Emil Coleman & His Orchestra

Artist: Emil Coleman & His Orchestra

LP: 7" single

Song: "Walter Winchell Rumba"

[ listen ]

Born in Odessa, Russia (it's now Ukraine) in 1892, Emil Coleman (and his orchestra) became a fixture in New York City's high-society nightlife during the first half of the 20th century. He had a regular gig at the Empire Room of the Waldorf Astoria and was always good for an invigorating "Bunny Hug" or even a "Turkey Trot" if you caught him in the right mood. Also, Emil Coleman collected watches. You can read more about him in the notes from this two-disc EP which I believe is from 1958. As for Walter Winchell & His Rumba...I chose this track for posting since Walt had a cameo in DAISY KENYON, a 1947 Joan Crawford vehicle my friend Ryan and I watched last week—Winchell appeared briefly as himself in a scene set at NYC's Stork Club, which was re-created on the sound stages of 20th Century Fox. A famous news and radio personality who evidently invented the gossip column, Winchell was also an early supporter of Senator McCarthy, and used his radio program to denounce people as Communists—including Josephine Baker, who, as a result, was denied a Visa to re-enter the USA. Winchell was reportedly taking revenge on Baker, who had criticized him for not taking a stand against the racist, discriminatory policies of the afore-mentioned Stork Club—but the real one. You can read more about Walter Winchell on Wikipedia here, where they fail to mention how he ended up having a rumba named after him. They do, however, note that only one person showed up at his funeral.

 

 [ Emil Coleman: June 19, 1892 — January 26, 1965 ]