Dwight Fiske Recorded 1934 - 1945 CD276
Dwight Fiske's first records were initially added to Victor's 36,000 series of 12" records. The serial
number was visible on some of these, but on Gala 103 the Victor number was only in the wax - not on the
label. About ten years after the Victors were recorded, Dwight re-recorded many of his 12" records and
shortened to 10" Gala masters.
Dwight Fiske (1892–1959) was an American nightclub entertainer and pianist noted for his saucy stories
and risque recordings. He was perhaps the first entertainer to promote himself on "party records," beginning
with 78rpm releases and later on in the 33-1/3 long-playing format. He also published his stories as
illustrated books. During the height of his fame in the 1930s and 1940s, he was associated mainly with the
Savoy-Plaza Hotel's Cafe Lounge at Fifth Avenue and East 58th St., and the Versailles Room on East 50th St.,
where his midnight shows provided a popular nightcap for socialites and visiting celebrities.
Fiske was born in Providence, Rhode Island, and raised there and in Boston. He briefly attended Harvard,
then withdrew to study at the Paris Conservatoire.[3] In his later nightclub routines he claimed to have
spent time as an accompanist to silent movies, where he polished his improvisational piano skills. After
World War I he entertained Americans in Paris cafes and New York speakeasies. The young actress Tallulah
Bankhead, then appearing in the West End, popularized him when he moved to London to play at the Bat Club
for nine months. Returning to New York in the early 1930s, Fiske entertained in "expensive speakeasies"
(e.g., the Mayfair Yacht Club at 450 East 52nd Street) during the last years of Prohibition, and remained a
popular late-night attraction when these establishments turned into legitimate nightclubs in 1933. Fiske's
legions of fans included Edward Prince of Wales (Edward VIII),[5] Robert Benchley, and Dorothy
Kilgallen.
Fiske had a standard repertory of spoken narratives, usually about a sexually needy woman or animal
("Mrs. Pettibone," "Ida the Wayward Sturgeon"), which he delivered in clipped tones while providing his own
piano accompaniment.
IDA,THE WAYWARD STURGEON VIC 36100 10/26/33 78283
CLARISSA THE FLEA VIC 36100 11/27/33 78284
ANTHONY AND CLEOPATRA VIC 36103 01/03/34 78533
ADAM AND EVE VIC 36103 01/03/34 81141
MR.WEBSTER VIC 36167 08/29/34 81143
MOLLY O'TOOLE THE FAN DANCER VIC 36167 04/18/35 89286
MRS.PETTIBONE GLA 99
TWO HORSES AND A DEBUTANTE GLA 99
COLONEL'S TROPICAL BIRD GLA 162
ADAM AND EVE Gla 162
POGEY BROWN GLA 188
CENSORED LETTER GLA 188
MAJOR TEAKWOOD GLA 192
WEDDING ANNIVERSARY GLA 192
STELLA THE MOUSE GLA 193
EVERGLADES CLUB GLA 193
ANTHONY AND CLEOPATRA GLA 197
COLUMBUS AND ISABELLA GLA 197 Available Options:
Compact Disc: Ship
