Variety (January 1950)

Wedwewlayi JajtHjiaty 25, 1950, public wants to see if the pic is to do any business. ■ fl A 1 ousiness. i Performiirs As Salesmen Obitu - Contiimcd from pagp - Hollywood, Jan. 24. ; ip*. ' .. , ■ ■. V . , ■ ■ ,• ;■■;. ■ ■ Metro’s expensive thesps will Actors '--^ Food Brokers Assri. defraying the have to turn in more work to earn . nets ■ SUJ'S who lift tables with their rest). Highlighted in the present their salaries this year, under Dore ; LYLE D. ANDREWS j Jpeth quick-sKetch cartoonists, fUp tatipn will be Bob Crosby< Peter Schary’s new policy to cut down Andrews, 79, former ujet , n iinnrpssihn. Tiinrt Kavpc Movi, owner of Vanderbilt theatre' N- .V.. The list is endless, mere IS worK, ueivAarc. t t t ii7 i f/in for legitimate actors; fre-!^ Rascals/ with orders to build a big stock-^ ■ 11. , j ' iSntlv skits are put oh by ihan- - ■- ■ '■ '/•- -•..■•' .. ■'bile of completed scripts, including U^trate c^ " , : . « i of big business. : CA|j||*|pQ at ests in a similar capacity at. the In New York ' City this week 01315 d3l3ri6$ Years later more than 300,OQp prpspect^^^ continued from page -1 =- s^ continue t^d^^^^ became associated wim Ham- ontn-buvers and dealers are seeing V : ^ »uraw heavy saia |y^ei.steln, when the latter was ^ramitiyed the story of the auto*' Crosby, Bob Hope, Clark Gable, Due ^r m^ in feuding with the Metropolitan Sve Mustry in an elaborate, Humphrey Bogah and Cary GrW/ ^50 Claris. Oable,. Spencer Oper:a^^H^ Man- •v •. . Salaries niiently sUts are -put oh by ihan- agement to illustrate certain facets of big business. ; ^ In New York , City this week more ^ than 300,000 prospective Continued, from patge. 1 s motive tells the story ot the automobile ^ i 1 --a- ■■ DaIi IlMiiA .In 1917/ Andrews branched out ■ industry’s half-century, of progress One of the points th^at has made DOD ttOPC upon his own, and with iseveral i ^arid uses professional entertain-, a^ few stars more highly-priced j : / partners built the Vanderbilt- the-1 ment to tell that story. than ever is the fact that so many -=== *om page ! 5=^ jackpot with ! T iiTii Waldorf possiblv the atricuons causea aanger signals ,10 casting ' What 1 nope Will happen esu*. m uie uieairp, wmeii suuse^ | hoef known n a me con- go up in the industry. Rather than is that the nice pleasant .feeling Ti ojumtlY housed such., miisicals. as | Sh th^siiow ‘u Bambl » doubtful future, they signed get Avbeh I do my previews, whire "¥f . "Meray. Mferry.'-,'-The I ifni ^th^^BrnaLev ^usicoinTcS themselves toi longterm pacts for I’m not stuck too closely with the 94,5.. iff*” : kX Hance^ and therdare'Sk “*** “■• *”^*'« P*'=‘^*-« » Km^^evueinown makes them so much more .valu- guide toward keeping the show ' by wife., ^: *" ijronaway during whatever free time moving, is something we can have, v ’Producers. - thev have ' in TV ” • ALiAW IAAJLjUs i<Tvyr«+«,.6 and MpiodiPc” ic a five- ^ * j Alan. Hale/57, stage and screcit n/f 17.Alnute'Sddtion* laitin g ^yef *”“•* important, however, | , ^ : ■ T~t.- j :.ictor, died Jan. 22 in Hollywood. Fi?l^tWu”n?^the ^iifo throuch five | Ball Parks III Bid , Death Came from comolicationsi ‘ to . tT_:* : following a severe col^^^ :Hale. in the revue known to Broadway producers., . . ‘‘Motors and iMelodies’’ is a de- part, 17-minute prdduction telling the story of the auto through five histbrical periods, beginning with 1900, all done ih pantomime. It employs 16: actors and a singing quaitet. The Kudner ad. agency produced the show, which also in- cludes such_diverse. talents as Ted Straeter’s . orchestra,; Pembroke Davenport . as musical Supervisor (he is also musical director for “Kiss Me, Kate,” current Broadway hit), with Burt Sheveloye as the overall producwrdirector. “Mid- ceiitury. Modes,” a fashion show tied in With the auto exhibits, is presented as part of “The Pillar of Progress.” The opening day of the show was marked by the paid appearances of Jinx Falkenburg and Tex McCrary, ‘‘Mr. and Mrs.” radio team, for exhibit spiels televised by CBS. Arthur Godfrey also did a special Com- mercial, at the Wednesday night preview of the show, aiid General Motors picked up the tab. Even Touring Units An ambitious touring industrial troupe is the Crosley Corp.’s outfit of professibhal actors,. musicians, stagehands, et al„ presenting elabo- rate displays of appliances for its dealers. And no small part of this Sell: the Subject! .Reflecting Hollywood’s ef- forts to change . emphasis in pictures from stars to subject. matter, Universal prexy Nate Blumberg declared at a cortir party sales ^meeting in . New York last week: “The day has passed when ^exhibitors can a ffp rd to a sk the old-time question about who is in the picture; In- ’’"fhTpniM exhibitors should do relative to the entire baseball sea-' presented as pait of The HlUar . gy^rything pogsible to sell 11WICKES. JOSEPH — Formerly of ■ 5£*^8ress. The openmg oay subject matter. . The best Firstly of course the ball oos Pocliollo, N.. Y., of bayfono l thA ^aid^^aoneSce^^^^^^ public relations is to let the are interested in the ^immediate I ■•«eh. Florida, fothor of Mrt^ Eu-^ ratkAnWff and Community know that there profits that can be gained by a Is®"* Thomot and Robert D. Wloko*. | Ini Mrs ”^?ldto good motion pictures.. In ^opo date. Ah $8,000 or i^lO.OOO |s®rvic.i at Th. Goo. T. Dovi. Mo-1 lAWUpd^ Shiir my opinion one of the best net tp them, on the basis of a Imorlal. 14 LoCount Ploco, Howl *25,000 to $30,000 gross, could go |R.ch..... 2 f.M.. M,ad„. | mercial at the Wednesday night Futures .wiin impoiiant suo ^ long way toward underwriting preview of the show, aiid General i ymnclr 2nfh Fox possible, losses of the season. They acting Chores. Among'products he Motors Picked up the tab. hrinvented or financed were folding Even Touring Units production chief, expiesse^ a . the idea^ that Hope could be the theatre seats, improved auto An ambitious touring Industrial similar hope last year that magnet that, pn one d»ite, could brakes, hiand fire extinguishers and troupe is the Crosley Corp.’s butfit ^ convince a lot of stay-at-homes that a formula for greaseless potato of professibhal actors, musicians, a ba Ipark^ night is a^ood, com- chi^^^ ^ ^ . stagehands, et al. presenting elabo- than Who s m it? . paratiyely cheap^form of entertm^ .Survived by wife, the former rate displays of appliances for its ■ , ■ '■ ment; in short, to create new fans s,lent film player,^Gretchen H^^^^^ doaipr^ And nn «mnM nart of this , . . for the game and revivc old ones man; a son, Alan Hale, Jr., and a salesmanship is the use^ of -femme * been the apparent apathy of who might have been staying away, daughter, Kar en Gre ta Hale. lookers to adorn the various ex- the PUhlic to the product of the : •. ' “ J FRANK STEPHENS hihiti; past few years. Time alter time a RIRT1-I<^ = t .-a • ; ^ ^ nirvfnra ftf r-nnciHArahiv-hAtfer-than- 1 Flij J, Frank Stephens, Vice pre.sident Recently the Amenean Manage- P .^' . has failed to do Mr. and Mrs. George Diefender-j and treasurer of Samuel French, ment Assn., compo.sed.9f financial uyginpes for no^ discernible^ r^^^^ son, Chicago, Jan. 38. He’s a Inc.; play publishers and authors’ men in various industries, dramar i \ ' sales account exec of NBC there. I representatives, died in New York, Ball Parks Iii Bid J Death came from complications [ -D^u A ' following a severe cold; ; Hale, r or OOD llOpC -U nil * ^ Penh.syl- ! Bob Hope has been the recipient vania, entered legit, tlien .joined; of n u m e r p u.s bids from minor the Lubin, Film Co. ihrrPhiladel- j league ballpark owners in the Piti® io 1911. He. wa.s in scores of i south, midwest and southwest who ^bcCes.s m such fihns want to book the unit the comedian as .The Covered wiU take on the road for 45 days xn-ni?- ’IrSFi?; i beginning Ju^ 1j>t thereabouts. and “Gf Human Theyseekto play. Hope either pnpr Bondage.” Hale during a brief' to regularly scheduled night games period, also directed pix. or on.; open dales under theoi-y He was an inventor and prp- Hope in- One night can perfoiin moter of-inventions, in addition to many beneficial things for them WICKES. JOSEPH -- Formerly of Now Reehollo, N., Y., of bayfono iooch, Florida, father of Mrs; Eu- gene Thomot and Robert D. Wfolios. Sofvicos at The Goo. t 4 Davis M*- moriol, 14 LoCount Floco, Now Rechollo, 2 P.M., Monday. men m various industries, dramar nruducer : siiles account exec of NBC there. I represent? tired -a pension-plan for iU ,niem-1 The only ® ^ Mr. and.Mrs. Paul Savwer, .son, I Jan; 18, . representatiyes, died in New York, a ;V*''*** ! pon ha-i/A fhPi-pFntP it! in IhA bei-' fvxi. aim ivii*. jraui pawyt-i, bership at a N* Y- meeting. Harry -^1 i Burbank, Calif., Jan. 18. Father is Junkin, director of NBC’s prestige ® P , an accountant at Warriers, dramatic show, “Radio City. Play-^; players. i Mr. and Mrs. Robert Martin, son, house,” was employed to write the script and produce a 25-minilte Pix Disappointing Often PittsburghV Jan. 18. Mol her is Born in Pennsylvania, Btephehs joined the French firm more than 46 years ago as a clerk. He had been an officer for 15 years. In Mary Martha Briney, r a d i o and 1927.,47 he. headed- the Hollywood ST exSiSS i OfUimes their pix^will be very , ^ ^ ^ "‘^'^ l omce'^xiiVimnrhis time between Broadwav Wit niavers^ amOng i 1 ahd Mrs. Gilbert Muir, there and New York, v thpm^^altpr ^Greaya^and Donald ' that is said by the agents to be. m l daughter, Detroit,. Jan. 15. Mother A sister, Mrs. John M ; Dooley, ijrreaza ana much worse the b.o. would I.is the former Teresa Curry of WB survives. vtootoit foitoto+cirtniiarc have been without .’eni. Prime ex-Mheatres department in Pittsburgh. i tof amples given are two Warner Bros. I Mr; and Mrs. John K. Menzies, CORINNE LUCHAIRE, for industrial shows, and most j of the past year, “Task Force” I daughter, Syracuse, Jan. 6. Father Corinne Lucliaire, 28, French them are centere^d in the midwest, ^nd “Fountainhead,” Both got i is former asst, manager of RKO .legit and film actress, died in since Chicago is the Pwotal spot of j ^ ^ critical reception and word- theatres, Rochester, N. V. Paris Jan. 22. She made her thea- the nation's salfes conventions. But I „ . . f hat wmild brdinarilv Mr. and Mrs. George Golit/en, | trical debut in Paris at the age of foremost as a talent purveyor for , son, Hollywood, Jan. 19. Father j 16, in’ “Altitude 3,200,” wriiten by the industrial market is Carlton ] tonu, tona fViiiia u i« hs assistant production manager at' her gramdfather Julien Luchaire, Hub. a New York booker upon !; rwhp was found guilty of being a whom many of the industrials de-! Leonard Marks, collaborationist by a Fernch court pend for their talent. I ^ son, Washington. D. C; Jan ,16; in 1946. Fees run anywhere. fi*om around ■ ^ ‘ a^Mnd ^2.060,000 former assistant to the Annidng the films in which she $16 for a kid hoofer to the all- ^^" ! l?®heral counsel for FCC; MotHTer appeared were the French and time a«;lrine nriVp nf non for » J most that much. i is the foriner Dorothy Holloway,; English versions of “Prison With- Wton ^rie^ne.shot.-Thatk if ' On the othei'hanik the vast ma^ I ^^^^ingtoii Bureau staffer of rout ^h^ ,Affair Lafoiit” Berl'e woulfi taki it. But he passes ioi'Hy of ;i^Mr Lti Codv Pfahstichl Three H ouis. up this type of booking. It isn’t un-1 ^^‘hing nolhmg hk^. I twins son and dauchter Washing- DiANNY COHAN usuar for B^rle, incidentally, to . s".v that ^ Danny Cohan, 23, singer for Iasi pass up a $5,000 date of this sort— i ^ h i promotion director for WTOP-CBS. | several seasons .with Civic Light and then wind up doing a three- of them, it s pratticany ,a case ^ Mr. and Mrs. Nathan L. Sandler, Opera companies in Pittsburgh and hour session, for free, in a coimer taking what they can son, Toronto, Jan. 16, Mother is I Deti'oit, was found dead of carbon of Lindy’s res.taurant on Broadwayl a producer kno\vs _lhal tney non i, in the garage '■■• ■/ .. mOan anythmg at the b;p. He won 11 . l^j,g. in back of his home in Detroit on CBS’ Food Show Hoopla P^V “ special price, hccau^ i daughter, N. Y., Jart. 21. Father 'Jan, 17. Police called it a suicide ' Atlantic City Jan. 24; knows they Ivave. no draw that a, jg actor; mother ig ac- and Cohan’s father gave dome.stic , To tie ih with the network’s am- flock of other players can’t equal, ' tress Amelia Bailies. difficulties as the reason. Singer’s ROSS C. CROPPER Ro$s C. Cropper, 61, Boston branch manager of RKO "Pictoes, succiiinbed to a heart attack in that city, Jan. 19. From, the post of branch man^ ager of the Pa the Exchange from 1924-30, Cropper held the same po- sition fronii 1930 to .1931 for RKO Pathe. He Was branch manager of RKO BpstoiV office Mhce 1932. Survived by wife and two daugh- ■■ x ■, iVltiLlS F/ JACKSON Willis F. Jackson, 81,, former, theatre manager ■ and ■ Company hiahager; died in Springfield, Ohio; Jan. 13. For many; years^^^^^^ had managed the Waihut ; Street the- atre, Cincinnati.; Prior to that, Jackson had been connected with Lincoln J, Carter productions out of Chicago. . ; t v Survived by brother; and two , sisters,/. .t EMILY M. ZIMBAtiS'T t Emily McNair. Zimbalist, 30 actress-wife of Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., theatrical producer and son of the violinist, died Jaii. 18 ihHrook- lyn/N/vY;.--.:- Before; her marriage she was on the stage for a short time. In addition to husband, she leaves her parents, a son and; daughter. •V . 'mi i' ■ JOHN E, OGDEN John E. Ogderii 74, who had managed. some of the biggest cir- cuses, died in Columbus, O., Jan. ■20;;v: . . Before going into the insur- ance busirie.ss; he managed the Cole Bros., Sells Flotb, Frank A. Robbins and. Walter Main cir- •Cuses.: RALPH JG PHILLIPS Ralph G. Phillips, 58, owner of Action Films, i)roducer.s of indus- trial films, died in Chicago, Jan. 17. Prior to organizing his own I comUahy, he had been a camcra- man arid producer of indie films, i Survived by soni, two brothers arid a sister. HAROLD JOHNSON Harold Johnson, 57, Omaha branch rnanager of Uniyersal-Ih- ternationbl exchange, died in that ! city, Jan. 18. Had suffered with i heart condition for more than a ' year. Survived by wife and son; j JOSEPH R. MALONE ' .Joseph. R. (Gene) Malone, 4,5, / office manager of Warner Bros, in ' Minneapolis/ died there recently lollowing a heart attack; ' been with Warners for 25 years in various capacities. Wife and four childron survive. LEWIS (BULL) MONTANA Lewis (Bull) Montana, 64, pio- neer film actor, died of a heart ailment in Los; Angeles Jan, 24. He had hi .so won fame as a ■ 'vvresiler; . -.- ’ ^ ; v Montana Was prominent in the silent screen era and had appeared With such film veterans as: Ghe.sler Conklin, Clyde Cook and others. Mrs. Freda Mct’zcr .Dnvis, who ))ad been as.sociated with RKO ’I’heatres’ Film Booking Dept, for 17 years, died in New York, Jari. ;]7. Mother, 65, of David L. Jolm- Rlon, UI talent executive, dy-'d Jan. 16 iii Hollywood. Mother, '73. of Frank Melford, head of Ventura Picturcsv died Jan. 16 in Holiywood. the reason. Singer’s plans, CB a bigtime tTiiA'i, \ nA nAA Aqi'liar 'Tyiii-S jinV OIX i cQ , ■..XVldCA a- vyl igiuai ^ MARRIAGES Helene plamond to. Dave 'Blum, New York, Jari. 21. He’s head of K l amer-Whitney music publ i shirig staff. Virginia Mulholland to Fred Graff, Unioritown, pa., Jan, 13, Bride's costunief at Carnegie ’Tech Drama School and formerly held down same post at Pittsburgh Playhouse. Audrey Harris to Charlie Dan, Chicago, Jan. 21.. Bride is daugh^ ter of the mainteriance head of Al- liance Theatres. tuen atti conclave lies in. Lester Gottlieb. CBS producer, He continue.s^^ to use thi.s gauge ; HQj).yvyood^ 16. Father i.s purchased and cleared a site for lias been in town since Sunday get-.despite the fact he knows that! vvafiier Bros, screen writer. a new, Yheatre. He operated the Urig the $8.060-budgcted show In- the.«xfe name.s in themselves mean Mr. and Mrs. . Cy Eichman, son. Strand in to Shane (Of that amoiTnt Colum- nothing at the b.o.. that they must New York, Jan. .21. Father is ad- over the Capitol, bia &iSg t^uS" wKii bi ^1^^ ' Survived by wife ^ndlsan. Scott leer IVeeiii in Troy Troy, Jan; 24, American preem of “Skating Sensations of 1950,” starring Bar- bara Ann Scott, is skeddedi .for the, new Bensselaef Polytechnic. In.sti- tute Field Hbuse March 14. Show, which is currently touring Mi.ss Scott’s native Gariada, will play a five-day engagement in • Troy., ■ ■ •