Tibbett Sees Merit in “Swing Music”

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 34, 10 February 1937, Page 11 (Supplement)

Tibbett Sees Merit in “Swing Music”

METROPOLITAN BARITONE IN “UNDER YOUR SPELL” (State: Screening Saturday.) All classical music is not good and all swing music not bad, according to Lawrence Tibbett, who . sings both types in his latest Twentieth Century-Pox picture “Under Your Spell.” “The only way to judge singers and songs is to judge if they do well the job they set out to perform,” says Tib bett. “There are singers of classical songs who have uo little prestige who leave their Audiences absolutely cold. And Jolson singing ’Sonny Boy’ is more truly a real artist than these neargreats ever have been.” In listing his musical favourites, the famous baritone says that dusky Bill Robinson, tho tap dauccr, and Toscanini, the Italian conductor, have the best senses of rhythm. A strange confbination, but Tibbett, who should know, insists that this is true. In “Under Your Spell” Lawrence Tibbett has the chance to do something himself with rhythm music when ho sings the songs composed for him by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz, hit composers of many a Broadway musical comedy. Weudy Barrie, Gregory Ratoff and Arthur Treacher are featured in the famous baritone's supporting cast. Darryl F. Kanuek selected Otto Ludwig Preminger to direct with John Stone as associate producer. Frances Hyland and Saul Elkins wrote the screen play based on stories by Bernice I Mason and Sy Bartlett.