T.B. Harms and Max Dreyfus

News From VHSource, LLC Vol 7 July 2012 T.B. Harms and Max Dreyfus (1860-1906), making it the oldest firmly established The Other Behemoth American music publishing house devoted entirely to n perusing the April edition of this newsletter we popular song. You may remember that G. Schirmer realized that we had failed in June to deliver any was the oldest classical music publisher with an 1866 Idiscussion of the second giant of American founding date. Thus, in the American music history publishing - Max Dreyfus (1874-1964). This was not annuals, the big three music publishing houses were so much an oversight as it was a concern for space G. Schirmer (1866-serious music), T.B. Harms, since we had already consumed a number of pages in Inc. (1875-popular music) and M. Witmark & Sons, our discussion of M. Witmark & Sons, Inc. Inc. (1886 - theatrical). The brothers Harms did well enough for themselves that they soon had hordes of Just as M. Witmark & Sons, Inc. dominated the emulators and thus helped spawn Tin Pan Alley. publishing of operetta and musical comedy from the However, post 1886, the house was eclipsed by 1890s to the 1930s, Harms, Inc. would do the same M.Witmark & Sons, Inc., which rapidly established thing from 1920s well into the 1960s. Ergo, to skip itself as the innovator and leader of the entire over Dreyfus would be a real disservice to the industry industry. NOTE: To read more about M.Witmark & as this gentleman probably ended up accomplishing Sons, see VHS newsletter Vol 6, Jun 12. even more than the Witmark brothers did in truly shaping the twentieth century’s and thus, America’s H o w l e y , huge domination of popular song as well as the golden H a v i l a n d & age of the American musical. Now, that is truly an Company (1893) amazing claim! was the first NYC music publishing While Dreyfus did not found a single new publishing house to employ house all by himself, he was the mogul pulling all the the skills of young strings from 1901 until his passing in 1964, in the Max Dreyfus following music publishing houses: T.B. Harms Inc.; who, at age 19, T.B. Harms & Francis, Day & Hunter, Inc.; became their first Chappell-Harms; De Sylva, Brown and employee. The Henderson; Remick Music; Green and Stept; youngster quickly Famous Music; Consolidated Music Corporation; b e c a m e t h e New World Music Corporation; and Chappell. He arranger for the also had a huge hand in launching almost every major f i r m ’ s t o p Max Dreyfus in the 1950s iconic musical composer after Victor Herbert. composers and also proved to be a fine “inside” plugger, meaning he The oldest of these publishing houses was T.B. was the one performers asked for on the premises to Harms, Inc. founded in 1875 by brothers Alexander teach them a new song. He considered himself a fine T. Harms (1856-1901) and Thomas B. Harms composer as well, and when, by 1895, an offer to publish did not seem to come forth from Howley 2 News From VHSource, LLC Vol 7 July 2012 Haviland, Dreyfus stopped by M. Witmark & Sons, time Dreyfus met this young man, T.B. Harms was Inc. to pitch his own work. They didn’t want his songs publishing every British and European musical and either, but they did want his arranging and pitching operetta imported into America. Dreyfus liked what skills. Dreyfus already had a reputation, and that was, he heard and hired him on the spot to both play and remains, gold. rehearsals for these imports and perhaps, write a song or two, here and there, when it appeared to be needed In 1898, the brothers Harms, faced with dwindling - in short, to be an uncredited music doctor. The sales, more important outside interests and a general composer’s first such interpolation was “Wine, lack of aggressiveness, lured Dreyfus away from Wine!” for An English Daisy which opened on Witmark by dangling the title Chief Arranger and Broadway on January 18, 1904. Thus was launched Occasional Composer. He was 24 years old, had spent the theatrical composing career of Jerome B. Kern three years in the employment of the largest music (1885 -1945) by Max Dreyfus. publisher in New York, and was already developing his own ideas on how to “run things.” Two years later The Harms relationship with Kern would then extend in 1901, not only was he managing T. B. Harms, Inc., to both Pelham Grenville Wodehouse (1881-1975) but Dreyfus owned a 25% interest in the company. and Guy Reginald Bolton (1884-1979) – both Dreyfus was definitely righting the sinking ship to the imports from Britain. In one astute hire, Dreyfus extent that he totally bought out the brothers in 1904. would land the single most influential composer of show tunes, theatre and film songs from the 1920s to the 1940s as well as the first truly literate set of lyricist and librettist to work full time in America. Bolton and Wodehouse would be huge leaps forward from Harry B. Smith and Henry Blossom. Given the Harms involvement with British theatrical productions, it is not at all surprising that Dreyfus found his business approached by the British music publishing firm Francis, Day and Hunter with the idea of a merger. By this time, Max had also installed his younger brother Louis (1877–1967) in T. B. Harms, Inc. When the deal was signed, sealed and delivered, Max and Louis Dreyfus owned two- The team of PG Wodehouse, Guy Bolton thirds of the new firm of T.B. Harms & Francis, and Jerome Kern Day & Hunter, Inc. while Fred Day owned one- third. By 1917 Kern’s successes allowed him to Dreyfus also had an amazing ability to spot rising decide it was time to invest, and he purchased a 25% talent. M. Witmark had the current big composers interest in the new firm from the brothers Dreyfus. safely in their “house.” Dreyfus found and hired the unknowns who would become giants, including In 1918, Dreyfus added another “find” to his staff Jerome Kern, Guy Bolton, P.G. Wodehouse, when he hired George Gershwin (1898-1937) to George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin and Vincent write songs for T.B. Harms for $35 per week, plus a Youmans. $50.00 advance and $.03 a copy royalty on each song Max accepted. The very first song accepted was one Young Dreyfus landed his first major discovery when entitled “Some Wonderful Sort of Someone,” sung he hired an 18-year-old piano player and composer. by Nora Bayes (1880 – 1928) in her show Ladies The youngster had caught Dreyfus’ attention on a visit First (produced by Alex Aarons) which opened on to rival Joseph W. Stern. The young man had had his October 24, 1918. Schuyler Green (1880-1927) first song entitled “At the Casino” published by the wrote the lyrics and the song was published under the Lyceum Publishing Company in 1902 and had just title “Look Who’s Here.” By May 26, 1919, returned from a year spent in Europe studying. At the Dreyfus’ gamble paid off again when the first 3 News From VHSource, LLC Vol 7 July 2012 complete score by George Gershwin, La, La Lucille brothers. Youmans’ first opened on May 26, 1919. Another famous American score was for producer composing career was off and running for Dreyfus. Alex Aarons who had given Gershwin his first The publisher also employed lyricist Irving Caesar full score opportunity. (1895-1996) who had helped out with some lyrics for This time the show was La, La Lucille and who would also create with Two Little Girls In Blue Gershwin in 1919 the song – “Swanee” – although it which opened May 3, would take Al Jolson’s (1886-1950) performance and 1921. George suggested Vincent Youmans recording of the song in 1920 to send it over the top, the hiring and talked his making it the biggest single hit Gershwin ever had. brother Ira into writing the lyrics. Youmans would go on to compose Wildflower (1923), No, No, Nanette Eventually, George’s (1925), Hit The Deck (1927) among 14 total b r o t h e r I r a Broadway productions as well as the movies No, No, Gershwin (1896- Nanette (1930 & 1940). Hit The Deck (1930 & 1983) would enter 1955), and Flying Down To Rio (1933) – among a the songwriting total of 10 films. business in 1921, joining his brother The same year (1920), the United States for Lady Be Good in Government filed suit against the Consolidated 1924. Dreyfus was Music Corporation and its owners: Irving Berlin, the trusted publisher Inc.; Leo Feist, Inc.; T.B. Harms & Francis, Day more than happy to & Hunter, Inc.; Shapiro, Bernstein & Co., Inc.; help Ira on his way. Watterson, Berlin & Snyder, Inc. and M.Witmark Down the road in & Sons, Inc. The basis of the lawsuit was the 1927, Max Dreyfus, Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, a landmark federal George and Ira George and Ira Gershwin statute dealing with competition law. The purpose of Gershwin formed a the law was to prohibit certain business activities that subsidiary company, “New World Music reduced competition in the marketplace. This law Corporation,” to hold all Gershwin copyrights, with requires the Federal Government to investigate and Harms owning a major share of the business. pursue trusts, companies, and organizations suspected of being in violation. One might wonder Here an interesting juxtaposition occurs with the next what on earth could these fine reputable music Max Dreyfus protégé, who simply walked into the publishers have been up to that would attract the office with songs under his arm to impress the microscope of Congress? publisher.

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