Floodlights and Footlights
July 12, 1947
p. 22
In the spectacular RCA communications exhibit in Radio City, one of the five double life size pictures of top rank artists was Erskine Hawkins… Ella Fitzgerald is up in Canada for a brief engagement at Brant Inn, Burlington, Ontario… the current issue of “Look” Magazine features a lengthy review of Duke Ellington’s life and chalks him up as the most important all-round figure in jazz… Sid Catlett has a new record album set for early release… Wells introduced a new personality in the form of Martha Short… By the way, Billy Taylor’s piano playing is tops over in that establishment… Lawson Bowman showed the pictures of his birthday party at his Melody Room the other pm with the help of Norman Ford. The technicolor was so distinct, even the design in the men’s ties were clear… Thursday was the date of a party under the stars by the Ben Davis Club on West 112 st… Todd Duncan and Camilla Williams, [sic] were a hit Tuesday night at Newark City Stadium before a crowd of twenty thousand… the A Capella choir of Howard University has been invited by Randolph Dunbar to appear with the London Symphony Orchestra in London. Dunbar has arranged for a three week engagement for the choir in England to be followed by a tour of the provinces with two concerts in Paris, and a recording engagement of “Hiawatha” with the National Symphony Orchestra in Royal Albert Hall, London… Canada Lee says of his new role in “Body and Soul”, “For the first time in my acting career I’ve found a film role which satisfies both my artistic and social requirements. I’ve been extremely happy about the film’s treatment of Negroes and Jews. I consider this to be an adult film.”
When Lord Invader came to New York a year or [s]o back, he combined business with pleasure. He proved he wrote the lyrics to Rum and Coca Cola, and now he has made two new records for Disc which has also now issued the fifth volume in the Jazz at the Philharmonic series… Illinois Jacquet and ”Shorty Nadine” are highlighted… Thelma Carpenter scored a triumph in her initial appearance in Chicago at the smart Riocabana has [sic] was held over… Savannah Churchill is taking a ten day rest at Nyack, NY… Tiny Bradshaw has a juke-box hit, “These Things are Love”. It’s a heartrending torcher… an aggregation of calypso names will be at the Renaissance Sunday July 13 when the tops in that field will vie for honors.
Pear Primus appeared at Hampton Institute and also at Howard University recently… Hampton is also presenting “Ladies in Retirement” for the summer session… Lena Horne has been signed to one of the top roles in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s “Words and Music” which is based on the lives of the celebrated song writing team, Rodgers and Hart. Arthur Freed will produce. This should spike rumors of her trouble with MGM… Loew’s Victoria and 116 st will feature the all-star, all-colored “Ebony Parade” which boasts such stars as Cab Calloway and band, Count Basie and band, the Mills Brothers, Mantan Moreland, Ruby Hill, Dorothy Dandridge, and many others… Lou Swarz was one of the bridesmaids in her sister’s wedding recently. The bride was the former Pearl Schwartz who married George Collins, business exec of Lansing, Michigan. FW.