Variety (Feb 1939)

S2 VARIETY UTEibkTI Wednesday, Februarj 15, 1939 CoBln—$5S Pabllshcr Dream Of most newspapermen, at odd moments, at least, is to create a completely and violently independ- ent journal. So says Bernard Coffin, anyway, and to demonstrate, despite WiUiam AUen White, that it's still possible to start a paper and make it pay with an 'idea and a shirt-tail lull of type,' Coffin, after yeais of newspaper worlc in various cities, has become a publisher. At a cost of $55, Coffin has brought out first issue of a monthly. Repub- lic of Letters, which he describes as *a literary newspaper.' Publication has no editorial policy, says its sponsor, except a savage de- termination to have no editorial policy. . Simply a mag of ideas, and is accepting articles by anyone free to say anything on any matter pro- viding he says it with passion and conviction. Will be vulgar, high- brow, profane and pious, as neces- sary, but not for anything or against anything. 'Also,' says Coffin, 'it seems de- sirable to try -and kidnap poor liter- ary criticism from the reviewing harems where it is, to a great ex- tent, being killed with kindness and cream puffs by perfect ladies and mental eunuchs, -give it some red blood transfusions, fill its belly with the raw meat of thought and send it out to romp in the world of men un- der its own power.' ProUfloacy, Ine. Association of Whitman Publish- ing Co., Racine, Wis., said to turn out most pulp reading matter in the world, and Fred Maclsaac, one ot most prolific scribblers in America, is resulting in new series of paper- bound pulp novels to be sold In the Woolworth stores at record low of 10c. Whitman publishing eight novels by Itlaclsaacs under general label of '20th Century Thrillers,' with the eiuthor using six sign tures on the lot Some of the nanies employed, besides his own, -are Donald Ross and Kasper Kane, First print .order, said to be in the rature- of a test, is 250,000 copies for ell eight If registering, there will be 250,000 copies of each title there- after, with Maclsaac to deliver eight more boolcs. for publication in three months. Although characterized as new stories, novels are said to be actually reprints of serials by Mac- Isaac In various mags. & Ives has no desire to publish and quite likely it will unload Covici, Friede as soon as a' good deal can be made. Galee's Cookery Book As Crosby Gaige becomes less ac- tive as a play producer, his rep as a gourmet grows. Now moves into the front rank of epicures with his adaptation for American publication of 'Madame Prunier's Fish Cookery Book.' Julian Messner has the choice morsel's publishing rights, and will bring out the volume in the spring. Although reputedly world re- nowned, Gaige's work on the book makes it availal>le to American users for the first time. Volume has around 1,000 fish recipes. Gaige possesses, a hand press at his estate, and intermittently turns out limited editions on various subjects. Fish thing too big a publishing project for him, however, and hence It gets regular publication; Funk Branches Oat Since the demise of The Literary Digest which he headed, besides the Fiink' & Wagnalls book publishing enterprises, Wilfred J. Funk has rapidly been extending his mag ac- tivities. Becomes active head of Kingsway Press, which publishes Your Life magazine, succeeding- Bert C. Miller as prez. Has also formed the Your- self Publishing Co. as the parent for the recently-issued Your Personality magazine. Additionally . readying still another mag, .to preem next month. Associated with Funk in his enter- prises is Douglas L. Lurton. Latter also editor-in-chief of the periodi- cals. Wholesale Writing The distaff side of the scrib- bling profession has a notable pair in Ruby M. Ayres and May- sie Grelg, who'pound out fiction at a prolific rate. While most book authors coiit aider a volume a year good work, the Misses Ayres and Greig do at least six. 50 Books ot the Boyla Gels Pa. Post Havey Boyle, sports editor of PittS' burgh Post-Gazette, has been named one of Pennsylvania's three state boxing commissioners by newly' elected Governor. James. It will mark his third term on board. He formerly served nine years under Governors Pinchot and Fisher, los' ing out in 1935 when Democrats snatched control of State government from GOP. Post pays $5,000 a year and ap- pointment is for duration of gov- emor' term. Boyle will continue his sports pillar on morning dally, as he did during previous terms on com- mission. Morning Journal for two years, then joined the old Morning Press as drama crick and copy reader. Went to the World in 1910, and in 1919 joined the American. Survived by widow and a son. George R. Holmes, 44, manager of the Washington, D. C, bureau of In- ternational News Service, died Feb. 12 of a heart attack in the Capital. A brother-in-law of Stephen T. Early, secretary to-President Roose- velt Holmes began his newspaper career in 1914 on the Indianapolis Sun. Later went to the N. Y. office of AP, and subsequently to the old N. Y. MaiL Joined Washington staff of INS in 1916, becoming chief of the bureau in 1920. He was a former prez of the Gridiron Club. WlllUm A. Dill, 57, formerly night manager of the AP Chicago office, and more recently associate profes- sor of journalism at University of Kansas, died Feb. 8 of a heart at- tack in Lawrence, Kans. Widow, three sons, daughter, and three sis- ters survive. George .B. Hippard, 70, veteran Los Angeles newspaperman, - died Feb.'8 of a heart attack at his home there. He had been m.e.' of the Columbus (O.) Dispatch and Spring- field (ni.) Daily News, c.e. and m.e. of the San Francisco Examiner.' He went to the Los Angeles Evening Herald in 1929, and was with paper's successor. Evening Herald-Express at time of his death. I Covghlln Pab . Loses Salt Two $200,000 suits, filed by Fath- er Coughlia's Social Justice mag and the Morris Press, Inc., Detroit, against each other, and both silleging breach of contracts, were settled out of court last week in Detroit with radio priest's publication shelling out $12,500 to the printing firm. Latter had gone Into bankruptcy since filing Its suit, which charged mag was behind in its paper bill, had given notice of cancelling con- tract and had taken business to a Chicago printing firm. Publication charged in its suit that printer breached Its one-year con tract by failure to publish {he May 2, 19.38, issue of Social Justice. Menke's Sports Tome Frank' G. Menke, sports expert, has Issued . The Encyclopedia of Sports,' confining 320'pages and covering 118 subjects. For the pres- ent Menke is ignoring his sports record book. New publication stresses the his- tory of each sport and represents three years of research. Menke's work Is not for general ■ale, 5,000 copies being printed. Of that number 4,000 bave been, given to sports editors and others who helped supply information. Remain- ing 1,000 will be offered for sale. Fiction Honse's Bargain . Bargain in book reprints is the new mag project of Fiction House. Throwing two complete novels be- tween mag covers under the general title of Two Complete Detective Books, to sell for 25c. Idea is that of T. T. Scott, with Malcolm Reiss, editorial director for Fiction House, picking the books for reprints. - Reprint rights to pub- lished works bought outright for the I tlon after 23 years at the old one. CHA'TTEK George Ade 73. ^ Wilfred Funk on a cruise to Rio. Van Campen Heilner to England. Vicki Baum still does her writing In German. Liberty bought Steve Fisher's 'Opening Night' Henry Castle back to Chicago, and wiU finish a new book there. Vic Bloom, the new editor of Film Fun, succeeding Lested 'Grady, D-D Issuing Margaret Lane's blog of Edgar Wallace on March 10. Daphne du Maurl^r's sister, An- gela, has written her first novel. Rubin R. Dobin has gotten his Pan- American Book project under way. Burrows Shetland trying his hand at a whodunit for the first time. Grosset & Dunlap in a new loca- Psychology's Takeover Psychology mag has bought Prac- tical Psychology and Modem Psy- chologist, union to be under title of thi first-named. Leaves only Popu- lar Psychology outside of the com- bine. Takeover does liof ^n■cluae edilo: rial staffs. Eldorado Field, femme. Is Psychology's editor. Cevlol-Frlede StUi Fnnctlons - Despite occasional loss of an au- thor to other publishing houses, Covici, Friede, which went into bankruptcy ^ome months ago, con- tinues to function- now under dhrec- tion of Richard R. Smith who had been called in as consultant Covlcl, Friede operations being conducted from quarters of principal creditor, Little & Ives, book manu- facturer. Smith continuing his own publishing biz besides. ' Not lik«]y that Covlcl, Friede. will eontlnue ipdeflnitely, however. Little purpose. Stent Befnses Offer for Dally J. David Stern, publisher of the New York Post refused an offer for' the purchase of the dally last week. He was approached by two New Yorkers following his statement to the Newspaper Guild that he would be forced to fold the sheet unless a. second wage slash were granted. Stern . denied to the prospective purchasers that the paper was either ,for sale or about to die. NEW PERIODICALS Modern Girl and Camera Classle added to Lex Publications chain, Former aimed at the gay, young set and latter ii a wholly 'pictorial af- fair. M. R. Reese, who edits most of the Lex periodicals, also editing t;.e newcomers. ' The Compass, devoted to. 'various aspects of literature and a sprinkling of the arts.. Published bi-monthly, with hopes of going monthly. Edi- tor is William Peterson. , . Detective and Mnrder Mysteries joins the Blue Ribbon Magazines chain with a March issue. For Married People Only Is mag designed as marital guide. Spon- sored- -by - Astro- Publishing - Gov -with a couple of medicos as editors. LITEBA'n OBITS THIS WEEK ' Eleanor Glendower Griffith, '68, fiction writer, died last week in New York after an illness of six weeks. William Bell Bamsay, 49, manag- ing editor of the Sharon, Pa., Her- ald, died Feb. 10 of heart disease Was unmarried. John' O'Kccfe, for the past 20 years a copy reader on the various Hearst N. Y. papers, and last on the copy desk of the Journal and Amer lean, died Feb. 9 at his' home in N. Y. after an illness of two months. Coming to N. Y. in 1895, O'Keefe served as book reviewer on the old Frank Adams sold his novel, 'The Fathers of Madelon,' to Aed Book. Irving Tressler in Florida, writing a takeoff on 'With Malice Toward Sortie.' Frances Loomis, the National Pub- lications editor, a Camp Fire Girls leader. The Roy W. Howards and Mrs. Robert Scripps off for the Mediter- ranean. Poet's Press wiU bring out book of poems by Gladys Shelley, the actress. Max Harrelson, of AP cable desk, leaves end of the month for London AP bureau. Samuel G. BIythe, hurt In a fall, recuperathig at his home in Pebble Breach, CaL 'VThen not penning those who dunits, Clayton Rawson perfects his magic tricks. Continental Press Syndicate has five more dailies for its play, film and book pieces. Arthur Davison Ficke doing book built around his 'Mrs. Morton' stories In Esquire. Elguia Publishing Co. formed by Manuel Jamardo for a foreign' language periodical. Like G. D. H. Cole, Edward Ache son is an economist"who "authors whodunits on the side. Charles Kaufman's book, Tiesta in Manhattan,' will be published' this spring by Morrow. Norma Patterson taking a Hono- lulu vacash after selling a new novel to McCall's for serialization Essandess to publish another book by Its editor, Quincy Howe, called 'Bipod Is Cheaper Than Water.' Grosset Sc Dunlap (^ringing out small book by Edgar Bergen on 'How to Become a V6ntriIo<xuIst* Down BeaV the mag, issuing 'Down Beat's Yearbook of Swing, containing a heap ot swing data. Book and Magazine Guild giving a cocktail party Friday (17) for the designers of the Year. Ralph Taylor doing • biog of the late Charles Cbapin, famed one-time city.^d of ^the old N. Y. Evening World. " Hugo Garber, Identified with nunt her of publishing enterprSes; is entering the book-publishing field on his own. Elizabeth Stockton Woodward, as- sociate ed of the Ladies' Home Journal, the bride of PhilUpe Magdelain. Saturday Night Magazine, pub- lished in Los Angeles, reported a number of times as; Imminently fold- ing, has quit After penning all those taleu about aviators and aviation, Rodney Deer- field has finally decided to get a plane hlmseflf. Mickey MacDougall's card trick book hits stands Feb. 23 from Gray- stone Press. Calling it 'Gamblers Don't Gamble.' Gilbert Grosvenor, editor of Na- tional Geographic Magazine, back at work after a Florida respite with Mrs. Grosvenor. George Scullen has quit the Faw- cett mags to join Macfadden as asso- ciate ed of True Detective' and Mas- ter Detective Magazine. After five years In charge of the Washington bureau of the Raleigh (N. C.) News and Observer, Robert (Fleet) Williams has been re- turned to Raleigh to cover the state legislature. Montreal Tercentenary Commis sion has under consideration a plan offer two prizes of $1,000 each for the best history of Montreal Commission would publish winning manuscripts. Clifton Fadiman doing just a brief prefatory note for the game book on 'Information Please,'- which Simon & Schuster wUl bring out this sum- mer. Previously announced he was doing the book. TAC Magazine has a new book column to cover books dealing with all the entertainment axis. Eleanor Flexner, author of 'American Play- wrights, 1916-1038,' Is new addition to the mag's editorial staff. Coincident with Its. second month- ly Issue, Bandwagon mag changed ita title to Bandmagazine. Oachestra fan sheet discovered a mag pub lished in Oklahoma under a simDar title though not connected with mu sic. Brian O'Brien, who has a series of five articles on 'Mystery of Africa' currently In American Weekly, on a Raymond & Whitoomb African cruise as expert and lecturer. Has done a book, 'Beating About the Bush.' Maude Smith Delavan, whose The Rumelhearts of Rampler Avenue' has been sold * to Columbia by Jacques Chambrun for filming, will have a sequel, 'A Rumelheart Must Roam,' to be brought out by Stokes next month. L. P. Lessing, former m. e. of Bul. letin-Index, Pittsburgh's weekly class mag, now on Fortune's staff 'While Frank Zachary, also a B-I alunlnus, has just been named For- tune's picture ed for New York World's Fair. Northvllle Record, one of Michi- gan's oldest weekly newspapers, 'was sold last week by Richard T. Baldwin to William Canfield, part owner of the Livingstone County Press, of Howell, Mich. CanfieM sold inter- ests In the Press to former partners. American Newspaper Publishers Assn. 'Will hold its 53d annual con- vention at the Waldorf, New York, April 25-28. In keeping with long- established procedure. Associated Press will hold its annual member- ship meethig day preceding the ANPA convention opening, also at the Waldort Basic material In four books on the theatre •written by Clayton HamU ton, as well as some new material on thie same subject has been gath ered by him for a volume. Theory of the Theatre,' which Holt wiU bring out next month. Burns Mantle, the N.Y. Daily News drama crick, has written a- preface, With all vacations and leaves, ssji^ ■ etUed because" bi 'lHe 'tense 'politi- cal situation abroad, Hugo Speck, VAHinrT mugg in Paris, couldn't sail for America, where he was to have married his hometown Texas sweet- heart Many other foreign corre- spondents have been so-advised by their news services, newspapers, eto. The American Boy has called for ,radio script writers through ad in 'writers' trade paper. Mag hopes for one of several national sponsors, now Interested, who advertise in the mag and will have writers and ma- terial all lined up and ready. Frank lln M. Reck, managing editor, han- dling. ' His new book on transpor- tation Is choice of Junior Literary Guild. London Gross (Continued, from page 51) week). Despite being universally eked about by the press, has done y well, doing S8,000 the first week., lies good for at least three months, ear Ootopns,' Queen's, (22d we^k). Has been moneymaker since the' start, having done practically apacity, $10,000, for several months, s still making , hefty profits at around $9,000. George and Margaret,' Piccadilly (50th week). Playing to cheap prices, but still in' the money. Closes this week to $4,000, which is still profit- able. 'French Without Tears' re- places and will also play at bargain prices. 'Geneva,' St James's (11th week). Transferred from' Sa'ville. but has made no difference to the intake, which is very healthy at around $7,000, with hefty advance bookings. 'Goodness, How Sad,'. Vaudeville (15th week). Has made money, having exceeded $5,000 in its early career, and even now,' despite gross- ing only $3,000, still yields a profit as overhead is very low. ■Me and My Girl,' Victoria (2Dd year). Has made fortune and is still making plenty. One of the wonders of show business. Better- ing $16,000. Looks like ifU cele- braite a second anniversary. Magyar Melody,' His Majesty's (3d week). Started slowly, with $5,000 weekly library deal for six weeks. Doing $9,000, which gives it an even break. Expected to improve, and may live up to expectations. 'Number Six' Aldwych (6th week). Started off like a hoiise on fire, and reaped big kids' trade, bettering $7,000. Is now nearer $5,000, which shows slight profit Expected to stay for weeks, unless It drops below the $4,000 mark. 'Boom for Two,' Comedy (20th week). Has made money, even on its two-for-one ticket Now doing $3,500, but Hugh Wakefield, who authored as well as. stars, wants show. to linger, so as to reestablish him- self in the West End, where he has not appeared for some time. 'Robert's Wife,' Globe (51st week). Has made A lot of money for the H. M. Tennent outfit having grossed as high as $10,000 many weeks. Took a dive lately, bare^ doing $5,000. Will return to West End (Savoy), , opening at reduced prices, following a road tour. . •Banning Blot,' Gaiety (18th week). A disappointment as far as Leslie Henson^s musicals are concerned. Was expected to run well into the summer, as is usual with thwe Gaiety shows, but won't stay ihe distance. Doing around $7,500, which is about even break. Unl^ business picks up, will close Feb. 25. 'Spring Meelhig/ Ambassadors (34th week). Has made money, at times exceeding $5,500. Even now, at $4,500, is stUl out of the jed. 'Queen ot Hearts,' Lyceum (6th week). Only pantomime in West- End that's making real coin. Tliea- tre is still most popular spot for this type of fare. Has grossed as high as $30,000 during the festive season, and even now is touching $20,000, and with overhead much below that figure, will have no trouble In stay- ing till March. .,..„. ._ Those Foolish Things,* Palladmm (17th week). The usual Palladium money-sphiner. Exceeded $30,000 for weeks during ite first few months, and has barely been affected by gen- eral stagnation. Now doing around $25,000 on its 14 shows weekly. Is expected to finish some time in May or early June, when house will have its -usual vaudeville session. 'Quiet Wedding,'- Wyndham's (16th week). Not making any money, al- though helped by library deal the first few weeks, which, however, was not renewed. Now doing* around $5,500, which yields slight profit and if it doesn't fall below this, can linger for a few more weeks. The Corn Is Green,' Duchess (15th week). One of season's outstanders. Doing steady $6,000, which Is prac- tically capacity for this-small hoxise. The Fleet's Lit Up,' Hippodrome (24th week). Opened with bang, do- ing $20,000 for several weeks, but dropped off, with some weeks below $12,000. In its last week. Production cost $75,000 and it's doubtful whether this has been recovered. ^ The Flashing Stream,' Lyric (21st week). Started well, doing around $8,000 for a few weeks. Took a sud- den dive and Is now barely exceed- ing •$4;50O; "Due for "exif sWrtiy.- Tony Draws a Horse,' Criterion (2d week). Got good press, but «rug- gling at around $3,500 for first stanza. 'Under Yonr Hat,' Palace (10th week). Has played capacity since opening, with not the slightest sign of dimhiution. Doing steady $21,000, and has already beaten 'No, No. Nanette' record of house. Looks good for a-year. They Walk Alone.' Shaftesbury (3d week). Is picking up, and has al- ready paid Its production cost Exr ceeding fiOOO, and at this rate has chance of staying. •When We Are Married,' St.^ Mar- tin's (15th week). Started weU and some weeks exceeded $6,000, very profitable. Has faUed. to keep pace recently, doing $4,500, about an even break.