Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Harry & his Family - Harry E. Findahl


As mentioned previously, Myrtle Lillian (who was born two years after Uncle Bert) died at an early age in 1912 --the day after the Titanic left on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York City.

Uncle Harry was born about two years after Myrtle (in 1891) and he would eventually marry Mabel E. Wilson and they would have four boys: Dale, Earl, Wayne & Kenneth.  Mabel and Harry lived nearby to Harry's parents Jessie and Nels which allowed them to more easily look after the elderly couple.  Jessie would come to stay with them after Nels passed away until her own death three years later.



Back Row:  Harry Findahl is holding son Kenny, brother Gordon is holding my mother Margie, parents Jessie & Nels Findahl

Front Row:  Harry's sons 
Wayne & Earl

Late 1920s in Galesburg, IL



Harry Findahl is shown front center with his wife Mabel holding son Kenny behind him.

To the left of Harry is brother Gordon holding daughter Marjorie and behind them is wife Martha.

To the right of Harry is niece Isabelle with her mother Florence directly behind her (wife of Uncle Bert)

Harry's three boys are left with
Wayne, Dale & Earl and Marjorie's sister Betty is in front of them.

This must be about 1929 or 1930 in Galeburg, IL




Very early 1930s time frame, with brothers Dale, Earl, Wayne and Kenny in front.

Cousin Isabelle to the left and cousin Eileen to the right.



Uncle Harry with his brother Virgil's son, Robert Findahl taken during the summer of 1934 in Galesburg, IL




Another photo from the same time period of 1934 with cousin Eileen and Kenny both watching over baby cousin Robert.




Left to Right is father Nels Findahl, my Uncle Paul's father Victor Johnson, Harry, brother Frank (Uncle Bert), my Uncle Paul Johnson (who would marry Betty Findahl), and I can't positively identify the last person.  (Mom thinks he might be Willard Windom, Eileen's father.)

As a side note, I noticed brother Frank's name on Mom's wedding gift list noted as "Uncle Burt".  It was my first inclination to spell it that way, however, since his middle name was Gilbert, I'll stay with "Uncle Bert" for the purposes of our story.




Nice photo of Dale Findahl and his wife Beulah with children Harriet & Howard during a visit to Belle Isle, Detroit, MI

Updated February 21, 2014
In late 2010, I had the pleasure to meet over the internet cousin Mark Findahl, who is the son of Howard (shown above). Mark reminded us that his grandfather's name is actually Harry Dale Findahl and I wanted to add that records show he was born on Feb. 21, 1916 & passed away on Dec. 18, 2001 in Galesburg, IL.

On Sunday, Mark telephoned us to let us know that his grandmother, Beulah Ursula (Pearson) Findahl had passed away the day before, Feb. 15, 2014.  She was 95.

Born Feb. 2, 1919 in Henderson Grove, IL she married Harry D. Findahl on July 29, 1937 in Muscatine, Iowa.



Harriet & Howard






Robert Findahl (Virgil's son), Gordon, Beulah & Dale Findahl (with children Howard & Harriet seated in front of them), Martha and her daughter Marjorie Findahl & Christine Foley


Seated in front of Robert is Lillian Foley and this photo was taken somewhere on the East side of Detroit near Roseville, MI


Christine & Lillian were step-sisters to Robert.  I believe he also had a step-brother Edward from information I found on the internet.







Earl & his father Harry Findahl

Earl Findahl
Earl passed away early this year 2010 at the age of 92







Cousin Eileen and Wayne Findahl
This was taken in July of 1943.  Wayne passed away in 2002



Wayne Findahl and his wife Florence



Mabel with her grandchildren Harriet & Howard, her son Wayne, Bob Johnson (my Uncle's brother), husband Harry Findahl, Martha (my grandmother), Mabel Johnson (my Uncle's mother), Beulah, Eileen & (my mother) Marjorie





(Added November 2010) -- We did eventually find this photo of Paul Kenneth Findahl and his new bride Jenelda from the Spring of 1950.

(Added March 2011) -- Just posted another photograph of Kenny Findahl in his Navy uniform from the early 1940s here: http://tinyurl.com/4ua477e







For now we leave our family to enjoy the summer of 1943:

Marjorie, Eileen, Bob Johnson,
Wayne & father Harry Findahl at his home, Galesburg, IL


Earlier I'd posted that we didn't have an exact date of Harry's passing, however I just found information on the internet stating his name and date of death as being in June of 1965.  If I'd ever met him it would have been during a visit early in my life to Galesburg and, of course, I wouldn't remember it being so young an age.














Sunday, August 29, 2010

Life with Uncle Bert - Frank G. Findahl


Frank G. Findahl was born in 1886 and so he was about ten years older than my grandfather, Gordon.  Frank's middle name was Gilbert, and my mother remembers him always being known as "Uncle Bert".  He lived to 1962.

Brother Gordon & "Uncle Bert" Findahl

The focus is on the fish, but there's more to these photos than just fish tales.

My mom reminded me of a story her dad Gordon once told her about how the Findahl boys would always enjoy going fishing together. One time they realized they hadn't invited their father Nels to come along and so they asked him. Gordon said father Nels really perked up like never before and was ready in no time at all to go fishing with his sons.

In any time, family still remains the most important thing.  Be kind to your loved ones while you can.


Brother Gordon, Father Nels & Frank "Uncle Bert" Findahl


Uncle Bert, Sadie (sister of Jessie Findahl who lived in California with her husband Frank) & brother Harry


























Uncle Bert Findahl, his wife Florence, my Grandmother Martha, Marcella (holding my Aunt Betty) next to her husband Virgil Findahl, and Isabelle Findahl (Uncle Bert & Florence's daughter)


Note: A site on the internet lists Isabelle's full name as Dorothy Isabelle and living in the years 1918-1986.

Visiting Michigan, Belle Isle - Detroit (late 1920s)




Cousins!
Wayne & Dale (sons of Harry Findahl & Mabel), my Aunt Betty (Gordon Findahl & Martha's daughter), Isabelle (Uncle Bert Findahl & Florence's daughter holding a kitten), Earl (another son of Harry & Mabel), Eileen (daughter of Helen Findahl Windom and her husband Willard)

Galesburg, IL late 1920s


Uncle Bert, brother Virgil, daughter Isabelle holding daughter Shirley, niece Betty, wife Florence, Martha & brother Gordon Findahl, holding my mother -niece Margie (ca. 1930 - Detroit, MI)


Betty and her mother Martha, Isabelle with her mother Florence and father Uncle Bert who is holding onto the hand of Betty's little sister Margie in the early 1930s

Brothers Gordon & Frank (Uncle Bert) Findahl, daughter Isabelle and in front is my mother Margie standing next to a partial Aunt Betty
Photo taken at the home of Florence and Frank (Uncle Bert) in Moline, IL


At a Findahl picnic with Cousin Bobby (Virgil & Marcella's son), Shirley (Uncle Bert & Florence's daughter), my mother Marge & Cousin Kenny (with his dad Harry Findahl behind him.)
September 1, 1940



Harry, Gordon, friend of the family, Uncle Bert and Willard Windom


Lowell Martin (Isabelle's husband), Paul Johnson, Earl Findahl, Eldie Long [Note: I have since found a site on the internet which lists Lowell as Charles Lowell.]



Daughter Shirley Findahl (Late 1940s)


Sister Helen, mother Jessie, Uncle Bert, Brothers Harry & Gordon early 1950s



Friday, August 27, 2010

Our Great-Grandparents: Jessie & Nels Findahl

They saw the 1860s and lived to the dawn of the 1950s

Nels & Jessie Findahl at home in the garden (Mom's memory) and I am making the guess this no later than the mid 1920s.



(Remember, any family members that can add to these speculations, please do!)



Jessie (left) is holding my mother, granddaughter Margie.  Little Kenny (grandson through their son Harry and daughter-in-law Mabel) sits in the play pen.  Nels Findahl on the right.


Mom was born early 1928, so that gives you a good ballpark date on this photo which was taken in Galesburg, IL.

When I look closely at this photo I see a bicycle laying on its side behind Jessie, a baby buggy and way in the distance what looks like a gateway into a field of some type of crop. I see some type of attachment on front of the automobile behind Kenny.

The original print was pretty faded and almost lost. I make initial scans of prints and then try to work on the copies of those scans as best I can, but keeping the initial scan with its original integrity which I can always refer back to.



Back Row:  Nels Findahl, daugher in-law Martha & son Gordon, Jessie Findahl

Front Row:  Granddaughters Betty & Margie

A visit to Detroit in the early 1930s. A very familiar location, this was Martha & Gordon's home where Martha stayed well into the 1970s.



Back row:  Son Gordon, Daughter Helen, Gordon's wife Martha, Jessie & Nels Findahl, Daughter in-law Florence (wife of Frank)


Grandchildren in front left:  Margie & Betty (Gordon & Martha's daughters); Helen's daughter Eileen 


Grandchildren in front right:  Shirley (Florence's daughter) & Kenny (Harry & Mabel's youngest son.  Harry & Mabel are not shown.)

Back home in Galesburg, IL early-to-mid 1930s!



Nels & Jessie Findahl at home in Galesburg, IL - 1930s


The Findahls had a new porch installed on the front of their home since the 1903 photo shown earlier.  If I'm not mistaken the house still exists to this day, but has been relocated not too far from it's original foundation.




Nels, Margie, Jessie & Martha Findahl visit the Detroit Zoo, September 1938



Nels & Jessie Findahl


September 1940 - Family picnic in most likely Lake Storey, Galesburg, IL

Jessie & Nels Findahl (on the right) are shown standing next to their daughter in-law Mabel.  Mabel's mother is next to her and Mabel's granddaughter Harriet is the little child in front.


Easter Sunday, April 5, 1942
Nels & Jessie Findahl near 'Grandpa's 80th birthday'.


Nels & Jessie Findahl sometime in the 1940s






January 1950


It wasn't too long after my Mom & Dad got married that Great-Grandpa Nels passed away. 

This is a list of some of the wedding gifts my parents received which fascinated me.  The first five listings I recognize as being in my mother's writing and the rest is my Aunt Betty's writing.

At #18 she credits both Nels & Jessie Findahl

After Nels died, Jessie would live with son Harry and his wife Mabel until her death in 1953.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

The "Original" Findahl Family

c. 1903 - 1134 N. Henderson St., Galesburg, IL

This is about the oldest family photograph we have from my mother's side.  This is her father's family and I think it's cool that we also happen to have a photo of her mother with some of her siblings from about the same time period which I will show elsewhere.  Unfortunately I do not have as much information on my father's side of the family, but will provide what I have in the near future.

This photo is a copy that my Aunt Betty Johnson made, which was advantageous because I believe it was easier to reproduce here than the original.  On the back of the photograph she most graciously provided the birth and death dates of all shown:  Mom and Dad Findahl, with all of their six children.

From left to right (information courtesy my Aunt Betty Johnson):

Frank Gilbert Findahl, b. Sept. 21, 1886 -- d. Sept. 7, 1962

Jessie Thornberg Findahl*, b. May 26, 1860 -- d. March 27, 1953  -This is my mother's grandmother and the baby she is holding is --

Virgil Leroy Findahl, b. Nov. 17, 1902 --  d. June 27, 1933

Harry Edwin Findahl, b. March 6, 1891-- d. June 4, 1965  In front of Harry is -- 

Helen Bernice Findahl (Windom), b. July 23, 1899 -- d. June 21, 1977

Myrtle Lillian Findahl**, b. Nov. 7, 1888 -- d. April 11, 1912  

Nels Olaf Findahl***, b. April 5, 1862 -- d. Feb, 14, 1950 -This is my mother's grandfather

Gordon Ralph Findahl, b. Nov. 1, 1896 -- d. May 30, 1958  -This is my mother's father.


Velkommen!
Välkommen!
Willkommen!
Laskavo prosimo!
Welcome!
Jessie Thornberg Findahl
(ca. mid 1940s)





The "Original" Thornberg Family
Update:  June 1, 2011
Since first posting this beginning of our story I have learned more about Great-Grandmother Jessie's history, The "Original" Thornberg Family, if you will!  Relative Linda Corbett has a wonderful website devoted to the story of the Thornberg family which can be found here:
www.thornberg.co.uk


*Jessie Thornberg was born in Sweden.  My cousin Joanne Martinez first alerted me about Linda's website and thankfully we finally got in touch with each other via another relative, Annie Oakes. 


There is a lot of information and via Linda's research I learned that Jessie's father's name was Sven and that her grandfather's name was Faijer.  Jessie was born with the name Kjersti.
Link for Sven Thornberg (son of Faijer)  http://tinyurl.com/3fcy2kp
Link for Faijer Nilsson Thorn  http://tinyurl.com/3rbcpck


I now understand Jessie was the oldest surviving child of Sven Thornberg & Ellen Pearson (aka Elna Nilsdotter).  Siblings Sigrid & Kerstin died in infancy. 


Jessie's brother Frank Benjamin Thornburg (note spelling) was born September 12, 1862 and you can read more about him here:  http://tinyurl.com/44qr674


Although that link to Linda's site has his photograph, I asked granddaughter Annie Oakes if I could post it here as well. 


Frank "Papa Ang-ies" Thornburg
The sibling born after Frank was Nels (Swedish name Nils) and we don't have much info on Nels, but we do remember the youngest child Sadie (Swedish name Sigrid) and have several photographs of her.  This is a link to a photo of Jessie [left] and sister Sadie [right]:  http://tinyurl.com/2c5jv2e


Please check out the Thornberg Family Website (linked above) for much more on the Thornbergs.


**Myrtle died of tuberculosis.  Of some memories my mother has about Myrtle she believes there was a story that Uncle Harry took it especially hard when Myrtle died and that she possibly passed while in his arms.  The family had her outside in something like a little screened canopy so she could get fresh air.   From the internet I learned that in the early 1900s, more than 80% of the U.S. population was infected with TB, and tuberculosis was the single most common cause of death.


***Nels Findahl I believe came from Farstorp, Skåne, Sweden (Skåne being a county of Sweden) and married Jessie Thornberg around 1885.



Sunday, August 22, 2010

The Music of "White Zombie" (1932)



Madge Bellamy is the "White Zombie" [1932]...



A Victor and Edward Halperin Production
Starring Bela (Dracula) Lugosi
Madge Bellamy
Joseph Cawthorn
John Harron
Robert Frazer
Brandon Hurst


...and it's Bela Lugosi as Murder Legendre who wants her!

Information taken from the Gary D. Rhodes book: "White Zombie - Anatomy of a Horror Film" and various internet sources.



Since I knew "White Zombie" was an independent and low budget production I made the incorrect assumption that the music in the film was all from the 'Classical' period and in public domain. What I found was that much of the music was more recent to the period when the film was made than I had expected and two pieces were actually composed for the film.

Instead of the Halperin brothers using stock recordings from a music library, Abe Meyer (head of Meyer Synchronizing Service) was the person commissioned to hire the orchestra to record new versions of the music used in "White Zombie".




1) The film opens with a piece made up of 'native drumming and wordless vocal' called "Chant" written by Guy Bevier Williams.


I found information on a Guy Bevier Williams as being born in Iowa (1873) and died in Los Angeles, CA (1955) who "was a pianist and composer. He studied piano in Berlin, Germany and later was accompanist for the contralto Jeanne Gordon, of the Metropolitan Opera Company, New York. In 1900, he resided in Oshkosh, Wisconsin where he played many concerts as a piano soloist. He later moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he taught piano in the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and the Auditorium Conservatory of Music in Chicago. He later moved to Lincoln, Nebraska where he taught music at Nebraska University. As a pianist he also recorded many piano rolls." (Source: The Internet Movie Database.)

This info, however, does not seem to fit Mr. Rhodes description of his Guy Bevier Williams which he states was "a Universal Studio employee at the time and specializing in ethnic music during the period" and that his only recorded credit of the 1930s was for "White Zombie".

If he is the same fellow I found a copy of some of his sheet music at: http://tinyurl.com/247ogvz. The IMDB links this person with "White Zombie" and other films of the 1930s so it is anyone's guess. In either case, it does appear this music was written specifically for "White Zombie".

Robert Fraser wants Ms. Bellamy's character of Madeline too, but Bela has other plans!


2) A piece of music that was 'expressly written for "White Zombie"' is that which is heard in the barroom scene where Neil is out of his mind with grief and drink over the death of Madeline. This Spanish jota was written by Xavier Cugat (1900-1990) a trained violinist and arranger. He was a key personality in the spread of Latin music in United States popular music. He was also a cartoonist and a successful businessman. In New York, his was the resident orchestra at the Waldorf-Astoria before and after World War II.

He was born Francesc d'Asís Xavier Cugat Mingall de Bru i Deulofeu in Girona (Catalonia), Spain and his family emigrated to Cuba when Xavier was five. He was trained as a classical violinist and played with the Orchestra of the Teatro Nacional in Havana. On 6 July 1915, Cugat and his family arrived in New York as immigrant passengers on board the S.S. Havana.

In the late 1920s, as sound began to be used in films, he put together another tango band that had some success in early short musical films. By the early 1930s, he began appearing with his group in feature films. He took his band to New York for the 1931 opening of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, and he eventually replaced Jack Denny as the leader of the hotel's resident band. One of his trademarks was to hold a Chihuahua while he waved his baton with the other arm.

In 1940, his recording of "Perfidia" with singer Miguelito Valdés became a big hit. He would continue to record for Columbia & RCA Victor Records in the 1950s and Mercury Records in the 1960s.  Here is an example of some of his work:  Xavier Cugat in Spain - El Beso "The Kiss"







3a) A combination of music from the Limoges section (the 7th movement) of Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky's (1839-1881) "Pictures at an Exhibition" --a famous suite in ten movements composed for piano by Mussorgsky in 1874 (Late Romantic Period) &

b) Gaston Borch's (1871-1926) Incidental Symphonies were used for the scene when Legendre transforms Madeline into a Zombie

Added:  September 30, 2023
Here is a link to an example of some of Gaston Borch's work:  "Misterioso dramatico" by Gaston Borch

When I did a little more research I learned Gaston Borch was from French and Norwegian decent who played cello, conducted orchestras in Norway and Switzerland and eventually throughout Europe. He became a prolific composer of 'photoplay music' from 1916 until his death in 1926. He also wrote a guide book "Practical Manual of Instrumentation" in 1918.

One site on the internet states that there isn't any information on any complete film score written by Mr. Borch, which led me to believe when Mr. Rhodes mentions Borch's Incidental Symphonies, this selection is from just that and not from any complete piece of Mr. Borch. Given the time frame of Mr. Borch's career in creating photoplay music puts these selections much closer to the time of the film's production than the classical music period I was thinking of, which makes it difficult for me to believe the selection was in the public domain in 1932. (Mr. Rhodes states all of Mr. Borch's music was published in Germany which he speculates may have allowed it to either be used inexpensively or for no fee at all.)




c) A selection of Hugo Riesenfeld's (1879-1939) "Death of the Great Chief" was used when Legendre's face appears in Madeline's glass of wine. This piece, Mr. Rhodes states, was originally written for the film "The Covered Wagon" (1923).

I learned that Mr. Riesenfeld was "from 1917-1925, the manager of the Rivoli, Rialto and Criterion Theatres in New York. A conductor and violinst, Riesenfeld was educated at the Conservatory of Music in Vienna and the University of Vienna, he then conducted with the Imperial Opera House in Vienna. In 1907 he came to America with Oscar Hammerstein and for four years worked with the Manhattan Opera Company in New York. While on Broadway, Riesenfeld demonstrated the entertainment and box office possibilities of having intelligent music accompany films. In 1928, Hugo was appointed general musical director in charge of musical productions for United Artists Pictures." (Tony Luke Scott from his book The Stars of Hollywood Forever)

That, of course, was of some interest to myself knowing that the picture "White Zombie" was eventually distributed by United Artists. The key here is 'eventually' because the film was produced independently so the fact that Mr. Riesenfeld worked for the company could be just some type of coincidence. Mr. Rhodes mentions that Mr. Riesenfeld and Abe Meyer were close friends making the inclusion of his pieces in "White Zombie" as no surprise.

d) The scene ends with moments from Gaston Borch's Agitato (as stated by Mr. Rhodes.) I'm inclined to take that he means "Agitato" in the sense of its musical definition 'Music (to be performed) in an agitated manner', and not that Mr. Borch actually composed a complete piece called "Agitato".




e) Mr. Rhodes does go on to say that another selection of Borch's "Agitato Pathetique" is used when Legendre asks Beaumont if he would take Madeline "back to the grave" lasting until the Zombies seize Silver, the butler and then

f) another Borch "Agitato" is used from that point until Silver is thrown into the water below the castle.

g) More of Borch's work is used when Madeline attempts to murder Neil under the influence of Legendre interrupted for a moment only by Riesenfeld's "Death of the Great Chief" used again when Dr. Brunor knocks the knife from Madeline's hand.

h) At the end of the film when Neil and Madeline are reunited it is again a piece from Mr. Borch that is used.




4)  H. Maurice Jacquet's (1886-1954) work can be heard after Silver's death. I tried to find out more information on this person but the only thing I learned was that he was born in France, died in New York City and was the composer of 'stock music'.

5) A selection of Leo Kempenski's (1891-1958) music is heard when Madeline is first sent to kill Neil. As with the previous composer I was unable to learn more about Mr. Kempenski except that he was born in Germany, came to the USA in 1908 and died in Hampton, CT and this information was found under the name spelled "Leo Kempinski". I am making the assumption it is the same person, given that "he was a church organist in Philadelphia and a music director with a theatrical circuit for thirteen years. He was also an editor for a music publisher for three years, and wrote background music for radio programs, and conducted radio's "The Army Hour" between 1943 and 1946. In addition he was a staff arranger, conductor and composer for NBC." (Source: The Internet Movie Database.)

Brandon Hurst as Silver, the butler, tries to save everyone but to no avail.


6) Two selections by Hen Herkan are used extensively at the climax of the film beginning at the point when Madeline 'rushes away' after attempting to kill Neil. I could find no information on Mr. Herkan whatsoever except that he is noted in Mr. Rhodes book as being a 20th Century composer that I can only assume specialized in motion picture stock music. It is noted that Herkan's "S-O-S" was used in "White Zombie".




7) The more well known compositions in "White Zombie" are Lohengrin by Richard Wagner (composed 1850) 'used in a brief organ solo during the wedding march' and

8) Liebestraum by Franz Liszt (published also in 1850) which the zombified Madeline plays on piano illustrating that the oldest music performed in the film is from the Romantic period and the rest is Modern with nothing from the Classical period.


9) The most famous piece in the movie is R. Nathaniel Dett's (1882-1943) Listen to the Lambs published in 1914. This piece is heard when all the main characters converge at Legendre's House of the Living Dead near the end of the film.




Robert Nathaniel Dett was born in Drummondsville, Ontario, Canada, on October 11, 1882. His ancestors were among the slaves who escaped to the North and settled in that slave-founded town.

In 1901, Dett began studying piano with Oliver Willis Halstead in nearby Lockport. Three years later he was admitted to the Oberlin Conservatory, where he majored in piano and composition. In 1908, Dett received his B.M. degree, winning Phi Beta Kappa honors.

Dett's later education included studies at Harvard University under Arthur Foote (1920-21), and the American Conservatory in Fountainebleau with Nadia Boulanger. In 1932, he completed a Master of Music degree at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York.

Dett's most important work began in 1913 at the Hampton Institute in Hampton, Virginia. He trained the choir at that traditionally African-American school to a new level of musical excellence. His 40-voice Hampton Singers performed at Carnegie Hall in January 1914.

Dett rose to the position of director of the Music Department at Hampton in 1926, the first black to hold that job. That same year, Oberlin Conservatory awarded Dett an honorary Doctor of Music degree, another first for an African American.

Joseph Cawthorn does his best to 'take Bela out'!


On December 17, 1926, the 80-voice Hampton Choir assumed national prominence as it performed by invitation at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. The unaccompanied program contained Dett's trademark mix of repertoire--early English music, works from the Russian liturgy, Christmas carols, and arrangements of spirituals. In 1930 the choir achieved another milestone as it embarked on a European tour under the auspices of George Foster Peabody, a philanthropic patron of the arts and Hampton Institute trustee. En route to New York, the group sang for President Herbert Hoover on the White House lawn. The choir of 40 select voices went on to impress audiences during its six-week tour of seven countries.

After earning his master's degree in 1932, Dett resigned from Hampton and moved to Rochester, New York. He died in 1943 while serving as choral advisor for the United Services Organization and touring with a women's choir in Battle Creek, Michigan.

Bela finally meets up with John Harron, the distraught husband, Neil.


10) As an aftermath to the film, I learned that the success of the 1932 motion picture "White Zombie" starring Bela Lugosi inspired an instrumental record by Joel Shaw and His Orchestra which was recorded in October of that year and released under the name "White Zombie".



*Note:  This post was originally a 'test' of mine to practice what it means to have a 'blog' on the internet.  Originally (as dated) it was nothing but text.  Not too long afterwards I got the desire to add the highest quality photographs I could find to it.  Also, I figured why not create additional links to any related music I could locate on YouTube, especially that which wouldn't have been available 7+ years ago.  

I'm very pleased to finally re-post with these updates. - 20 Feb. 2018