Atlantic City Weekly

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Recently I received a letter that had enclosed with it two-and-a-half pages of Eddie Cantor’s book As I Remember Them, written in 1963. For those of you who are not familiar with Cantor, he was one of the nation’s best vaudeville actors who made the transition to silent films and then to talking motion pictures. He entered show business at the age of 14 in 1907, continuing into radio and television from the live stage. His last show was as host of Eddie Cantor’s Comedy Theatre in 1955. According to the book he spent a lot of time in Atlantic City with many of his performing cohorts. I thought you would enjoy reading his impressions of some of that era’s most noted performers.

Below are excerpts from Cantor’s book As I Remember Them.

To show [business] people 40 years ago, Atlantic City meant trying out your show before it got to Broadway. Even the comparative youngsters, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis , started their career as a team at [A.C.’s fabled] 500 Club. The trio of Clayton, Jackson and Durante was one of the top nightclub acts in Atlantic City before Jimmy [ Durante ] went on his own. I remember the day I spent with “The Schnozz” on the beach in front of the Ritz Carlton Hotel. I’ll always remember how hysterical the bathers became when Jimmy came out of the ocean and yelled, “All of a sudden a swordfish came up to me. He took one look at my schnozz and said, ‘I quit. You’ve got a superior weapon’.”

It was on the beach next door, in front of the Ambassador Hotel, where Benny Davis wrote the words of the song that became a standard with me. He wrote it on the back of a menu and [the song] “Margie” has been feeding me for more than 40 years. Sophie Tucker will always remain grateful to Atlantic City. It was there, 57 years ago, that for the first time in her life she received top billing, and she’s had top billing ever since. Her output of adrenaline every day could take care of all the needs of a wholesale drug firm. When she was on the same program with Betty Hutton , as she told Betty, “Long after you young convertibles have run out of gas, we old trucks will be delivering.”

Not only are the shows in Atlantic City the greatest, but the Boardwalk itself is something you’ll never see in any other city in the world. I never get on the Boardwalk without seeing, in my mind’s eye, Fanny Brice , W.C. Fields , Bert Williams and all the other people with whom I appeared at the Apollo Theater time and time again. When I once questioned W.C. Fields as to why he never went in for a swim, he told me that in his early days, when he was hard up for work, he took a job in Atlantic City for one of the restaurants. Twelve times a day he walked out into the ocean and pretended to drown. This attracted a tremendous crowd that usually lingered and made business for the restaurant. Fields added, “That’s why I’m against water. I got enough in Atlantic City to last me a lifetime.”

A native son of the City by the Sea was the late Harry Carroll . His name may not mean very much now, but you’ll remember some of his hits like [the lyrics] “By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea, you and I, you and I, oh how happy we’ll be.” Harry Carroll was the writer of many hits never to be forgotten. “I Am Always Chasing Rainbows” was as much a part of Atlantic City as the sand in the ocean and the rolling chairs. We who have sung his songs, and the people who have listened and danced to his melodies, can bow low in the direction of Atlantic City.

It was just about 35 years ago when Paul Whiteman and his jazz orchestra were playing in the Hotel Alexandria in Los Angeles. Paul liked Los Angeles but was eager for booking at the Ambassador Hotel in Atlantic City, where the Victor recording people were having a convention. He had a hunch this was the right place at the right time for him. Whiteman wired to the hotel asking for booking for that particular week and, quoting his price at $1,500. The hotel wired back that their top offer was $500. Ferde Grofe , who is Whiteman’s arranger, still laughs about Paul’s reaction to that wire. He hesitated a second and said “We’ll take it!” later adding, “Why let a mere thousand dollars stand in the way?” Paul’s hunch paid off. The Atlantic City engagement lit the fuse that sent them off on his rocket of success. The Victor people heard him and signed him, and Paul’s first records sold two million copies. Remember the song “Whispering”?

Cantor reminisces about Atlantic City when it truly was the “World’s Playground” and stars like those he mentioned could be encountered walking on the Boardwalk, sunning on the beach or taking a dip into our salty brine. It was quite an era, one that we should use to bring back those glory days of Atlantic City.

Cherri Kravitz Scholarships

Thanks to the generosity of those who have made contributions to the Cherri Kravitz Scholarship Foundation, either directly or through the fundraiser that was held at Maynard’s in Margate last year, seven of Atlantic City High School’s graduating seniors have been awarded a scholarship of $5,000 each. They include Atlantic City residents Zaida Martinez, Quaisha Green, James Gandy and Rose Carmona, Joseph Marinucci of Ventnor, and Madeline Ruley and Alexandra Shuster of Margate. They have selected institutions of higher education from California to New Jersey. It was most gratifying to provide financial assistance to these outstanding students.

This year’s fundraiser will once again be held at Maynard’s in Margate on Sunday, July 25, starting at 5pm. (See pictures from last year's event above.) Please make plans to join me and my family for this tribute to Cherri. We look forward to greeting you there!

Pinky’s Corner airs Monday through Friday from 4 to 6pm on News Talk WOND-AM 1400. His TV show, WMGM Presents Pinky, airs Saturday at 7:30pm on TV40. Pinky’s e-mail address is: pinky@acweekly.com.