Jan Rubini (April 5, 1897December 2, 1989) was a Swedish violinist and conductor who had a long career in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

and films. His personal life was stormy, with four marriages, three of those ending in bitter divorces. He is the father of

Michel Michel may refer to: * Michel (name), a given name or surname of French origin (and list of people with the name) * Míchel (nickname), a nickname (a list of people with the nickname, mainly Spanish footballers) * Míchel (footballer, born 1963), ...

, a professional musician.

Early life

Rubini was born in Stockholm, Sweden, to Samuel Rubini, an Italian-British composer and pianist, and a Russian-born Swedish mother. He gave his first public violin concert at the age of 7 and performed solo for the British royal family two years later, followed by a performance for U.S. President

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

at age 16. During his childhood, he spent some time in Spain, where he met Salvatore Santaella; the two became great friends and would meet up again in the U.S. and perform together for many years.

Career

A musical prodigy, Rubini came to the U.S. in February 1916, settling in New York City. By that time, he had already made a name for himself in the UK with concerts at the Royal Albert Hall and the

Queen's Hall The Queen's Hall was a concert hall in Langham Place, London, Langham Place, London, opened in 1893. Designed by the architect Thomas Knightley, it had room for an audience of about 2,500 people. It became London's principal concert venue. Fro ...

in London, and had conducted orchestras across Europe. He moved to Hollywood and was hired by William Fox to play with the in-house orchestra before films were shown. such as at the

Carthay Circle Theatre The Carthay Circle Theatre was one of the most famous movie palaces of Hollywood's Golden Age. Located on San Vicente Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, it opened in 1926 and was demolished in 1969. The auditorium itself was shaped in the f ...

. The Danish musician–comedian

Victor Borge Børge Rosenbaum (3 January 1909 – 23 December 2000), known professionally as Victor Borge ( ), was a Danish-American comedian, conductor, and pianist who achieved great popularity in radio and television in the North America and Europe. His ...

recommended to Rubini that he follow in his footsteps, and Rubini became known as an entertainer in addition to a serious musician. He was known for combining comedy and musical virtuosity in his shows. In September 1956, Rubini opened the Keyboard Supper Club in

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...

, where he hosted numerous performances until he sold it in March 1958.

Personal life

Rubini was married four times. He had two children with his first wife, vaudeville actress Diane D'Aubry: a daughter also named Diane and a son named Jan Rubini Jr. (also known as Bobby). They divorced in 1928. His second wife was Australian actress Adele Crane, whom he married in 1929. This marriage lasted until 1939 and also ended in divorce. The third marriage was to singer and actress Alice Dahl (also known as Terry Walker), with whom he had two sons:

, a professional musician, and David, and a daughter Tonia, who had a career as a singer. They divorced in 1955. All of Rubini's divorces were acrimonious. Diane sued him to force him to resume

child support Child support (or child maintenance) is an ongoing, periodic payment made by a parent for the financial benefit of a child (or parent, caregiver, guardian) following the end of a marriage or other similar relationship. Child maintenance is paid d ...

payments, which he had stopped paying, claiming a lack of income due to unemployment. Bobby and his aunt, Irene Fifi D'Aubry, were subsequently arrested for

battery Battery most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source *Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...

when they went to Rubini's house to demand support payments. Meanwhile, Adele filed a $50,000 lawsuit against Dahl for

alienation of affections Alienation of affections is a common law tort, abolished in many jurisdictions. Where it still exists, an action is brought by a spouse against a third party alleged to be responsible for damaging the marriage, most often resulting in divorce. The ...

before their divorce was finalized. Dahl countersued for $150,000, but both lawsuits were dismissed. Lastly, Dahl's divorce request was granted on the grounds of cruelty. She claimed that Rubini was prone to extreme jealousy and would want to know her whereabouts at all times. His fourth marriage was to Helen Ring Pabst in 1965. They remained together until his death in 1989 in Newport Beach, California. Rubini became an American citizen on July 26, 1940.

References

External links

* * {{Discogs artist, 2712849
Jan Rubini
in the Discography of American Historical Recordings 1989 deaths Swedish violinists Swedish conductors (music) 1897 births American people of Swedish descent