Music Trade Review

Issue: 1924 Vol. 79 N. 17

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
OCTOBER 25, 1924
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
59
IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC PUBLISHING
Conducted By V. D. Walsh
What the Sheet Music Dealers and
Distributors are Doing in Los Angeles
Maurice Richmond, of the Richmond Musical Supply Corp., New York, Sums Up Conditions in
Los Angeles—Written Exclusively for The Music Trade Review
T OS ANGELES, CAL, October 12.—There is
only one Los Angeles—the City of Angels.
The many material angels I encountered in the
so-called Los Angeles "Loop," including the
water nymphs at the
seashoring resorts, just
fit the name to perfec-
tion. It is called "The
City of Life" and the
"City of Many Prosper-
ous M u s i c Stores."
The high building line
also points as an arrow
to the angels above.
Juan Rodriguez Car-
brillo, a primitive Span-
iard, no relation to
Maurice Richmond
"carburetor" or "Car-
bona," made his appearance at San Pedro Bay,
Los Angeles Port, on October 3, 1542, fighting
his way through the Indians so as to make
Los Angeles a safe place for the music mer-
chants and others.
The beauties of the Southern California Music
Co.'s most marvelous institution are beyond any
description; it is so artistic and unique that it
is beyond any human possibility to describe it
School, Lodge and
Gymnasium Marches
March Victorious
(Mctzger-Wright)
Pacific Patrol
(Metzger-Wright)
Reliance March
(Clifford)
Victorious Eagle
(Rosey)
American Beauty March
(Williams)
Order Through Jobber or Direct
Hinds, Hayden & Eldredge, Inc.
Publishers
New York City
THEWALTZ BALLAD-BEAUTIFUL
on paper. A year ago this concern moved into
its new quarters at 806 South Broadway, a build-
ing of eight floors, entirely of Italian architec-
ture. Five floors are devoted to its own busi-
ness, the other three being utilized for studios
and recital halls. Edward H. Uhl is the presi-
dent. This concern features the Chickering,
Ampico and many other high-grade pianos, the
most reliable in phonographs and a complete
line of musical merchandise, consisting of brass
and string instruments, as well as everything
in sheet music. It also publishes many valuable
instruction books on various instruments that
are enjoying a splendid sale and does a large
wholesale business in musical merchandise and
sheet music. It takes 200 people to operate this
organization, excluding its four branches in the
State of California. Frank J. Hart, who has
passed on, was one of the early founders in 1880.
The sheet music department helps to make
up the completeness of this institution and is
most decidedly and efficiently managed by J. J.
(known as "Johnny") Apfel. The department
is divided into several parts. A complete or-
chestra department is managed by the old
veteran, Elmer Randall, one of the few who
came over on the "Mayflower," a Bostonian
who claims "You don't know 'beans' until you
have 'been' to Boston." The popular music sec-
tion is well supervised by a charming, sweet and
prepossessing young lady, young in years only,
for she certainly displays splendid taste in the
upkeep of her supply of the popular hits of the
day. She claims to know nothing about the
Ku Klux, but is proud in wearing a Masonic
emblem, symbolizing "Do unto others or they'll
do you," with apologies to the Golden Rule.
It also carries a complete octavo stock, all the
library editions, catering to the requirements
of public schools, colleges and teachers.
The Wurlitzer Co.'s most stupendous and
elaborate and magnificent new home opened its
doors on Monday, September 8, 1924, at 814
South Broadway. It is needless to say anything
about the policy of this concern, for it has been
catering to the wants of the music-loving public
of America for many years from the Atlantic to
the Pacific. A tremendous advertising campaign
took place on the Sunday previous to the open-
ing; an eight-page section in the Sunday Los
Angeles Examiner carried the message of this
beautiful palace of music to everyone in Cali-
fornia. The architecture is carried out in Italian
Renaissance throughout; the mezzanine en-
circles the entire building, and the effect of the
splendid display, exterior as well as interior,
is most magnificent.
The G. Schirmer Stores, Inc., of New York,
is operating the music store in this house of
splendor. The name of Schirmer needs no in-
troduction—it stands for the very best in its
field. The department is managed by Harold
Skeath, one of the boys who have been through
the mill, and who is surely well deserving of
this post of importance in music. He has twenty
asistants helping him with their principal aim to
give the public the best there is in service.
A great deal of credit is due the Neville-
Marple Music Co., two young, enterprising and
experienced music men who undertook quite a
task a short time ago in this city and came out on
top. This firm is to-day operating several high-
class and complete music departments in some
of the most important piano houses in Los
SONGS THAT SELL

All Alone (New) by Irving Berlin
What'll I Do?
Charley, My Boy
Driftwood
When I Was the Dandy and You Were
the Belle
Red Hot Mamma
Lazy
1 Can't Get the One I Want
Oh, Baby (Don't Say No—Say Maybe)
She's Everybody's Sweetheart
Old Familiar Faces
Nobody Loves You Like I Do

Nobody's Child
Main Street Wasn't Big Enough for Mary
Indiana Moon
Morning (Won't You Ever Come 'Round)
(New)
No One Knows What It's All About
(New)
Come Back to Me (When They Throw
You Down) (New)
Superstitious Blues (New)
X Universal Dance Folio No. 8
Special 1925 Edition
Peterson's Ukulele Method
World's Favorite Songs
Lundin's Tenor Banjo Method
Song Gems from Irving Berlin's Third Animal
MUSIC BOX REVUE
An Orange Grove in California
The Waltz of Long Ago
Little Butterfly
Learn to Do the Strut
Outstanding Song Hits from
TOPSY and EVA
Rememb'ring
I Never Had a Mammy
IRVING BERLIN, Inc.
1607 Broadway, New York
Angeles, as well as a branch with the Wiley B.
Allen Co., of San Diego. Their stock is com-
plete, going from the sublime to the ordinary
fulfilling of the wants in the standard lines as
well as popular. They report business holding
its own and are preparing for a splendid Fall
campaign.
The composer of "Mandalay," the J. H. Rem-
ick & Co.'s No. 1 hit, is a native of Los Angeles.
He is Abe Lyman, who is destined to become
one of our successful writers. He is the musi-
cal director of the Ambassador Hotel Orchestra
in this city and his combination of men who
make it up is a big attraction to this high-class
hotel. He sure swings a mean bow, with
apologies to Paul Whiteman.
A few years ago one of the most successful
music men in this country left the frozen North
and departed to the land of sky-blue waters,
and that personage is none other than Fred J.
Smith, the son of the firm of Carrie Jacobs-
I'oncl & Son, the house that educated the public
to better songs. Mrs. Bond certainly can write
(Continued on faf/c 60)
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
60
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
OCTOBER 25,
1924
The Sheet Music Trade in Los Angeles—(Continued from page 59)
them. But that " sweet boy" is much sweeter
now—he has embarked on manufacturing wares
for the sweet tooth and has been most suc-
cessful in this new undertaking. Dealers, take
notice, write for samples. Address care of any
music store, but try and find him.
• Harry Carroll and Ballard McDonald have
written a musical production, entitled "Harry
Carroll's Pickings," now running at the Orange
Grove Theatre, Los Angeles. The music is pub-
lished by Sherman, Clay & Co., San Francisco.
A. Freed has participated with these men in
this production. •
The music travelers are still coming. During
the week we had the pleasure of the presence of
Mr. Brookhouse, of Ager, Yellen & Bornstein;
H. Engel, of Robbins-Engel, Inc.; E. C. Howells,
of Chappell-Harms; Mr. Rogers, of Enoch &
Co.; also none less a personage than the globe
trotter, Marvin Lee (no relation to Lee, the tire
man), just sales manager for Milton Weil Music
Co., of Chicago and New York. This natural-
born comedian is so full of Mark Twain style
of humor he talks the buyers into nice, juicy
orders just on his personality and not over-
looking the fact that this young house is making
a mark in the industry with great songs.
The Los Angeles local publisher and the only
one who has made a success is W. A. Quincke.
This gentleman publishes a splendid selection
of standard and teaching material and has put
across one of the best sellers on the Pacific
Coast in "Mexacali Rose."
The following New York publishers have
local offices with the support of professional
departments: Leo Feist, Inc., Irving Berlin, Inc.,
Shapiro, Bernstein & Co., Inc., Waterson, Ber-
lin & Snyder, J. H. Remick & Co., Ager, Yellen
& Bornstein, M. Witmark & Sons, Jack Mills,
Inc., Broadway Music Co., and also the follow-
ing: Sherman, Clay & Co., San Francisco; J.
VV. Jenkins' Sons Music Co., Kansas City, Mo.;
Milton Weil Music Co., of Chicago, locally man-
aged by Mark Morris, a boy who has had many
years of experience in promotion work and who
is unassuming, courteous, obliging and, besides,
a very nice fellow. He is to divide his time
between Los Angeles and San Francisco. This
also proves the importance that the music pub-
lishers see in Los Angeles as a musical center,
and a section of the country where the music-
loving public actually buys a lot of sheet music.
Two people (God love them, I do and I am
proud to say it) certainly made the grade, and a
very steep one. They are Mr. and Mrs. Frank
Wright, The Wright Music Co., operating the
music department at the Broadway Department
Store. The male part of the Wright family
originated in the State of Delaware. He is not
certain if he remembers when George Washing-
ton crossed that famous river. His sweet and
better half is a Hoosier. One day they picked
up their belongings and decided to go West.
Due to the fact that Mr. Woolworth had many
hundreds of 10-cent stores with music counters
where Frank Wright could make stopovers,
they finally reached the North Pole. When they
came to Mr. Woolworth was not there, so they
decided to visit the famous Indian chief Seattle,
and he was a good host. That's where they
became real boosters for the Pacific Coast. The
next "hop off" was Los Angeles. When this
couple landed they had just about enough to
buy a few hot tamales. Of course, as for lodg-
ing, that wasn't necessary here. You can sleep
in the park with the birds just as well. But
they certainly possessed many wonderful qual-
ities—ability, confidence, optimism and, most of
all, the necessary backbone and determination
to make good in the music business in Los
Angeles. They took over the Broadway music
department and were confronted with a $5,000
debt, which was really not compulsory for them
to take care of. Frank has always been a square
shooter and he made good with everyone, pay-
ing debts which he had never contracted, per-
haps a little slow, but not through his own
choice. To-day his credit is 100 per cent in
the entire industry, and he enjoys the good-will
and respect of everyone with whom he comes in
contact. He said to me that his stock consists
traveling music boys. Thanks to Frank and his
wife, I saw more of Los Angeles and vicinity
in the few hours than I have seen in the many
visits I have made previous.
May I also tell the entire industry that Mrs.
Frank Mabel-Metzger-Wright is really a musical
genius? This lady should be termed "The
Female Sousa" in the march field. Her com-
positions, such as "March Victorious," "Pacific
I'atrol" and "Valiant Volunteers," are among
her best works and are full of pep, spirit and
everything you can say about these stirring and
lively march melodies. They are published by
Hinds, Hayden & Eldridge, of New York.
Finis! .
Much more I could write according to rite
about Frank and "Bunch" Wright, but it would
not be right to write the whole night, so I'll
have to sit tight and bid you good-night. That's
"Wright."
Mr. and Mrs. "Sig" Bosley, representing
lorster Music Publishers, Inc., of Chicago,
were recent visitors here. What a soft job
"Sig" has! He has a wife who possesses a mil-
lion dollars' worth of personality, and when
"Sig" wants to lay off and take it easy he just
HEARST SONGS
ARE BACKED BY THOUSANDS
O F DOLLARS ADVERTISING.
We advertise You get the Business
HEARST SONGS
Make your Dollars
Work Faster
HEARST SONGS
KTTfRKHPAWAY
TH£
ring the CashRe0ster
like a Bill Collector
A REAL
FOX TROT-
TOMC/VP
HEARST MUSIC PUBLISHERS
LIMITED
EONE
TOOK YOUR PWCMIYHE
' Jl Beautiful Melody
: With fox Trot Rhythm
HEARST MUSIC PUBLISHERS
• :
LIMITED
V
of $25,000 worth of merchandise, mostly stand-
ard and all salable, which is actually worth
100 cents on the dollar, and his entire indebted-
ness is not over $3,000. Mr. Dun and Mr. Brad-
street, take note. Frank is not only a regular
fellow, but a great fellow. His store and his
home are an "open sesame" to all the music
men. Very soon this lovely family will have a
suite in their home fixed up specially for the
takes his wife with him to the music stores.
'Nuf said. What she does I can't say, but "Sig"
certainly carries a big supply of order books.
From actual statistics taken in Los Angeles,
after giving close observation, I find the follow-
ing twelve popular successes the best in Los
Angeles right now: "It Ain't Gonna Rain No
Mo'," "What'll I Do?," "June Night," "Rock-a-
bye Baby Blues," "Mandalay," "Memory Lane,"
"Sweet Little You," "It Had to Be You,"
"Doodle Doo Doo," "A New Kind of a Man,"
"Jealous" and "Spain."
The L. B. Mathews Music Co. operates the
sheet music department with the Birkel Music
Co., at 448 South Broadway. This piano house
is of long standing and is one of the important
ones in Los Angeles. In a short interview with
Mr. Mathews he laid a great deal of stress on
the future of Los Angeles. He stated that he
hopes to live long enough to see the "City of
the Angels" the second largest in North
America. He is concentrating and devoting
(Continued on page 61)

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