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Lou Diamond
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Lou S. Diamond |
Louis S. Diamond (born April 4, 1893 – April 5, 1940) was a Paramount Pictures executive. He was assistant to Emanuel Cohen, newsreel and shorts chief and cartoonist Max Fleischer.
He started his career as a bookkeeper for Pathé. He joined Paramount in 1927. Diamond was elected head of the sales statistical department, as president and was practically unanimous, his popularity and his aptitude for planning were evidenced by the club's outstanding success, not just in terms of membership but also in terms of athletics.[1] In 1927, Diamond attended The Pathé Club Ball.
Diamond hired Margie Hines (discovered by Fleischer Studios staff member Billy Murray) in 1930, Mae Questel in 1931 and Bonnie Poe in 1933 to voice Betty Boop and introduced each of them to the Fleischer Studios.
One day the Fleischers were searching for an "in-person" Betty Boop, so they held a contest to find talent, local Brooklyn girl Little Ann Little who entered the contest, eventually won a full-time contract to tour the country by having a successful in-person "Betty Boop" debut.[2] Little was in the publishing house, when Diamond told her, that she would be perfect for the role. He urged Little to attend auditions at Paramount Studios the following week and told her he thought she had the voice he was looking for.
When it came to business, Lou was known to establish friendship, in 1930, he met Rudy Vallée over a dish of borscht at Sardi's one early morning. After meeting Vallée, a very successful Screen Song called The Stein Song, and the famous crooning pan of the red-headed Mr. Vallée was the prologue feature of the production. Some said that Rudy Vallée made it, others say that the short made Rudy. Lou Diamond said nothing, but quietly went about with plans for another quickie presentation of the boys from Maine, this time under the title of "Betty Co-ed".
Lou struck friendships with Cornelius Vanderbilt, Eddie Cantor, Tammany Young, Dr. Eckener, Sarah Lyons, Judge Frawley, Bert Lahr, Bridlepath Rabbinical, the famous Hindu poet and Floyd Gibbons. During the $250,000 Infringement Lawsuit, he appeared as a defendant, against "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" singer Helen Kane.
In 1934, Lou Diamond, shorts head of Paramount ordered a special drive on Popeye the Sailor. The Popeye character, under a deal with King Features, was inserted in a Betty Boop cartoon, on the understanding that if reaction proved favorable a contract for a series of 13 Popeye shorts would be entered. In 1939, under the supervision of Lou Diamond, in charge of production of shorts, Paramount's new program consisted of ten series of one-reel subjects.
Diamond was also president of Paramount's music subsidiaries which published all the hit tunes appearing in Paramount's musical features. Both Famous Music Corp. and Paramount Music Corp. had their share of leading musical song hits.
Quotes[]
- Lou Diamond: ""I'll dial for deal old Rutgers." (1930)
- Lou Diamond: "We didn't think Betty Boop was anything particular at first, just another novelty." (1933)
- Lou Diamond: "Then we knew we had something a cartoon figure that was clapped just for making a bow." (1933)
- Lou Diamond: "Betty Boop is dead, Sally Swing is the new successor." (1938)
Death[]
- Lou Diamond died of a heart attack in 1940, Manhattan, New York, USA.[3] Lou and his wife were with Orrin Tucker's mother, in New York at the Empire Room of the Waldorf - Astoria Hotel, sharing in the festivities, and watching the applause that was being enthusiastically led from a ring-side table by Arthur Jarrett and Betty Grable. Diamond suddenly pushed his chair back. He murmured a faint "Oh." He slumped down, and in a few moments was dead. He left behind his widow Celia Diamond, including his two sons, Paul Diamond and Richard Diamond.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- He was Robert Orrin Tucker's best friend.
- He liked to drive his Buick sedan from Inwood to Times Square every morning, and night.
- Sadly Louis Diamond is not remembered today, nor does he have any recognition as of 2023, so the Betty Boop Fandom has attempted to create an article about him based on general independent research.
- He had a son Paul Diamond, a division manager of Unity Television Corporation during the NARTB convention. Paul was a navigator during World War II, and attended George Washington High School and Rutgers University, and was formerly an executive of the TV department of Paramount Pictures. Lou's son Paul died in 1954, leaving behind his widow Gertrude Diamond, and two daughters.
- Lou had three sisters, Bessie Sperling wife of Milton Sperling, the screenwriter for 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros., Mrs. Anna Miller and Mrs. Rose Kaufman.