|
James Newill
James Morris Newill (August 12, 1911 – July 31, 1975), sometimes credited as Jim Newill, was an American actor and singer. Early life Newill was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Mayme Newill and her first husband. His parents divorced, and his mother married John W. Newill, who adopted him. Newill had three siblings, Evelyn, Clyde, and Calvin. In 1930, his family moved to Los Angeles Country, California. He studied music at the University of California. Career Newill began to sing in the early 1930s with the Mann Brothers, a west coast band whose home base was Spokane, Washington. In 1932, he was vocalizing with the Phil Harris band at the Cocoanut Grove night club at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. In the beginning of 1933, he toured and sang with the Gus Arnheim orchestra, and that included more performances at the Cocoanut Grove. He was still performing with the Arnheim band in the late 1934. He recorded with the Eddy Duchin Orchestra in 1936, recording "N ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Renfrew Of The Royal Mounted (1937 Film)
''Renfrew of the Royal Mounted'' is a 1937 American film produced and directed by Albert Herman and starring James Newill, Carol Hughes, and William Royle. Released by Grand National Pictures, it is the first of eight films based on ''Renfrew of the Royal Mounted'', a popular series of boy's adventure books written by Laurie York Erskine. The film was shot on location at Big Bear Lake, California. With the CBS radio serial heard daily, Grand National Studios, Inc., also known as Grand National Pictures, sought interest in a series of Renfrew of the Mounted movies. Hired to play the role was James Newill, who had recently been a weekly singer on the George Burns and Gracie Allen radio program. The first of what would become eight motion-pictures, was released theatrically in September 1937. Following completion of the first film, Grand National Pictures filed bankruptcy. Under reorganizing proceedings, the entire business entity was assigned to the Criterion Pictures Corporation, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vernon Duke
Vernon Duke ( 16 January 1969) was a Russian-born American composer/songwriter who also wrote under his birth name, Vladimir Dukelsky. He is best known for " Taking a Chance on Love," with lyrics by Ted Fetter and John Latouche (1940), "I Can't Get Started," with lyrics by Ira Gershwin (1936), " April in Paris," with lyrics by E. Y. ("Yip") Harburg (1932), and "What Is There To Say," for the '' Ziegfeld Follies'' of 1934, also with Harburg. He wrote the words and music for " Autumn in New York" (1934) for the revue '' Thumbs Up!'' In his book, ''American Popular Song, The Great Innovators 1900-1950'', composer Alec Wilder praises this song, writing, “The verse may be the most ambitious I’ve ever seen." Duke also collaborated with lyricists Johnny Mercer, Ogden Nash, and Sammy Cahn. Early life Vladimir Aleksandrovich Dukelsky ( Russian: Владимир Александрович Дукельский) was born in 1903 into a Belarusian noble family in the village of Par ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Murder On The Yukon
''Murder on the Yukon'' is a 1940 American adventure film directed by Louis J. Gasnier and written by Milton Raison. It is based on the 1931 novel '' Renfrew Rides North'' by Laurie York Erskine. The film stars James Newill, Polly Ann Young, Dave O'Brien, Al St. John, William Royle and Chief Thundercloud. The film was released on February 25, 1940, by Monogram Pictures. Plot Joan Manning and George Weathers are partners in the trading post where miner Jim Smithers exchanges his gold dust for cash. Jim’s unexpected announcement that he plans to leave for Montreal disturbs Weathers, who is the clandestine head of a counterfeiting ring, because Jim is carrying his phony money. Consequently, Weathers orders his henchman, Hawks, to kill Jim before he passes the money in the city. Sergeant Renfrew and Constable Kelly are on vacation when they come across the dead body, lying in his canoe, shot through the heart. Renfrew rides to Jim’s cabin to search for clues and is attacked b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Danger Ahead (1940 Film)
''Danger Ahead'' is a 1940 American adventure film directed by Ralph Staub and written by Edward Halperin. It is based on the 1933 novel ''Renfrew's Long Trail'' by Laurie York Erskine. The film stars James Newill, Dorothea Kent, Guy Usher, Maude Allen, John Dilson and Al Shaw. The film was released on January 22, 1940, by Monogram Pictures. Plot Dorothea Kent played the romantic interest as the commander’s daughter, Genevieve, who studied criminology in college and is determined to help Renfrew solve the case, much to his disgust. When one of the Maxwell Company’s armored cars disappear with a gold shipment, the missing driver, Bob Hill, is suspected of theft. In actuality, Maxwell and his henchmen had poured acid on the truck’s brake lines, causing the vehicle to crash into a mountain lake. Genevieve theorizes that Maxwell and Hatch, the bank president, are involved in the caper. When Sergeant Renfrew discovers a trail of clues leading to Maxwell, he and Corporal Kelly ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yukon Flight
''Yukon Flight '' (also known as ''Renfrew of the Royal Mounted in Yukon Flight'') is a 1940 American Western film directed by Ralph Staub and starring James Newill, Louise Stanley, Dave O'Brien and William Pawley. Released by Monogram Pictures, the film uses a musical/action formula, similar to the format of the "singing cowboy" films of the era. Plot When an aircraft from the Yukon and Columbia Mail Service crashes, Sergeant Renfrew (James Newill) and Constable Kelly (Dave O'Brien), of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, suspect murder because they find the control stick jammed. Louise Howard (Louise Stanley), a mine owner reports that her superintendent is missing. When he is found murdered, it also is made to look like an accident. The new mail service pilot, Bill Shipley (Warren Hull), had trained with Renfrew, is a good pilot but reckless. The Mounties find Louise's assistant Raymond (Karl Hackett) owns the airline managed by "Yuke Cardoe" (William Pawley) and both men ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crashing Thru (1939 Film)
''Crashing Thru'' is a 1939 American northern action film directed by Elmer Clifton and starring James Newill, Jean Carmen and Warren Hull.Pitts p.72 It is based on the 1935 novel ''Renfrew Rides the Range'', the seventh in the popular Renfrew of the Royal Mounted series by Laurie York Erskine. The film was shot at the Iverson Ranch and on location around Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains of California. It was originally intended to be released by Grand National Pictures before being picked up for distribution by Monogram. Synopsis The steamship on which two Mountie officers are travelling is held up and robbed of its gold shipment. They pursue the gang up into the hills but are unable to detain them, They suspect one of the female passengers to be in on the job and arrest her. She turns out to be trying to recover the deeds to the mine that were cheated out of her father, but was double-crossed by the robbers. Cast * James Newill as Sergeant Renfrew * Jean Ca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fighting Mad (1939 Film)
''Fighting Mad'' is a 1939 American adventure film directed by Sam Newfield and written by George Rosener and John Rathmell. It is based on the 1927 novel ''Renfrew Rides Again'' by Laurie York Erskine. The third of the Renfrew of the Royal Mounted film series stars James Newill, Sally Blane, Benny Rubin, Dave O'Brien, Milburn Stone and Walter Long. The film was released on November 5, 1939, by Monogram Pictures when Grand National Pictures ceased operation. Plot Ann Fenwick, a witness to a bank robbery, is abducted by the bank robbers across the border into Canada, where Sergeant Renfrew and Constable Kelly get involved. Cast *James Newill as Sergeant Renfrew *Sally Blane as Ann Fenwick *Benny Rubin as Benny * Dave O'Brien as Constable Kelly * Milburn Stone as Cardigan * Walter Long as Frenchy *Warner Richmond as Trigger * Ted Adams as Leon * Chief Thundercloud as Indian * Ole Olsen as Joe *Horace Murphy Horace Murphy (June 3, 1880 – January 20, 1975) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
On The Great White Trail
''On the Great White Trail'' also known as ''Renfrew on the Great White Trail'' is a 1938 American Northern starring James Newill as Sgt. Renfrew of the Royal Mounted in the second of the film series. It was produced and directed by Albert Herman. Plot summary Even in the remote fur trading section of Canada, Sergeant Douglas Renfrew finds a lady in distress. Kay Larkin, whose father is a suspect to a crime. Larkin's partner, along with another Mountie, are found murdered: word came down from the remote region of the Pacific Northwest from Dr. Howe, who resides there. But after finding old man Larkin, and arresting him in the name of the Crown, Renfrew hears his story and suspect's Kay's father is innocent of the charges. Pierre, an employee of a trading post up north, is suspect until Dr. Howe's guilt is revealed. Howe committed the murders and attempted to frame Larkin. The motive was theft and greed that resulted in a murder neither party wanted to be involved, then attemp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Something To Sing About (1937 Film)
''Something to Sing About'', (1937), re-released in 1947 as ''Battling Hoofer'',TCNotes/ref> is the second and final film James Cagney made for Grand National Pictures – the first being ''Great Guy'' – before mending relations with and returning to Warner Bros. It is one of the few films besides ''Footlight Parade'' and ''Yankee Doodle Dandy'' to showcase Cagney's singing and dancing talents. It was directed by Victor Schertzinger, who also wrote the music and lyrics of the original songs, as well as the story that Austin Parker's screenplay is based on. Cagney's co-stars are Evelyn Daw and William Frawley, and the film features performances by Gene Lockhart and Mona Barrie. The film, which is a satire on the movie industry's foibles, flopped in theaters, causing the just recently started "Poverty Row" independent Grand National,Landazuri, Margarit"Something to Sing About" (TCM article)/ref> which had gone significantly overbudget making the film, to close its doors ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sing While You're Able
''Sing While You're Able'' is a 1937 American musical film directed by Marshall Neilan and written by Charles R. Condon and Sherman L. Lowe. The film stars Pinky Tomlin, Toby Wing, Bert Roach, Sam Wren, Monte Collins and Suzanne Kaaren. The film was released on March 20, 1937, by Ambassador Pictures. Plot Father and daughter find a singing hillbilly in Arkansas, then they bring him to the big city to help with their radio ratings. Cast *Pinky Tomlin as Whitey Morgan *Toby Wing as Joan Williams *Bert Roach as Val Blodgett *Sam Wren as Harvey Bennett *Monte Collins as Adams * Suzanne Kaaren as Gloria * Harry C. Bradley as C. William Williams *Michael Romanoff as Prince Boris *Fern Emmett as Landlady *Rita Carlyle as Thelma Manners *Betty Brian as Jane *Doris Brian as Dotty *Gwen Brian as Rita *Lane Chandler as Simpson *James Newill as Radio Singer *Harry Strang as Chatham *Henry Roquemore as Party Host *Gladys Gale as Party Hostess *Martha Tilton Martha Tilton ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Annie Get Your Gun (musical)
''Annie Get Your Gun'' is a musical with lyrics and music by Irving Berlin and a book by Dorothy Fields and her brother Herbert Fields. The story is a fictionalized version of the life of Annie Oakley (1860–1926), a sharpshooter who starred in ''Buffalo Bill's Wild West'', and her romance with sharpshooter Frank E. Butler (1847–1926). The 1946 Broadway production was a hit, and the musical had long runs in both New York (1,147 performances) and London, spawning revivals, a 1950 film version and television versions. Songs that became hits include " There's No Business Like Show Business", " Doin' What Comes Natur'lly", "You Can't Get a Man with a Gun", "They Say It's Wonderful", and "Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better)". History and background Dorothy Fields had the idea for a musical about Annie Oakley, to star her friend, Ethel Merman. Producer Mike Todd turned the project down, so Fields approached a new producing team, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. Afte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russia, Berlin arrived in the United States at the age of five. He published his first song, "Marie from Sunny Italy", in 1907, receiving 33 cents for the publishing rights,Starr, Larry and Waterman, Christopher, American Popular Music: From Minstrelsy to MP3, Oxford University Press, 2009, pg. 64 and had his first major international hit, " Alexander's Ragtime Band", in 1911. He also was an owner of the Music Box Theatre on Broadway. For much of his career Berlin could not read sheet music, and was such a limited piano player that he could only play in the key of F-sharp; he used his custom piano equipped with a transposing lever when he needed to play in keys other than F-sharp. "Alexander's Ragtime Band" sparked an international dance c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
