Classic American West Coast Boxing

[marzam]

http://obit.mcnerneysmortuary.com/obitd ... id=1107122

Van P. Barbieri

Born in San Pedro on Aug. 27, 1940, passed away on Sep. 5, 2012 and resided in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA.
Visitation: Sunday, Sep. 9, 2012 / Service: Monday, Sep. 10, 2012 / Cemetery: Green Hills Memorial Park

Van P. Barbieri was born on August 27, 1940 in San Pedro. He died on September 5, 2012 of Biliary Cancer. He was a gentle, quiet man, who was never overbearing but made his ideas and thoughts known to better our community. He served on the Board of Directors of several local organizations. He was so excited to be inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame. Van's working career includsed managing the Re/Max office in Miraleste, assistant to the football coach, George Allen, fight publicist at the Olympic Auditorium and sports writer of the News Pilot.

He is survived by his loving wife, Mary; mother, Eva; brothers and sisters in law, Dennis and Lucretia, Anthony and Linda and John; nieces and nephews, David and Maria Barbieri, Michael, Kristi, Clark and Kara Barbieri; great nieces, Gianna and Sophie Barbieri; several step children and grandchildren and of course many countless friends.

A funeral Mass will be offered on Monday, September 10, 2012, 10:30 am at Mary Star of the Sea Church. Interment will follow at Green Hills Memorial Park.

Donations made be made in Van's name to the American Cancer Society.

[Chuck1052]

Tom Gallery's obituary, written by Shav Glick, was in the August 28, 1993 edition of the Los Angeles Times. I found the obituary on the internet. Gallery was 94 years old at the time he passed away.

Gallery's obituary is in error in regards to his stint as matchmaker of the Hollywood Legion Stadium. While on the job, he didn't play any role in the careers of Henry Armstrong or Chalky Wright. Both Armstrong and Wright were black, which meant that they weren't allowed to box at the Hollywood Legion Stadium until the early 1940s. Gallery's stint at the Legion Stadium ended about 1931, which was when Wright was a prelim fighter and before Armstrong was boxing as a professional in California.

I had a list of the Hollywood Legion Stadium matchmakers, which includes the dates when they started and left. Unfortunately, I can't find it at the present time.

- Chuck Johnston

[kikibalt]

Hollywood Legion Stadium

http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Holly ... on_Stadium

http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/A ... relims.pdf

[CNorkusJr]

Rick- reading with great interest on Tom Kennedy on this forum. I seem to remember (off the top of my head) of a Kennedy the Cop in the Little Rascal features. Is he the same guy -do you know?
I know their were different eras of Little Rascals, but I seem to recall the episodes that had Jackie Cooper as one of the young lads along with Kennedy..
With all the Hollywood history mixed in the the Boxing stars at this years CBHOF event-one wonders if there will be enough time to make all the rounds. I certainly plan on doing so !!

Tom Kennedy was known for a look he would get when his charactor was mad, "the slow boil" they called it. I know the charactor you are referring to in the Little Rascals series, and I think that is Tom. If you look up his film log (IMBD) you'll find lots of info. He was definitly a "working actor". I believe his last film was "Around the World in 80 days", but I'll have to check. Eddie Foy III is a close friend of the Kennedy family, and we have discussed inducting Tom into the CBHOF next year. His grandson John and I have been good friend since we started out together at Universal in the 70's. Yesterday I spoke with actor Clint Howard, and he and his father Rance will be at the event, and very possibly older brother Ron, who will be in town directing a picture next month. The Howard's were all fans of Windmill White and attended several of Don Fraser's promotions at the Valley Music Theatre. They grew up around the corner from me in Burbank and are old friends.

Thank You Rick, On top of it at all times- Thanks, Charlie

[Rick Farris]

Some basic info about Tom Kennedy's acting career . . .

Tom Kennedy (July 15, 1885 – October 6, 1965) was an American actor best known for his roles in Hollywood comedies from the silent days, with such producers as Mack Sennett and Hal Roach, mainly supporting lead comedians such as the four Marx Brothers, WC Fields, Mabel Normand, Shemp Howard and Laurel and Hardy.

For over 50 years, from 1915 to 1965, he appeared in over 320 films and TV shows, often uncredited. His first film was a short black and white comedy, His Luckless Love.

Often mistaken as his namesake Edgar Kennedy's brother, he was nevertheless apparently very friendly with the slow-burning comedian and supported him in many of his series of domestic two-reelers. He continued making films right up until his death, his last film being a western, The Bounty Killer.

He appeared in such films as:
Mickey (1918)
Tillie's Punctured Romance (1928)
The Cop (1928)
Love Over Night (1928)
Monkey Business (1931)
42nd Street (1933)
Fly-Away Baby (1937)
Bringing Up Father (1946)
Slaughter on Tenth Avenue (1957)
Some Like it Hot (1959)
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)

Kennedy was also paired with Stooge Shemp Howard for several short subjects at Columbia Pictures such as Society Mugs, as well as appearing with the Three Stooges in the films Loose Loot and Spooks!. He was also paired with El Brendel for four shorts, such as Phoney Cronies in 1942.

His TV appearances included episodes of Perry Mason, Maverick, My Favorite Martian and Gunsmoke.

Kennedy died of bone cancer on October 6, 1965.

[Rick Farris]

More on Tom Kennedy . . .

Tom Kennedy was a "White Hope" boxer of his day. Rumor has it that he witnessed a gangland killing and fled to California. He later became well-known as the boxing match-maker for the Hollywood American Legion Stadium, from August 1923 to March 1925. He was also a motion picture actor, said to have been one of the original Keystone Cops, in that series of comedy silent films. And he managed boxer Newsboy Brown for awhile in 1929. Kennedy died of bone cancer Oct. 6, 1965, in Woodland Hills, California, USA.

I've noticed various accounts of Tom Kennedy's film career recently. His true credits list in the 100's. Decades.

[marzam]

Historical note on the race issue: in November 1939, there was a meeting at Levy’s Tavern to discuss the "negro question." In February 1940, there was a Hollywood Chamber of Commerce dinner on the issue.

January 10, 1940 - San Jose News - State Fight Board To End Hearing Over Negro Boxers
Los Angeles, Jan. 20 (AP) - The California Athletic Commission was expected to conclude today a hearing of charges of race discrimination lodged by Negro organizations against the Hollywood Boxing Stadium... Comdr. Walter Sullivan of the Hollywood post admitted Negro boxers were not employed by Matchmaker Charlie McDonald, but contended the club's policy should not be altered in view of the stadium's successful operation now and for the past 17 years.

Internet info: it was Hugh MacBeth, Sr., an African American attorney active in Los Angeles, who persuaded the American Legion to cease excluding black boxers from fight cards at Hollywood Legion Stadium in 1940.

Yet in March 1941, Committee notes included the line, "Letter read from fight fan complaining of too many negro fighters."

[Chuck1052]

marzam- When the Hollywood Legion Post 43 was involved in staging a world middleweight title bout between Ceferino Garcia, the champion, and the great Henry Armstrong, the black challenger, at Gilmore Stadium in 1940, there was a big push to get the post to lift their ban on black boxers which was ultimately successful. Another interesting fact is that black boxers were fighting on boxing cards which were staged by the Hollywood Legion Post 43 at Gilmore Stadium about 1938 at a time when the post's new boxing arena was being built on the site of the old one. After the ban was lifted, there were many black boxers who fought at the Hollywood Legion Stadium until it shut down during 1959.

- Chuck Johnston

[marzam]

FYI, the old wooden Stadium was torn down in April 1938 and the concrete one was up and running by September 1938. The process was updated weekly in the boxing programs. Apparently there was also some footage shot of the deconstruction/construction process but as far as we know, that film is long gone. No idea who shot it or where it might've disappeared to.

[Rick Farris]

Marzam - Would you have any information relating to Tom Kennedy that might be of interest. Juscurious.

[marzam]

A lot of our history from the 1920s, both with the Post and the Stadium, is just plain missing. We've got the occasional "emergency program from 1922" or other one-page programs, but a lot of it is simply gone. The changeover from the "igloo," the old wooden Post building on El Centro, to the Highland Avenue concrete memorial building, means that a lot of our newsletters and paperwork were discarded. The same probably occurred when the concrete Stadium was built--out with the old, in with the new.

Complicating things for me is that we scanned documents using a Mac and I work off a PC (and the computers here are primarily PCs), so I can't do a quick check of anything that's been scanned. If I need anything off that drive, I have to locate a Mac, then the power cord and connection cables (long story there, but it's safe to say they have a way of disappearing), and then scan through folder after folder of unidentified photos (that's because we scanned everything in such a hurry, there was no time to properly label anything--again, long story).

So anything on Tom Gallery is probably long missing.

[Rick Farris]

Marzam - Thanks for the info. As far as Tom Kennedy is concerned I have a lot of sources for info, much has come from Hap Navarro and also his grandson, who has been a personal friend for years. It is interesting to know how some of the history was lost between the two American Legion locations.

[marzam]

I looked through some 1922-23 programs, which is as far back as we go, and only found Frank Crowley's name. The programs after that have Charley MacDonald in them.

[Chuck1052]

marzam- It is too bad if the Hollywood Post 43 doesn't have much in its boxing collection when it comes to the 1920s. After all, the highly successful Hollywood Legion Stadium boxing cards began during that period of time.

Capt. Seth Strelinger, the first chairman of the California State Athletic Commission, was involved with the Hollywood Legion Post 43 and the Hollywood Legion Stadium until the commission was formed after the California "Ten-Round Law" was approved by California voters during the November election in 1924. He would serve on the commission until the early 1930s. It could be that the Hollywood Post 43 doesn't have much in its collection about this important individual.

- Chuck Johnston

[marzam]

YES... found a contract with the name THOMAS S. GALLERY on it (four pages). Unfortunately, there's no date on it but given the type and yellowing style of the paper, the typeface and the wording... definitely 1920s. "Party of the first part to obtain for itself the exclusive services of the party of the second part" and all that.

Yep, this is the document that made him the matchmaker. Too bad it's just a copy and not signed.

[Rick Farris]

YES... found a contract with the name THOMAS S. GALLERY on it (four pages). Unfortunately, there's no date on it but given the type and yellowing style of the paper, the typeface and the wording... definitely 1920s. "Party of the first part to obtain for itself the exclusive services of the party of the second part" and all that.

Yep, this is the document that made him the matchmaker. Too bad it's just a copy and not signed.

Anything about Tom Kennedy that I might share with his family?

[Chuck1052]

I have found quite a bit about Tom Kennedy, Charley MacDonald and Tom Gallery in the U.S. Census and World War I Draft Registration databases on Ancestry.com, the genealogical website.

Kennedy was found living with his wife, Frances and various other family members (including a number of his children) during 1920, 1930 and 1940. On September 7, 1918 while World War I was still taking place, Kennedy registered for the draft, listing his full name as Thomas Aloysuis Kennedy. He was living at 5342 Fountain Avenue in Los Angeles during 1918 and 1920. According to the 1920 U.S. Census, he was living in a rented home.

During 1930, Thomas A. Kennedy was living with his family at 1469 King's Road in Los Angeles in a home which he owned and was valued at $30,000. Keep in mind that most American homes were valued between $1,000. and $8,000. at the time. In other words, it appears that Kennedy was doing very well financially while working as a movie actor.

During 1940, Thomas A. Kennedy was living with his family in Oakhurst, Madera County, California. It appears that Kennedy was interested in farming despite continuing to be a movie actor at the time. Comparatively speaking, the Kennedy family was "roughing it" while living in a home valued at only $2,000. Besides Kennedy and his wife, the residents of the home included their three children and his farming partner. Kennedy was listed as making $5,000.-plus during the previous year.

It appears that Kennedy and his wife had four children, Mary (born about 1916), Madeleine (born about 1919), Donald (born about 1922) and John (born about 1929). Mary appears in the 1920 U.S. Census, but not during 1930. Does this mean that she passed away during the 1920s? The rest of the children were in the 1940 U.S. Census.

According to the 1940 U.S. Census, Kennedy had four years of high school, which is quite a bit more than many other Americans of his generation. It appears that most Americans born between 1880 and 1910 didn't have more than an eighth grade education.

- Chuck Johnston

[Rick Farris]

I have found quite a bit about Tom Kennedy, Charley MacDonald and Tom Gallery in the U.S. Census and World War I Draft Registration databases on Ancestry.com, the genealogical website.

Kennedy was found living with his wife, Frances and various other family members (including a number of his children) during 1920, 1930 and 1940. On September 7, 1918 while World War I was still taking place, Kennedy registered for the draft, listing his full name as Thomas Aloysuis Kennedy. He was living at 5342 Fountain Avenue in Los Angeles during 1918 and 1920. According to the 1920 U.S. Census, he was living in a rented home.

During 1930, Thomas A. Kennedy was living with his family at 1469 King's Road in Los Angeles in a home which he owned and was valued at $30,000. Keep in mind that most American homes were valued between $1,000. and $8,000. at the time. In other words, it appears that Kennedy was doing very well financially while working as a movie actor.

During 1940, Thomas A. Kennedy was living with his family in Oakhurst, Madera County, California. It appears that Kennedy was interested in farming despite continuing to be a movie actor at the time. Comparatively speaking, the Kennedy family was "roughing it" while living in a home valued at only $2,000. Besides Kennedy and his wife, the residents of the home included their three children and his farming partner. Kennedy was listed as making $5,000.-plus during the previous year.

It appears that Kennedy and his wife had four children, Mary (born about 1916), Madeleine (born about 1919), Donald (born about 1922) and John (born about 1929). Mary appears in the 1920 U.S. Census, but not during 1930. Does this mean that she passed away during the 1920s? The rest of the children were in the 1940 U.S. Census.

According to the 1940 U.S. Census, Kennedy had four years of high school, which is quite a bit more than many other Americans of his generation. It appears that most Americans born between 1880 and 1910 didn't have more than an eighth grade education.

- Chuck Johnston

Chuck, Kennedy was wealthy when he left New York. He never had to box for money, it was his passion. The family fortune was lost in the stock crash of the 20's. However, Kennedy always did very well financially. His wife Francis' maiden name was Mashall. Kennedy was a smart man, a very interesting personality and without question a valid candidate for CBHOF induction. He'll go in next year.

[Rick Farris]

Thanks Chuck for the info on Tom Kennedy, anything you find is of interest to me. See you on October 20th!

[Rick Farris]

On Tom Gallery . . .

Was just talking with Don Fraser about Tom Gallery.
Don got to know Gallery pretty well said he was a very good man, a big man physically.
He was once married to actress Zazu Pitts.
Don said that he and Tom Gallery both attended the funeral of Everett Sanders together.
Don said that Gallery put on the Joe Louis - Jack Roper title fight here in LA.

[Chuck1052]

Rick- I knew that Tom Gallery promoted the Joe Louis vs. Jack Roper world heavyweight title bout. At the time, Roper's manager was none other than Dick Donald, who had quite a stint as a boxing promoter in the Los Angeles area during the 1920s. The quality of the Louis vs. Roper footage was terrific, the best that I have ever seen of a bout featuring Louis.

For a brief period of time during the 1930s, Gallery also was involved in boxing shows at the Dreamland Auditorium in San Francisco and the Olympic Auditorium. But the Great Depression took quite a toll on both venues.

I think that Gallery was an NBC sports programming executive as late as the early 1960s.

According to the 1930 U.S. Census, Gallery and Zasu Pitts were living as husband and wife under the same roof. Yet I have read that Gallery essentially deserted the family in 1926. Another problem with the supposed desertion allegation is that Gallery had a very high-profiled job as the boxing matchmaker at the highly successful Hollywood Legion Stadium during 1926, so he wasn't exactly hiding from view.

- Chuck Johnston

[Rick Farris]

Rick- I knew that Tom Gallery promoted the Joe Louis vs. Jack Roper world heavyweight title bout. At the time, Roper's manager was none other than Dick Donald, who had quite a stint as a boxing promoter in the Los Angeles area during the 1920s. The quality of the Louis vs. Roper footage was terrific, the best that I have ever seen of a bout featuring Louis.

For a brief period of time during the 1930s, Gallery also was involved in boxing shows at the Dreamland Auditorium in San Francisco and the Olympic Auditorium. But the Great Depression took quite a toll on both venues.

I think that Gallery was an NBC sports programming executive as late as the early 1960s.

According to the 1930 U.S. Census, Gallery and Zasu Pitts were living as husband and wife under the same roof. Yet I have read that Gallery essentially deserted the family in 1926. Another problem with the supposed desertion allegation is that Gallery had a very high-profiled job as the boxing matchmaker at the highly successful Hollywood Legion Stadium during 1926, so he wasn't exactly hiding from view.

- Chuck Johnston

Thanks, Chuck

[Chuck1052]

Thanks, Rick! I found more about Tom Gallery. After being the Director of Sports Programming at NBC from 1952 to 1963, he was involved an attempt to establish a Pay TV company called Subscription Television, Inc. or STV, which was headed by Sylvester "Pat" Weaver, a former Chairman of NBC.

The plan was to set up operations in Los Angeles and San Francisco before going nationwide. Most subscribers were expected to pay $10. or $15. a month, according to an article in Life during 1964. The biggest draws were the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants, but there also was educational and classical music programming. There were projections that there would be 40,000 subscribers at first, but the actual totals were closer to 9,400.

The insurmountable obstacle for the venture turned out to be opposition from movie theaters and television stations. The result was Proposition 15, which was put before the California voters in an attempt to legally prohibit "Pay TV" in the state. It passed by a two-to-one margin during the November 1964 election. Despite the fact that the California Supreme Court ruled Proposition 15 unconstitutional in March 1966, the opposition to "Pay TV" turned out to be too much and Subscription Television, Inc. went out of business.

The source for the information about Subscription Television, Inc. was founded on the Matthew's World website.

- Chuck Johnston

[Chuck1052]

More on Tom Gallery

1. During late 1938, "Marshall" (George Marshall, the owner of the Washington Redskins?); Bill Henry, sports editor of the Los Angeles Times and Gallery established the Pro Bowl game between the National Football League Champions and a group of NFL All-Stars. The New York Giants won the first Pro Bowl game over the All-Stars by a score of 13-to-10 at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles on in 1939.

2. During the 1944-45 season, Gallery was the vice-president and general manager of the Brooklyn Tigers of the National Football League.

3. During the late 1940s, Gallery had a stint as the general sales manager and promotion chief of the New York Yankees.

4. According to the December 25, 1948 edition of Billboard Magazine, Gallery was named the public relations director of the Du Mont Television Network and was scheduled to assume the post on January 2, 1949. His duties included handling special promotions.

5. From 1952 to 1963, Gallery was the director of sports programing at NBC.

6. Jim Murray wrote a column about Gallery which was in the November 14, 1985 edition of the Los Angeles Times. The title of the column was "Dog Bites Actor, Giving Us Promoter."

According to the column, Gallery was in a movie with Rin-Tin-Tin, who was featured in doing dramatic rescues of people in a number of films. Part of the method of the dog handlers to persuade Rin-Tin-Tin to perform such rescues was send the clothing of the leading man over for the dog to get familiar with the scent. When Gallery appeared wearing the clothing afterwards, Rin-Tin-Tin tried to grab his throat.

The script called for Gallery to be pulled from a burning plane by Rin-Tin-Tin. For the scene, Gallery was fitted with a special harness under his neck for Rin-Tin-Tin to grab when pulling him out. Instead, Rin-Tin-Tin bit Gallery in the ear and left him in the flames. According to the column, the incident drove him from acting in the movies and into being the boxing matchmaker of the Hollywood Legion Stadium.

Note- Gallery did appear in his last known movie with Rin-Tin-Tin during 1927. However, Gallery was the boxing matchmaker at the Hollywood Legion Stadium starting about 1925.

- Chuck Johnston

[Rick Farris]

The great Rocky Marciano will be inducted into the CBHOF on October 20th.
Amazing that morons on a boxing forum site (not Boxrec) are challenging the legend of Marciano.
As Mel Epsten would say: "Dumb bastids!"
Louis Marciano, Rocky's nephew will be on hand, and John Bardelli, who is sponsoring Marciano's induction.