The Washington times., 1938-03-18
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Qlu QlI1I1CTS W dIOOhN, 0AAA SASA
lywood pages to be edited.
The mail brings this from
Max Zarin of 5116 Third st.
N. W., in the Swing Your Shi-
lelah competition:
Must OrchestraS jazz and
swing the classics, and our old
song favOrites, such as "Annie
, Laurie" /" "Take You Home Again
Kathleen" "LOch LOmOnd' and
''NGartha?" Haven't they salts
fled as originally written, some
for hundreds Of years? Were
the composers alive today it
would certainly hOrrify them to
hear the treatment given to the
work Of their hearts and souls.
II swing or jazz improved these
songs, certainly no one would
object, but If they were intended
to be "Swingy," the masters
would have written them that
way.
when Pagliacci starts to tell
~ his heartbreak in swingtime,
1t strikes me the trend in music
ls toward the madness Of the
FeSt Of the world"
Mr.. FLANAGAN'S OPINION
Roy Flanagan, of 1882 v st.
N. w., feels the Harlem treat
ment of Martha" is malicious
mangling Of a lovely song. He
writes:
Dear Mr.. Kelley:
AS a regular reader Of your
column, I wish to say that I am
intellectually in accord with
your views concerning the
swinging" Of the classics, and
dance band programs for movie
theaters.
I am not a musician, but I
was raised practically on a diet
Of good music. I had an aunt
who was a splendid music
teacher and one who taught
nothing but classical music.
One of my fondeSt childhood
recollections is of her reproduc-
ton Of the grand old musical
phrases Of Martha" on our fine
old piano "back home"
Consequently. I have nothing
but q feeling of resentment
when I hear Martha" being
murdered by a swing band, with
loud-mouthed torch singer as
an accomplice to the crime.
When you described the swing
ing Of Martha" as weird, :" you
certainly hit the nail on the
head. For weird it is!
However, I like to dance and
I do like good dance music in its
place. And its place, in my opin-
ion, is in the ballroom, or at
least some place where people
can get up and shake a Leg
without first tearing up the
seats of a theater or reSorting
to the alternative of dancing up
and down the aisle-aS they are
sometimes invited to do by M.
C.'s who try to be funny as well
aS ridiculous. d, 80
ROY FLANAGAN.
A BARRYMORE STORY
Mary e. Reilly, of the Treas
ury Departments Bureau of In
ternal Revenue, adds this:
'EFOr q long time 1 have
wanted to write and tell you
that I certainly agree with you,
relative to swing music. I
don't like it. In your list Of
good OrchestraS I notice you
leave out my favOrite name
band-Guy LOmbardO'S. I won
der why, because he is such a
favOrite on the air and I en-
jOyed him 50 much when his
hand played the Earle The
ater."
Having done right by Guy
Lombardo, Miss Reilly incloseS
her favorite story Of TIE Barry
moreS. Here it is:
Handsome John Barrymore
was in New York buying hats.
After too many trips to the mir
rOr he decided upon two. Then
en- the Barrymore manner
directed, "Charge them to
me-" The not.impressed clerk
stood there. pencil poised. John
flicked an eyebrow. Then the
clerk asked: "And what's the
name, please?" Barrymore
cOughed, but decided to an
swer, and clipped, Barrymore,
BARRYMORE" The clerk
prompted, "And the first
name?" With a magnificent
spin on his heel, Barrymore
smiled over his shoulder
ssEthel."
This, then, is an appropriate
time to add that Ethel Barry
more in "Whiteoaks" at the Ma
tional Theater is enjoying splen-
did business, rates with the tops
of the theater world as matt
nee attraction, brings out more
autograph seekers than any star
who has played the National
Theater this season.
'"WhiteoakS," so I'm told, paid
off its entire production cost on
the profits of two lusty weeks in
Canada. Already plans are be-
ing made for a full season on
the road in 1938-39, after the
Broadway engagement.