Columnist Defends Petrillo Disc Ban
By TED HALLOCK
James C. and men have done it once and for all.
Saturday last came news that the A. F. of M.’s
exec council (which includes Portland’s Herman
Kenin, by the way) had voted to cease ALL re
cording and transcribing as of January 1, 1948. “We
shall stop,” the decision read, “contributing to the
thing which will eventually kill our means of liveli
hood.”
Few observers realize that the musicians refusal
to record would not be punishable under either the
Taft-Hartley or Lea Acts, should the N. A. B„ or
some indie operator attempt a test case. And,,
though such a test case( as in WAAF vs. J. Petrillo)
might reach the U. S. supreme court, lots of legal
dough is ready for takers on the assumption that
the union’s stand will be upheld as being not unlaw
ful.
Second Chorus: Same Tune
In case you’ve forgotten, Jimmy has tried, this
tactic before, and with success. On August 1, 1942,
and edict from Petrillo stopped waxing; ending the
ban in 1943. There are, however, two sides to the
question. Only musicians are able to weigh the good
and bad attributable to Petrillo’s various stands.
The people are able to weigh only the various shades
of bad. That’s all they hear about.
It may interest someone to know that Local 47
(Los Angeles), to combat the menace of increased
membership (which would flood a group already de
pendent upon limited movie and radio work), lev
eled maximum weekly earnings at 175. When said
figure was reached, the member earning same had
had it for that week. Yet Petrillo is accused of lying
if he asserts that recordings cut his members col
lective throats. There’s more, too.
Press Prissy
For example, how much publicity in the local
press is being given the Saturday night Community
Center dances (every third week), at which music
is furnished gratis by Local 689, as part of its cam
paign to return an odd thousand dollars (its share
of the A. F. of M. recording fund) to the public. If
keeping juveniles off the streets and in a hall where
the music is as good as it can get in Eugene is bad
. . then hand me a gin, son, I’m gone.
Kenton Concerned
Kenton, incidentally, was plenty worried around
9 p.m. when only a handful of loyal cats had shown.
The guy is sharp. He knew all about Traubel, late
permission (or lack of same), Saturday football,
etc. The house was fair near the end. Stan let slip
during the affair that tenorman Bob Cooper and
frau Christy intend scramming sometime soon. Ken
ton told me (we/us) earlier Friday evening that he
wouldn’t take Vido back under any circumstances.
There’s your chance, Widmer.
Kentonitems: Shelly Manne used localite Bob
Ramsey’s experimental foot-pedal (made while Ram
sey was aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise) and pro
claimed it “Fine, man!” Pedal has aluminum forte
spas and double reelfraz. New trombonist Eddy Burk
(name misspelled last week) looked slightly like a
mouse and played something like a non.
Bing Book Boffo
There’s a new book out. About and around Bing
Crosby. Published by a Dr. J. T. H. Mize (no joke),
containing iconography and discography. Costs
three, and is available at local music shop.
Cash Box mag is out again this week. Same mis
takes. Howard and “Peg” are top ork and tune.
Glad they don’t sell it. That pernicious propagan
da should be in nobody’s hands save Falcon and Side
ops.
You’ve probably heard that Musicraft is again
on its financial feet. Those interested in whether
the company’s stock is still selling at 19 cents a
share should contact alum George Carey,, now
wearing a cutaway for one of Portland’s less partic
ular stock and bonders.
“Bones” Blase
Oscar Moore has left Nat Cole. Woody Herman’s
at the Tark November 8. His mother, according to
trade reports, does not sing with the band. “Save
The Bones” is a dirty song, and I will have nothing
to do with it. Vic Damone is a jerk. Which opinion
seems shared locally. The new Bunk Johnson album
(Deeca) is strictly to have. V/hether moldy fig or
bopster you’ll appreciate its authenticity.
We’ll wager a few local radio faces are red (as
suming they belong to people who can and do read
Downbeat) after Mike Levin’s terrifically potent
blast at the “This Is Jazz” master (correct spelling)
Rudi Blesh. Seems Hie publicized feeling 'that Rudi
is a good soul is not mutual. Get it ?
The Millrace—A Constructive Editorial
While the city council and
the University have been play
ing catch with the millrace
problem, a possible solution
h a s delivered itself literally
from heaven. The rains have
come. In fact, this month’s
rainfall broke the weather bu
reau’s record, kept since 1890.
Rejoice, students! At this
rate the niillrace will be flood
ed with torrents of rushing
water. To take advantage of
this delightful state, Junior
Weekend and Homecoming
dates should be transposed. A
canoe fete would be imprac
tical under these conditions,
but what sport to have an ark
building contest! Mens’ and
womens’ living organizations
would be paired off as before,
but this time they would be
constructing seaworthy craft
rather than floats. Upon com
pletion, students will march
into their arks two by two just
like Noah and his followers.
House cooks and mascots
such as Smokey, Snowbelle,
and Mike would, of course, be
included and lend a realistic |
air.
Then, let it rain !
Annual fall worries over
getting home for Thanksgiving
vacation because of flood con
ditions would disappear. Fol
lowing the weekend festivities,
students would lightheartedly
set sail down the Willamette
river for Portland. California
members w ould have th
added attraction of sailing o
to the Columbia and taking th
coast routs to their sunny lane
The publicity value of such
venture is unlimited. ;
Of course, like the quonse
huts, this would only bt a tem
porary plan until a new revet
ment is built, but the millrac
would be in use again.
_^
GOOD Movies Go Over a Lot Better I
By BERT MOORE
Last Wednesday night someone
turned a full bathtub upside down
over the campus. The traditional
Wednesday night xxxx drinkers
were doing their usual stubby-tilt
ing. A few people were studying.
Everything was all set for a quiet
evening in Fenton hall for the few
who would walk through rain and
past bierstubes to see a better
than-average movie.
Something happened that wasn't
on the docket, however. If you were
in that milling mob that jammed
the Fenton auditorium to see Rob
ert Donat in “The Count of Mon
te Cristo’’ you 'might have been
and other pursuits and out into the
wondering just how many people
besides yourself had the same idea.
The totals are rather interesting.
Fenton’s auditorium has 225 seats.
More than 300 saw the first show,
not counting those who stood out
side and watched through the
doors, while 180 came around for
show number two, which began
about 9:30 and lasted for almost
two hours. For the first show peo
ple sat in the center aisle and
crowded along the walls. No one
counted those who went away af
ter failing to get near the place.
I don’t believe the low admission
price (it was free!) brought all
those people away from their books
rain. The lust for something-for
nothing wasn't the driving force
that filled Fenton.
I believe all those people simply
wanted to see a good movie—were
tired of the swill that is presented
on the bill of fare of most Eugene
theaters most of the time. I also be
lieve that these people and others
who were kept aWay by certain
Wednesday night considerations
would like to see some more good
films.
There’s even a possibility that if
the educational activities board
would give us a couple of decent
films a week many of us wouldn’t
mind paying a low admission
charge (say a dime) to see such
films. It would lessen the strain on
the educational activities budget.
If you are in favor of a program
like this drop Dick Williams a card
or call him up in his Mac court of
fice and tell him so. His phone does
n’t ring enough anyway.
One problem that is going to bo
tough to solve in the future is1
where to show films to audiences of
last Wednesday night’s size. The
open doors at Fenton let a lot of
noise out into normally quiet halls,
and as a direct result Thursday
night’s pictures played in 207
Chapman.
There's little question about the
necessity of such a move. If yo
have any doubts ask one of you
friends in law school about his nee
for steady concentration time,
exclude, of course, sturdy lav/ stt
dents like Kermit Smith who ca
play the ten-string guitar and og
women while briefing cases wit
his toes.
Well, we have a problem. The!
is evidently a campus audience f(
worthwhile films. But there is ne;
ther auditorium large enough t
take care of this audience nc
enough free money lying around t
provide for more than an occasior
al showing. Write your solution o
an old dollar bill and send it in.
DregdnW Emerald
ALL-AMERICAN 1946-47
The Oregon Daily Emerald, official publication of c'ne University of Oregon, published
daily during the college year except Sundays, Mondays, and final examination periods.
Entered as second-class matter at the postoffice, Eugene, Ore.
Member of the Associated Collegiate Press
BOB FRAZIER, Editor
BOB CHAPMAN, Business Manager
BILL YATES
Mauaging Editor
JUNE GOETZE. BOBOLEE BROPHY
Co-News Editors
walt McKinney, jeanne simmonds, maryann thielen
Associates to Editor
WALLY HUNTER
Sports Editor
ri —■ '• — 1 .—" ■" ■ ■— i
PHYLI-IS KOHLMEIER
HELEN SHERMAN
Assistant Managing Editors
Y1RG TUCKER
Advertising Manager
National Advertising Manager.Marilyn Turner
Circulation Manager ...Billi Jean Riethmiller
Editorial Board: Harry Glickroan, Johnny Kahananui, Bert Moore, Ted Goodwin, Bill
Stratton, Jack Billings.
Olficfe 'MahaJjeV . ...Marge lluston Foster
The Public Has A Point
- -A Bitter Editorial
Emerald Columnist Ted Hallock, himself a
collector of fine old disks, indicates in these
columns that he thinks the Petrillo ban on fur
ther record-making is a great thing. Only mu
sicians are able to weigh the good and the
bad, Hallock writes, because the stupid public
[rears only one side.
This isn’t exactly the way it is. The reading
public knows both sides.
One side (Petrillo's) is that the musicians
will make more money and hold better jobs
if there are tro records.
The other side (the public’s) is that people
who want to hear recordings of new songs
will have to listen to imported jobs, or more
likely, go to some saloon and pay a large fee
to listen to a musician offer the stuff in peij
son. Plus, of course', the radio.
I his leaves the sober, but jivev citizen, onh
one opinion. He wants his records. Record col
lecting and record listening are a part of thj
social picture. Depriving the public of thi;
feature, simply to featherbed for an occupa
tional group, is a bit high-handed.
If Petrillo’s reasoning is to be standard, i
would be wise to watch for an edict from th
actor's union, forbidding its dues-paying meni'
bers to make motion pictures.
Petrillo still allows his fellas to broadcast. A
lot of people listen to the radio. ’Twould b<
better, no doubt., if the public were not grantee
this "free” entertainment, either. Make en
pay. A lot of musicians won’t eat because
people will be listening to their radios instead
of witnessing their music.