Ted Mack's Summer Music Camp

     During the early 50's I was doing PR work for TV personality Ted Mack, a pioneer of showcasing amateur talent along the lines of "America's Got Talent." Ted was a tall, affable man, an intravert and a heavy drinker. He also detested children, although the talent on his highly rated Saturday night TV show in prime time featured mostly kids.
     Ted once invited me to have dinner at his home in Hastings-On-Hudson, NY where he and his wife lived. No kids or pets. I discovered his garage was stacked with wooden framed certificates from Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Kawanis Clubs, Moose Lodges, Fraternity of Police and every organization one could imagine.
     The Macks were both drinking when I arrived and since I was driving from New York City, I declined to accept a glass of wine. Ted led me out to the garage and asked me to pick up an armful of framed certificates. "That's my starter wood for the fireplace," he said with a grin, as he picked up two seasoned logs from the nearby stack. I was taken aback by this man who was so cherished by American family kids and community organizations. All those plaques being tossed into the living room fireplace!
     I only spent one season promoting Ted Mack's show and then told him I had a lecture tour in the fall. He asked that I arrange to film his summer camp for young musicians in Great Barrington, MA. My roommate, Gary Stradling III, was a cinemaphotagrapher and could handle the assignment.
     Gary and I drove up to Ted Mack's Summer Camp for Gifted Youngsters and spent a week there in a small cabin, built for two. There were 150 musicians in residence, aged 12 to 18, and they comprised the full orchestra, a concert orchestra and a 16 piece jazz band. Professional instructors, mostly high school and college teachers, rehearsed brass, string and woodwind sections. They also gave private lessons.
     Ted just wandered around during the day and then led group singing around the blazing fireplace at night, with toasted marshmellows for everyone. I noticed the absence of wooden framed plaques.
Gary managed to film all the activities. On the final night of our week there, a Sunday, many parents visited their offspring, stayed for dinner and an hour concert by either the full orchestra, the concert band or jazz band.
     This particular Sunday it was the jazz band's turn to perform. Ted owned a clarinet and decided to sit in on "Woodchoppers Ball," a Woody Herman Band signature song that had the saxes wailing, the brass screaming and drums pounding at break neck speed. The band had this stock arrangement well rehearsed.
     Ted spoke briefly to the assembled students, faculry and parents, about 300 altogether on the lawn with the blazing pile of logs in the background. The weather was perfect for this setting and the music.
     The band took off, Ted held his clarinet up to his mouth and played a 32 bar solo in the right place, that is, where Woody Herman would thrill audiences with his playing. But Ted Mack couldn't play his clarinet very well. In fact, he stunk. It was sour notes all the way. Thankfully, the band completed "Woodchoppers Ball" with a grand ensemble climax. The audience cheered and applauded.
     Back in New York, several weeks later, Gary edited the film into a fifteen minute documentary and we both winced at Ted's terrible playing. I knew Ted wanted to screen the completed film at his camp on the final day in about three weeks. And I didn't dare delete his miserable performance on the clarinet.
     My solution was to call Paul DeFrancis, a long time friend from Ohio State University's Jazz Forum, now free lancing in New York and a superb musician on all the woodwinds.  I still had film budget money available and Paul was willing to play for pay and dub in his stellar solo for that of Ted Mack's.  He did it in one exciting take.
     On the final Sunday, before another large assembly of campers and parents, Gary and I set up the 16 mm Bell & Howell projector, hung a bedsheet between two poles as the screen and placed four speakers around. Now it was showtime. The blazing logs on this moonlight night created a perfect setting for a final night at camp.
     I sat next to Ted and he was obviously nervous. "Will I get to hear my solo, Alan?" he asked. I assured him he would. The documentary had been nicely edited by Gary and when Ted appeared on screen playing his clarinet, the audience cheered and applauded. Ted whispered to me, "I really practiced for this solo." At the end, the entire camp audience gave Ted a standing ovation, along with cheers, whistles and applause. He never knew the difference!!!