Variety (Nov 1938)

54 VARIETY Wednesday, November 30, 1938 OBITUARIES FRED liEDGETT Fred Ledgett, 60, equastrian direc- tor, died Nov. 13, at his home in Rocklord 111., after 9 lingering illness. His circus career dates back, to 1892 •when he joined the W. B. Reynolds circus out of his home town, He was bareback rider several seasons with the old Wallace circus, and later joined Sells Bros. He and his former wife, Dallie Julian, were a featured riding act for several seasons with the Barnum & Bailey and Hagen- back-Wallice shows. After they were divorced he married Irene Montgomery, a well known rider and aerialist and elephant performer. He sustained injuries in the Hagen- beck-Wallace train wreck, near Gary, Ind. which ended his career as a performer. He took up directorial work and his first position in that capacity was with the John Robin- son circus. He'latef was with the Sells-Floto, Al G. Barnes and Russell Bros, and, last season with the Seils- Sterllng circus. His widow, two daughters and a brother survive. CHARLES F. GALLAGHER Charles Frederick Gallagher,, of the stage'staff of ^Loew's 'Downtown theatre, Torontp, died in that city, Nov. 21: He was an exi^cutive officer of ToroQta Ibd^e, 58, I.A.T.S.E., and prominent in "Toronto, Lodge, 11, Theatrical Mutual Assn. He had traveled with 'Way pown East' and other touring cbmpanies and later became carpenter, at Shubert's Alex- andra theatre. In the summers he served with ihe Percy Haswell stock Co. ; Two daughters aiid three sons sur- vive, fid^dtment locally,; * WILLIAM FARCHEK William Parcher, 27. died Nov. 17, in Lima, O., frpm injuries received' in a tumble from a theatre marquee while changing signs. He had been identified with Lima theatres for several years. JOHN ROLAND John Ryland, a Negro, well-known as a Broadway theatrical figure, died in his sleep Nov. 23. Details in legit section. Mrs. Ralph L. Atlass, 33, wife of chief of WIND and WJJD stations, died in Chicago, oh Nov. 24 of com- plications following birth of child. Child, four-pound girl, survived. Mrs. Janei Silvers, 41, wife of Louis Silvers, musical director at 20th-Fox, died Nov. 24 in Hollywood. Refugee Fund (Continued from page 1) tickets for art work of internation- ally known illustrators, painters and sculptors, and will not be limited to American artists solely, nor Will sale of tickets be limited to the 100,000 originally contemplated. Estimates of highly valuable art contributions which will be avail- able, judging from the pledges and contributions already received, are that as many as 100 pieces of work will go to holders of lucky numbers. Time and place of holding the raffle are now l>eing worked out. Spanish Aid Too Another relief campaign involving motion pictures is afoot to ship food« Mother, 70, of Walt Disney, died Nov. is in Los Angeles from gas as- phyxiation. Father, 79, recovered after gas filled their Toluca Lake home from a leaky furnace. Mother, 66, of Norman Taurog, film director, died Nov; 27 in Holly- wood after a brief illness. JAMES €ONLET James Cbniey, ^0,^ died ift Boston, last, week, t^ter ah illness of only onie day. For . many years lie was lead feiot for the Wilbur opera co.. IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR I>EAR DEPARTED lillpTHER SASimMOBETTE Wfio Didd Nov. 20, 1929 Her Two Daughtora.. Anna and Lillian Morette singing opposite Susie Kirwin, Maude Daniels and others. He was regarded as a fixture with the troupe, but ?he. retir^.d at the commencement of the World War after 45 years, on the stagje. Interment. was ait • Iddeford, Maine, hia birthplace. .' LOUIS SmDMETH Louise Sydmeth, 70, died in New Yj6rk hospital Nov. 26. She had been under the care of the Actors' Fund. 'A native of-London, she came to America in 1890, and had played in many important productions. Her )ast iinpojrtant part was in 'Lombardi, Ltd.,.' but she more fedently playe^ lov the Guild in.'The Adding Ma chine.' No FTP Cuts Exiles' Revue Hollywood; Nov. 29. A 'Talent in Exile' revue' is being prepared here. Frank Scully, Frank Tuttle, Will Morrissey and Charles K. Gordon are laying plans for local production. (Continuec^ from page 47) operation, scenic shops, wardrobe nd ran^piortation Will be directed by 3d Wards. All employees, front and }a<!k of theatres, will report to Ed- wards. Explained there has been a duplication that the new, setup will eliminate. Instead of handling ad- ministrative details, KondpU will re- quisition frorii Edwards people Bhd materials .needed for presentations. Siihilai'. changes among admlnistra- t6rs of the other arts projects are also-:planned. - ' No Dismissals Planned iSt^ted that while 10 to 12% of the project^ personnel will be shifted from one depai^tment to another, no disihissals,^ except for incqnipetence, lire coqtemplateil. It's been decided, tDp,'''that those in the business and service division^ who leave .WPA to take private employment, will not be replaced'atid" probably will , not be eligible f or., rediistatement. Instead, Edwards ha^ said, unemployed pro- fessionals would' replace them. With the closing of 'On the Rocks', at Daly's 63d' Street this week, only the 'Big Blow'^ill ^remain as a FTP legiter in' the' iheatre zone. With the closing, two houses in the dis- trict under WPA rental will be available. Adelphi is currently being used for rehearsals of 'Sing For Your SupperV opening date , of which is- now;hazily set for some time after New Year's. Charles K. Freeman, of WPA's Chicago production staff, has been switched to New York as assistant to Kbndplf, replacing James R. TJll- man, who .Was sent to the Coast to direct production there. Kenyon Nicholson is reported having been offered the directorship of the Chi- cago project. Present incumbent, John McGee, is reported to have aroused resentment there because of his policies. CHARLES. F. STRUM Charles P. Strum, 65, former circus owner and o>]ne-time concesslori ra,^n- ager for^ Barnuni .& Bailey Circus, died i^ov. 25 at h|s home in Atlanta. Native .of- Lincoln,-. Neb./, Strum Joined a ci;rcus as a youth,. working In o^ice at first iand . later buying his own. show. He was at one time own- er of old circus knowa as Snider's Greatest Shows, United. Brother and' sister-in-law survive. RERNARD M. L. ERNST Bernard M. L. &rnst, 59, ex-head of the Society Of American Magicians, died in New York Nov* 28. He suc- ceeded Harry Houdini as president of' the SoOiety when the latter died and served 10 years in the position. Besides being interested in magic, he was. an attorney. . EDWARD CARLlE Edward Carlle, 60, film actor and! former vaud6 hbbfer, difed Nox^: 25 in Hollywood* of it heart attack. He dropped dead'while danclrig' in a i^eene for I'm From Missouri' on the Pai-atnouilt lot Surviving is his widow. U»S,, Cqncessionaire stuffs to Barcelona for. the Spaniards in dire need there. Move was in- itiated by the London office of United Artists Corp. which has been making weekly shipments of food- stuffs. When Arthur W- Kelly, head of UA foreign department, arrived there recently and heard of the movement, he organized an Ameri- can unit of relief among employees in the home office in New York, Weekly contributions pledged here will be sent to George Archibald in London. Par's Charity With Barney Balaban, president, approving and lending support, to a plan- to increase the scope of the idea, Paramount's h.o. is holding a raffle and bridge party D^c. 16 for the benefit of German : refugees. Ida Wolfe, secretary to Harry Roy- ster, Par theatre executive, and Rose- Morell, sec to Leon Netter, also a Par exec; started the ball rolling in a small, way, but now the entire or- ganization is' getting behind the benefit idea, . Money raised will be turned over for the relief of German refugees of all sects, with raffle pick- ets sold within the company and pos- sibly outside for the raising of pro- ceeds. . The Dec. 16 party which may spread itself into a dance and'en- tertainment, asi well as a bridge and raffle, will be held at the Edison hotel. N. Y.i with an admission charged, probably $1 a head. The International Casino, N. .Y., will sponsor a' mammoth Refugee Benefit Sunday, Dec. 18. With unions cooperating and the International Ca- sino lending its full support, the earnings that night will go to the charity. Antl-Nazl Play Campalcn In a frank effort to arouse Ameri- can public opinion against the Nazis' religious and racial persecution, the New Theatre League, of New 'York, has issued a list of six new anti- Nazi plays, which it is encouraging all dramatic groups to present. Out- fit, in cooperation with the- Ameri- can Jewish Congress, the American League for Peace and Democracy and several other groups, has mailed several thousand announcements of the plays. Among the plays, one of which is published by the U. S. Department of the Interior, are 'The Bishop of Munster,' 'The Informer,' 'The Jew- ish Wife' and 'Independence Hall.' (Continued from page 1) Florida officials figure they will at tract-more notice by arranging the site here. Only portion of the exposition now lagging is that selling of midway concessions. One explanation for backwardness iii getting construction started is that midw&y people do not .want their money tied up more than tvyro or three months before getting Some return. Hence, many will de lay until February or March before rushing construction. BIRTHS Mr. and Mrs; Boris Karloff, daughter, in Hollywood, Nov. 23 Father is film player. Mr. and Mrs. Jay B. Wren, daugh- ,ter, Nov. 24,. in New York, Father is manager Reade's Community, Morristown, N. J.; mother former ^showgirl. Mi^. and Mrs. Bill Sutherland, son; in Pittsburgh, Nov. .19. Pather Is an nouncer ai KDKA, Pittsburgh. News From the Dailies This department contains rewritten theatrical news items as pub- lished during the week in the daily papers of New Yorkt Chicago, San Francisco, Hollywood and l4ondon. Variety takes no credit for these news items; each has been rewritten from a daily paper. East Interstate's Dec. 7-8 Shows Dallas, Nov. 29. Interstate Theatre circuit, headed by R. J, O'Donnell and Karl Hoblit- zelle, will donate entire receipts from 137 theatres on either Dec. 7 or 8 to the refugee fund for Jews from Austria and Germany. Understood film companies will come in on deal with either whole or partial free rentals for the day. On Dec. 8 receipts of Interstate's houses in Albuquerque, N. M., will be set aside for like purpose. Hollywood, Nov. 29. The Hollywood Anti-Nazi League for Defense of American Democracy took a page ad in Daily Variety Tuesday (29) urging the film cap- ital to close its doors to Leni Rie- fenstahl, who Is called head of the Nazi film industry, and a Nazi agent. Ad recalls the visit of Vittorio Mus- solini and remarks, 'Hollywood dem- onstrated its unwillingness to enter- tain emissaries of Fascism.' This is followed by 'There is no room in Hollywood for Leni Riefenstahl.' Film people are also asked to sign a petition for- an economic embargo against Germany. Joseph Binder awarded the prize for the official poster for the N. Y. World's Fair. Annual buffalo shoot at Wain- wright, Can., started last week. Rifllemen will kill 1,200 at Wain- wright and 800 at Elk Island park. Necessary to keep the herd down. Hides and carcasses go to a western meat jpacker. Maria .Caniglla, Giovanni Martin- elli and Nicola Moscona, of the Met, t6 assist in 'A Night of Music' at the Brooklyn Academy tonight. To head a long list of secondary .stars. To encourage musical appreciation. TAC cuts to $1.10 top for its re- vues at the American Music, Hall Sunday afternoons. Fannie Hurst tossed 'a cocktail party Sunday afternoon. Proceeds to help establish Refugee theatre. Held at Nat Eastman studios.' Sid Luckman, of C9lumbia, head man at Loew's Kings, Brooklyn, Mon- day night, when, he-pi^esented Eras- mus High School eleven with the theatre's trophy. School won it for la third year and now has permanent possession. Department . stores putting . in. Christmas attractions. Fraiik Buck is back at Hearns with his animals. Gimbels has a set of tableau of the Lone Ranger; Open to those who buy a 'surprise package' fpr two bits. Another quarter- and .they can be photoed with the Ranger and Silver group. Justice Wasservogel has upheld the State Labor Relations Board in its decision against the Stork club. Club will appeal again.. Macy thanksgiving day parade had a world's fair float with a guard of 10 Grover Whalehs. Photogs more interested in the 24 girls on the 30- foot float. 'What a Life' to give a matinee every, afternoon Christmas week. Cast is on co-op basis; .' American Automobile Assn. to war on spots where the arresting officers- get theirs on a split of the fines. . Robbins Island Clam Co. enjoins private diggers from' lifting claiiis it claims were blown from their leased grounds by-recent hurricahe. States about 10% of the 30,000 bushels they planted - were washed to the-westward by- the big blow. ' Seats for 'Leave It to Me' now' on sale up to Jan. 14^ New Theatre league staged 'Press Time' at the Labor Stage Sunday. Labor melodrama by Jerome Brook- man and Stedihah Coles. - Joseph Pevney staged and played the lead. Carmella Ponselle denies she is go- ing to conduct an agency for opera singers. Just a school to train sing- ers for radio work. Arthur J. Pollard, stock broker, to Reno to obtain a split from his wife, Marion Chase, nite club enter- tainer. Says it's a friendly action to save his wife the trouble of coming over frdm London. . Billy Rose to make change in sil- ver dollars at the Diamond Horse- shoe. Customers less apt to tote them home. . Helen Claire to be giveii an after- theatre supper at the Plaza Dec. 10. Hosts are the Randolph-Macon. Wo- men's College N. Y. Alumni. . Antoinette Perry, to resume audi- tions for American Theatre .Council.' Orson Welles guest speaker at the Finch Jr. college yesterday after- noon. Alice Marble, tennis topper, to go into Sert room at the Waldorf- Astoria as. a singer. Elsie Janls to .> do her Sunday nights at the Music Box instead of the Lyceum, as originally planned. Billy Rose to display reproductions of Diamond Jim Brady's > jewels at his Diamond Horseshoe. Lotte Lehman took out her first citizenship papers Friday in N. Y. Somebody missed something when Ferdinand the Bull was- paraded down B'way by Macy's the day the Disney film opened at the Music Hall —and no tie-in. National Park Service reports that tourists spent more than $5,000,- 000,000 last year. New York state topped with $846,800,000. California Rot a little less than half that, with Pennsylvania third with $227,850,000. Railroads J»ri'ange reduced rates for visitors to the N. Y. World's Fair. Will assure maximum attendance. Ada.gio act headed by Helen Swierk was rehearsing at home last Sunday at Newark. Tossers heaved her so high she dislodged the chan- delier, which fell on her husband, servmg as catcher. He sustained lacerations of his arm, shoulder and scalp. She fell to the floor unin- »]ured. Two white girls who sought the autograph of Fats Waller precip- itated a fight m front of the Turf club early Sunday morning. Waller was about to enter a cab when ap- proached for his signature. The girls' companions reproached them, and started to strike them, Edward Wal- ler, brother of the musician, sought to stop the trouble, was shot by Thomas Keogh, who was beaten in- sensible by the crowd attracted The others decamped. Edward Waller given hospital attention, but not seri- ously hurt. 'I Married an An.Efel' to give a Sta.?e Relief benefit Dec, 11. ^ " Dennis King did a radio broadcast «u,T°''°5?i° Sunday night in place of Philip Merrivale, who was needed here for a dress rehearsal of Tiorelei'. Kinj is co-producer of the show. Zacchlnis, who get shot out of a cannon, in bad with their neighbors at Tampa, where they winter. Suit filed, charges them with maintaining an aviary of rare, but noisy birds a cannon range, wher6 they keep 'in trim for the act, an^ assortment of trapezes, a collection of goats and chickens and a machine shop that interferes with radio reception In the vicinity. Some of the family/work oywjoors on the traps, with very little Clothing, and shout to each other. Suit, seeks compliance with buildine laws. * Coast John Barrymore's Tower Road estate,..costing $448,0D0, goes on the auction block Dec. 10. Layout, over- looking Beverly iHills, consists of two residences, a guest house, two .garden houses, two garages, dog kennels and bowling green. Charles K, Feldman, agent, was sued for divorce in L. A. by ^^rnes- ,tine Hill Feldman, who demands $2,361 monthly alimony and $25,000 attorney fees.., . Income tax liens were filed in L,; A. agjiinst Wesley Ruggles for $35,667 for 1937; Jean H. Feldman, $4,168, 1037: Mrs. Adeline J. SchuK berg, $5,938. 1935, and Alfred E. Green, $3,923. 1937. Bette Davis was sued: for divorce in L. A. by Harmon Oscar Nelson, talent agent. They have been mar- ried six years. Carmel Meyers and her husband, Ralph H. Bldm, were sued for $13,193 in L. A. by Mrs. Maud Dean, who w&s injured in a collision with Miss Meyers' car in 1937. Divorce action against Jan Garber. orchestra leader, was dropped in L. A. Dorothy Garber told the court they were reconciled. ' Genevieve Tobin was exonerated of hit-run driving charges in Beverly Hills. I Lawrence Hazard, film writer, dt'^ vorced in L." A. Darryl Zanuck gave $1,500, Carl Laemmle, Jr. $2,000, and Robert Taylor $200 to the Democratic cam- paigners in the recent state election, according to report of secretary 6( state. . . Jeff Davis, so-oalled King of Ho? bbes, accepted $250 as settlement of his $50,000 claim against Paramount He had demanded the 50 grand for .his services as technical advisor on 'Arkansas Traveler.' . . Norman McLeod, film' director, re^ ported iftlO.OOO burglary of his home in North Hollywood. Henry Wilcoxon. British film player, and Joan Woodbury, screen actress, announced their intention to wed in L. A., Dec. 17. Whitney Bourne reported $15,000 jewel robbery in her Hollywood home while she was in San Fran- cisco * Wynn Craig, film player, filed suit for divorce in Los Angeles against William R. Patrick, aviation execu- tive. MARRIAGES Jean Fines' to Orry Hudson, In Hollywood, Nov. 23. He's sound technician at Warners. Audrey V. Wyckoff, dancer, to Chester Chess, non-professional, «t Bowling Green, &, Nov. 19. Mrs. Pauline Mark Thurston to Charles K. Collins in Harrisburg, Pa., Nov. 22. She's widow of Thurston, . the magician, and ap- peared in his act. , Virginia Curtis to Ronnie Ash- burn in Kansas City, Mo., Nov. 21. He's sports announcer for WREN, Lawrence, Kan. Florence K. Sperl to Hal E. James, in New York, Nov. 23. Bride is casting director of the Compton agency; he's Compton program 'man- ager. Ida Rae Curnett to Arthur S., Lyons, in Yuma, Nov. 24. Bride IS a film player; he's the agent. Marsha Hunt to Jerry Hopper, ln» Santa Barbara, Nov. 23. Bride is- film player; he's assistant chief cut- ter at Paramount. Kay Cornell to Fred Stein, In Pittsburgh, Nov. 27. Bride is a rar dio and night club entertainer. He's a brother of Benny and Norman Stein, N. Y; legit execs. Loretta^ Va'rga to Bob Kliment, m Buffalo, Nov. 23. He's announcer for WEBR, Buffalo.