I will be returning to the Tribeca annex of the 92nd Street Y on November 15th, where I will be presenting a five week series, devoted to noteworthy films produced at RKO studios, in 1935. RKO was always a studio suffering from financial difficulties. I always ask this question in my lectures and classes devoted to Astaire and Rogers: what two couples saved RKO from bankruptcy in 1933. Ofcourse, those two couples were Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, and Fay Wray and King Kong. 1935 saw many wonderful films produced at the studio that year. I will be discussing Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, in TOP HAT, John Ford’s The Informer,starring Victor McLagelen, with Max Steiner’s Academy Award winning score (his first of three), The Last Days of Pompeii, SHE, which was last for many years, and restored in the late 1980s, and George Stevens’ ALICE ADAMS, starring Katharine Hepburn. We will see in this series, how RKO was growing as a studio, with wonderful output that year. Dates for the films are Top Hat (November 13th), The Informer (November 20th), The Last Days of Pompeii (November 27th), She (Devember 4th), and Alice Adams (December 18th).

Coming off the most recent edition of the high holy holidays, in which I participated: sang with my temple choir, read a passage to the congregation (which is referred to as an Alleyah, a blessing bestowed upon me by the congregation), and observed with my family. With each year, singing the same songs and reading the same prayers, to me, it becomes the Greatest Hits of Rosh Hashashanah and Yom Kippur. On Yom Kippur, especially, it seemed like we sang a select number of the same songs, both on Kol Nidre (Cantor sang solo) and then with the choir; and finally, some of the same songs popped up during the healing service, later in the afternoon. We all have our favorite songs durng the holidays. And because, now, that I am singing these songs with choir, I find myself singing the songs to myself, and even whislting some while driving. There is the same familarity with these songs, as with a production of Oklahoma, or Les Miserables. They are like old friends, wisened through the years. As Bing Crosby sings in Blue Skies, these songs keep coming back, like an old melody. Like perfume in May, which returns to my room, in December (although these songs are usually sung in September, or at the latest, October. Next year, the high holy holidays will arrive even earlier: a couple of days after LAbor Day. And the same songs will be sung again.

On Tuesday, October 2nd, I will be making my debut at the MacArthur High School, in Levittown, NY, presenting my three part lecture series, The Jewish Composer And The Hollywood Musical, as part of the Levittown, NY school district’s Adult Education program. Each week, I will focus on a composer’s influence on the genre of the Hollywood Musical. Beginning on October 2nd, I will present film clips from the musicals, featuring the songs of Irving Berlin, featuring clips from The Jazz Singer, Top Hat, Easter Parade, On The Avenue, Holiday Inn, and others.; on October 9th, the focus will be on Jerome Kern, featuring clips from Cover Girl, Show Boat, You Were Never Lovlier, Swing Time, and others; and then, on October 16th, I will focus on the Gershwins, featuring clips from Shall We Dance, An American In Paris, Rhapsody In Blue, and others.