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From: rose@Shasta.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.games.trivia
Subject: Re: Who is Petrillo?
Message-ID: <1563@Shasta.ARPA>
Date: Fri, 29-Nov-85 11:35:06 EST
Article-I.D.: Shasta.1563
Posted: Fri Nov 29 11:35:06 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 1-Dec-85 03:33:25 EST
References: <415@tekig4.UUCP>
Reply-To: rose@Shasta.UUCP (David Rosenblum)
Organization: Stanford University
Lines: 26

In article <415@tekig4.UUCP> tomfi@tekig4.UUCP (Tom Fitzpatrick) writes:
>
>	As long as we're discussing cartoons around here, maybe someone
>out there can help me. In the Bugs Bunny cartoon "Hurdy-Gurdy Hare"
>in which Bugs buys a hurdy-gurdy and monkey, fires the monkey, and then
>eventually gets the gorilla to collect for him, Bugs' last line is:
>"I sure hope Petrillo doesn't here about this." My question is: who is
>Petrillo. I thought it might be the guy he bought the stuff from, but I
>can't remember enough about the episode to support this. Or maybe he was
>someone well-known back in the 40's?

Unless I'm thinking of someone else, Petrillo (, James C.?) was the
president of the main musician's union back in the 40's.  From 1942
to 1944, and again shortly in 1947, he banned union members from
performing at recording sessions for record companies.  I may have
gotten the dates slightly wrong, but they're close.  Thus, there is
a huge gap in recorded popular music, which is filled only by
VDiscs, broadcasts and airshots preserved on acetate discs, and
obscure labels whose artists didn't comply with the ban.  In addition,
crooners such as Sinatra ingeniously got around the ban by making several
recordings a capella, i.e. with a backup vocal group and no instrumental
accompaniment.  Sadly, though, the great Hines and Eckstine orchestras,
which indirectly gave birth to bebop during this period, are only a
legend.  Sigh.

-- David.	(rose@su-shasta.ARPA)