THE HI-LO'S - COLLECTION WITH MUSIC CORPORATION OF AMERICA , ROBERT BRENNAR, DICK HUMPHREYS, THE HARVEY BOYS , FREDDY MASTERS - HFSID 287757

ARCHIVE OF DOCUMENTS GIVING INSIGHT INTO THE HISTORY OF THE MUSIC CORPORATION OF AMERICA
Documents showing the inner workings of The Music Corporation of America and its relations with the talent
7 items: 1) Autograph Endorsement signed: "B", 1 page, 8¼x10½. Paris, France, 1954 March 16. Document titled "Inter-Office Communication from your Paris Offices", originating with David Stern. Typed list of debits and credits accruing to him and to his brother, Jules Stein, endorsed by Barnett: "Chg General $11/Credit Stein and/Chg Stein acct $9". Accompanied by New York dry cleaning bill for Jules Stein, the laundry evidently picked up by another MCA employee, since a $0.25 tip has been added by "Ida Koge", who paid the bill. In 1924 Jules Stein co-founded Music Corporation of America, originally a Chicago-based music booking agency supplying Chicago speakeasies with top level entertainers like King Oliver and Jelly Roll Morton. By the mid-1930s, MCA was a major talent agency, also involved in film and record production, nicknamed "the Octopus" for its widespread influence. In 1948 Jules Stein became Chairman of MCA, with Lew Wasserman - who had pioneered MCA's move into television - as President. Robert Kennedy's Justice Department compelled MCA to divest itself of its talent branch in 1962, under threat of anti-trust prosecution, but by that time the company had absorbed Decca Records and Universal Pictures, to become an even more powerful force in the entertainment industry. Stein handed over the chairmanship to Wasserman in 1973 David Stein, Jules Stein's brother, headed MCA's Paris office, but was better known for his lavish entertainments of show business celebrities at his estate on the Spanish resort island of Ibiza. Lawrence "Larry Barnett," to whom this memo was copied, was a future President of MCA, later a major philanthropist. No biography is available on Robert Brennar. An interesting memento of the entertainment industry. Staple holes at top left corner. Two horizontal and onve vertical fold. Creased. 2) Document unsigned, 8½x11, 4 pages. The piece is a collection of papers and contracts between the Music Corporation of America and Dick Humphreys dated on January 30, 1957.There is a Photostat page with Humphreys signature.The dancing talents of Dick Humphreys (1929-1977) earned him roles in several films. His first credited role was in Melodies Old and New (1942), dancing the jitterbug. He showed off his tap dancing in Shine on Harvest Moon (1944), and appeared as a dancing G. I. in An American in Paris (1951). He appeared as himself on four TV variety shows: The Colgate Comedy Hour, the Dinah Shore and George Burns shows, and Hollywood Palace (his last appearance, 1964). He appeared in a Jerry Lewis stage show in 1953. Pages stapled at top left. Edges lightly worn. Lightly creased. Overall fine condition. 3) Document unsigned, 8½x11, 11 pages. The piece is a collection of papers and contracts between the Music Corporation of America and The musical group The Hi-Lo's. The Hi-Lo's were an a capella quartet formed in 1953. The name is a reference to their extreme physical as well as vocal ranges. The two tall members were Bob Strasen and Bob Morse and the two short members were Gene Puerling and Clark Burroughs. They have released albums since 1954 there final to date was A Musical Thrill (2006). Pages stapled at top left. Edges lightly worn. Lightly creased. Overall fine condition. 4) Document unsigned, 8½x11, 5 pages. The piece is a collection of papers and contracts between the Music Corporation of America and Freddy Masters all dated in 1958. At the time of this writing there is no available information on Freddy Masters. Pages stapled together at top left. Edges lightly worn. Lightly creased. Overall fine condition. 5) Document unsigned, 8½x11, 8 pages. The piece is a collection of papers and contracts between the Music Corporation of America and The Harvey Boys all dated in 1957. The Harvey Boys released several albums including the hit Nothin Is Too Good For You (1957) and Honey Strollin'/Tug a Boat 1958. Several pages no longer stapled together. Edges lightly worn. Lightly creased. Large marking on first page. 6) A collection of petty cash receipts along with a typed statement about other receipts, dated January 8, 1953, with some big names from Hollywood such as Marlon Brando, Charlton Heston and former president Ronald Reagan. Worn and slightly frayed at edges. Stapled together at top center. Otherwise, fine condition. 7) A collection of petty cash receipts along with a typed statement about other receipts dated March 6, year unknown. Stapled together at top left, otherwise fine condition.