Able Mr. Kahn

If, at the age of 10, Roger Wolfe Kahn had not bought a ukelele in a Ditson Music Shop (Manhattan) together with special-priced instruction in playing, he might have gone to Massachusetts Institute of Technology later in life and become an engineer as his father, Otto Hermann Kahn, hoped. As it was, the ukelele lured him away from his studies at St. Bernard’s School, turned his mind toward violins, pianos, banjos, jazz orchestras. At 16, he had organ-ized a paying band, installed it at the Knickerbocker Grill, and rejected colleges. He could play every instrument in the outfit, all learned by pickup. His favorites are piano and saxophone but anyone seeing him rummaging through a music store, trying a tune on a clarinet, a melody on the oboe, rhythms on the tom-tom, feels quite satisfied that, if necessary, he could get “Yankee Doodle” on a monkey wrench.

He will be 20 years old next month. About then he will have given up his eleven orchestras which, playing in resorts and hotels from Newport to Florida, have netted him personally an average of $50,000 a year for the four years of their existence. Originally they were organized with the help of Otto H. Kahn, who lent $25,000 for the first financing.— Every dime of that has been paid back. If the orchestras were to go on the road, as do the Lopez and Whiteman jazz bands, it is probable that they could earn $1,000 a night. But Roger, at 19, finds orchestras and even his brilliant night club, Le Perroquet de Paris, jaded interests. His pres-ent passion is composing and aviation.

A Waltz ballad, “Why,” achieved indifferent success. Another, “Following You Around,” made money. George Whiteman is arranging the score of the newest Kahn composition a “Rhapsurdity.” Then there are three or four musical comedies developing. One, to be produced by Horace Liveright, is a musical comedy satire on musical comedy, called Hearts and Flowers. After the manner of musical comedies the world over, the title may be changed many times. It may even evolve as Bowery Nights. But it eventually will be done, for Roger Wolfe Kahn has no distractions, despite his many enthusiasms.

Dutifully, he accompanied his parents to Europe for the two-dozenth time this summer. He can speak French and German fluently, knows a smattering of Italian, and his way around, but finds the old world extremely boring. Its only advantage is superior aviation fields. To leave Paris for London he chartered a plane.

The transatlantic hero, Colonel Lindbergh, after his triumphant arrival in Paris, was to cros? the channel by air the same day but, on account of a heavy fog, sensibly postponed the trip. Kahn flew anyway.

Last week he was in Rockford, Mich., purchasing a stunt airplane. He planned to fly it back to his Long Island home in time to compete in the transcontinental race from Manhattan to Seattle. Among his competitors will be the men who succeeded in dropping onto Hawaii after a 2,400-mile trip from Oakland, Calif. The machine will be added to other Roger Kahn machines—a Bellanca modeled exactly after the Columbia (in which Chamberlin and Levine crossed the Atlantic), a string of automobiles, (Duesenberg, Bugatti,— Lincoln, Marmon, Chrysler, Ford), a speed boat. Any one of these at any time may be pulled thoroughly to pieces and completely put together again by their owner, who can use monkey wrenches as monkey wrenches should be used.

The Kahn family shakes its head over Roger’s “speed complex.” At 14 he used to ride a motorcycle up the steep sides of the bunkers on his father’s golf course. He tore down his first Ford and put it together so that it was a racing car with an underslung chassis. Never did a jerky airplane bumping through a series of air pockets make him sick at his stomach.

It must not be supposed, however, that the 18-hole golf course at Cold Harbor is used by him solely for its motor hazards. He can use driver, brassie, mashie as driver, brassie, mashie should be used; has covered the course in 72; frequently beats the “pro.” He is fair at tennis. At St. Bernard’s he took no more interest in athletics than he did in studies or in social activities. He was indifferent even to dress, favored $2.50 hats, and ready-made suits. When the Perroquet de Paris was opened to the elite of Manhattan’s night life, Roger Kahn left his expensive tuxedos hanging in the closet, wore a $40 suit bought the day before from Brill Bros. Of course, he was only a boy then—19. Now, almost 20, he is growing more debonair. He brought back to the U. S. this summer 50 tailored suits, untold neckties, shoes, hats, from London. He has even been reported engaged to marry Miss Virginia Franck.

Some newspapers seized eagerly upon this rumor. The San Francisco Examiner printed the picture of the beauteous Miss Franck, professional dancer, heading it “PRO and KAHN.” What actually happened: In Paris Roger Kahn had his picture taken with Miss Franck standing near the wing of an airplane. Shrewd, the Parisian photographers mailed both Miss Franck and Mr. Kahn 25 pictures, bill enclosed. Shrewder, Miss Franck sold them to the Daily News together with a vague rumor. Thereupon she received many thousands of dollars’ worth of publicity. But she is not engaged to Mr. Kahn.

Usually he avoids company. Except for large, liquid brown eyes, he is unattractive in appearance, small, dark, easily embarrassed, almost shrinking in person. When he avoided college he probably spared himself many miseries. Though he weighs only 125 pounds, his appetite is large . . . steak and lamb chops for breakfast. He sleeps long and soundly. Despite his father’s prominence, he is so carefully unobtrusive that he might have reached his present age without attracting more than statistical notice, were it not for his precipitous enthusiasms and precocious successes.

Notes

Philharmonic Conductors. The first part of the New York Philharmonic season (Oct. 13 to Jan. 8) will be conducted by Josef Willem Mengelberg. The latter part (Jan. 26 to April 1) by Arturo Toscanini. The interval will be given over to two guest conductors, Sir Thomas Beecham, England, and Bernardino Molinari, Rome.

New York Symphony Conductors. Guest conductors of the New York Symphony Orchestra were announced: Fritz Busch (Dresden Opera House), Ossip Gabrilowitsch (Detroit Symphony), Walter Damrosch (onetime regular conductor), Maurice Ravel (French composer), Enrique Fernandez Arbos (Madrid Symphony).

Uncle & Nephew. Fortune Gallo, for 17 years owner and director of the San Carlo Grand Opera Co., has given over his holdings to his nephew, Aurelio. This year the Manhattan autumn season will be omitted, the Company going on tour Sept. 26. Meanwhile Uncle Fortune will build a new theater on 54th st., Manhattan, where, if the structure is completed in time, the nephew’s Company may be seen in a spring engagement.

In San Francisco. Twelve operas (no repetitions) constitute the San Francisco Opera Company’s season, from Sept. 15 to Oct. 1. They are Carmen, La Cena delle Beffe, Turandot, Falstaff, Tristan und Isolde, Romeo and Juliet, Cavalleria Rusticana, Pagliacci, La Boheme, Tosca, Manon Lescaut, Aida, Il Trovatore.

New Publication. Ultra-modern musical compositions will soon see print through the agency of a quarterly magazine called New Music, published by the New Music Society of California. Not articles on music but only music itself will be printed. The first issue will appear about Oct. 1. If there are profits, they will be divided among the composers.

*Otto Hermann Kahn, once a cashier in a German bank at Carlsruhe, came to the U. S. during the panic of 1893. A few years later he was helping E. H. Harriman reorganize the Union Pacific Railroad. President Roosevelt said of him: ‘The soundest economic thinking in this country is now being done by Otto H. Kahn.” He sits on the board of directors of the Equitable Trust; Kuhn, Loeb & Co. Mainly he is known for his patronage of the arts—principally the Metropolitan Opera. Last year he endowed the New Playwrights Theatre (Man-hattan). In 1896, he married Addie Wolff, daughter of Abraham Wolff of Manhattan (Kuhn, Loeb ‘partner). Roger Kahn spells his middle name Wolfe. There are four children in all—two sons and two daughters. Mrs. John C. O. Marriott, Margaret, Gilbert Wolff, Roger Wolff (Wolfe).

*A French car, noted for racing qualities. The body was designed by Roger Kahn himself.