David Rubinoff, also known as Dave Rubinoff, (September 13, 1897, Grodno, Russian Empire

Russian Empire

The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...

, now Belarus

Belarus

Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...

 – October 6, 1986) was a popular violin

Violin

The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....

ist who was heard during the 1930s and 1940s on various radio programs playing his $100,000 Stradivarius

Stradivarius

The name Stradivarius is associated with violins built by members of the Stradivari family, particularly Antonio Stradivari. According to their reputation, the quality of their sound has defied attempts to explain or reproduce, though this belief is controversial...

 violin. He also performed in theaters, clubs and schools, and he gave several concerts at the White House during the 1940s. He was sometimes billed as Rubinoff and his Violin.

Radio

Rubinoff appeared with his orchestra

Orchestra

An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...

, dubbed Rubinoff and his Orchestra, becoming a major radio star on The Chase and Sanborn Hour

The Chase and Sanborn Hour

The Chase and Sanborn Hour was the umbrella title for a series of US comedy and variety radio shows, sponsored by Standard Brands' Chase and Sanborn Coffee, usually airing Sundays on NBC from 8pm to 9pm during the years 1929 to 1948....

. His radio popularity led to his own show on NBC in 1935-36,

1948 tour

The Albany Herald gave this account of a Rubinoff personal appearance during the violinist's 1948 tour:

The exuberant musician with his leather-cased violin strode into the lobby of the New Albany Hotel this morning with the poise of a concert musician and the aggressive air of a top-flight general. Mayor James W. “Taxi” Smith, Sam Morris and Bill Buntin of the Exchange Club met the violinist at the door of the elevator. After greeting the Albanians, Mr. Rubinoff began a discussion of cameras and their qualities with Jack Holland, Herald Photographer. At the same time he removed his violin valued at $100,000 from the case. Placing the Stradivarius violin on the shoulder of Mayor Smith, he remarked: “Rubinoff’s violin never played a sour note,” Mayor Smith only gripped and grinned. A “regular guy”, the Russian born violinist immediately conferred with Bill Buntin and Sam Morris of the Exchange Club, sponsor of the concert in the city auditorium today at 8 p.m. and agreed to a complete re-arrangement of his schedule of appearances today. He also made arrangements to appear on the two Albany radio stations, all in a matter of minutes. Mr. Rubinoff is on a tour of the Southeastern part of the nation and will return to California when the tour is over. His wife is expected to join him tonight. Red-headed and from Texas, Mrs. Rubinoff met her husband while she was serving as an usher at a concert which he played in Wichita Falls, Texas, several years ago. When the violinist is on tour he says that he phones his wife every night. His three-year-old son, Rubin Rubinoff, already is studying the violin, said his famous pop. Having the reputation of being a huge eater, the violinist will readily give anyone the hamburger recipe he used to prepare for President Roosevelt when he was a guest at the White House.

Film appearances

• Morning, Noon and Night
  Morning, Noon and Night (1933 cartoon)
  Morning, Noon and Night is a 1933 Fleischer Studios animated short film starring Betty Boop. It is now public domain.-Synopsis:The short opens with a brief live action segment featuring David Rubinoff and his orchestra. A badly hung-over sun slowly rises over Betty Boop's farm...
  
  - This Betty Boop
  Betty Boop
  Betty Boop is an animated cartoon character created by Max Fleischer, with help from animators including Grim Natwick. She originally appeared in the Talkartoon and Betty Boop film series, which were produced by Fleischer Studios and released by Paramount Pictures. She has also been featured in...
  
   cartoon
  Cartoon
  A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
  
   includes a segment showing Rubinoff playing the violin.
• Parade of the Wooden Soldiers
  Parade of the Wooden Soldiers
  Parade of the Wooden Soldiers is a 1933 Fleischer Studios animated short film starring Betty Boop. It is now public domain.The instrumental title theme, "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" , was composed by Leon Jessel.-Synopsis:A large factory complex struggles to produce a single package, which is...
  
  - Rubinoff appears as himself in this 1933 Betty Boop cartoon.
• Thanks a Million
  Thanks A Million
  Thanks a Million is a 1935 musical film produced and released by 20th Century Fox and directed by Roy Del Ruth. It stars Dick Powell, Ann Dvorak and Fred Allen, and features Patsy Kelly, David Rubinoff and Paul Whiteman and his band with singer/pianist Ramona. The script by Nunnally Johnson was...
  
  - Rubinoff appears as himself in this 1935 Hollywood film.
• You Can't Have Everything
  You Can't Have Everything
  You Can't Have Everything is a 1937 Fox musical film directed by Norman Taurog and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck. The movie stars Alice Faye and Don Ameche, and was the film debut for Gypsy Rose Lee.-Plot:...
  
  - Rubinoff appears as himself in this 1937 Hollywood film.

Sources

• Shapiro, Mitchell E. Radio Network Prime Time Programming, 1926-1967, McFarland & Company, Inc., 2002.

External links

• Rubinoff/DeGroat Corkscrews