ENTERTAINMENT
THE HO-HO MAN
S
omewhere between New
York's Lower East Side and
the long climb to stardom,
the metamorphosis was
complete.
Little Aaron Chwatt, who once
sang on street corners for pennies, can
today stare fondly at his shining star
on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, pro-
claiming his success and his adopted
name: Red Buttons.
Not bad for a Jewish kid from the
ghetto who's been honored with the
City of Hope's "Spirit of Life" Award,
the Eddie Cantor Foundation's
"Suzie" Award, the California Friar's
Club "Lifetime Achievement" Award,
and the Junior Achievement Award
"for his contributions to all causes."
He never dreamed of such
prestigious accolades, but Buttons
says he always knew he'd end up in
show business. The self-proclaimed
"show-off" simply had to.
"It was always with me," he claim-
ed during a recent telephone inter-
view from his home in Bel Air, Calif.
"I think some people are just born
with a calling, a talent, some gift they
have to share with others. My mother
told me that when I was only two
years old, I would jump on the table
and begin singing the popular Jewish
songs of the day for anyone who walk-
ed in the house."
To this day, Buttons credits his
parents, Sophie and Michael, for the
encouragement and love that was
necessary to propel him toward suc-
cess. "My parents were always very
proud of me," he recalled fondly. "My
father was the one who signed me up
to sing in choirs. I sang in the famous
Cooperman's choir for three years
with the greatest cantor we ever had,
Cantor Joseph `Yussele" Rosenblatt.
Later, when I entered every amateur
contest I could find, it was my mother
Red Buttons' famous
TV trademark came
out of his synagogue
experiences
RITA CHARLESTON
Special to The Jewish News
who would sew little costumes for me,
then sit in the audience and tap peo-
ple on the shoulder saying, 'That's my
son!' "
Buttons claims in addition to his
singing abilities, his flair for comedy
flourished at a very early age as well.
"I was a funny kid in school. I clown-
ed around a lot. I think I got a
wonderful sense of humor from my
father's side mostly. He loved to sing,
loved to dance, loved to clown around.
And I think I got the other — the emo-
tional, more dramatic side of my per-
sonality — from my mother. She was
that kind of person, although she did
have a wry sense of humor." -
As a young boy, Buttons was
nicknamed "Irish" because of his red
hair, blue eyes and a bright green
sweater which he wore in his public
graduation picture. He acquired his
more famous stage name when, at the
age of 16, he auditioned for and got
the job as an entertaining bellhop at
a tavern called Ryan's in City Island,
N.Y. The red hair and the bellhop's
uniform with all those buttons in-
spired Dinty Moore, a popular or-
chestra leader of the day, to call the
boy "Red Buttons."
That summer, Buttons worked his
first job in the Catskill Mountains for
$1.50 a week plus room and board.
Four years later, in 1939, he went to
work for Minsky. As the youngest
burlesque comedian in the business,
he billed himself as the "Only Burles-
que Comedian With All His Own
Teeth."
In 1941, Jose Ferrer plucked But-
tons out of burlesque, for his first
Broadway show, The Admiral Had A
Wife. The show was supposed to open
on Dec. 8, 1941, but it never did. The
show was a farce about Pearl Harbor.
In 1942, however, Buttons did ap-
pear on Broadway in Vicki. He also
GOING PLACES
WEEK OF SEPT. 25-OCT. 1
SPECIAL EVENTS
UNIQUE ARTS
FESTIVAL
University Cultural Center,
Wayne State University,
Detroit, mimes, acrobats,
jugglers, musicians, and
dancers, today through
Sunday, 336-1518.
MICHIGAN
RENAISSANCE
FESTIVAL
Dixie Highway between
Pontiac and Flint, one mile
north of Mt. Holly, Inc.,
Holly, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday
admission, 645-9640.
CHILDREN
PEANUT BUTTER
PLAYERS
Austin Hall, 18000 E.
Warren, Detroit, Pinocchio,
lunch at noon, 1 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday,
admission, 559-6PBP.
MUSIC
DETROIT SYMPHONY
Ford Auditorium, Detroit,
Detroit Symphony Chorus,
8 p.m. Thursday, admission,
567-1400.
DETROIT INSTITUTE
OF ARTS
5200 Woodward Ave.,
Detroit, Brunch With Bach,
10 and 11:30 a.m. Sunday,
admission, 832-2730.
FOLKTOWN
Parks and Recreation
building, Southfield Civic
Center, Bob Brozman, 8
p.m. Saturday, admission,
855-9848.
UNIVERSITY MUSICAL
SOCIETY
University of Michigan,
Ann Arbor, Hill
Auditorium, Royal
Philharmonic Orchestra
and Andre Previn Quartet,
8 p.m. Monday, admission,
764-2538.
LYRIC CHAMBER
ENSEMBLE
Great Gallery, Edsel and
Eleanor Ford House, 1100
Lakeshore Dr., Grosse
Pointe, Beethoven trios,
concert, 3:30 p.m. Sunday,
admission, 357-1111.
DETROIT CHAMBER
WINDS
Wallace Smith Theatre,
Farmington Hills, concert,
8 p.m. today, admission,
851-8329.