Draft:Ottalie Mark

== Career ==

== Career ==

Ottalie’s first job after military service was as secretary to Martha Wilchinski, Head of Publicity at [[Samuel Roxy Rothafel|Roxy Rothafel]]’s [[Capitol Theatre (New York City)|Capitol Theatre]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://archive.org/details/sim_billboard_1925-06-20_37_25|title=The Billboard 1925-06-20: Vol 37 Iss 25|date=1925-06-20|publisher=Prometheus Global Media|others=Internet Archive|language=English}}</ref> Wilchinski was also a songwriter, often writing lyrics under the pen name Martha Lois Wells, to melodies composed by [[William Axt|Dr. William Axt]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Martha Lois Wells|url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/5568202-Martha-Lois-Wells|access-date=2022-01-01|website=Discogs|language=en}}</ref> Wilchinski, a former Sergeant in the Marine Corps,<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Headquarters|first=American Legion National|date=July 1927|title=The American Legion Monthly [Volume 3, No. 1 (July 1927)]|url=https://archive.legion.org/handle/20.500.12203/3283|journal=The American Legion Monthly|language=en-US|volume=3|pages=48|via=Archive.org}}</ref> was considered one of the best publicists in the New York entertainment business, according to several trade articles. She was called “The Christopher Columbus of Feminine Publicity” by the Exhibitors Herald in 1922.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Exhibitors Herald Co.|url=http://archive.org/details/exhibitorsherald15exhi_0|title=Exhibitors Herald (Oct-Dec 1922)|last2=Exhibitors Herald|date=October 1922|publisher=Chicago, Exhibitors Herald|others=Media History Digital Library|year=1922|location=USA|pages=46|language=English}}</ref>

Ottalie’s first job after military service was as secretary to Martha Wilchinski, Head of Publicity at [[Samuel Roxy Rothafel|Roxy Rothafel]]’s [[Capitol Theatre (New York City)|Capitol Theatre]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://archive.org/details/sim_billboard_1925-06-20_37_25|title=The Billboard 1925-06-20: Vol 37 Iss 25|date=1925-06-20|publisher=Prometheus Global Media|others=Internet Archive|language=English}}</ref> Wilchinski, a former Sergeant in the Marine Corps,<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Headquarters|first=American Legion National|date=July 1927|title=The American Legion Monthly [Volume 3, No. 1 (July 1927)]|url=https://archive.legion.org/handle/20.500.12203/3283|journal=The American Legion Monthly|language=en-US|volume=3|pages=48|via=Archive.org}}</ref> was considered one of the best publicists in the New York entertainment business, according to several trade articles. She was called “The Christopher Columbus of Feminine Publicity” by the Exhibitors Herald in 1922.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Exhibitors Herald Co.|url=http://archive.org/details/exhibitorsherald15exhi_0|title=Exhibitors Herald (Oct-Dec 1922)|last2=Exhibitors Herald|date=October 1922|publisher=Chicago, Exhibitors Herald|others=Media History Digital Library|year=1922|location=USA|pages=46|language=English}}</ref> Wilchinski was also a songwriter, often writing lyrics under the pen name Martha Lois Wells, to melodies composed by the Capitol Theatre’s Music Director, [[William Axt|Dr. William Axt]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Martha Lois Wells|url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/5568202-Martha-Lois-Wells|access-date=2022-01-01|website=Discogs|language=en}}</ref>

In the fall of 1925, Ottalie left the Capitol theatre and joined the staff of the Warner theatre, as cueing assistant to Music Director, [[imdbname:0375328|Herman Heller]]. In addition to her work as secretary in the Capitol Theatre’s publicity department, Ottalie had been the cueing assistant to [[Ernö Rapée]], Roxy Rothafel‘s Music Director. This made her the ideal candidate to assist Herman Heller.<ref name=”:0″>{{Cite book|last=Goldberg|first=Isaac|url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.156804|title=From Ragtime To Swingtime|last2=Wirmark|first2=Isidore|date=1939|publisher=Lee Furman, Inc.|year=1939|isbn=9781406707205|location=USA|pages=422-427|language=English}}</ref>

In the fall of 1925, Ottalie left the Capitol theatre and joined the staff of the Warner theatre, as cueing assistant to Music Director, [[imdbname:0375328|Herman Heller]]. In addition to her work as secretary in the Capitol Theatre’s publicity department, Ottalie had been the cueing assistant to Hungarian composer, [[Ernö Rapée]]. Rapée was one of the most prolific and successful composers of the silent film era. He wrote two of the best-selling libraries of [[Ernö Rapée#Publications|mood music]] for silent films. Ottalie‘s training under both Wilchinski and Rapée made her the ideal candidate to assist Herman Heller.<ref name=”:0″>{{Cite book|last=Goldberg|first=Isaac|url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.156804|title=From Ragtime To Swingtime|last2=Wirmark|first2=Isidore|date=1939|publisher=Lee Furman, Inc.|year=1939|isbn=9781406707205|location=USA|pages=422-427|language=English}}</ref>

Ottalie knew that one of the primary ways Roxy Rothafel promoted events at the Capitol Theatre was with his weekly radio show, ”[[Samuel Roxy Rothafel#Radio|Roxy and His Gang]]”, on NBC’s [[NBC Radio Network|Red Network]]. She suggested that the Warners buy and install radio broadcasting equipment and start promoting their events that way.<ref name=”:0″ /> They bought 500-watt Newark station WAAM from Ira Rogers Nelson. The new station was given the call letters WBPI (short for Warner Bros. Pictures Inc.).<ref>{{Cite book|last=Jaker|first=Bill|title=The Airwaves of New York: Illustrated Histories of 156 AM Stations in the Metropolitan Area, 1921-1996|last2=Kanze|first2=Peter|last3=Sulek|first3=Frank|publisher=McFarland & Co.|year=2008|location=USA|pages=44 & 45|language=English}}</ref> The broadcasting studio was located in the basement of the Warner Theatre on 52nd & Broadway. WBPI commenced broadcasting on December 29th, 1925. From 6:00 PM ‘til Midnight each day, it aired orchestral classical and big band performances (like Herman Heller’s [[Vitaphone Orchestra]]), previews of events at the Warner Theatre, arts & culture talks, sports coverage, and news. The original Director of Programming was former New York Evening Graphic editor, Frank Mallen, but Ottalie was named Director of Programming in 1926. Her station colleagues called her “Ottie”.<ref name=”:1″>{{Cite web|title=6 Aug 1926, 30 – Daily News at Newspapers.com|url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/411027551/?terms=%22ottalie%20mark%22&match=1|access-date=2022-01-01|website=Newspapers.com|language=en}}</ref>

Ottalie knew that one of the primary ways Roxy Rothafel promoted events at the Capitol Theatre was with his weekly radio show, ”[[Samuel Roxy Rothafel#Radio|Roxy and His Gang]]”, on NBC’s [[NBC Radio Network|Red Network]]. She suggested that the Warners buy and install radio broadcasting equipment and start promoting their events that way.<ref name=”:0″ /> They bought 500-watt Newark station WAAM from Ira Rogers Nelson. The new station was given the call letters WBPI (short for Warner Bros. Pictures Inc.).<ref>{{Cite book|last=Jaker|first=Bill|title=The Airwaves of New York: Illustrated Histories of 156 AM Stations in the Metropolitan Area, 1921-1996|last2=Kanze|first2=Peter|last3=Sulek|first3=Frank|publisher=McFarland & Co.|year=2008|location=USA|pages=44 & 45|language=English}}</ref> The broadcasting studio was located in the basement of the Warner Theatre on 52nd & Broadway. WBPI commenced broadcasting on December 29th, 1925. From 6:00 PM ‘til Midnight each day, it aired orchestral classical and big band performances (like Herman Heller’s [[Vitaphone Orchestra]]), previews of events at the Warner Theatre, arts & culture talks, sports coverage, and news. The original Director of Programming was former New York Evening Graphic editor, Frank Mallen, but Ottalie was named Director of Programming in 1926. Her station colleagues called her “Ottie”.<ref name=”:1″>{{Cite web|title=6 Aug 1926, 30 – Daily News at Newspapers.com|url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/411027551/?terms=%22ottalie%20mark%22&match=1|access-date=2022-01-01|website=Newspapers.com|language=en}}</ref>