Mister Tin Pan Alley Returns to New York City

Don’t miss Richard Halpern in a very special musical performance of songs from the 1920s and early 1930s with Richard Danley at the piano on Thursday, August 24th, 2006 at 8:00pm at the new Joe Franklin's Comedy Club located at 761 Seventh Avenue (50th St.) in New York City.

“I've Gotta Get Back To New York”

Murray “The K” June Trivia Challenge Epilogue:

No one had guessed Murray “The K” to the June Trivia Challenge, but the answer turned out to be more than provocative.  In fact, it stimulated the intellectual curiosity of a few members including Ed Greenbaum, our Jolson scholar in residence, with the International Al Jolson Society and Jack Ciaramella from the Eddie Cantor Appreciation Society.

The Source:

Oddly enough, my primary source material for the Murray ‘The K” information came from a book, “Bob Dylan and the Beatles” by the late Al Aronowitz (The Blacklisted Journalist).  The actual chapter on Murray “The K” is available free online at: http://www.bigmagic.com/pages/blackj/column18.htm .

 (If you just want to read the specific reference use the Edit, then Find command and type in Jolson or Cantor and hit Enter key).

The Journey

Ed and I had exchanged several emails attempted to further validate Murray Kaufman appearances as a child actor with Jolson and Cantor as a bit player and film extra.  Note that Murray “The K”, Trudy Green (his aunt who also appeared in vaudeville and several films) and Al Aronowitz are all deceased. Regardless, Ed and I proceeded to contact the usual suspects (without success) including Herbert Goldman, Brian Gari, Sybil Jason, Richard Grudens and Doug Galloway.  I also tried to contact the publisher of the Al Aronowitz book (no response), the Screen Actors Guild’s Film Historian (extremely responsive and informative, but no cigar), Library of Performing Arts in New York (nada) and Peter Altschuler, who manages the archives of his late father ,Murray “The K” (best info to date).

Murray “The K” Archives Response (with pictures)

From: Peter Altschuler

To: Brian M. Decker

Sent: Monday, July 03, 2006 8:48 PM

Subject: Re: Murray Kaufman

The only confirmation I can offer is a conversation with Murray's aunt, Trudy (Green) Brooks, who was herself a bit player in films and on the stage. Trudy claimed that Murray's accounts were true, but there's no record in film credits to verify them. It might be possible, after looking at the films, to compare child performers with early photographs of Murray -- we have a few -- but, beyond that, there's nothing definitive.

Early photographs of Murray “The K” including 1940 picture on right with Eddie Cantor

Copyright © 2006 The Murray the K Archives. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

The Match-up Challenge

I am looking for volunteers among this blog community as well as the Jolson and Eddie Cantor Appreciation Society to help identify Murray Kaufman in any Eddie Cantor or Jolson films, including “The Kid from Spain”. Please email me if interested at brian@JolsonBlog.com. The first two volunteers who can successfully identify Murray in a specific film/scene will receive a FREE Al Jolson, “The Singing Fool” T-shirt provided by AffiniTee LLC.

We Want Cantor: Part III Janet and Brian Gari Interview

1930’s board game

Brian Marcus Decker:  Who was some of your father’s closest friends in show business?

Janet Cantor Gari:  Well, Burns and Allen, Jack Benny. Well they were the closest.  They were around the most.  Jimmy Durante, he just adored him, and vice versa, oh yes.  They really got such a kick out of each other.  Those were the people that I saw around the house the most.

Friends of the family: Burns and Allen, Jack Benny & Jimmy Durante

Brian Marcus Decker:  You also lived across the street from Ira Gershwin?

Janet Cantor Gari:  Yes I did and our folks didn’t hang out with the Hollywood crowd so we never met any movie stars.  You know, their friends were all New York people who had been in the same kind of circumstances that they were.  Yeah, and the Gershwin’s would have such glamorous parties.  I mean my folks were invited but they never invited any of the stars to our house and my sister Margie would stand at the window with binoculars and tell us who was going in.

Brian Marcus Decker:  Was there always music in the house?

Janet Cantor Gari:  Yes.

Brian Marcus Decker:  Did your father perform for the family?

Janet Cantor Gari:  No, but he rehearsed at home, and at one point we had a marvelous cook and she was English, she had a great voice, and she would hear them from the living room and she’d join in.  And, you know, if they didn’t need to get through a new song or something my father got a big kick out of it because she had a terrific voice and he enjoyed her.

Brian Marcus Decker:  The last time we met you told me that you were friendly with some of the children of other performers such as Miriam Marx, the daughter of Groucho Marx.  Who were some of the other children celebrities that you grew up with?

Janet Cantor Gari:  Well I also knew Maxine very well who was Chico’s (Marx’s) daughter.  And when I was a young kid, before we moved to California, here in New York, Walda Winchell, daughter of Walter Winchell, was in my class.  In fact when we did a play she played Wendy to my Peter Pan.

Next Week Part IV We Want Cantor: Janet Cantor Gari discusses

• Tell us about your experience on the film set of “Kid Millions”?
• Can you give us any insight on the impact of the relationship that your father had with the legendary Bert Williams?
• Why does Jolson seem to carry the majority of the negative stigma associated with minstrels today?