Variety (September 1963)

‘Published: Wesuy at 154 West “eth ‘Street, New York 36; N. to ‘by: ‘Variety, Ine: Annual subscription, ‘$15, “single OO _ .. Secotid’ Class ‘Postage. at New York. N.. ¥. © ) COPYRIGHT 1963 BY VARIETY, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: copia, 35 eents, .. Vol, 232 No. 2. . _ NEWS YORK, WEDNESDAY, ‘SEPTEMBER 4 4, 8 iy aller Pres Exon 4RGH IN FUR ‘Flops; Out of Tune With Rac cial Issues| Chicago, . Sept. 3. .4 In what shapes as a -classie of; ‘bad timing, the “A Century of Negro Progress” exposition, at the |. McCormick Place expo hall.is wind| dng up.as a big b.o. bust. Pre-show | . predictions | ‘by the ‘promoters of the exposition had been for .800,--|000 customers. However, at.the end. of 15 days of the. 18-day. presenta tion only 73,000. persons had gone: ‘through the turnstiles.:The show opened Aug.. 16 and elosed: ‘yester: .; day: (2). “taney for the present and. ferment | = ‘for the future: . It is the almost unanimous (albeit -conclusion -of.: both. _ ‘Negro and. ‘white observers that hindsight) the Negro © ‘community is..in no ‘current racial stance is one of mill From the point of. view: of enter| 7 “tainment, the exposition. was ‘a} mixed: bag..The exhibits were sta| tic and ranged from. éducationally |. . {nteresting ‘to. academically ‘dull. |. ’ _Duke Ellington’s “My People’ pro-. “duction was more ‘than worth: the}: price at. $1 ‘for adults and -50¢ for. ra children “in. the: 5,000-seat Arie DUKE ELLINGTON BOWS: AS CULTURAL ENVOY. _ Washington, Sept. 3. South Asia. ‘cultural © (Continued on page: 62) Crown. Theatre, and Larry Steele’s| |. | “Class Will Tell’ revue on a stage} | in the. main hall was a ‘Pleasant |: 4 free bonus... | The exposition opened: lightly ‘and-never got off. the. grgund seen by a day-by-day. bx of attendance obfained by. ‘The newspapers afforded a fate |. -smount of space to the expo, then | | began to treat it increasingly per-| jfunctorily as its failure -became |: | ‘more apparent. Héwever, . no men-| ]poor :turnout appeared | } in the papers, and the daily cover-]°} age was: always ‘deferential ‘ta: the. | ‘tion. of: the racial cause. ' The individual components of |. _AContinued on i page 62) = San Francisco; Sept. 3B... 4 “New on the concert. management ot. : gcene here is Today’s Artists, which |:j .. “has announced: a. series of. eight | [> ‘concerts for the fall-winter. séason. | |° -, Heading TA is Rev. W. H. Williams, | Negro ©. minister '. ‘of: -a‘: Berkeley. ' church, who has been booking. con certs in. the East. Bay for. three} years, and will. continue to: do: so.: . Nov. . -His ‘roster :of: artists is. definitely. : integrated. Opéning the Frisco sea- son.is -Negro: mezzo .. Betty. Allen 10 . at: the. Geary Theatre. Others, on the:agenda include pian4st Istvan’ Nadas, baritone Gerard Souzay; mezzo Teresa Berganza (in. her. Bay Area. debut); violinist Miss. ‘cha Elman. ‘and ‘others: Today's ‘Artists’ will /also. present ‘non-subscription concerts that will | include. the ‘Krainis. Baroque Trio, |: flamenco :.:guitarist ‘‘Sabicas“and . tL AN: oro PREMINGER FILM-A COLUMBIA RELEASE Miriam | ‘Makeba. generally bad Duke Ellington makes his first -cultural‘exchange’ tour. when . he leaves: Thursday (5). for. a 14-week hop through. the: Near’ East . and ‘TheState: Dept: further" de. frosted its. freeze announcing a 14-week jaunt by the Los. Angeles Chamber Or.” chestra’ through Western ‘Europe. and. Yugoslavia. ‘The Clarion: Con: -mood: for retrospection, and the. oe BC exchange. : The nitery: boniface keyword. for the new season is best described: in. one -word—‘“Help!” Following the |. . / summer” season} throughout’ the country, cafe’ op-/. .| erators are looking to talent agen-|. ‘cies: and performers for some solu-| tion.to the problem of falling _grosses-.in an era: of. Fising’ CX: : ‘Denses, _ ‘Discussions’ along these lines will ‘be the major items in. the forthcoming convention: of the Assn. ‘of Night Club Owners -of :America,: which: opens: Nov: 11 at. the New. York Hilton for three™ days. They |. will probe for. new: ‘means. of elim a _ (Continued on. page 62) . TONIGHT OTTO PREMINGER PREVIEWS: “Ito “help” playwrights and pro FoR THE’ EXHIBITORS oF AMERICA. THE WORLD PREMIERE WILE TAKE. PLACE. IN BOSTON. ON. ‘DECEMBER 11 AT THE SAXON THEATRE/THE NEW YORK | OPENING ON DECEMBER 12 AT THE DEMILLE THEATRE/THE. | Rass ‘delegates, . including™ 300 bishops, -)outside Mme.” Furtseva’s depart,{ment and as. separate units. — SHOW BIZ ON ‘ISSUES’ ; Toronto, Sept, 3. The Press, radio, television and films sometimes. display a more Christian spirit.:thans the Church }on controversial issues, the. Rev.. ‘Malcolm.’ Boyd, Episcopal’ Chap lain. at. Wayne State University in. Detroit;. told. the World Anglican Congress at itsglobal meeting just ‘concluded in: Toronto, Canada. KEY 1 SURVIVAL! : But Writers Mist First Submit ideas REV. BOYD'S SALUTE 10 ‘Moscow, Sent. 3. Apparently | the much-rumored: shakeup in the Ministry of Culture Jis now under way, with a “liberali zation” of artistic endeavors in the writing and. theatre crafts, :|but not affecting “for the moment” the fields of cinema, music or painting. Yeketering Furtseva continues as Minister of Culture, ‘despite: many rumors that she is to be switched to a lesser post, but. some of her responsibilities have beegrtaken away from her in the past week:or two. New. posts Have been set up for the’ “guidance”: of. Chaplain Boyd:.told: the 2,000 | theatrical workets and for “help” . (Continued on page 63). to literary.workers, both to work All playwrighting and play. production in Russia will henceforth pass through a. new board. set up ‘ducers,: Whereas previously ‘play . | wrights, producers, directors, etc, mm were on their own but. liable to EUROPEAN PREMIERE IN PARIS ON DECEMBER 19/THE LONDON wees cee ee eT | OPENING ON DECEMBER 20 AT THE-ASTORIA THEATRE/IN | ADDITION 127 U. S. A. DATES. HAVE BEEN SET. FOR CHRISTMAS.. which § jin. Progress” celebration, 4 geted at over $110,000 with a@ sub[nent “allowance for’. entertain-. ‘+ men ticipants ’ |eensure or punishment if their _|-work met eventual. disapproval, they all must pass through. the board first. ee producers or directors. Officials ere say (and apparently believe) that’ this will : tend towards... “more rifing:The nearest way of ping. down this opinion is via their i: hellet. that | writers in the USSR } .| Bereto: ve been “afraid”: to. . filet stotaiay ba go. Now, they can submit their projects. and . possi« bly get a go-ahead. na thou fear,. is ro it may be a new board has inued on page. 82) | Insti Shows, Community Style By JESSE GROSS . South Bend, Sept. 3. “The industrial show technique is . being: extended to the community {level in’ the South Bend-Misha| waka area, It’s: taking the form of |@ “week-long. festival which. is {scheduled to get underway in this’. jIndiana Jocale next. Monday’ .(9); “The venture, ° billed as. a “Partners. is bud Among. the ‘show business par-. Will be Lakes Naval (Continued on page 62)" L Plays now must be: ‘| |approved before being shown to * themes, and Jess formalized Hoosier-bred. headliners Red. Skelton ‘and Herb” ‘Shriner. Skelton -has been booxed for. a Sept. 15 afternoon appearance at the Notre Dame Stadium ;here, He’ll head a variety ‘show which will include the parachuting Sky Divers. .andthe Blue Jacket Choir and -Great [BandThe cost of the entire Skel