Solid Meddlin'
with Marienne Boyd
April 10, 1943
p. 18
(Marienne Boyd is busy these days getting ready to become an army bride, so Fredi Washington of PV’s staff will solidly meddle for marryin’ Marienne)
Spoof Green, the handsome lad, who a few years back, finished dentistry, and after setting up an office decided it was medicine he wanted, went back to school (University of Penn) and put in four more years of intense study, finished medicine and is now teaching at Howard University.
Freddie Guinyard (Joe Louis’s ex secretary) was in for the Armstrong-Beau Jack fight. They tell me he’s still collecting phone numbers. (I thought he had them all). Wonder what Freddie’s draft classification is?
ELLINGTON LOSES THREE
Mercer Ellington (son of the Duke) is now stationed in a South Carolina Army camp and papa is plenty worried as to how he will get on with the good old southern “hospitality.” The boy has much of his Dad’s charm, and will probably make camp life more cheerful for all the boys stationed there. Speaking of Duke and the army, he loses three of his boys this month. Ben Wester (tenor sax); Jr. Raglan, (bass fiddle)[;] and Chauncey Baker (trumpet and Mary Lou’s new husband). What a break for the Duke, three years out of New York and now that is to be at the Hurricane on B’way for six weeks, up jumps Unk and says I’ll take it. The list of inductees is growing fast. Word comes from the Coast that Sammy Warren, a member of that fast Cotton Club dancing foursome (The Four Flash Devils) of a few years back, reports for duty this week. There’s talk of John Kirby trying to persuade his band to enter the service along with him. Smart move I would say. The o’fay boys are doing it and getting permanent stations here. Did you know that Henri Wessels (of Cotton Club fame) is stationed at March Field in L.A.? The popular Jimmy Daniels, [sic] is spending his winter in a Florida camp. Alan of that beautiful dance team, Alan and Anise, is doing his act for Uncle Sam out on the West Coast, and Anise after finishing work in Stormy Weather is setting up housekeeping in Los Angeles to be near him. To show she means to stay, she sent for her mother who leaves N.Y. in the next day or two.
Word comes from Hollywood that Clarence Robinson, ace dance director, has made quite a hit with the folks who run the colony. All the studios are praising the work he did in Stormy Weather. (Of course you know he is the first Negro to direct dances for the screen[.]) He is now directing the dances for Bill Robinson’s new show which will open in ‘Frisco the end of this month. Looks as though he will be lingering for a while in the Angel City and by so doing writing another chapter for Negroes in the show world. We’re rooting for you on this end.