Variety (Jun 1938)

52 VARIETY UtERAtl Weddesdaj, June 1, 19.t8 F|dler Signs Jimmie Fidler' has signed to write a Hollywood column for the Hearst newspapers. His entering points in the syndicate' will be the New York Mirror, where Sidney Skolsky is cur- rently piliari and the Boston American. Later this summer the Fidlei'. column will spread to all Hearst sheets. Canadian Dailies Co 3c. Beginning May 30, Montreal dailies selling for 2t were upped to 3c per copy on the newsstands, owing to increased costs of publicatibii. To some of the larger newspapers the increase will -represent additional revenues ranging . from $300,000, to $400,000 per annum, the Montreal Daily Star, having a circulation of more than 125,000 and La Presse with a circulation of around 225^000 daily. La Patrie also goes to three cents, . In Quebec. City, the three cent price will now apply to Le Soleil, L'Actlon Catholique, L'Evenement and L^ Journal. La Nduvelliste-in Three,Rivers also goes to three cents. Newspapers in. Toronto and. in the Canadian West have already an- nounced price increases during the past six months. Toronto Star, To- ronto Globe-Mail, Toronto Telegram, Ottawa Citizen and le Droit,' are now selling at three cents; . with newspapers in towns, such as Brock- ville, Gait, Guelph, Kingston, Peter- borough, kitchener, St. Catherines, Windsor, .all ing at the higher price. Western dailies In Calgary, Winni- peg^ Edmonton^ Brandon, Lcthbrid'ge, Victoria, etc., sell for iJve cents' a copy. lot Confession, Bcdtirhe istorles, Gay Broadway, Gay Paree, he Paree,. Screen Fuhy Snappy Stories,, Spicy Adventure, Spicy Detective, Spicy Mystery,. ;Spicy Western, Stocking Parade, Taltte Tales, Silk Stocking, High Heels; Gay Book, Reel Humor, June tovc. Thrilling Confessiohs and Breezy Stories. Branded a dangerous ,threa't ip freedom of'the press, proposed mag- azine-cbritroV brdinance has been tabled by Detroit coinmon council.' Will be redrafted. Two days after original ban. Esquire and Ken were removed from: the list of barred mags. No explana- tion eilhcr for the original ban or its lifting was, iyeii. Ordinance, aimed at obscenity .\vhich hasn't been curbed by pres-. erit statutps, would give mayor power to '.licsnse and revoke the licenses of sill city wliolesale magr azine dealers. United Auto Workeris Union, Civil Rights Federation aiid National Lavyyers Guild, prbtested ordinance was too Comprehensive. All declared that present city laws give pplice ample, power for ..war on obscene literature. New Rochester Rochester. Y., group raising funds to start a-new daily to replace- Hearst Journal-American,- sold to Frank E. Gannett last summer, has incorporated as Ihe M & K Publish- ing Company. Directors are' Ftank L. McShane,'. slated a<i m.e.; David £. Kessler.. former staff member; Ashley P. Larkin, Clarence M. Qlseri, Attorney Eugene j. Dwyer, Irving Steele, biroUer, and Edwin A. Kreck- man, former sports writer. Authorized capitalization is $250,- 000 consisting of 6,000 shares of pre- ferred at $25 and 100,000 shares-of common at $1. When the paper will be started is still: in doiibt. although more than 30,000 signed up last fall to subscribe for three, months. earst Okays Goild Foil Poll of all departments eligible to ■join the Newspaper Ouild in Heartt services has been agreed tb by Joseph Vi Connelly, president of King, Features. ild will ajiply to the Labor Board and Connelly will- consent afonce, enabling the polling to get -under ,w,ay:,within two weeks. King Features' is, the parent or- ganization of Hearst wire, phbtb and feature services and embraces Inter- national News Service and Interna- tional News Photos, besides its own' feature, organizations. N. Y. Daily Mir-or Unit of the Newspa r Guild appeared set t& take a strllce vole last: yesterday (31). Decision to, vote, followed Unani- mous action of 162 members of the Unit present at. a meeting last ,wcek who decided ,on' this action unless some assurance- were obtained from Harvey j; Kelly, Hearst, labor coun- sel,, that grievances would be adjust- ed. Mirror negotiations, have been going on since Octo r, 1937.' issues' presently include the mini- muni offered by the management, es-. pecially In commercial departments, according to the unit. N. wspaper Guild's second forum meeting, tonight -(Wed.).- Four correspondents. Jay Allen, George Seides, Raymond. Gram ' Swing and Bernard Moloney will be the speakers. Lewis Gannett will , pre- side. Meeting will be at'the Astor hotel, N. Y., aiid be broadcast over WriYC. Gaild Loses In' 'Dnliith Duluth's eight-week newspaper strike ended Wednesday (25) night, with editorial workers accepting, the. contract . proffered by Publisher Joseph H; Jordan,. which provided for an open shop. Duluth Herald and News^'Trlbune immediately re- sumed normal publication,', which had been discontinued since April 8, when mass, picket lines shut off ac cess to the plant. Police finally routed the. pickets with tear gas, after reading, via loud speakers, the laws governing . picketing, unlawful assemblage and rioting to the 300 gathered before the plant- Terms of the contract which termi- nated the strike, called originally by the take Superior Newspaper Guild, Include: waiver of the Guild shop In editorial and' news departments; a qualified (]iuild shop in the commer- cial departments with exception of outside ad solici ;'a flverday 40- hour week for most of the employees, and understanding that^ wages be I fixed by a board of arbitration. I Agreement ilso includes proviso that none of the present employees not Guild meinbers shall be irequired to join any labor organization. F'ur- ther, all provisions requiring (?uild membership in the commercial d'e- partments are inoperative, pending a decision of , the National Labor R'ela tlon.<!, board as to whether Guild is entitled, to represent employees In volved. Herald' and News-TrJbune had 289 workers at time, strike'was called, When, publication was resumed there were 215 employees on the pay roll whjch included 18. of those who orig- inally struck" for a close 1 shop. Ann Arbor Bans E.^qulre, Ken and 25 other niaga sines were banned from sale In Ann Arbor, Mich., last week without a public hearing. Ban was accom plishcd under city ordinance, giving the city .council complete police power against 'obscene, indecent scandalous, books, photbgraphs. or drawiaKs' offered for sale, or dis tributed in thv'U. of ichl.itan town Blacklisted', besides £squire nd Ken, were Film Fun, Eve Opener, Ten Story, Lului Paris. Nights, Scar Encore Pub's Bpuncers Tim Gayle, publisher of a new mag, Encore, was pinched on check charge last week when phoney ,paper- began to bounce arbiind Philadelphia liiteries. Warrant for arrest of G^yle, also known, to . cops as 'Herb Jones,' was. sworn out by Art Padula, of Arcadia-International restaurant, who was hpoked for . $45. -Others hooked, accbrding to poll .; were the Hotel Adelphia and ' Flanders Grill. Gayle was held in $1,500 bail for the grai.nd. jury ' arid remanded to prison in default of the bond. Mean- time detectives are checking to learn who else: was clipped. Bad FIsber Aillnf Bud Fisher, the cartoonist) still quitef ill in .New York. Creator of 'Mutt and Jeff"-has had four blood'transfusions during the past .'week. Ic Strip Snlt Suit for .500,000 has been filed in Los Angeles by Adelaide. Halpem, writer, and illustrator, against Hearst Publications;. Inc., the Pepsodent Co., Walt Disney, Lord & Thomas and others, charging infringement of copyright In their use of her comic film strip. 'Tiny Tot Toy Revue.' Mrs. Halpem claims her copy- righted ;strip. Was lised, by Hearst publications in a Pepsodent adver tisement after it had been submitted to the I^prd & Thoinas agency and rejected. Disney is mentioned in the suit because the Pepsodent ad of- fered, a 'machine to show comic strips featuring 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.' Canada Bans-Tank Mags Twelve magazines have been banned in .Canada on complaints re- ceived by Revenue inister llsley froni national ypiith movement and ireliglous leaders. Those banned are Romantic Detective, Actual Detec- tivp. Stories of Women in Crime, Qf- ficial Detective Stories, Frbrit Page Detective, Weird Tales. Foto, 'True, Health and, Efficiency, True Confes- sibns. Romantic Love Secrets, and ■Vivre d'Abord: A'l but two are pu- i' in the U. S. Chester Rowell Retlrtnr Chester Rowell, veteran editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, tiring on pension, with present ex eciitive editor Paul Smith taking fiill reign. 'Ro\yell may retain his -wide- ly read' column on editorial page, currently missing due to his illness He rnay ;take a South American trip. Ime SUB: Checlc-Up , Comings and goings at Time, Inc. include John Martin's return after a year's leave of absence; Manfred Gottfried's return from six weeks in Italy; iling of Laird (poldsborough for his annual European trip; a trip to Europe for Bob Chasteney and trau, and a Puerto Ricart_ vacation for Don HIgglns, p.a. for the mag and the March of Time bunch, Nurncrous alumiii of the old Liter ary Digest presently eifiploycd with "time are Paul tei-s, Bernice Shritte, ShsUey Smitli, Thomas Krug and Julie Rivera. spbn Forum on Cable Boys mcrican .Foreign Cbrre ill be the "subject of the Slanguage Dicsh London,. May 20, . British Standards Institution thinks it's time, a foot rUle..was put over the pictiiresque slaiig which passes for technical lan- guage -in picture production. Accordingly, has set up special technical committee to compile complete glossary bt terms in cbhimon .studio use, and has in- vited trade paper reporters' and other represientativcs of the in- dustry to collaborate in draw- ing up exhaustive list of studio jargon. Sifnofi Rbwson is associated.; with idea, and plan Is for com- mittee to meet .June- 10 to' wrestle with, problem for first ti Lbuls M. Hamrhond, Jrl, both asso^ Cialiid with the. Beaton Thahscript; and a brother. Funeral services were held May 24. William Donninc,: 85, who wrote campaign speeches for. Presidents from Cleveland tb.Coolidge, a former newspaper man and expert in taking shorthand, died at his'summer home. Otis, Mass,, May 24; after a long illness,. Survived by. idow . and a stepdaughter. Dr. Marie Ada olineaox, 82, au- thority on the works, of Robert Browning, died at New Orleans, May 10, with the. body shipped to Boston for burial., Clyde C, ('Newton') Newkirl:, 6'7. humorist, who conducted the 'All Sorts' column in the Boston Post for 33 years, died: at .lis .Brookline,:Mass,I home. Illness forced his retirenient in August, 1934, Howard Wsirren Cbnistock, 38, who wrote the plays -'Stepping Sisters': and -Dbctor X,' died May 28 at Fall River, Ma.is,, after a long iUriess. He: wais.born iii Fall River and had Jived there all his life . except, for flv'e years in New York. He helped or- ganize the Little Theatre at Fall River:. All aiint and several cousins survive, 'Stepping Sisters,' a farce dealing' with three slaters who had been- in burlesque, opened at the Waldorf theatre,'N,|Y., in 1930, and had a nin of eight rnonths. Fox bought the picture rights and produced a picture with the saniie' name. Ralph E. Johnson, 44, state editor of 'ihe . Detroit News for 14 years, :died May 24 in Grand Rapids,';Michi, of a heart attack while on his honey- moon.. Before joining the News . in 1924, Johnson ' worked, successively on the Kalatfiazop ( ich.) Gaziett'e, the Owosso Argus-Press, Cadillac Evenlngv News, aiid the. Associated Press in Detroit. Funeral services were held May 27 i rand Rapids. Nitery Reviews (Continued froi rench Authors Society's Aniil Societe des Gens de Lettres (French authors society) is celebrat- ing its 100th anniversary for three days beginning May. 31, in Paris, Ceremonies'open at the Sorbbhne. with President. LeBrun present. Authors League of America .will be represented by Louis Bromfield, Societe is the ;oldest group of its kind in existence.-. Authors League of America, the-English writers or- ganization and -slm i 1 a r .group's throughout the world were all pat- terned after iU llery Sedfwlck Off At Ellery Sedgwick, editor of the At- lantic. Monthly for 30 years, has re- tired from that pbst. He is being succeeded as- editor by Edward Weeks, who has heretofore beefh as- sistant to the editor. Editorial offices of the magazine are .in Boston. . Price Up, Circnlatien DownT How mucli circulation has'drppped off since papers upped price from two to three cents on May 9 is being closely guarded by Philly publsh- ers. Reason allegedly is a steeper- Ihan-anticlpated downward tilt. While about a 10% decline was expe'cted, it is understood llial tlie falling off is nearer .20%. Tabloid Daily News, which re- mains at 2 cents, has felt consider- able upsurge. Blo;lnr Winehell Joe Bryan 3d,' associate Satevepost editor, has been trying to land Wal- ter inchcll for a biog ever since he ( ryan) did a similar piece on the late O, O. Mclntyre. ' . They finally got together recently; but instead of Bryan, J. P. McEvoy is doing the candld-cameraing on the columnist. LITERATI OBITS THIS WEEK James S. Robinson, 71; owner of the Robinson News Service, and em plbyed in tlie State House of Massa chiisetts for a iiumbcr of years, died at his Belmont, Mass., home, May :24! Survived by a wiCe, three daughters, a son. "Funeral services' were held May 2C at the First Unitarian Church, Bclmbnt. 'durlal a Ipswich, Mass. Louis M. 'Hammond, 79: treasurer of the Boston Evening Transcript, where he spent 02 .years iri various capacllie.s, died at his West.Roxbury, Mass,, home, M?y Survived by two sons, Jamei, C. Hammond and CH.ATTEB Ed Harrison has sold a story to Ken niag on sex films. , the magazine, has moved to larger quarters in N.' Y. Betty Hyhes, drama and film' criiic for the Washington Herald in N. Y. last week to give' legit the o.o.- Jay Carmody of , the Washington Star in Hollywood to cover the studios,: E. Z. Diniit , city ed of Philly Inq, away on a fishing trip last week. Dick Thornburgh sitting'in. Frazier-Hunt has written a biogra- phy of Dr.. Dafoe, which' silhnoh & Schiister expects to publish next fall. Long Island Press,, \yhich dropped its. Sunday edition, has switched to a large Saturday edition. - Ben F. Meyer, -for past 11 years member of Atlanta AP Bureau staff, has been- transferred to" Mexico City Bureau. J. B. Lippincptt has sold English publication rights io Eugene Young's 'Looking Behind the Cen- sorships' to Lpvat, Dickeson. News-Week mag offers staff • 'liquid award' for the best item con- tributed to its "periscope' department weekly. Irene Kuhn has sold the English rights fbr,'Assigned to Adventure.' King Features has bought the news- paper seriial rights, Theatre Arts Committee will pub- lish a magazine in June. Edna Ocko will be editor. Will contain features by show biz personalities. Alexander A, Murphy, for 10 years picture assignment editor of the As- sociated Press in Ni Y., has joined Wendell P. Cblton's ipublicity depart- ment. Random House will publish a ju- venile titled 'Mouseknees' by William C. White. AVery Johnson wiir do the illustrations. Book skedded for next spring. ichard Neuberger, Portland' cor- respondent for the N. Y. Times, 111 haive a book titled 'Our Pr ised Land' published by Macmlltan in the fall. It's a history of the northwest. Harry Blilrhan, one-time challen- ger for feather-weight boxing title, has had a story accepted by Liberty. Understood it will detail innuences of the smart-mbney boys on bp.xing. Aided by John O'Cbnnell, of the Philly Bulletin, and-Bill Reed, of the Ledger. Alan E. Cameron,i assistant editor of the Oban, Scotland, Times, ac- quired by his RrandtElhcr in 1872, miirried Ceralrlinc Griflin In Albany, N. Y., la.st week. Bride Is the daugii- t.er of the late George Griffin, Al- bany hewspapernian, and the ,i!rand- dau.?hlcr of Stephen H. Iloran. who made po.sslble the u^e oC half tones c the roUu-y press, Couple met last .^uminer aboard a sW.p boutid for Eu- rope. They will live Iri Scotland. TERRACE ROOM (nOTEL NEW. YORKER, N. of 25 iiniinutes,.\vUh ho slacks. .Con- trasted to the more elaborate pt'o* duction at the' International Casino. N. Y., this is .a midget show, but. not wanting for satisfaction and enter- tainnient value.';. Abel. ' HOTEL ASTOR ROOF, (NEW YORK) Rudy Vallee's orch, Beverly Kirk, £diia Strong, Vic Hyde, Gdiclc Ken- vedy, Florence Mayo with Pansy] th Uorse,- Centlevien Songsters (4), Dorothy Appleby. ,Rudy, Vallee has always, been box- office dynamite at tlie Hotel Astor Roof and so he's back again, to tee j)ff the hostelry's skyline season. 'Sarly in July, Hal Kemp succeeds him. 'Vaille^ Is doing his standard dansa- pation with himself prominent in th vocalizing, surrounded by-the Gen- tlemen S($ngsters, quartet, and Dbro- thy Appleby, okay bluester. While not exactly long-uhderwear " his miisic, .Vallee leans to the salon'side, nut it's all; right for the type audi- ence the Astor Roof draws.. Man.v of .'em are. prospective aulograt- hbundis, so they get som'ething f or • their couvert, although 'Vallee does a. sneak at the end of every dance set.. Supporting show is generous to the degree of wearing but its weldome. Probably , pruned since bpehin night; then, it went on and oni Specialists are iSdna Strong; tap- ster; Beverly Kirk,, singer; Vi Hyde's: standard 'one-man band,' Chick Kennedy, femme mimic, who should cut her Hollywood per- sonations, Florence Mayo and Pansy, the hokum .horse, Preem, night was a reunion of the maestros, with a flock of 'em turning out,to'honor Vallee, Al»el. i>ERSlAN ROOM (HOTEL PLAZA, NEW YORK) T/ie Hartnuitis, ParicJio',s Orch. Back from London. Grace and Paul Hartman, with' their satirical dances, have embellished their stuff to the degree that they can. well, do the same pattern, but with se'em- ingly limitless variations, so 'that its never .palling. The ballrbom- ology burlesquing has now become quite familiar but The Hairtnians have a style all their own when it comes 'to travestying the hoofers. So much so that it's now .ah intra- exhibitlon . dance team catchphrase that .they're making it tough for the real thing.' Hartman: assu'ihes a painfully silly eN'pr«ssion in liis exaggerated poses d'aniour with his partner, while her own grotesque grimacing and pos- turing distinguishes that part of it Their 'flirtation'and bolero nurnbers are socko, and, of course, a trade- mark unique unto -jthemselves ,are the stock magic. routine:!, hokum and otherwise, interspersed with the satirical dancing. PancHo's orchestra continues oh the dansapatibh, expertly dishing forth the terp tunes in effective but un- swingo manner. Class room is still doing strong biz. Couvert, $1,50; prix fixe din- ner, $3.50. Abel. CLUB CONTINENTAL (SAVIN itOCK, CONN.) New Haven, May' 29.- Ralph Leuiis, Jack Rtley, JVyida, Jwortnn & White, Don Deveglio. Captain Ben. George Nichols. Bill Reid's orcU (8). Club Continental is the bnly spot here, one of the largest amusement resorts, between New York and Bos- ton, wlllihg to gamble bti a Broad- way floor show. Although there are numerous, dine-and-daiiceries here,- for the most part thev confine them- selves to straight orcheslriaS, with an occasional.warbler or hooter thrown in. , <:iub: is operated by Sam Ruben- stein on a . no-cover policy. Bill Shifts weekly (Moii.), with lent booked ,through' a New York accncv. Orchestra is resident Bill- Rel ' Continentals (8). Ralph Lewis, m.c. from "Village Nut Club, N. Y., and some B'wav talent, are featured, plus resident singing waiters in specialties. Nvida, .femme coocher, opens with a Span- ish dance. Don.Deveglio. follows vo- cally. Boy has nice voice and neat appearance. Marvin and White, boy and girl knockabout singing-dancing team..spotted third. hen Lewis bn briefly for chatter. Jack Riley croons a- solo, tiien Nyida comes back for prbiiclent spjns. Captain Ben cornedv ditties here and is followed by femme half of Marvin and White. In a vocal. George Nichols warbles l-Pi-Tiii' and show finales with Lewis. M.c. offers gagging, impersonations and straight vocalizlnij and vcHlstcis well. Show runs about'50 nilnulcs and:makcs the rounds twice iiichtly. at 10 and 12. Bone.