Variety (May 1939)

NewniiMi Win flflholcnlilpt Nieman Fellowships, designed to promote the standards ot Journalism •m the U.S. by giving working news- papermen opportunity for a year of study while on leave from their 'papers, awarded to 12 out of 209 ap- plicants' from 30 states. Awards, which allow for study at Harvard during the next academic year, carry .stipends approximating each recipi- -ent's salary. ' Those awarded fellowships are Volta W. Torrey, news review editor of AP in N. Y.; Steven M. Spencer, science editor, Philadelphia Evening Bulletin; Stephen E. Fitzgerald, re- porter, Baltimore Evening Sun; Car- roll Kllpatrick, associate editor, "Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser; Ed- ward Allen, reporter, Boston Herald: Glenn C. Nixon, economic reporter, United'States News; Oscar J. Butte- dahl, editor, Bismarck (N.D.) Leader; WUUam P. Vogel, Jr., City Hall re- porter, N.Y. Herald Tribune; Holding Carter, editor, Greenville (Miss.) Delta Democrat; Edward A. Wyatt, associate editor, Petersburghi (Va.) Progress-Index; Weldon B. James, foreign correspondent, VP, and William B. Dickinson, Northwest news manager, UP. Helen Hayes' Ma's B««k betters to Mary,' her grand daugh- ter, will be brought out by Bennett Cerf s Random House shortly, telling aU about Helen Hayes' life. It's by Mrs. Catherine Hayes Brown, mother of the actress, whose middle name, incidentally, accounts for the latter's stage name. 'Mary' is Mary MacArthur, the 1929 ^act of God' baby, when Miss Hayes (Mrs. Charles MacArthur) had to bow out of 'Coquette,' in which she was then starring, in order to have their first' child. Mrs. Brown's 'Letters to Mary' are written with an eye to being first read by her granddaughter some time around 1945, when she's of the proper age and mentality to appre- ciate their essence. It was access Ruth Gordon, however, when first reading some of the early letters,' who inspired the book idea through agent Mark Hanna. Latter is also working on a Satevepost serializa- tion ahead of the book. Coast Sports Editor Parse Investigation of the wrestling in- dustry by California's legislature caused a sudden disappearance of fjBmlllar by-lines from the sport Eages of Los Angeles newspapers, ou Daro, master of behemoths on the West Coast, testified that his in- come had been depleted by contri- butions to various sporting editors and columnists, some of them rang- ing as high as $12,000 In a single year. L. A publishers went into a huddle and emerged as magicians with a diseippearing act. Vanished overnight from their accustomed haunts at the tops of their columns were such names as Mark Kelly, Braven Dyer, Sid ZICF, Claude New- man, Ken Frogley, Ned Cronin, Gene Coughlin and others on whose judg- ment the sport fans were accustomed to lay their dough. Indications are that most of the boys will be back In their customary roles after a short vacatioa Publishers are inclined to look leniently on the extra-curricular en- terprises of their hired men, owing to their own tendency to muscle in on the sport racket to promote funds .for their pet charities. Beoksellers ConventloB. Anntial convention of the Ameri- can Booksellers opens Sunday (14) at the Hotel Pennsylvania, N. Y., to continue until Wednesday. Co- incidental events will be the an- nual tea of the Women's National Book Association on Saturday (13) at the home of Rosamond Beebe in N. Y., and a breakfast for book- sellers day after the convention closes by the Herald Tribune book department in the Herald Tribune building. Booktrade matters to be discussed will be fair trade, book postal rates and' book dubs. Will also be a num- ber of informal discusisions on vari- ous aspects of bookselling. On the social side there will be a number of outings and eatings. Backer Conirel Foreshadowed Repeated talk that the New York Post is about to partially or wholly change hands was fanned anew this week by the weU-substantlated re- port that Harry Nason, m.e., would be shifted shortly by owner J. David Stem to the Philadelphia Record. Nason Is a former Philadelphian, having worked on the Ledger in that city for maiiy years. He was trans- ferred to the Post when the Curtis interests bought' the paper and was one of the few staffers Stern held •)ver when he acquired it. Exactly what Nason wUl do on the Can't degrade' King Toronto, May 9. Sequel to Canadian ban on Ken (since lifted) is a new amendment to the Judicature Act which gives the Attorney-Gen- eral authority t6 prevent the publicatloh In Canada of any periodical carrying euditorial' matter or art "tending to Insult, degrade, revile or expose to hatred, contempt, ridicule or any member of the Royal family. For such 'seditious' action, of- fenders will appear before the Supreme Court ot Canada. Record Isn't known Inasmuch as there U UtUe likelihood that the present m.e., William- F. Hawkes, will be shifted. Bernard Bergman, Sunday editor, was recently named executive editor under Hawkes, so the addition of Nason will give the paper the general semblance of a Cuban army. George Backer, active in the American Labor Party and a mem- ber of the Schifl banking family by marriage. Is by now generally ac- cepted as the interested party in the purchase of the Post Stern is trying to work out a deal whereby Backer would get a substantial interest but by which he would reteln editorial control, according to best advices. ' Sorlbner'a Magailne Suspends. Scribner's magazine has suspended after 52 years. May issue the last Its resumption in the fall is a posslr bility. Meanwhile the book house of Charles Scribner is expected to bid in the tiUe if it's put on block. Latter was largely out of picture under recent reorganization of the fiscal structure whereby Harlan Logan Associates became Magazine Associates. lAtter set-up was de- signed to be mora attractive to out- side money. Previously losses of magazine had been cut way down, from an average losi^ of $20,000 per issue to less than $1,000. Advertising revenue was improving but the long bleak summer brought the suspen- sion. Other mag casualties are Listeners' Digest Win and My Stars. Decision to halt Listeners' Digest arrived at last week, after extended ponder- ing Ota the mag's future. Published by George Eggleston'and associates, with reputed backing by Conde Nast. Win, a contest mag, gave cash prizes in excess of $5,000 per issue. Lasted but a few montlis. My Stars also short-lived. Published by Na- tional Magazine Corp. Assignment made to Jacob Meadow, with likeli- hood of sale of company's assets to satisfy creditors. Wllkes-Barre Drepi One As rumored at time of settlement of extended Wilkes-Barre, Pa- newspaper strike, city's three dailies are going Into mutual ownership with two to be merged. News and Times-Leader become one in the evening fields with the Record to continue as a morning paper. New operating company is to be the Wilkes-Barre Publishing Co., with publishers of the three papers to assume exec duties under the new set-up. Settlement of the Newspaper Guild strike some weelcs ago did not permit resumption oL publication then because printers,' learning of proposed merger,' refused to return to work uhless assured of ]ob con- tbiuation. Printers go on four-day week as result of merger, to take up job slack, and Guild, members not needed get severance pay.' Colophon Back to Old Style As a result of a poll among its subscribers. The Colophon, the book- men's quarterly, Is back to Its original format under the subtitle of the New Graphic Series. Product of seven presses, it's believed to be the most elaborate print job of any pub- lication in the world. Bigger in size than any previous issue. The Colophon retains many of its regular features. Contrlbbers are book authorities from all parts of the world. TIslan, New Snnday Sapp Representatives of around 40 news- papers were acquainted with plans for the new Sunday newspaper sup- plement Vision, at a luncheon re- cently at the WaldorfrAstoria, N. Y. Luncheon tendered by Daniel E. Moran, Jr., v.p. of the Publication Corp., sponsors of the new supple- ment Contracts already signed for Vision will give it a circulation of more than 1,500,000, Moran declared. Start of publication of Vision to be deter- mined by a committee of five pub- lishers. Supplement already a year in the making. LITERATI F. V. Merley Betoraiiig, P. V. Morley returns to the U. S. in July to stay. Younger brother of Christopher Morley, the author, and of Felix Morley, editor of the Wash- ington Post joins Harcourt Brace, the book publishers, in charge Qf the firm's trade editorial department Youngest of the Morleys has been in London for some years as British rep for Harcourt Brace and as a director of the English publishing firm oi Faber & Faber. VARIETY 51 Pinker Pleads GaUty Eric S. Pinker to be sentenced Tuesday (16) following his plea of guilty to theft of $37,000 from E. Phillips Oppenheim. Liable to a term of from five to 10 years in Sing Sing. Charged by Oppenheim that Pinker stole the $37,000 from him between May, 1938, and past March. Pinker alleged to have victimized numl>er of other of the clients of his literary agency, with .total amount of thefts put at over $100,000. Woold Sell; Bayers Scaree Old-established and highly-re- garded plup-mag string and dis- tributing agency is on the market but unable to find a purchaser. DiS' tributing agency has interested a number of chain publishers who are without dislributing'facilitles of their own, but would-be piuchasev-don't want the affiliated mags because in every case they are duplicates of their own periodicals. Distributing agency can't be sold apart from the mags. Combined mag chain and dlS' tributing agency part of the estate of a noted' newspaper and periodical publisher. Mags and their distrib- uting affiliate went to a public insti' tution in the publisher's will. Insti' tution said to feel its publisliing property isn't making tiie money it should and hence would like to sell. Canada Lifts Ken Ban Canadian ban on Ken, imposed April 1 because of a cartoon of the King' which was considered undig- nified, has been lifted. Federal rul' ing- regarding the exclusion was referred to as'permanent? when made but publishers were later given per- mission to submit subsequent sample issues. With no objectionable features carried in these, request for lifting the ban was acceded to, revocation dating from May 8 issue. All-New York Number Staff of Fortune engaged in gath' ering a huge mass of data about N.Y. for a special issue of the mag to be devoted entirely to the met- ropolis. To appear in July. Anticipating more than ordinary interest in the issue on N.Y. because of the Fair, therell be an extra printing order for non-subscribers. Price of the special to non-sub- scribers will be $2, double what the pub ordinarily fetehes. Carlo Flamlaart Prejeet Carlo M. Flumiani, who heads two tiook publishing houses, Fortuny's and Pegasus Press, the leading spirit behind a new mutual book trade or- ganization. Associated Publishers of North America. Among other things. Associated P-iblishers of North America will 'serve as a joint distributing and sales agency for member publishers, Offices for the present at the Flumi- ani firm. Bush Job an New Pope Joseph F. Dinneen, author of 'Pius XII, Pope of Peace' iMc- Brlde), turned out the opus of 80,000 words In 18 days. Dinneen, veteran newspaperman, took the assignment and made the deadline by working IS hours a day for the 18 days. Dinneen covered the New England visit of Cardinal Pacelll in 1936; and in 1930 spent three months in Rome for- the Boston Globe. Curtail Golf Literature Number of golf mags materially reduced with demise of two, Gott Illustrated and American Golfer. Leaves at least four national golf pubs remaining, Golf, Golfer tc Sportsman, Golfdoin and Golfing. Folding of the two said to be not due to falling off of interest in the pill game, but fact of too many pe- riodicals on the subject. Besides the four national golf mags there's a number of regional publications cov- ering the game. Jonathan Cape's New Try. Jonathan Cape, London book pub- lisher, who unsuccessfully invaded American book field some years ago in partnership with Harrison Smith, again seeking to-lure American book readers. This time, however, from Old Front Pages Among the most unique of the publications growing out of the N. Y. World's Fair is that being gotten out by Nathaniel Berger. Replicas of the front pages of the N. Y. papers of the 90's, on newsprint and in original size, it's Intended as a souvenir of the big town. Papers sampled are the Com- mercial Advertiser, Sun, World, Times, Mail & Express, Tribune, Herald and Journal. Novelty publication bears the tiUe of Highlights of the Nineties. the Toronto, Canada, branch of his Britidi book house. Despite duties. Cape placing on the American market a book by Douglas Reed, called 'Disgrace Abounding.' Figures it to be profita- ble if going in a sufficient number, and if the undertaking is successful he will introduce other of hiis British books to Americans via Canada, in- stead of disposing of rights to Amer- ican publishers. New Liberal Mar Doe European publishing interests, allied with Chicago figures,-at work on preliminary plans for a new lib- eral mag to be published in N. Y. Tentative title of the proposed pub is The Public Voice. Not likely to start publication until late summer or early fall because of extensive preparations deemed necessary. Principals concerned withholding their Identities for the time being because of other connections. Soviet's Book Sabsid Control of Bookniga, distributor in North and South America for the books, mags and newspapers pub- lished in the Soviet Union, has passed to a group headed by Boris NIkolsky. He's now in charge of the organization's main office, in N. Y. Intention to change the name of the organization to Ambook coin- cident with change of management has been abandoned. Will continue to be known as Bookniga. LITEBA'n OBITVARIES BIrs. Caroline Atwaler Mason, 85, novelist and short story writer, died May 2 at her home in Danvers, Mass. Mrs. Angnsta Baymond Kidder, re- tired newspaper woman, died May 2 at her home in N.Y. Related to Hor- ace Greeley and Henry J. Raymond, founder of the N.Y. Times, Mrs. Kidder conducted a column on the old N.Y. Recorder under the pen name of Polly Pry. Subsequently became a columnist on the N.Y, Her^ aid. Husband, Edward E. Kidder, who died some years ago, was a play- wright Brother, sister and a niece survive. lames Mastin Thacker, SO, pub- lisher and editor of The Laundry Age, business mag, and former news- paperman, died May 2 in N. Y. Otis Fenner Wood, 71, head of a newspaper syndicate bearing his name, died May 2 in N. Y. of heart disease. Brother of the late Henry A Wise Wood, Inventor of news- paper presses. Porter Oakes, 42, managing editor of the Ck>rpus Christl (Tex.) Chron- icle, died May 2 of heart disease. Had served as a major on the White House staff of President Woodrow Wilson. WUUam Henry Siviter, 80, veteran Pittsburgh newspaperman and re- tired editor, columnist and editorial writer, died last Thursday (4) in New York at the home of his son-in-law, retired Rear Admiral James C. Pryor, of the U. S. Navy Medical Corps. Siviter was born in Dudley, England, and for many years was on the staff of the old Pittsburgh Chronicle-Tele- graph, going from there to Oil City, Pa., as editor and. manager of. the daily Derrick there. Later returned to Pittsburgh and went into the brokerage business. Leaves his daughter and a granddaughter. Burial was at Fairmont W. Va. Nathan H. Palmer, 46, for 18 years a newspaperman at Lynchburg, Va., Raleigh and Grensboro, N. C, died in Durham, N. C, from a self-inflict- ed bullet wound. Retired from news- papering in. 1936 due to ill health. George Stokes, 34, photographer- pilot and Ted Northington, 31, re- porter, both of Memphis Commercial Appeal, were burned to death last week when plane Stokes was piloting in aerocade boosting Memphis Cot- ton Carnival crashed at Grenada,. Miss. Third occupant of ship, John Crump, 28, son of E. H. Crump, Memphis political figure, also died in crackup, blamed on crosawind. F. J. SeUgman, 51, editor of the Jewish Times, published at Youngs- town, Ohio, died Thursday (May 4) In that city. CKAtTltM Edwhi Markham, 87. Caroline Newton doing a blog of Thomas Mann. Jack WhitehUl to Virginia for some data for a book. Paul Galileo to bis place in the English countryside. The Andre Maurolses lunchconed by Alma Clayburgb. Marine Publishers organized by Thomas F. Shnmons. Alexander Woollcott readying a new book for Viking. John Street PubUshlng Co. formed by S. NicoU Schwartz. Red Circle mags have moved to the McGraw-Hill bulIdUig. Johan Bojer geta over soon for his first American visit in 16 years. Cale Young Rice, the poet will have his autoblog published soon. George R. Stewart has changed publishers going to Random House. Ellery Sedgwick, former ed of At- lantic Monthly, married in England.' Ngaio Marsh, the femme whodunit scribbler, pronounces her first name Nyo. Irving FIneman bade from the Coasi, and going to his Vermont farm. Henry Lee, World-Telly scribe, joining Crowell publications in two weeks. Alton Cook, World-Telly radio editor, underwent appendectomy last week. Poetry society of America made its April awards to Harold Vinal and El- lin Acton. Frank Gruber sold "Peace Mar- shaU' to WUUam Morrow for full publication. Revised and enlarged edition of Paul Rotha's 'Documentary Film' issued by Norton. Jan Hasbroucic, of the N. Y. Times editorial' staff, weds Virginia Field the middle of June, Leonora Speyer awarded the Golden Rose for Poetry by the New England Poetry Society. Stuart Cloete in Boston to talk over a new novel with his pub- lishers, Houghton Mifflin. Corey Ford left Hollywood for his New Hampshire farm to cateh up with magazine assignments. Essendess wUl publish a story on HoUywood, 'Remember Valerie March,' by Katherine Albert Raymond R. Camp, of the N. Y. Times staff, doing a book for Whit- tlesey House on outdoor sports. Nevil Shute here from Britain. Scribbler's, last name Is Norway^ but he doesn't use it on his books. Arnold Zweig here and going to the Coast after a brief stay in N. Y. Accompanied by his son, MIchaeL Norwegian rights to Margaret Ayer Barnes' "Wisdom's Gate' ac- quired by Gyldendal Norsk Forlag. G. E. R. Gedye, who was the N. Y. Times correspondent in Prague, go- ing to Moscow In the same capacity. Ben Ames WUliams' fictloneering record to date Is 28 published novels and 370 pubUshed short stories. He's stlU trying. Arthur SuIUvant Hoffman, the for- mer mag editor, has written 'Fiction Writing Self-Taught' which Norton is publishing. Earl J. Johnson, the UP general news manager, has gone abroad with Mrs. Johnson for a gander at the European situash. Memoirs of Howard Spring which appeared in the Atlantic Monthly wiU.t>e brought out by Viking be- tween book covers. H. J. HaskeU, editor of the Kansas City Star, will have a book published shortly by Knopf, called "The New Deal In Old Rome.' Mllt Gross contribuUon to the many tomes on the N. Y. World'# Fair is 'Pop (Soes Nuts for Fair,' which the Bystander Press wlU Issue. Lecture to be given tonight (3) at Conde Nast's home as a benefit for the Elinor Wylie FeUowshIp Fund of the Academy of American Poets. Oxford University Press selected Vic Knight's 'The Cartwheel' as one of the 10 best radio scripts. Knight produces. Eddie Cantor's radio pro- gram. EUlot Gushing, sports editor of the Rochester (N. Y.) Democrat and Chronicle, was married AprU 25 to Marion Nelson of Rochester, in New- ark, N. J. National Library Press publishing •New Fields for the Writer,' book by Stephen Mpore on the technique of writing pix, stage, radio and even television. James O'Hanlon, son of the old burlesque actor, Sam Rice, finished his third book In a year, 'Murder at Coney Island,' to be published by Phoenix Press. Barney Oldfleld, Lincoln (Neb.) newsman, did a busman's holiday during his week's vacation in New York. He wrapped up eight'pic- tures, a circus,'five vaudeville'h<l!<!, six legit shows, two nite clubs, a (Continued on page 55)