Radio and television mirror (Jan-June 1949)

looked worried and his voice was strange. "I might fly back," he said suddenly. Roth and I just looked at each other. "I boughta ticket," he screamed. "Dincha hear me?" Roth shrugged his shoulders and looked at me. "If you want to fly, Jimmy," I said, "that's your business. Count us out." His voice became soft and plaintive. "Tell me, fellas, am I doin' da right t'ing?" He didn't wait for an answer but walked to the window. He squinted up then clapped his hand to his head. "Sky looks bad," he muttered. "Looks real bad." He left the bright sunlight at the window and phoned the airport. He canceled his ticket then walked back to us. "Maybe I wuz hasty," he said thoughtfully. "He sez da sky looks good at the field." He picked up the phone and called the airport again. "How's da sky now?" he asked. "Yer sure? . . . okay, I fly." He dropped the phone again and walked over to the window. He stared along the horizon, his eyes squinting against the sun, then followed the same procedure at the other windows. Suddenly he threw up his hands. "Looka da sky! Dere's a cloud," he screamed. "Da guy's crazy. What's he know about a sky?" He called the airport again and canceled his ticket. Before departure time, he had canceled his reservation so often that he had to get the permission of a vice-president to board the plane. But it was Jimmy's last air trip. A short time after they left Fort Worth, the plane began to make a huge circle. "We're going back to Fort Worth," the hostess announced. Jimmy grabbed her arm. "Sump'n happen?" he asked anxiously. "One of the engines is losing oil and we're flying on only one wing." "Is dat serious?" Jimmy persisted. The girl smiled sweetly. "If we get back to Fort Worth it isn't," she said. So now we always travel by train. It's okay by us. People respect Jimmy's honesty and sincerity, his work in charity, his entertainment during the war for soldiers and civilians. They pay tribute to him in many ways. Not only with scrolls and plaques but in the way they meet him and open up their homes for him. A couple of years ago, a publicist wanted to get Jimmy onto the field before the Yale-Harvard baseball game at New Haven. This is a day wrapped in tradition for Yale. All the old classes convene and parade in groups before the stand of the Yale President. When he was told that a Hollywood actor wanted to get into the ceremonies, President Seymour was polite but firm. "Sorry," he said. "Against all tradition." Then the publicist mentioned Durante's name. "Now that's different," President Seymour said. "Durante can come up here anytime he pleases." So Jimmy was made an honorary member of the Class of 1913. He marched in review with his "classmates." After the parade. President Seymour himself broke precedence by leading a cheer for the Class of 1913. That Jimmy deserves all of this attention no one will dispute. He's one of the nicest guys in the world. But with his strong sense of humor, lie's also a practical joker. Take the night we were on a train to Dayton. He and Jack Roth and I had a drawing room. We'd had a long hard day and Roth fell asleep at once, snoring loudly as usual. When I fell asleep, Jimmy was lying on his berth, his eyes wide open. Suddenly something whacked my arm. It was Jimmy. STATEMENT OF THE OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT. CIRCULATION, ETC., REQUIRED BY THE aPi", ,"^ CONGRESS OF AUGUST 24, 1912. AND MARCH 3, 1933. of RADIO MIRROR published Monthly at Dunellen, N. J., for October 1, 104s state of New York 1 County of New York ) ^s. Before me, a Notary Public, in and for the State and county aforesaid, personally appeared Meyer Dworkin, who, having been duly sworn according to law, deposes and says that he is the Secretary of RADIO MIRROR and that the following is, to the best of his knowledge and belief, a true statement of the ownership, management (and if a daily paper, the circulation), etc.. of the aforesaid publication for the date shown in the above caption, required by the Act of August 24, 1912, as amended by the Act of March 3, 1933, embodied in section 537, Postal Laws and Regulations, printed on the reverse of this form, to wit : 1. That the names and addresses of the publisher, editor, managing editor, and business manager are: Publisher, Macfadden Publications, Inc., 205 East 42nd Street, New York 17, N. Y. ; Editor, Fred R. Sammis. 205 East 42nd Street, New York 17, N. Y. ; Managing Editor, Doris McFerran, 205 East 42nd Street, New York 17, N. Y.; Secretary, Meyer Dwurkin. 205 East 42nd Street, New York 17, N. Y. 2. That the owner is: (If owned by a corporation, its name and address must be stated and also immediately thereunder the names and addresses of stockholders owning or holding one jser cent or more of total amount of stock. If not owned by a corporation the names and addresses of the individual owners must be given. If owned by a firm, company, or other unincorporated concern, its name and address, as well as those of each individual member, must be given.) Macfadden Publications, Inc., 205 East 42nd Street, New York 17 N. Y. Stockholders owning or holding one per cent or more of total amount of stock in Macfadden Publications, Inc. ; Orr J. Elder, 187 Old Short Hills Road. Short Hills, N. T. : King & Co., c/o City Bank Farmers Trust Co., 22 William Street, New York 15, N. Y. ; Henry Lieferant, 54 Riverside Drive, New York, N. Y.; Carl M. Loeb, Rhodes & Co., 61 Broadway, New York, N. Y. ; (Mrs.) Elizabeth Machlin, 299 Park Avenue, New York. N. Y. ; Meyer Dworkin. 20"; East 42nd St.. New York 17. N. Y. ; (Mrs.) Margaret Machlin, Beaver Dam Road, Stratford, Conn.; O'Neill & Co., P. O. Box 28 — Wall Street Station, New York N. Y, ; Joseph Schultz, 417 Park Avenue, New York. N. Y. : Arnold A. Schwartz, c/o A. A. Whitford Inc 705 Park Avenue, Plainfield, N. J. ; Charles H. Shattuck, 221 N. La Salle Street, Chicago, 111. ; Harold Wise, iV Mamaroneck Road. Scarsdale, N. Y. ; Walston. Hoffman & Goodwin. 265 Montgomery St., San Francisco, Calif 3. That the known bondholders, mortgagees and other security holders owning or holding 1 per cent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities are (If there are none so state): Orr T. Elder. 187 Old Short Hills Road. Short Hills, N. J.; Mrs, Mary Macfadden, 406 E. Linden Avenue, Englewood N. J.; Charles Mendel, 720 West End Avenue, New York 25, N. Y, ; Charles H. Shattuck, 221 N. La Salle Street, Chicago, 111.; O'Neill & Co., P O. Box 28— Wall St. Station. New York, N. Y. ; City Bank Farmer.s Trust Company, et al, 22 William Street, New York IS, N. Y., a^ Trustees for: Beulah Macfadden, Beverly Macfadden, Braunda Macfadden, Byrnece Macfadden. Helen Macfadden, Berwyn Macfadden, Brewster Macfadden, Mary Macfadden. , 4 'That the two paragraphs next above, giving the names of the owners, stockholders, and security holders, if any, contain not only the list of stockholders and security holders as they appear upon the books of the company but also, in cases where the stockholder or security holder appears upon the books of the company as trustee or in any other fiduciary relation, the name of the person or corporation for whom such trustee is acting, is given; also that the said two paragraphs contain statements embracing affiant's full knowledge and belief as to the circumstances and conditions under which stockholders and security holders who do not appear upon the books of the company as trustees, hold stock and securities in a capacity other than that of a bona fide owner; and this affiant has no reason to believe that any other person, association, or corporation has any interest direct or indirect in the said stock, bonds, or otlier securities than as so stated by him. 5. That the average number of copies of each issue of this publication sold or distributed, through the mails or otherwise, to paid subscribers during the twelve months preceding the date shown above is (This information is required from daily publications only.) Suorn to and subscribed before me this 24th day of September, 1948. (SEAL) (Signed) MEYER DWORKIN. TULLIO MUCELLI, Notary Public. State of New York, Countv of Residence, Bronx. Bronx Co No. 128. Reg. No. 90-M-O. Cert, filed in N. Y. Co. No. 530, Reg. No. 317-M-O Commission expires March 30, 1950. "Didja call me?" he asked. "I've been sleeping," I told him. Jimmy's eyes narrowed. "Da trouble is youse guys ain't got a t'ing on yer mind. I do da worryin'," he said, then looked up at Roth. "Lissen to him snore. Like he's pullin' da whole train." Jimmy jumped to his feet and shook Roth. "Giddup," he shouted. "We're in Dayton." "Gee, I didn't sleep a wink all night," Roth complained. "How soon will we be there?" "Toity minutes," Jimmy said. Roth jumped out of his berth and began to slicie into his clothes. "I'll wait outside for you," he said and dragged his luggage and drums out of the room. Jimmy snapped out the lights and crawled into bed and soon was sleeping peacefully. A few minutes later I heard a commotion outside our door. "You got to get those bags out of the aisle," a porter was telling Roth. "We're getting off at the next stop, Dayton," Roth explained. There was a brief pause. "We won't be in Dayton for seven hours," the porter said. I'EEDLESS to say, Roth didn't speak to il either of us for several days. But no one can stay angry at Jimmy for long. A week later, Jimmy made it up by hauling Roth and myself off on a fishing trip. Few people know that Jimmy's only hobby is fly fishing. He loves to cast and when his work allows, he'll drive hundreds of miles to fish for a few hours. One of his classic remarks was made when he and Billy Rose went out for trout. "You gotta get an oily start," Jimmy reminded Rose. Dutifully, Rose woke him at four o'clock in the morning and as they walked off into the woods it was still dark. Jimmy picked up a stick and began to beat every tree he passed. "What's all the noise for?" Rose asked. Jimmy glared and whacked another tree. "When Durante's up," he said, "no boid sleeps." Yes, Jimmy wants everyone in the act, even birds. What he has, he wants to share with everyone if possible. If he had Fort Knox in his hip pocket, I know he would build homes for every needy person. He's already made a good start in Beverly Hills. Near his own house, he's built homes for two nephews and myself, and his next project is a garage for Jack Roth. We call the community "Duranteville." And even here in Beverly Hills, things begin to happen when Jimmy travels, although it may be only a ride around the block. Last week we were working very hard on a radio script. At four in the morning we finally knocked off. However, Jimmy still had to be at his studio early the next day. At eight in the morning, he stumbled out the front door, sleepy and groggy, and dropped into the back seat of a cab. "Where to, Mr. Durante?" the cabby asked. Jimmy half opened his eyes. "Drive me home," he mumbled. The driver did a double take, looking from Durante to his house. "But you are home, Mr. Durante." Jimmy opened his eyes, saw the morning sun streaming over his lawn. "Gee," he said. "Dat wuz a short dai