George Stinson - San Francisco's Singing Cop (pt. 2)

George Stinson--As A "Cop" -- Was Discovered by Gaetano Merola

image source: San Francisco Call-Bulletin October 21, 1939

previous entry: "George Stinson: The San Francisco Opera's Singing Cop, pt. 2" (February 14, 2023)

George Stinson and his family returned to New York on May 25, 1939 aboard the ocean liner Conte Di Savoia. After nearly a year and a half of operatic lessons in Italy he was back in San Francisco in early June where he began preparing for his San Francisco Opera debut. Merola had assigned four operas for him to learn in Italy, Verdi's Aida, La Forza del Destino and Il Trovatore plus Leoncavallo's I Pagliacci. It was fitting that he would sing the latter; often compared to Enrico Caruso he would sing the legend's signature role of the clown, Canio. 

He sang his premier San Francisco Opera performance on October 21, 1939 with thirty of his friends from the California Highway patrol to root for him. Stinson noted how his real world experience had prepared him for that moment.

I'm going to sing it the way it really is. I've seen life as a cop. I've seen people attempt suicide and commit murder. I've eaten at those those dumps along skid row when I worked the Bridge.

George Stinson as Caneo (source: San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection)

The audience loved Stinson in his debut bringing him back for several curtain calls. San Francisco's music critics were also unanimous in their praise of his debut.  Alfred Frankenstein of the Chronicle wrote:

His voice is extremely large and powerful, fresh and youthful in its clarion ring, and a splendid vehicle for the passionate unrestraint of Canio's woes, lamentations, and vengeful resolutions. He lacks stage experience, and no man on peaceful earth had better reason to be nervous, but he carried his assignment through to an ovation richly deserved.

Alexander Fried of the Examiner opined that this was the:

...most resounding success a new local artist has ever won with the San Francisco Opera Company... Nature has endowed Stinson with the sort of dramatic tenor voice that impresarios dream of dream of. It is powerful, brilliant, broad of range. It has thrilling top tones. It is a voice with intrinsic emotional content.

Marie Hicks Davidson of the San Francisco Call proclaimed that Stinson was "the vocal find of the season" adding that:

Stinson appears to be on his way up to the heights. He is gifted with a robust tenor voice of golden quality which Merola says has more the Caruso timber [sic] than any who has ever aspired to the Caruso mantle. It has a Martinellian clarity and a lower range of barytone [sic] brilliance.

He reprised this role in a second performance on October 31, 1939.

In the mean time he found steady work performing in the community, notably a dozen appearances at the Golden Gate International Exposition. He later revealed that he made pretty good money performing--500 dollars for each opera performance (equivalent to over $10,000 today) and 200 dollars for each appearance at the Exposition. Now fondly known as "San Francisco's famous singing cop" he also performed at a number of wartime benefits. He even sang at baseball legend Joe DiMaggio's first wedding.

George Stinson as Radames (source: San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection)

The following season the San Francisco Opera announced that George Stinson would star as Radames, the captain of the Egyptian guard, in Giuseppe Verdi's Aida during their 1940 season.  However, it was announced at performance time that he would bow out of the first October 31 performance due to illness.  As Herb Caen first reported:

Over-rehearsed George Stinson, "the singing cop," came up with a sore throat Wed. night and couldn't sing the lead in "Aida"--so short, bespeckled Frederick Jagel was imported by plane from the East to fill the gap.

He later updated his reporting. Jagel was actually already performing in California, which Caen suspected was more than coincidence. He emphasized that Stinson did not have a sore throat, nor was he over-rehearsed.

The reason for the whole mixup--and this is very much on the inside-- reportedly was Mme. [Elisabeth] Rethberg, who didn't feel up to the chore of singing "Aida" opposite a "new" singer. This despite the fact that in dress rehearsal, only Stinson had given a perfect performance.

Another notable detail is that Gennaro Papi conduct the opera, not Stinson's mentor and supporter Gaetano Merola. George Stinson did star opposite Rethberg in the second and final performance of Aida on November 1, 1940. Alexander Fried's review was again favorable, remarking that Stinson "did himself great credit" in the role. Alfred Frankenstein's review was mixed. While praising Stinson's "splendid tone, power and vigor," he also perceived "moments of difficulty and insecurity" in his performance.

That was, in effect, the end of George Stinson's operatic career. Although he carried on as a professional singer for a while afterward, by late Spring of 1941 he had returned to his old job at the highway patrol. He remarked that "It has been a grand experience and a successful one, but I'm happier here with the people I know, doing the work I like and have always done." 

The Chronicle also reported him saying that "I guess I am just a cop at heart ... a cop and an American and I don't go much for these kissing foreigners." Stinson would maintain that he was misquoted. He wrote a letter to Herb Caen.

Dear Herb: I've noticed articles in the paper regarding my return to the Highway Patrol, which are O.K. except for the quote attributed to me, that 'I don't go much for these kissing foreigners.' Can you help me correct this story? I am sure I don't know what is meant by kissing foreigners, and I certainly did not make such a statement. I have many friends who were not born in this country but who, I'm sure, would think badly of me and Americans if this mistake were left uncorrected.

However, Stinson after his return from his studies in Europe was quoted by an Orange County newspaper as remarking that "In Italy... men think nothing of kissing one another on the mouth." His outlook reflects more culture shock than actual xenophobia. The glamorous world of the stage was very different from other workplaces that Stinson had known like the military and the highway patrol. Years later, he also remarked that the operatic world was too cutthroat for him.

When you're out on a job with some other cops, you know you can count on them to be behind you. But when you're out there on the opera stage, some of them other stars are hoping you'll croak.

But at heart, he may have left opera simply, as Herb Caen later put it, because "he wasn't of major league operatic caliber, and nobody knew better than he (an honest guy)."

With World War II on, Stinson enlisted with the Navy with the rank of chief specialist where he assisted Military Police in maintaining order in the transport of personnel aboard troop trains. The Navy allowed him to entertained sailors at military hospitals. He also participated in the dedication of ships launched at Marinship or of military housing at Hunters Point. He left the service with the rank of lieutenant.

After the war he returned to the California Highway Patrol to work for his pension.  He was stationed in the Sacramento area and gave occasional performances.  The last newspaper notice is for a singing appearance in Placerville in 1952.

Even though George Stinson's operatic career did not amount to a great deal, it is clear that he was blessed with a beautiful, strong voice. He also showed great perseverance and a love of opera to advance as far as he did.  More than a decade after giving up opera he confided with journalist Bernard Taper that:

I'm singing better than ever now. I don't know what's happening to me. The voice is getting smoother, but it's still got its old robust quality, too. I'm singing them high C's like never done before, without any effort. My breath control is better now, too. Like I said, I've been meditating. And all of a sudden one evening, it came on me what my teacher in Italy meant when he kept telling me to breath for singing like you do for speaking, the same naturalness.

George Stinson died in Yountville, California on April 2, 1973.

Bibliography:

Caen, Herb, "I'll Always Remember," San Francisco Examiner April 9, 1950

Caen, Herb, "Memos to Myself," San Francisco Chronicle November 14, 1940.

Caen, Herb, "Monday Medley," San Francisco Chronicle May 5, 1941.

Caen, Herb, "Pocket of Notes," San Francisco Chronicle November 1, 1940.

"County's Erstwhile Singing Cop Back in S.F. from Italy," Santa Ana Register June 6, 1939.

Davidson, Marie Hicks, "Opera Season Has Scored a Triumph," San Francisco Call November 4, 1939

Davidson, Marie Hicks, "'Singing Cop' Is on Road to Fame Now," San Francisco Call October 23, 1939

"Early Days of State to Live Again Tonight" San Francisco Examiner January 25, 1940

"14 Operas Listed for Performance This Fall," San Francisco Examiner May 10, 1940.

Frankenstein, Alfred, "International Cast Sings French Opera Beautifully," San Francisco Chronicle November 2, 1940.

Frankenstein, Alfred, "Singing Patrolman Makes Good in Famous Role of 'Pagliacci," San Francisco Chronicle October 23, 1939.

Fried, Alexander, "San Francisco Prepares for Gala Opera Opening," San Francisco Examiner October 6, 1940

Fried, Alexander, "'Singing Cop' Out of Aida: Tenor Ill, But Sings Tomorrow," San Francisco Examiner October 31, 1940.

Fried, Alexander, "'Singing Cop' Wins Triumph in 'Pagliacci'," San Francisco Examiner October 22, 1939

"Hunters Point Project Dedication Sunday," San Francisco Chronicle October 20, 1943.

Lang, Harry, "10,000 Watch DiMaggio and Actress Wed," San Francisco Examiner November 20, 1939

"Memorial Day Launching at Marinship," Sausalito News June 3, 1943

"Perennial Twins Hold Opera Stage Tonight," San Francisco Call-Bulletin October 21, 1939

Fried, Alexander, "Sayao, Schipa Win Acclaim with 'Manon'," San Francisco Examiner November 2, 1940

O'Brien, Robert, "San Francisco," San Francisco Chronicle January 18, 1943

"Placerville Rotary Aids Charter Day for Jackson Club," Placerville Mountain Democrat May 15, 1952.

"Singing Cop Back to Start Career," San Francisco Examiner May 26, 1939

"The Singing Cop: He'll Make Debut Saturday in Opera That Made Caruso," San Francisco Chronicle October 19, 1939.

"Singing Cop Triumphs in 'I Pagliacci'," San Francisco Chronicle October 22, 1939

"Stinson Welcomed after Study in Italy," San Francisco Examiner June 5, 1939.

Taper, Bernard, "Since Then: Ex-Singing Cop Is Still a Cop--But with Fewer Worries," San Francisco Chronicle January 14, 1951.

"Tenor Stinson Leaves Stage for Patrol Job," San Francisco Chronicle April 29, 1941

"Verdi's 'Aida' to Be Sung Tonight," San Francisco Examiner October 30, 1940.