“Shades of prohibition…”

December 13, 2021
1943


“Bartender Boogie”; Jack McVea and His Door Openers; McVea; Mosley; Black & White (766 A); July 1946


Life, December 13, 1943, pp. 38-39 (Photos by Weegee, Thomas D. McAvoy, Edith Rose, Walter Sanders, and Sam Shere)


“Bartender, Fill It up Again!”; Otis Blackwell; Jay-Dee (787); 1954


Life, December 13, 1943, p. 38 (Photo by Weegee)

Shades of prohibition hovers over New York City on Nov. 23, when Federal agents raided three dozen taverns and bars accused of selling bootleg liquor. In the west side as shown here, more than 50 gallons of hooch were found, some of it in bottles of well-known brands. Raiders are tearing the joint to pieces under forfeiture provisions of Internal Revenue law.


“Hey Bartender”; Red Saunders & his Orch.; Joe Williams; R. Hall; Saunders; Okeh (7061); 1955

WHISKY SHORTAGE

Nation drinks what it can as favorite spirit grows scarce.

Throughout the U.S. last week, liquor-store proprietors gave customers the once-over…


“Quiet Whisky”; Wynonie Harris; Schell; Glover; Harris; Weismantel; King (4685); September 11, 1953


Life, December 13, 1943, p. 38

In Washington this liquor store disposes pf all its available whisky each week in a hectic one-hour sale. Clerks handle long lines of customers on a first-come, first-served basis.

In Virginia, where liquor is rationed through Alcoholic Beverage Control Board stores, customers may buy one quart of spirits or a half gallon of table wine per month. In this ABC store stocks are low.


“Hey Bartender”; Floyd Dixon and his Band; Terry; Cat (114); April 1955

“We’re at War…”

December 12, 2021
1941


“If It’s Any News to You”; Clyde Bernhardt and his Blue Blazers; Clyde Bernhardt; Bernhardt; Hilliard; Sonora (109-B); 1946


“Looking the World Over”; Memphis Minnie; Lawler; Okeh (6707); December 12, 1941


“No Good”; Bob Chester and his Orchestra; Alvin; Melisande; Better Bradley; Bluebird (B-11428-B); Publication date; December 12, 1941


“Black Rat Swing”; Little Son Joe; Lawler; Okeh (6707); December 12, 1941


“Blackout”; Erskine Hawkins (The Twentieth Century Gabriel); Averi Parrish; Sam Lowe; Bluebird (B-11192-B); May 15, 1941


PM, December 12, 1941


“And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street” Parts 1 and 2; Sterling Holloway; Harry Sosnik; Dr. Seuss; December 12, 1941

December 12, 1941

“New York Has Skyscrapers for Air Raid Shelters”

December 11, 2021
1941


“If It’s News to You”; Little Esther; Singleton; McCoy; Savoy (1516); May 2, 1956

PM Changes News Arrangement


“B-19”; Harry James and his Orchestra; James; Holmes; Columbia (36478); Publication date: December 11, 1941

Approaches to New York Harbor Mined by Navy


“Skyscraper”; “Flip” Phillips Fliptet; Phillips; Bauer; Neil Hefti; Aaron Sachs; Bill Harris; Joe Phillips; Ralph Burns; Chubby Jackson; Billy Bauer; Dave Tough; Signature (28106-A); October 2, 1944

New York Has Skyscrapers for Air Raid Shelters

Simple Safety Rules Will Save Lives When the Bombers Come

Since the began in 1939, automobiles have killed more civilians in America than bombs in Britain…


“Skyscraper Blues”; Dick Haymes; Gordon Jenkins and His Orchestra; Gordon Jenkins; Tom Adair; Decca (24606 A); December 27, 1947

Simple Rules Show How to Make a Home Safer in Raids


“I’ve Heard That [Air Raid] Before”; Harry James and his Orchestra; Helen Forrest; Styne; Cahn; Columbia (37521); Publication date: December 11, 1941 and “Air Raid”; Major (5026 A); 1960

Blackout Curtains Will Hinder Night Bomb Raiding

‘Ghost’ Stripes Mark Blacked-Out Automobiles

PM, December 11, 1941


“Blackout Blues”; Billie Hayes; Peter Pan; Leslie Beacon; Beacon (5002-A); June 1943

“…a kind of game…”

December 10, 2021
1941, World War II


“Air Raid Sirens”; Major (4023 A); 1960

REMEMBER: A long and a short blast are for an air-raid alarm. A series of short blasts means all clear.


“You Don’t Know What Love Is”; Benny Goodman and his Orch.; Art London; Raye; de Paul; Okeh (6534); December 10, 1941


Full Text of the President’s Address Last Night… …Seven-Day Work Week Announced for War Industries

…Powerful and resourceful gangsters…

The President Says Axis Is at War With Us Now


President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Fireside Chat Following The Declaration Of War On Japan”; December 9, 1941

New York Has Its First Air-Raid Alarms, But the Enemy Fails to Make Appearance

A million schoolchildren were evacuated from their classrooms yesterday as New York had two air-raid alarms – the first of the war. These pupils at PS 34 on Hester Street look on the whole procedure as a kind of game. The alarm found most New Yorkers calm, but left them puzzled as to what it was all about. There is one theory that somebody mistook American planes for the enemy; another holds that it was a staged dress rehearsal. The Army denied the latter theory. Whatever the cause, we needed the practice. PM Photo by Weegee



“Arthur Murray Taught Me Dancing in a Hurry”; Jimmy Dorsey And His Orchestra; Helen O’Connell; Victor Schertzinger; Johnny Mercer; Decca (4122 A); December 10, 1941


“I Remember You”; Jimmy Dorsey And His Orchestra; Bob Eberly; Victor Schertzinger; Johnny Mercer; Decca (4132 A); December 10, 1941

FBI’s Alien Roundup Brings in 335 Prisoners


“Not Mine”; Benny Goodman and his Orchestra; Peggy Lee; Mercer; Schertzinger; Columbia (38280); December 10, 1941

‘I Want to Stay Here,’ Wept This Japanese

PM, December 10, 1941 (Photos by Morris Gordon, Weegee, Harris and Ewing, and Click Magazine)


“Ev’rything I Love”; Jimmy Dorsey And His Orchestra; Bob Eberly; Cole Porter; Decca (4123 B); December 10, 1941

“…Powerful and resourceful gangsters…”

“That Was a Photog!”

December 8, 2021
1941, World War II


“President Roosevelt’s War Message To Congress and The Nation”; Columbia (36516), December 8, 1941







PM, December 8, 1941



The New York Times, December 8, 1941


“President Roosevelt’s War Message To Congress and The Nation (Completion)”; Columbia (36516); December 8, 1941

unthinkable

December 7, 2021
Uncategorized


“Planes”; Major (5051 B); 1960






The New York Times, December 7, 1941

POLICEMAN SLAIN AS HE HALTS GANG WHILE OFF DUTY

135 Detectives Hunt for Killer in Upper East Side Area to Which He Fled in Cab

COMRADE’S HAT A CLUE

Victim Was on Way Home at 4:30 A.M. When He Met Group Believed Bent on Hold-Up


“Air Raid Sirens”; Major (4023 A); 1960



Brooklyn Eagle, December 6, 1941

UNARMED COP, OFF DUTY, SLAIN BY 3 GUNMEN

Cab Driver Sees Killing As Policeman Halts Trio, Starts to Identify Himself


“Air Raid”; Major (5026 A); 1960



PM, December 7, 1941

Gunmen murdered Patrolman Thomas J. Casey…

(Spoiler alert: On January 22, 1943 Frank Castellano, 26, was “electrocuted in Sing Sing prison” for the murder of Thomas J. Casey…)

Castellano looked straight ahead as he entered the death chamber. In the electric chair he leaned over to silently kiss the crucifix held by Father Martin. He said nothing from the time he entered the chamber until he was dead.

Brooklyn Eagle, January 22, 1943


“Explosions”; Major (5033 B); 1960

“unthinkable”

December 7, 2021
1933


“One Minute To One”; Henry King and his Hotel Pierre Orchestra; Joseph Sudy; Lewis; Coots; Vocalion (2599-A); December 7, 1933




The New York Times, December 7, 1933


“Count Your Blessings”; Henry King and his Hotel Pierre Orchestra; Joseph Sudy; Guest; Caesar; Vocalion (2599-B); December 7, 1933



The New York Times, December 7, 1933


“Moon about Town”; Emil Coleman and His Riviera Orchestra; Jerry Cooper; Suesse and Harburg; Columbia (2859-D); December 7, 1933


The New York Times, December 7, 1933


“What Is There to Say?”; Emil Coleman and His Riviera Orchestra; Jerry Cooper; Duke and Harburg; Columbia (2859-D); December 7, 1933

“…photographers atop the marquee of the Hotel Astor set off tray after tray of flashlight powder.”

December 6, 2021
1933


“I Got Hi;” Frank Ervin and His Band; Hurley; Moore; Combo (68-AA); 1955


“Drinking Blues”; Wynonie Harris; Henry Glover; King (4565); June 25, 1952


“Let’s Drink Some Whiskey”; Al Jackson; Reig; Jackson; Roost (607); 1950


“Sittin’ Here Drinking”; Earl Gaines; C. Kittrell; Champion (1004)


“Sloppy Drunk”; Walter Brown And Jay McShann’s Quartet; Walter Brown; Brown; Mercury (8046-B); 1947


“When I’ve Been Drinking”; Jay McShann and His Jazz-Men; Numa Lee Davis; Cleophus Curtis; Raymod Taylor; Jay McShann; Albert Wichard; Philo (P109B); July 1945


“Blues without Booze”; Bob Merrell and His Orchestra; Feather; Wilson; Bob Merrell; Chuck Clark; Count Hastings; Eddie de Verteuil; Al Jarvis; Vess Payne; Norman Keenan; Aladdin (3002A); April 1947


“When I Been Drinking”; Rosetta Howard; Big Three Trio; Broonzy; Columbia (37573); June 10, 1947


“NO MORE ALCOHOL”; Jimmy Liggins; Jimmy Liggins; Aladdin (3251); 1954


“Thinking and Drinking”; Amos Milburn and his Aladdin Chickenshackers; O. O. Merritt; Aladdin (3124); 1952


“I Ain’t Drunk”; Jimmy Liggins; Aladdin (3250); 1954


The New York Times, December 6, 1933


“Troubles Good-Bye”; Jimmy Liggins And His Drops of Joy; Jimmy Liggins; J. Liggins; Specialty (SP 520 B); 1947

“Ice cream sales are up 95 per cent.”

December 5, 2021
1941


“A Foggy Day”; Lester Young and His Orchestra; Gershwin; Lester Young; Jo Jones; John Lewis; Gene Ramey; Norman Granz; Mercury (8946); 1951


PM, December 5, 1941, p. 16, (Photos by Wide World and Irving Haberman.)

New York Gropes Through Twin Fog, Worst in Years

Skyscrapers swim in a sea of fog in this picture, taken yesterday from the RCA Building, looking south. Two fogs – meteorologically speaking – engulfed the city. One was a land fog, caused by a loitering mass of warm moist air from the south passing over relatively cool earth. The other a sea fog, caused by cold air over relatively warmer water, made going thicker near the harbor. Smoke spread out and mixed with the water vapor, lowering visibility still farther. The fog has hung here three nights, but may be dissipated today by rain and refreshing winds.

…Fog varied in depth from a few hundred feet to more than 1000. Last one like this, in January, 1935, stayed three days.


“Lost in a Fog”; Connie Boswell; Jimmie Grier & his Orchestra; Fields; McHugh; Brunswick (7303); October 1934


PM, December 5, 1941, p. 17 (Photo by Ray Platnick)

Looking north from corner of Grand Army Plaza and Prospect Park West, Brooklyn, toward Flatbush Avenue. The picture was taken at 10 o’clock last night. The motorists, up against fog that sometimes cut visibility to a few feet, drove slowly all over town, so there were fewer accidents in the fog than in clear weather. But one accident tied up Brooklyn Bridge 45 minutes. A peddler’s wagon was struck by an automobile, and his horse was killed. By good luck and alertness the fire engines got to the regular quota of blazes in time, without crackups.


“Foggy River”; Red Foley; Roy Ross and His Ramblers; Fred Rose; Decca (46024 A); July 31, 1946-


PM, December 5, 1941, p. 13

The man who gave Sacrface Al Capone his scar is under arrest as a vagrant.


“Troubles Good-Bye”; Jimmy Liggins And His Drops of Joy; Jimmy Liggins; J. Liggins; Specialty (SP 520 B); 1947


PM, December 5, 1941, p. 13

Gracie Mansion…


“I Ain’t Drunk”; Jimmy Liggins; Aladdin (3250); 1954


Remember him?

PM, December 5, 1941, p. 13


“Black Coffee”; Sarah Vaughan; Webster; Burke; Joe Lipman; Columbia (38462); 1949


The New York Times, December 5, 1933


“40 Cups of Coffee”; Danny Overbea; King Kolex and his Orchestra; D. Overbea; Checker (774); 1953