Variety (Sep 1933)

Tueedayt September 5, 1933 LITERATI VARIETY 81 One-Paper Town Fight A dramatic battle Is being waged jn St. Paul, It's 'the.boye' vs. the publishers—and anyone's euess is good as to how it'll <!ome out. Crisis . materialized when the fDaily News' employes heard ru- mors of a proposed merger of their sheet with the 'Pioneer Press-Dis- patch.' Mov^ would make St. Paul, with 348,000 population, a one- newspaper town, in the same boat with Jersey City, the only city at present over 300,000 pop with but one daily. Boys queried the bosses, who de- nied the rumors. Boys then: sub- stantiated the rumors and the bosses admitted the facts. Em- ployees then pooled what little re- sources they had and got out 100^- 000 circulars daily for three suc- cessive days, the third one the size of the daily sheet. Radio station KSTP donated" time for 'the em- ployees' own story,' warning against a newspaper monopoly and urging the citizenry to do everything to prevent one. In the third circular, the boys called attention to five pay slashes they've taken during the past three years and declared that now when the paper is not In financial straits the owners (most of whom live in Texas and Chicago) are going to turn them out. One thousand employees will be thrown out of work if the merger takes place; a $30,000 monthly pay- roll will go out of circulation. The workers, contending that the spirit of the NRA code is being grossly violated, chipped in to defray the expenses of sending their city ed, Fred Strong, to Washington to see General Hugh Johnson. Both papers, putting out feelers toward the public's reaction, ad- mitted "merger negotiations' were m progress, In editorials on Thurs- day (31). Next day St. Paulites swamped the 'Pioneer Press-Dispatch' switch- board with protests. Business houses are unanimous- ly against the merger, fearing ad- vertising rates will be kited if the monopoly somes Into being. 'News' accountants cite figures to show that the month of August just ended—normally a slow month for advertising—has been better than any month for the paper in the past two years and that the owners have excellent prospects for a money-making up-trend. This week's developments should tell the story. More Often and Less 'Story' is going monthly, start- ing with the next issue instead of bi-monthly as at present. Mag will reduce Its price from 50 cents to a quarter at the same time. ■ Whit Burnett and Martha Foley, editing 'Story.' says they're going to continue same policy of prmting nothing but short stories, and pick- ing those of literary merit. Pub- lication will continue out of the Random House office with no changes except that George Cronyn has been added as business man- ager. He was formerly with At- lantic Monthly.' Here's a Chance That 'Atlantic Monthly'—Little, Brown prize novel contest again, A breath-taker for the struggling fic- tloneer. with $10,000 to be awarded for the best novel submitted before next March 1. Of this sum, $5,000 will be an outright aWarJ and the other $5,000 a royalty advance.. To make it sweeter, stage and picture rights remain the author's in full. Manuscripts should be between 50.- 000 and 200,000 words, and must be typewritten. Any type of tale goes. Prints His Own That newly-organized White Fawn Press, which will issue a number of books of poetry and philosophical subjects, is really a one-man affair, to get the work of its sponsor in print. The White Fawn Press men- tor is James E. Tobin, regularly a university prof. His first book un- der the White Fawn Press imprint will be a collection of his own poems, to be called 'Arden Mari- golds.' The second will contain some of his philosophical pieces. Best Sellers est Sellers for the week ending Sept. 2, as reported by the American News Co., Inc. Fiction 'Anthony Adverse* ($3.00) By Hervey Allen 'The Farm' ($2,50) By Louis Bromflekl 'Presenting Lily Mars' ($2,50) By Booth Tarklngton 'Fault of the Angels' ($2.50) .By Paul Horgan 'Enchanted Ground, The' ($2.00) By Temple Bailey 'Miss Bishop' ($2.00) ■ By Bess Streeter Aldrlch Non-Ficticn 'Arches of the Tears' ($2.75) By Halliday Sutherland ■Mario Antoinette' ($3.50) By Stefan Zweig 'Crime of Cuba' ($3.00) , By Carleton Beals '100,000,000 Guinea Pigs' ($2,00) By Arthur Kallet and F. J. Schlink 'Twenty Tears A Growing' ($2.50) By Maurice O'Sulllvan 'Life Begins at Forty'X$1.50) ...,By Walter B, Pitkin It's An Idea Harrison Smith and Robert Haas have issued the American edition of 'The Gold Falcon, or the Hag gard of Love,' which has aroused much speculation in England as to the identity of the anonymous author. Almost every prominent writer has been indicated, but no one seems to have thought that possibly it might be a gentle satire on English literary styles by some such writer as P, G. Wodehouse, with the title a hint that serious minded authors are being given the bird; the British equivalent of the Bronx cheer, only more so. Read without awe, the book seems to be a rambling tale of a British author of best sellers who comes to New Tork because his wife does not understand him and who sticks around like a visiting fireman. He takes an apartment in Greenwich Village and amuses himself by tossing tomatoes and other things on the polceman on the beat. When not engaged in such in nocent pastimes, he wins the love of the fiancee of his publisher's son, but he doesn't seem to do much about it. In a retrospective narra tive there is also a tale of another girl, Marlene, who tells him to let conscience be his guide, so noth ing happens there. Then his wife is reputed to be seriously ill at home. A war ace, he borrows an airplane and attempts the Trans- atlantic hop. He crashes In the ocean and the fadeout has his wife, not so sick, watching a mystic golden falcon. It's moving in spots, but the hero gets to be something of a nuisance before Ol' Debbil Sea claims him. But it probably will have a large sale, as large sales go these days First Scalp There has been little 'gunning* by Washington correspondents for the head of any important official in the Roosevelt administration, observers say—thanks to the poli- cies laid down by the President, and followed by him as well as his co-workers, in dealing with the press—but there are many who be- lieve that the 'shooting* by Capital City scriveners at Raymond Moley w:as a factor in the Columbia Uni- versity professor's resignation as Assista,nt Secretary of State to ac- cept the post as editor of the tab- loid wefekly Vincent Astor will sponsor 'Today.' Described in hundreas of stories as the chief of Mr. Roosevelt's 'brain trust,' Professor Moley hit .it off well with the' correspondents traveling on the campaign train, but made a less favorable impres- sion upon some of the Important Washington by-liners when he .first came under their scrutiny during the pre-inaugural period. Hitting at Nazis Literary exiles, cast out by the Hitler government, will slap back at their tormentors via a new mag to begin publication next month. Title of the publication will be the 'Neue Deutsche Blaetter,' with head.? quarters in Prague, Czechoslovakia, where many of the exiles are now sheltered. Policy of the mag will be defl nitely anti-Nazi. Such German scribbling names as Ernst Toller, Jacob Wasserman, Egon Irwin Kisch and others—all non persona grata in their homeland—will see to that. Books Now a Mag Sidney M. Biddell, who failed to make a go of it with his Mystery League books, which used a news- stand and cigar store outlet at 50 cents a copy, has revived the idea in the form of a mag. The mag called 'Mystery League,' but con- taining in each Issue three or four times the wordage of each of the former Mystery League books. Editor of the 'Mystery League Magazine* is Ellery Queen, among the best-selling of the mystery story scribblers, and this is his first editorial job. Queen, built up by his publisher as a mystery figure by the means of a mask over his face at his every appearance in public, is really Manfred Lee, In addition to editing Queen will also contrib- ute to the mag, together with a number of other name mystery story fictieneers. In with Biddell on the business end of the new 'Mystery League Magazine' is Karl J. Weimer, Redating Drama The anthology, 'Representative American Dramas; National and Local,' first published about eight years ago, is being brought up to oate by it compiler, Montrose J. Moses, for a new edition. Moses also doing a new preface for the volume, which Little, Brown will publish, Moses adding four plays to the 15 contained in the original edition The four new ones are Sidney Howard's 'Lucky Sam McCarver,' S. N. Behrman's 'The Second Man,' Philip Bari-y's 'Holiday,' and, of course. Marc Connolly's 'The Green Pastures.' Significant that Moses has not included any of the O'Neill plays." Just an Experiment CaSsell, the British publishing house, which, like its contempo- raries, usually disposes of its books to American publishers for republi- cation over here, is experimenting with the American market on its own. Cassell has sent over the blog of Anna Pavlova, the dancer, writ- ten by her husband, Victor Dandre, and has appointed Nathan G. Gold- berger as its American agent. Bar to the export of books is the high duty, hence the price of the Pavlova blog over here will be fixed at $5. But if American book buy- ers in quantity pay it, other Cassell books will undoubtedly follow. 'Sun' Celebrates Now Tork 'Sun* had its hun- dredth birthday party Saturday (2) with a special issue. Nicely gotten up- and interesting from several sttindpoints, the paper carx'ied as addenda a reprint of the first issue of the 'Sun.' Intended originally to have the paper exactly 100 pages big, but it appeared with lO-t pages. Spe- cial anniversary section of 36 pages carried advertisoments only from firms In business 100 years or more. Several banks, department stores and other concerns wore represejjt- ed, with the display surprisingly big. Not generally realized how many concerns there are in ^Iew TOrk v/ho've weathered a century. One unfortunate error in the edi- tion ran through several editions. It was one page of the theatrical plage which was reprinted twice, on pages 26 and 27 of the regular news section, Plate had somehow gotten doubled. The 100th anniversary of the New Tork 'Evening Sun' was celebrated on the NBC and CBS networks with suitable radio programs. On WABC of the Columbia chain, James E. Craig, 'Sun* editorial writer, did his stuff Saturday night (Sept. 2), the date of the 'Sun's' 100th anniversary issue. On WJZ and an NBC network, an entire hour from 9-10 p.m. was de- voted to the story of the 'Sun,' dra- matizing news events, with John B. Kennedy, Frank Black's orchestra and Marlen E. Pew, editor of 'Editor and Publisher' participating. Ray Long on Coast Ray Long, who about a year ago gave up his newly formed publish- ing business in New Tork and went to Tahiti with the avowed inten- tion to spend the remainder of bis days there, la back on the coast. Intends remaining out of the pub- lishing business and changing to pictures. Regarded as probable that he will wind up with the Joseph Schenck enterprises in the scenario dept. Responsibility Whether or not the ban will be lifted on James Joyce's 'Ulysses' for its publication and sale in this country will be decided by a single person. Judge John M. Woolsey, of the Federal Court. Attorneys for Random House, which is seeking to have the ban lifted, have made a pact with Government officials by which they will forego a decision by jury and leave the book's fate to Judge Woolsey personally. Decision won't be made known for another month at least, as Judge Woolsey, who is now reading the book. Is on his vacation and wont return to the bench until Oct. 2. Conftder-tly expected that Judge Woolsey will clear the book. The jurist has sat in on many such trials, in all of which he has shown a liberal attitude. More Loneliness Richard Meeker is the latest to seek to produce a 'Well of Loneli- ness' for the other sex. His 'Bet- ter Angel' is a careful and not un- successful endeavor to depict the mental phases of the Invert, told without a visible effort to be sensa- tional. Not the lurid word paint- ing, but a delicate and • sometimes moving depiction of the class. Due for some a.ttention, because well done. Greenberg sponsors. Pollocks' Book Channing Pollock's 'Star Magic' has been put between covers by Farrar & Rlnehart following serial- ization. Still a brisk story of stage life with the two-thirds" given the married couple who split over a triviality. Pollock knits his suspense well and gives a nice lowdown on the methods by which press agents build their clients to stardom Gets Its Own Miami Beach will have its own daily to be known as the 'Miami Beach Tribune,* first edition being due Dec. 1. Permanent population of the resort is 25,000, but minus a newspaper heretofore, the Miami papers covering the beach. O. S. Parmer and Laurence Schwab will be the publishers. Latter is the legit producer whose most recent attraction 'Take A 'Chance* was presented In associa- tion with Buddy De Sylva. Show is being filmed at Astoria by Schwab and Rowland & Brice. Schwab has been a frequent visitor to Florida, Parmer has been interested in the publication of magazines there. He is in New Tork recruiting a staff. Red Hot West Coast is shortly to give out one of the hottest books in years, a piece called 'Sexology fbr ModfefRg.' Book, the title of which is self-ex- planatory, is being published by the author, J. J. Qtcy. Book Is said to have been turned down by the pub- lishers to whom it was submitted on the ground that it was a littlo too daring. Otey will ask $2.50 per copy —and will probably have no diffi- culty getting It. Only $60 Per Something new In high-priced biogs is that which the Swedish Count Folke Bernadotte will brmg out over here, in Swedish, of Kmg Gustaf V, of Sweden. Running to some 400 pages, the book will sell for $60 per, with a special edition at $125 a copy. Countess Bernadotte is an Amen can, of the wealthy Manvllle family, and understood that Manvllle money is behind the publication of the book, It's a Manvllle gesture to their son- in-l4vW's sovereign. At the price and in view of the foreign language, the book will be hardly more than a collector's item. Telling It All Mrs, Nevajo Truman Dennison, wife of Tom Dennison, Omaha po- litical boss, is- writing a book she'll call 'My Selfish Sacrifice' about her mai^iage at 17 to the 71-year-ohl politician. Her suit for divorce gain- ing paper space in conjunction with the reams of copy used on Denni- son recently in a liquor controversy lin the courts will help sell. Book is scheduled to contain 40,- , 000 words covering the three-year wifehood. Ready for the publish- |ers by December. Drama Vet Retires Walter J. Flanigan, for 32 years dramatic editor and musical critic of the Newark (N. J.) News, has resigned upon orders from the doc tor, Flanigan was a critic of the old school and his criticisms were commonly essays couched in im- peccable style. Ready to encourage deserving at- 1 tempts he was also fearless and did not take orders—even from the Shuberts, Recognized as knowing his stuff, he won universal respect. May Jump Yet Report persists that although James Collins is in the reorganized Liveright concern as general sales I manager, he is nevertheless contem plating book publishing on his own. Was known with some certainty that Collins was considering the step prior to Liveright's new lease of life. Collins generally regarded as one of the leaders of his kind of work in the book biz. Try No. 1863 Latest attempt to emulate the 'New Torker' Is a new monthly culled 'Around the Town,' Not a throwaway, a dime being asked for it. I Distinguishing characteristic of the new mag Is its odd form. Other- wise, the asual features, George Freystadt is editing. Who Gets the Kitty? For gag purposes Mark HelUnger has installed one of those nickel slot machines in his room at the French hospital, Mark's there with an open knee and will have to stay some weeks longer, so he had one of the machines moved In. Con- .stant stream of Broadwayltcs vLsit- Ing him and most of Jhcm take a couple of spins. Thinking About It New publishing organizatloi. head- ed by Fred J. Bochm is plotting a group of mags which It will call Twentieth Century PubUcatlons. •Boys arc sitting up nights to get them all set, but nothing definite as jyet Headquarters are In mid-town. 'Chief Show Minded 'The Chief,' New Tork civil serv ice employees' newspaper, is adding a theatre department. Will Gordon is the whole works. 'Saratoga Pub Dies John K. Walbridge, 62, publisher since 1900 of the 'Saratogan,' Sara- toga Springs' only dally paper, and on© of the political powers there, died last week (Aug. 30) of a, stroke of apoplexy suffered while he was dictatcing a letter to a stenograph- er. A member of one of the Spa's oldest families, he is survived by a widow, father, brother and sister. Chatte- Maybe those things are n6 longer news, but R. H. Bruce Lock- hart coming Qver to lecture. Stephen Vincent Benet gets the Theodore Roosevelt Medal next month for a certain episode in his narrative poem, 'John Brown's Body.' Albert Truman Boyd, whose short stories have made most of the im- portant mags, has had his first novel accepted. Dodd, Meade has lt« Eric Hatch guested by the Au- thors' Club. Makes him an author beyond a doubt. Paul de Kruif In town to do i collablng job. Erskine Caldwell back In Maine. Hollywood couldn't hold him more than three months. Marjorle Worthlngton has taken a shack in the south of France, where life is a whirl of literary parties. Sylvia Thalberg, Irving Thai- berg's sister, and who has done script work on the Coast, has writ- ten her first novel. Julian Messner, the new publisher, will Issue It. Something of a surprise at the Dial Press offices after the accept- ance of 'Two Valleys,' author un- seen, when the author, Howard Melvln Fast,' walked in for his ad- vance royalty.! He's 18 and just out of high school. The night club evidently, a token of the pre-depression period. Stan- ley Walker will call his work of the boom times 'The Night Club Era.' Forthcoming French-language weekly, originally announced as 'Franco-Amcrique,' will be known simply as 'Amcrique,* Publication begins Sept. 10. Her youth (lamed twice THE FATE OF FAY DELROY By JOHN WnSTACH, Author of UNDER COVER MAN Glamorus Fay Delroy, mother and '"'.^t'""'''/^"^"' 9'^' Rewl\l- —her daughter posed as her sister and secret undestudy. tions of show business, boudoir polKica and Broadway. Don t be late for the curtain. $2 at AH Jioolcstorrs Macaulav. PuUishers, New Torh