Variety (Oct 1938)

GHATTHS VARIETY 13 Broadway Helen Westley set lor 'Primrose Path.' IrvinS MiUs ^ Chicago and li/Iempfals. Ruth Oswald recuperatins from tonsilectomy. Gay Parkes, legit player, back from Nashville. BSerry Macs making Warner short, at Brooklyn trtudio. Morton Van Fraag now in the in- die trailer business. Sol Jacobson ha& joined Richard Maney's publicity staff. Frank GiUmore due back next week from the Coast. Sammy <Stinger) Turner in hos- pital for the past month. Duff Merrick assistant to Joseph Heidt as Tbeatie Guild p. a. Charlie Morrison in and out fast; returning to the Coast on T'riday. Wenonah Keene, legiter, to Pitts- bu::^ ftor opening of *Mice and Men' tour. Caia Logan gets in from the Coast tomorrow (Thursday) for a personal to:^r. George liait, Ken McCaleb and Leonard . Gaynor ' out hunting for pheasants last week. AMFA's first meeting at the Astor tomorrow <Thiu^.), with Maurice Silverstone, G. of H. Charles Collins, Ann Mason and Ellen Hall additions to the cast of *L5.Thinin" for the tour. Lyall Grant, New Zealand picture man, on way to the Coast after busi- ness huddles in New York. Dramatists Guild annual meeting and election of council skedded for Nov. 7 at the Lincoln hotel. Lawrence Tibbett in town for a day after his Australia-New Zealand tour, then .6n the road again. Mrs. Florence Marston, Screen Actors' Guild eastern rep, due back from the Coast early next month. • Par dined aviation dignitaries last night (Tues.) at the Astor, followed by preview of *Men With Wings.' Don Beddoe, legit player, to the Coast on a.Columbia termer. Work- in;? in 'There's That Woman Again.' Sonny Werblin (MCA) due out of Wickersham hosp today or tomor- row, after being laid up a coupla •weeks. ^ Dodie Smith huddling with John C. Wilson for the Broadway pro- cluction of her London play, 'Dear Octopus.' Doyle and Donnelly, the comics, love vaudeville so much they've taken outside jobs—so they can af- ford to lay olf in vaude. Vera Walters, former line captain In Issy Hirst's burley circuit, now operating her own nitcry, 'The Louqge,' in Valley Stream, L. I. Eddie Craven, ex-Mask and Wig- gcr (U. of Penn), ^iven party by members of the club. He's in Phila- delphia as a cast member' of 'Great Lady-' Albert Bein back from Hollywood to proceed with production of his 'Heavenly Express,' which Courtney Burr will present. Robert Steiner xlirecting. United Artists 'poured* yesterday afternoon -at the Bainbow Boom in honor of Ann Sothem, Roland young. Patsy Kelly and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., all featured in recent UA pix. Charles M. Underbill, head of com- mercial films for Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborne advertising agency, back from Pittsburgh, where he supervised flnal shots on U. S.. Steel's four-reel black-and-"white feature. Paris By HUf o Speck Norman Krasna in for lock. Yvette GuUbert to London. Fall nightlife getting underway. Cabaret Chez Frisco Qpen again. Jacques Prevert in from- America. Neuilly has new cinema, Le Re- gent. Jacqueline Laurent in from Holly- 'Wood. Zoltan Korda through on way to Sudan. ' Radio Cite celebrated third a'nni verjsary, Ming Suey Chu to London for ■creen tests. 'I Am the Law' (Col) opened at Lord Byron. New Casino de Paris revue broad- cast over Radio 37; Bruno Walter, the conductor, has become a French citizen. Albert Prejean gone to Hollywood with Andre Daven on vacash. Duvivier going to make 'Le Fin du Jjour' ("The End of the Day'). Maurice Chevalier given Red Rib bon for 'piropaganda' abroad. Kirsten Flagstad of the Met Opera, Bang Tristan and Isolde' here. • Margaret Bryson, Izelle Poulfe and Sylvia Lamarr in after English tour. Henry Diclcson and Goupil, two well known singers, died on same Emmdnuel Zama leaving Columbia to ioin new local company, which he'll head. Marie Glory back from Rome, Where she made 'Terre-de Feu' with Tito Schipa.- Ray Ventura starting public broad casts for Poste-Parisien at Empire theatre on Dubonnet programs. Pernand Gravet and Jane Renou ard in from Hollywood. Gravet says he bas no French films in mind. Jaan Murat oil for Stunt Raphael for exteriors «f "Le Gi^iitaine Benoit,' which Maurice de Canonage is mak- ing. Victor Francen scheduled to play George VI in 'Entente Cordiale,' which Marcel THerbier is making from Andre Maurois scenario. Budapest Irene Falasthy. with husband, Hans Bartsch, to New York. G. B. Shaw's 'Doctor's Dilemma' revived at Vigszinhaz with fair suc- cess. Melcboor Lengyd's new play, 'The Inventor,' to have world premine in London. Siegfried Geyer, Vienna manager, -one of 3canit number of Austrian emigre admitted Budapest Cinema in Ricse,'' a Himgarian vil- lage, sold «t auction for $36 debt Ricse is birSiplaoe of Adolph Zukor. Hannah ^ntby to :play Anna Pav- lova in stage musicsd, 'The White Swan,' -now in preparation at Varosi theatre. , Zarah Leander -faerei taldng a look <at Gizy Bajor in the 'Stage version of Hercieg's 'Blue Fox,' in which she's to be ^tsffred by Ufa. After 'Zwischen. Strom undSt^>pe,' Crerman-Hungarian Bolvary picture is finished at Hunnia, *Leute vom Variete' is next on schedule, Bela Pasztor, who directed -'Red Purse,' Magyar screen musical, chal- lenged Zoiaan Egyed to duel because he felt, insulted by latter's criticism. Egyed hashed director's cheek. Httstaish By Bal C«heii Dad Feath, 75, has retired as Penn theatre doorman. •Y* Playhouse opening season next wedc with Tloom Service.' BUI Pillach in Mexico , on tour wiUi Albertina 'Rasch ballet troupe, Columbia booker Harry Boney out of hospital after a year's illness, Carnegie Tech drama school under way with 'Merrily We Roll Along.' Starr and Maxine off for Fort Wayne, Ind., to join Barney Rapp's unit. Al Mercur' enlarging his Nut House and will double seating ca- pacityi Judge Musmanno revising last half of his anti-war play, 'Last Full Measure' Four Comiques around again after summering -at Gatalina Island's White Cap cafe. Clarence Eiseman, Paul Krumen- acker and Jules Lapidus honored at testimonial dinner Monday (24). L.A. New Mayor (Continued from page 6) put the lethargic police department in motion. When a reporter on the Los Angeles Times, Ben Ezra Ken- daU, who had been helpful to the new mayor, auddenly quit his jour- nalistic chores to find himself head of a police squad whose sole duty is to investigate , complaints that crEi- zens have against members. of the police department That brought plenty of cheers from the galleries. Picture studios and theatres were none tod generous In support of the mayor's election campaign. They sort of ignored it However, last week Chief Davis, who had Capt. Morris Posner assigned to contact studios and theatres, suddenly was shifted into uniform to head a divi- sion. A patrolman who was Posner's aide was given the job. Of course, the chief did the switching, but the mayor did not object Now his investigators are after selling of promotional jobs in the fire and police departments through civil service. "This is making plenty of copy. ■ Bowron is not grabbing main credit but diplomatically this aggressive move brings up his per- centage in the .cleanup column. Break for John Public Hizzoner is planning now for regu- lation of cafes' and dance halls. There will be none of the easy-to- buy - a - drink - for-the-gals hanging around these places when his men get through. As a matter of fact the police department will be so re- vamped that the coppers will be at the service of the citizen. From present plans looks as though the policemen, when making a collar or presenting a traffic ticket will be ending his conversation up with 'I'm sorry I had to annoy you.' Right now, the old gag that was in practice around 48th street and Broadway—chasing 'em oft the Co- lumbia and Palace sunning beaches —is taking place at Hollywood and Vine. The actors who have been in the habit of congregating in that vi- cinity, talking things over and cut- ting up touches, are kept on the move by the harness bulls. LoBdoo Cecil Landeau preparing a onie- hour vaudeville flash for picture the- atres. Eric Bk>re to return to Hollsrwood Friday (26) having ilnlshed picture here with Warner. Bros. Leslie Henson replaces Sir' John Martin Harvey as jpresident of Royal General Theatrical Fund. Diana Ward dubbing ioi the sing- ing voice of Judy KeQy .in Asso- ciated Briti^ Picture, 'R%miere,' now filming at Elstree. Joe Termini, off to New York, re- turns here after six months, as per ministry- of 3sd>or ordrr. Opening Lt>don Colisemn April 17. Walter Forde completed 'The Gaunt Stranger* and immediately ■started work on a new Betty Driver- Jimmy O'Dea subject at Ealing. Teddy Carr, joint managing direc- tor of XTnited Artists, -to take -couple of weeks' holidays in Switzerland around Christmas. Xtactor's orders. Maria Dea, an unknbwn W-year- old French girl, is to play Cleopatra in . Gabriel Pascal's forthcoming :fllm- ing of Shaw's 'Caesar and Cleo- ■patra.' 'The First and the Lajst,' which Basil Dean directed for 'Alexander Xorda, and was then shelved, has been taken by Columbia for its quota program of Denham product Empire, Glasgow, gallery eaved in, luckily aiEter audience left, and ne- -ce^sitated closing theatre for one show, for which a proportionate part of salary was deducted from the acts. '(Seorge and Margaret' wbich ran for nearly a year at Wyndham's, is now -enjoying a new least, of life at the Piccadilly at cut-rp*e. Only show having library deal under those con- ditions. Negotiations pending for Binnie Hale and Jobn Garrick to go into the reconstructed 'Paprika,' which will have a. new name and will be done in the sticks before reappearing in the West End. The Women's Fair, set for the Olympia next month, will bave a $100,000. dress revue, with chorus and several singing and cotnedy sMts interspersed. A special 2,000-seat theatre is being constructed in the building for the Fair. London Coliseum, orijginally in- tended to run pantomime or sea- sonal show for afternoons during Christmas, . with .ixsual vaudeville, twice nightly. Rut has abandoned idea, and wUl ruii extra vaudeville shows instead, making three a day. Elia Isaia, of the Continental hotel, Cairo, here on talent hunt Sidney Burns, local agent, already; lined up for him Lorraine Perle, -for- ; mer second lead in 'Maritza'; Med-: lock and Marlowe, and Hylda Baker. Date calls for four weeks with op- tion. 'All the Best,' at the Opera House, was being diwered for the Hippo- drome, Golder's Green, for two weeks. Cast headed by Stanley Hol- loway, Ross and Stone, Elisabeth Welch, George Lacy, Bredwins, John Tiller -Girls and Betty Driver, plus loads of ^scenery, proved too big a nut, and after being on-and-off Archie Pamell (Pamell & Zeitlin) finally turned it ddWn. acquired Randolph theatre, St Paul, and new house in West St. Paul. Pheasant hunters among theatre and film contingent include Harry Katz, Eddie Ruben, Mait FrosCht Udell Gill, Joe Behan and Charlie Weiner. Sen Ashe, Fergus Falls, Minn., -ex- hibitor, chosen by Northwest Allied to accompany President W. A. Strf- f es 4» New York industry conference as adviser and observer. For first time within recent mem- ory St Paul Orpheum having two successive stage shows—'All-Ameri- can Ice Carnival' topping vaudeville bill currently on heels of Gene Krupa. Lynch Sisters making local nitery bow. at Freddie's. Majority of downtown .niteries closing on Sabbaths, due to slump. No vaude in ^ight. for RKO de- luxer Palaee here for three, weeks. 'Dr.* Arthur -Marcus, magician, booked into DeWitt hotel chain for first time. Louis Depps, baritone at (3edar Gardens, snapped up by Duke l^U- lington on a visit, ' . Jerome Smith, reopening Penn Squiare, in opposition to Henry Pin- -kus of the rival City theatre. Sam Wood, M-G director, here two days to daughter, Catherine Stev- ens, in 'You Can't Take It With You' before sailing for London to direct 'Goodby, Mr. Chips.' New Talent Tieup (Continued from page 1) criminately on various network pro- grams. Jesse Lasky was last'an RKO unit producer. CUcago Sam Herman handling jitterbug contests around this ierritory^. Kroger Babb new advertising di- rector for Filmack Trailer firm. Douglas Fairbanks and frau stopped off on way to the Coast. Beulah Margolis directing little theatre version of -'Counsellor-at- Law.' Merriel Abbott and Charlie Miller into New York to o.o. some eastern talent. Bill Stein planning South Ameri- can visit. Possible brother Herman will go along. Ada Leonard out of hospital finally and at home ~ recuping from ap- pendicitis attack. Joey Jacobson readying for an- other Coast trip to snatch some Chez Paree headlrner^. Earl (xammons in from Min- neapolis for confab witii Les At- lass and midwest CBS chieftains. Tony Owens off the Chi Daily News nitery ad staff and into the publicity biz with Jimmy Luntzel. Gertrude Lawrence on a merry- go-round of femme elub meetinf;£. accounting for much of the . ducat sales for 'Susan and God.' Det Par Bmek on Air Detroit, Oct 25. With a half-hour show over four- station hooikup here. United Detroit Theatres resumed its air bally of flickers last Sunday (23). Broadcast, over WXYZ, WW J, WJR and.WJBK, Similar bookup last winter had in- cluded also CKLW and WMBC here. 'Men With Wings' (Par), which opens at Michigan theatre here next Friday (28), was. adapted into the 'cavalcade of American aviation' pro- gram by Marie Meyer, WXYZ scrip- ter, Show was imder direction of Harry Sutton, Jr. Included a 22-piece band imder Benny Kyte, WXYZ musical direc- tor, with special music by Hank Finney. Dramatic, cast of 16 was under direction of Charles Living- stone; while Theodore Werle was narrartor. WB'a rm Air Bally Pittsburgh. Oct. 25. KDKA has taken over as a sus- tainer of its own daily 'Movie Miaga- zine of the Air* quarts-hour which for the last several months has been strictly a WB promotion. Scripts were written by Joe Feldman, ad- vertising director for Wamew, ,juj spieled by Jack Crane, of circuit publicity department with plugs go- ing exclusively to WB attractions and personalities. Because Warners started the show, they'll' continue, to ^et the biggest break in material used but they won't hog it as in the past Under new set-up. Bill Beal, Of KDKA production department and former announcer, will be in charge, dis- cussing pictures in production, re- viewing current films and adding bit of news and gossip. In future, pro- gram will also be written by studio continuity department. Warners, however, will cooperate with stimfs and special ideas, getting in their plugs in return. MinneapoSs By Les Bees Elissa Landi here for lecture at Woman's club. Bill Mclnerney, of Ruben circuit staf¥, has his ankle out of cast Tommy Rockwell in town confer- ring with Jimmy Dorsey at Orpheum. Joe Podoloff, 20th-Fox branch manager back' on handball courts now that his trick knee is o. k. again. Paramount Northwest circuit re- opens rebuilt Grand, re-named Gopher, as 2Sc. first-run house this week (28). Franklin Amusement Co., operat- ing large independent circuit, Seattle Dafly'a Blast - Seattle, Oct. 25, That radio is taking all the thun- der, glamor, suspense and what have you out of the major film' offerings,' with the public reacting after seeing soine of them,- that they were 'cheat- ed'and, in several cases, asking their money back, claiming they had al- ready heard some of the dialog and wisecracks through their receivers from the stars themselves, was thrown wide open to the theatregoers here last week with a blast in the Seattle Star, Scripps p. m. rag. Most of the local theatre heads concur with the front page editorial run in the rag and will give the Writer ad- ditional s^mmunition for followups, it is said. On the inside, it is known that the Star's comment comes from a sheet not kindly to radio and might be the rag's way of slapping back at the radio industry, which has not been at all pleased, since it did not partici- pate in the Movie Quiz spending. Ho%wood BiU Doziu: in ficom N.Y. Roy Disney in from N. Y. Bob Tutlli^ger in frcHn N.Y. Gene., AutTy to Kansas City. Bert Hall bac3( team Europe. Trey Qrr in from Hew York. Dan Eelly in from New York. Albert Ray osA at the hospital. Joseph Schildkraut ailing with flu. Dolph Zimmer recuperating from flu. George Raft in from Astern va» Alan Mowbray back from personal tour. Eddie Moran returned from Eu- rope. Ray Milland crulsini; ^ down the Coast Greorge Stevens vacationing at Del Monte. Luise Rainer On a six months' va- cation. F. JBamett llcCormick planed in from N.T. Binnie Samcs laid up with an in- jured eye. Mai St Clair back to work afier flu attack. Clarence Ericl^n returned from Mai^ttan. Bob and Mrs. Burns to Honolulu for a month.' William -BYawley laid up with an injured foot Johnnie .('Scat') Davis back from eastern torn'. Les Mason on the job after a month's illness. Bernie Williams recuperating from serious illness, Johnqy Miles to Las Vegas for his sister's funeral Charles Hogg changing his name to Buddy Baker. Henry King working agai three weeks'illn^s. Joel McC2<ea.iand.I^wices Dee back from eastern vacash. Pandro Berman fishing for steel- heads at Rogue River. Tom Petty back at the Hays office after: ivoTibi^ vacadi. Leon Schlesingerand Eddie Black- bium fishing in Oregon. Mary C^lisle recovering from emergency .appendectomy. Mrs. Kerstin Wljmark here from Sweden for studio interviews. R. Xj. Csant here trom London on his way back to New Z^iand. • P^gy Montgomeiy ilL postponed her wedding .to Gordon D. Ayres. Samuel CrOldwyn back from play- hunting expedition on Br<iadway. Gregory Dioksons and Carroll Dunnlngs celebrated wedding anni- versaries. Russell Hayden and bride, Jane Clayton, returned from Arizona honeymoon. ' Tom Moore back to^ woric after three weeks in bed,with a fractured vertebra; sustained in a fall from a horse. iSHxvueO. Axnow and Jerry Hoff- man linin^^ qp ^bow for The Helper^ annulBl bentilt for the Children'* Clinic, lliank^eiving Eve, at Bllt* moreUowl. Sigrid Onsgin In for -concert. Rugglero RiCeli, American violinist, guest performed-here. DusoUna Giannini performancea, filling the Statte Opera. Japanese baXlet Taharazoeka'mak- ing season tour of Germany and Italy. Terra film* with an outfit of 52: to Trii>oli ior 'Revblt in Damascus* estteriors. Monuments ior composers Richard Wagner, Anton Bruckn^ and Hugo Wolf to be set np in Vienna. Film-luminary -couple, Magda Schneider and Wolf Albach-Retty, annoxmce arrival of offspring. Dr. Arnold Faiick off to Chile with staff of 15 to ^oot exteriors on ati- thentic grounds for Bavaria film, 'Robinson.' Lilian Harvey In Rome, co-brack- eting with Vittorlo de Sicca in Astra film, 'Castles in the Air'; direction* Augusto (Senina. Vienna Volksopef turned into municipal theatre .for classical dime > opera.- Curtain tin'this month with Beethoven's 'Fidelio*' Ooen-air stage under construction on Lorelei rock on'the , Rhine with seating capacity lor' 4fiOO and 10,000 standees. Onening early 1939.' By John Qoinn Les Durland, Monogram exchange manager, spendini; several days in the hospital .after auto accident.' U. S. Navy Band set for a concert in the. Music Hall Sunday <30) for benefit of K.C. Post's Christmas fund. Lily Pons a £uest of the American Royal horse show while stopping here a few days before going on to an Omaha concert. Lang Thompson orchestra moves out of the Muehlebach grill Nov. 5. Grill then to be closed two weeks for renovating. Thompson to a Dal- las hotel. Jack Moffitt, Paramount scripter and former film editor of the Star.- bunking in town while readying script of 'I'm from Missouri* as Bob Biirns' next film. \