#Xavier Cugat

[kilianromero]

Mambo - Xavier Cugat & His Orchestra (1953)

[oldshowbiz]

Xavier Cugat: Lesbian Competition

[citizenscreen]

Birthday remembrance - Xavier Cugat #botd

[nelson-riddle-me-this]

Bathing Beauty (1944) playlist

"You've got to connect me! She's my husband! I mean, I'm her wife!"

[ozu-teapot]

Chicago Syndicate | Fred F. Sears | 1955

Abbe Lane, with Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra

[travsd]

Juli Lynne Charlot Turns 101

Thank you Edward Parker Bolman for the hot tip that today marks the 101st birthday of the still-living performer and designer Juli Lynne Charlot (Shirley Ann Agin, b. 1922). As you can see from the above photo, Charlot performed with the Marx Brothers, during their tours to entertain troops during World War Two. She also sang with Xavier Cugat’s Orchestra, performed in the 1945 Broadway revival…

[mihasznamimoza]

Koktélragyógyulós múd, akkor jön ez jól igazán, ha van kéznél koktél, de elmegy szódával is.

[espillpintat]

XAVIER CUGAT (Girona, 1898 – Barcelona, 1990).

“Autorretrato”

[letterboxd-loggd]

Neptune's Daughter (1949) Edward Buzzell

December 23rd 2023

[hongkongartman-mlee]

The Story Of The 1st Impresario In Hong Kong Mr Harry Odell, His Empire Theatre (璇宮戲院) & To Be Continued尚未完場, The Touching Film About This Jewish Man

An ‘impresario’ is a person who organizes and finances concerts, plays and operas. Art intermediaries are important. They make the availability of art performances much more accessible for the public. A good impresario knows well the audience and their needs.

Mr Harry Odell, a Jewish man, was born in 1896. He came to live in Hong Kong in 1921 and died in 1975 at the age of 79.

It was said that his real name was ‘Harry Obadofsky’. He was the son of Russian Jewish parents. He was educated at St. Francis Xavier’s College, in Shanghai. He ran away from home at 16 and supported himself as a tap dancer in Japan, before emigrating to the USA. In 1921, Obadofsky arrived in Hong Kong and changed his surname to Odell for the reason of marrying a girl Sophie Weill whose family owned the prestigious jewellery business Sennet Freres in Hong Kong. He fought in the defence of Hong Kong in 1941 and was made a prisoner of war by the Japanese.  

Mr Odell loved art and culture. By persuading international acclaimed artists such as Xavier Cugat and Issace Stern to perform here in the colony in those years, he was the first impresario in the history of Hong Kong. He tirelessly lobbied the colonial government to build a permanent place for art performances. As a result, the first such venue, Hong Kong City Hall, was completed in 1962(information provided by Judy Green from 'The Dictionary of Hong Kong Biography’).

Mr Odell built his own concert theatre and film cinema known as the ‘Empire Theatre璇宮戲院’ in 1952.  It was located in the North Point area along King’s Road and in those years, North Point was regarded as a remote place. Business was bad and it closed in 1957, and re-opened in 1959 as the ‘State Theatre皇都戲院’ following the purchase by a rich Chinese businessman and extensive renovations. The State Theatre sadly closed in 1997.

Concerns were raised in 2015 that the heritage building might be demolished. In 2020, a big property developer in Hong Kong New World Development acquired the ownership right of the Theatre and put forward good proposals related to the conservation of State Theatre. The Theatre is being repaired and will be opened soon for the third time.

The above is not just a story of history. It is a love story of how Harry Odell loved Hong Kong and how we loved this art hero. His life is one big touching story with hundreds of little touching stories within it.  

2 film directors, Dora Choi & Haider Kikabhoy, made an evocative documentary movie about the noble story of Harry Odell and it is called To Be Continued 尚未完場.  This piece of impressive work looks back on the history of the State Theatre (formerly the Empire Theatre) and the great life of Harry Odell. A film critic wrote this: “Kikabhoy and Choi created a film that is not just educational; it is also upbeat, amusing and heart felt at the same time.”

Apart from visiting Odell’s grave in Happy Valley and gazing at Odell’s former residence Old Alberose in Pokfulam, you must watch this heart-warming good film To Be Continued! Maurice Lee To Be Continued Trailer  https://youtu.be/U6GICy7Nmpc   Acknowledgement – 尚未完場  Hong Kong City Hall  https://youtu.be/fg97X8gfsrA  Acknowledgement – Online Museum

State Theatre  https://youtu.be/S7D0U8DgEyo   Acknowledgement – Bloomberg Television 

[oldshowbiz]

Xavier Cugat's restaurant was directly beside Alan Hale Jr.'s restaurant.

[citizenscreen]

On August 7, 1966 – Xavier Cugat and Charo were the first couple to exchange vows at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

[julio-viernes]

“Back Street Girl”, el precioso vals dylaniano de los Rolling Stones para “Between the Buttons” (y en la recopilación “Flowers”). Creo que en la famosa redada en casa de Keith Richards en la que pillaron en pelotas a Marianne Faithfull - cuando las fuerzas del orden intentaban derribarles- en el tocadiscos sonaba plácidamente “Blonde On Blonde”. Los Stones ya habían sacado buen partido de él.

Bobby Darin hizo una versión en mayo de ese año en su LP para Atlantic, “Inside Out”, en la que lo que menos me gusta es la interpretación vocal. Los arreglos son harina de otro costal: orquesta con ocasional y escalofriante cortina de violines agudos, en punta. Un arreglo orquestal en una línea similar al de “Love Is Strange” de Buddy Holly y “Everybody´s Talking” de Harry Nilsson en 1968. Sin olvidar el "Perfidia" anterior de Xavier Cugat.

[hollywoodcomet]

Musical Monday: No Love, No Leave (1946)

Musical Monday: No Love, No Leave (1946)

It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals. In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals. This week’s musical: No Love, No Leave (1946) – Musical #716 Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Director: Charles Martin Starring: Van Johnson, Keenan…

[mudwerks]

Abbe Lane and Xavier Cugat's Orchestra

Gor Greg! Spanish postcard by Ediciones J.R.B., no. 85/4. Photo: Ceo. Abbe Lane and Xavier Cugat's Orchestra.