Image of Ben Bernie

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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Born:
May 30, 1891
Movie/TV Credits:
6
First Appeared:
In the movie Ben Bernie and All the Lads 1923-04-15
Latest Project:
Movie Love and Hisses 1937-12-21
Known For
Poster of Wake Up and Live
Poster of Shoot the Works
Poster of Ben Bernie and His Orchestra
Poster of Ben Bernie and All the Lads
Filmography
Movie Wake Up and Live Ben Bernie and His Orchestra 1937-08-23
Movie Love and Hisses Ben Bernie 1937-12-21
Movie Stolen Harmony Jack Conrad 1935-04-20
Movie Shoot the Works Joe Davis 1934-07-18
Movie Ben Bernie and His Orchestra Band Leader 1930-05-15
Movie Ben Bernie and All the Lads Himself 1923-04-15