[Rarebooks] FS: Opera star's archive [long description]

[Bob Petrilla]

Forest, Frank (Franco Foresta). ARCHIVE OF THE OPERATIC CAREER OF FRANK
FOREST, MAINLY IN THE 1930s: Compiled by himself, a world-famous performer
on stage, screen, and radio. Original archive. This archive comprises five
thick albums/scrap books of various sizes, six manila folders of
professional photographs, a folder of publicity materials, and a few loose
programmes. These are all arranged in rough chronological order, although
the contents of the albums often overlap each other. Included are: myriad
newspaper clippings re FF and his career in all three media; magazine
articles; advertisements for FF’s services and announcements of
performances; original photographs (professionally taken and candid shots)
of FF, sometimes in costume and in performance; many movie stills from FF’s
films, and professionally-taken “on set” shots; letters and telegrams;
press releases; operatic and other performance programmes; record catalogs
containing FF songs; invitations; publicity materials; contracts; and odds
and ends. The condition of the five albums is spotty: some of the items
inside are chipped or even tattered, many of them have come unglued, some
(mostly articles received from a clipping service) are simply laid in. Some
of the pages have hand-lettered labels, providing dates, names of people,
and locations of events. Taken as a group, the materials in this archive
provide a comprehensive picture of the life and career of a performer who
was world-famous, especially in the 1930s and 40s, not only as an opera
star, but also as a radio and movie star. ~~ The first album, containing
most of the earliest material, has a padded, tattered floral cover, tied.
Its 40 pages are 8 ½” x 11 ¼” and their contents cover the years 1930-1933,
with some of the clippings written in Italian and some items simply laid in
at the back. After a 9 ¼” x 6 ½” professional head shot of FF, the album
starts with the 1930 material relating to FF’s “debut” in March, singing
baritone in Faenza, Italy, in “La Boheme”. These items include
congratulatory telegrams and letters (mostly from family members) housed in
a glued-in envelope, news clippings (some from Minnesota papers, one of
which refers to FF as “Edgar L. Hayek’s brother”), a broadside (10” x 6 ½”)
announcing his debut performance, newspaper reviews, postcards showing the
theater, etc. Also from 1930 are FF’s contract dated 16 January, 1930 with
a theater in Milan, pages of news clippings (reviews, etc.), a
congratulatory note in May from Giuseppina Cavallero re his “splendid
success”, clippings of articles and reviews re other FF performances that
Spring, and broadsides for “Pagliacci” (May 7) and “La Traviata” (Sept.
28). The year concludes with a professional head shot of FF and his note
that in November, 1930, he entered a “New Era” changing “from baritone to
tenor,” and that he received his “first contract one year later as leading
tenor at La Scala.” From 1931 is a snapshot (5 ½” x 4”) taken in Palermo of
FF and Edith Mason (“the great soprano of the Chicago Opera and fine
companion” who sang with FF in “Madame Butterfly” in 1932) and an article
about La Scala’s 1931-32 season. There are 10½ pages of news clippings from
1932, 2 pages of telegrams congratulating him on his being ‘engaged for La
Scala,” a snapshot of labeled singers (5 men, 1 woman), a ¾-length
professional shot of FF in uniform as Pinkerton labeled “Butterfly,” and
two ads for “Franco Foresta-Hayek” for May and June, 1932, in the classical
music magazine Musical America (one with a head shot), and a large folded
announcement of operas at Teatro Kursaal di Lugano in Sept.-Oct. Material
from 1933--the year of FF’s film debut in a British movie filmed in
Venice-- includes two snapshots: “In our garden” with composer Richard
Hageman and wife; and 13 photos taken in Venice during the making of the
film “For Love of You” (some labeled on verso by Roberta’s son); and 6½
pages of clippings and several invitations to dances, etc. hosted by
political figures. There are also 3 snapshots of FF and people around a
piano, stamped “Porter’s Cleveland, Hollywood, CA” on verso, and several
items in an envelope labeled Il Piccolo Teatrale (a publication) containing
related items in Italian. ~~ The second album (12 ¼” x 9”) labeled “News
Cuttings” has 30 pages filled (some with folded larger items), and most
concerned with 1933 events, notably FF’s appearance in the British film
“For Love of You”. Items include: a 2½-page press release “How Franco
Foresta Was Discovered,” telling the story of the film’s director and a
studio executive hearing him singing on a gondola in Venice and tracking
down the voice of this “dazzling new screen personality” to the Opera
House; four large professional b/w photos (ca 9” x 6” or 7” x 5”)
identified in ink, of FF and various other stars of the movie on set in
Venice; ca. 11 pages of news clips regarding the film and FF’s discovery;
 several pages of reviews, including one with caricatures of the film’s
stars; 3-page and 2-page spreads (identical photos) about the film in an
Italian magazine; a 17” x 22 ½” spread (folded) from The Daily Film Renter
(Oct. 27, 1933) which is a poster for the film shown at London’s Cambridge
Theatre; a 17” x 10” collage of still photos from the film in the
Supplement to Kinematograph Weekly (Nov. 2, 1933); a full-page two-tone
photo of FF and co-star in “eastern” costume from London Life; and a loose
clipping or two. ~~ The third & largest album (16” x 13”) is bound in black
and lacks the bottom fastener. Many, many items are laid into it (mostly
newspaper clippings), some placed between pages, others at the rear. About
12 pages are occupied with material relating to 1933’s “For Love of You”,
including several pages of reviews (some as early photocopies); a full-page
ad for FF’s record of the film’s title song from Parlophone; five 8 x 10
glossy photos of movie scenes and of FF in costume. (“Exteriors made in
Venice and the Lido, Italy--Interiors made at Elstree, England” says a note
on one.) From 1935 are pages with reviews and articles about FF’s role in
“Dancing City” a musical play that was part of the Golden Jubilee
celebration in London’s Colosseum in June, along with 4 large b/w
professional shots of FF and the cast (2 photos mounted on cardboard); and
a 14” x 10¼” full-page announcement (with photo) re FF’s notable success in
his American debut as Faust with the Chicago Opera Company, along with two
pages of news clips re that Company. Items from 1936 include newpaper and
magazine clips, many about FF’s appearance on August 18 at the Hollywood
Bowl in a benefit performance for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, with
Leopold Stokowski conducting; an announcement (12” x 9 ¾”) re FF’s
availability for the 1936-37 season; The Big Broadcast of 1937 (filmed in
1936) section includes 8 professional photos from the film (ca. 8” x 10”),
featuring FF and co-stars Shirley Ross, Ray Milland, George Burns, Gracie
Allen, Jack Benny, etc. and includes a photograph of FF “making ‘La Bamba’
[a musical number] at Paramount, 2 A.M.” There are three 8 x 10 stills from
“Champagne Waltz” (1937), with Gladys Swarthout and FF; and 9 stills from
I’ll Take Romance (1937) with FF and Grace Moore, featuring the duo singing
numbers from “Madame Butterfly.”  From April, 1938, is a 13 ½” x 9” cover
of Musical Courier with large photo of FF, and one page of news clippings
re FF’s role on the radio show “Double or Nothing” dated March 29, 1941.
Also present are three 10 ¼” x 8” shots of FF in the film “Take it Big”
(one head shot, two full-body shots); and a 6-panel (8 ¾” x 5 ½”) ad for
“New Moon” (a Sigmund Romberg operetta) on Decca Records, featuring FF. ~~
The fourth album (14” x 11”) contains 96 pages devoted to (as a title-page
notes) “Articals [sic] of Opera-Operetta & Society, Films and Discks….”
Although there are several magazine articles, invitations, a telegram, and
a few letters, virtually all the contents of this album consists of
newspaper clippings 1935-36, many provided by a clipping service, starting
with articles on FF’s Italian season and performances in Cairo and
Alexandria, then his return to the U.S. and engagement with the Chicago
City Opera Company in 1935 (including a TLS from Chicago Mayor Edward J.
Kelly, thanking Frank for singing at his mother’s funeral) and a group of
articles on his role in the London Jubilee production “Dancing City”. Items
from 1936 include gossip columns, news and reviews of his Hollywood movies,
his performance at the Hollywood Bowl benefit, and his radio work,
including “Caravan.” ~~ The fifth, smaller “Snap Shots” album (7 ¼” x 10
¼”), bound in flexible boards, with lower left corner chipped, focuses
mainly on the Hayek family, as well as FF’s career in 1936-38, as well as
wife Roberta’s 1962 art exhibition (these items are laid in at rear). Some
of the entries have come unglued, and a few pages are loose. The album’s 50
or so filled pages open with 12 pages containing 45 snapshots of the Hayek
family at home in Minnesota, a studio photo of FF’s father, and a clipping
from the St. Paul Pioneer Press (July 8, 1935) re FF’s return to the
States. There are also 2 pages of other local clips about FF’s return, and
a newspaper article on brother Edgar L. Hayek speaking at the Northwest
Credit Conference (with photo) and a magazine article about him. The rest
of the album features: newspaper clippings re FF’s film debut, his
appearances on the “Caravan” radio show, various 1936 engagements including
the Hollywood Bowl performance, and FF and Roberta’s participation in the
“Festival Garden Party” in May, 1936; ads noting FF’s availability for
various seasons; a 2-page article on FF from Movie Classic for October,
1936; several headshot photos; an announcement for the Chicago City Opera
Company; etc. At the back of the album is the material relating to
Roberta’s art show in 1962, including TLsS re her paintings from “Walter”
[Toscanini] and Lauder Greenway of the Metropolitan Opera Board, + 10 notes
(some handwritten, some typed) from others who bought paintings, + 7 items
re the exhibition itself: handwritten list of paintings with prices,
framing bill, etc. ~~ The Frank Forest archive also contains 6 folders of
original professional photographs, some labeled on the versos with
photographic studio stamps and/or handwritten descriptions of the photo
locales. A folder labeled “Franco Radio” holds nine 8” x 10” glossies (some
duplicates) and two smaller photos taken with FF at the microphone, etc. An
unlabeled folder holds 6 glossies from the film “For Love of You”. The
large “Franco Portraits” folder holds about 80 professional photos, most 8”
x 10”, mostly from 1936-37. These publicity shots show FF in various film
roles (including stills from the films), playing golf at Bel Air, playing
tennis, posing with his dog Impy, singling at Camp Pendleton (1943),
celebrating his 24h anniversary in 1951, posing with his wife and Henry
Fonda, sitting with a group at a restaurant table, etc. The “Franco Listed”
folder contains two 8” x 10” photos and one snapshot of FF and visitors to
the set of “Champagne Waltz.” The “Franco Opera” folder contains 8 photos
of various sizes, including FF in “Dancing City”, in the Bellini opera
“Beatrice” in 1934, on the movie set in Venice in 1933, and 2 of tenor
Charles Hackett. It also contains two real-photo postcards. The folder
labeled “Franco Autographs-Opera” holds an inscribed photo-portrait of a
male opera star in Bari in 1934 (11” x 7 ½”); a photo from Rome, 1934,
inscribed by “Toti dal Monte”; an 8” x 10” childhood photo inscribed by
Gene Lockhart; a stiff card from the Grand Hotel in Venice, signed by
fellow cast members of “For Love of You” (Diana Napier, Arthur Riscoe, et
al. 1933); and an oval photo mounted on a card inscribed in 1931 by
Alessandro Bavasko. ~~ The manila folder (15” x 9”) labeled
“Franco-Publicity” includes a 5” x 8” ad for Feen-a-Mint with a head shot
of FF, as “star of ‘Double or Nothing”; an 8-page brochure from Parlophone
Records (June, 1934), with a headshot of “Franco Foresta” and an ad inside
for the “first record by the New Great Film Discovery” singing the title
song from “For Love of You” and Ravini’s “Serenade”. A green folder labeled
“Press Material” contains stencilled copies of FF’s long and short
biographies and various fill-in-the-blanks for use in press releases,
tailored in various forms for music, woman’s page, fashion, record and tv
columnists; a TLS from Erich Simon, the European representative of NY’s
Metropolitan Opera, requesting Frank’s press material and asking about
audition dates (June, 1935); a 6-panel folding publicity release, very
tattered at the top, (15” x 10”) about the film “For Love of You” (1933),
including photos, story summary, cast photos, and a brief biography of FF
in his film debut; and several versions of movie posters and advertisements
for the film. ~~ The archive also includes several larger, loose items: two
copies (on stiff stock, 10” x 7 ½” with embossed insignia of the Lloyd
Triestino shipping company) of a March 22, 1935 programme “Concert in honor
of the commander of the ship ‘Vienna’[of the Lloyd Triestino Company line]
featuring members of the Lyric Company of the Royal Theater of Cairo” and
including a song sung by FF. The programme is four pages long, with a
watercolor illustration titled “A Tour of Capri” on the cover by
illustrators (and shipboard decorators) Edina and Vittorio Accornero. ~~
Also present are two copies (stiff covers, tied with purple ribbon, 11 ¾” x
8 ½”) of the November 3, 1933 programme at the London Hippodrome “Matinee
in the Aid of ‘The Friends of the Poor’ under the immediate patronage of
her Majesty the Queen….” A 16-page booklet inside the covers (11” x 8”)
describes the Friends of the Poor’s aim to “help all Classes throughout the
Kingdom, especially White Collar Brigade and the Sick of all ages….” It has
a tear-off pledge sheet, as well as a programme of songs, comedy, dance,
speeches, sketches, etc., with FF singing an aria from “La Boheme” and the
title song from “For Love of You”, + advertisements, lists of sponsors and
committees, etc.
  Good .
The operatic tenor and movie and radio star Frank Forest (1896-1976) was
born in St. Paul, Minnesota, as Frank Hayek. His parents (one of Czech
descent, the other British) were Emil and Mary (Binder) Hayek of St. Paul,
and he was one of four brothers, including Edgar Hayek, later the mayor of
Albert Lea, Minnesota. Frank and Edgar were part of the St. Paul Quartet
(aka Saintly City Quartet), and they performed at many local churches and
events. After studying agricultural engineering at U Minnesota, and being
graduated from the School of Agriculture as valedictorian, Frank helped
found the pharmaceutical firm White Laboratories (creator of “Feen-a-Mint”
laxative gum, among other products). He remained a director of the
Kenilworth, NJ, company for years, until it finally merged to become
Schering Plough. Frank’s heart, however, was always in his singing. He
started studying bel canto singing in Italy. He married another opera
hopeful, Roberta Faxon. Frank made his operatic debut in 1928 in the small
town of Faenza after several years of performing throughout Italy, Egypt,
and the Continent as “Franco Foresta” (the Italianized translation of his
name). By 1931, Frank changed from singing baritone parts to singing tenor.
He became a member of La Scala in 1932. and sang before kings and queens at
special events, including a major role at the Bellini Centennial Festival
in 1935. ~~ In 1933, still as “Franco Foresta,” he played a starring role
in the British film shot in Venice, “For Love of You.” Frank was hailed as
a major “discovery.” He joined the Chicago City Opera Company in 1935, then
was soon signed by Paramount Pictures, which also “loaned” him to Columbia
Pictures. His breakthrough Hollywood role was playing an egotistical radio
star in Paramount’s “The Big Broadcast of 1937.” Forest made three more
films between 1937 and 1944, the most notable being “I’ll Take Romance” in
which he costarred with operatic luminary Grace Moore. A second career in
radio was next, and he sang regularly on The Camel [cigarette] Caravan, a
musical variety show that started in the 1930s. He then starred for 4 years
on Double or Nothing, a highly popular quiz show. Frank later returned to
his operatic roots and was known for his Wagnerian roles. At some point, he
also became a managing director of opera at Carnegie Hall. In 1955, Frank
started working on the creation of an Empire State Festival, bringing opera
to non-Manhattan New York venues, an annual event that lasted through 1961.
  $1,200.00

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