Speed Hooper Orchestra

Photographer

Kadow, Francis M.

Date

• ca. 1941-ca. 1945

Summary

• Fifteen members of a “big band” group, most holding their musical instruments, pose in front of a large United States flag in the “Town Hall” meeting room at radio station WOMT in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Partially visible on the back wall on either side of the flag, posters promoting the sale of war bonds help to date this picture to the World War II era. All but one of the men wear dark suits and bow ties; one man in the back wears a light colored double breasted suit. A female vocalist seated in the front row wears a long dark gown and flowers in her hair. Names written in ink on the back of the photograph identify most of the group: Seated in the front row, left to right—Shorty Martin, Rollie Neilitz, Warren Meyer, unknown, Butch Handl, Gene Heier. Seated in the middle row, left to right—Jack Doolan, unknown, Speed Hooper, Felix Woytal, Chuck Schwake, unknown. Standing in the back, left to right—George Woytal, Charlie Sindelar. Although she is designated as “unknown” here, another source tentatively identifies the female vocalist seated in the center of the front row as Sherlie Scherer. The picture is cataloged as the “Speed Hooper Orchestra,” although some of the individuals have also been identified by another source as belonging to “The Mlada Men of Melody.” The Speed Hooper Orchestra was one of many bands that performed in the Manitowoc area during the 1940s, when there were at least twenty dance halls in the county. Some of these individuals performed with other musical groups over the years, and some of them, including Rollie Neilitz and Gene Heier, also formed and led their own bands.