Name Horace Heidt Role Television Actor | Children Horace Heidt, Jr. | |
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Movies and TV shows Pot o' Gold, The Horace Heidt Show Albums Christmas With The Big Bands - Live Broadcasts Similar People Kay Kyser, Sammy Kaye, Jimmy Dorsey, Charlie Spivak, Jan Garber | ||
Joanie Sommers--Rare 1987 TV Interview, Horace Heidt Jr.
Horace Heidt And His Musical Knights – Mama [Columbia]
Horace Heidt (May 21, 1901 – December 1, 1986) was an American pianist, big band leader, and radio and television personality. His band, Horace Heidt and his Musical Knights, toured vaudeville and performed on radio and television during the 1930s and 1940s.
Contents
- Joanie Sommers Rare 1987 TV Interview Horace Heidt Jr
- Horace Heidt And His Musical Knights Mama Columbia
- Early years
- Career
- Death
- Chicago Connection
- Legacy
- Billboard hits
- References
Early years
Born in Alameda, California, Heidt attended Culver Academies. At the University of California, Berkeley, he was a guard on the football team. A broken back suffered in a practice session caused him to give up football, leading him to turn his attention to music. He and some classmates formed a band, The Californians.
Career
From 1932 to 1953, he was one of the more popular radio bandleaders, heard on both NBC and CBS in a variety of different formats over the years. He began on the NBC Blue Network in 1932 with Shell Oil's Ship of Joy and Answers by the Dancers. During the late 1930s on CBS he did Captain Dobbsie's Ship of Joy and Horace Heidt's Alemite Brigadiers before returning to NBC for 1937–39 broadcasts.
Singer Matt Dennis got his start with Heidt's band, and Art Carney was the band's singing comedian. The Heidt band's recordings were highly successful, with "Gone with the Wind" going to No. 1 in 1937 and "Ti-Pi-Tin" to No. 1 in 1938. In 1939, "The Man with the Mandolin" ranked No. 2 on the charts.
His and his band played on the NBC Pot o' Gold radio show (1939–41). The 1941 film of the same title, produced by James Roosevelt (son of the U.S. president) and directed by George Marshall, starred James Stewart and Paulette Goddard, and it featured Heidt portraying himself with his band. Carney can be glimpsed in some of the film's musical numbers. The movie gives a fairly accurate depiction of Heidt's radio show but features staged sequences, such as a scene in which a Minnesota farmer (allegedly phoned at random by Heidt during his radio show) is played by well-known character actor John Qualen.
From 1940 to 1944 he did Tums Treasure Chest, followed by 1943–45 shows on the Blue Network. Lucky Strike sponsored The American Way on CBS in 1953.
On December 7, 1947, NBC began The Horace Heidt Youth Opportunity Program and accordionist Dick Contino, the first winner of the $5,000 prize, soon had his own show. Heidt's talent search catapulted such performers as Art Carney, Frankie Carle, the King Sisters, Alvino Rey, Gordon MacRae, Frank DeVol, Johnny Standley and Al Hirt. When the program expanded from radio to television in 1950, it was one of the first talent shows on TV. Other winners included the Philharmonics, vocalist Ralph Sigwald, and blind marimbist Pierce Knox.
With fame, Heidt moved into the then-new Brentwood neighborhood of West Los Angeles at 1525 San Vicente Boulevard. He bought the mansion from the widow of a retired dentist; it offered stunning views of Santa Monica Canyon, overlooking the Riviera Country Club and Catalina Island on a clear day. The expansive chateau-style residence, featured in 1927 on the cover of the rotogravure magazine Pictorial California, has long since been razed and the property subdivided.
Death
Horace Heidt died in 1986 and was interred at Forest Law Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles.
Chicago Connection
In 1936 Horace Heidt conducted an ensemble of eight musicians all of whom played harmonica on Saturday evenings at the Drake Hotel in Chicago.
Legacy
For his contribution to radio, Heidt has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1631 Vine Street; and a second star for his contribution to television at 6628 Hollywood Boulevard. In 2001, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to him.
His 1941 song, "The Hut-Sut Song", is heard in the movie A Christmas Story.
After his retirement, Heidt built a 160 unit, 10 acre luxury retirement resort community in Sherman Oaks, California.
Horace Heidt, Jr. wrote a book of the life and times of Horace Heidt. Titled, "Horace Heidt: Big Band Starmaker".
Billboard hits
The songs are listed with the most widely successful first.
Friendly Tavern Polka" was re-released on 3-25-44. It was US Billboard 24-1944 (1 week). "Pound Your Table Polka" sung by Mary Martin was US Billboard 22-1942 (1 week). "It's in the Book" sung by Johnny Standley was US Billboard 1-1952 (2 weeks) million seller.