Photoplay (Jan-Jun 1963)

Continued from page 20 prospered with it. Until Bernie, a witty orchestra conductor, phoned us in midDecember, ’41, from Pittsburgh, to report that he was ending it. “Fergoodnessakes, why?” we asked. “They are eating it up. They think we really hate each other.” “I’m sorry,” said Ben, “but I’m worried. Last night as I was letting you have it, a little old lady seated on the second row aisle stood up and, waving a finger at me squeaked: ‘Now you see here, Mr. Ben Bernie. You stop picking on Mr. Winchell! Don’t you know there’s a war 05 55 on : The “feud” began after the sponsor said: “I think you should insert a little humor. Pep it up with some chuckles.” In those days the legal departments of the networks were fussy about what you said about people. Lawsuits, you know. A1 Jolson, for example, cost his network over $100,000 for using the name of a small town hotel when he quipped: “Lovely place. Even the mice are nice!” Jolson didn’t get a chance in court. The network lawyers lost no time “forcing” that $100,000 on the aggrieved innkeeper to forget the whole thing. They knew it was libelous. It was a Jolson aside — not in the script. Today some TV “names” get away with lots worse, assailing people. Because most targets cool off— and prefer to forget it — until they can run into the antagonist in some alley. This generation’s kinfolk can tell them about the first of the “feuds” (Winchell & Bernie) which “hurt” only each other with sharp-edged quips. That our “war” lasted for a decade shows how entertaining it must have been. In fact, it was such a popular “bit” that such noted reliables as Fred Allen, Jack Benny, Eddie Cantor, George Jessel, Bing Crosby and Bob Hope were a few of the “names” who borrowed the format. And if you look up our broadcast and col’m files you can see that their brain-pickers also lifted many of the wows. But some of today’s feuds are not “clown” wars. Nor are they always between comedians. Zsa Zsa and “Suzy,” the colyumist . . . Liz and Sheilah Graham of the Hollywoods . . . Dorothy Kilgallen and Mrs. Joey Adams (“Cindy”) . . . Frank Sinatra and various byliners . . . David Susskind and TV critic Jack O’Brian . . . Steve Allen and Jack Paar . . . Burt Lancaster and Lloyd Shearer, the magaziner. Lancaster and Shearer are the most recent “Don’t Invite ’Em To The Same Party” (or the same dark dock) because of the latter’s comment about a press conference in San Francisco. The movie star, it appears, blew his top at a newsman during a cross-country tour to exploit the film, “Birdman Of Alcatraz.” That movie dealt with the long time incarceration of Robert Stroud, who was described by Shearer as “a double mur derer of violent temper, who became an authority on ornithology in prison.” Today, at seventy-one, Stroud is confined to a federal prison hospital at Springfield, Mo. For many decades Stroud has been a tborn in the side of penology officials. U.S. Attorney General Kennedy reportedly studied Stroud’s case thoroughly and refused to recommend a parole, pardon or probation. On the grounds (reported Mr. Shearer), that the prisoner “still constitutes a potentional danger to the public.” In the San Francisco press interview, Lancaster revealed that he sincerely felt Stroud should be released. That he had been punished enough. Lancaster said he planned going to Washington to lend his influence to Stroud’s cause. To which a reporter inquired if some share of the profits of the Lancasterowned picture would be donated to a fund on that prisoner’s behalf. Mr. Lancaster, according to Mr. Shearer’s published account, stormed over to the reporter (whom he did not know), leveled his index finger at him and shouted : “You’re nothing but a . . . (deleted-by-the-editors) Shearer noted that “everyone (including women) was shocked by the actor's sudden brazen display of bad manners and his uncalled-for use of foul language.” He also appraised it as “arrogant movie star behavior.” Lancaster, one of Moviedom’s wealthiest players, was not always at war with the press. The late Mark Hellinger, who deserted the New York bylines to produce successful movies, is credited with discovering Lancaster’s histrionic talent. Their association catapulted Lancaster into the higher brackets. Some of us suspect that Lancaster soured on some of the press following his first big money-loser, a so-wotty picture portraying a member of the 4th Estate as a villain. This flop squandered over $3 Million and started the breakup of the Hill-Hecht-Lancaster production firm. Up to that ill-fated movie, the trio had staged several successes. This spectator cannot recall that newspaper or magazine people ever gave Lancaster a hard time in reporting his public or private life. Not in the U.S., at any rate. The wire-services (a few months ago) related an alleged difference of opinion between Lancaster and a foreign news-photographer. It reportedly wound up with fisticuffs. The photogger threatened to sue for assault and then dropped it. Jason Robards, Jr. is one of the few showbiz people who shrugs off minor irritations. An item in a column (that was debunked by him) didn’t rate a demand for a retraction. He simply sent a memo saying: “It just didn’t happen. I don’t want a correction. I have received many good notices from people on the papers. It all comes out more than even.” Desi Arnaz and his former wife, Lucille Ball, are better friends than ever. Her new mate (comic Gary Morton) and Desi play golf together . . . When the Palm Springs season opened Desi took Lucille and their brood (and Hedda Hopper) to dinner. “I still can’t get used to calling my wife Mrs. Morton!” he told us. ❖ Photoplay regulars sent letters about our recent Marilyn Monroe articles. Many demanded the name of the “man who failed her” when she phoned him to help her. We said that Marilyn, when found lifeless, had her hand on the phone which was off the hook, and that she told him she feared she had taken “too many sleeping pills” and to help her find a doctor. Our revelations added that he panic’d: “I'm a married man. I can’t get involved ! ” Now how would we know that? The source (to several of his chums) was the man himself! Most of the Hollywood-New York stage population have been talking about it since. But no editor would publish that man’s name. Because it cannot be documented. The man is powerful in government. We tried to get some of those (to whom he allegedly admitted his failure to help Marilyn) to sign affidavits certifying he told them about it. (“Hell, no!”) And when you dine at La Scala, a popular restaurant in Beverly Hills, well known movie and teevee personalities invariably bring up the subject and point out tile table where “that guy publicly advertised his adoration for Marilyn.” “He sat there three nights in a row,” they add. “waiting for the tardy Marilyn to arrive.” “You’d never know he was mad about her,” one told us, “unless you looked at him!” So “married” is he, his name never before was linked with other women. But the fortnight before M.M. died, he flaunted his dates with her in movietown places. The colyumists did not make the trysts public. Because publication would certainly have broken up his marriage — and they assumed it was “one of those things.” ❖ Variety, the Bible of Show Business, frontpaged the dialog between Khrushchev and U.S. opera star Jerome Hines backstage at a Moscow theater on the night President Kennedy ordered the Cuban blockade. Variety reported that the basso wished the Russian atheist “God’s blessings.” “Hines,” concluded the report, “invariably says in private conversation, ‘I am dedicated to Christ.’ ” Hines adores his mother, too. In Freudian, Oedipus-complex times, he will