Editing Russ Columbo

{{short description|American singer, violinist, and actor (1908–1934)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2022}}{{Use American English|date=August 2024}}

{{Infobox musical artist
| image           = Russ Columbo.jpg
| caption         =
| landscape       = 
| background      = solo_singer
| birth_name      = Ruggiero Eugenio di Rodolfo Colombo
| alias           =
| birth_date      = {{Birth date|1908|1|14}} 
|birth_place = [[Camden, New Jersey]], U.S.
| death_date      = {{Death date and age|1934|9|2|1908|1|14}} 
|death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
| genre           = [[Jazz]], [[popular music]]
| occupation      = Actor, singer, violinist
| instrument      = Violin, [[baritone]] voice
| years_active    = 1928–1934
| label           =
| associated_acts =
| website         =
}}

'''Ruggiero Eugenio di Rodolfo Colombo''' (January 14, 1908 &ndash; September 2, 1934), known as '''Russ Columbo''', was an American [[baritone]], songwriter, violinist, and actor. He is famous for romantic ballads such as his signature tune "You Call It Madness, But I Call It Love" and his own compositions "[[Prisoner of Love (1931 song)|Prisoner of Love]]" and "Too Beautiful for Words".

==Early life==
Columbo was born in [[Camden, New Jersey]], the twelfth child of Italian immigrant parents Nicola and Giulia "Julia" Colombo. He attended Everett Grammar School and started playing the violin at a very young age, debuting professionally at the age of 13. His family moved to Los Angeles when he was 16, and he attended Belmont High School there. He left high school at age 17 to study violin under [[Calmon Luboviski]] and travel with various bands around the country. He sang and played violin in numerous [[nightclub]]s.

==Career==

===Films===
By 1928, at the age of 20, Columbo began to participate in motion pictures, including a [[Vitaphone]] short in which Columbo appeared as a member of [[Gus Arnheim]] and His Orchestra. Eventually, he obtained some feature work in front of the camera, but he slowed down his activities in cinema to pursue other interests. At the time of his death, Columbo had just completed work on the film ''[[Wake Up and Dream (1934 film)|Wake Up and Dream]]''; he was on his way to stardom when his life was cut short.<ref name="News">{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rvtPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5lQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2128%2C119596|title=Bullet Fired Accidentally Kills Singer|date=September 3, 1934|work=The Evening Independent|access-date=January 1, 2021}}</ref> Among Columbo's other films are: ''Woman to Woman'' (with [[Betty Compton]]), ''[[Wolf Song]]'' (with [[Lupe Vélez]]), ''[[The Texan (1930 film)|The Texan]]'' (with [[Gary Cooper]]), and ''[[Broadway Through a Keyhole|Broadway Thru a Keyhole]]''.<ref name="Croon"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mBYvAAAAIBAJ&pg=5076,498226&dq=russ+columbo&hl=en|title=Theatre Offerings for Next Week: At the Princess|date=November 4, 1933 |work=Montreal Gazette|access-date=June 24, 2010}}</ref>

===Musician===
Columbo performed seven vocals while with Arnheim as a member of the string section, six for [[Okeh Records]] and only one for Victor ("A Peach of a Pair") on June 18, 1930, a few months before [[Bing Crosby]] joined the band along with [[Al Rinker]] and [[Harry Barris]] as "The Rhythm Boys".

Columbo ran a nightclub for a while, the Club Pyramid, but gave it up when his manager told him he had star potential.<ref name="Croon">{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=p_wjAAAAIBAJ&pg=5345,2605998&dq=russ+columbo&hl=en|title=Russ Columbo Doesn't Croon|date=November 1, 1931|work=Milwaukee Journal|access-date=June 24, 2010}}</ref> In 1931, he traveled to New York City with his manager, songwriter [[Con Conrad]], who secured a late-night radio slot with [[NBC]]. This led to numerous engagements, a recording contract with [[RCA Victor]] records, and tremendous popularity with legions of mostly female fans. Not long after arriving in New York, Columbo met actress [[Dorothy Dell]] at an audition for the [[Ziegfeld Follies]] and began seeing her. Conrad did his best to break the relationship up with a series of publicity-created "ruse romances" involving Columbo and actresses such as [[Greta Garbo]] and [[Pola Negri]]; it succeeded.<ref name="Kilgallen">{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CTYuAAAAIBAJ&pg=2794,1043529&dq=russ+columbo&hl=en|title=Voice of Broadway|date=June 5, 1941|author=Kilgallen, Dorothy|work=The Miami News|access-date=June 24, 2010}}</ref> (Dorothy Dell died in an auto accident in June 1934—just months before Columbo's own fatal accident.)

The type of singing that was popularized by the likes of Columbo, [[Rudy Vallee]], and [[Bing Crosby]] is called [[crooning]]. Columbo disliked the label, but it caught on with the general public. It gained popular credence, despite its initial use as a term of derision for the singers employing their low, soothing voices in [[romantic love|romantic]] songs. Similarly, to reinforce his romantic appeal, he was called "Radio's [[Rudolph Valentino|Valentino]]".<ref>{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Radio-Guide/1931/Radio-Guide-1931-12-05.pdf |title=Radio's Valentino |journal=Radio Guide |location=New York |date=December 5, 1931 }}</ref>

Columbo composed the songs "Prisoner of Love" and "You Call It Madness (But I Call It Love)" with Con Conrad, Gladys Du Bois, and Paul Gregory; "Too Beautiful For Words", recorded by the Teddy Joyce Orchestra in 1935; "When You're in Love", "My Love", and "Let's Pretend There's a Moon", recorded by [[Fats Waller]] and [[Tab Hunter]]; and "Hello Sister". "[[Prisoner of Love (1931 song)|Prisoner of Love]]" is a standard that has been recorded by [[Frank Sinatra]], [[Jo Stafford]], [[Art Tatum]], [[Perry Como]], the [[Ink Spots]], [[Mildred Bailey]], [[Tiny Tim (musician)|Tiny Tim]], [[Teddy Wilson]] with [[Lena Horne]] on vocals, Bing Crosby, [[Billy Eckstine]], and [[James Brown]]. Perry Como had a number-one hit on ''[[Billboard Hot 100|Billboard]]'' with his recording. James Brown had a top-20 pop hit and performed the song on ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]'' and in the concert movie ''[[The T.A.M.I. Show]]'' (1964).

==Death==
On Sunday, September 2, 1934, Columbo was shot under peculiar circumstances by a longtime friend, photographer [[Lansing Brown Jr.]], while Columbo was visiting him at home. Brown had a collection of firearms, and the two men were examining various pieces. Quoting Brown's description of the accident:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2vUtAAAAIBAJ&pg=6031,2312618&dq=russ+columbo&hl=en|title=Russ Columbo Dies By Accidental Shot|date=September 3, 1934|work=The Miami News|access-date=June 24, 2010}}</ref>
<blockquote>I was absent-mindedly fooling around with one of the guns. It was of a dueling design and works with a cap and trigger. I was pulling back the trigger and clicking it time after time. I had a match in my hand and when I clicked, apparently the match caught in between the hammer and the firing pin. There was an explosion. Russ slid to the side of his chair.</blockquote>

The ball ricocheted off a nearby table and hit Columbo above the left eye. Surgeons at [[Good Samaritan Hospital (Los Angeles)|Good Samaritan Hospital]] made an unsuccessful attempt to remove the ball from Columbo's brain; he died less than six hours after the shooting.<ref name="News"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jiktAAAAIBAJ&pg=4064,2026386&dq=russ+columbo&hl=en|title=Russ Columbo Is Accidentally Slain|date=September 4, 1934|work=The Rock Hill Herald|access-date=June 24, 2010}}</ref> Columbo's death was ruled an accident and Brown was exonerated from blame.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4jcxAAAAIBAJ&pg=2996,468329&dq=russ+columbo&hl=en|title=Columbo's Death Held Accidental|date=September 6, 1934|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|access-date=June 24, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=djMyAAAAIBAJ&pg=2883,326998&dq=russ+columbo&hl=en|title=Coroner's Jury Hears Story of Colombo's Death|date=September 5, 1934|work=Berkeley Daily Gazette|access-date=June 24, 2010}}</ref> His funeral Mass was attended by numerous Hollywood actors, including Bing Crosby and [[Carole Lombard]], who was to have had dinner with Columbo the evening of the accident and who was romantically involved with him.<ref name="News"/><ref name="Kilgallen"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4_UtAAAAIBAJ&pg=5251,2577281&dq=russ+columbo&hl=en|title=Other Columbo Gun Unloaded|date=September 5, 1934|work=The Miami News|access-date=June 24, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IU41AAAAIBAJ&pg=991,5779445&dq=russ+columbo&hl=en|title=Timely Closeups From Hollywood: Columbo Ceremonial|date=September 6, 1934|work=The Day|access-date=June 24, 2010}}</ref>

Columbo's mother was hospitalized in serious condition from a heart attack at the time of the accident; the news was withheld from her by his brothers and sisters for the remaining 10 years of her life.<ref name="News"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CikyAAAAIBAJ&pg=5073,5428372&dq=russ+columbo&hl=en|title=Mrs. Columbo is Not Yet Aware of Son's Death|date=September 4, 1934|work=The Ososso Argus-Press|access-date=June 24, 2010}}</ref> Owing to her previous heart condition, it was feared that the news would prove fatal to her (she died in 1944). They used all manner of subterfuge to give the impression that Columbo was still alive, including faked letters from him and records used to simulate his radio program.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GkQyAAAAIBAJ&pg=2527,6619221&dq=russ+columbo&hl=en|title=Death of Russ Columbo's Mother Ends Tender Hoax|date=August 31, 1944|work=The Miami News|access-date=June 24, 2010}}</ref>

[[File:Russ Columbo Grave.JPG|thumb|200px|Crypt of Russ Columbo in the Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Glendale]]

Columbo is interred in [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)|Forest Lawn Memorial Park]] in [[Glendale, California]].

Actress [[Virginia Brissac]] was serving as Columbo's private secretary at the time of his death and was later called upon by the [[Los Angeles County Coroner's Office]] to testify and identify Columbo's remains at the subsequent inquest.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Camden People - Russ Columbo |url=http://www.dvrbs.com/People/CamdenPeople-RussColumbo.htm |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230407103406/http://www.dvrbs.com/People/CamdenPeople-RussColumbo.htm |archive-date=2023-04-07 |access-date=2025-02-25 |website=www.dvrbs.com}}</ref>

==In popular culture==

* In 1958, singer [[Jerry Vale]] recorded a tribute album titled ''I Remember Russ''. 

* In 1995, 61 years after Columbo's death, singer [[Tiny Tim (musician)|Tiny Tim]] released an album titled ''Prisoner of Love (A Tribute to Russ Columbo)'', which he recorded with the group Clang. 
* Columbo is one of the historical figures named in the [[Neil Diamond]] composition "[[Done Too Soon]]". 
* Columbo is one of the three famous crooners named in the 1932 [[Looney Tunes]] cartoon ''[[Crosby, Columbo, and Vallee]]''.
* Crooner [[Andy_Russell_(singer)|Andy Russell]]'s artistic name was adapted from Columbo's first name.
* In [[JoJo's Bizarre Adventure|Jojo's Bizarre Adventure]], ''Prisoner of Love'' is the title of both a ''Stone Ocean'' chapter and one of the entire ''JoJo's'' manga volumes.

Biographical novel and audiobook, ''Two Lovers'' by Beverly Adam, the true love story of Carole Lombard and Russ Columbo.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*Toran, Tony. ''A Prisoner of Love - The Definitive Story of Russ Columbo''.  Bear Manor Media, 2006, {{ISBN|1-59393-055-0}}
*Lanza, Joseph and Dennis Penna. ''Russ Columbo and the Crooner Mystique''.  Feral House, 2002. {{ISBN|0-922915-80-6}}
*Miano, Lou, ''Russ Columbo: The Amazing Life and Mysterious Death of a Hollywood Singing Legend''. Silver Tone Publications, 2001. {{ISBN|0-9677970-1-2}}
*Kaye, Lenny. ''You Call It Madness : The Sensuous Song of the Croon''. Villard, 2004. {{ISBN|0-679-46308-9}}
*''Time Capsule 1944; a History of the Year Condensed from the Pages of Time''. Time-Life Books, 1967.
*Adam, Beverly. ''Two Lovers: the love story of Carole Lombard and Russ Columbo''. Createspace, 2016, {{ISBN|978-1-5234025-1-9}} 2022 edition.
* {{Cite book |last=Rasmussen |first=Cecilia |title=L.A. Unconventional: The Men and Women Who Did L.A. Their Way |date=1998 |chapter=No Juliet for the 'Romeo of Song' |pages=97–98 |publisher=Los Angeles Times |isbn=978-1-883792-23-7 |location=Los Angeles |oclc=40701771}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Russ Columbo}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060420135424/http://www.classicimages.com/1999/april99/columbo.html Good introduction to Columbo--some basic facts implemented into this article]
*[http://feralhouse.com/russ-columbo-and-the-crooner-mystique/ Some reviews of a Russ Columbo book from] [[Feral House]]
*{{IMDb name|id=0173375|name=Russ Columbo}}
* [http://www.shsu.edu/~lis_fwh/book/roots_of_rock/support/crooner/Columbo2.htm  Russ Columbo, from ''Survey of American Popular Music by Frank Hoffmann (modified for the web by Robert Birkline)'']
*[https://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/images1/1/0212/05/russ-columbo-vintage-1940s-original_1_16715badfe03d0137f3da852cffd0ef9.jpg signed portrait](archived)

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Columbo, Russ}}
[[Category:1908 births]]
[[Category:1934 deaths]]
[[Category:Accidental deaths in California]]
[[Category:American crooners]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American jazz musicians]]
[[Category:American people of Italian descent]]
[[Category:American male pop singers]]
[[Category:American male violinists]]
[[Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)]]
[[Category:Deaths by firearm in California]]
[[Category:Firearm accident victims in the United States]]
[[Category:Musicians from Camden, New Jersey]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century American violinists]]
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American male singers]]
[[Category:American male jazz musicians]]
[[Category:Traditional pop music singers]]