Variety (Sep 1935)

VARIETY 97 &.Co., and for a year or more was with the Lawrence Fertlg advertls- inp agericy; handling radio and hooks. While Vith Macy's he con- ducted a weekly book-radio pro- gram. Beyond going after publicity and advertising In a show biz manner, U-P has l^istalled a motion picture dfepartment, only publisher to do bo. I<eda Bauer, formerly with the United Artists story department in •New fork, is In charge, contacting pic companies on sill D-D books for ptssible tleups or deals. ag Dell reviving its Terence X. P'Leary's "War Birds Magazine as a bl-nxbnthly, under the albbrevlated .title of War Blrd^ Magazine. At the same time. Street & Smith 1^ altering the title of its iBlli Barnes Air Adventures mag to Bill Barnes Air Trails, and undertaking an ex- tensive, ballyhoo canjpalgn for the periodical; Street &- ith sending Clyde Pangborh on an aerial tour of the country in • behalf of the. mag, with Pangborn to stop In about 25 of the leading cities. Pangborn will be accompanied oh the flight by E. L. Robblns, of the Street & Smith or- ganization, who will arrange the various exploitation stunts en route. Street . & Smith meeting other competlsh In other ways. Reduc- tion In price of Best Detective Mag- azine to .10c, has caused S. & S. to go the other way on Its Detective Story Magazine. Has upped the rice to 20c. League ^eeks Needy Pollowihg thei approval of the na- tional writers' relief project. Au- thors' League Is seeking to determine tho identities of all scribblers who niay be in heed of relief. Wants to help authors secure employment on work relief projects as they be- come available, and to learn wheth- er the present projected plans are sufficient to take care of all quallr fled authors In need. League Is asking all menibers to send in nanries if requiring relief themselves, or to forward the nanies of other scribblers needing aid. Free Ad D-D't Show Methods First book publisher to go In for exploitation, publicity and advertls- jng oh a wide scale from a show- manship standpoint Is Doubleday- Doran, which-has "just installed a new department for the purpose. Bobert Haydoh Jones Is in charge "~aha'Wltl"WDrlr-vrrth:-tr'staff-wf-fOTT-TO- beglii withf handling all branches, ■ Jones' theofy will be that books are basically 'entertalhinerit and that they must be sold :frpm/that stand- pointi Just as stage sliows, films and "radio"- ' 1^-^" i'^'*'*''^"^ son in charge of publicity and an- Tbther handling adyertlsinjg, with, ho exploitation atteniptj. just as do most other publishers. . ^ ~ .. d^i, - a- ■ ■ r.^u - ^ Jones previously handled radio U(*beat -i-BBd-featurie publlpity-foi; p. H. Mncy-^--l>^w:J?iiok.jjutpuL.thua..fau-ij>-.lit35. The Hartney Press had a nice ad ih the N. V. Herald-Tribune Sunday book section last week (IB), which they didn't pay for. - -'-Ptttr - Ho\t^--i?enT6r's~ ■Dtr6Ti'~a"a' salesman, niet HarOld Goldsmltii, Hartney's treasurer, and tried to sell him. Goldsmith Wksri't con- vinced but challenged Howe to a ping pong match. If, he lost he wiiuia take the adi "Goldsmith. . won, so HpWe came through with the ad, paying for it himself. Unfilmed Script in Book Irst linproduoed screen play to be published In book form Is that being issued by Traypr-Lane, Coast publishing house, which recently moved its headquarters to New York. Entitled 'The Gentleman on Horseback,' it's by Bernard Mc- Convllle, picture scenarist. Last season two picture scenarios were brought out in book form, 'The Great Barnum' and 'The Silver Streak.; Both were, published after the screen productions. Pa. Pub. Moves to N. . Telegraph Pressi of Harrlsburg, Pa.r branching out an has taken NeSv York pfflcfes.. Has an Idea for a series of what It calls Scoop Books, volumes on topical subjects. Boakc Carter, the radio commentator, has authored tne first, entitled 'Black Shirt, Black Skin,' and it's now on, the press. Others to follow will be handed out n assignment. On Civilization's Future Charles J. Carroll, hag or.-ranizcd the Survival Publishing Co., Inc., to Issue a now monthly mag called survival. Edited by Frederick Bli ht Bond, the new periodical deals with jyelghty .subjects having to do with the survival of present-day civili- zation. coiitlniies to show a gain over that for the corresponding period last year, and end-of the annum, will show a considerable increase In pro- duction for the full period. Outlaw- ing of the codes failed: to halt the lncrease, -as wa,s expectied it might, with each month showing an in- crease oyer the corresponding month last year.. With the fend of the summer, book production will be considerably In- creased. Will reach lita height be- fore Christmas. iJntry of a number of new book houses not the sole reason for the Increase in book output. Number of csiabllshed bouses have perked up production. Iiicrfease has been most marked In fiction. In second place are books on topical subjects, replacing blogr I'aphle as the runner-up. Also a prohpunced Increase in volumes of poetry. " Fteviving Poetry Digest Alnn.F; Pater reviving his Poetrv iJipe.st. but with an altered pollov. unsteady of using original poetry, ^11' reprint the best of the rhymed P'fces that have appeared else- where. ^MU addit-onally use some prose a'">tit popt.« and the rhyming craft. Publishers' lections With seventy-five representatives Ih attendance from all sections of the United States, the National Publishers'. Association cohven- tloncd at BUckwbod Inn, Shawhee- ori-Delaware. Pa., and elected the following officers for the coming year: William B. Warner, of New York, president of McCall Publica- tions, reelected president; first v.-p., Lee W. Maxwell, of N. Y.; second v.-p., P. S. Collins, of Philadelphia; treasurer, Roger W; Allen, and sec- retary,- Lewis Wurzburg, both of N." Y. directors; A. L. Cole, Albert Shaw/Frltz Franks, Henry Lee and Roy Dickinson, of N. Y., and C. J. Stark, of Cleveland. '^Ime spent covered all piiases of the publishing of periodicals. fans New Mag Charles A. Penn, who publishes the Model Craftsman, has organ- ized a subsidiary organization. Penn Publications, to sponsor a couple of new mags. Ideas for the Penn Publications still In the formulative stage, and nature of the proposed periodicals won't be made known till ready. Model Craftsmen won't be grouped in the Penn Publications, continuing as a separate identity. Paris and Barbusse. Two. hundred thousand Parisians turned out for the funeral services of Henri Barbusse, French author; .but the story didn't get into the leading newspapers of the town for more than a few lines. Reason; . Ba.Lby sje^was,^^. J'.QXtMJoun.Uit.- . died in Moscow while working for the communist party. In addition to the red. papers, bow^ ever, he got one good obit in Paris, that of Leon Daudet, editor of the Aotion .FrancaJpe., royaJi^t. .sheet and. therefore, on the other end of the political lineup. Daudet, a literary man; iianded recognition to Bar- busse's literary quality in an ar- ticle en'citted 'irt tDlffeirehtlC'hannels.' m eaning politically different from ilia uwii;:~"'^"^ '"^ Mark Kelly Leaveii Coast Mark Kelly, long considered the Coast's ace sports writer, resigned as sports editor of the Los Angeles Examiner last week, fiew to New York to discuss a five-year contract on a New "jrbrk dally In the same capacity. Kelly has been with the Hearst organization for 19 yearis. Prior to coming to the Coast, he was on the ChIca.go Herald Examl- nei. He is replaced on the l! A; Ex- aminer by John Connolly, the pa- per's baseball writer who ciame from tilt) San Francisco Call. New Gu.n-Siioe Pulp Magazine Publlshtrs, the chain mag house, has a new detective- story pulp on the way; the first is- sue of Which will appear in a week or two. Fierce competlsh among the pulp publishers is resulting In secrecy as to the hew mag's title "until it's actually on the stands. A, A. Wyn, who heads Magazine Publl.shers, also editing the latest link In his chain of mags. New N. Y. Handout Latest thing in a metropolitan giveaway Is a strictly pictorial publication entitled- 'J<roW York Vlsitour.' Published by Visitours. Inc., it will be di.stribut'ed at hotfilis. air line.*!, steamship and railroad of- fices, etc. Head of A'lsitour.'!, Inc., . A. Loomis, with A. McCllntock asso- ciated in the enterprise. Ship-News Scribe'^ Ist Jamc-s Street, ship hews reporter Cor the New York American, has \ ritten a novel, as yet untitled. It hnfl been accepted for early publicalion by S'ltVion & Sehu.ster. Trade Papers Active Number of changes and reaiigri- monts In the trade paper field, fore- shadowing much activity in that end of the publishing i)lz this sea- son. W. B, iff, the Chicago publisher, adding a new one to hfs string called the Mall Order Journal. Intended f )r those Interested In mall order sales arid advertising methods. Lloyd Kenyon Jones editing. Another , new trade paper to ap- pear spoh is the one which the Beard Publishing Co., of Detroit, now has in preparation, covering '.ho used car field. No liame decided on as yet. WiU be issued weekly. Couple of trade, papers have changed hands. Instltutlbnai Publi- cations, which got under way with the acquisition recently of Hospital Management, has now also acquired The Outfitter. Will be renamed The Institutional Outfitter. Lewis W. Britton stays on as editor. Conbver-Mast has taken Wines & Spirits Merchandising from Lou Murray Publications. Will merge it with its own Lliqiior Store & DIs peiiser. 'Nother Nat'l Sports Mag , Another new sports mag aimed for national appeal now in the mak- ing, to be known as Sport Mai't^ In- iUal . Issue will appear in a month or SO; Group sporispring the new publication is headed by Perry Biel. Previous effort along the same line was National Spoi-ts, pub- lished by Ned Brown, sports editor of the old World, Idn't last. A,merlcan Sporting Life,. which succumbed recently after a brief existence, will get another try. Has been acquired by William Fried- man, who will give it a shot of adrenalin^ American Sporting Life cpvered sports in general and the turf in particular. Bob Newhall's Sports magazine debuts under October dating. New puhlidatioTi, published In Cincinnati, is a 24-pager, half news page size. Ncwhall,. sportscaster at WLW for pu.sl fivie years and former sports editor of the defunct Cincy Com- mercial Tribune, is editor. Price is 25c, with General Mills, Newhall's current sponsors, offering it for 10c p'.us two box lids from Wheatles. Distribution Is via mall for most part. Best Sellers Best Sejlers for the week ending Sept. 14, as reported by the American News Co;, Inc. •^'ein of Iron' ($2.50) .By Ellen Glasgow. 'Honey In the Horn' ( Bj: H. L. Davig •Lucy Gayhearf ($2.0B) ..... ., i-.-.-.'. ... . v....... .By- Willa Gather •Green Light' ($2.50) .....By Lloyd C. Douglass •Fair As the Moon'^($2.00) , ; .................By Terriple Bailey --The-Iitq-trfsitol-' (^iO^) -,-. -. . i.'.. ...By Hugh V.'alpoie *North'to thfe Orient' .. ... .By Anne Movrbw Lindbergh •Europa' ($2.75) . ....... . *..,...,.. ,...... ..,.... ^By Robert- Briffault -'Mar!y,.QuftVn.of Scctland,-andUhc JUles' ($3„C0.),. .vBy-Stefan Zweig 'King Lehr and the Gilded Cage" ($3.00). By Elizabeth Drexel Lehr -^tte--W4th--ga ther' (: $ M &-^-^^-^r^ ,-r-^. .. ■■;. .-..^^-^E^-'G4ai:.wiiee^Pay-"- •Asylum' ($'J;Q0) ... ...By William Sea brook Book Reviews Short Bui Good MacKinlay Karitor, one of the country's ace writers, siiows iiis mastery of thfe English .language by condensing an entire novel beauti- fully into about 100 pages in 'Voice of Bugle Anne' (Cpward-McGann;. $1.25). Book is that curious anomaly: a dog story that's not overly sentl- meptal and has general appeal. Metro has the screen rights. Royal Fuller Dead Royal K. Fuller, formerly a star reporter On the old New York Herald, was found dead In a vacant room adjoining his bond and insur- ance underwriting offices In Albainy, N. Y., Sept. 13. Among notable stories he covered were the turning of the first spalde of earth for the Panama canal and the arrival at Halifax of survivors of the Titanic. He-was the first state commis- sioner of canals. At one time he was a le'gislatlve reporter In. Albany. Fuller also once wbrked oh the Brooklyn Citizen and Watertpwn T'i He Is survived by his wife. thers See Them Picture people mentioned In 'Hol- lywood by Starlight,' published in England, can't .escape knowing about It., "Tome records experiences of J. Minney, while working on script of 'Clive of India' for Darryl Zan- uck. Mentioning plenty of names and not all complimentary, book, carries a comprehensive index. Enterprising. Hollywood book- seller, who got in a shipment, is circularizing e-verybody mentioned. Cliapniah & Hall, BrillKh fin , pub- lished. Short Waves erge Radez Magazine has absorbed p. X. Log of the World, the com- bined mag tO; be issued under the title of the former. Both mags provlouf>ly competed for the attention of the short-wave radio fan. John Taintor Foote,. playwri|;ht; turns out an iinimportant little book in 'Change of Idols' (Appleton- Century; $1). It's really just a short story and doesn't deserve being put between covers on its own. Stoii-y of a kid who learns to like to fish and none \oo convincing— nor, for that matter, intriguing. Too skimpy for films. CHATTER Conde Nast back from Europe. Sylvia Thompspn will winter in Venice. ; Countee Culleii Ijack from Spain and Fraince* Jphn V. Weaver back from Hollywood. Gina Kaus coming over for her first visit soon. A. D. Peters, London lltierary agent, in N. Y. for a look-see, Rita Weiman back in N. Y. after a summer on the Maine coast. Nila Cram Coble doing a lengthy book on her Indian experiences. Mary Ellen Chase returning from England spon with a new book. Quentin Reynolds in Hollywood githerlng picture material for Col- lit rs. Arthur Stringer 1 as. completed that new hovel, and off to Alaska again. Alvin Johnston's peach 'Profile' on Curr Van Anda in a recent New iforker. Frances Marlon in town, and autographing copies of her novel, 'Valley People.' Cora Older, wldpw. of Fremont Older, doing a blog of William Randolph Hearst. Martin Mooney's 'Crime, Inc.' will be published in bookform by Whittlesey House. Herbert Agar, the book writer, has Joined the staff of the Louis- ville Courier-Journal. Katherlne Newborg has quit Harper's to devote her future to scribbling on her own. Trentwell Mason White has Joined the editorial department of the Pitman Publishing Corp. William S. Hart has had a: book on his short stories published, called 'The Law on Horscbaic'.c.' Clemence Dane, author of 'Leg— end,' Is really Winifred Ashton. Took her pen name frpm that of a church. J. Peter Small now associated with Norman H. White, literary agency. He directs the play and scenario.de- partments. Jule Brousseai the former, news-.; paper lass, has had her first hovel, *A Preface to Maturity,' published by Crowell. Robert L. Crowell, of the Thomas r. Crowell Co., back after a tour of the ■ various writer.s' confcirences for new book material. Theodore Dreiaet's next bOok will be titled 'Formula Called Man.'. He's in Pasadena, Cal., now writing it and it's a philosoplilcal tome. Luai by-lines on ncWs stbrles arc •inu.sual, but the N. Y. Daily News has two teams of by-llners. Martin Sommers and Warren Hall spilt billing the Huey Long follow-ups, now In New Orleaiif^: and Dnrls Fleesoh-Jphn O'Dorinell, the regular \\ashlngton forrespondcnts, are at Hvde I'aik, .V. Y., 1th the Presl- dr.nt. iscegenation Most st Ties of mixed blood mar- riages go more or less crazy in an effort to whip, up -su dent tension to make tiie^ subject interesting to those hot interested In the social problem: Sbmewhat . different Is Hallle Dickerman's 'Stephen Kent' (Hartney; $2). The author draws Biich Interest as shf derives froin the. concern she is able to create. In her characters, sel- doni I'Ides the propaganda anglei and draws to a dramatic finish with material from the preceding plot factors. There is sincerity and un- derstanding to her story of the oc- toroon who doe'^ not; know he has negro blood until the day before his marriage. The first child is . a throwback and in horror the father hides from his wife this blood taint, telling her the child Is . dead. In- stead he has been placed with a negro woman to raise and becomes the hero of the story. Not an appealing theme, and not for pictures, but more interesting than the subject matter siisgests. Teacher's Hardships Ella Enslow is a country school teacher who wrote a piece for the Saturday Evening Post telUntr about her expeiriences; It got a Ic. ill at- tention nationally and she's now ex- panded it to book size. Book is titled 'Schoolhouse in the Fppthills' (Simon & Schuster; $2), and credits say It was written in collaboration with Alvln F. Harlow. It Is a more interesting book than would appeiar on the surface and rea:ily will appeal to whoever gets beyond the first chapter. Miss Enslow's struggles' In a tiny cDun- try schoolhouse, with pupils often older than herself and under ex-, ceptibnally difficult situations is an eye-opener on what still goes on in America, but -what few people In big cities can either realize or under- stand. No film angles. Keeps Going Apparently there's something about South America to Iijsplrc au- thors to get away, from the pattern plots. Perhaps It's because of the wider scope. Whatever It la, Rob Edon's 'Golden Goddess' (Hopkins; $2) feels the Influence. It starts ort well and gets better as It goes along, sweeping Into the spectacular for the finish. Makes.a real action story. Lillls Farnol answers an adver- tisement for a blonde stenog to go to. Bi'azlllan diamond mine 6wne<l by Derek Derger. She finds Derger slightly crazy with his sense of power and learns she's to be palmed off on a wild tribe as a goddess, to coax them to unearth the vast treas- ures of the goddess. Even the usual- ly blase reader will get a kick out of this section. Could b3 made Into a good action picture. ibus of Crime A fast moving, but thoroughly horrible whodunit. Is 'The Grlndle .Nightmare,' by Q. Patrick (Hartney; $2). Subject matter la really too tpugh for general consumption and wpmen reading it are liable to bo distinctly offended. No chance for aims. Newtpn Gaylc spins a good tale in 'Sentry Box Murder' (Scrlbner; $2), but it is poorly written. Story is good, action Is plentiful and char- acters well drawn, which makes Gayle's proclivity for thread-worn cliches a siiame. Could film well.; Etha LIna White depends mo.Htiy on .'indent formula for plot in her !KK)k 'Wax' (Crime Club; $2). Murder In n wax mu.seum haw -been done sovcr.'il times .before and just as well, IE not better. .Not likely film material.