Remembering Tondelyo Levy

The hardest thing about doing a blog that deals 90% with the obscure artists of yester year is the research. This one proved to date the hardest of all but finally we are introducing you to Ms. Tondelyo Levy.

I first learned of her years ago when researching Billie Holiday. In the late 1940's Billie took up with John Levy a very light skinned Arican American who described him self as half Jew, half Black. Cnferring with my usual sources for entertainers of days gone by ( BTW that list is getting shorter and shorter due to the Grimm reaper! and father Time) I was told that Tondaleyos was a club, another person told me why thats a character that Hedy LaMarr played years ago. Then my #1 all things Billie source said " Why Tondelyo Levy good god I havent heard that name in years she was beautiful made a film but was mostly a shake dancer and a very shrewed business woman but her name is really Willemenia Grey I believe the Levy was a married named. She was married and I believe had a baby by John Levy" I of course immediately put on my thinking cap was he talking about John Levy the bassist and former manager of nancy Wilson? Or Billie Holidays alledgly brutal pimp/manager boyfriend John Levy. I asked Which John Levy you talking about Mr. Hugh? He looked at me with a gleam in his eye that still makes me laugh to this day " Billies" I remember a slight intake of air and then a gasp! Mr. Hugh enjoying my effect went on speaking " Oh yes Tondelyo was married to John Levy and he use to beat her like he did all his womens and she was really a beautiful woman did her just like Lady Day and the thing is all of them knew each other from 133rd street days in harlem. John was a junkie an opium smoker and gambler finally Tonda got sick and tired of it and I think she escaped I forget how but she left that misreable, cheap SOB." He went , " I think well Im pretty sure she was in the Cotton Club Chorus kine way back in the 1930's. She and Levy opened a nightclub on W.52nd Street called Tondelyos.

Fasinating so I Googled Tondelyo nothing then Tondelyo Levy and I found but one actual write up but I did and I share with you here a movie she performed in ( Not dancing) but acting called "Sepia Cinderella" and yes she outlived them all

She was never a big star but more a popular local star it seems. I have but one question I wondered why she used her married name right up to her death. Who was the child? so many questions....enjoy


She Danced Around Fame In Her Art And Especially In Her Life, Tondalayo Levy Made Her Mark



BY DAVID HINCKLEY CRITIC-AT-LARGE

Sunday, January 18, 1998


When Don Henley of the Eagles was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the Waldorf-Astoria on Monday, he told a sellout crowd he had mixed feelings about the honor, largely because of what the word "fame" has come to mean.

"The line between fame and accomplishment is becoming very, very blurred," he said. "If you're willing to be really obnoxious in public and make a complete fool of yourself, you too can be famous. . . . It's an ugly thing."

Henley's ruminations, mildly jarring at the Waldorf, are nonetheless quite true, and they echoed less than 12 hours later at a very different occasion and place: a funeral at Memorial Baptist Church on W. 115th St. for Tondalayo Levy. Never famous in today's manner of a tabloid-TV guest, Tondalayo was nonetheless an important and glamorous figure in New York nightlife from the '30s into the '50s.
Nobody upstaged Tonda," said Leroi Myers, who leads a magnificent band of old-time tap dancers called the Copasetics. "She sat in the back seat for no one."

She filled most of the seats at Memorial Baptist, and everybody had a Tonda story. After the service David Pagan, her son-in-law, talked about going to dinner with her at Lundy's in Sheepshead Bay.

"Now, when you went out with Tonda, you didn't wear just anything," he explained. "You passed inspection. And she was wearing a new full-length mink coat.

"You know Lundy's a thousand people, sawdust on the floor. Well, Tonda takes off that coat and drags it behind her. Right in the sawdust. And a thousand people are saying, 'Who is that woman?'

"She knew how to make an entrance."

Tondalayo took her stage name as a teenage chorus girl. Film fans know it as the name of Hedy Lamarr's character in "White Cargo," but in clubs here it was the property of Tondalayo Levy, who called her sultry, exotic moves "shake dancing."




Sepia Cinderella (1947)

70 min - Musical - 25 July 1947 (USA)


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The 2nd in a series of films, produced by Jack Goldberg and Arthur Leonard, made primarily for the 684 theatres (in 1947) that catered exclusively to Black audiences that were kept out... See full summary »



Director:
Arthur H. Leonard

Writer:
Vincent Valentini

Stars:
Billy Daniels, Sheila Guyse and Tondaleyo



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Cast



Cast overview, first billed only:





Billy Daniels

...


Bob (as Billy Daniel)





Sheila Guyse

...


Barbara





Tondaleyo

...


Vivian





Ruble Blakey

...


Barney





Jack Carter

...


Ralph





Dusty Freeman

...


Mooney





George Williams

...


Sonny





Fred Gordon

...


Press Agent





Harold Norton

...


Night Club Master of Ceremonies





Hilda Offley

...


Mama Keyes (as Hilda Offley Thompson)





Emory Richardson

...


Great Joseph





Percy Verwayen

...


MacMillan





Al Young

...


Chinaman





Deek Watson

...


Himself (as Deek Watson and the Brown Dots)





Gertrude Saunders

...


Mrs. Dryden


Full cast and crew »

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Storyline

The 2nd in a series of films, produced by Jack Goldberg and Arthur Leonard, made primarily for the 684 theatres (in 1947) that catered exclusively to Black audiences that were kept out, or placed in a special balcony section, in most of the theatres in segregated America. Plot concerns a struggling band leader's rise to fame after overcoming many obstacles, including a bad-girl vs. good-girl situation. For reasons unknown, Freddie Bartholomew makes a guest-cameo appearnce at the night club, and was featured in the ads and posters for the film, but the producers were barking up an empty tree if the thought was that he would sell any extra tickets in any of the booking situations...black or white. Tondaleyo (the "bad girl") dances, and musical numbers feature Deek Watson and his Brown Dots, Walter Fuller's orchestra, John Kirby's band and Ruble Blakey, former soloist with Lionel Hampton. Written by Les Adams
Plot Summary | Add Synopsis
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Plot Keywords:
Cinderella
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Genres:
Musical
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Details


Country:
USA

Language:
English

Release Date:
25 July 1947 (USA) See more »
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Company Credits


Production Co:
Herald Pictures See more »
Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

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Technical Specs


Runtime:
70 min | USA: 75 min (original release)

Sound Mix:
Mono

Color:
Black and White

Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 See full technical specs »

ID RATHER DRINK MUDDY WATER, ARETHA, JOHNNY TAYLOR AND THAT JOOK JOINT IN FLORDIA

BABY WE GOT TO HAVE US A LITTLE TALK. I'M GONNA PACK U P MY BAGS I'M GONNA WALK......
I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS A WEE ONE I HEARD THAT SONG ON ONE OF THOSE OLD COLUMBIA 33 1/3 RPM RECORDS MY MOTHER USE TO GET FROM THE COLUMBIA HOUSE RECORD CLUB ( SHE HAD BEEN A MEMBER SINCE THEY WERE SENDING OUT THOSE BIG ASS 78RPM RECORD SETS ( ISN'T THE ADVANCE OF TECHNOLOGY WONDERFUL!) .

WE STILL HAVE A JAMES BROWN AND THE FAMOUS FLAMES 78 IN THE HOUSE SOMEWHERE ALONG WITH A STACK OF THOSE BRIGHT YELLOW AND RED 16 RPM RECORDS THAT AUNT JOY WOULD GIVE OUT ON HER SHOW!) AUNT JOYA WASN'T A RELATION SHE WAS A FRIEND OF MY MOTHERS. SHE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN TO HAVE HER OWN TV SHOW HERE IN NY. IT WAS CALLED JOYA OR SOMETHING HER NAME WAS JOYA SHERILL IT WAS LIKE A AFRICAN AMERICAN VERSION OF THE MAGICAL GARDEN OF MAKE BELIEVE ( WHICH EVERYONE LIKED BETTER) IT HAD THE CHUCKLE PATCH BUT JOYA DIDN'T NO CHUCKLE PATCH SO I ONLY LIKED HER TO SHOW OFF TO MY FRIENDS IN 1ST GRADE THAT I "KNEW" A TV PERSON" LOL!!

MY MOTHERS OTHER FRIEND WAS JOYCE BRYANT WHO HAD BEEN A SINGER OF SOME NOTE IN THE 50'S SHE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST SINGERS TO USE RADIATOR PAINT TO DYE HER HAIR SILVER A POPULAR TREND. SHE WENT BALD AND ENDED UP WORKING AS A SALES WOMAN AT SAKS IN GARDEN CITY OR MINEOLA AND MOM WOULD DRAG US OVER THERE FOR A HAT OR SHE WOULD COME TO THOSE DINNER PARTIES MY PARENTS HAD AND I WOULD HEAR HISTORY OF MUSIC VERBATIM FROM PEOPLE LIKE AUNT JOYCE OR AUNT JOYA ( WHO ALSO HAD BEEN A PIANO PLAYER) ! MAMA ALWAYS HAD. HAD THE TYPE REC RECORDS THAT PEOPLE FORGOT ABOUT ( IF THEY BOTHERED BUYING THEM AT ALL) ,.YOU KNOW, THE ONES BEFORE PEOPLE BECOME BIG STARS OR THE ECLECTIC ONES LIKE PETE SEEGER OR ARTHUR PRYSOCK. ( BY THE WAY I WAS JUST LOOKING AT A VERVE RECORD BY ELLA FITZGERALD WITH A 1950 DATE ON IT AND SHE WAS LIKE "AW WHY DO I KEEP THESE?" AS SHE PUT IT BACK IN ITS "SPECIAL PLACE"
THIS RECORD I REMEMBER WAS PRODUCED BY A&R GURU JOHN HAMMOND AND HE WAS STYLIZING ARETHA VERY EARLY IN HER CAREER AFTER BILLIE HOLIDAY ON THIS ALBUM SHE DID A LOT OF THOSE OLD SONGS SUCH AS "THEIR IS NO GREATER LOVE" "GOD BLESS THE CHILD" AND SOME OTHER TUNES THAT WERE ASSOCIATED WITH HOLIDAY. THIS WAS THE LATE FIFTIES OR VERY EARLY 60'S I WOULD IMAGINE. I REMEMBER THE RECORD BEING VERY HEAVY. AS THOSE OLD OLD 33'S SEEMED TO BE AND THICK!
I REMEMBER THINKING HOW ODD THIS WAS . I WAS ABOUT MAYBE 8 OR 9 BUT I LOVED MUSIC I COULD PLAY SONGS, NOT WELL BUT BY EAR AND HER VOICE WAS SO POWERFUL, MAJESTIC. REMINDED ME OF THOSE SMALL CHURCHES THAT PEOPLE GO TO THAT REALLY SHOULD BE CANDY STORES BUT THEY TURN EM INTO CHURCHES AND WHEN YOU PASS IN THE SUMMER THESE STRONG VOICES COME BARGING OUT ASSAULTING YOUR EARS WITH THE RHYTHM THAT HAS ENRAPTURED THE PEOPLE INSIDE INTO A FRENZY OF DANCING AND WORSHIP AND PRAISE.
MUDDY WATER WAS ALWAYS MY FAVORITE. I NEVER COULD GET THE LYRICS RIGHT. I ALWAYS THOUGHT SHE WAS SAYING " ID RATHER DRINK MUDDY WATER SALIVA OUT OF A HOLLOW LOG" WHICH I FIGURED WAS GROSS AS WELL AS WEIRD BUT HELL, THE SONG WAS SO OLD MAYBE THAT IS WHY I DID NOT QUESTION IT. HOWEVER, SOME YEARS LATER I HEARD JOHNNY TAYLOR SINGING THE SONG IN A PLACE CALLED THE BEER TAVERN, A LITTLE CLUB, OR IN SOUTHERN VERNACULAR JOOK JOINT THAT SAT ON 5TH AVE IN GAINESVILLE, FLA IT HAD A SMALL JUKEBOX THAT PLAYED ALL THESE OLD SONGS.
THE CLUB OR JOINTS ONLY ALLURE IT WAS THE ONLY PLACE WHERE A 9TH GRADER COULD GO AND HAVE A NICE DRINK ( THEY SOLD MADDOGG 20/20 , ORANGE JUBILEE, RIPPLE AND THAT DAMN WHITE LIGHTNING HOME MADE CORN LIKKER! )0 AND BE A .....ADULT! PLUS, THEY HAD A MISS. PAC MAN MACHINE WHICH WAS THE RAGE THAT YEAR.
FRIDAY NIGHTS THOSE OLD PEOPLE USE TO DANCE SO HARD TO MUSIC FROM THOSE BLUES SINGERS LIKE ZZ HILL, KOKO TAYLOR, J BLACKFOOT ETC THE FLOOR WOULD LITERALLY SHAKE! WHAT A PLACE! I HAVEN'T BEEN ANYWHERE LIKE THAT SINCE! ITS ALL BUT GONE NOW ( DAMN URBAN RENEWAL BUT ITS ALIVE IN MY MEMORIES AND OFT TIMES WHEN I'M ON MEMORY LANE I VISIT FOR A MINUTE OR TWO)
I WAS BRAND NEW TO THE SOUTH. I LASTED ONE YEAR BEFORE I CAUGHT TRAILWAYS BUS BACK TO NYC( IT WAS ONLY 99 DOLLARS AT THE TIME! I ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT CLUB AND IT WAS THERE THAT I LEARNED THE LYRICS TO THIS SONG.
BABY WE GOT TO HAVE US A LITTLE TALK
I GOT TO PACK UP MY THINGS I'M GONNA WALK
THEY SAY A FLOWER GOES FROM HAND TO HAND
BUT BEFORE I SEE YOU GO FROM WOMAN TO WOMAN
ID RATHER DRINK MUDDY WATER
SLEEP OUT OF A HOLLOW LOG
I LOVE YOU BABY
BUT YOU JUST WONT BE FAIR
I DON'T BELIEVE YOU KNOW HOW TO BE ON THE SQUARE
NOW HAVE ALL YOUR FUN IF YOU MUST
BUT BEFORE I BE WITH A MAN I DON'T TRUST
ID RATHER DRINK MUDDY WATER
SLEEP OUT OF A HOLLOW LOG!