Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1945-03-09

Chopin, Tschai- <'.'4Aaa
kowsky, and the Geraldine Farrar
other old boys
could have almost as great mass
appeal as Jerome Kern, Irving Ber-
lin and Cole Porter.
Personally, I'd like to own piece
Of "a Song to Remember" the film
based on the life and music of Fred
eric Chopin-and Columbia can take
me up on that hint any time they
want to. This film, which bases its
appeal on classical music, is not
only a treat for the ears and eyes,
but it's packing folks into the thea
tiers wherever it's shown.
When Cornell Wilde is at the key
board playing any of the dozen Sc
quences, audiences are as thrilled as
though they were listening to selec-
tons from this weeks Hit Parade"
In handing out hosannas, one has to
be directed toward Charles VidOr,
director. That Vidor boy has gone
places - "Cover Girl" Together
Again." and "a Song to Remem-
ber," all in one year!
I take off my latest chapeau in
salute to Harry Cohn for presenting
Chopin's music. Harry has cham
pioned good music on the screen be-
fore and turned it into a box office
hit.
Daddy of Then, All
Cecil B. De Mile really is respon-
sible for introducing good music to
the screen. It was way back in the
silent days-1915, to be exact-that
C. B. lured Geraldine Farrar away
from the Metropolitan Opera COM
pany to appear in Carmen"
The Bizet music accompanied
Carmen" when it was shown, and
the combination was hit.
When Vitaphone introduced sound
to the screen in 1927, Warmers ex-
perimented with good music. Clio
vanni Martinelli sang "Vesti la Club
ba" from "Pagliacci," and the New
York Philharmonic played the "Pil-
grims' Chorus" from Wagner's
"Tannhaueser."
In 1880 MGM signed Metropolitan
Thrush Grace Moore to play the
Swedish Nightingale, Jenny Lind,
one of the great singers of the last
century. Grace sang "Casta Diva"
from Norma" as well as selections
from 1.-THE Daughter of the Regi-
ment." But when the film was COM
pleted it was publicized with no &C.
cent on the music. The picture
failed.
Try, Try Again
After Columbia hit pay dirt with
Zone Night of Love" the rush start
ed for musical compositions of quail
ity. Lilting-voiced Lily Pons made II
Dream Too Much" in which she
sang "Caro Nome" from "Rigolet-
to-" and 1.-THE Bell Song" from the
score of 'Lakme." Nino Martini
sang arias from "Pagliacci," MA
non," and "Tosca" in Here's to Ro-
nance"
Lawrence Tibet, who had sung
only semi-populaE music in "The
Rogue Song" was permitted to do
the operate type of selection in
which he eXcels in metropolitan"
and other films.
Deanna Durbin has sung arias
from many famed operas. Jean
nette Macdonald, with light opera
voice suited to the melodies of Vic
tor Herbert and Friml, interpolated
several grand opera selections in her
pictures with Nelson Eddy. Univer-
sal brought Stokowski to the screen
with a full symphony orchestra in
"a Hundred Men and a Girl" dur
ing which he conducted TschaikOw-
sky's Fifth symphony and a List
Hungarian Rhapsody"
Metro will soon release Music for
Millions" in which Iturbi conducts
the fourth movement of Dvorak's
''New World symphony, and other
music in this film includes works by
Debussy and Handel.
Yes, the movies have made good
music a pal of the average citizen
Story of Way Back When
Dining with Mrs. Tommy Meighan,
I learned that sister Blanche Ring
was the first to hire Will Rogers.
She saw him do his rope act in Tex
as and engaged him for wall Street
Girl" He said he wouldn't talk.
Opening night on Broadway, he was
such a hit she asked if he wouldn't
say something. He did; he said,
"Thanks!" d.. Universal has a won
derful story it wants Merle Ober0n
to do. It's Bruce Manning script
called las It Was Before" l hear
Metre offered 100000 for it.