“Baby, It’s Cold Outside”: The Musical Life of Toni Beaulieu

by Jack Allen III

Introduction

This is a story on the musical life of my grandmother, Toni Beaulieu (1905–1994). She was a classically trained violinist, pianist, teacher, and composer, who ventured into the music industry in Los Angeles in the 1940s. She started by composing music in the popular Latin-American style of the period, then formed her own record company, hiring some of the leading performers of her day. She eventually demonstrated her versatility by writing a wide variety of classical and semi-classical compositions.

She is most remembered as the composer of “Jungle Rhumba,” whose commercial success led to its use as a big production number in a popular MGM musical. Unfortunately, like many women in the male-dominated music industry, Toni suffered from sexual discrimination, repeated copyright infringement, and unequal pay. These problems drained her energy and eventually drove her from the business completely—although she continued composing her entire life.

I was about four years old when I first heard Grandma Toni play the piano, almost trance-like. I wished I could play like that, with such feeling. When I was twelve, she gave me my first piano lesson and I helped her put together a scrapbook of memorabilia from her early days as an acclaimed child prodigy. I also watched as she composed, channeling inspiration directly from the muse and altering very little in the process. When she died in 1994, I found myself the beneficiary of her archive—copyrights, original manuscripts, and home recordings, as well as legal paperwork and correspondence that documented details about the infringement problems she had suffered.

I believe it is time to make her unreleased music available so that it can be performed, recorded, and enjoyed by a new generation of fans. To that end I have created approximately 70 YouTube music videos over the past year so that anyone can listen to her work—including material that has neither been heard nor previously performed in a public venue.¹ Programming on similar sites will follow. Also, we have contracted with Clear Note Publications, a classical music publisher, who is committed to releasing Ms. Beaulieu’s entire life’s work in folio form, including her many fine piano arrangements. We’re proud of their first release—Celestial Suite—a musical tour of earth and sky in five movements—highlighting Toni’s versatility. Listen to the suite here:

Bess (cello) & Leona (violin)

Leone Perry, Concert violinist at 16

Prodigy

Toni Beaulieu was born Leone Florence Perry in Highmore, South Dakota, on May 8, 1905. She grew up with five sisters and a brother. In her résumé (ca.1975) she wrote,

Started piano lessons at age six, started violin lessons at eight years and was considered a child prodigy on violin, giving concerts at age ten.

Her older sister Bess was studying piano and voice. After the sisters played in Pierre, South Dakota (the state capital, about fifty miles from Highmore), under the auspices of the Mozart Music Club, a reviewer wrote:

A most pleasing surprise was given the audience when Miss Leona Perry, accompanied by her sister, played several violin solos very beautifully. This little girl shows very remarkable talent and fine technique and extreme accuracy in her playing.²

The résumé continues,

She attended the Academy Department at Huron College at the age of fourteen, studying under Lucy Mae Cannon, head of the violin department there. She was teaching assistant for Miss Cannon and concert master of Huron College Symphony where she also played in the string quartet.

Leone graduated from the Academy, playing in the commencement recital on June 6, 1920.³ The Perry sisters then moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to attend the MacPhail School of Music.⁴ According to her résumé, she studied violin under George Klass,⁵ head of the violin department, and piano with Evelyn Hansen and Glen Dillard Gunn. By the age of eighteen, she had earned her BM,⁶ MM, and PhD degrees in violin, as well as BM and MM degrees in piano.

George Klass congratulates Leone on her academic achievement in violin.

Recommendation letter from President, MacPhail’s Conservatory

Student Becomes Teacher

Toni with her husband Jack and son Jack Jr. in 1946.

While at school, Leone formed her own string trio and appeared as violin soloist with the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra. In June 1924, she played a recital for her Bachelor of Music degree in piano and violin, and then joined the faculty of the MacPhail School. She also spent a year in Detroit, teaching the visual method in piano and the Leopold Auer⁷ method in violin. She performed extensively on radio at WLW Cincinnati, WCCO Minneapolis, WHAM Rochester, and WMC Memphis.

Leone had a brief, unsuccessful marriage to bandleader Dick Hall. Then she married Jack Allen, owner of a Minneapolis music store. They moved to Los Angeles, California—the place she always called home—where she continued teaching, while also trying her hand as a composer. Her one son, Jack Allen Jr. (my father), was born in Los Angeles; their marriage lasted almost 30 years.⁸

Toni Beaulieu by Name

In Los Angeles, Leone Perry Allen changed her name to Toni Beaulieu. Why the change? Most likely, she wanted to shed her prodigy-teacher persona, as she launched a new career as composer and songwriter.

Toni Beaulieu’s Artistic Records—Music that Affects the Heart and the Feet

In 1946, she formed her own record company, Artistic Records, whose logo on each disc read: “Music that affects the heart and the feet.”⁹ Although her own background was English/Welsh/Scottish, she composed in various Latin idioms, as though the part of her that wrote music had been reincarnated as Hispanic.

As the new kid in town, Toni found the music business a tough place to make a living. In the 1940s, it was an industry dominated by men who often took advantage of their influence to manipulate women or exclude them from the business altogether. Toni struggled against the prevailing wisdom that said a woman’s place was in the home. Or if you take a job on the outside, you can expect to be paid a mere fraction of what a man gets for the same gig. The special attention she had received as a prodigy did not prepare her for the level of sex discrimination that women were then experiencing in the music business by men who consistently got away with it.

In 1946, she released her first album, Caribbean Moon, three ten-inch discs featuring six selections. The performers she chose included her sensational piano discovery Geri Galian (1918–2001), flutist Esy Morales (1916–1950), and singer Nestor Amaral (1913–1962). Billboard reported that “Miss Beaulieu proves herself a capable tunesmith. She displays a well-grounded knowledge of the Latin modal scales with which she builds her appealing melodies.”

Although Toni assumed all financial risk on her album, she also tried to promote the musicians and singers on her record who, like herself, were just starting out in the business. She featured her male flutist, Esy Morales, with top billing on the album next to his photograph,¹⁰ yet she admitted to me that she was too reserved at the time to include one of herself. She also volunteered to work with Esy on his flute improvisations for her “Jungle Rhumba.” She was later shocked to learn he was claiming he wrote the number himself. It turned out that her publishing company (who also repped Esy) was colluding with him on his version of her number which he later released as “Jungle Fantasy” on Rainbow Records.

Along with CBS show director Maurice Carlton, Toni swore in deposition in April 1948 as to how she wrote the piece (Carlton confirmed in his own deposition that she had originally titled it “Jungle Fantasy”¹¹). Toni could not afford the expense of a formal lawsuit against her flutist and was therefore helpless to recoup the monies he derived from “Jungle Fantasy.” Her prompt legal action, however, prevented “Jungle Rhumba” from being stolen outright. She said this was her first inkling that even a gentleman like Esy, whom she considered a friend, had the power to blindside her career, if he so desired.

In 1948 Toni released on Artistic Records a single of “Jungle Rhumba” (aka “Rumba Jungla”), performed by pianist Geri Galian and His Caribbean Rhythm Boys. For the B side, Toni, with her usual reserve, chose to set Chopin’s Fantaisie-Impromptu, op. 66, to a rhumba rhythm, rather than take a chance on another of her own tunes. Galian, classically trained like Beaulieu, performed both piano pieces brilliantly¹² and “Jungle Rhumba” went on to become a Latin standard, as new covers of it were released by popular artists like Freddy Martin & his Orchestra, Carmen Cavellero, Enric Madriguera, and Ferrante & Teicher. It also brought the storied MGM studio calling, where producers wanted to feature it as “highlight production number” for their latest Technicolor musical, Neptune’s Daughter, starring Esther Williams and Red Skelton, and conducted by Xavier Cugat. The number would feature vocalists and dancers and take two weeks to film.

Toni Beaulieu’s missing music credit from “Neptune’s Daughter” (1949) remained missing in the 1993 home video release from MGM/UA.

Neptune’s Daughter

Toni was at first delighted and flattered by MGM’s interest. But when the studio made her a low-money offer for her performance rights—one-tenth the amount her male flutist would be paid¹³—she sent back a letter of protest and passed on the project. Still excited at the prospect of getting her work in a splashy Hollywood musical, however, Toni relented. In 1949, approaching the movie’s release date, she reluctantly agreed to the low-ball offer and cancelled her letter of protest. Her shock came as MGM dropped her screen credit completely, setting her career into a tailspin that brought years of financial hardship.

In spite of the fact that Toni was the legal composer of “Jungle Rhumba,” as previously credited on all records and sheet music to date, the musical credit on the film still reads: “All songs by Frank Loesser.”¹⁴ He was the executive in charge of the film’s music (the soon-to-be prominent composer of such musicals as Guys and Dolls and How to Succeed in Business). Toni said he insisted on a stand-alone credit for himself, because when he wrote music for a film, he preferred to be the only songwriter on it. He preferred to be, but in this case was he? One of Loesser’s other tunes from the picture took the Academy Award that year for Best Original Song, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” And out in the cold was where he and his MGM buddies left Toni.

Fourteen years later, Toni was confronted with yet a third infringement on the same tune. This time it was Latin bandleader Xavier Cugat, who had conducted “Jungle Rhumba” in the film. Actually, it was Leo Arnaud, not Cugat, who arranged the number, but studio press usually gave Cugat credit on Latin-themed films. Now he had set his sights on writing a great Latin tune for “Viva Cugat”, his latest LP. Indeed, his first cut on the album was titled “Jungle Concerto”—with the caption “by the maestro himself.” It was “Jungle Rhumba,” note-for-note. With Toni’s music credits long gone from the screen, who would notice if Mr. Cugat quietly claimed authorship for himself? Toni sued and this time she prevailed. As part of the settlement, Cugat had to sign over his rights to the stolen song in a release also giving Toni a credit on his album.¹⁵ She recalled his telling her that signing it was “the hardest thing [he] ever had to do.”

Long-Missing Credit

Neptune’s Daughter became one of 1949’s top ten-grossing films.¹⁶ It remained popular through the home video years and is still a staple on Turner Classic Movies, which featured it recently as a theatrical at their annual TCM Film Festival. Toni’s name is still missing from the credits, as well as compensation for years of unfair usage. When Turner Broadcasting Company decided to include a clip of “Jungle Rhumba” in the documentary feature film, That’s Entertainment: Part III (1994), they added Toni’s name on the end crawl of 80-plus composers, without mentioning her in the show or who she was. (She was neither contacted about the production nor paid.) Her name came right above Irving Berlin’s in the credits, the irony of which would have surely brought a smile to her face . . . had she not passed away a month before. To me, it is not so funny that today’s audience has no way of knowing that the big production number in an MGM musical was written by a woman—back when that was a rare occurrence. My recent emails to three female executives at Turner Classic Movies, suggesting they correct this error and tell the truth about Toni, have been ignored.

Casting Couch

Toni told me this sexual harassment story from her early days in the music business. Like most new composers, she was eager to join the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), so that her work would be properly protected. She landed a meeting with its president, Sam Coslow, who was also one of the top songwriters of the 1930’s.¹⁷ A few minutes into their conversation, his tone turned suggestive, saying, “I’ve never had an affair with a short woman before.” Toni happened to be petite in stature—only five feet tall. She was also a woman of few words, as she silently walked out of his office. This is no indictment of ASCAP today, but it should be no surprise that it was BMI that represented Toni for most of her career. She did not become an ASCAP signatory member until 1974.

Arranger/Expert Witness believes “Young at Heart” was lifted from Toni’s “Daffodil Hill.”

Daffodil Hill

Another set-back occurred when Toni sued Warner Brothers films for copyright infringement and lost. In 1953, she submitted her song “Daffodil Hill” (© 1953) to their music department for consideration. In 1954, she heard her melody in a new tune called “Young at Heart” (© 1954), sung by Frank Sinatra in a movie of the same name. The melody of the first four bars was essentially the same as Toni’s song. She obtained a letter from Will Livernash, a Los Angeles composer and arranger whom she had consulted, who said that the four-bar motif is repeated so often that her song “is deprived of its original value.” It seemed of no consequence that “Daffodil Hill” was copywritten a full year before “Young at Heart.”

Note-for-note Comparison of “Young at Heart” and Toni Beaulieu’s “Daffodil Hill”

Answered Prayers

The indignities my grandmother suffered in the music business took a heavy toll, personally, artistically, and financially. After the string of copyright infringements, she concluded that the “only guys in the business who seemed to give a damn about hearing her music were the ones hoping to rip it off.” She solved her problem when she eventually stopped playing her work for everyone but family and close friends. This was before the recent #MeToo movement, which has encouraged many former victims to come forward and reclaim their rights. But even in our comparatively enlightened times, discrimination seems the order of the day.

Fortunately, Toni never stopped writing music. She started work each morning sitting at the Steinway with a fresh cup of coffee. Composer was the career she was meant to have. Ultimately, she proved to be versatile as she was prolific. In addition to classical and semi-classical works, she wrote blues, jazz, and Latin music as well as rags, hymns, and even children’s tunes. Her main problem was not getting proper pay or credit for her work during her lifetime.

Toni with grandson Jack Allen III on his graduation from USC Film School

Toni Beaulieu Memorial Leaflet (8 May 1905 – 28 March 1994)

She was reluctant to talk about the unsavory side of the business, always hoping to take the high road. But I think it’s time to tell the truth about injustice in the music world. Even if just to help people understand why they never heard of Toni Beaulieu. And on the subject of answered prayers, it’s nice to hear that Toni’s complete body of work may finally find its way into the musical mainstream. While she is at peace, I have no doubt that her talent will find its voice again.

—Jack Allen

Footnotes

1
https://www.youtube.com/@jackallen3827 This is the link to her YouTube channel—Ms. Toni Beaulieu—where you can hear “podcasts” (groupings of five or more music selections) as well as “videos” (individual music titles).
2
See Bess & Leona Perry Sisters photo above and Minneapolis Sunday Tribune 1923 clipping on recital. Leone was often referred to as “Leona” during these years.
3
Lucy Mae Cannon, letter of recommendation, dated July 6 , 1920: “To whom it may concern, Leona Perry has made excellent progress in her violin study and playing during the past year. She has done some assisting in teaching children for me and has proven entirely satisfactory. She is enthusiastic and would keep children interested, I feel, in their study of the violin.” Huron College was in Huron, South Dakota, 68 miles from Highmore.
4
The MacPhail School was founded in 1907 by William S. MacPhail, a violinist and an original member of the Minnesota Orchestra. After expansion, the school began offering college degrees. See the recommendation letter from him as president of the school dated November 23, 1934 to affirm that Mrs. Leone Perry Allen was “a student for approximately six years and a teacher for four years. Her activities in both departments were outstanding.”
5
See photo of George Klass, head of Violin Department at MacPhail, inscribed, “To Miss Leone Perry with best wishes of a well-deserved success. In remembrance of the excellent work done in the years 1922, 23, 24. / Sincerely yours / George Klass, Minneapolis.”
6
See degree certificate: Leone Perry, Bachelor of Music degree in violin from the MacPhail School, June 26, 1924.
7
Leopold Auer (1845–1930) was Hungarian; he came to the US in 1917 and lived in New York City.
8
See the 1946 family photo of Toni with husband Jack and son Jack Jr.
9
See the photo of the Artistic Records label.
10
Inside sleeve of album in which Toni promoted her male flutist and male singer with photos/blurbs.
11
Maurice Carlton, sworn affidavit, April 27, 1947. “The number, ‘Jungle Fantasy’ (which Miss Beaulieu then called it) started with a jungle call, or chant and then went into a theme with pyro-technics, working against the theme.”
12
“Jungle Rhumba” (Artistic Records) may be heard at https://archive.org/details/78_jungle-rhumba-rumba-jungla_geri-galian-and-his-caribbean-rhythm-boys-toni-beaulie_gbia0008164a and the Chopin arrangement at https://archive.org/details/78_fantaisie-impromptu_geri-galian-and-his-caribbean-rhythm-boys-f.-chopin_gbia0008164b
13
See Harold Fendler (Toni’s attorney) letter to Norton Miller (attorney): “a further possible complication is the very large amount of royalties which Morales received from Rainbow Records which I am informed approximates $9000 exclusive of the MGM thing.”
14
Frank Loesser (1910–1969), music director for the film.
15
See the signed Cugat settlement agreement with the Copyright Office at the Library of Congress.
16
http://www.emanuellevy.com “one of the year’s ten top-grossing pictures.”
17
Sam Coslow (1902-1982) wrote popular songs like “My Old Flame” and “Cocktails for Two”.

“Baby, It’s Cold Outside”: The Musical Life of Toni Beaulieu

Introduction

Prodigy

Student Becomes Teacher

Toni Beaulieu by Name

Neptune’s Daughter

Long-Missing Credit

Casting Couch

Daffodil Hill

Answered Prayers

Footnotes

ASMAC Premier Masters Series: Bruce Babcock

ASMAC 1st Wednesday Hang Social Mixer with Flight 584 Big Band

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