"A rose by
any other
name..."
any other
name..."
This is an
important
date on the
Shady Dell
calendar.
Our dear friend
Margaret Schneider,
who for years
inspired us as
"The Oldest Living
Dell Rat"... was
born April 18, 1912,
108 years ago today.
Margaret's father built the
Shady Dell and the family
became its first occupants
when Margaret (right)
was one year old.
To celebrate Margaret's
birthday this year,
I posted three songs
that remind me of her,
three musical relics of
the past that I think she
would enjoy and might
even have known in
her early years.
THE GALE SISTERS
When I worked in TV, we shot news footage
on "mag film" (magnetic sound-on-film) as
opposed to optical sound-on-film. By 1931,
when Margaret Schneider was age nineteen,
(she's eighteen in the picture at right) optical
sound-on-film had been adopted by the movie
industry for use in its talkies. The Movietone,
one of the methods of optical sound recording,
was used commercially in theaters from the
mid 20s through the 30s. You are about to
watch an early Movietone film clip.
These four performing sisters were billed as The Dancing Gale Quadruplets,
but they were actually two sets of twins. In 1931, the vaudeville act appeared
in George White's Scandals, the long-running string of Broadway revues
produced by White. Of the four Gale Sisters, only Jane Gale (real name
Helen Gilmartin) is possibly still alive, given the fact that death dates
are provided for the other three but none for her. Jane/Helen was born
in 1911, the year before Margaret was born. If it's true, if she's still
living, she will celebrate her 109th birthday this July. Now please
watch and listen as The Gale Sisters perform "The Dance."
The Gale Sisters aka The Dancing Gale Quadruplets
(1930 Fox Movietone outtake of "The Dance"
from George White's Scandals of 1931)
MARTHA TILTON, LEO DIAMOND,
JIMMIE DODD & VINCE BARNETT
Similar to the Scopitones of the 50s and 60s, Soundies were three minute
musical films produced in the 1940s and played in public places on
coin-operated movie jukeboxes called Panorams.
This being an election year, and with the threat of the coronavirus wreaking
havoc across America, I present the 1941 short What The Country Needs.
Big band era singer Martha Tilton aka "The Liltin' Miss Tilton" performs
the song accompanied by harmonica player Leo Diamond. At the 1:50
mark, be sure to catch Jimmie Dodd, the good-natured fellow who, the
following decade, became famous as leader of The Mouseketeers on
The Mickey Mouse Club. In this Soundie, Jimmy appears as a singing
paper boy. Next comes a vocal part by Vince Barnett before Martha
finishes the piece. Dear Margaret, this is for you.
musical films produced in the 1940s and played in public places on
coin-operated movie jukeboxes called Panorams.
This being an election year, and with the threat of the coronavirus wreaking
havoc across America, I present the 1941 short What The Country Needs.
Big band era singer Martha Tilton aka "The Liltin' Miss Tilton" performs
the song accompanied by harmonica player Leo Diamond. At the 1:50
mark, be sure to catch Jimmie Dodd, the good-natured fellow who, the
following decade, became famous as leader of The Mouseketeers on
The Mickey Mouse Club. In this Soundie, Jimmy appears as a singing
paper boy. Next comes a vocal part by Vince Barnett before Martha
finishes the piece. Dear Margaret, this is for you.
"What The Country Needs" (Soundie)
Martha Tilton, Leo Diamond, Jimmie Dodd
and Vince Barnett (scene from 1941 short
What The Country Needs)
and Vince Barnett (scene from 1941 short
What The Country Needs)
THE BOSWELL SISTERS
To wind up Margaret's tribute, here are The Boswell Sisters, a jazz
vocal trio that was one of the most popular acts of the 1920s and 30s.
The Boswell Sisters were among the earliest stars of radio. They released
many records and appeared in films. In 1998 the Boswells were inducted
into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. Raised in New Orleans, Martha, Connee
and Helvetia "Vet" Boswell received formal classical music training on
piano, cello and violin respectively. In addition, The Boswell girls
were exposed to African-American blues singers, and their
soulful singing style reflects that early influence.
In 1932, at the height of The Great Depression, The Boswell
Sisters went to Washington, D.C., put on their happy faces
and sang the optimistic song "Put That Sun Back In The Sky"
for legislators and for the benefit of the American people.
The song is especially relevant today as America faces one
of its greatest challenges ever in dealing with COVID-19.
vocal trio that was one of the most popular acts of the 1920s and 30s.
The Boswell Sisters were among the earliest stars of radio. They released
many records and appeared in films. In 1998 the Boswells were inducted
into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. Raised in New Orleans, Martha, Connee
and Helvetia "Vet" Boswell received formal classical music training on
piano, cello and violin respectively. In addition, The Boswell girls
were exposed to African-American blues singers, and their
soulful singing style reflects that early influence.
In 1932, at the height of The Great Depression, The Boswell
Sisters went to Washington, D.C., put on their happy faces
and sang the optimistic song "Put That Sun Back In The Sky"
for legislators and for the benefit of the American people.
The song is especially relevant today as America faces one
of its greatest challenges ever in dealing with COVID-19.
"Put That Sun Back In The Sky"
- The Boswell Sisters (perf. for legislators
in Washington, D.C. on May 7, 1932
- The Boswell Sisters (perf. for legislators
in Washington, D.C. on May 7, 1932
As you saw in that film clip, the middle sister, Connee Boswell, sang from a wheechair.
Unbeknownst to most fans, Connee had been confined to a wheelchair from the age
of three after suffering a near-fatal bout of polio. Her disease-weakened wrist
forced her to change the spelling of her name from "Connie" to "Connee"
because, when signing autographs, the repeated dotting of the "i" caused
her severe pain and cramping. When The Boswell Sisters broke up in
1936, Connee continued to perform as a solo artist and went on to
become recognized as one of the greatest jazz female vocalists
of the 20th century, a major influence on Ella Fitzgerald.
Connee Boswell is an inspiration. Through tough times she kept on smiling.
Her determination to overcome adversity, to survive and thrive, reminds
me of someone I knew and greatly admired - Margaret Schneider.
of three after suffering a near-fatal bout of polio. Her disease-weakened wrist
forced her to change the spelling of her name from "Connie" to "Connee"
because, when signing autographs, the repeated dotting of the "i" caused
her severe pain and cramping. When The Boswell Sisters broke up in
1936, Connee continued to perform as a solo artist and went on to
become recognized as one of the greatest jazz female vocalists
of the 20th century, a major influence on Ella Fitzgerald.
Connee Boswell is an inspiration. Through tough times she kept on smiling.
Her determination to overcome adversity, to survive and thrive, reminds
me of someone I knew and greatly admired - Margaret Schneider.
Happy 108th birthday, dear Margaret.
We love you and miss you!
Happy Birthday, dear Margaret! A birthday celebration fit for a queen and a very special lady.
ReplyDeleteI've never met Margaret, but listening to the Boswell Sisters, the Dancing Gale Quadruplets, and Jimmie Dodd, I could see Margaret dancing to these pieces at an earlier time. She would have loved your post today, dear friend. I can see the warm smile and the tears of joy streaming when Kathleen would show her your posts in years past. They always filled me with joyful tears and a lot of smiles.
I know I've said this for the past two years, but I truly believe that Nan, my great grandma and Margaret have become friends in heaven. I bet they're all celebrating Margaret today with these songs, a bunch of flowers, and a big strawberry short cake.
Thank you for keeping Margaret's memory alive, dear friend. I wish I knew her personally because she was such an interesting and great woman. I'm glad I got to know her through your blogs.
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteThank you very much for being the early bird on a Saturday, dear friend!
I especially thank you for leaving such a great and thoughtful comment as we honor Margaret Schneider on her birthday.
I'm glad you appreciated the opportunity to get to know Margaret through following my blogs, and it pleases me that you recognized in Margaret the same fine qualities that I and many others did. Were Margaret still alive today, I am sure she would be taking the viral outbreak in stride and in good spirits, the same resourceful manner in which she met every challenge she encountered during her long life. What a beautiful thought that Margaret, Nan and your great Grandma have become friends in heaven and are celebrating Margaret's special day together. I agree there's a good chance Margaret knew and listened to some of the musical guests in this post and might have seen the Gale Quads perform their synchronized tap dance routine.
Thank you again for coming to the party early and for leaving this tremendous comment. Have a safe and happy weekend, dear friend JM!
Hi Shady,
DeleteGreat Grandma's 110th birthday would be 3 May and Nan's 97th birthday would have been 4 May. All three of their birthdays aren;t too far apart!Nan's cake was always strawberry short cake and that was tradition. Last year, I made myself a GF and dairy free strawberry short cake on her birthday. I still keep the tradition alive.
I love when you play these older tunes. I love hearing what people listened to in the 30s and 40s. Great grandma immigrated to the US from Ireland in the 30s, so I bet she listened to these songs while she was immigrating. Ah, like you, I love imagining!
I hope Kathleen is holding up well. I was thinking of both of you yesterday. Have a great Monday, dear friend.
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteThanks for returning to follow our thread, dear friend!
I always enjoy learning more about your family and its history. It surely is coincidental that so many birthdays are clustered together. Mrs. Shady's birthday is 2 May, our granddaughter's is 5 May (Cinco de Mayo) and the date of Margaret Schneider's death is also coming up in May.
I'm happy to know that you carry on the tradition of having strawberry short cake every year on Nan's birthday, albeit GF and dairy free. It's cool that your great Grandma was an Irish immigrant. If she was born in 1910, then there is a good chance that she was entertained by The Gale Sisters, Martha Tilton and The Boswell Sisters. In "What The Country Needs," Vince Barnett, the crooner near the end of the song, sounds an awful lot like Bing Crosby, I think.
Thanks for thinking about Kathleen at this bittersweet time of the year. I hope you and your family will stay healthy as we continue to plod our way through the pandemic crisis. Have a good week, dear friend JM!
Hi Shady,
DeleteShe probably did. I wish I could still ask her. She passed away in November 2009, at 99.5. She almost made 100!
We're coping. I hope you're coping as well. Have a great week too, dear friend.
PS. I thought about writing the stories great grandma and Nan told me while they were still alive. I also want to start writing about the times I spent with them growing up. I was close to Nan and spent more time with her, but I did spend time with great grandma too. Nan was dad's mom, great grandma was mom's grandma.
DeleteMy dad was adopted and mom's mother was adopted too. I did my DNA and I'm curious about my lineage. I've decided to become an amateur genealoigist and I'm going to see if I can uncover any of their biological roots. I'm a bit nervous; dad is not interested, but I am. If I do it now, I'll definitely write about it.
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteThanks for dropping in this evening, dear friend! It would make an interesting quarantine project for you to compile stories that Nan and your great grandma told you in your earlier years. If you choose to share them on your blog, I'd love to read them. It would also be exciting if you could find out anything about your family tree, especially since both your dad and your grandma were adopted. If you'd care to write about your findings, I'd be interested in that, too. A couple of years ago my great uncle contacted me and sent me information on my father's ancestors in Europe. He traced them all the way back to the 1500s. It was fun to read about their lives, loves and occupations.
Thanks again for coming by, dear friend JM!
Hi Shady! It's a special day for a special lady! Wonder what Margaret would be thinking about this Pandemic mess we're in right now! She would just grin and bear it. I'm sure Margaret lived through many ordeals with our country's natural disasters, war and disease. This is truly a fine birthday celebration in her honor.
ReplyDeleteMargaret would have enjoyed The Gale Sisters (I'm sure she knew of them. Their video was so cute, and they actually all look alike-great dancers too! I do remember Jimmy from the Mickey Mouse Club, and I knew he did a bit of acting too! We were faithful watchers of that program! The songs you offered for Margaret's celebration are all fitting for her day AND ours right now, Shady!
I enjoyed this post, and appreciated seeing the fantastic videos. Happy Birthday, dear Margaret! ♥
Hi, Suzanne!
DeleteThanks a lot for coming by, dear friend! I appreciate you breaking away from watching Scootie and your other responsibilities to help me pay tribute to our dear friend, Margaret Schneider, fondly known for years as "The Oldest Living Dell Rat," on the 108th anniversary of her birth.
Yessum, I am sure that Margaret would be stoic and stouthearted as she waited for the threat of the COVID-19 outbreak to subside. Margaret did indeed weather many storms in her long life, not the least of which was the terrible 1918 Spanish flu pandemic that struck when she was only six years old. Margaret's strength and courage are legend.
I wish I could find out for sure if "Jane Gale" (Helen Gilmartin) is still alive. Death dates are available for her three sisters but not for her, leading me to have faith that she might still be with us. If so she is one of the oldest Americans and will turn 109 three months from now. Let me know if you can find any evidence to the contrary.
I'm glad you enjoyed seeing Jimmie Dodd in a film short released 14 years before he became the easy going Head Mouseketeer on The Mickey Mouse Club. Unfortunately Jimmie had a short life. He died of cancer at age 54. Mouseketeer Cheryl was the last to see Jimmie alive and sadly she too died young, also of cancer, at age 64.
I'm glad you enjoyed the selection of songs and film clips for Margaret's birthday tribute. Ironically I had all of them embedded in the post many months ago, long before the coronavirus pandemic. The songs certainly do apply to what we are all going through now. I hope they inspired you and gave you something to smile about today.
Thanks again for being here for Margaret, dear friend Suzanne. Take care of yourself and Scootie and enjoy the rest of your weekend!
How nice of you, Shady, to keep Margaret's spirit alive in this way. It is interesting that the Gale sisters and I share the fact that all four of their names begin with a "J" and my 3 sisters and I all have names that begin with that letter as well, JoAnn, Judy, Janet and Jaye. Let's hope the optimism of the Boswell Sisters is as infectious as the pandemic. Great job my friend.
ReplyDeleteHi, Janet!
DeleteThank you very much for coming over, dear friend!
I am delighted to have you here to help me observe an important date on the Shady Dell calendar, the birth of Dell VIP Margaret Schneider, the little girl who, along with her family, made the Dell her home starting at age one and lived to the age of 105.
It's cool that you have three sisters and all four of you have names that start with the letter "J" as did the tap dancing Gale Sisters. It's even more of a coincidence that my mother was also one of four daughters, although their first names all began with different letters. I wonder if you remember the popular 1930s/40s Four Daughters film series starring Priscilla Lane and her sisters. I saw all of those films in 2007, a year that I binge watched hundreds of movies released in the mid 20th century and earlier, many in black and white and some from the silent era.
I agree, Janet. What the country needs now is infectious enthusiasm and optimism as expressed in the songs in this post. Those Boswell girls really sang soulfully, didn't they?
Janet, I really appreciate your visit today. I wish you had known Margaret Schneider because she was an inspiration to us all. Thanks again for being here and have a safe and healthy weekend, dear friend!
Happy Birthday to you dear, Margaret in heaven! It was joy to know this lovely woman for the brief time that I did and I always look forward to posts on this remarkable gal, Tom. I'm sure Margaret is smiling down on you for thinking of her on her special day and toe tapping to some of the sounds that she grew up up listening to. Now, the Gala Sisters are cute as buttons! Is that Martha Tilton singing in the second vid? Whoever she is, she has a lovely voice! The Boswell Sisters sound familiar. I'm not sure why that is unless I've come across them in my mewsic search. How sad to read Connee suffered with a near-death case of polio! That had to be such a scary time for parents. I wondered why she was sitting. I couldn't tell that was wheelchair, though. You always open my mind with such interesting tidbits on your mewsician features. Have a wonderful day, my friend. Be well!
ReplyDeleteHi, Cathy!
DeleteHow are you, dear friend? Thank you very much for swinging over to help me remember Margaret Schneider on the 108th anniversary of her birth.
It's sweet of you to tell us that you found joy in getting to know Margaret and learn about her long life. Margaret was an inspiration to us all. We can learn many valuable life lessons from the example she set.
Yessum, Martha Tilton aka "The Liltin' Miss Tilton" was a popular singing star of the Big Band era who appeared in a number of movies, primarily in the 30s and 40s. Martha lived a long life compared to many of her contemporaries. She died just before Christmas 2006 at the age of 91. I'm glad you enjoyed the tap dancing Gale Sisters and the singing Boswells. It's nice to think that Margaret enjoyed these performances as well and that they made her smile.
Thanks again for your visit and comment, dear friend Cathy. Take good care of yourself and your family and I'll see you tomorrow on the A to Z trail!
WOW, Martha Tilton had a nice long life, didn't she? You're right it's nice imaging Margaret enjoying these featured artists. I often do the same when I pulled together a tribute for a passed relative. Wouldn't it be cool to actually know if they did listen to them and if they liked them? I'm sorry for not visiting every day, Tom. Have a good evening, my friend!
DeleteHi, Cathy!
DeleteThanks for coming back over, dear friend! No need to apologize for not visiting and commenting every single day. I don't expect that, although I am always interested to read your remarks and learn more about you and your family. I remember your posts dedicated to departed loved ones. Maybe someday all of our questions will be answered and we will know for sure if they saw and appreciated the tributes we the living created for them. The important thing is to keep memories of them alive and that's the good work we are doing.
Thanks again for being here for Margaret again this year on her birthday, dear friend Cathy!
Very nice tribute to Margaret!
ReplyDeleteSo, let's see, 72 years old and next year they'll be 76. That's 4:1, so the Gale sister must've been 18. :)
Have a good week!
Hi, Sherry!
DeleteThanks a lot for being on hand, dear friend, as we pay tribute to Margaret Schneider on the anniversary of her birth all those years ago!
I'm glad you are a mathlete on top of all your other talents. Thanks for doing the calculation and determining that the Gale girls were age 18 in 1930 when they recorded that dance rehearsal for George White's Scandals. One pair of twins was born in 1911 and the other pair in 1912, the same year as Margaret. As I mentioned in the text, one of the sisters in the older set of twins might still be alive. If so she would turn 109 years of age this July! Wouldn't that be something?
Thanks again for being here for Margaret, dear friend Sherry. Have a safe and healthy week!
I always enjoyed the birthday celebrations when her daughter would host them here and I was amazed at how wonderful she looked at her age. She was a beauty young and older! Or as my Father-in-law would say: "Young and younger!" Sorry I'm late to say Happy Birthday dear Margaret but I'm so happy I could enjoy these clips of days gone by with wonderful performers of her time. Her life was so interesting to read about in previous posts and I'm glad to be here to pay tribute to this lovely lady. Happy Birthday in Heaven Margaret! I hope all is well with you Shady! Have a good week!
ReplyDeleteHi, Yaya!
DeleteThank you for coming over, dear friend! I am delighted that you could attend this year's party celebrating Margaret Schneider's birthday. It's hard to comprehend that Margaret entered the world 108 years ago, the same week the Titanic sank.
I'm thrilled that you appreciated going way back to the 30s and early 40s in this tribute post to experience entertainment as it looked and sounded when Margaret was a young woman. I wish Margaret were still with us so that we could ask her if she remembers any of these acts.
Thank you again for dropping in as you have every year for the better part of a decade to wish Margaret a happy birthday. If you have a late update post coming tonight from The Pines I will need to read it in the morning. It's been a long day and I'm ready to shut down and hit the hay. Take good care of yourself and your family and I'll see you soon, dear friend YaYa!
Happy birthday, dear Lady Margaret! If you've stopped in, as I have today, you've seen this delightful tribute Shady arranged in your honor. I've enjoyed the clips of bygone days and hope that you have too.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Shady, for allowing us to share her day with you!
Hi, diedre!
DeleteThank you very much, dear friend, for coming by to express a few kind words in memory of Margaret Schneider during her birthday week.
If there's a heaven somewhere then surely Margaret is one of its finest citizens. I hope she saw the post and read your kind comment. I'm glad you enjoyed the vintage entertainment posted in Margaret's honor.
Thanks again for being here, dear friend diedre, and have a great day!
What I love is when she was still alive and we wrote birthday wishes to her, she loved reading these or her daughter reading them to her and that made me feel good. A happy belated birthday to this wonderful lady who lived through things much worse than what we have. I love the 3 singing peaces you showcase here. Hewr picture at 19 makes me think how mature and beautiful she is compared to how I looked when I was 19....not at all that mature..I still looked like someone playing in the dirt pile.
ReplyDeleteHi, Birgit!
DeleteI am very happy to see you, dear friend. Thanks for being here again this year to honor Margaret on her birthday. I agree with you. If only Margaret were still alive, her eyes would surely be twinkling and a smile would be on her lips as daughter Kathleen read these comments to her. You are also right in concluding that Margaret faced tougher challenges than COVID in her long lifetime, including in early childhood. I'm glad you enjoyed the old time musical entertainment in the post and appreciated the picture of Margaret in her late teens.
Thank you again for coming, dear friend BB!
Well, this was a pleasant surprise. While
ReplyDeleteI'm not familiar with these particular acts (other than the Mouseketeer, via the Disney Channel), I am quite familiar, and have a great fondness for, that whole Tin Pan Alley/tap dance/swing band/chorus line era. Yes, it was before I was born, but movies from the 1930s and 1940s were very common on TV when I was growing up in the 1970s. They've since disappeared from free TV, but can still be found on TCM, which I used to watch religiously back when I had cable. More recently when I've needed an early 20th century show biz fix, I've gone to YouTube. But there I usually Google something obvious like "Fred and Ginger", "Busby Berkeley", "
The Andrew Sisters", or "Cole Porter", not the acts you present today (or, more accurately, last week--I know I'm late.) I've long been impressed by your knack for unearthing rare gems from the rock era on, but that you're also able to do it from before the rock era is more impressive still.
A belated happy birthday to Margaret.
You've always said the Ettlines owned the Shady Dell when you went there as a teen, so I'm curious as how you know Margaret, since I believe she was before then.
Hi, Kirk!
DeleteYou made it over, good buddy... and I appreciate it! Thanks for being here as we celebrate the 108th birthday of a wonderful human being, a member of the First Family of Dell rats, Margaret Schneider.
I suspected that you have an appreciation of Tin Pan Alley and Swing Era bands, singers and dancers. In 2007 I binge watched hundreds of old black & white films on Turner. It gave me a good education on all the great movies I had missed that were released in the mid 20th century and earlier.
Thank you very much for the compliment on digging up these entertainment relics of the distant past, and for leaving a kind birthday message in Margaret's memory. To answer your question, Margaret's daughter Kathleen contacted me in the early 2010s and informed me that Margaret's dad built the Dell in 2012-2013 and that one year old Margaret and her family became its first inhabitants. I never even dreamed the estate was that old! In the years leading up to her death I had the opportunity to get to know Margaret through the stories Kathleen shared on my old blog Shady Dell Music & Memories and here at Shady's Place. You can find those posts by typing Margaret Schneider in the search box of this blog and on SDMM at this address:
https://shadydell.blogspot.com/
Thanks again for your interest and your determination to get a comment posted, good buddy Kirk. Take good care of yourself!