And Boaz Young writes in
his memoir book:
"The well-known printer
of the 'Trio Press' and lyric writer for the Yiddish
theatre, Louis Markowitz, had recently mentioned to
me that even the poster [in 1921 for Clara Young as
'Jakele Blofer' in the Liberty Theatre] had found a
great success with the public -- it was the first
poster for Yiddish theatre that was printed in four
colors."
In his printing shop M.
also published Yiddish theatre songs. Later he
founded, together with L. Davidson and Y. Pargment,
the printing shop "Trio Press," which was the home
of the Yiddish theatre press work. Here also there
was printed the first volume of the "Lexicon of the
Yiddish Theatre" and the "Album of the Yiddish
Theatre."
M. is the composer of
about one hundred lyrics [theatre songs] and made
Jewish popular American songs, which became sung by
Molly Picon, Menasha Skulnik, Seymour Rechtzeit,
Miriam Kressyn, Henrietta Jacobson, Dina Halpern and
Malvina Rapel. Several of them also were recorded.
He also printed several humoresques in the "Yiddish
Bakers' Voice (Yidishe bekers shtime)" and wrote in
the "New Yorker Weekly" about his visit to the Land
of Israel.
M. also wrote songs
which were sung in various operettas, and every song
for Freiman's operetta "Siomka's Wedding" (music by
Moshe [Maurice] Rauch, staged in 1944 in the
Hopkinson Theatre), and to Freiman's operetta "Ver
iz shuldik?" (music by Ilya Trilling, staged in 1947 in the Hopkinson Theatre).
About the lyrics, I. L.
Wohlman writes:
"We must emphasize strongly, Louie Markowitz's lyrics are an excellent example for others, that they needn't use dirty lyrics. And whatever else one can say, his music consists throughout of pleasant rhythms."
M. created several
drawings which the Manischewitz company used for its
calendars. He created the title page for the "Album of the Yiddish Theatre" and created the title pages and the profiles for the composers in books written by A. Leyeles, Shlomo Rosenberg, and Mendel Ackerman. He also produced the layout of the title page for the third volume of the "Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre."
M. was very active in the landsmanshaft (countrymen society) of the Mogelnitse immigrants in the U.S.A., and was the chairman for the financial relief of the "Independent Mogelnitse Benevolent Society." In 1950 he published his book "Three Mogelnitse People" (144 pages in Yiddish, and 44 pages in English), in which he describes the life of the early immigrants, especially of his countrymen. This book has a forward by Zalmen Zylbercweig.
About this book, Leyeles wrote:
Zalmen Zylbercweig is correct when he said in his forward to his book that the "Three Mogelnitse People" is a charming reflection of Jewish immigrant life; a bridge from a small Yiddish shtetl in Poland to America, and also to the world at large."
Sh. Tenenbaum wrote:
"Louie Markowtz... showed us not only the love of a son for a father, but also presented an eternal monument for his hometown in Poland." -
Louie Markowitz -- Bagrisung fun an "old timer," "Der tog," N.Y., 4 Nov. 1944. -
I.L. Wolman -- "Siomkes khasene" -- Freiman's un Moshe Reich's naye operete in hopkinson teater, "Der tog," 8 December 1944. -
Louis Markowitz -- Der ersht-farshtorbener muziker, ilya triling, iz oykh geven a moler un bkhll a feyne perzenlechkeit, "Der tog," N.Y., 11 Nov. 1947. -
Boaz Young -- "Mayn lebn in teater," N.Y., 1944, 1950, 32 pp. -
A. Leyeles -- Velt un vort, "Der tog," N.Y., 1 Dec. 1951. -
I.M. Kersht -- 3 mogelnitser, zayer heimshtot un zayer landsmanshaft in nyu york, dort, 7 Dec, 1951. -
Sh. Tenenbaum -- A chronik fun a yidisher shtetl, "Nyu-yorker vokhenblat," 29 February 1952. -
Joe Martin -- One Man's Living is Another Man's Hobby, "The Billboard," N.Y., Oct. 20, 1917. |