Word: caesar
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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...crowds had jammed every available inch in the old House caucus room. Motion-picture and television cameras stood tripod to tripod, electrical cables matted the floor like jungle vines. Both crowds and cameramen had come with a single purpose: to watch James Caesar Petrillo, the union boss of all U.S. musicians, dropped into the legislative meat grinder and publicly reduced to scrapple...
...television and his refusal to let FM stations share standard musical broadcasts. But they had been unable to draw forth suggestions for punitive legislation. The big men wanted to negotiate with Petrillo, not demolish him. Somewhat frustrated, the G.O.P. committee members swore that they themselves would reduce Caesar to size...
...Laughter. He was reassuring. He hinted strongly that he could reach a peaceful settlement in his present negotiations with the radio networks. FM? Television? He was "keeping an open mind on those questions." He made it plain that James Caesar Petrillo had a heart which beat for the public. He and his musicians were perfectly willing to make records for home phonographs; they refused only because 20% of the product was used by radio stations and jukeboxes without payment of royalties to the musician or the union...
...Petrillo like high-school sophomores watching a juggling act. One member, Pennsylvania's Republican Congressman Carroll D. Kearns, a member of the union, suggested amending the Taft-Hartley Act to authorize royalties on records sold for commercial use. The hearing ended. Further hearings were postponed. Everyone-including James Caesar Petrillo-seemed very, very happy...
Just how fast Kay can rise to popularity will depend a lot on James Caesar Petrillo (see NATIONAL AFFAIRS). The songs of hers that Capitol stored away were largely what were handed to her. The pick of what new tunes were around had already gone to Stafford, Whiting and Lee; Kay got the scraps...