Variety (Dec 1931)

50 • VARIETr L I T EHA TI Tae^diiy, December 15/1931 . Hearaf • Proteetlon DmI tiOS Angeles 'Bvenlns Express', oldest'paper in Los Angeles and, , _»i previously purchased undercover e^P«j;'«n«!;j„3«^ ^^MtifJ^ w -nr « -TTil^* v.- another. Now, In addition to ■writ- would probably make tbe most ex- citing thing he's ever written. An American spy In the war, his by W. It. Hearst, has been merged with Hirst's Evening Herald', .tol- ' Ing, he's also consulting crimlologist f™n, '^,.1 'or the State of New Jersey, whloh loving * so-caUed 'buy. from Paul ^,30 given him any! numbto ol thrilling experieilces. man owner, since Block, straw Feb. 1. : ' Back of the merger Is the .story of a typical Hearst buy, put over between the drawlh'g-up of con- tracts that would add it to the Bit- ter chain and the Hearst deal.' Bitter K-others were ready to buy, contracts- had been drawn and they were to put signatures to the agree- nients at 9 o'clock in the morning Major Russell's newest work is a play, 'Satan's Daughter.' He also had a play tried out'last season by WUUam A. Brady,' but It failed to risach New York. • . . ■ Chicago's 'Chan'te-Clair' Chicago has its jdrst French news- I paper 2S.0 years after French pib- of.Feb 1, last At 9 o'clock the jneers, such as Per© Marquette, Louis night l»fore, Hearst and his attor- de Joliet, La Salle and Frontenac, neys heard of the proposed buy and first explored Illlnols. Mrs. Robert the anti-Hearst policy that the Bit- Shaw, wartime French bride of an tera intended to foUow. It meant Umerlcan bueiiness man, is founder a loss of sleep for Hearst attorneys fand editor of.'Chante-Clair,' .pub- and attaches who, with the attor' neiys and auditors, ietc., cif the then owners of the paper, Vorked; all night on the deaL Satisfactory, to Hearst's agents. It was teken to llshed weekly in Oak Park,«. suburb. Although Chicago has hundreds of thouisands ,of (Sermans, Poles, Swedes, - Lithuanians, Italians, Greeks and' Mexicans, the French the publisher at 11 o'clock that polonr has always been so nisgllglhle morning and signed. Meanwhile numbers as not previously to have tho Bitter agenta were sitting Jn encouraged the founding of a French the "Express* diOce from 9 o'clock I lftn8«aee paper, on, waiting to sign the previously drawn-up 9«re^ent Itally U|ie-up in Los Angeles now Is ibi Hearst SJxaminer', 'Times* and-tsiblold "News' in. the morning, and Hearst's 'Herald' and the Kecord' in the 'af tiemoon. 'Chante-Clalr' sella for 16 cents. 'Mirror'a' Roto in Color "When the New Tork 'Dfilly Mirror* starts a Sunday morning, edition it will have a four-color, rotogravure as a feature. The defunct morning 'World' "WBLB the last Mimhattan pa- Mag'a Nude Offer I per to use color for its roto section. •Scott's Movie Monthly,' which FTsf Sunday 'Mirror' la dated for claims It is celebrattaig Its Wth ali- 'Jan. 10. Among staff, addlUons is nlversary with its 16-page 4%x6 In. Barclay Beekman, who will do a January issue, was seen for the first | aoclety column, time in-coast , studios with the an (Reported for week andina Dec. 12 by American News Co;) by 'by .John .I2.B0 Mar- . 2.60 Bess . 2.00 niversary issue. Scott jnentlons on his editorial page that this issue will b« mailed gratis to hundreds of flhbwmen' and others all over the U.S.A.' Describing himself , as an ex-prO' ducer of musical comedies, Scott That ZilcH Tribe Influence of .'Ballyhoo' was inade patent the o^r morning at But- igers university, where a subscrip- tion paper was passed at chapel for I a charity iuni. In addition to the rejg^ar contri- Leslie, editor and publisher, prints butlon more than a million was con the sheet with his own little pressj'trlbuted by various members of the at Tampa, Fla., and uses the! ad 1'Zilch' family. space for his own enterprises, which Include small theatre, supplies and short ends of flinv His subscription ofCer Is three years of 'Scott's' and 6illa-HoImea^ Book Book containing the stenograph' ically recorded discussions of phll' one picture of 'the female form a la osophical subjects between the late nude'for $1. Illustrating the ad is MUton Sills and Ernest Holmes a cut of Edmund Lowe. . will come out. in January,' with Sheet touches about everything I University of Chicago Press as but picture news, concerning itself publishers. mostly with the personal recollec-j Sills, who was. a. university pro' tlons of the editor. How It has fessor previous to turning film made out during Its 14 years no one | actor, and Hplmes, who founded Conlngsby Dawsoii ,another Cos- mopolftan Book name going to Knopf. Burton Raaebe writing more fore- words now than tiowell Thomas. Julian Sherrod's 'Scapegoats' warranting a follow-up. He won't have to publish it himself, either. Robert Hlchens In MorOcca Thayer Hobson Is the new head of William Morrow & Co. Ellis Parker Butler lecturing, but not oii pigs.' A. HaniiUdn Olbbs has gone back to England. His brother,' Cosmo Hamilton, r^ains there. Percy Crosby, whose blast at George Bernard Shaw via the ad columns cost beaucoup Jack, coiild have had It printed as a letter to the editor for nothing. Archer, Butler Hulbert's great- great''grandfather, was the founder of I>artmouth College. Of the three city editors scheduled to speak at the New York News- paper Women's Club, - only one had courage to show up. Myra Waterman writing her first novel. Ella Lowe, too. ' on the west coast knows. Davis Estate SeHled After 16 years' litigation, Surro gate Slater, White Plains, N. Y., has signed the final decree in the settle ment of the estate of BIchard Hard ing Davis, who died at Mt. Klsco, N. Y., in 1916. The chief causes of the controversy which delayed the settlement was the claim of the widow, "Mrs. lEilizabeth -Genevieve KiicEvoy Davis, known to the stage as Bessie McCoy, 'the yama-yama elrV to royaltl^ on the writings of her author-husband subsequent to his death. Opposition to this claim was made by the guardian of Hope Davis, daughter of the couple, now .17. The recent death of Mrs. Davis in Paris hastened the end of the long, drawn-out squabble, for In the mother's will, filed in New York county, it was disclosed that her eS' tate would pass to the daughter. Thereupon the guardian of the young girl withdrew objection. The amount was t2g,31S. The balance . of Davis' estate, totalling $107,647, is to be paid Hope when she be comes 21. Brown's Own Book Word reaching the coast is that Edwin Anthony Brown, the 'Whltey' of. 'Queer People,' Is struggling through the last half of a novel, titled 'Sleeping Out,' Casanova of reporters hid out In Connecticut for six'weeks and romped through the first half of the story before he ran out of words. He's now with the Boston 'Amerl can' while coaxing forth'the remain' der. "Vanguard Press, publishers of 'Queer People,' will Issue the som- ' nambultstic saga. Romance V^llhin Funny thing about scribblers la that they see romance iii everything but themselves. That goes particu- larly, tor Major C. E. Russell, who, since starting to scribble at the . close of the war, has turned out Innumerable tales for the pulp-pa- per mags, a couple of books and eome plays. Major Russell has yet to do his j^toblography, however, whloh religious science and philosophy school In Los Angeles, were to have had 20 disciisslons. Deiath of Sills prevented this, and the book con talning only five. Amenities Louis Wiley, business manager of the 'Times,' was showing the so olety editor of the 'Herald Tribune' over the 'Times' plant Ultimately thp, society editor of the 'Herald Tribune* was introduced to the so- ciety editor of the 'Times,'' the two having never met previously. now do you do 7' said the society editor of the "Herald Tribune'. 'How de you do7* said the. society editor of the 'Times,' and added "What's the idea of stealing all our stuft?* Jap Paper tn Parts A Japanese paper will be pub llshed In Paris, Editor Is Islgouro, whose normal 1 calling Is teacher of Jiu-jitsu. Chatter Albert Beln thinks Jed Harris Is one swell guy. The real name of Rip, the French scribbler, is Georges Thenon. One of the trade paper scribblers, who should know better, referred to Lee Mortimer as 'she'. Death of Vachel Lindsay has given the 'Village poets a new topic, 'Ballyhoo' will ask (6,000.4 page after January. That boat of Alan "Vllllers Is sup posed to be a bark. Aben Kandel can find a former 'Home News' man even in Bermuda. John Ersklne so far In the lead of all those suggested as being "An thony Abbot'. Lincoln Steffens making mor money writing about himself than he ever made writing about others. Gilbert Seldes will go film If the price Is attractive enough; Jamea J. Geller, of the Morris--office, agentlng. . Mark Helllnger has written a play called "'Sophistication'. Larry Barretto here. Edna ;Ferber's 'American Beauty' not selling as well as the same au thor's "Cimarron'. The Merrlam company Is 100 ' years old. Publishes the dictionary. Non-Fiction Ifald In Waiting, by Galsworthy Westward Passage, garet Ayer Barnes. White Bird Flying, Streeter ;Aldrio1c... About'the Murder of the Night Club Lady, by Anthony Abbott ................. 2.00 The Greek, by Tiffany Hayer ..>...,.. 2,60 Good Earth, by Paul S. Buck . ............ 2.60 . , Fiction' Epic of .Anlerlca, by James ~ T. Adams................ 3.76' The Great '.Mouthpiece, by Gene Fowler S.OO Mourning Becomes Electra, by ' Eugene O'Nell...^ 2.60 Washington Merry-Go-Bouhd. Anonym'ous ............ 3,00 Can Europe Keep the Peace? by Frank Simonds..... S.OQi Fortune's Share, by . Vaah ■ 'Young 1,60 Film-Legit Test ' (Continued from page 7) made timid little spurts here and there, but in no Instance novel or important enough to write about to the \'6plnlon' editor.. Paper Rejected Most of the newspaper ads were carelessly drawn -iip and laid out and certainly not clear as to -what it was ^l about^ In Waukegan.' the paper on the legit tab entry ordered, for the Genesee arrived on the show's open ing day and 'was rejected, leaving the event to go unheralded by single snipe or window card. Only stunt pulled here -was to rig .up couple of ushers in "Blue Ghost' helmets and send them trudging through the department stores Outside the usual modicum of ad- vertising space the only break the show got in the two local papers was a squib on the editorial page of the Waukegan News-Sun. Com- ment here read: 'An innovation that brings the stage and the screen together on the same program is being tried at the Genesee theatre the first part of this week. If "The Blue Ghost" a regu lar stage play, makes , a hit with the patrons, we may look forward to similar ventures In the future. If the mixed fare la hot suitable to the theatre goers' palate, the two forms of art will have to wend their separate ways,' First day's business at the Gen esee was not only disappointing bu hardly reached the house's normal level for a Monday. Gross took an appreciable Jump the next day, bui at nonperformance was there any thing approximating capacity. Fea tyre spotted in with the abbreviated drama was 'Five Star Final' (WB) Cartoon and newsreel completed the bllL Prices remained at a half buck for the evening and 35o for the matinee. Draw here was sharply felt by the other house. Academy, In this sewed-up PubUx town. At the peak hour Tuesday evening the latter house, showing "Once a Lady' (Par) and chsu-glng 30c, held a mere corporal's guard. In - Elgin "The Blue Ghost' ab' breviatton was pencilled into the Crocker, with the priced^ similar to the Waukegan house, remaining un- changed. On the opening day here the Crocker took a couple o( extra Inches' in. the only dally, .the Courier-News, but failed to get a rise out of :the text columns. ' Qood Hoke Show was caught in both Wauker gan and Elgin. ' Registered more| solidly on the laugh phai'ae with the 'Waukegan audience than It. did with the payees in the other -town. Ais smalltown entertainment fare It Im- pressed as oke from every angle, with, the shrieks of surprise-evoked during the -llght-dousing moments and the generous hilarity uncorked by the hokey aiitlcs of the blackface comio testifying .the' fact that .al- most everybody was getting a wal- lop out of the ..mystery. . . tJndersta:nding Is that Harry Mln- turn,"the producer, was paid a flat price for the show, which recently closed a six-weeks run at the Play- house here. Runnliig time was boiled down to around an hour and one of the players let out of the original cast In addition to .taking over the cast payroll, conslstUig of flVe men and .a .'woman, Publls travels an electrician and carpenter with the show, pays all transpjotta- tlon and takes care of .an loading and unloading charges> With the extra costs it figures to cost aboiit $2,000 a week. In Agate Typel Although most ' of the towns hadn't, seen a dramatic in-the-flesh show in years ho capital 'was made of thls^fact In small type crowded Into a tiny mortice the public learned If they, had sharp eyes that The Blue Ghost' Is 'not a picture.' Elgin had 200 placards for a city of 84,000 population and were' hard to And because the pla,cards of the Arcadia, indie theatre in St. Charles, neighboring town, had Jostled them Into, obscurity. Aurora, Joliet and Rockford, three of the best show towns were booked for one day only but bad or Indif- ferent towns like Waukegan and Elgin were booked for three - days, a load too hea'vy to bear. These failures and omissions and the total absence of appreciation of the exploltatlpn"posslbllltles are of wide trade Importance it there Is to be any extensive-cormingUng of legit and pictures. ."Blue Ghost' Is the first condensed versl<Ai in. the midwest but that bthe'rs' may follow Is likely , as Publlx execs apparently prefer to buy an Intact entertain- ment Of this sort rather than rely upon vaudeville spot bookings. . "Crazy. Quilt' was not booked but another musical 'Girl' Crazy* ' has been spotted into the Oriental, Chi- cago and it clicking Is' slated to be routed' over Great States and other Fubllx dates. So there is an actual prospect of condensed 'legits play- ing film houses supplementary to the regular screen. of. the field It beaten, that leads t<^ the smart money betting the match wUi never be concluded. Some provpcatlon . tor this belief is also evident In the attitude? of the two principal players with plenty 6£ quips and buck talk flying around ' presumabliy as propaganda and tor color. * ' When Lena was asked about his playing a hand as a no trump in- stead of In his own diamond, bid, he remarked that .'Cvdbertson is so slow I fell asleep and forgot what the suit was.' On another occasion Lenz .told -the three referees he. would quit It Culbertson were hot made to remain In his seat. Culbertson had previously 'walked around every time he. was dummy.. Take your own guess as to the boys ' building it up or not On another' occasion . Culbertson. shouted out that' the reporters were making too much noise and- must be quieted', down. Lenz merely smiled.. Of the two men Lenz Is the more cool 4nd collected pla:jrer, Culbert- son being given to nervousness and petulance. . Glainbllng . element amongst the bridge and Interested element rtlte Lenz as the gambler and Culbertson as a sclehtlfld player, with this so-called wise mob. favoring Lenz It it goes to- a finish.. Extent of the publicity being glv- en this battle of paaterboards is the diaigrams of each, or the Important hands, being printed by the dailies; a description ot the bidding and the announcing ot results the same nights by a national radio networlt. Bridge War^s Aim (Continued from page 1) to have been spent on the banquet and entertainment at ,the initial session.. Over 100 newspapermen were present plus other invited guests, .with so much entertaining and cheer leading that there wasn't much card playing.' The match started with only $6,000 offlcially bet That was by Ely Culbertson wagering .on himself against Sydney Lenz and giving 6 to 1, Lenz putting up the $1^000, For both men, howpver, a great deal more Is Involved In that the 'winner win practically have a clear field In book sale and newspaper writing. All four players were signed for syn- dicates to describe the match before It started, outside of the regular bridge columns they conduct for dailies. Battle for Book Sales Importance of the play is really In the book sales, as bound Instruc-. tlons written by these men amount to an enormous circulation. Both play and champion different contract bridge systems. Stmoii and Schus- ter publish the Lehz books. Culber- son publishes his own. Culbertson's last book on bridge has been on the non-flctton best seller list since early June and Is In It's 62nd edition, having sold over 300,000 copies. Lenz's books have sold only about. one-tenth or less as well, but are figured to. Jump tremendously because of the present match. The U. S. Playing Card Co. has also been mentioned as one of the instigators of the match. It's the fact that one or the other may have' to eventually bow' out SMILING FACES (Contlnueid from page 48) fickle lover. As 'a matter of' fact there .is more book to this show than ordinarily goes with a musi- cal comedy—logical enough, though draggltag out the' proceedings. The' comedy punch Is sadly lack- ing. -There's not a.belly laugh in the. who]^ show as It stands. What few chuckles are forthcoming are more the result of the dry cracks of Hope Emerson than anything the comedian himself has. ' Rqy Boy- stoii,. too, manages to get a fair share ot laughs, but he has to romp all over the stag^ to do It BlUy Taylor adds a laugh or two and dances well. • LottI Loder, the 'Viennese girl, gets a lot of personality Into her work, and has one big moment with a number called 'Knock Knees.* Hope Emerson, a female Camera, tosses-her 200TOdd pounds Into a number called "Poor Little Me,' which fits. She also does a chorus In the Cab Calloway manner. Dorla Patston slips Into the show too' late to do herself Justice. A good- looker who can dance, and having the only semblance of a voice In the troupe, she -Is on. halt' 'way through the second act and almost too late. The show eJmost belongs to the Albertina Rasch girls, who,, al- though they Introduce nothing startling, ex^ute iseveral numbers with the usual Rasch perfection. A quartet made up ot WlUIam Lll- Itng, Len Saxon, Robert Lewis and 'Vance Elliott tumtshed some good Incidental singing on stage and In- troduced a novelty between the acts when they sang several. ot the show's songa from the pit One ot these songs'had not as yet been sung iii the show, coming later In the second act. ' Paula Stone follows up her work in 'Ripples' with another satisfac- tory showing—In daindng at least When It comes to delivering a song the voice of the younger Stone Is not all It might be. However, this miss makes up in personality and footwork what she lacks vocally, and she never misses an opportun- ity. She runs the scale from taps to a wultz, and shows equally well in all.' The old reliable cane dance comes In for a,twirl by Stone and a.chorus of boys. The number failed to reg- ister. Without rhyme or reason, a bootblack scene is injected into the second act, which Introduces a couple of wrestlers who are as out of pla'ce In the show as overalls at the Rltz. The end of the opening scene In act two is a bit belated. Among the song possibilities are 'Falling Out of Love,' 'Sweet Little Stranger,' 'There Will Be a Girl,' 'So Say You Do' and ;i Stumbled Over You,' with 'Girr aiid 'Stum- bled' . probably running Into hit numbers. , Although Jack Donohue is cred- ited with staging the dance num- bers, It Is. reported that most of hIS' work has been sidetracked In favor of the routines ot Mme. Rasch. Somebody has sunk a wad oh the costumes and settings for this show. The finale of act one Is a niece piece of scenic work, while act t'wo ends In a display of lavish finery. No doubt the show will be held on the road for some weeks (per- haps even till early spring)'accord- ing to the producers) to whip It Into shape, as Stone has' stated he will not attempt to bring It Into New York until it Is properly prepared for Broadway. . Bon*.