A Hodgepodge of Family and Historical Information

EDDIE GREEN OPENS
HARLEM RESTAURANT August 7, 1937

Eddie Green, star of the radio.
stage and screen, has entered another
field with the opening of his
swanky and cozy Bar-Bee-Q shop on
Seventh avenue near 126th street In
the heart of the section frequented
by sportsmen, actors and artists of all
kinds. In the short space that it has
been opened, this food emporium has
become a rendezvous for celebrities of
the theatrical world.

The above is a quote from the New York Age newspaper, August 7, 1937.

In the Brooklyn Eagle, 1939 it says: Eddie “Is one of Harlem’s busiest citizens. Outside of theater and radio work, owns and operates two barbeque emporiums. Serves nothing but spareribs. Says Paul Whiteman is his best customer at the one on 7th Avenue.

Eddie came from East Baltimore’s alley house area where he was born in 1891, and worked himself up to owning two restaurants in Harlem.

I watched the funeral for B. B. King today and the Rev. Herron Wilson, said, in his eulogy, talking about life and death and conduct, “It’s not where you come from, it’s where you’re headed.” So far, Eddie is headed in a good direction.

Eddie, at this time, was married to a lady by the name of Constance from Newark, New Jersey, happily married according to the newspaper. He hadn’t met my mother, yet.

I decided to insert her into this post since they would meet soon, and because mom was pursuing her own career in the entertainment field at about this same time.

Found this particular article today, just by chance, so I thought I could put it here as a bit of background on my mom’s home life. In 1933, when my mom was ten years old, she found out that the man who she thought was her father, was not. In those days, everybody’s business got in the papers, I guess just like today. This is what happened with my mom’s mother, Sinclaire and her husband, Alfonso Murdock:

WHITE MAN NAMED CORRESPONDENT
IN SENSATIONAL DIVORCE SUIT
Californian Accused Wife of Remaining Away From
Home On Pretext of Caring For Sick Friends

LOS ANGELES, CaL, June 8.—(ANP)—Declaring that
his wife had remained away from home weeks at a time residing
in San Bernardino, Cal., Alfonso Murdock, pioneer
and widely known in social circles, was granted a divorce
Wednesday by Judge Harry F. Sewell, from Sinclaire White
Murdock.

Mr. Murdook testified that his
wife would come home only to get
fresh clothes and return to San
Bernardino. He said that he
thought at first that his wife was
caring for a sick friend and did
not learn different until he went
there and made the discovery that
his wife was attending different
places in company with Joe Amato,
white.

This was the prelude to me learning who my mother’s biological father was. In fact, my mother was not 100% certain before she died and I have only verified who Amato was within the last few years. That he was indeed white, an Italian gentleman that her mother had been seeing on the side for years and that he was my mother’s father. Sinclaire eventually took the name Amato for herself and my mom. At ten years of age my mother wasn’t quite sure what had transpired, except that Murdock was gone and never wanted to see them again and Joe became a permanent fixture. And she had to change her last name from Murdock to Amato.

Sinclaire, my grandmother, was a “pillar” of the church. She taught violin and piano. She taught my mother. Here is an article from the Los Angeles California Eagle:

Music loving Southlanders
crowded to capacity the auditorium of the Zion Hill Church
when Professor William T. Wilkins.
director of the well-known
Wilkin’s Piano Academy presented his show.
With the appearance of Professor Wilkins on
the stage there came a deafening
round of applause … he was
ably assisted by Mme. Sinclair White Amato, violin virtuoso,
whose several violin pupils were
also a part of the splendid programme . . . too many numbers
to mention each one in detail; but
many received an unusual
amount of applause. I refer to the violin playing of little Norma
Anne Amato . . . .
In 1937 Eddie was in the news in New York, and mom was beginning to be mentioned in the news in Los Angeles. Mom was 14. Eddie was 46. They would not meet for another three years.

My mom was also in pursuit of a career on the stage as an opera singer and as she got older she began to sing and play the piano at weddings at a place called the Wilfandel Club in the Historic West Adams District, while in serious operatic study.

And here we have an extra bit of Black History-because of course I had to look up the Wilfandel Club and I found that the architect was Mr. Paul R. Williams.

Paul Revere Williams, (February 18, 1894 – January 23, 1980) was an American architect based in Los Angeles, California. He practiced largely in Southern California, and designed the homes of numerous celebrities, including Lon Chaney, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and Frank Sinatra. He also designed many public and private buildings, such as The Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration and the Los Angeles County Courthouse and the First African Methodist Episcopalian (FAME) church in Los Angeles. Who knew? Mom did, she mentioned to me a few times how unfortunate it was that Paul Williams did not get the recognition he deserved for his works.

The thing about this research I am doing is that I can in almost every instance link Eddie up with all the folks I mention. And I found an article that does just that in this instance also:

At the 68th Anniversary celebration of the Los Angeles California Eagle , on April 3, 1947, Paul R. Williams was the main speaker and Eddie Green, of “Duffy’s Tavern”, was the emcee for a sparkling floor show featuring Mabel Fairbanks, ice-skating star, the Basin Street Boys, and Phil Moore, singer and composer.

In 2010 when my mom died, she lived on Adams and St. Andrews Place, within walking distance from the Winfandel Club’s building, which still stands.

Thank you so much for dropping by.

May 20, 2015 elvagreen123

STAYING FOCUSED ON THE GOOD STUFF

“A Good Man Is Hard to Find”, written by Eddie Green and popularized by the singer Bessie Smith in 1927.

Hi there! I missed out. I wanted to watch “Bessie” with Queen Latifah on HBO, May 16th, but my landlady cancelled our cable, boo hoo. I received a comment today about “Bessie”, so of course I had to see if I could find it on the net. For this post, however, I decided to post a video of Bessie Smith singing the song my father wrote way back in 1917.

There were also a few other people who recorded the song, for instance:

A GOOD MAN IS HARD TO FIND
By Eddie Green
Marion Harris – 1919
Wilbur C. Sweatman’s Jazz Orchestra – 1919
Viola McCoy – 1927
Eddie Condon & His Band – 1940
Butch Stone – 1942
Frank Sinatra – 1951
George Lewis – 1953
Big Maybelle – 1956
Brenda Lee – 1959
Also recorded by: Trinity; Di Anne Price; Bix Beiderbecke; Fats Waller; Rosemary Clooney; Les Brown;
Champion Jack Dupree; Barbra Streisand; Frances Faye; Hank Thompson; Lizzie Miles; Louis Prima;
Carol Channing; Nancy Wilson; Ralph Sutton; Juanita Hall; Kid Ory; Judith Durham; Dorothy Loudon;
Bob Wills, to name a few.

I should be finished with the first draft of my book about Eddie at the beginning of June. I have the feeling that this year will be a good time for this book to become available. To my knowledge, Eddie’s song has been performed in two recent movies, “Bessie” and “Blue Jasmin” (a Woody Allen movie). I love the fact that this song has endured and remained relevant all these years. Eddie died in 1950, so he was only aware of a few of these people performing the song. While he was alive he knew a few of the people on the above list, like Fats Waller and Frank Sinatra. Oh yeah, and Sophie Tucker, he knew Sophie, she used Eddie’s song as her “torch” song (if you are too young to remember Sophie Tucker, look her up, she was what they called a “real hot mama” back in the day.

My father continues to provide the inspiration that helps me stay focused on this book-writing process, as do those who read my posts and those who comment. Eddie has shown me that there are obstacles in life, Eddie had them as a Black man living his life in the early 20th century through 1950, but he never stopped moving forward, he went on to write 29 more songs, to perform on Broadway and radio, and even to write, produce and star in his own movies, as I have mentioned in previous posts and will elaborate on in future posts. I am experiencing a sense of optimism through tracing Eddie’s life and I hope I am able to pass this feeling on. Thanks so much for stopping by.

May 16, 2015 elvagreen123

FROM NEW YORK TO HOLLYWOOD

1939 Downtown District-Manhattan-Courtesy Google Images

I am deep into writing my book about my father, Eddie Green, and his life as a star of Stage, Screen and Radio, and how he has become literally wiped from most people’s memory, I believe, because he died in 1950, and when he died his works were put aside by those who knew him, and life moved on. Now, for me as an adult with a grandson, I am trying to document Eddie’s time on this earth because Eddie contributed much to society, despite the poverty of his family, and the segregation of his time. As I began to discover, through my research, what my father had accomplished, I was rather upset that even though Eddie worked with some of the greats of the 30s and 40s, he is not remembered as they are remembered. So I am trying to change that with my book.

Unfortunately, I wind up putting my posting aside. I know there is no one I need to apologize to for not posting more often, but I also know had I not started this blog, I may not have started actually writing my book. The research began some years ago, and, for someone who may be contemplating book-writing, research is on-going.

Over the past month I have discovered a Paramount Contract Eddie had in 1945, I have read scripts from some of his movies (I will get to those later), and I have found about fifteen original photos from the sets of Eddie’s movies. It’s fascinating and absolutely unexpected.

But before I get to that part of Eddie’s life, I will share with you what I found today. I have been searching the World Wide Web for just the right thing to share and lo and behold, I came across the best picture.

Eddie lived in New York for a large part of his career. He lived in Manhattan and worked in Harlem. He was called “The Harlem Funster”. In 1937 Rudy Vallee had a Radio Program on NBC-Blue Network and when Mr. Vallee went on his summer vacation, he convinced his sponsor, Fleischman’s Yeast, to hire Louie Armstrong to host the show for the summer. In 1937, at Vallée’s insistence, Louis Armstrong hosted the show during Vallée’s summer vacation. This made Armstrong the first African American to host a national network program. Guess who shared billing with Mr. Armstrong as one of the shows comedians.

According to BALLSTON SPA DAILY JOURNAL, BALLSTON SPA, NEW YORK, FRIDAY, APRIL 9, 1937:

A new variety show, an all-negro revue, makes its debut on* WJZ-NBC revue, at 9 p.m. Based on the hot rhythm of Harlem as dispensed by Louis Armstrong’s orchestra, together with his trumpet, it will present Eddie Green and Gee Gee James, comedy team, and guest artists. The script is being put together by Octavus Roy Cohen.

Below is the picture I mentioned, celebrating this huge event.

Left to right are Luis Rusell, Eddie Green, Gee,-Gee James aid Louie Armstrong, •/ho on Friday night, over station WJZ, under the sponsorship of the Flelschman Yeast Company, made show world history.—Photo by Continental News. — Left to right are Luis Rusell, Eddie Green, Gee,-Gee James and Louie Armstrong,
•/ho on Friday night, over station WJZ, under the sponsorship of the Flelschman
Yeast Company, made show world history.—Photo by Continental News.

RECEIVE CONGRATULATIONS FROM COAST-TO-COAST
APRIL 17, 1937
T h e Pitttburgh Courier

The first time I have ever seen this picture. It’s too bad Mr. Armstrong is difficult to see, but it’s an old picture and I have a cheap printer. Anyhow, there they are. Making history. But who remembers Eddie Green? Well, I guess I do and I am sharing him with the world of today, not just because Eddie became “somebody”, despite the obstacles, but because there are still people who believe they cannot achieve their goals because of seeming obstacles.

Of course, we have to put in the work, acquire as much knowledge as we can about our pursuits, and if we have a talent, put it out there. I read that my father said that talent is respected in his business, and you have to keep at it because all the work and practice and time you put in pays off in the end.

Speaking of work. Right after the ending of the Fleischman Yeast’s Summer Program, Eddie was off to Hollywood where he appeared on “Showboat” a radio program which I talked about on my previous post. But before he left New York, Eddie had another bit of business to attend to, per the Pittsburgh Courier “Eddie Green, the radio comic, has gone Into the restaurant bis. He’s now the proud owner of a Bar-Bee-Q eatery off 139th” street on Seventh avenue. .”

Busy, the man was busy.

Thanks for stopping by.
*

May 8, 2015 elvagreen123

Outstanding in His Field

A Woman’s a Fool – to Be Clever

National Theater

Opening Date:October 18, 1938

Closing Date:October 22, 1938

Playwright: Dorothy Bennett, Link Hannah

Opening Night Cast

	Vera Allen	Christine Foster
	Donald Foster	Lew Lerner
	Eddie Green	Major
	Margie Ann Kaufman	Rosemary Littleproud
	Ian Keith	Jeff Foster
	Edith Meiser	Josephine Lerner
	Edwin Philips	Eddie Sommers
	Sandra Stanton	Minerva Himmelman

It’s too bad this play had only seven performances. According to the critics, it was a flop. However, the critics were in agreement that, Eddie Green as “the cast’s lone Negro actor” gave the best performance. Eddie, in the role of butler and coachman for the Foster family, was “genuinely funny.” The newspaper articles mentioned also that Eddie had appeared many times as a guest on Rudy Vallee’s radio hour, and that he had also held a spot with Gee Gee James over the airways with Louie Armstrong and his revue.

The Pittsburgh Courier said “Even Walter Winchell, in his review of the play published in the Daily Mirror agrees “that the most popular member of the earnest little troupe is Eddie Green.” And “to him is entrusted a few sallies.”

Walter Winchell worked for the New York Daily Mirror where he became the author of what would be the first syndicated gossip column, titled On-Broadway.

Using connections in the entertainment, social, and governmental realms, he would expose exciting or embarrassing information about celebrities in those industries. . His newspaper column was syndicated in over 2,000 newspapers worldwide, and he was read by 50 million people a day from the 1920s until the early 1960s. His Sunday-night radio broadcast was heard by another 20 million people from 1930 to the late 1950s. It was a big deal then to get a thumbs-up from Mr. Winchell. My mom did not have a lot of information about Eddie before she married him , but she did know about the mention from Mr. Winchell, so this was one item I grew up having knowledge of, and I knew, even as a child the importance of a Walter Winchell mention.

Growing up I knew so much less about my father than I do now, but I always had a sense of pride in his accomplishments, though for a long time I wished he hadn’t died and left me. Anywho, Eddie did die in 1950, and with the book I am writing I have gotten as far as 1940. Soon I will need to have a title, something like “Eddie Green, Star of Stage, Screen and Radio” or, Eddie Green, Renaissance Man, or “Who Was Eddie Green?”, or “An In-Depth Look At A Forgotten Star”. I have had sixty different titles in my head. Suggestions are welcomed.

Thank you, for stopping by.

May 4, 2015 elvagreen123

HOOKUPS

EDDIE GREEN SIGNED FOR NBC HOOKUP

NEW YORK

Billed on Broadway and elsewhere as an ace black-face comedian, Eddie Green has been signed for twenty-six weeks to co-feature on a bill with Ernest Whitman and Charles Winnenger. The program will be aired every Sunday from 10 o’clock to 11:00 over WEAF NBC national hookup. Nothing new to EG who worked several seasons very successfully with Rudy V., in fact so successfully he was returned 3 times by popular demand. Leaving the Vallee hour a year ago, he worked through a long term contract engagement at the Apollo, where with his original style of getting laughs won an uncountable following. June 22, 1935, Pittsburgh Courier.

The program for which Eddie was signed was “Uncle Charlie’s Tent Show”. Charles Winninger was “Uncle Charley”. Charles Winnenger (May 26, 1884-January 27, 1969), was a stage and film actor, who began in Vaudeville, and became known for his role in a Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II musical “Show Boat” in 1927, 1932 and in film in 1936. Mr. Winninger would go on to appear in over 20 films.

Each Sunday night Uncle

Charley’s Tent Show parades into your loudspeaker

amid a blare of parade revelry as the performers meander down

the streets of a designated city and come to a

stop in front of the canvas top which houses their act.

Two of those performers were Eddie Green and Ernest Whitman, who were cast as Sam and Jerry, were the only Negro comedians on a network , according to the August 3, 1935 issue of Radio Guide magazine.

Eddie Green, (left), my father, was at this time, a stage and radio performer, who had performed in Vaudeville, and Ernest Whitman (February 21, 1893-August 5, 1954), was a stage and screen actor who had appeared in a number of films, including “Green Pastures”, “, Gone With The Wind”, Stormy Weather and “The Lost Weekend”.

Eddie and Ernest would team up later and record a song together, and Eddie also went on to Hollywood to join the cast of the Showboat Radio program, starring Charles Winnenger as (Cap’n Henry), see above picture.

It was on the “Show Boat” radio program that my father and Hattie McDaniel (first Black female Oscar winner, for her role in the movie “Gone With The Wind”), performed the comedy skit, “Ulysses and the Siren”, which was a poem, written by Samuel Daniel 1562-1619 (who knew?).

Here is a picture of two versions of “Ulysses and the Siren”.

Neither one the these pictures look anything like Eddie and Hattie. Of course, looks don’t really matter when you are broadcasting over the radio, do they? Hattie actually went on to be cast in the 1936 film version of “Showboat”.

These people worked together and I believe they looked out for each other. During the 30s times were hard for everybody, but the entertainment industry was there to provide a bit of relief. Radio was going strong.

Of course, there is always somebody with a different opinion. One was a writer with the Knickerbocker News. I found this article but I have not been able to print it all because the type just won’t act right, but she started out by saying “What that Eddie Green is doing in radio I don’t know. I still can’t see his type of comedy.” Good thing she was not in the majority. Anyhow, they say even bad publicity is good, cause it means people are talking about you, you are causing a stir, people are noticing you. In Eddie’s case it was a good thing. Find what you do best and go out there and get noticed. Have fun and spread the love.

I have a picture of Eddie and Hattie, after she won her Oscar.For those of you who don’t know, Hattie is the fifth person from the left, and Eddie is the second man from the left. My mom is here also, first lady on the left. She told me she could not remember whose house they were in at the time, but it was definitely in Los Angeles. Thanx for stopping by.

April 27, 2015 elvagreen123

YOU ARE UNIQUE, RUN WITH IT

Today, first, I want to wish all those suffering from the devastating earthquakes in Nepal an eventual sense of peace and comfort through those who have been able to help, and I am sad that so many others are using their energy to hurt rather than to help.

Now, on to the purpose of this blog. Inspiring those who would like to accomplish something specific, but are reluctant to do so, because of seeming obstacles. My father, Eddie Green, has been a great example to me, of a person who started out with rags (in various senses of the word) and rose to riches. Eddie’s rise was not rocket-like. But it was steady and continual.

Eddie was born in 1891, he left home at about age nine, got work where he could performing as a child magician in churches and whatnot until he got work in various theaters, by 1909 he was married for the first time, 1917 he was drafted for WWI and wrote his first song, he spent the 20s on the Vaudevile and Burlesque stage, in the 30s he got married again and started his radio career. By 1936 Eddie was 45 years old and still climbing.

No, this is not Eddie.

On April 18, 1936 Mr. Joe Bostic of Radiograph wrote an article about Eddie. He chose Eddie’s performance on the Rudy Valley radio show as the “peak radio performance of the Week.” It was the second time within a month that Eddie’s performance had been chosen. He said that “Eddie Green, it seems to be, is more than a new star in the radio firmament, he is a symbol of what race artists might achieve if they have a distinctive and individual entertainment idea to offer.” He also states “We doff our hat to a sterling performer and a great fellow.” Hear Eddie Green Thursday night WEAF 8 p.m.

Eddie’s distinctive and individual entertainment idea was to perform skits, with scripts written by John Tucker Battle, of people from certain literature, such as, The Courtship of Miles Standish, which I have just learned, is a poem written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow about a love triangle involving pilgrims who may have actually been real people; and Sir Galahad and the Knights of the Round Table, I guess these skits were sort of a “What if the Knights of the Round Table were Black” kind of thing. The skits were part of a sketch called “Heroes Wuz People”. Eddie acted out these skits with a Negro’s impression (according to the Daily Herald) and evidently they were so funny he kept getting called back to the show.

On September 3, 1936, The Daily Herald announced: Rudy Vallee to Present Karloff, Eddie Green – Mr. Karloff was there to do a dramatic sketch.

And Eddie was there to perform a humorous sketch titled “Adam and Eve”. What if Adam and Eve were Black?

This same year, Eddie performed, on the Rudy Vallee radio program, “Jonah and the Whale” – The general consensus was this was his funniest skit of all.

My very first set of books was bought for me by Eddie. Moby Dick, The Last of the Mohicans, Sir Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, The Count of Monte Cristo. As a young child these books were a connection to my father, now I see they were a connection to his entertainment career. The set of books looked something like this:

Unfortunately, sometime before I turned ten, we needed some cash, so mom sold the books. I still consider those books a legacy from my father. Eddie was obviously a reader. He taught himself.

Those appearances on the Vallee show when Eddie portrayed these classic characters, were added rungs up Eddie’s ladder to success.

Keep reading and thanks for stopping by.

April 12, 2015 elvagreen123

YOU TOO CAN BE PRESIDENT

my brother

Here is a picture of my Brudder Brian (I love my brother.) He is very happy for me. Well, he would be if he knew what I am going to post about. Since Sibling Day has just passed I will use his picture anyway, cause I know he will be happy for me when he learns about my latest find.

Research is a never-ending tool of non-fiction writing, I am finding. And I am absolutely suited to spending hours pouring over maps and newspapers and searching websites. I have had help, also. From the folks who read my posts. From people I have found on-line, and from one person who heard me on the radio. I have received cd’s, an original portrait, lyrics to my father’s (Eddie Green) songs.

There is a gentleman who told me about a library in Beverly Hills, where I have found scripts for a couple of Eddie’s movies and even a contract Eddie had with Paramount Motion Pictures. I found a letter that was written by a censor about one of Eddie’s racier movies (he made five movies). I even received a Press Sheet in regard to this comedy of Eddie’s from 1940:

EG in "One Round Jones" — EG in “One Round Jones”

Eddie is the one with his mouth wide open-I guess he is winning.

I have received messages of support for this blog and I even have a couple of people who want to read the book I am writing about my father. This has become much more than a one woman project and helps keep a smile on my face. But you know there are always things that just do not want to work out, at first.

At one point in 1922, Eddie made his first foray into the movie business, in Washington, D.C. Over the past few years, I have not been able to find anything more than a couple of two line articles about this business. Very frustrating. But today I found a listing where I never before thought to look:

10th Annual Edition, 1922-23

THE FIRST COLORED

Professional, Clerical, Skilled and Business

DIRECTORY

OF BALTIMORE CITY

With Washington, Wilmington and Annapolis Annex

PRICE 5O CENTS

Sold at AFRO-AMERICAN OFFICE. Eutaw St. and Druid Hill Avenue
and R. W. COLEMAN. Publisher. 418 Federal St., Baltimore. Maryland

————————————————————————————-

DEANWOOD MOTION PICTURES CORP.

308 SOUTHERN AID BUILDING
WASHINGTON, D. C.

Capitalization $200,000 Stock $1.25 per share.

Edward Green, President.
Anything that you want to know about Moving Pictures, Write us.

Eddie’s business is the first listing on the page. Not only do I now have the verification, I also have the address and money info. I am sure more will be revealed, which can go into my second rough draft of the book.

So, everything is cool and life is good. Thanks, for stopping by.

April 7, 2015 elvagreen123

Hard Work and Perseverance Equals Cash Money

Hello! In my head today, it is 1925, and my father, Eddie Green, who is now 33 years old, is working at Minsky’s. Minsky’s Burlesque is a theater run by the Minsky brothers, Abraham Minsky (Abe), Michael Minsky (Billy), Herbert Minsky and Morton Minsky. Eddie, at the time was what one article called, Billy’s right hand man. I have not actually verified that but I came across an article from the Baltimore Afro-American newspaper that had high praise for Eddie’s role with Minsky, at what was then called the “Little Apollo” on 125th Street in New York.

Eddie has by now, written a few songs, he has gotten married and started a family and signed up for the WWI draft. He’s become a music producer and has even spent some time in Washington, D.C. in 1922, starting up a movie production company, Deanwood Productions. He has played a few vaudeville shows all across the country, Eddie is beginning to make a name for himself.

Which, I imagine, is why, a few months after the famous Minsky raid (due to a young performer ending her act bare-chested with her arms over her head), an article appeared giving Eddie kudos. I can’t print the Baltimore Afro-American article, but I can share a portion: “Eddie Green, East Baltimore Boy Is Now Making Good” is the headline. “Eddie Green Makes Stock Record, Finishes 45 Weeks Engagement with White Company in New York.” ” Will Stage 5 Burlesque Shows.” “Former Member of Daly’s Is Now In Forefront of Profession.”

The article goes on to mention Eddie’s recording contract with Paramount, and his dancing studio on 46th Street. It says that Eddie had been re-engaged with a considerable increase in salary, and that those fat salaried contracts should keep him quite busy.

The opinion is that “Green’s success is another feather in the hat of East Baltimore”, probably referring to other celebrities who were East Baltimoreans.

Oh yea, I may have written this before but the article also says Eddie’s success is a good example of work and perseverance.

Perseverance. Works for me.

Come back again, won’t you?

March 24, 2015 elvagreen123

TEN PIN not TIN PAN, and no bowling!

Edward Green Draft Registration Card 1917-1918

I absolutely do not expect anybody to read the above, because it is so small, it’s just that I suffer with a need to show verification of my findings and maybe whoever is reading this can see my father’s signature on this draft card on the left side. This is the most foolproof way for me to know that I am discussing the right Eddie Green. If you are new to this blog, this is where I am journaling about my father’s life as an entertainer back in the day, way back. Along with this project, I am writing a book about my father. I started this blog also as a way to share my journey and to, hopefully, provide inspiration to those who need a push to get out there and pursue their dreams.

I stumbled across this 1917-1918 draft card a few days ago while looking for some other unrelated information about my father. Now that I have an up-to-date computer system, I have access to more records. This card provided a lot of new information, for example, it listed Eddie’s address as1405 Ten Pin Alley, Baltimore. So, of course, I went on-line to find this address, but it no longer exists, which is not surprising. What I did find was this:

And This:

bathroom — This is the plaque on the door at Ten Pin Alley

I finally found the Index of Streets and Alleys found in Records, Plats, Atlases and Miscellaneous Drawings
at the Baltimore City Archives compiled by Rebecca Gunby, 1993. And there between Pratt Street and Washington Blvd. I found Ten Pin Alley. It was actually an alley that people lived in, in 1917.

10 Ft Alley: n of Pratt St 1959 M4205
10 Ft. Alley: Ten Pin Alley
10 Ft Alley: Washington Blvd
Here is a picture of Fells Point Alley, which was located in about the same area.

Eddie, who was still calling himself Edward, and who had a wife and child, and who would, in a few months write his first and most famous hit song “A Good Man Is Hard To Find”, probably could not imagine to what heights his talents would take him while he was living on Ten Pin Alley in 1917, or maybe he could. Maybe he saw himself jamming on Tin Pan Alley, I don’t know. What I do know is that I found a May 1949 article that says:. ” . . . It is now being said by Pigmeat Markham and John Mason, a duo of funny lads themselves, that Eddie has so much money now that he has stopped counting it and started weighing it.”

That’s all for now, good people. Thanks for stopping by.