Felix Knight
William Felix Knight (stage name: Felix Knight, November 1, 1908 – June 18, 1998), was an American tenor, actor, and vocal teacher, best known for his role as Tom-Tom in the 1934 Laurel and Hardy holiday musical film Babes in Toyland.[2][3]
Felix Knight | |
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| Born | William Felix Knight November 1, 1908 Macon, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | June 18, 1998 (aged 89) The Bronx, New York City, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Actor, tenor, vocal teacher |
| Years active | 1929–1998 |
| Known for | Tom-Tom in Babes in Toyland |
| Height | 5'8"[1] |
| Spouse(s) | Alice Moore (1935–1939, divorced) Ethel Blume (1940–1998, his death) |
| Children | 1 |
Early life
William Felix Knight was born in Macon, Georgia, the son of a cotton farmer who died in a hunting accident when Knight was five. Seven years later, he moved with his family to Pensacola, Florida, where he began to play the guitar. By his mid-teens, Knight was singing at dances and nightspots. By 1925, he was featured on a local radio station, and a movie company manager on location at the time to make a feature film urged Knight to travel to and try his luck in California.
Beginning of fame (1929–1934)
Knight found a vocal teacher in California, but was unable to earn a movie contract. To compensate, Knight did local singing jobs and church work, eventually gaining financial support from the Harkness Scholarship Foundation to aid in paying for his vocal lessons. By 1929, Knight was singing in a Santa Barbara, California Columbia network (later CBS) station, and additionally, had a national show, WCC Presents Felix Knight. Knight entered the Arwater Kent Foundation Scholarship Auditions of the Air, and made it to Manhattan prior to placing second in the judging.
Upon returning to California, Knight sang at the Hollywood Bowl in the Giuseppe Verdi opera La traviata alongside Lily Pons, and then traveled to San Francisco, California, where he did Hector Berlioz's La damnation de Faust with the city's opera company. Once he returned to Hollywood, he continued voice studying and radio work, including the CBS program Shell Mountain House with Raymond Paige and his Orchestra. Knight finally made his screen debut in 1934 in RKO Pictures Down to Their Last Yacht as a South Seas native who sings "Malakamokolu."[4] Following this was the role of a gypsy in the Charles Boyer—Loretta Young picture Caravan, starring Boyer.
Peak of fame (1934–1937)
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Knight's biggest and best-known role was as the love interest of Little Bo Peep, Tom-Tom, the Piper's Son, in the 1934 Laurel and Hardy musical film Babes in Toyland, based on the famed 1903 operetta by Victor Herbert. Not only did Knight play the romantic lead, but he also performed several musical numbers, including "A Castle in Spain." Despite being placed under a contract with MGM, Knight did no films directly for the studio. Rather, he was loaned out for other assignments, such as attending Warner Bros. for two musical shorts: Springtime in Holland (1935) and Carnival Day (1936). In the former, he was cast as a Dutch milk seller, and sang the numbers "The Girl on the Little Blue Plate" and "Beside the Zuider Zee",[5] while he played a jockey who romances a flower girl (Joan Barclay), and sang the numbers "The Rose in Her Hair"[6] and "Steppin' Along." MGM released his next feature, The Bohemian Girl, but similar to Babes in Toyland, it was made by producer Hal Roach independently, and reunited Laurel and Hardy with Knight; the feature also gave Knight a small role—a gypsy singer who performs a number from the Michael William Balfe—Alfred Bunn opera of 1843.[7] A test Knight had done for Roach ended up in Pick a Star, an MGM musical comedy film that also featured Laurel and Hardy in a non-speaking guest bit; Knight was briefly seen as a nightclub singer. Even though he studied acting with Irving Pichel, no further film opportunities came to Knight, other than a potential film series in Australia that in time, failed to materialize.
Life in New York and later life (1937–1960s)
Knight moved to New York City in 1937. There, he made radio recordings for Thesaurus Transcriptions with Nathaniel Shilkret and his Orchestra, and a year later, he recorded nine songs for Victor Records with Leo Reisman's orchestra. He also started to perform on network radio again, first with the Schaefer All-Star Parade on NBC, which ran from 1938 to 1940, as well as the NBC Blue Network's Music Appreciation Hour in 1938, and the RCA Magic Key [The Magic Key] during the 1938–39 season. Knight also had a weekly program on the radio station WEAF (later known as WNBC (AM)) every Thursday. In 1938, he was one of the finalists on NBC's Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air, losing to John Carter by a single vote. In 1939, he made his concert recital debut at The Town Hall, singing selections from Johannes Brahms, Francesco Cavalli, Alessandro Stradella, and Richard Strauss. Knight made his Broadway debut in October 1940 as the featured singer in It Happens on Ice, and in 1942, he sang the role of Camile de Jolidon in Franz Lehár's The Merry Widow at Carnegie Hall. In his final Broadway role, he played Almaviva in Once Over Lightly in 1942 with Igor Gorin and Grace Panvini; the production was based on Gioachino Rossini's The Barber of Seville.
In 1940, Knight again recorded for Victor Records, and continued to be heard on radio in musical programs such as The Ford Sunday Evening Hour, and Music Hall of the Air (Radio City Music Hall), and the game program So You Think You Know Music. Knight also served in World War II, and was present at Guadalcanal.[8]
1946 was an eventful, but prosperous year for Knight. Not only did he continue to be very active in radio, but he also signed with Decca Records and became a member of the Metropolitan Opera. While at Decca, he recorded operettas and popular songs, and was a vocalist with the Guy Lombardo and Russ Morgan orchestras. For his debut at the Met, Knight sang the role of Count Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia, the same role he did in the English-language version of the opera Once Over Lightly four years prior. He remained at the Met until 1950, but also continued to appear on radio in series including The Pet Milk Show and The American Album of Familiar Music.
Knight had his own television series, Felix Knight Sings, in the early 1950s, airing every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. His other television work included appearances on NBC Television Concert Hall in 1948, singing Rodolfo's aria from La bohème on Your Show of Shows in April 1950, and performing Christmas hymns on a holiday edition of Juvenile Jury in December 1951. During this time, Knight also created more records for RCA Victor including the tenor roles in excerpts from Victor Herbert operettas with soprano Doretta Morrow.
After leaving the Met, Knight appeared for two months at the Capitol Theatre, then spent the next several years giving concerts (appearing with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, among others), performing in summer stock, and working supper- and nightclubs. In 1960, he and Mimi Benzell did an album from the musicals Can-Can and Kiss Me, Kate for Design Records. On television, Knight was an occasional guest on late-night talk programs such as The Jack Paar Show in September 1961.
Toward the end of the 1960s, Knight had grown fatigued of constant traveling and launched yet another music career, this time, as a vocal teacher. His students included both Broadway and opera singers, and he continued to teach for the remainder of his life. Knight was a member of the Founding Tent of the Sons of the Desert, the Laurel and Hardy international society, and he attended several of their conventions.
Personal life
Marriage and children
While on the set of Babes in Toyland, Knight fell in love with fellow co-star Alice Moore, who played the Queen of Hearts. They eloped to Yuma, Arizona and married there on October 17, 1935. They divorced on March 14, 1939.[9]
In 1940, Knight married Ethel Blume, a radio actress who appeared on The Adventures of Helen, The Aldrich Family, Easy Aces, John's Other Wife, and Joyce Jordan, M.D. The two had one child, William Felix Knight II, who at one point would star in an episode of Juvenile Jury in 1954.[10]
Death
Knight died on June 18, 1998 at Calvary Hospital in the Bronx, New York City, and was survived by his wife and son. He is buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx.[11] Not long before his death, Knight told writer Laura Wagner (Classic Images, June 1998): "I did my best, I tried to be a nice guy. I helped people whenever I could, and I never complained. ... For a country boy from a cotton patch in Macon, Georgia—I think I did pretty good."
His wife, Ethel Blume, died in Brookline, Massachusetts on January 16, 2014, two days after her 95th birthday.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | Caravan | Gypsy Singer | Uncredited, Also appeared in the French-language version |
| Down to Their Last Yacht | Island Singer | Uncredited, Screen debut, sang "Malakamokolu" | |
| Caravan | Chanteur | Uncredited | |
| Babes in Toyland | Tom-Tom | Best-known role, first collaboration with Laurel and Hardy and Hal Roach | |
| 1935 | Springtime in Holland | Dutch milk seller | Short, sang "The Girl on the Little Blue Plate" and "By the Zuider Zee" |
| 1936 | Carnival Day | Bobby | Short, sang "The Rose in Her Hair" and "Steppin' Along" |
| The Bohemian Girl | Gypsy Singer | Second collaboration with Laurel and Hardy and Hal Roach, sang "Then You'll Remember Me" | |
| 1937 | Pick a Star | Nightclub Singer | Uncredited, Third collaboration with Laurel and Hardy (final film role) |
| 1937 | Musical Movieland | Young Dutchman | Short, Uncredited, (archived footage) |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | WCC Presents Felix Knight | Himself | National show |
| 1948 | NBC Television Concert Hall | Himself | Multiple appearances |
| 1950s | Felix Knight Sings | Host | Own television series, aired on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons |
| 1950 | Your Show of Shows | Himself – Guest Vocalist | Aired in April, sang Rodolfo's aria from La bohème |
| 1951 | Cavalcade of Stars | Himself – Guest Vocalist | Season 2 episode 45, aired July 13 |
| Juvenile Jury | Himself – Guest Vocalist | Aired in December, special holiday edition, performed Christmas hymns | |
| 1961 | The Jack Paar Show | Himself | Aired in September |
| 1962 | The Tonight Show | Himself | Aired August 16 |
| 1985 | Due Teste Senza Cervello | Himself [12] | Documentary by it:Giancarlo Governi, English translation: "Two Minds Without a Single Thought", featured in portion showing the New York Founding Tent of Sons of the Desert meeting from November 1, 1984 (Knight's 76th birthday) |
| 1986 | The Laurel and Hardy Show | Singer | Archived footage |
| 1987 | The Revenge of the Sons of the Desert | Himself | Video documentary short |
Stage
| Year | Title | Role[13] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1940–1941 | It Happens on Ice | Featured singer | Broadway debut, 279 performances |
| 1942 | The Merry Widow | Camile de Jolidon | 39 performances at Carnegie Hall |
| Once Over Lightly | Almaviva | Last Broadway role, six performances with Igor Gorin and Grace Pavini, based on The Barber of Seville | |
| 1946 | Il barbiere di Siviglia | Count Almaviva | Met debut, two performances: November 30 and December 27 |
| Lakmé | Gérald | Two performances: January 18 and May 1, latter performance in Dallas, Texas | |
| 1947 | The Warrior | Philistine Lord | Two performances: January 11 and January 31 |
| Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg | Zorn | In English, performance on February 26 | |
| Die Entführung aus dem Serail | Belmonte | In English, performance on March 3 | |
| Parsifal | First Knight | Performance on March 13 | |
| Die Zauberflöte | Priest | Three performances: November 14, December 3, and December 20 | |
| Lucia di Lammermoor | Arturo | Two performances: December 16 and December 29 | |
| Il barbiere di Siviglia | Count Almaviva | Performance on December 21 | |
| 1948 | Il barbiere di Siviglia | Count Almaviva | Six performances: January 7, January 20 (at the American Academy of Music in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), January 29, February 16, February 28, and December 28 |
| Lucia di Lammermoor | Arturo | Three performances: January 17, February 21, March 21, the latter at the Boston Opera House | |
| Die Zauberflöte | Priest | Three performances: January 22, February 9, and March 24 | |
| Gala Performance | Almaviva in The Barber of Seville: Act II | Met Concert at the Metropolitan Opera House | |
| Parsifal | First Knight | Two performances: March 10 and March 26 | |
| 1949 | Lucia di Lammermoor | Arturo | Four performances: January 1, February 22, February 25, and December 27 |
| Il barbiere di Siviglia | Count Almaviva | Five performances: March 11, April 2 (at the Boston Opera House), April 9 (at the Public Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio), April 30 (at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles), and May 14 (at the Northrup Auditorium in Minneapolis, Minnesota) | |
| 1950 | Lucia di Lammermoor | Arturo | Last performance at the Met |
Radio
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | Gems From Gershwin | Performer | Originally broadcast July 10 as a memorial honoring George Gershwin on the eve of the first anniversary of his death, also included Jane Froman, Sonny Schuyler, and the Victor Salon Group, conducted by Nathaniel Shilkret, broadcast was medley of Gershwin tunes from Porgy and Bess |
| 1945 | The Andre Kostelanetz Show | Performer | Originally broadcast May 21, also included Eleanor Steber, conducted by Noël Coward, sang "Someday I'll Find You" alongside Steber |
| 1990 | The Nutty Nut News Network | Himself [14] | Audio interview with Knight recorded at the Sons 7th International Convention in Clearwater, Florida |
Soundtrack
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | Babes in Toyland | Performer (uncredited) | "Never Mind, Bo Peep", "Castle In Spain", "Go To Sleep" |
| 1935 | Springtime in Holland | Performer (uncredited) | "Beside the Zuider Zee"; short |
| 1936 | Carnival Day | Performer (uncredited) | "The Rose in Her Hair"; short |
| The Bohemian Girl | Performer (uncredited) | "Then You'll Remember Me" | |
| 1937 | Pick a Star | Performer (uncredited) | "I've Got It Bad" |
| 1938 | Love Walked In | Performer | Recorded on February 11 by Leo Reisman, released on Victor 27626 and included in the 78rpm album "Leo Reisman Rhythms" |
| Spring Is Here | Performer | Recorded on May 5 by Leo Reisman, released on Victor 25842 and included in the 78rpm album "Spring Is Here" | |
| 1942 | The Merry Widow | Camile de Jolidon | Alongside Kitty Carlisle, Wilbur Evans, and Lisette Verea, released February 1, 2011 |
| 1944 | Musical Movieland | Performer (uncredited) | "Beside the Zuider Zee"; short |
| 1945 | The Red Mill | Performer | Through Decca Records, performed alongside Eileen Farrell, and Wilbur Evans, with a chorus and orchestra conducted by Jay Blackton |
| 1946 | A Little Bit of Heaven – A collection of Irish songs sung and played in waltz time | Performer | Through Decca Records, music played by Russ Morgan and his orchestra, with a mixed chorus directed by Jeffry Alexander |
| 1949 | The Desert Song | Performer | Alongside Kitty Carlisle and Wilbur Evans |
| 1953 | Mademoiselle Modiste / Naughty Marietta | Performer | Alongside Doretta Morrow |
| 1955 | Vintage Vocal Jazz / Swing Nº 61 – EPs Collectors, "Giannina Mia" | Performer | "A Dream" and "Giannina Mía" |
| 1960 | Can-Can / Kiss Me, Kate | Performer | Alongside Mimi Benzell |
References
- Felix Knight. (2015). Lordheath.com. Retrieved 4 November 2016, from http://www.lordheath.com/menu1_422.html.
- Parish, James Robert., and Michael R. Pitts. Hollywood Songsters: Singers Who Act and Actors Who Sing: A Biographical Dictionary. New York: Routledge, 2003. Google Books. Google.com. Retrieved 22 Apr. 2016 from https://books.google.com/books?id=p3HWDtBhLykC&pg=PA341&lpg=PA341&dq=Hollywood+Songsters:+Garland+to+O'Connor&source=bl&ots=3kGlM2Z4CQ&sig=CR-l2PP08bCVPoWqbz5FIO3SVjw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiFobjL4qLMAhUKRSYKHT82DkIQ6AEIJjAC#v=onepage&q=Hollywood%20Songsters%3A%20Garland%20to%20O'Connor&f=false.
- "Felix Knight." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Retrieved 22 Apr. 2016 from https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0460901/.
- Lieurance, Charles. "Felix Knight Croons "Malakamokalu" in DOWN TO THEIR LAST YACHT (1934)." YouTube. YouTube, 15 Feb. 2014. Retrieved 22 Apr. 2016 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StghZ_6R5UE.
- Lombardo, Andrea. "Felix Knight – Beside the Zuider Zee The Girl on the Little Blue Plate." YouTube. YouTube, 07 Nov. 2011. Retrieved 22 Apr. 2016 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNZb7bQuu3E.
- Lombardo, Andrea. "Felix Knight – Rose in Her Hair." YouTube. YouTube, 29 June 2011. Retrieved 22 Apr. 2016 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDES2nI7IuQ.
- varadero1839. "When Other Lips – Felix Knight – The Bohemian Girl – Laurel, Hardy." YouTube. YouTube, 13 Jan. 2011. Retrieved 22 Apr. 2016 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyb3MKqfzSg.
- Felix Knight. (2015). Lordheath.com. Retrieved 4 November 2016, from http://www.lordheath.com/menu1_422.html.
- Felix Knight. (2015). Lordheath.com. Retrieved 4 November 2016, from http://www.lordheath.com/menu1_422.html.
- tvdays. "JUVENILE JURY with JACK BARRY 1954– CLASSIC TV SHOWS & COMMERCIALS on DVD at TVDAYS.com." YouTube. YouTube, 31 Oct. 2007. Retrieved 22 Apr. 2016 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjkz78PEhmg.
- Felix Knight (1908–1998) – Find A Grave Memorial. (2009). Findagrave.com. Retrieved 6 Oct. 2016, from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11683769
- Gemma, Benedetto. "Laurel and Hardy: 'Two Minds without a single Thought': Sons of the Desert NY Tent meeting from 1984". YouTube. YouTube, 3 Nov. 2009. Retrieved 6 Oct. 2016 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbhQpj9mPTc.
- Felix Knight, Internet Broadway Database, accessed April 23, 2016
- MacGillivray, Scott. "A Nutty Nut Network News Exclusive: Felix Knight Interview 1990". (1990). Nuttynutnewsnetwork.co.uk. Retrieved 6 Oct. 2016, from http://nuttynutnewsnetwork.co.uk/felixknight.html.
External links
- Felix Knight on IMDb
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