Ben Bernie at Chicago Worlds Fair 1933-34

[maryinfla]

Does anybody know anything about Ben Bernie and His Lads working at the 1933 Chicago Worlds Fair, "The Century of Progress"?

My sister's father-in-law, James Renc, sang with Bernie's band at the Chicago Fair when he was 20 years old. We think he was hired just to sing at the Exposition, anyhow he wasn't part of the band except at the fair. Does anyone know if there would have been more than one band unit under a leader's name? more than one shift during a day?

Bernie's radio sponsor from 1931-35 was Pabst Blue Ribbon. one might guess that he was working for Pabst at the Fair as well-- Pabst built a big cafe as well as a very classy lake-side dance pavilion called the Blue Ribbon Casino.

If anyone has memories, advertising, photos of dance bands at the Chicago fair, we'd very much like to hear about it. Thanks so much--

[arnbraefarm]

Bernie and his "lads" arrived in Chicago in late 1930 after his seven year run at New York's Roosevelt Hotel ended in 1929. He had taken the group to Los Angeles where they had some success playing clubs and theaters in Hollywood. Then they started a nationwide tour along with Maurice Chevalier. In the meantime Bernie had gotten a contract to play at Chicago's Hotel Sherman in its College Inn nightclub. It was there that the group established itself as a major radio property chiefly for Pabst. When the World's Fair opened in 1933 Bernie and the band rotated between the College Inn and the Pabst Blue Ribbon Casino. When Bernie's band wasn't there Buddy Rogers and his group appeared.

You can see an amateur film of the fair including the Pabst Pavilion (at the 3:00 minute mark) with the Bernie Band at this address: http://www.archive.org/details/ChicagoW1933?start=209.5

I have never heard of James Renc with the Bernie Band although he certainly moved singers in and out throughout his career. Among the male singers with Bernie at the time were Pat Kennedy, Jackie Heller and Frank Prince.