Saturday, November 2, 2013

Too Much For Granted


Adrienne Lawner

Too Much For Granted
Towns and Craft, Craft Music

Rapid Records
1956


In May 1956, it was announced that Adrienne Lawner, whose basic job was "taking dictation from Larry Uttal of Monument Music" is trying her hand with a couple of R'n'R for Rapid Records. Larry Uttal, not yet owner of Madison Records or head of the Amy/Bell/Mala family of labels, had just bought out Bill Buchanan's interest in Monument Music and Dover Music (both BMI) dissolving a partnership of several years.  Chris Towns and Morty Craft had certainly their part in the production of this record.

Another of her record was later also cut by Larry Uttal.  "Please Buy My Record" was recorded on Friday, March 7, Larry Uttal edited it over the weekend, and made his deal on Monday, March 10. On Wednesday, March 12, (George)  Goldner (of End Records)  had strike-offs in the hands of local deejays.


Adrienne Lawner/Addie Lee discography

As Adrienne Lawner
56 Rapid 1001: Too Much For Granted  / Quarter Past Nine
As Addie Lee
57 Roulette 4004: One Little Kiss / Cumba Tumba Nika (Orch. conducted By Marty Gold)
57 Glory 267:   Buzzin' Around / Burnin' With Love  (Abie Baker Orchestra)
58 End 1018: C'mon Home / Please Buy My Record
59 Kapp 269 : Love Guaranteed  / Seek And Ye Shall Find 

 

It's my understanding, based on an article published by The Sun Sentinel (Hollywood, Florida) in 2001, that Addie Lee also starred as Adrienne Barrett in 1953 in Dementia, a  film directed by John Parker (the movie was retitled Daughter of Horror in 1955),  perhaps one of the strangest films ever offered for theatrical release. 
Floating somewhere in the netherworld of B-movie exploitation and art house psychodrama, John Parker's ambitious dream film of a schizophrenic's nightmarish existence is nothing if not unique. For years only available in the altered version Daughter of Horror, this unique bit of Freudian horror has been something of a holy grail for cult film buffs. Kino has uncovered the original cut and restored it to near-pristine condition. Shot entirely without dialogue or narration and filled with suggestive violence and psychosexual imagery, it's like a skid row expressionist thriller following the nocturnal prowling of a young woman haunted by homicidal guilt. Parker can't quite match his lofty ambitions with gripping drama, but he makes up for it with sheer audacity, from home-life flashbacks staged among the gravestones of a misty cemetery to the creepy faceless crowds that follow our tortured heroine through the city. Imaginative sets and vivid effects belie its starvation budget and create a strikingly austere urban mindscape and the eerie score by composer George Antheil (with wordless vocals provided by Marni Nixon) sets an unnerving mood. Handsomely shot by William C. Thompson (Ed Wood's regular cinematographer--say what you will, Wood's pictures look good), it's like nothing else from the 1950s. (Amazon)

Adrienne Barrett
 = Adrienne Lawner = Addie Lee ?



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