[78-L] Bert 'n' Eddie

[Jeff Sultanof]

Robyn Astaire is a classic example of someone who is doing great harm to one
of the great artists of the 20th Century. Soon hardly anyone of the younger
generation will know who he is, and she will be at fault.

Those shows needed all the help they could get. Who becomes his executor
when she passes? Maybe that person will have some sense.

Jeff Sultanof

On Sun, Nov 8, 2009 at 2:26 AM, Michael Biel <mbiel at mbiel.com> wrote:

> Robyn Astaire has blocked distribution of the three TV shows in the
> Evening With Fred Astaire series because -- believe it or not -- they
> were OVER-RESTORED!!!  An EMMY was awarded to the engineers who with
> great difficulty and a bit of luck got the first program to play in
> color from a tape that was made on a modified machine using a color
> modulation system that was experimental.  There were several
> pre-recorded sections that were played into the air tape, so when the
> engineers used the original inserts instead of the second generation
> tape that had originally been broadcast -- and bragged to her that the
> program now looks better than it did when it was broadcast -- she
> withdrew rights because it was over-restored.  This was told to me a
> couple of years ago by the man who headed the restoration team.
>
>
> Brian Gari has been known to take DVD's of some of his grandfather's
> P.D. films from dealers' tables because he had not authorized them.  But
> he has done yeoman work in producing CDs of his grandfather's broadcasts
> and alternate takes with engineering from the original masters by Seth
> Winner.
>
>
>
> Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com
>
>  -------- Original Message --------
>  Subject: Re: [78-L] Bert 'n' Eddie
>  From: David Lennick <dlennick at sympatico.ca>
>  Date: Fri, November 06, 2009 1:35 pm
>  To: 78-L Mail List <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
>
>  Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra's brats sue over any unauthorized use
> of their
>  ancestors as well..not sure if this involves the likenesses, but the
> Astaire
>  situation certainly does since it's what got Naxos out of selling
> reissues in
>  the US in the first place, long before the unpleasantness with
> Capitol/EMI.
>
>  dl
>
>  Cary Ginell wrote:
>  > No, but this show has been on the boards for a couple of years now
> and Gari doesn't seem to be interested in going after them. I can find
> out what his rights are with regard to Cantor. As for Astaire, that
> might be something that Robyn got Fred to sign over to her before he
> died. Anyone know about this?
>  >
>  >
>  >
>  > Cary Ginell
>  >
>  >> Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 13:23:42 -0500
>  >> From: dlennick at sympatico.ca
>  >> To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
>  >> Subject: Re: [78-L] Bert 'n' Eddie
>  >>
>  >> "Right to Cantor's likeness as a subject to be exploited died with
> him."
>  >>
>  >> That'll be news to Robyn Astaire. Are you sure about this?
>  >>
>  >> dl
>  >>
>  >> Cary Ginell wrote:
>  >>> Just got an E-mail from Brian, and he is unaware of "Bert 'n'
> Eddie." He says he has been working on his own Broadway show about his
> grandfather and is annoyed that De Benedictus came out with his before
> he did. So apparently, rights are not an issue. Right to Cantor's
> likeness as a subject to be exploited died with him. But you're right,
> he does support any efforts to expose Eddie to the public. There's a
> website for the show: bertneddie.com. Nice raggy era music played on the
> site.
>  >>>
>  >>>
>  >>>
>  >>> Cary Ginell
>  >>>
>  >>>> Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 11:26:34 -0500
>  >>>> From: jeffsultanof at gmail.com
>  >>>> To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
>  >>>> Subject: Re: [78-L] Bert 'n' Eddie
>  >>>>
>  >>>> I cannot swear to this absolutely, but I believe that Brian was
> consulted
>  >>>> and gave his okay. Anything to keep Eddie Cantor in front of the
> public.
>  >>>>
>  >>>> I had a great lunch once with Brian and his mom Janet. Great
> people. Great
>  >>>> stories. A lovely memory of my years in publishing.
>  >>>>
>  >>>> I once saw Whoopee at the Regency Theatre in New York with a
> packed house.
>  >>>> They were roaring at Cantor's performance. What a treasure to have
>  >>>> it.....and in Technicolor to boot.
>  >>>>
>  >>>> Jeff Sultanof
>  >>>>
>  >>>> On Fri, Nov 6, 2009 at 1:17 AM, Michael Biel <mbiel at mbiel.com>
> wrote:
>  >>>>
>  >>>>> From: Cary Ginell <soundthink at live.com>
>  >>>>>> Anyone ever see this stage musical? I'm seeing a local
> production of
>  >>>>>> it next weekend. It's a new musical that focuses on the
> friendship
>  >>>>>> between Bert Williams and Eddie Cantor. Written by Richard De
> Benedictus.
>  >>>>>> I'll report back after I've seen it, but it sounds interesting.
>  >>>>> I wonder if they have cleared this with Brian Gari?
>  >>>>>
>  >>>>> Mike Biel mbiel at mbiel.com
>  >>>>>
>  >> _________
>  _______________________________________________
>  78-L mailing list
>  78-L at klickitat.78online.com
>  http://klickitat.78online.com/mailman/listinfo/78-l
>
> _______________________________________________
> 78-L mailing list
> 78-L at klickitat.78online.com
> http://klickitat.78online.com/mailman/listinfo/78-l
>