Variety (Mar 1939)

52 VARIETY LITERATI Wednesday, Marcb 15, 1939 Post Beported Over Bomp . New influx ol coin at the New Yorlc Post has given it another lease on l\te. First step under the hew order of things was restoration to employees of the 10% of their sal- aries which they were 'loaning' baclc to the paper each week. There are several reports as to where the new money came from. One Is that Vincent Astor, who al- ready has much sunk in the Post, put up the additional coin. Another is that Nathan Strauss, U. S. Hous- ing administrator and a close friend of the President, was asked to use his influence with advertisers. League Bulletin by Helen Christine Bennett, of the Guild Council. Deficit held to be not alarming, It being pointed out that it's only around $7.50 per capita. Expressed, remedy Is an increase In member- ship, article revealing that there are from 4,000 to 6,000 writers eligible to join the organization who are not now members. Article maintains that this In- creased membership would not only enable the Authors' Guild to pay its way, but would enable nmch more advantageous contracts from pub- lishers. More on Whodnnlts Whodunit book project, along new lines being undertaken by a new.or- ganization. Thrift Publishing Co., headed by David E. Toplitz and Harold HaimowitzL Details being guarded for the time being, but un- derstood to utilize mail order along extensive lines. Whodunits m book form still bread and butter' for many of the publishing houses. Never assume best-selling proportions, but most manage an edition or two. That rep- resents small but steady profit Digest Exeo Sues Time . A $50,000 libel suit against Time, Inc., was started in the, N. Y. fed- eral court by George F. Havell, pub- lisher of Th& Literary Digest, yes- teday (7). Suit involves articles 'written by Time in the March, 1938, Issue when the Digest appealed to iO,000 of its subscribers for aid to help continue publication. The plaintiff asserts that he was not rebuked by the Audit Bureau of Circulation, or ordered to return moneyi as reported .by Time. .Involved Fobllshlne Finance Federal Judge Arthur J. Tuttle has directed four. Michigan iiublish- ers, directors of the Federated Pub- lications, Inc., to surrender 33,500 shares of. corporation stock, valued at about $700,000, and to pay $45,246 to corporation. Involved are Albert li. Miller, president; Louis A. Weil, Sr., Louis A, Well, Jr., and Stanley W. McFarland. Order conforms with ruling of court of appeals at Cincinnati, in which higher court overruled Fed- eral Judge Edward J. Moinet, De- troit, the decision being based on a suit brought by Lewis Ashman, of Deerville, m., a stockholder. Al- though the four had originally been charged with fraudulent depressing of stock prices, the high court ruling noted that the fraud charge had been dropped and credits the four with having avoided a financial debacle by practicing strictest economies. Neal O'Hara Does Hnmor McNaught began syndication Mon- day (13) of a daily humorous topical dispatch by Neal O'Hara as a belated successor to Will Rogers. Agreement is for Id years, with more than 25 papers already contracted, McNaught claims. Type of feature not a new one for O'Hara. Did a similar one for the old N. Y. World for years until the paper folded. More recently has been doing a daily feature on unusual facts. 'Take It from Me,' which he will continue in addition to the new one. Co-incidentally, Waverly House, Boston book publisher, is preparing to issue a volume of O'Hara's news- paper columns under the title of •Take It from Me.' Bochester News' Tmstee George W. Hinman of Mt. Morris, former assistant managing editor of the Rochester Journal-American, has been named temporary trustee of the Rochester Evening News'. Order signed by Federal Judge Harold P. Burke on petition of employees, who it is imderstood, received httlei or DO pay. for ihree. weeks. Hinman wlU supervise the 'firm's business at least until April, "when .Its future status will be determined. News, which was established in August in the Journal-American building, had an agreement with employees , to take half of their pay In stock. Paper claims 25,000 circu- lation, but has been unable to sign up some of the larger- stores' adver- > tislng - or to get as' many of the smaller establishments as expected. Cathollo Paper Baps W. W. 'ScaUlons for WincheU' is the Utle of a blistering editorial in the cur- rent issue of The Evangelist, organ of the Albany Catholic Diocese. Paper berates him for a squib which appeared locally in Hearst's Times Union, that his 'most trusted source' tipped him three .weeks before that 'Pacelli would be the next Pope,' but he did not print It, to his sorrow. States The Evangelist: 'But it took the wise-cracking Peeping-Tom of American columnists, Walter Win- cheU, to tell the world he had had previous inside ' dope but out of courtesy had refrained from handing It to the public. Such consummate nerve is astounding but. not nearly so astounding as the fact that certain otherwise sensible people fall for his line. Some of your own pet seal lions to you, Winchell!' They Learned How Couple of young stage performers, Louise Howard and Jeron Criswell, hnvlng learned what It takes to reach Broadway, have put their findings between book covers. Book is called •How to Crash Broadway,' and they're publishing it themselves, Bound in paper, it has a foreword by Barrett H. Clark, director of the Dramatists Play Service of the Dra matists Guild. . . Two other book$ in similar vein being prepared by Miss Howard and Criswell, 'How Your Play Can Crash Broadway' and 'How to Crash Tin- Pan Alley.' Last-named is 'as told by Arthur Jones,' and will have. a foreword by Sammy Kaye. Authors' GnUd in Bed Authors' GuUd of the Authors' IiCague of America has a deficit of $29,619.59, with a membership of a little less than 4,000, according to an article In the - current' Authors' New Social Group New organization of N. Y. news- paper workers, and declared by its sponsors as strictly foir social pur- poses, is the Progressive Newspaper Men!s Cliib. Prime movers are Ar- thur Langdon, James Martin, Ever- ett Moodhe, Gordon W. Hinman and Henry Foster. Officers to be elected shortly and by-laws drawn up, whereupon or- ganization plans to acquire dub- rooms in the Grand Central area. Present - membership wholly drawn frpm papers whose plants are situ- ated in that locality. . Onlld Loses Decision The Appellate Division, by a 3-2 vote, affirmed the decision of City Court Justice Charles J. Duncan, Al- bany, that 16 editorial-news em- ployees of ' the Press Company dropped in the merger of Gannett's Knickerbocker News (morning) and Albany Evening News (afternoon) July 1, 1937, are not entitled to va- cation pay totaling about $1,S00. They received severance pay, said to have been approximately $5,000, but sued for sums representing two weeks' additional vacation stipend. The closeness of the Appellate Division vote may lead to an appeal to. the Court of Appeals, the case rei>ortedly being considered very Important by the American News- paper iGuild. Stodgy Bookmen Electrified First instance of a press book a la film style gotten out in. connection with the publication of a book is that for Russell Birdwell's 'I Ring Door- bells,' published by Messner. Bird- well's idea, of course, and the work of his staff just sis if It were for a new film production. . More than 1,000 of the press books have gone out to booksellers, and said to be an eye-opener to the bookmen. Numerous suggestions for publicity, exploitation and advertis- ing in sharp contrast to the average book promotion, which rarely, goes beyond a showcard. Anthor-Pnbllsher In line with expansion of his pub- lishing activities, Ben Sussman, who's been publishing a number of special- ized books under his own name, has formed the Lujen Publishing Co, Continues at the same quarters, but with an increased sked. Change in imprint prompted by the fact that Sussman is also one of his own authors. Thinks it will look better if his name is not down both ways. MaoMlilan's eO-Centcrs Increasing popularity of low-priced books on topical subjects has lured Macmillan into taking a flyer into that field. CaUhig it the People's Library, with the volumes priced '9t 60c. Has three book subjects as a starter. People's Library books to be selected by a group comprising George P. Brett, Jr., the Macmillan head, and Charles A. Beard, Lyman Bryson and Morse A. Cartwrlght Savannah Writers Conference First of the regional writers' con- feirences set for the new season is that of the Savannah Writers' Con- ference to be held April 6-8 at Arm strong Junior College, Savannah, Ga Literature in general to be dis cussed, with Allen Tate, Caroline Gordon, Andrew Lyttle, John Peale Bishop, Samuel Gaillard Stoney and (George Stevens among the scribblers and literary mentors down for lectures. Astro DIstrIb Expands Astro Distributing Co., mag pub- lishers, which has been extensively adding to its list of periodicals of late, has formed a new affiliate, Guide Publishing Co. VTants to get exclusive use of the name nationally before employing it for an added publishing undertaking. Heading Astro are Arthuf; J. Ber^- hard and Morris SJ Latzen.' land, Mass., Demond served on the old N. Y. World, Chicago Herald- Examiner and Omaha Bee before go- ing to California for AP. Walter L. Doyle, 44, secretary and treasurer of the New Britain (Conn.) Record Co., and former publisher of the New Britain Record, -now de- funct, died in New Britain, March 7. Besides his widow, ha leaves his mother and a daughter. Willis Vernon-Cole, 57, American novelist and poet, died Thursday at Luynes, France, where he had made his home* for the past 12 years. Na- tive of Detroit, "Vernon-Cole was for many years prez of the Writers' Guild of America. Widow and a son survive. Charles E. Harrison, 70, formerly an editorial writer on the old Brook- lyn (N. Y.) Standard Union, died Friday at his home in N. Y. Born in Illinois, Harrison began newspaper work in Lowell, Mass. Served on the Standard Union for more than 30 years vmtil his retirement Daugh- ter survives. Bystander Press Starts . After some months in ironing out details, new book-publishing house. Bystander Press, finally getting started. Has quit its temporary Rockefeller Center quarters for per- manent offices on Fifth avenue, and has placed its first book on the presses for publicatipn late this month. Officers of Bystander Press are Jesse Sholkin, prez; Norman Laid- hold, treasurer, and Sidney Mehlman, sec. Sholkin also the firm's editor. NEW PEBIODICALS Key Magazine, mag of home enter- tainment with retail liquor store out- let, bows in April 20. Publisher is Key Syndicated Services Corp., headed by Paul White, who also edits. Victor Rosen, recently with Tom Fizdale, is managing editor. Periodical to appear mon^ly, with first issue to go to 100,000 copies. Photo Bevlew, new monthly sub- titled Headers Digest of Photog- raphy,' makes its bow April 1. Pub- lisher is Dagobert D. Runes, who has a number of other mags, with Margaret G. Kenney editing. Asso- ciated on the business end is CHiarles H. Desgrey, formerly prez of Phy- sical Culture Publishing Co. Initial print order is 80,000. Uncanny Tales, latest in current vogue for weird story mags, is new link in Red Circle chain of periodi- cals. Publication bi-monthly, with Robert Erisman editing. Hlnlatare Bailroadlng, monthly for the model railroad fan. Sponsored by Penn Publications, with Harold V. Loose editor, and Louis H. Hertz doing an assist. LITEBATI OBITS THIS WEEK George Bnohanan Fife, 69, N. Y. newspaperman, died Sunday in Queens, N. Y. Bom in CharlestoWn, Mass., Fife began his newspaper career in 1803 on the staff of the N. Y. Sun. Became assistant city editor of the old N. Y. Mail and Express two years later, and aside from a period as managing editor of Harper's Weekly served on the N. Y. Journal, Post, Times, old Evening World and Mirror. Also authored a couple of books and a play. At the time of his death was on . the pub- licity staff of the N. Y. World's Fair. Third wife survives. Henry BIsIng, 70, editor Spokane Evening Chronicle many years and dean of Pacific northwest news papermen, died March 6 at his Spokane" (Wash.) home from throm bosis. Hp joined Chronicle as re- porter iri 1893, became managing editor year later. C. Norman Stevens, 39,. manager of the Philadelphia office of Paul Block and Associates, died in St Agnes hospital, Baltimore, Friday (10) night following an operation, Stevens, who lived in Philadelphia, has been an executive of many papers, including the New York American, the Boston Record and the Washington Times - Herald. Widow, father and a sister survive. Gerald F. Marshall, 46, on the staffs of the Ahnenberg mags. Radio and Screen Guide, and former news- paperman, died last week at his home in Port Washington, L. I. For merly on the news staff of the N. "S Times, Marshall worked on mags ii N. Y. and CJhicago. Survived by wife, two daughters and mother. John Leonard Gregory, 76, veteran Atlanta newspaper advertising man died last week at his home. He had been connected with The Atlanta Journal and Constitution. Charles Taylor Demond, 82, -vet- eran newspaperman, died last week in San Diego, Cal. Native of Rut- CHATTEB Elspeth Huxley to London. Rosita Forbes to the Bahamas. John Erskine back from Florida. Westbrook Pegler at Coral Gables, Vincent Sheean going to the Coast .Van Ness Chilk back from Mexico. Elsa Heporauta, the Finnish novel- ist here. Maurice Hindus crossing the coun- try on a lecture tour, ■ The Sam Geisons' baby has been named Heywood, after Broun. Bess Streeter Aldrich getting ready to return to Nebraska. Henry R. Luce back in N. Y. from his South .C!af clina plantation. Third printing for Edna Ferber's autobiog, 'A Peculiar Treasure.' George Aitto gets his Aika Pub- lishing Co. started soon in N. Y. Spenser Prize . for distinguished poetry awarded to Lloyd Franken- burjg. True Story Magazine gets a com- plete rejuvenation with the next issue. Somerset Maugham back in N. Y., and returns soon to the south of France. Ray Flicker named v.p. and gen- eral manager. Balance of personnel unchanged. Harper has taken from Doubleday publishing rights to all the works of Aldous Huxley. Vincent Sheean to be hosted at a dinner at the Hotel Commodore, N. Y., tomorrow (16). Harold Strauss, who vraa editor for Covicl-IViede, joins the Knopf editorial staff April. 1. Mabel Manning has halted publica- tion of her mag. The Voice of Truth, and plans to do a novel. Joseph C. Hazen, Jr., associate editor of the Architectural Forum, and Helen Claire Stevens wed. Lazarus Monfried working out • new publishing idea under the han- dle of the Philamerica Publishing Ca Eugene W. Turner, of the N. Y. Times editorial staff, a newlywed. Bride is the former Margaret Earle Harris. Oscar Schlsgall, who does those weighty novels, also turns out prose cliffhangers under the pseudonym of Jackson Cole. Leigh Sanford, of Reno, was elect- ed president of the Nevada State Press Association at its annual con- vention in Reno. Biog of the late O. E. Rolvaag, the novelist by Theodore Jorgenson and Nora O. Solum, will be published April 22, Rolvaag's birthday. Jack R. Kupsick, the advertising agency head, interested in a new publishing undertaking in connec- tion with the N. Y. World's Fair. Paul Van Caimp has resigned edi- torial post with Pittsburgh Press to become publicity director for Penn- sylvania Railroad in Pitt division. Carlote, the poetess, otherwise Mrs.. Louis Oppenheimer, back in N.Y., and will remain until the pub- lication of her new book of rhymes. Joseph F. Dinneen of the Boston Globe was honored at Loew's Stete Monday night (13) when that theatre threw a party called "Dinneen Night' Marthedith Furnas, former fashion reporter for Women's Wear, will have her first novel, The Night Is Coming,' published this month by Harper. ' . WPA headquarters in Washington are making an Investigation of the Federal Writers' Project in PhiUy that is expected to break out any day into a whopper. Fred Walble, forme, newspaper- man and associate director of Elbert A. Wickes theatrical productions, now director of radio department of William C. Lengel, literary agent Sue. MacVeigh, who's been on the PhUadelphia Public Ledger ' and N. Y. World Telegram, has written her first novel, 'Murder Under Con- struction,' skedded for publication soon. Bobby Norris has quit as sports editor of Macon, Ga., Telegraph, to become business manager of Ameri- cus, Ga., club in Georgia-Florida League. Amerlcus is a Brooklyn farm. Rives Matthews has bought the Somerset News, a coun^ seat week- ly published in Princess Anne, Md, from F. C. Jones. Matthews will continue to syndicate his weekly column. James Branch Cabell, Mary Mar- garet McBride, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings and Elizabeth Madox Roberts to Winter Park, Fla., for the annual Animated Magazine presenta-' tion there. ■ New officers of tbe Chicago Fic- tion-Guild are: j, Anson, prez; Mar- guerite Jacobs, vlce-prez; J. C. Schoenherr, treasurer; Mildred T. Reid, program chairman, and Ethel M. Hammer, sec. Book and Magazine Guild will give a Bookwbrms' Ball on April 15 at the Murray Hill Hotel, N. Y., with Harry Hansen, Malcolm Cowley, Lewis Gannett and Ralph Thompson among the sponsors. David G. Wittels, N. Y. Post- Philly Record writer, cracked his car up badly on a mounteln road near Easton, Pa., Saturday (II) while returning from an assignment He was only bruised. Florence Fisher Parry, Pittsburgh Press columnist who recently blasted Broadway drama critics for their 'leanings to the left' In New York seeing the shows and writing her. daily stuff from there. Maury Paul (Cholly Knickerbock- er), Dorothy Kilgallen, Alice Hughes and Thyra Samter Winslow have done some blurbs tor Morton G'U Clark's first novel, 'Grace I Give You,' which Morrow brings out next month. Boston Evening Transcript will drop its mid-week roto section, in- augurated Oct 12, 1938, after the Issue of March 16. Plans are to re- sume in-the fall with Richard An- thony as editor and. Richard Tucker as chief photog. Advertising news reporters in New York have formed the Adver- tising News Writers Club, with Wil- liam J. Enright Times, prez; Law- rence M. Hughes, Sun, v.p., and David A. Munro, Space tc Time, secretary-treasurer. George C. Waldo, editor-in-chief of the Bridgeport (Conn.) Post Sun- day Post and Telegram, elected prez of the Post Publishing Co., owner of the three papers, filling vacancy caused by the death of Edward Flicker.. Waldo continues in. his edi- torial capacity in addition. Fifth of this season's Book and Author Luncheons takes plac«° March 14 at the Hotel Astor, New York, with Harry Hansen, book crick of the N. Y. World-Telegram, presiding, and Alexander WooUcott John Gunther and Frederick F. Van de Water among the speakers. (Seorge Fort MUton was elected prez and gen. mgr. of Chattenooga News, Inc., new cor^ration which leased properties of CHiattanooga News Co., of which Milton was also prez. New outfit publishes Chat- tanooga News, as did old firm. Other officers of new corporation are J. J. Lynch, vice prez, Sam J. McAllester, sec'y, and Mrs. (Seorge Fort ItlUton, treasurer. Pay Rise Plan (Continued from page 49) scale was proposed for 'Fighting the Flames,' while the minimum for 'Merrie England,' Shakespearean tab, was set at $40 some time ago. Demand Sunday Shows Fact that Equity has sanctioned Sunday performances at the Fair has given legit managers a chance to demand a similar right That issue was considered by the League of New York Theatres board Monday (13) afternoon; Showmen sent word to Equity that Broadway be given the same privilege of playing Sundays during the Fair period. They ad- vanced Equity's pet theory, that any- thing for the betterment of the the- atre and the prolonging of engage- ments, should be tried. For years there has been an ex- odus of actors from Broadway to the rural summer show shops. Possible that there will be fewer pros in the hideaways provided they secure en- gagements at ' Fair shows or on' Broadway. Summer operators in the sticks don't appear to be concerned for the more they can operate with semi-pros'^ or amateurs the bettter they like it Many depend more on drama schools for payoff coin than they do on the boxofflce.