Richard Himber

Richard Himber (born Herbert Richard Imber; February 20, 1899 – December 11, 1966) was an American bandleader, composer, violinist, magician and practical joker.

Himber was also a skilled magician, and invented many magic tricks including "The Himber Wallet," "The Himber Ring," and the "Himber Milk Pitcher." In later years, his band act often included an interlude of magic and he conjured on many television shows as well.

Himber was the publisher of the R-H Log, a weekly survey of the most popular tunes on radio and television. To the annoyance of most music publishers, he refused to accept payola. He once ordered his secretary to phone every major publisher and tell them he had a stroke, to which many of them joyfully replied, "It's about time."

Other popular tunes that Himber composed were "Moments in the Moonlight," "After the Rain," "Monday in Manhattan," "Haunting Memories," "Time Will Tell," "Am I Asking Too Much," and "I'm Getting Nowhere Fast with You." In 1957 he wrote a TV theme for NBC's Tonight! America After Dark when Jack Lescoulie was the interim host—before Jack Paar took over.

In the late 1930s Himber's band was featured in short-subject films produced in New York by Paramount Pictures and Himber was also the maestro for New York's annual Harvest Moon Ball.

Sense of humor Himber took notice of the gimmicks and arrangements used by his fellow bandleaders, and then satirized them. Among swing-music collectors he is known for his 1938 series, "Parade of Bands", a six-sided record set of imitations of then-popular bands and singers, including his former employees Goodman, Dorsey, and Shaw, as well as Guy Lombardo, Larry Clinton, Ted Lewis, Count Basie, and other "name" bandleaders.

Although he is now remembered primarily for his musical legacy, his contemporaries recall his incessant practical joking. The employees of Toots Shor's 51st Street Chophouse in New York City, which he frequented, lived in fear of him, as he constantly engaged in the act of "butter snapping" (artfully placing a pat of butter in the center of a napkin, so that when thrown upward, it would adhere to the ceiling) and "bread crumbing" (rolling bread into hard pellets and tossing them at female restaurant patrons, so that the bread would hit them at the neckline and then descend into their bosom). Famous celebrity victims of Himber's pranks included Ben Blue, the chanteuse Hildegarde and Charles Laughton. At home, Himber would boast of his cooking skills, and when his wife asked for veal cutlets, he breaded the inner sole of a shoe.

Fond of the grand gesture, Himber could be as generous as he was unpredictable. A wearer of brightly patterned sportcoats, he once complained that a friend's coat was too loud and promptly tore out the back seam. Before the astonished friend could object, Himber steered him into a clothier's shop where an exact copy of the coat was waiting - paid for ahead of time by Himber himself. A portly yet youthful-looking man with flaming red hair, Himber frequently lied about his age, giving birth dates of 1902, 1904, 1907, and 1909 at various times. He married only in his forties, to prominent model Nina McDougall, with whom he had a son. Their acrimonious divorce was the talk of New York tabloids a decade later.

Among Himber's novel promotions was a traveling bandstand on a flatbed truck, sponsored by Pepsi-Cola. The orchestra used it for free outdoor concerts in the New York City area in the 1960s. It was during one of these concerts in 1966 that Himber suffered a heart attack, dying several hours later. He died on December 11, 1966, at his home in the Essex House in New York City, aged 59.