In the context of your enquiry, I'm reasonably sure that Armando Cesari already, here or elsewhere, has indicated that further editions of his Lanza biography will refer not to Rise Stevens but instead to "an unnamed soprano".

Yes, Rob, I quoted that Rise was the narrator in the fan faire article. Also I found this in Armando's book on pg 73;
http://books.google.com/books?id=2vlpWdsgQ...=onepage&q=&f=false
What say you, Armando? Can you enlarge on your foot note on pg 73?

http://www.fanfaire.com/store/ff/ffcd-mlifyouweremine.html

Track 5 mentions Rise Stevens as the narrator, but not as one of the singers.

There is a photo in one of the bios with three of those named singers (but not Rise Stevens) with Lanza. Something to do with a birthday message I believe, and their all being signed to RCA contracts.

Buy Mario Lanza CD - If You Were Mine - at the FanFaire Store of MusicThe MARIO LANZA Station ... narrated by Rise Stevens with soprano Ann McKnight, baritone Buy
Put in Google search box.

On that same site, Rob, it says "October 1945
 At a celebration in honor of David Sarnoff, head of RCA,
Mario Lanza chante avec Ann McKnight , soprano, Blanche Thebom et Rise Stevens , mezzo-sopranos, Robert Merrill , baryton, tous du Metropolitan Opera de New York, accompagnés par Anna Dorfman , pianiste. Mario Lanza singing with Ann McKnight, soprano, Blanche Thebom and Rise Stevens, mezzo-soprano, Robert Merrill, baritone, all of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, accompanied by Anna Dorfman, pianist

Edited by author 11-20-2009 05:43 PM
http://translate.google.com.au/translate?h...%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG

From the list headed "Here are the most significant of his 200 Concerts and Recitals":

"... February 14, 1948
San Rafael, California.
Concert with Rise Stevens, mezzo-soprano..."

In view of Ms Stevens' own statements and the detailed record of her concert appearances, indicating that she did not appear with Mario Lanza in concert, it seems quite likely that the listing of the San Rafael concert shown here was a simple error, and since repeated by other writers.

There is no listing of a concert including both Dorothy Kirsten and Mario Lanza, but the list is not complete as indicated by the heading, and in any case the event mentioned by Ms Kirsten and quoted by David Weaver was probably a private party.

 It's Ok to correct someone about something in their book if it is wrong, then it can be corrected. Just today someone wrote me to correct something in my book "Our Southern Ancestors" about a person and date. That is helpful, but slurring someone or calling them a liar is not necessary, that's all I am saying. Also people should not keep going on for years about it.

Edited by author 11-20-2009 05:07 PM
Good report, David!

Thelma, the "liar" slur about the Elvis/Mario meeting has nothing to do with establishing the truth of the matter, which is impossible to definitively determine anyway (hint: they're all dead and gone), and everything to do with scoring points. It is so monumentally trivial that it never ceases to amaze me when it turns up on the forums from time to time.

I viewed it then as I do now as little more than a passing story told to me by Terry Robinson while I was readying "Singing to the Gods"; a tidbit if you will to add to the chronology of Lanza's life and the people he met along the way. Plus, of course, Terry was there, Terry knew the people and events, and most important: Terry is a gentleman and most certainly not a liar.

You would think by the reaction to that simple statement in the book after it came out that I had said that Mario and Elvis had an affair, or recorded a secret duet of "Heartbreak Hotel," or engaged in a three-way tryst with a young starlet in a nearby motel. The response on the forums was overwrought, monumentally foolish and, as you saw from Bob Dolfi's post the other day (8 years on!) relentless.

In some ways, of course, it's a backhanded compliment to "Singing to the Gods." If that alleged "mistake" (I refuse to ever call it a lie) is the best these jokers can come up with to criticize the book, then I've done my job well.

Thanks David, I was writing my post when you posted. I was going to investigate the Kirsten biography next, so I believe we have all the facts now that we need.

I approached the San Rafael concert and who was there like I would have if it was a genealogical problem. I know that people make mistakes in their memories and so forth. When writing biographies, every author relies on research and other people's memories which can be faulty, so my point is, don't call an author a liar if he gets it wrong. I have made mistakes in my book about genealogy of my ancestors.

In her autobiography, Dorothy Kirsten wrote about meeting Mario:

Wynn Rocamora, who handled many top movie stars, decided it was about time I was introduced to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. They were doing musicals galore at the time and he wanted me to meet Louis B. Mayer. A screen test was arranged; it was successful, and Mr. Mayer said he would find a picture for me. I was wined and dined lavishly in the movie-set manner. While I was dining with the great man one evening shortly after my test, we discovered that our birthdays, which were coming up soon, happened to be only two days apart.

When he graciously suggested we have a combined party, I was of course delighted but curious about what to expect. Wynn had told me that there was usually entertainment at these parties by the current young stars, and I remember thinking, "Oh how dull."

When the stage curtains parted after dinner and Mario Lanza made his entrance, I could have gladly disappeared under the table. He had appeared with me in a concert only a week before and was quite familiar to me. I knew about his extraordinary voice, and he sang magnificently at our concert, but I could not forget how this cocky little tenor had kept me waiting one hour to rehearse with him without apology. It was extremely difficult to control my reaction, but of course none of my feelings showed. Mr. Mayer knew a good voice when he heard one. Mario's gift was great and the studio had high hopes for him.


Note how she said she and Mayer discovered their birthdays were only two days apart - Mayer's was July 4, Kirsten's July 6. The party hosted by Mayer was a joint celebration. Note, too, that when they had the combined birthday party Kirsten said she and Mario had just sung the week before. So it would seem, given the dates, that the Kirsten-Lanza performance was sometime in June-July 1948.

In the LA Times for July 4, 1948, it was announced that there would be a party in Beverly Hills to launch the 27th season of Hollywood Bowl, and that the special guest would be Mrs. Alma Mahler-Werfel, widow of composer Gustav Mahler. Among those who would entertaining at the event would be Dorothy Kirsten, Jeanette MacDonald, Mischa Elman, Mario Lanza, Amparo Iturbi (Jose's sister) and Andres de Segurola.

So it's possible it was this party where Kirsten and Lanza sang, a week before the joint birthday party held by Mayer for himself and Kirsten.

San Rafael is about 25 miles north of San Francisco. That 1948 concert was supposedly a private concert, and was held outdoors, in a garden-like setting. Probably in the spring or summer, of that year. Private - for who?? I don't know. Probably the audience was relatively small, perhaps a hundred people, or so. Since Lanza's 2nd Hollywood Bowl concert was July 24, 1948, I would guess that the San Rafael concert was shortly before the HB concert. I guess more research is needed. As Thelma pointed out, the Walnut Creek Opera Association wasn't founded until 1991. Ciao.

Hi Thelma, I have no idea when or where those concert photos shown below were taken. However, I do know that the lady in the pics is not Risë Stevens. Ms. Stevens has stated emphatically on more than one occasion that she never sang in concert with Mario Lanza. Her biography is scrupulously annotated, listing every professional concert appearance she made throughout her career. None mention Mario. If she can remember singing with good old Burl "Holly Jolly Christmas" Ives, it stands to reason she would remember singing with Mario. She has also stated this fact in person to both Maynard Bertolet and Bill Ronayne and unless we wish to call the lady a liar, this story of her alleged appearance in San Rafael needs to be put to rest.

It's clear to me that the lady in the photos below is Dorothy Kirsten. Kirsten talked about singing in concert with Lanza before they were signed for "The Great Caruso" and this is probably the appearance she was referring to. If it's not Kirsten then it's someone doing a spot-on impersonation of her and how she looked back then.

Not even a television commercial with him singing 'Smoke gets in your eyes'.

Fred Day:
It was Elizabeth's spokeswoman who told me the news about Eddie Fisher. I'm very sorry, but I have no idea how to contact him, unless you can do so by way of Variety or some other publication which may put you in touch with his agent, if he still has one. Best of luck! Other interesting news: I just saw for sale on e-bay a small poster of Mario--advertising Camel cigarettes! Now THAT wouldn't happen today!