Benjamin Albert Rolfe (October 24, 1879 – April 23, 1956) was an American musician known as "The Boy Trumpet Wonder" who went on to be a bandleader,

recording artist A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who w ...

, radio personality, and film producer.

Biography

He was born on October 24, 1879, in Brasher Falls, New York, the son of Albert Rolfe, founder of one of the first dance orchestras in the United States. At 8 years of age he played the piccolo and cornet in his father's band, touring the U.S. east coast and Europe. After high school, he worked as a musical clown in a traveling

circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicyclis ...

until joining the Majestic Theater Orchestra in Utica, New York. At the Utica Conservatory of Music he was head of the brass instrument department. Drawn back to show business in the early part of the 20th century, he worked 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 ...

, producing a

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own dur ...

and serving as bandleader. In 1914, Rolfe turned his talents to the fledgling motion picture business, establishing his own production company, Rolfe Photoplays Inc. Although he filmed in California, Rolfe's productions were primarily made in and around

Fort Lee, New Jersey Fort Lee is a borough at the eastern border of Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, situated along the Hudson River atop the Palisades. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 40,191. As of the 2010 U.S. census, t ...

, and distributed through an agreement with

Louis B. Mayer Louis Burt Mayer (; born Lazar Meir; July 12, 1882 or 1884 or 1885 – October 29, 1957) was a Canadian-American film producer and co-founder of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios (MGM) in 1924. Under Mayer's management, MGM became the film industr ...

Metro Pictures Corporation Metro Pictures Corporation was a motion picture production company founded in early 1915 in Jacksonville, Florida. It was a forerunner of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The company produced its films in New York, Los Angeles, and sometimes at leased fa ...

. Rolfe's company produced more than 50

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) ...

s, several of which were collaborations with director/screenwriter Oscar A. C. Lund, including the 1916 drama ''Dorian's Divorce'' starring Lionel Barrymore. He acquired Dyreda Art Film Company in 1915. His film company's last production was the 15-part mystery serial, ''

The Master Mystery ''The Master Mystery'' is a 1918 American mystery silent serial film told in 15 installments. The film was directed by Harry Grossman and Burton L. King and written by Arthur B. Reeve and Charles Logue. The film stars Harry Houdini, Marguerite ...

'' (1919), starring Harry Houdini. Mounting financial difficulties resulted in Rolfe Photoplays Inc. going out of business and before 1920 he was making a living producing and directing films for

Metro Pictures Metro Pictures Corporation was a motion picture production company founded in early 1915 in Jacksonville, Florida. It was a forerunner of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The company produced its films in New York, Los Angeles, and sometimes at leased f ...

and other small independent production companies such as A. H. Fischer, Inc., for which he produced '' Even as Eve'' and directed '' Man and Woman'', both released in 1920. Rolfe's last directorial effort was A. H. Fischer's ''

Miss 139 ''Miss 139'' is a 1921 American silent crime drama film produced by A. H. Fischer and distributed by Jans Film Service and Sherman Productions Corporation. B. A. Rolfe was the director and Charles A. Logue wrote the story and the screenplay. ...

'' (1921), notable in that he managed to get a credible performance from star Diana Allen, the less than talented but dazzlingly beautiful former

Ziegfeld Follies The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' was a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934 and 1936. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as ''The Ziegfeld Follies of the Ai ...

girl. She also starred in ''Man and Woman''. After leaving the film business, B.A. Rolfe quickly reestablished himself as a performing soloist, music instructor and vaudeville producer. He worked with

Vincent Lopez Vincent Lopez (December 30, 1895 – September 20, 1975) was an American bandleader, actor, and pianist. Early life and career Vincent Lopez was born of Portuguese immigrant parents in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, Distinguished Am ...

in 1924 and 1925. AMG, ''B.A. Rolfe Biography''/ref> Inspired by

Paul Whiteman Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist. As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 1930s, W ...

, by 1926 he had assembled his own New York City dance orchestra to perform at a

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining o ...

called the ''Palais D'Or''. Soon billed as "B.A. Rolfe (Trumpet Virtuoso) and his Palais D'Or Orchestra," by 1928 he was performing on radio and recording as "B.A. Rolfe and his Lucky Strike Orchestra" for

Edison Records Edison Records was one of the early record labels that pioneered sound recording and reproduction, and was an important player in the early recording industry. The first phonograph cylinders were manufactured in 1888, followed by Edison's found ...

. Rolfe was an exclusive Edison artist from 1926 through October, 1929, when Edison suspended its recording operation. Rolfe made electrical transcriptions in the early 1930s and made two Vitaphone shorts in 1934 and in 1935. In 1935–36, Rolfe was the leader of The Goodrich Silvertown Orchestra. His radio broadcasts ran until the late 1930s during which time he and his orchestra played music with the sponsorship of '' Believe It or Not!'' on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

. Rolfe also narrated the shows, providing an on-air description of a

Robert Ripley LeRoy Robert Ripley (February 22, 1890 – May 27, 1949) was an American cartoonist, entrepreneur, and amateur anthropologist, who is known for creating the ''Ripley's Believe It or Not!'' newspaper panel series, television show, and radio show, ...

tale of wonder. With the onset of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, Rolfe organized an all-female orchestra to perform patriotic songs. At the age of 76, he died of cancer in

Walpole, Massachusetts Walpole is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Walpole Town, as the Census refers to it, is located about south of downtown Boston and north of Providence, Rhode Island. The population of Walpole was 26,383 at the 2020 censu ...

Selected filmography

* ''

Destiny Destiny, sometimes referred to as fate (from Latin ''fatum'' "decree, prediction, destiny, fate"), is a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. Fate Although often ...

'' (1915) * '' Cora'' (1915) * ''

The Trail of the Shadow ''The Trail of the Shadow'' is a lost 1917 American silent drama film. Directed by Edwin Carewe, the film stars Emmy Wehlen Emily "Emmy" Wehlen (1887–1977) was a German-born Edwardian musical comedy and silent film actress who vanished ...

'' (1917) * '' Miss Robinson Crusoe'' (1917) * '' The Duchess of Doubt'' (1917) * '' The Girl Without a Soul'' (1917) * '' The Barricade'' (1917) * '' The Outsider'' (1917) * '' The Voice of Conscience'' (1917) * '' The Winding Trail'' (1918) * '' The Claim'' (1918) * ''

Breakers Ahead ''Breakers Ahead'' is a 1918 American silent drama film, directed by Charles Brabin. It stars Viola Dana, Clifford Bruce, and Mabel Van Buren, and was released on March 25, 1918. Plot Agnes Bowman is the sweetheart of Captain Scudder, a local s ...

'' (1918) * ''

The Belle of the Season ''The Belle of the Season'' is a 1919 American silent comedy-drama film, directed by S. Rankin Drew, and stars Emmy Wehlen, S. Rankin Drew, and Walter Hitchcock. It was originally scheduled to be released in 1917, but its premiere was delayed unt ...

'' (1919) * ''

Easy to Make Money ''Easy to Make Money'', originally titled ''It's Easy to Make Money'' is a 1919 American silent comedy film directed by Edwin Carewe. It stars Bert Lytell, Gertrude Selby, and Frank Currier Frank Currier (September 4, 1857 – April 22 ...

'' (1919) * ''

A Scream in the Night ''A Scream in the Night'' is a 1934 American film directed by Fred C. Newmeyer and starring Lon Chaney Jr. It is distinct from the 1919 A Scream in the Night (1919 film), silent film of the same name, co-directed by Leander de Cordova and Burton ...

'' (1919) * ''Love Without Question'' (1920) an Old Dark House mysteryWorkman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 225.. * '' A Woman's Business'' (1920)

Listen to

WFMU: ''Thomas Edison's Attic'': B. A. Rolfe and his Palais D'or Orchestra with vocalist J. Donald Parker: "One Summer Night" (1927) (19 minutes in)

References

External links

*
B. A. Rolfe recordings
at the Discography of American Historical Recordings.
Interview with B. A. Rolfe in The Etude Magazine
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rolfe, B. A. 1879 births 1956 deaths American bandleaders Film producers from New York (state) American male musicians American radio personalities American trumpeters American male trumpeters Big band bandleaders Deaths from cancer in Massachusetts Musicians from Utica, New York Swing trumpeters Vaudeville performers

Biography

Selected filmography

Listen to

See also

References

External links