Cliff Edwards (Ukelele
Ike) in a double act and then into
the headlining trio Of Clayton
Jackson and (Schnozzle) Du
rante."
WON $4,000 PRIZE
In 1928 Donald Novis, singing
star of the Fox stage, won the ma
tion-wide Atwater Kent radio con
test, along with $4,000. Within
hours after the time the winner
was announced he hoped out OF
bed, in his home on the Coast, to
answer a long-distance call from
Arthur HammerStein in New YORK
city, who wanted him for a part
in the musical comedy "Louana.
This, incidentally, was the first
New York long-diStance call Don
aid had ever answered, and also
the first musical comedy offer. Sc
he went to New York to become
a feature of "Louara," which fold
ed after a three-week run.
One year in the biggest city and
he received a long-distance cal,
from the Coast to come back. AND
thus he returned to his own back
yard and took singing part In
Ronald Colman's Bulldog Drum
mond," which directly resulted in
a booking at the Cocoanut Grove
Club and the start Of a successful
stage and radio career.
In his last show Billy Roses
Jumbo" Gloria Grafton, acct
IDENTIFY struck him on the ear when
the script called for a slap on the
jaw and consequently split an eal
drum. For two months Donald
sang without hearing the band.
His is the only tenor radio voice
reputed to hit him &C" without
falsetto, and he sings il five diff
ferent languages-French, Italian,
Spanish, German and, naturally
English.
SON OF A CLOWN
In the show circles of yester-
year John West will be remem-
bered as a clown. DARRELL
jumper and a trombonist in the
band Of the old Walter L. Mains
circus. Later, vaudeville oldsterS
WHPFAE IHEAT!EEIR