Variety (Aug 1939)

22 VARIETY LITERATI Wednesday, August 2, 1939 Seek Boir. Times Revival ■ Commitlee representing employes In a)I departments 9£ the suspended Buffalo Times was to confer yester- day ^Tuesday) with Scripps-Howard representatives in an eflEort to re- sume publication of the paper. Com- mittee represents around 250 em- ployes. Hariy S. MuUany, reporter, and prez of the Buffalo Newspaper Guild, and John A. Bacon, daily's national advertising repiresentative, head the committee. Mullany said employes sought to continue the paper on a co-operative basis. Buffalo Times was established 60 years ago by'Norman E. Mack as a Sunday paper, and became a, daily In 1883. Was acquired by Scripps- Howard in 1929, Daily's suspension ]cav«s Buffalo with two papers, News and Courier-Express. Originally owned by the late Nor- man E. Mack, the Times iMicame m^ , ^^^.^^ ^^^^^ ^gve ap- leading Democratic evenmg and sun- ^_,_'.u. c Will assume jointly with Saxe Com- mins the direction of that book firm's editorial department. Random House is not planning more than normal expansion, ac- cording to Cerf, but trend at his firm has been to widen somewhat the scope of iU highly selective list. Believes Maule to be particularly equipped for this work. Bcprlnt Puztle Gets W«rsc Surprise development in the re- print story thing is action of Munsey in getting out a reprint mag, Famous Fantastic Mysteries. Coming at af time when the flrst-Iine pulp pub- lishers are working with scribblers for a solution of the reprint problem —with that solution sfe'cn as the death of the reprint pubs—Munsey action further complicates the situation. Munsey execs hasten to point out that Famous Fantastic Mysteries will day paper of Buffalo. It was sold by Mack to Scripps-Howard in 1929 at a price reported in excess of $3,000,- 000. Following a losing fight against diminishing circulation, ■ Scripps- Howard turned the pap.er over a year aeo to George Lyon, its managing editor. It is rumored that Homer Cape- hart, v.p. of the Wurlitzer Co., and a politician, is interested in purchasing the paper. For the first time in over a genera- tion Buffalo joins the two-daily- paper ranks. A decade ago the town had five dailies. With the Times- peared in the firm's own mags, notably Argosy and All-Story. Have no explanation, however, for situa- tion that might be created should writer reprinted in the new periodical concurrently have a tale in a com- peting mag. _ That's the crux of the entire re- print to-do. Publisliers of original material have complained that they are forced to compete, paying top prices, with same author; in reprint mags, reprint rights for which were acquired for cabbages. Certain that thel Munsey reprint mag will profoundly affect the plan being worked out by the special com- mittee of writers and publishers for disappearance, town has no Demo- cratic newspaper, the Evening News,, owned, ^y Edward H. Butler, being a solution of the reprint problem. Republican, and the morning',Gour- ler-Exprcr.s, nonparti.'an. May SetUe Goild-Hearst Strike Coin Soarht For Scribner's Negotiations are on for new coin arrangements to enable resumption Imminent: settlement of the eight- of Scribner's mag. Expected to be month-old strike of the American | concluded in a week or two, at which Newspaper Guild against the two Chicago Hearst- papers, Herald & Examiner and Evening American, is likely as a result of an agreement on a contract between the Guild and Chicago Times. No sooner did the agreement oh pact with the Times become known than Hearst representatives agreed to reopen negotiations for possible settlement. It's the third reopening of negotiations in as many months, but now held likely to achieve re- sults. Contract with the Times Is the first (or the Guild in Chicago on other than a Hearst paper. Has many attractive features, including preferential hiring, high editorial minimums and extended vacations. At the same time that the Chicago Times contract was agree<J upon, Guild signed an industrial: -:&uild shop contract with the San Fran- time it will be known definitely whether tlie mag resumes in the fall, as planned. Identity of interested parties are being guarded for the time being. Understood, however, that they rep- resent capital sufficient to put the periodical back among the leaders. Scribner's halted publication a few months ago. Merging Scrlpps Corps. Merger agreement of three news- paper publishing companies, E. W. Scrlpps Co., of Hamilton, Ohio, and two Delaware corporations, Roy 'W. Howard Co. and W. W. Hawkins. Co., was filed with the Ohio Secretary of State at Columbus. Merged cor- poration is to be known as the E. W. Scrlpps Co. Purpose of th« merger, according to the filed agreement, is to bring _ ^ into Ohio a corporate set-up already cisco-bakland Newspaper Publishers | existing in other states. Assn., covering 1,400 employees in ! all the" Guild-eligible departments of' the five dailies in the two cities. Syraciise Merger Backfiring Repercussions of last week's de- mise of the Syracuse Journal and its absorption by the Herald, via purchase and consolidation by Sam- uel Newhouse, are still manifold. Herald has placed.some 25 Journal men in editorial, circulation and ad- vertising departinents. At present, however, the printers are holding the stage, former Journal employees in- sisting they are entitled to 50% of the jobs in the Herald composing room and that seniority rights should be observed. Herald printers are fighting to retain their jobs. International Typographical Union officials are now here studying the set-up' before giving a decision. More than ISO jobs are involved. Printers dismissed by The Journal got only one week's additional pay. Other department employees split s surprisingly large $100,000 dismis- sal pay melon on the basis of years of service. Hlller Inspires Libel Salt Suit for $100,000 damages for al- leged libel was filed against Walter Winchell and the Daily Mirror, Inc., in N. Y. supreme court yesterday (Tues.) by the Macaiilay Co. Plain- tiff sets forth it has been in the publishing business for 30 years and objects to Wlnchell's March 13 column refering to' Macauiay's book, 'The Strange Death of Adolph Hitler.' Columnist's crack about 'publishing bunk' is the basis for action. Defendants have entered a general denial, and declare that the plaintiff well knew that Hitler.,Js~npt dead. Under Winchell's'lFefsdnaY contract with the Mirror, latter assumes all liabilities and legal costs. . New Book Publishers Trio of new book-publishing houses have been organized in N. Y., all limited to small specialized lists of books. Campion Books have been formed by James P. Murtagh, George M. Bentley and Stephen P. Duggan, Jr. Headquartered with thie Cath- olic Book Club. Morris Goldston has organized Plymouth Editions, and Maurice H. Louis has joined the ranks of book publishers under the imprint of his own name. LITERATI OBITS - Joel E. Spingarn, 64, book pub- lisher, literary crick and writer, died July 26 in N.Y. One of the founders of the book-publishing firm of Harcourt, Brace & Co., he was the company's v.p. and literary ad- viser frono 1919 to 1932. Had numer- ous other interests besides his liter- ary activities. He was also a former professor of literature at Columbia University. Widow,, two sons and two daughters survive. Sallie Vawter Harris Pickett, so- ciety editor emeritus of the-Washing- ton (D.C.) Evening Star, died July 25 at her home in the national capi- tal. Was a contribber from Washing- ton to the N.Y. Herald, Sun and Tri- bune, Boston Herald and Chicago Tribune before joining staff of the Washington Times. Went from there to the Star. One of the founders and a past prez of the Women's National Press club and a former v.p. of the Newspaper Women's club of Wash- ington. Two sons and a daughter survive. Alfred E. Hay ward, 54, newspaper cartoonist, and creator of the . comic strip, 'Somebody's StenOg,' died July 25 in N. Y. Previous comic strips' turned out by him were 'kernel Corn' and 'Great Caesar's Ghost.' Noted also as a landscape painter. Survived by widow and daughter, Joyce Hayward, who is on the stage. Charles E. Malison, 65, former newspaper editor of Lincoln, Neb., died July 20 in Los Angeles. Joseph Clement Wllberding, 70, v.p. of Newspaper Groups, Inc., and of the Gravure Service Corp., and a former N. Y. newspaperman, died July 27 in N. Y. He was on the old N. Y. World and N. Y. Press at the turn of the century, 'subsequently joining the Chicago "Tribune. Widow, son and daughter survive. Clarence Phelps Dodge, 72, founder of the Phelps Dodge Corps., and former publisher of the Colorado Springs Evening Telegraph and later of the Gazette in the same city, died at the home of a son in Denver July 29. Major Gieneral Henry Hnchings, 74, died at his home in Austin, Texas, July 27. He was founder and pub- lisher until 190O of the Austin Eve- ning News and later publisher of the Austin Statesmen. Lewis Taplinger, 60, telegraph ed- itor of the N. Y. Journal American, died July 29 while oh vacation in Stroudsburg, Pa. Entered the Hearst organization in 1899 on the old N. Y. Ivfoming Journal. He was acting managing-editor of the Boston American in 1920, holding the same post on the Baltimore American and Washington Herald before coming to the N. Y. Journal American. Widow and five children survive. Elsie Doii; Parsons, society corre- spondent for the N. Y. Herald Tribune for 15 years, died July 28 at Water Mill, L. I., shortly after filing her last copy for the night, an obit- uary article. No RKO Underwriting Earhart Bieg Non-Pvinam Although he recently returned to the book-publishing field on his own, George Palmer Putnam will not pub- lish his biog of his late wife, Amelia Earhart Book is to be brought out by Harcourt, Brace, under the title of 'Soaring Wings.' Biog appeare.d some time ago in Liberty, as a serial. Putnam, formerly of G. P. Put- nam's Sons, has his new publi.<;hing comt<any headquartered on the Coast. Uses the imprint of hi.s own name. Maule Joins Cerf Harry E. Maule, who quit re- cently as editorial head for Double- day, Doran after many years with that organization, joins Bennett A. Cerf's Random House on Aug. 17. 20% Commish Suil Louis Frankel filed a $10,000 N. Y. supreme court action Friday (28) against Lawrence Menkin, writer, claiming breach of contract. Frankel claims an agreement to re- ceive 20% of the defendant's earn- ings for acting as business manager. The contract was allegedly breached June 21, 1939, and the writer is asked to account on his in- come and to pay $1,475 besides, for special publicity. NEW PERIODICALS Adventure Novels and Short Stories are being , pul>jished bi- monthly by Columbia- Publications. Organization is affiliate of Blue Rib- bon Magazine.s, headed by Louis Silberkleit He's also supervisory Editor. BeUer Homemaking, new mag for femmes, bows in this month. Period- ical, a giveaway, to appear monthly, printed in rotogravure. Publication offices in the midwest. CHATTER Tiffen Publishing Co. formed by Juliet W. Levy. Marjorie Hillis wed Aug. 1 to Thomas H. Roulston. Gilbert Frankau back to England after some months here. Frederic H. WooUall, Jr., getting a new publishing undertaking under way. Roderick Forsman foregoing a month's scribbling for .a Canadian hunting trip. Margot Johnson, aide to Ann Wat- kins, N. Y. literary agent. In the ho.spital after a two-story tumble. "(Miss) Ellsley Bonner in N. Y. for her first peek at the World's Fair and to deliver some new scripts. John V. Drasin has sold his place on Long Island and has moved the typewriter into a N. Y. apartment Frank Ryhlick and Allan A. Michie, Washington newspapermen, have placed a book with Vanguard on some political notables. Murrell Edmunds, whose novel, "Between the Devil,' Dutton is bring ing out next month, is a part-time clerk in a New Orleans shoe store, Norman Anthony and O. Soglpw have coUabed on 'The Drunk's Blue Book,'- which Stokes is publishing, Omnibook carries abridgements of general books, including one or two novels in each issue; not just fiction Alfred Brentano, Sr., and Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Brentano, Jr., have sailed' to look in on the Brentano branch in Paris. Hortense Lees in N. Y. with her husband and son. Family goes to Maine after she finishes reading proofs of a new novel. Gene Coughlin, sports writer, dis- charged by the Los Angeles Exami- ner in the recent wrestling investi- gation, has filed suit for $4,800 In salary due under a one-year con- tract (Continued from page 3) a toUl of a little under 6,600,000 shares. The balance will be given to contingent claims, and the rest-kept in reserve if some of the cash awards for services are paid oft in stock. The stock will have a par value of $1 a share. Rickaby then told the court of the election of the new board on last Friday, and hearings were post- poned to Friday (4), It is dubious that the new under- writing agreement will be ready on that date, but the proceeding is. be- ing kept open as Judge Bondy leaves on his vacation oh that day and if anything can be accomplished, the proponents desire to do so before he leaves. Schaefer New RKO Prez;' Patterson B'd Chairman With Federal Judge William Bondy signing a formal order of approval last Wednesday (26), on the selection of George J. Schaefer, as new president of the reorganized RKO Corp., and Richard C. Patter- son, Jr., as -chairman of the board of directors, the corporation also formally met the same, iday and elected a new board of 13 directors. In addition to James G. Harbord and Lunsford P. Yandell, carried over, the board comprises Ned E. Depinet v.p. of. RKO Radio Pic- tures, Inc., Thomas P. Duirell, as- sociated wilH White, Weld & Co.; Frederick L. Ehrman, associated with Lehman Bros.; L. Lawrence Green, attorney representing un- secured creditors; Richard ' C. Pat- terson, Jr.; N. Peter Rathvon, pres- ident of Rathvon Si Co., and 'father' of the reorganization plan in as- sociation with Atlas Corp.-Floyd Odium interests; George J. Schae- fer, new president of RKO Corp. and its subsidiaries; W. G. Van Schmus, pres. of Radio City Music Hall Corp., and Raymond Hill, pub- lisher. The new board met immediately afterwards and went through the legaliUe.<i of formally electing Schae- fer and . Patterson. Schaefer and Depinet went to the Coast on Fri- day (28) for further meetings with company's unit producers. Proponents of the reorganization believe that barring any possible holdup through appeals of creditors, the plan will become completely ef- fective some time this fall. Background RKO went into receivership early in 19.13 and into reorganization pro- ceedings under Section 77B of the Bankruptcy Act the following year. Irving Trust Co. was at first re- ceiver and, later, trustee, taking over the responsibilities which nor- mally would rest on RKO's board of directors. . On January last, a plan of reorganization put forwiard by Atlas was approved by the court. Under this plan, all of the fixed In- debtedness of RKO was taken care of by the creation in its place-.ot two new cla.ss,es of stock: a 6% Cumula- tive Convertible Preferred stock, callable at $105 and a Common stock. Several hew interests have de- veloped in the RKO picture during its period of reorganization proceed- ings. In 1935, Atlas Corp. acquired 50% of the holdings of RCA, which gave to. Atlas approximately 42% of the old RKO Debentures and 2470 of the old common stock. Atlas bought an additional one-twelfth of RCA's remaining holdings in Janu- ary, 1938, Rockefeller. Center, Inc., held a claim against RKO whiclT re- sulted in the allowance to it of 415,- 000 shares of the new common stock under the reorganization plan. Time, Inc., acquired certain 6% RKO notes formerly held by Pathe Film Corp. and will receive therefore, under the reorganization, a . substantial block of new securities. Radio Corp. of America retains approximately one- half of its former substantial hold- ings. RKO's St Louis Theatre And Stock Settlement St. Louis, Aug. 1. Sam, Harry and Nat Koplar^ Emil Strauss and the David Sommers es- tate, stockholders of Metropolitan Theatre- Corp., owner' of the St Louis theatre, a 4,000 seater in mid- town, have regained' possession of the house,, sold in 1929 to the Radio- Keith-Orp'heum - interests, and will obtain 76,500 shares, of nev; RKO stock estimated to be worth $300,000 when reorganization plans are com- pleted. The new RKO shares, which will be distributed to general cred- itors on a basis of 10 shares for each $-l"00 in claims, are reported to be selling for $4 a share in the over- the- counter.. market in New York. This would indicate a value of about $300,000 for the 76^560 share.-i. These shares will be distributed, when the reorganization plan for RKO becomes effective, to the slock- holders of the old Metropolitan The- atre Corp, which built the S; Louis theatre at a cost of .$1,500,000.- Its claims, which have been allowed among other general claims, is based on a guaranty by RKO Corp. of a $200,000 second mortgage bond issue placed on the theatre when it was sold to a RKO subsidiary in the 1929 pact When RKO went into receiver- ship in 1933 the bond issue had been paid down to $765,000. In buying the theatre, second largest in this burg. RKO paid $iOO,. 000 in cash; gave a $600,000 first mortgage to the Sommers estate and the $900,000 second to the Metropoli- tan Theatre Corp. After RKO went into receivership RKO turned the house back, remaining obligated on the mortgage bond iss-jcs. Harry Koplar said $320,000 had been paid on the mortgages. Subsequently the first mortgage was foreclosed and the Metropolitan Corp. took over the theatre from the first mortgage bondholders. In 1934 the theatre was leased to the Grandel Theatre Co. th-J principal stockholde. - of which were Harry Koplar, Strau.-is and the Sommers estate, and sublet to, the Fanchon & Marco and St. Louis Amus. Co., which now operitle it, FOX, PHILLY (Continued from patre 20) ling of kids, apparently had never seen anything like this before sni were plenty surprised to find that anything so arty as ballet could be so understandable and palatable. Interest sagged in the middle, but was almost immediately pulled up by the appearance of one of the comics and the raptness continued through until the finale. Applau.'^e was generous, although not entirely solid and certainly not overwhelm- ing. A fairly lengthy prolog to the bal- let is wisely presented so that even the most uncomprehending of the payees cannot fail to get not only the large quantity of unsubtle im- plication, but the innuendo as well. Wordy prolog is flashed on the cur- tain. Locale is the 'Too, Too. Too, Too Club,' with the flashy entrance, hat- check gal's booth and a. bar in the background. A few impre.ssioiii.stic tables are on the sides. Costuming is highly colorful and interesting throughout.' Story is of an evening in any snooty niter'y. with the characters representing the tpaitre d'hotel, hat- check and ciggie gals, waiters, gigolos, hostesses, floor show (in- cluding a line, and well-defined cus- tomers, one of whom, a drunk, plny-f too obviously for laughs). Among the guests are an East Indian couple, newTyweds, a boxing champ and nobility. As each enters, appropri- ately costumed, he does a short rou- tine which characterizes him^ A sharply defined portion of the story deals with the newly wetl.s. Obviously from the sticks, they come in shaking rice from their clolhe.s. Boxing champ and his retinue fol- low them. When the bride asks the champ for his autograph, he pick.s her up and kisses her. IVhereupon Mr. Hick knocks him out—and the chorine with the champ whops the country lad with a bottle to lay him out, too. A hefty laugh for' tho.se who get it is the satire the ballroom te<nm does on Eddie Fox and Moyris Chaney. Miss Littlefleld and Tom Cannon are the terpers, and they start with the* usual slow, smooth number, then don top hats and take canes for the second part. This is closely patterned after a Chaney and Fox ballroom bit and is heavily spiced with satire. Finale is the weakest portion. Everybody supposedly has become driink—showing very little signs of it however, in the usual tip.sy, weaving sense—and begins dancing on tables and getting wild. It evolves into a. circus, with a ring- master coming out to direct. Trav- elers come together at the height of the orgy. Terping itself is on a lofty level throughout but the performance is so played down to the audience and there's so much libretto, this passes almost without notice. Heib. COLDER BACK TO WB Hollywood, Aug. 1. Lew Golder has returned to the Warner Bros. fold. He has headed east on lolent 'Scouting job and will be aw«y 10 weeks.