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The Cancerous Tire 123 The movie-going public, those who paid eighteen cents for a thinly padded balcony seat and purchased a tawdry movie magazine afterward, didn’t know the real Busby Berkeley. On his own he was increasingly drawn to liquor’s potent comfort, though on-the-set colleagues swore to his sobriety when he was on the clock. The blistering details of scandalous anecdota from two bitter ex-wives were known only to the closest of colleagues and, of course, his mother. Mother, with her son’s interest at heart (balanced with bitterness toward her latest ex-daughter-in-law), might have been the author of Buzz’s $65,000 defensive plea. Who could disprove such a tall tale? In August, Buzz contributed a witty number to Stars over Broadway , the only-in-Hollywood story of the meteoric rise, fall, and rise again of a bellhop with a remarkable tenor voice. James Melton, fairly new to pictures, was known for his concerts, radio performances, and operas. Along with the renowned radio singer Jane Froman, they star in Buzz’s comedy vignette “At Your Service, Madame.” It was another ditty in the Warren/Dubin canon (who are, as an inside joke, mentioned twice in the picture), describing the lady of leisure with a butler whose job description matches the song’s title. The curtain opens to Berkeleyville, a street scene as a dozen blacksuited applicants outside of a job agency watch a lady customer through the glass. She leaves, and a sign is posted: butler wanted. Buzz moves his camera in tight to a screen-filling shot of a man’s coat, then back out again to reveal the same men dressed impeccably in black tie and tails. They sing their service motto in Madame’s circular, two-tiered, glass-lined apartment (a very impressive-looking set). Melton and Jane Froman take over the number, singing and dancing around each other on the oval stage. A close-up of two hands yields a sequence change in which a humorous reversal of roles occurs. Now it’s James Melton being 6 124 Buzz waited on by Miss Froman. It’s all done well, filmed with Buzz’s light touch that complemented Al Dubin’s witty lyrics. Buzz had an interesting idea for another song in the picture, “September in the Rain.” The imaginative literalist wanted an elaborate setting filled with silver trees that moved independently (recalling the moving columns in “Don’t Say Goodnight”). The number was nixed, with budgetary limitations to blame. Buzz, stag, attended a big Hollywood-type home party on September 8 in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. Hosted by Warner Brothers production manager William Koenig, the soiree was held in honor of Koenig’s new bride, Barbara, a former Berkeley girl. An estimated two hundred guests clinked glasses and spoke freely without intrusive cameras . The studio-centric guest list included Pat O’Brien, Glenda Farrell, Guy Kibbee, Frank McHugh, cameraman George Barnes, musical director Leo Forbstein, and fellow dance director Bobby Connolly. Holding punch in his right hand, Buzz circulated among his Warner brethren and walked outdoors to the patio, where he grabbed a seat for a bit of chatting with Guy and Pat. His plan was to stay only a few hours, then head down to Santa Monica along the coast road to see bandleader Gus Arnheim, with whom he had an appointment. Piano music wafting from indoors drew Buzz’s attention, and he excused himself from the patio and joined in singing with some other colleagues near the keyboard’s open hood. Some moments later, half of a second glass of punch wound up on Buzz’s white linen suit when a man bumped into him. The guest had sprung from a trick electric chair when a jokester in attendance flipped the switch that gave the unsuspecting dupe a shocking jolt. Apologies all around, and Buzz, in good humor, did his best to tamp out the stain. It was a bit after ten, a warm, dry night, when Buzz said his “thank yous” and “good-byes.” He drove his green convertible roadster toward Gus’s, taking the winding roads of the Roosevelt Highway. Without warning, his right front tire blew. Buzz braked and pulled his car delicately into a gas station that was fortunately close to the road. When he exited his car, he accidentally stubbed his toe on the cement base near a gasoline pump on his left and caught...

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