James Cagney and James Melton

James Cagney and James Melton

Speaking of George M. Cohan—James Cagney played Cohan in the movie "Yankee Doodle Dandy" in 1942.  

In 1943 my father sang at an old-timers baseball game at the Polo Grounds to raise money for War Bonds. Irving Berlin, Ethel Merman, James Cagney, Milton Berle, former New York Mayor Jimmie Walker participated, but Babe Ruth stole the show with a home run.

James Melton with George M. Cohan

I recently purchased this photo on e-bay.  On the reverse it says: “Intimate shot of George M. Cohan telling a story to James Melton.”  Don’t you wish you knew what that story was?  There’s no date on the photo, but given that Cohan died in 1942 (at the age of sixty-four), and given how young my father looks, the photo has to be from the mid to late 1930s.

Cohan published more than 300 songs during his lifetime, including the standards "Over There," "Give My Regards to Broadway," and "You're a Grand Old Flag."

  

Amazing, there is still Melton memorabilia out there on e-bay! 

The Tenor of His Times

For Immediate Release

Hawk Pine Press is pleased to announce the publication of 

James Melton: The Tenor of His Times, by his daughter, 

Margo Melton Nutt.

The James Melton story is the story of an era—the first half of the twentieth century: from the Roaring Twenties, through the Depression, WWII, and post-war prosperity. It is also a rags-to-riches-to-rags story of a talented, confident young man who raised himself from obscure beginnings in a tiny Florida town to the height of fame on stage, screen and airwaves—but who could not live without the adulation of an adoring public, and who had nothing to fall back on as he aged and musical tastes changed.

The Tenor of His Times is a daughter’s attempt to rediscover the fascinating man who was her father—to understand what motivated his successes and to sympathize with the many pressures that brought him down. 

—Peter Fox Smith, Vermont Public Radio personality and author of A Passion for Opera, has commented:

“Finally, a much needed James Melton biography that is a comprehensive addition to American musical history. This engaging book about one of our most beloved singers will make you want to hear again that beautiful voice. For the author, the researching and writing of this book about her famous father has been a liberating self-discovery of a past both exhilarating and agonizing, told in captivating prose.“

Paperback, 268 pages (with 35 photos), ISBN #1482391449,  April 2013

Copies of the book can be ordered through Amazon.com, or from the author, at a cost of $20.00 plus $3.99 shipping. 

Contact: Margo Melton Nutt, 560 Hawk Pine Road, Norwich, VT 05055 or tenorofhistimes@gmail.com for further information.

Direct link to the book on Amazon: 

http://www.amazon.com/James-Melton-Tenor-His-Times/dp/1482391449/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1368660520&sr=1-1&keywords=tenor+of+his+times

1905 Fiat Touring Car

I received some interesting information the other day from Jonathan Sierakowski, who researches the provenance of antique autos for RM Auctions. He lets me know whenever he finds an ex-James Melton car. (Thank you Jonathan!)

 Here’s what his most recent communiqué said about a car my father previously owned (but sold in 1942) that will come up for auction in  Italy in May.

 "Heading the ever-expanding list of mouth-watering vehicles on offer is the 1905 FIAT 60HP Five-Passenger Touring Car, built especially for American-based brewing magnate August Anheuser Busch. The example on offer is the second of just 20 chassis manufactured, the first having been supplied to Anheuser Busch’s friend, Kaiser Wilhelm II, of Germany. Often thought of as one of the first true, cost-no-object supercars, this mighty FIAT was ordered through the American importer Hollander and Tangman, and the completed chassis was delivered to the luxury coachbuilder Quimby, in New Jersey. Spectacularly extravagant and expensive in period—it cost in excess of $20,000, a staggering sum in 1905—chassis 3003 is offered for sale publicly for the first time in 108 years, having lived most of its life within a few miles of its very first home.

Described as being totally original, including paint, brasswork, upholstery and mechanics, and with complete matching numbers throughout, this FIAT now represents the only one of its kind left in the world, and it is without doubt one of the most coveted examples of the early high-powered, road going race cars to be found. With its aluminum-clad body, it still boasts many unique mechanical features fitted exclusively to the car in period. It is offered in excellent running condition, yet it retains a wonderful patina accrued over its 108-year life. The car graced the lawns of Pebble Beach at the 2012 Concours d’Elegance, and most recently, it was displayed at the LeMay America’s Museum."

Norwalk Museum

In recent weeks I've been contacted by two people interested in the history of the Melton Museum in Norwalk, Connecticut (1948-53).

The first is Lisa Wilson Grant, who is writing a book about the history of Norwalk.

The second is Nicholas Ord, who is a marketing consultant for the yet-to-be-built New England Auto Museum.  (Check their website: neautomuseum.com for more details.)

Here is an undated aerial photo of the museum property. Even along Route 7, it was wide open countryside back then. Amazing! 

You can also check my blog of February 11, 2011 for details of the Melton Museum.

Happy Thanksgiving!

My parents harvesting pears from our Weston, Connecticut orchard

My father loved to cook—I think not so much for relaxation as to impress guests with his culinary prowess in an era when few men entered the kitchen. He also liked to take over when Southern cooking was required, making spoon bread or grits or Southern fried chicken. Our Thanksgiving turkey always had two kinds of stuffing—traditional bread stuffing in the front of the bird, and cornbread stuffing in the rear. There was always a friendly battle over which guests would prefer which stuffing, with most guests diplomatically opting for some of each.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Wartime Transportation

The Met’s opening night for the 1942–43 season was November 24. James Melton, newly signed to the opera company, but having yet to make his debut, drove down Broadway to 39th Street with IBM founder Thomas J. Watson Sr. and his wife in a 1922 Detroit Electric he had reconditioned for use during gas rationing. 

In February of 1942, as the last civilian car rolled off the Ford assembly line, my father had 76 cars and one “A” ration book (limiting his weekly fuel purchases). The ancient buggies all ran, but he certainly couldn’t drive them during the war, except the steam cars and the electrics. The electrics became so popular in Fairfield County that my father supplied a number of friends with cars from his collection "for the duration."