Evening star., 1936-07-14
"SONG SERv|C|NC'
OFF KEY At TIMES
Hollywood Agency Official
Tells P. o. Details of
Fixing Up Lyrics.

That the Song servicing" business
is not all melody and glamour seemed
pretty evident today as a solicitors
hearing at the Post Office Depart
ment took a serious turn, with Henry
R. Cohen. chief of staff of the Uni
versal Song Service OF Hollywood. eX-
planning the business details of fixing
up lyrics and sometimes melodies in
shape for publication.
AS principal defendant in a suit
involving the right of Universal to
use the mails. Cohen's testimony ap-
peared to indicate that all is not
always harmonious even in his own
organization. what with professional
lyric writers sometimes disagreeing
and customers frequently demanding
a return of their fees.
Universal offers to assist amateur
song writers for a standard fee of
$50. which is sometimes handled in
part payment.
Offers to Refund Payments.
Cohen didn't smile as he went into
these tedious affairs. Even the song
titles introduced in testimony, show
ing what Universal does for dissatisfied
customers reflected a spirit of gloom.
One was Cause Got No One Who
Cares for Me- and another Empty
Arms"
Things frightened up momentarily.
though. when Cohen was allowed to
give a musical demonstration on the
piano which had been hauled into
the hearing room
AS a sample of what Universal has
to offer in the way of tinkling melodies,
he played the strains of a tune he
had designed to fit the words of My
Happiness Depends on You"
The first lines of the revised lyric
read:
I'm not Valentino or a Gable.
Although I'd like to be if I were able.
That's Why lay my cards on the table,
My happiness depends on you"
Would you say that song is now a
good professional POEM" the Govern
ment inquired.
II would say it's perfect" Cohen
answered
Universal offered to refund a SIS
down payment to the author of the
first and return s25 to the author of
the latter after repeated efforts to
provide song-settings failed to please
the customers.
Disagreement on Value.
Sometimes, Cohen said. he and Uni
versal's assistant lyric writer disagreed
on the potentia, commercial value Of
submitted verse. BY commercial value.
Cohen explained, the song business
means "it should lend itself to popular
form" There may be just an idea
which on the surface doesn't mean a
thing, he declared in speaking of sub
mitted lyrics. That's one way in which
Universal comes in, in seems. in de-
tecting these ideas.
A poem Girl of the Dale" written
by Post Office Attorney w. C. O'Brien,
and submitted to the organization
when the Government was preparing
suit against Universal, has possibil-
tiles, though it needed revision. Cohen
maintained today. OBrien has stated
frankly that he doesn't think the
poem has any merit.
Objects to Song as Indecent.
One song serviced by Universal was
used in a picture, testimony revealed
yesterday, but it made OBrien blush
when he read the words-to himself,
not aloud.
"Mr. Solicitor" he broke out. II
object to this as indecent and unfit
to be in the records of this depart
ment."
Defense counsel, who had appar-
emily detected nothing wrong with the
lyric. hastily examined the song and
withdrew it, maintaining that cor
respondence in this connection, to
show that Universal Song Service as
sists its clients in crashing the movies,
served the purpose Of the exhibit.
Muttered opinion that O'Brien
doesn't keep up with the times" how
ever, accompanied the formal state
ment that the author Of the torrid
melody-if it were torrid-received
total Of $12.50 for his movie rights
and that Cohen relinquished his claim
to q percentage of the profits in view
OF the small amount.
Cohen provided a musical inter-
lude In the hearing when he played