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[[image: black and white photo of John Wildberg]]

JOHN WILDBERG
Although he is a native New Yorker, JOHN WILDBERG, producer of "Memphis Bound," spent much of his childhood in Cincinnati. He got his first theatrical experience as a boy, when his father ran a stock company there. In ten days, the latter lost all his money and wound up happily in the lumber business. It was enough, however, to give his son a taste for the theatre. Mr. Wildberg attended Berkeley Military School, De Witt Clinton High School, Columbia University and Law School, graduating from the last-named in 1923. He was active in dramatics during his undergraduate years and, in addition served as permanent vice-president of the Class of '21, managing editor of the Varsity Magazine and of the Columbia Spectator, coxswain of the 1921 boat crew and was on the college golf team for three years. Upon graduation, he entered the law firm of  Greenbaum, Wolff and Ernst. Here began his first connection with show business, from which came many of his clients. In 1929 he joined Paramount-Publix, as attorney for the production department. In this capacity, he assisted Sidney Kent, Walter Wanger and Jesse Lasky. After the reorganization of Paramount-Publix, he launched his own law office, acting as legal advisor to Peter Arno, Elsa Maxwell, the Group Theatre, Cheryl Crawford and Frank and Ralph Morgan. His interest in theatrical production grew, and in 1934 he began to work actively in this field with Sidney Harmon and James Ullman, and also with William Brady, Jr. The first play in which he participated was "Hangman's Whip." It opened the night the banks closed and its Broadway run was brief. Later, however, it was produced as the motion picture, "White Woman," with Carole Lombard and Charles Laughton in the stellar roles. Through his connection with Harmon and Ullman in producing "The Milky Way," he met Cheryl Crawford, one of the directors of the Group Theatre, and served as its legal representative for several years. When Miss Crawford left the Group, Wildberg became associated with her in staging plays and established a stock company in Maplewood, N. J. Out of this venture, their production of "Porgy and Bess" was developed. It began its highly successful career on Broadway and toured the country three times with its cast practically intact. In association with Miss Crawford, he also produced the musical hit, "One Touch of Venus," starring Mary Martin and John Boles. The current Broadway success, "Anna Lucasta," was his first solo production. He is president of the Belasco Theatre Corporation, which recently purchased the Belasco Theatre.

Mrs. Wildberg, the former Ellen Leeds, was production assistant for "Anna Lucasta," and has served in this capacity also for "Memphis Bound."

[[image: black and white photo of Vinton Freedley]]

VINTON FREEDLEY
The name of VINTON FREEDLEY, under whose personal supervision "Memphis Bound" was produced, is synonymous with all that is best and brightest in the musical comedy field. Since 1924, when he disclosed the talents of Fred and Adele Astaire in the Gershwin opus, "Lady Be Good" (when that American genius was also comparatively unknown), he has presented a steady succession of distinguished successes for the musical stage and brought out a great many newcomers who have since become national headliners. The productions: "Tiptoes," "Oh, Kay," "Funny Face," "Hold Everything," "Heads Up," "Girl Crazy," "Anything Goes," "Red, Hot and Blue," "Leave it to Me," "Cabin in the Sky," "Let's Face It," and the revival of "Liliom" with Burgess Meredith and Ingrid Bergman. Some of the stars who have appeared under his management include: Ginger Rogers, Ethel Merman, Jeannette MacDonald, Gertrude Lawrence, Victor Moore, William Gaxton, Bert Lahr, Bob Hope, Jimmy Durante, Charles Ruggles, Willie Howard, Jack Buchanan and Danny Kaye. Besides Gershwin, Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers, Ray Henderson and Vernon Duke are some of the composers who have supplied scores for his musicals.

Mr. Freedley is a Philadelphian. He studied at Harvard, where he was active in the Hasty Pudding productions, and at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. His firs experience in the theatre was as an actor; one of his earliest roles was that of the Male Cricket in "The World We Live In." That was in 1922. By the end of the same year, he was launched as a producer, with "For Goodness Sake," given in association with Alex Aarons. The Alvin Theatre was named for them. Mr. Freedley's extra-curricular activities in the theatre include being president of the Episcopal Actors' Guild, treasurer of the Actors' Fund of America and heading the American National Theatre and Academy.