Variety (Oct 1935)

S8 VARIETY L I T E R A ¥ I Wednesday* October 23, 1935 Cal. Writers' Conference California Writers' Guild Bt-^xts its fourth annual conference Oct. 24 In Clareniont Since California con- tains a far larger number of scrib- blers than any pther state, turn-out is expected to attract one of tlie biggest gatherings of typewriter clickers tlian- have ever assembled before for a similar, reason. Day will be occupied with a series of 'round, tables,' taking in every scribbling tiubject from shorf" story writing to playwriting. Scribblers who will address the round tables are David Taylor, Lee Shlppey, ;Ho- ratio Winsiow, Harlan 'War6, PSuIIiie " Stiles,, Breckenrldge Ellis, Johh itiissell McCarthy, Sara-Taft Teschke, Hilda Teague Hill. J. E. McMuIlen, sind Aihsworth Morgan, Special luncheon meeting will be addressed by Rupert Hughes. Con- fdrenoe will close with a dinner. Curb Coast P.A^ Yen Los Angeles . news bureaus are plenty burned at studios for wean- ing, away their staffmen and -are combining to do something abbut it. Issue came to a head when Henry Brand at Twentieth-Fox offered a publicity spot to Lep Brown of Vnited Press. Local bureau head o.kayed the move, but when New York hPard that Brown wanted a leave of absence to iseei how he fitted Into the job, the screws went on. Now, other news.services are tak- ing a similar stand against what they call outright, raiding, and all leaves for studio jobs will be ver- boten. ■ y CCC Book Cbhtest Book contests coming In thick and fast. Now Bobbs-Merrill has one, in a tie-up with the mag, Happy Diys, the official publication of the CCC. ' Best book, flctlbti or non-flctlon, having to do with, the CCC, sub- mitted before next'April 1, will win a prize of $600. Sbrlpt will be run serially in Happy Days,, after which It wlU be Issued In b09k from by Bobbs-Merrlll on a regular royalty basis. I Knight Reissuing Oldies New book publishing: house. Knight Publications, .Inc., will Issue volumes of non-fiction, mostly of a topical naturel Firm will get out not oniy new works, biit also will reissue those previously published books which failed to catch on when first issued. For a starter, Knight Publications has taken over Anna Louise Strong's 'China'is Millions,' and will have the author enlarge it and bring It up to date for republication. Author recently had a good seller^ ^ Change Worlds.' Harrison to Coast NEA Paul Harrison took over News- paper Enterprise Association bureau f<ir Hollywood and Los Angeles, re- placing Dan Thomas, , who has been doing picture column for service for several years. Move severs Thom- as' connection with NEA. Erskine Johnson remains as assistant to Harrison. ' Harrison formerly wrote KTEA column. under heading of 'In New York.' He also covered legit open- ings on Broadway; Best Sellers ••••••••I •Vein of Iron' ($2.50) •Europa' ($2.75) ....... 'Shining Windows' ($2.00) 'Honey in the Horn' ($2.60) 'Lucy Gayheart' ($2.50) ... 'Stars Look Down' ($2.50) ii,t,,,.,,.'By Ellen Glasgow ,. ....,..........4 ,,.By Robert Brlffault ................. . . .By Kathleen Kbrrls t•••••••••«.•«*.f*t Ii« ]Dcivls • •*-« a •••'•••'•«.« t* •••••• • •By willsi Cftther ......... .,. ....«•> i.... vBy A. Ji Cronln Klon-Ficti •Seven Pillars of Wisdom? ($5.00) ..By T. E, Lawrence 'Nprth to the Orient' ($2.60) By Anne Morrow Lindbergh 'Mary, Queen of Scotland, and the Isles' ($3.60). w. .By Stefan Zweig •Life With Father" ($2,00) .....i..........By Clarence Day 'Asylum' ($2.00) .By William Seabrook 'Woman's Best Years' ($2.50) ...........By W. Beran Wolfe, M. D. Dot. Book Fair On Second annual Book Fair, or Week of Authors, is in progress this week in the auditorium of the J. L. Hudson Co., Detroit. Program is slated for every afternoon this week, with prominent authoris as speakers. Among those here for the event are James Klrkwood, Carl Raswan, Elizabeth .Corbett, Upton Close, Ludwlg Lewlsohn, Harry Franck,, Mae Massee, Irlta Van Doreil, Fran- ces Winwar, James Weber . Linn, Jack .O'Brien, Nicholas Wreden, Eric Kelly, Arthur Styron, Christo- pher Hale, Monica-Shannon, Mar- garet Ayer Barnes, Eflle Powers, Richard Dana Skinner, D^e War- ren, Bertita Harding, Marjorle Flack, Norman Angell, Mabel L* Hunt, May Lambert Becker, John Floherty, R. A. Jelllffe, Maxwell Reed and Ruth Harshaw. ore Comedy MaJ. Malcolm Wheeler Nicholson, who began the publlcatioii of Fun about a year ago, has a new periodi- cal on the wa,y, to be known as the New Conilcs Magazine. New one will carry a miscellany of matter, with Wlllla.m Cook as managing editor. Nicholson mags are published under the aegis pf the National Al- lied Publications. Adrian's Dress Blurb Adrian, Metro dress, designer. Is writing a section on modem dress for Encyclopedia BritanAlca. Mod- ern dress articles have never before been included in volume, Milton Sills; who wrote an article for the volume on inotion pictures, was only other film figure to be used by tome's editors. Bonis Expanding With removal to new and larger quarters, the Bonis, A. and C, will resume something of their former activity In the book publishing field. Contenting themselves for some time with reprints and such, Bonis are publishing.a i ew novel, 'The Old Man's Place,' by John B. Sanford. Bonis at one time formed part of Boni & Liverlght. Subsequently each name decided to go it alone. Mabelle Jennings Quits Cricking ." Mabelle Jennings, Washington,^ D. C.'s ftnly femme drama ed, sev- ered with the Herald, Hearst morn- ing sheet, Oct. '^0. Scheduled to break out with chatter serlfls on WJSV, Washingti .'s Columbia out- let Oct. 29. ' She hau b mem'sr of town's critical quintet Tor eight years, four with Daily News and Cour with Herald. Tolerance Mfig . Quarterly ma^ called Race will make its initial appearance around Nov. 1, advocating inter-raclal co- operation aiid equality. Stressed by •its sponsors, that the mag is not affiliated with any- left-wingers. Mag's editor is Genevieve Schnei- der,- with publication headquarters in New York. Underground Rivals Subway Sun, after all these years, is to get a competitor. Rival is to be called the Subway Journal. Sun serves the Interbprough subway line, with the Subway Journal to serve the Cltyrbwned tlighth avenue line. Editor of the Subway Journal will be John Joseph Day. Motp Gum-^Sboe Tales John H. Hopkins &", Son, which reccintly decided to^lncrease its book output, wlII.Aponf or a series of de- tective books to bear the Imprint of the Green Shield Mysteries. ' Will be Bomethlng-like the Crime Club of Doubi^ayf Doran. Peterson's New Pulp West F. 'Peterson, reported to have quit the Dell organization when Inside. Detective Magazine suspended publication, back with the firm as editor of a hew pulp named Public Einemy. It's one of thos& G-Men story mags. Texas Gets Class Mag New state life mag is The Texan. Aimed as a' class monthly, it will cover the Texas arts, society, sijorts and other activities of the Texas smart set. Sponsored by the Texas Publish- ing Co., with publications In San Antonio. CHATTER Kenneth K. towell the new ed- itor of the American Architect. Paul Green foregoing playwriting for a time to turn out a new hovel Mark Sullivan in town to correct poofs of his latest book, 'The Twen ties.' John Stelnbeckhas gone to the Mexican interior for data for a new .novel. Norman Messerly acquired Van Nuys (Cal.) Tribune from Fred B. Hltchlngs. Fifty years In the book publishing biz for John Barnes Pratt, head of A. S. Barnes & Co. Ilya Ilf and Eugene Petrov, visit- ing pair of Soviet scribblers, being feted about town. Stuart Rose quit the book biz to become an assocate. editor of the Ladles Home Journal. Sammy Fuller's first hovel, 'Burn, Baby, Burn,' will be brought out by Phoenix Press, Dec.-1. Rockwell Kent will get back from Alaska in time for the publication of his new book, 'S|alamina.' Annual meeting of the Authors' Guild on Oct. 31; annual meet of the Authors' League, Kpv. 7. Jphan Fabriclus back to Holland, after arranging for a one-volume edition of his 'The Son of Marietta' here. Books for the young only Is the Idea; of Edward A. Powers, who is calling his organization the Youth Library. Latest, to do ..a book on newa.dls- semlnaltlon la Will Irwin;. Calls it 'Propaganda and the News,' and Whittlesey House will publish. Arthur Bryant has dlscpvered so much hew stuff on Samuel Pepys that his blog of the diarist will run to three volumes instead of the coh- templa;ted two. Joseph Hprgeshelmer checked Into Johns Hopkins hospital, Balto, last week to discover If he needed an operation, but medicos handed hlm a clean bill of health. Percy Bailey, 61, secretary of Pathfinder Publishing Co., which gets out the - Pathfinder mag, died last week In Washington. Had been with Pathfinder for 40 years. Besides the regrular trade edition of the Daniel Frphman memoirs, Kendall & Sharp will bring out a limited signed edition, part of the proceeds from -which will go to the Actors' Fund. National College Short Story Con- test conducted by Story, the mag, won by Elizabeth Hall, of Barnard. Winning tale, 'Two Words Are a Story,' appears in the current num- ber of the monthly. Popular Publlcaltions, Inc., Is cur\ rently celebrating the i2Bth anni-^ versary of its Adventure mag. Anni- versary issue of the thrlli-story publication runs 176 pages, one of the biggest issues In the mag's his- tory. SHEA'S, TORONTO .(Continued.from < page 16) juggling with the spheroids and the hats. Lady billed as Miss Elsworth con- tributes the warbling. Sings pops without any apparent feeling and keeps her eyes too much oij the mike. She has a good voice, good looks and figure, and dresses well, but should,get rid of that stiffness. Features, 'Public Menace' (Col) and 'Hot Tip' (RKO). McBtay.- G. O. H., N. Y. They put it on this week at the 6. O. H. on 23d street, using Roscoe Alls in an m.c. post, a fresh twist for this nabe house even at this date, as shows are generally shoved out pronto and minus any particu- lar-fioqrish. They've prpbably had one before out front, but not of late; Ails' presence Is threaded through program, somewhat vague at first to the mob, but after they get used to him It's okay with the G. O. H. customers. The Cantons (4) are announced first, presenting a mixture of hoof- ing and acrobatics, mostly the latter. TWO femmes, both husky, decked out as bellhops, toss trunks around and slow-motion throurh a dance routine. Their partners, one an elderly gent appearing with a monocle, also pace .through gym- nastic turns. Ruth Brent, diminutive song- stress, lends a touch of class to bill, being accompanied at the piano by her own pianist, and then knowing herself how to warble correctly ovet the microphone. Three num- bers. Plenty good down here. Alls and conipany next to clos- ing, including a girl and a stooge in the box. Regulation stuff, but Alls' familiarity with house by this time sells his act easily. Lee Murray revue (5). closes, a dance flash, with a center stairway utilized as an important factor in the conventional routining. They hoof it up and. down- the stairs, with a drunk number standing out. Two girls of same stature, get best re- sults with their toe-tapping. Show clocked a full hour Satur- day, due to Alls' extra chores. Two features 'Pursuit* (MGM) and 'Two for Tonight' (Par) on the screen. Miction and Films By WOLFE KAUFMAN Theatre Books An unusual assortment of fine books on and about the theatre have Just been issued. Three publications : in the past two years ara especially outstanding and deserving of suc- cess and support. 'The Pulitzer Prize lays' (Ran- dom House; $3.60) IS quite obvious- ly a tome that wHi And spot for Itself in most theatrical libraries. It contains the complete and un- abridged "text ot all .the P.uMlzer prize plays to 1934. Last winner, 'Old Maid,' not Included, but prPb- ably will be In a. future issue. Pub- lishers of. 'Maid' couldn't come to agreement with the publishers an of this book, which Is a shame. It is a beautiful job, well edited and nicely printed and bound. Kathryn Coe Cordell and William H. Cordell are given credit for editing, with an informative introduction by William LyOn Phelps. 'A Treasury of the Theatre' (Simon and Schuster; $3,76-) Is a more ambitious work and one that will win considerable apprpbatlon at the same time that it arouses considerable controversy. Edited by Burns Mantle and John GSassner, It contains the complete text of 34 plays going way back to Aeschylus and coming up to modern times by way of 'Of Thee 1 Sing.' Only five modern American plays are includ- ed, 'Green Pastures,' 'Elizabeth the Queen,' 'What Price Glory* and 'Anna Christie,' which will, of course, mean much bickering as to why others were excluded. Whether or not the selections are the best or not, the fact remains that here are 34 plays in one volunie, a huge book of 1,640 extra,-size pages in readable' print and on good paper, and that It Is a book worth having. Burns Mantle, N. Y. Dally News drama critic, is also the editor of the third book, 'Best Plays of 1934- 36' (Dodd-Mead; $3). This is the newest edition of Mantle's annual publication and as valuable and in- teresting as usual. He picks the 10 best plays of the year, again dis- agreeing with the Pulitzer judges by stacking 'Children's Hour' on top and leaving room for argument by najnnlng a couple plays that are not ordinarily put on such a list and on.itting a few others. Book, as usual, contains a lot of vital statis- tics and information, a story con- densensation of the 10 best plays, information about each subject along with the general legit history of the year. It is by now the standr avd book of the sort, and is right in line with past efforts. 'Red' Lewi Sinclair Lewis becomes more than conscious of the connotations of his nickname In his newest book, 'It Can't Happen Here' (Doubleday- Doran; $2.50). It is a book far from the regular roads travelled by Lewis, and his best in some time. It has all the characteristics of usual JLewis books, camera descrip- tions, materialistic observation and lack of any sense or direction, of realism; but it goes beyond by add- ing a feeling of heart and punch; it's the most gutsy Lewis book yet. Novelist portrays America as it might be under a dictator and fascism. He makes it all sound surprisingly close at hand and real, and not kt all like a detested dream; rather it's like a nightmare that has managed to slip into fact. It's no pleasant picture that he paints, but it's one that will give his readers pause to thlnki If the subject mat- ter should deter its sales, it would be unfortunate; it probably won't. Metro has the film rights, though It's a bit difficult to see at this stage what they're going to do with the book. Unusual Theme William Farquhar Payspn was a magazine editor before he became a book publisher. Now he's a novelist, with experience on 'the other side of the fence. Shows it, too, in 'Give Me Tomorrow' (Dodd, Mead; '$2.50), a good popular novel with an un- usual theme. Takes tho young daughter of a murderess arid shows her evolution under pressure. Sliadow of her mother's , act falls over the child's life and almost ecJfpses It, but a sudden twist at the end straightens things out. Cleverly contrived, book is away from ruh-of-the-mine fiction and should do well. Could make a good film,, too, though probably difficult to cast. By FRED DONAGHEY Radi ' ilm Strength Films and radio have profitably exchanged performers with each Other and with the stage. Radio has' drawn'heayily on the stage not only for ideas (which, in the final consideration, are the basic coin of all formal entertalhmerit, ever have been, and forever will be), but for actual :materlal,, also^: and has in the last three years been .drawing 'ii^ 'less . heavily On the screen. Taking from the screeh, radio has, as often as not, taken ideas and matter which the screen had :taken directly from the stage. But, save, in the matter of per- formers, the screen has not looked to radio for either matierlal or ideas. Yiet, radio has. created imniehse name values in a number of in- stances. For an example there is the program called 'The Lone Ranger,' with close to four years of notable <and Increasing) vogue through Its direct romantic appeal. It is what is meant, when the word 'clean^ is used; also, it Is what is nieant. When the word 'American' Is used in undertaking to describe fic- tion or drama. That is, it has es- sentially to do with what writers until quite recently loved to call the American Scene. 'The Lone Ranger' is not a pro- gram of merely-Juvenile appeal. It Is, in truth, a reflex of all the his- tory, all the fiction, all the legend, and all the 'reporting* having to do with the era best described, per- haps, as the Winning'of the West. The hook-up of popular interest for the screen is that the. era is not all in retrospect: it is hot ended. And 'The Lone Ranger' Is, it may be explained to those who are not as yet among its Inveterate listeners- in, something for adults In all. keys. Moreover, its appeal on the screen would pt-obably be universal. Just as a film producer buys the rights to a new novel and then de- pends on the title to do the drawing, so might he buy the right to screen 'The Lone Ranger.' He would not require a single line of the un- counted thousands of lines that have been spoken in this serial on the air. Just the title and the title-character—the unafraid rider who serves mankind with his good deed each day. These are other radio serials. 'The Lone Ranger* is mentioned et length because of its longevity on the air and the check-up on it. Of these others, what about those early prophetic tales by H. Q, Weils? And what Of 'The House of Glass'? By EPES W. SARGENT Sluggish There must be some market for English reprints, else t)ublishera would not print so many. ' Some of them, of course, are good teadlng either side of the water, but many are hardly schemed to the general American taste. One of these is 'The Wedding' (Doubleday, Doran; $2), In which Derils Mackall takes 320 pages to laboriously and sluggishly recount all the mlnute'happenings of a very ordinary wedding day. Starts with the bride's father getting out of bed, after the first- six pages are given to a prosy description of the house. Goes on to the bride's mother, the groom's mother, the brothers and sisters, the uncles and the cousins and the aunts. Yards of stilted con- versations, pages of cold descrip- tion, but little happens. Not for the pictures; not even slow motion. lorieers There's more background than romance to Horatio Colony's 'Free Forester' (Little, Brown & Co.; $2.60), but it is the interesting back- ground of colonial Kentucky, and there is the constant presence of the loves of Harley Boydley to give the personal touch. He and some friends go from the Carolinas to the west Just be- yond the Alleghenles, and through various characteristic adventures, including; almost as a matter of course, capture by the Indians. There are a number of outstanding characters, all of whom carry inter- est. Hardly material for a picture, since most of the incident is slightly too salty, but in a more liberal earlier day there would, have been plnema in Harley's many contrast- ing loves. It maites good reading In spite of "heavy going at two or three points.