Ben Bernie
From Wikipedia Ben Bernie (May 30, 1891 – October 23, 1943), born Bernard Anzelevitz, was an American jazz violinist and radio personality, often introduced as The Old Maestro. He was noted for his showmanship and memorable bits of snappy dialogue. Bernie was born in Bayonne, New Jersey. By the age of 15 he was teaching violin, but this experience apparently diminished his interest in the violin for a time. He returned to music doing vaudeville, appearing with Phil Baker as Baker and Bernie, but he met with little success until 1922 when he joined his first orchestra. Later, he had his own band, "The Lads," seen in the early DeForest Phonofilm sound short, Ben Bernie and All the Lads (1924–25), featuring pianist Oscar Levant. He toured with Maurice Chevalier and also toured in Europe. Bernie's orchestra recorded throughout the 1920s and 1930s; Vocalion (1922–25), Brunswick (1925–33), Columbia (1933), Decca (1936), and ARC (Vocalion and OKeh) (1939–40). In 1923 Bernie and the Hotel Roosevelt Orchestra recorded Who's Sorry Now. In 1925 Ben Bernie and his orchestra did the first recording of Sweet Georgia Brown. Bernie was the co-composer of this jazz standard, which became the theme song of the Harlem Globetrotters. Bernie was a freemason, member of Keystone Lodge № 235, New York City. He died from a pulmonary embolism in October 1943, aged 52.
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Wake Up and Live
as Ben Bernie and His OrchestraSatire on radio, built around the supposed feud between bandleader Ben Bernie and journalist...
Movie pageLove and Hisses
as Ben BernieAs part of their public feud, Bandleader Bernie pretends a girl singer is no good so columnist...
Movie pageStolen Harmony
as Jack ConradBand leader Jack Conrad is impressed by prison inmate Ray Ferrera on saxophone. Conrad hires Ray...
Movie pageShoot the Works
as Joe DavisThe story of seedy sideshow barker Nicky, who uses everyone he meets to get ahead. Nicky isn't...
Movie pageBen Bernie and His Orchestra
as Band LeaderBen Bernie and his orchestra play a few songs for a vitaphone recording.
Movie page