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HISTORY
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<h5>
<a href="index.htm#top" target=_top><br>HOMEPAGE<br><br>
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<font color="red">BIOGRAPHIES
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<a href="karl.htm#top" target=_top>Karl
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<a href="jack.htm#top" target=_top>Jack
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<p>The Landt Trio began as a brothers duo - Karl and Jack Landt - singing on a local
Scranton radio station. Older brother Dan came home after several years in Florida and
saw an opportunity. He began to sing with his young brothers and they found a talented
self-taught pianist, Howard White, who was working as a baker. In September 1928,
funded by a loan from Karl's Sunday School teacher, they took a train to New York City to
seek their fortunes. Karl tells the story in
<a href="#to_ny" title="Click here to read the story Coming to New York">
Coming to New York
</a>.
</p>
<p>After about two months, as their funds were very close to being exhausted, they were
discovered and were hired on the NBC blue network which had been established in April
of that same year. They were naive home town boys and none of them but Karl read
music. Howard White played primarily on the black keys. These facts never bothered
them when they sang together because they developed their own notation system, but it
led to some interesting challenges when they were asked to perform with other groups.
Karl tells one of these stories in the
<a href="#lucky" title="Click here to read the Lucky Strike story">Lucky Strike story
</a>.
</p>
<p>The Landt Trio and White became a very popular group in early radio and on vaudeville.
Then in 1937, Howard White died suddenly. This left the brothers in a very difficult
situation because they did not have written arrangements for their music. They
struggled through the next few years using several different accompanists. Finally they
found Curly Mahr whose style was a good fit for their own, and they went on CBS with
the original Sing Along program.
<a href="http://userdata.acd.net/ottinger/cullen/radio/announce.htm#topl"
target="new window"title="Click here to go to Bill Cullen's website">
Bill Cullen
</a> was their announcer and met his wife (vocalist Carol Ames who sang with the Trio)
while working on the Sing Along program.
</p>
<p>In the late 1940s television began to take the lead in live programming. Television was
looking for young faces, and all three brothers were in or near their forties. They
continued with a mix of live programs and advertising work until 1951 when Jack was in a
very serious accident. He was unable to work for about six months. That was the end, for
most purposes, of the Landt Trio as a performing group. All went on to other careers, but
their days in old time radio and vaudeville remain fond memories for their many fans.
</p>
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<h3 align="center">
<a name="to_ny"><font color="red">COMING TO NEW YORK
</a> - Written by Karl Landt</font>
</h3>
<p>On the night of Sept. 1st, 1928, a Pullman sleeping car had been shunted onto a siding
adjacent to the Scranton, Pa. depot of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western railroad -
the famous "D L & W" with its much-advertised "Honeymoon Express" connecting New
York City to Buffalo and Niagara Falls. When that train stopped briefly on its way East, it
would pick up the sleeping car and continue on its way to its terminal at Hoboken, N.J.
just across the river from New York City.
</p>
<p>Crowded into one of the lower berths in that sleeping car were two brothers, one age
20, the other not yet 17. They lay huddled together under the covers trying to settle
down but full of excitement. They were headed for the Big City to seek their fortune.
</p>
<p>Three days earlier they had received a telegram at their home in Scranton where they
lived with their parents. It read: "Come to New York soon as possible stop Big opportunity
love." It was signed: "Dan."
</p>
<p>Dan was their older brother, older by twelve years. He had returned back from the
deflated and defunct Florida boom two years previously, broke and discouraged only to
find his two kid brothers, Karl and Jack, busy entertaining the neighbors with their
harmonizing of all the latest tunes. They accompanied themselves by a ukelele played by
Karl. Dan, who also loved to sing, joined in with them to make a threesome whose close
harmony and blend of voices soon placed them in demand at all the local Kiwanis and
Lions luncheons. Shortly after, they met Howard White.
</p>
<p>White was staff pianist at one of the local radio stations, WGBI in Scranton. He had
made a considerable reputation locally for his ability to play from memory almost any
tune after hearing it once even though he couldn't read a note of music. Nor could he play
in any but the black keys on the piano. He was nick-named 'Velvet Fingers' and indeed he
played with a distinctive smooth and velvety touch.
</p>
<p>The Landt brothers and Howard White were a perfect amalgam, not only because the
three voices and the velvety sound of the piano blended together so beautifully, but
because all four sang and played entirely by ear. Which is to say that they each made
music that their ears told them was harmonic and pleasant to hear. It was apparent as
soon as White became the trio's accompanist that the foursome was capable of bigger
things than entertaining at local luncheons or appearing on the local radio stations. They
were told time after time to go to 'the big city'. There was only one problem. MONEY!
</p>
<p>Scranton was in a depression. Most of the anthracite mines had been shut down by
strikes and other labor problems, many of the mills had moved to other areas. There was
large unemployment. The Landt family was an example: Matt, the father, an excellent
salesman, was now reduced to peddling cookware door to door where he was barely able
to make a living; Mil, the boys' sister, worked in the office of the A&P Tea Company
earning $90 a month. Karl, since he had graduated from high school had worked as lab
assistant in the high school chemistry lab. His salary was only $75 per month, and then
for only ten months out of the year.
</p>
<p>The bad luck that older brother, Dan, had encountered in Florida pursued him back to
Scranton. He and one of his buddies from the late war went into business selling radios,
the new rage in entertainment. However, Dan soon discovered that his partner was
cheating and, after being found out, the man skipped town with all the company
assets.
</p>
<p>Howard White was in little better shape financially. He and a boy-hood friend had
opened a bakery, "Howatd White's Bake Shop", banking on his popularity as a radio
personality. The business did well enough to provide a scant living for his friend, Kenny
Raught, who did all the baking and attended the store, but left very little for Howard.
</p>
<p>However, Howard had a girl-friend who had an excellent position at one of the coal
companys' offices and she was always ready to 'lend' him a little when he needed it. And
when Howard learned that his old friend, Eddie McManus, who'd left Scranton and gone on
the stage as a vaudeville actor and singer, was to be in New York for a few weeks, he had
no reluctance in asking Madeline, his girl, to finance a week-end in New York.
</p>
<p>Dan, who also knew Eddie, was glad to be invited to join Howard on the trip. He and
Eddie had sung together in a quartette while in the Army together during the War and Dan
was interested to learn about life on the vaudeville stage. Was there perhaps an
opportunity here for the Landt brothers and Howard White to perform on the vaudeville
stage? It was during that visit to New York that the young brothers had received the
telegram.
</p>
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<p> "I can't do anything about Dan", their mother wept, "I've already lost him. But now, do I
have to lose my two other boys as well!" She said it more as a statement than a question.
</p>
<p>"Oh Mom," scolded Mil, "you're being silly. You aren't going to lose anything. They'll go
to New York, have their try-out, and if it's mot successful they'll be back home within a
few days."
</p>
<p>"Oh yes, but what if it is?"
</p>
<p>"If it is, Mom, why, we'll all be rich," Karl interjected, running to her and giving her a
big hug.
</p>
<p> Rich! That word to Karl and his brothers simply meant getting their father out of and
away from that demeaning job he now held - going from door to door trying to sell those a
awful steam cookers; getting his mother away from having to worry about paying off the
$700 repair bill for fixing the car; making it possible for sister Mil to quit her job as
typist at the A&P offices and look for something better.
</p>
<p>"And where do you think you're going to get the money for this trip?" asked Hulda, the
boys' mother. She was not about to be easily bested in an argument and this was her
trump card to be played when she felt herself losing the battle.
</p>
<p>"I have my share of A&P stock I can sell," said Mil who adored her three brothers and
would do anything for them.
</p>
<p>"I have my solid gold watch you gave me at graduation, Mom," Karl added. "That ought to
be worth something."
</p>
<p>"Stop being silly, you two! You know very well we haven't got the money for this kind of
foolishness. So you might just as well forget it." Hulda considered that this ended the
discussion and she marched out of the room.
</p>
<p>Foolish it did seem after all, Karl had to admit. There simply was no money to be had
unless they could borrow it. But who would ...? Suddenly, he had a thought and called after
his mother, "Mom, if I had the money would you let us go?"
</p>
<p>"If, if! Of what use is if?" Hulda replied walking back into the room.
</p>
<p>"Yes, but if I did have the money - theoretically, I mean. If I did, then could we go?"
</p>
<p>"Theoretically! Hah, theoretically!"
</p>
<p>"Mother, he's just asking a question," asserted Mil, sensing that Karl had an idea.
</p>
<p> Hulda intuitively felt they were trying to trap her but couldn't figure out how. "We-ll,
yes, theoretically, I suppose I couldn't refuse, but --."
</p>
<p>"That's all I ask. Thanks, Mom!" Karl gave her a big hug and a kiss.
</p>
<p>That same afternoon Karl called on Roswell Phillips, his Sunday-school teacher.
"Rozzie", as he was familiarly known, ran a highly successful insurance agency and Karl
believed that Rozzie would lend him the money if anyone would.
</p>
<p>He showed Rozzie the telegram and then bluntly asked him for a loan of a hundred
dollars.
</p>
<p> "Why do you need a hundred dollars?" asked his friend. "How do you know you won't need
$200, or perhaps more?"
</p>
<p>"Well, I thought a hundred ---, I don't know, maybe we could get along on less --, I just
thought--."
</p>
<p>Rozzie interrupted him. "Look, Karl, I'd really like to help you boys. I think you fellows
are very good and you'll probably do very well - eventually. But it may take a long time
for you to become recognized in a big city like New York and you're going to need money to
live on until that happens." He paused for a moment. "Here's what I'll do. I won"t LEND you
anything. I believe that when you lend money to a friend, you lose him as a friend." Karl's
face fell. But then Rozzie continued, "Instead, I'm going to GIVE you some money - $300.
I'm going to give it to you without any strings. If ever you get rich enough to pay me back,
fine. But, remember, it's a gift, not a loan."
</p>
<p>Karl couldn't wait to get home and tell Jack and the others. Of course Hulda tried to back
out of her agreement but she knew she'd lost. From then on there was great excitement
throughout the house and indeed throughout the neighborhood. All their friends stopped by
to bid the boys goodbye and good luck, and even Uncle Ken, their father's brother who lived
across town came over to wish them well and to offer some advice: "Don't you let any of
those fellas in New York get you to change your name. You stay being the Landt Brothers -
keep the Landt name, whatever you do."
</p>
<p>So it was that on the aforementioned night of September 1st, 1928 the two lads were
escorted to the station by their parents and sister Mil where they were kissed and cried
over by the ladies, admonished a dozen times to stay away from bad company, reminded to
say their prayers and instructed not to forget to bathe frequently. Their father stood by
through all this, chewing on his dead cigar. But then, after their mother had exhausted her
list of exhortations and warnings, he came over to his sons and put his arms around them.
"I know you'll make me proud of you - God bless you," he whispered hoarsely and then
turned away. There was one more final enbrace and the two young men climbed aboard the
sleeping car.
</p>
<p>A friendly porter showed them to their berth and, after briefly examining their tickets,
told them they would be awakened a half hour before the train arrived at Hoboken. They
climbed in their berth and were about to close the curtain when Mil appeared. She
whispered to them, "Here's something if you get hungry in the night." She handed them a
little bag of cookies she had made, slipped to each a dollar bill for spending money, gave
each a quick smack and then hurried away.
</p>
<p>Closing the heavy green curtain, the boys looked at one another. "How are we supposed
to get undressed?" Jack whispered. "Maybe you're not supposed to undress," the other said.
The thought struck them funny and they both began to laugh. "Shh-hh!" both whispered at
the same time. Jack peaked out through the curtains, then quickly closed them. "Someone
just went up the aisle to the men's room in a bathrobe. - Hey, you know, that's it! You're
supposed to undress in the bathroom." "Oh yeah?", Karl scoffed, "And how are you supposed
to get back?" The thought struck them both at the same time: "We left them in our
suitcases out there in the baggage car."
</p>
<p>They finally settled for simply removing shoes and jackets, and crawled under the
covers. Sleep was far away. Karl tried to figure why his Uncle Ken felt so strongly about
keeping the Landt name. Oh well, he thought, we promised him we would and I suppose
there'll never be a reason to change it. He envisioned the name,"Landt Brothers," in lights
on Broadway and a thrill of excitement ran through him. He snuggled deeper under the
covers and tried to imagine what it would be like to be famous. He fell asleep pondering
that.
</p>
<p>A strong tug on the curtains awakened the boys and then came the deep voice of the
porter saying "thirty minutes to Hoboken, Gen'men, thirty minutes."
</p>
<p>Jack and Karl were the first passengers off the train as soon as it stopped. Their
sleeper was the last car on the train and the platform seemed to stretch endlessly ahead.
At first they could see no sign of their brother Dan nor of Howard and they began to worry
that somehow things had gone wrong. But then, in the distance they began to make out
two familiar figures. "It's them, it's them," they both cried and they began running toward
them.
</p>
<p>It was an exciting and thrilling reunion for all four. Now at last they really were on
their way. They walked toward the ferry, all four in a row, arms about one another.
</p>
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<h3>
<a name="lucky">
<font color="red">The Lucky Strike Show
</a>
written by Karl Landt </font>
</h3>
<p>The biggest NBC studio at 711 Fifth Ave. was called 8A on the eighth floor. Tim Sullivan,
our new manager from the NBC Artists Service, escorted us there that Friday afternoon
for the rehearsal preceding the Lucky Strike broadcast at 8 p.m. that evening.
</p>
<p>From the elevator we crossed we crossed the richly carpeted foyer, past the desk of the
attractive receptionist, to the wide double doors, atleast three inches thick and heavily
padded. A lighted sign above them read "Studio In Session" and another sign hung on the
doors "Do Not Enter."
</p>
<p>Ignoring both, Sullivan cautiously pulled one of the doors open and we entered from
almost dead silence into pandemonium. Large as the studio was it was crammed with
musicians either tuning up, practicing a phrase or otherwise warming up their
instruments. We cautiosly threaded our way through a profusion of chairs and music
stands, past tubas, bassoons, kettle drums, french horns, trombones, trumpets and other
instruments until at last we reached the podium where stood Mr. B.A.Rolphe, Maestro. He
was a large,paunchy, perspiring, moon-faced man who could have stepped right out of an
old-fashioned German street band.
</p>
<p>As Sullivan introduced each of us he smiled and bobbed his head saying "Ah yes, ah yes,
ah yes, the trio!" We learned later that he had been a protege of the famed John Philip
Sousa. (This may have been why he'd been chosen to conduct by the president of the
American Tobacco Company, who admired Sousa greatly.)
</p>
<p> "---and this is their accompanist, Howard White," continued Sullivan.
</p>
<p>"Accompanist?" Rolphe looked surprised. "We don't need accompanist. We have already
seventy-five accompanists." He laughed at his little joke. He turned to Howard, "We won't
be needing you, yes?"
</p>
<p>For a moment we were speechless. Howard looked at us, we looked at Howard, we all
looked at each other. I spoke up. "Mr. Rolphe, we always have Howard White accompany us.
We don't ever sing without him."
</p>
<p>"Hah, then it will be a new experience, yes? - See, we have a nice vocal arrangement all
written for you." He thrust a piece of musical score before me. "Notice here where the
trombones go ya-ta-ya-ta-ta-ta, that's where you begin to sing." I stared at the score
blankly. "And you'll have all these fine musicians accompaning you," he added. "Nice, yes?
Yes?"
</p>
<p>I didn't know what to do or say. I could read a melody line, but a score? - never! I
turned to our manager. "Mr. Sullivan, I need to speak to you privately." We excused
ourselves and I pulled him aside. "Look, Mr. Sullivan, we can't read music, none of us. We
do our own arrangements and sing by ear and Howard knows our arrangements and he's the
only one who can accomany us." Sullivan stared at me. "You're not kidding me? - you
really can't any of you read music?" I nodded. "Well, O.K., I'll try to fix it some way. But
you'd better keep quiet and not say anything more."
</p>
<p>"Look, Mr. Rolphe, I'm sorry about this but the fact is that the Landts have a contract
with Mr. White that forbids them from using anyone else as their accompanist. Besides,"
he added hastily as he noticed the flush rising on Rolphe's face, " Mr. Hill asked especially
for this group and I know he'll be disappointed if you don't use them." Mr. George
Washington Hill was president of American Tobacco and not to be thwarted in his
desires.
</p>
<p>Rolphe's face immediately cleared. "Of course, of course", he declared, "By all means we
shall have Mr. Weiss accompany the trio. Here is the music, Mr. Weiss. He handed Howard
the score. "See, here where the trombones go ya-ta-ya-ta-ta-ta........" Howard backed
away. "I - I ca-an't read music, s-sir," he stuttered.
</p>
<p>Once more Sullivan came to the rescue. "What he means, Mr. Rolphe, is that they all have
good ears for harmony and rely entirely on that for their singing and playing. Why don't you
let them demonstrate how they work? They know the song well, I'm sure, don't you,
boys?"
</p>
<p>Rolphe stepped down from the podium and motioning us to follow, led us over to a piano,
a large Steinway grand. "Irving," he said to the person on the bench, "will you mind if
these young people borrow your instrument for a short time?" "Now," he said to us, "let
me hear this group who sing and play only by ear." Howard sat down at the piano and
struck a chord. "It's in the key of C," said the maestro. "Howard doesn't play in the key of
C," I told him. "He only plays on the black keys."
</p>
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