~ Lepke was the leader of the country’s largest crime syndicate throughout the 1930s and was making nearly $50 million a year from his various enterprises. His downfall came when several members of his notorious killing squad turned into witnesses for the government.
In 1960, a film, was released based on the true story of Murder, Inc., a Brooklyn gang that operated in the 1930s. It was also the feature film debut of Sarah Vaughan. She sings two songs on the soundtrack album, The Awakening, and Fan My Brow (link below). These performances by her are two of the rarest Vaughan vocals captured on wax - primarily because of the scarcity and almost total unavailability of the soundtrack album.
Murder, Inc. vinyl LP album cover
photo by Styrous®
At the time of the film's production and the album's release - Miss Vaughan was under an exclusive recording contract with Roulette Records. When the small Canadian-American label (Santo & Johnny; Linda Scott,
etc.) procured the rights to the soundtrack of the "Murder Inc." film,
they were unaware of Miss Vaughan's exclusive Roulette contract. Upon
the album's release, Roulette took the film's producer and 20th Century Fox
to court (but interestingly enough, not the Canadian-American label),
and when the judge subsequently found in favor of Roulette, it was
agreed that the "Murder, Inc." albums already issued could remain on the
market, but NO additional pressings could be manufactured or
distributed by Canadian-American after a certain date. Thus, the
scarcity of this album has made it a true collector's item, for both
soundtrack fans and Sarah Vaughan collectors. While the
Canadian-American label remained in business for another 7 years or so,
they were strictly prohibited from pressing any additional copies of
this LP.
The 1960 American gangster film film starred David J. Stewart, May Britt, Henry Morgan, Peter Falk, and Simon Oakland. The Cinemascope movie was directed by Burt Balaban and Stuart Rosenberg. The screenplay was by Mel Bar and Irve Tunick.
Actor, later producer/executive, Robert Evans turned down the part of Reles, because it was "not the lead role" and Peter Falk was cast instead, becoming Falk's first Oscar nominated performance. Many times in interviews and on talk shows, Falk credited his casting and appearance in this movie as his breakthrough performance, or his career-making film, even though he had been toiling around Regional New England theater, the New York stage and in sporadic television productions for five plus years.
The 1960 American gangster film film starred David J. Stewart, May Britt, Henry Morgan, Peter Falk, and Simon Oakland. The Cinemascope movie was directed by Burt Balaban and Stuart Rosenberg. The screenplay was by Mel Bar and Irve Tunick.
Actor, later producer/executive, Robert Evans turned down the part of Reles, because it was "not the lead role" and Peter Falk was cast instead, becoming Falk's first Oscar nominated performance. Many times in interviews and on talk shows, Falk credited his casting and appearance in this movie as his breakthrough performance, or his career-making film, even though he had been toiling around Regional New England theater, the New York stage and in sporadic television productions for five plus years.
Murder, Inc. vinyl LP album back cover
photo by Styrous®
An even more fictionalized version of the same events and time period,
and told from the point of view of the prosecuting attorney, the 1951
film, The Enforcer (1951), starred Humphrey Bogart and Zero Mostel, was released in the U.K. under the title Murder, Inc.
Murder, Inc. vinyl LP album back cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®
Murder, Inc. vinyl LP album back cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®
Louis “Lepke” Buchalter
Louis “Lepke” Buchalter - 1939
photo by Al Aumuller
World Telegram staff photographer
photographer unknown
Lepke and Shapiro then joined the Jacob “Little Augie” Orgen Lower East Side gang and turned their attention to bigger game.
Lepke and the gang terrorized the local garment workers unions. They took over control of the unions and forced kickback payments from both the members and the employers. Soon, they had taken over the entire New York garment industry. In the 1920s, they added liquor bootlegging and gambling and later began importing heroin and other narcotics.
Jacob “Little Augie” Orgen 1920 -27
police mug shot
Lepke and the gang terrorized the local garment workers unions. They took over control of the unions and forced kickback payments from both the members and the employers. Soon, they had taken over the entire New York garment industry. In the 1920s, they added liquor bootlegging and gambling and later began importing heroin and other narcotics.
Lepke assembled a large team of hired killers to enforce his control.
At one time, this team may have included as many as 250 hit men. Lepke
also began to coordinate operations with the other big crime kingpins
around the nation. With Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lansky and Dutch Schultz,
Lepke virtually controlled organized crime throughout the country. In
1935, Schultz wanted to kill New York District Attorney Thomas Dewey,
but Lepke, fearing that it would bring even more intense scrutiny and
pressure from law enforcement, had Schultz killed instead.
In order to generate more income and keep his hit men occupied, Lepke
started Murder, Inc. in 1933. Murder, Inc. was authorized to kill
anyone (approved by the syndicate) for a profit. With his hit squad
protecting him from rivals and paid-off judges and officers keeping him
out of jail, Lepke was America’s premier criminal until he was betrayed
by his own men. Reportedly, he was able to order final hits on his
betrayers from jail before his execution. Shapiro died of natural
causes in Sing-Sing prison.
Murder, Inc. vinyl LP, side 1
photo by Styrous®
Murder, Inc. vinyl LP, side 2
photo by Styrous®
Tracklist:
Side 1:
A1 - Main Title Music 1:35
A2 - The Awakening, Vocals – Sarah Vaughan - 1:50
A3 - Peter And The Wolf Match Wits - 1:33
A4 - Hey! Mister, Vocals – May Britt (2)- 1:16
A5 - Eadie Loves Joey - 3:35
A6 - Happy Dancer 1:59
Side 2:
B1 - Fan My Brow, Vocals – Sarah Vaughan- 1:01
B2 - Eadie Loves Joey (Reprise) - 3:06
B3 - The Awakening - 2:00
B4 - Murder Merchants March - 1:02
B5 - Brownsville Bounce - 2:20
B6 - Thematic Medley & End Title Music - 2:51
Credits:
Composed By – Frank De Vol (tracks: A1, A3, A5, A6, B2-B6)
Conductor – Jeff Alexander
Written-By – George Weiss* (tracks: A2, A4, B1)
Soundtrack Credits:
The Awakening, written by George David Weiss (as George Weiss)
Performed by Sarah Vaughan
Hey! Mister, written by George David Weiss (as George Weiss)
Performed by May Britt and chorus girls
Fan My Brow, written by George David Weiss (as George Weiss)
Performed by Sarah Vaughan
Various – Murder, Inc. (Original Sound Track)
Label: Canadian-American Records – CALP 1003
Format: Vinyl, LP
Country: USA & Canada
Released: 1960
Genre: Stage & Screen
Style: Soundtrack, Score
Side 1:
A1 - Main Title Music 1:35
A2 - The Awakening, Vocals – Sarah Vaughan - 1:50
A3 - Peter And The Wolf Match Wits - 1:33
A4 - Hey! Mister, Vocals – May Britt (2)- 1:16
A5 - Eadie Loves Joey - 3:35
A6 - Happy Dancer 1:59
Side 2:
B1 - Fan My Brow, Vocals – Sarah Vaughan- 1:01
B2 - Eadie Loves Joey (Reprise) - 3:06
B3 - The Awakening - 2:00
B4 - Murder Merchants March - 1:02
B5 - Brownsville Bounce - 2:20
B6 - Thematic Medley & End Title Music - 2:51
Credits:
Composed By – Frank De Vol (tracks: A1, A3, A5, A6, B2-B6)
Conductor – Jeff Alexander
Written-By – George Weiss* (tracks: A2, A4, B1)
Soundtrack Credits:
The Awakening, written by George David Weiss (as George Weiss)
Performed by Sarah Vaughan
Hey! Mister, written by George David Weiss (as George Weiss)
Performed by May Britt and chorus girls
Fan My Brow, written by George David Weiss (as George Weiss)
Performed by Sarah Vaughan
Various – Murder, Inc. (Original Sound Track)
Label: Canadian-American Records – CALP 1003
Format: Vinyl, LP
Country: USA & Canada
Released: 1960
Genre: Stage & Screen
Style: Soundtrack, Score
May Britt ~ Hey! Mister
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