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35-479: It was founded by Jonie Taps and Harry Cohn in 1958 and was based in New York City. Paul Wexler headed the label. Stu Phillips was in charge of A&R. Lester Sill later headed the label, after breaking with Philles Records partner Phil Spector . The label's roster included Lou Christie , James Darren , Paul Petersen , Freddie Scott , Tommy Boyce . Two of the label's best known number one hits on

70-404: A " stakehorse "—a person who provides the money for the hustler to bet with (and who may assist in the hustling)—in exchange for a substantial portion of all winnings. Another form of hustling (often engaged in by the same hustlers who use the skill-disguising technique) is challenging " marks " (swindle targets) to bet on trick shots that seem nearly impossible but at which the hustler

105-573: A booklet with UPI reporter Merriman Smith 's account of the assassination. The label was discontinued in 1966 and replaced by Colgems Records , which was primarily used for releases by The Monkees . Before their involvement with the Monkees, Davy Jones and Michael Nesmith (under the pseudonym Michael Blessing) had each signed to Colpix Records as solo artists. Colpix was the first big label for singer and pianist Nina Simone after having made her debut on Bethlehem Records . She recorded albums for

140-638: A lesson to Big Jim about pool hustling. Pool hustling is also the principal subject of episodes of various television programs, including The Dick Van Dyke Show episode "Hustling the Hustler" (season 2, episode 5, 1962), the Quantum Leap episode "Pool Hall Blues" (sn. 2, ep. 18, 1990), The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air episode "Banks Shot" (sn. 1, ep. 22, 1991), The Steve Harvey Show episodes "Pool Sharks Git Bit" (sn. 1, ep. 12, 1996) followed up with "What You Won't Cue for Love" (sn. 3, ep. 6, 1998), and

175-458: A profit. Cohn did not build a stable of movie stars like other studios. Instead, he generally signed actors who usually worked for more expensive studios ( Wheeler & Woolsey , Cary Grant , Katharine Hepburn , Mae West , Humphrey Bogart , Dorothy Lamour , Mickey Rooney , Chester Morris , Warren William , Warner Baxter , Sabu , Gloria Jean , Margaret O'Brien , etc.) to attract a pre-sold audience. Columbia's own stars generally rose from

210-474: A regular program of economically made features, short subjects, serials, travelogues, sports reels, and cartoons. Columbia released a few "class" productions each year ( Lost Horizon , Holiday , Mr. Smith Goes to Washington , The Jolson Story , Gilda , All the King's Men , etc.), but depended on its popular "budget" productions to keep the company solvent. During Cohn's tenure, the studio always turned

245-467: A related label. Harry Cohn Harry Cohn (July 23, 1891 – February 27, 1958) was a co-founder, president, and production director of Columbia Pictures Corporation . Cohn was born to a working-class Jewish family in New York City. His father, Joseph Cohn, was a tailor from Germany, and his mother, Bella Joseph, was from the Pale of Settlement , Russian Empire . He left school early and had

280-423: A variety of jobs, including chorus boy, fur salesman, pool hustler , shipping clerk, streetcar conductor and song plugger for a sheet music printer. He also appeared in a vaudeville act with Harry Ruby . He entered the film industry when he got a job with Independent Moving Pictures (which had recently merged to become part of Universal Film Manufacturing Company ), where his elder brother, Jack Cohn ,

315-551: Is exceptionally skilled. Chess hustlers are quite common in urban areas in the United States and elsewhere, often offering speed chess against any takers. Unlike most hustlers, chess hustlers are often assumed to be skilled and are seen as a challenge. Pool hustlers use deception and misdirection in order to win cash from inexperienced players (or skilled players inexperienced with the world of hustling). A skilled hustler: Many of these ploys can easily be mistaken for

350-645: The Billboard Hot 100 Singles Charts were " Blue Moon " by The Marcels in the spring of 1961 (also a number one in the UK, where Colpix was licensed to Pye International ), and " Johnny Angel " by Shelley Fabares in the spring of 1962. Bernadette Castro recorded for the label "Get Rid of Him"/"A Girl in Love Forgives" and "His Lips Get in the Way"/"Sportscar Sally". Singer Jo Ann Greer , who dubbed several of

385-753: The 2018 film Frank & Ava . Pool hustler Hustling is the deceptive act of disguising one's skill in a sport or game with the intent of luring someone of probably lesser skill into gambling (or gambling for higher than current stakes) with the hustler, as a form of both a confidence trick and match fixing . It is most commonly associated with, and originated in pocket billiards (pool), but also can be performed with regard to other sports and gambling activities. Hustlers may also engage in " sharking "—distracting, disheartening, enraging, or even threatening their opponents—to throw them off. Hustlers are thus often called "pool sharks". Professional and semi-pro hustlers sometimes work with

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420-491: The Three Stooges recalled that Cohn was "a real Jekyll-and-Hyde -type guy... socially, he could be very charming." Cohn was known to scream and curse at actors and directors in his office all afternoon, and greet them cordially at a dinner party that evening. There is some suggestion that Cohn deliberately cultivated his reputation as a tyrant, either to motivate his employees or simply because it increased his control of

455-439: The actresses at Columbia Pictures, recorded two albums with the studio's musical director, Morris Stoloff : Soundtracks, Voices and Themes and The Naked City , a film noir musical with James Darren . Colpix released the first LPs from standup comedians Dick Gregory and Woody Allen , and a soundtrack album of Hanna-Barbera cartoons. It included dialogue by Yogi Bear and Pixie and Dixie with narration by Daws Butler in

490-516: The company's film production in Hollywood, while his brother managed its finances from New York. The relationship between the two brothers was not always good, and Brandt, finding the partnership stressful, eventually sold his third of the company to Harry, who took over as president, by which time the firm had been renamed Columbia Pictures Corporation. Most of Columbia's early work was action fare starring rock-jawed leading man Jack Holt . Columbia

525-608: The eldest brother Maxwell was a shorts subject producer and Nathan was the New York division manager. Cohn's nephew, Ralph, one of Jack Cohn's three sons, founded Screen Gems . Another of Jack's sons, Robert, was also a Columbia executive. Maxwell's daughter was Leonore "Lee" Cohn Annenberg , the wife of billionaire publishing magnate Walter Annenberg of Philadelphia. Various accounts have claimed that Cohn asked for and expected sex from female stars in exchange for employment. According to writer Joseph McBride , Jean Arthur quit

560-709: The entire Hollywood community attended Cohn's extravagant funeral on stage 12 at the Columbia studios where Red Skelton made the famous (possibly apocryphal) quote: "It proves what Harry always said: Give the public what they want and they'll come out for it." Cohn is interred in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood. Cohn was portrayed by Michael Lerner in the 1983 TV film Rita Hayworth: The Love Goddess , Linal Haft in The Three Stooges bio drama in 2000, and Eric Roberts in

595-400: The fictional characters Frank and Judge Henry G. Blake respectively are pool hustlers. Other examples include films such as The Hustler (1961) and The Color of Money (1986) (both adapted from earlier novels, see " Books ", below ), among others (see " Films ", below) . An examplar in music is Jim Croce's 1972 song " You Don't Mess Around with Jim ", in which the character Slim teaches

630-409: The film industry when her Columbia Pictures' contract expired in 1944 because Cohn was known to harass actresses. When Joan Crawford was subjected to Cohn's advances after signing a three-picture contract with Columbia, she quickly stopped him by saying "Keep it in your pants, Harry. I'm having lunch with Joan [his wife] and the boys [his children] tomorrow." Rita Hayworth 's relationship with Cohn

665-401: The honest faults of a less-than-exceptional player. The engendered doubt and uncertainty is what allows hustling to succeed, with the "faults" being dropped when a significant amount of money is at stake. Pool hustling is the subject of numerous works of popular culture. In Damon Runyon 's short stories "Dream Street Rose" ( More Than Somewhat , 1937) and "Madame La Gimp" ( Furthermore , 1938),

700-524: The joke and barred Niven from the Columbia lot; Niven would be hired by Columbia only after Harry Cohn's death. Cohn also resented Loretta Young having a dress redesigned expensively, which he regarded as overcharging him for her wardrobe, and wouldn't speak to her for many years until she apologized to him in person. Cohn was married to Rose Barker from 1923 to 1941, and to actress Joan Perry (1911–1996) from July 1941 until his death in 1958. His brothers all worked at Columbia. As well as co-founder Jack,

735-485: The label from 1959 ( The Amazing Nina Simone ) through 1964 ( Folksy Nina ). In 1966, Colpix released Nina Simone with Strings , an album of left-overs with strings added, when Simone was already signed to Philips Records . Rhino Records , which currently owns the Colpix catalogue, issued a double compact disc compilation, The Colpix-Dimension Story , in 1994, which also included selections from Dimension Records ,

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770-440: The performer was involved with actress Kim Novak , who was under contract with Columbia Pictures. There are several accounts of what happened, but most agree that the organized crime figures that threatened Davis were close to Cohn; according to these accounts, as Novak was white, Cohn was worried a backlash against the interracial relationship would hurt the studio. According to one account, Cohn called racketeer John Roselli , who

805-598: The ranks of small-part actors and featured players ( Jean Arthur , Rita Hayworth , Larry Parks , Julie Bishop , Lloyd Bridges , Bruce Bennett , Jock Mahoney , etc.). Some of Columbia's producers and directors also graduated from lesser positions as actors, writers, musicians, and assistant directors. Cohn was known for his autocratic and intimidating management style. When he took over as Columbia's president, he remained production chief as well, thus concentrating enormous power in his hands. He respected talent above any personal attribute, but he made sure his employees knew who

840-588: The studio premises. Cohn remembered the valuable contributions of Jack Holt during Columbia's struggling years, and kept him under contract until 1941. Cohn hired the Three Stooges in 1934 and, according to Stooge Larry Fine , "he thought we brought him luck." Cohn kept the Stooges on his payroll until the end of 1957. Cohn was fond of what he termed "those lousy little 'B' pictures", and kept making them, along with two-reel comedies and serials , after other studios had abandoned them. Cohn could also hold grudges. He

875-470: The studio. Cohn is said to have kept a signed photograph of Benito Mussolini , whom he met in Italy in 1933, on his desk until the beginning of World War II. (Columbia produced the documentary Mussolini Speaks in 1933, narrated by Lowell Thomas .) Cohn also had a number of ties to organized crime . He had a long-standing friendship with Chicago mobster John Roselli , and New Jersey mob boss Abner Zwillman

910-628: The voice of Huckleberry Hound . In the wake of President Kennedy 's assassination on November 22, 1963, numerous tribute albums were released the following year. In association with United Press International , Colpix released Four Days That Shocked the World with radio coverage of the President's arrival at Dallas Love Field, the moment of the shooting in Dealey Plaza , and the shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald two days later. The album included

945-514: Was already employed. The brothers made their first film there, Traffic in Souls . Cohn became personal secretary to Universal president, Carl Laemmle . In 1919, Cohn joined his brother and fellow IMP employee Joe Brandt , to found CBC Film Sales Corporation . The initials officially stood for Cohn, Brandt, and Cohn, but Hollywood wags noted the company's low-budget, low-class efforts and nicknamed CBC "Corned Beef and Cabbage." Harry Cohn managed

980-409: Was boss. Writer Ben Hecht referred to him as " White Fang ". An employee of Columbia called him "as absolute a monarch as Hollywood ever knew." It was said "he had listening devices on all sound stages and could tune in any conversation on the set, then boom in over a loudspeaker if he heard anything that displeased him." Throughout his tenure, his most popular moniker was "King Cohn." Moe Howard of

1015-523: Was fraught with aggravation. Her biography, If This Was Happiness , describes how Cohn was angered when she refused his demands to have sex with him. However, he kept her under contract because she made him money. During these Columbia years, each did their best to irritate the other despite their successful working relationship. Cohn tried to groom Mary Castle as Hayworth's successor. Cohn has been accused of having ties with organized crime. In 1957, mobsters threatened Sammy Davis Jr. with violence because

1050-701: Was one of the influences (as well as Louis B. Mayer ) for the character of studio boss Jack Woltz in the 1972 crime film The Godfather . Cohn had been suffering from an enlarged heart when he had a heart attack while flying back from New York in December 1957. He was told to slow down. In February 1958, he suffered another heart attack at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona, shortly after he had finished dinner. Cohn died in an ambulance en route to St. Joseph's Hospital. Practically

1085-431: Was responsible for the abrupt end to Hazel Scott 's film career after Scott protested the degrading costumes black women were scripted to wear on Mae West's 1943 film The Heat's On . Cohn eventually relented, but made good on his vow that Hazel Scott would never set foot on a Hollywood studio as long as he lived. After David Niven playfully sent Cohn a lawyer's letter claiming Cohn's yacht as salvage, Cohn failed to see

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1120-480: Was sentimental about certain professional matters. During his early years as a producer he had signed comedian Billy West for a series of comedies, but failed to fulfill West's contract; 12 years later, when West was a struggling bit player, Cohn not only kept him working as an actor but made him an assistant director, and then allowed Mr. and Mrs. West to operate the Columbia Grill, a restaurant concession on

1155-668: Was the source of the loan that allowed Cohn to buy out his partner Brandt. Cohn's brash, loud, intimidating style has become Hollywood legend and was reportedly portrayed in various movies. The characters played by Broderick Crawford in All the King's Men (1949) and Born Yesterday (1950), both Columbia pictures, are allegedly based on Cohn, as is Jack Woltz, a movie mogul who appears in The Godfather (1972) as well as Rod Steiger in The Big Knife . In his own way, Harry Cohn

1190-557: Was told to inform Davis that he must stop seeing Novak. To try to scare Davis, Roselli had him kidnapped for a few hours. Another account relates that the threat was conveyed to Davis's father by mobster Mickey Cohen . Davis was threatened with the loss of his other eye or a broken leg if he did not marry a black woman within two days. Davis in turn sought the protection of Chicago mobster Sam Giancana , who said that he could protect him in Chicago and Las Vegas but not California. Cohn

1225-504: Was unable to shake off its stigma as a Poverty Row studio until 1934, when director Frank Capra 's Columbia comedy It Happened One Night swept the Academy Awards . Exhibitors who formerly wouldn't touch Columbia products became steady customers. As a horizontally integrated company that only controlled production and distribution, Columbia had been at the mercy of theater owners. Columbia expanded its scope to offer moviegoers

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