Actors - Ben Bernie

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	Actors - Ben Bernie

Ben Bernie (1891-1943) was a jazz violinist and radio personality. He was born Bernard Anzelevitz in Bayonne, New Jersey. By the age of 15 he was teaching violin, but this experience apparently disminished his interest in the violinfor a time. He returned to music doing vaudeville but met with little success until 1922. In that year he joined his first orchestra and would later have his own band called "the lads." He toured with Maurice Chevalier and also toured in Europe.

At some point Ben Bernie and his orchestra did the first recording of Sweet Georgia Brown, a tune now perhaps best known as the theme song of the Harlem Globetrotters.

By 1929 things had declined. He became destitute during the Great Depression. A few years later he became a radio personality noted for using the word "yowsah." Some claim he coined the word, but this is uncertain.

This period also started his rivalry with Walter Winchell. This seems to have been a mutually beneficial "feud" and they did two films together. In both of the films they played themselves. The films were Love and Hisses (1937) and Wake Up and Live (1937).

Ben Bernie was noted for always having a cigar in hand and some speculate this hastened his death in 1943.

Songs

Sweet Georgia Brown
Who's Your Little Whozis
I Can't Believe It's True
Holding My Honey's Hand
A Bowl Of Chop Suey And Yooey
After The Dance Was Over
Was Last Night The Last Night?
Ain't That Marvelous (My Baby Loves Me)

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Actors - Ben Bernie

Songs

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