Variety (Dec 1939)

54 VARIETY UTERATI Wednesday, December 6, 1939 Literati Bronn Set By N. T. Post Heywood Broun, whose 'It Seems To Me' column has appeared in the New York World-Telegram and other Scripps-Howard dailies for the past eight years, will switch Dec. 15 to the New York Post. According to the columnist, a one-year verbal agreement was okayed between him- self and publisher George Backer, who recently bought the sheet from J. David Stern. Broun has intimated for some time that his contract with the Telly wpuld not be renewed. Differences of opinion between him and Roy Howard are said to account for the severance. Broun's column has also been ap- pearing in a number of papers out- side the Scripps-Howard chain, han- dled by the United Feature syndi- cate, an S-H subsid. Understood that the Post will syndicate the col- umn itself ih the future, although some other deal on this point may still be worked out. Likely that the column title will go with the switch as Broun has been using it since 1928, when he was with-the former World, which was later to become the World-Telegram when the World folded. Understood that in addition to the six times weekly column, he will also contribute byline stories from the baseball training camps and also for other current news events. 'Country Lawyer' Film Boy 'Country Lawyer,' by Bellam:^ Partridge, on which Paramount on Saturday (2) took a 90-day option, has had distinction of heading na- tional best-seller non-fiction list al- most since the day it was published last August. It's considered most important non-fiction film buy since Walter Wanger snapped up Vincent Sheean's 'Personal History' some years back. Book had been under considera- tion by Par for some weeks and was purchased by eastern story depart- ment after call from. Russell Holman, New York studio rep, currently on Coast confabbing. with company chieftains. Book consists of series o£ cases around which Par figures on weaving a story. Christ precipitate? Are we to be more 'Christian' than Christ? What then are we waiting for—the revolu- tion? Let's go!' North declared that the editorial, which is also directed at Life mag as' being a 'front' for Communists, is a 'clear and unmistakable call to vio- lence and bloodshed.' Connolly Qnlts Hearst Post Effects of his recent illness, which recently caused Joseph V. Connolly to absent himself from his duties as general manager of the Hearst or- ganization for an extended period, has caused him to quit the post. His successor is J. D. Gortatowsky, his former assistant, who was named the new general manager at a meeting ot the board of directors of the Hearst Consolidated Publications in San Francisco. Connolly, who while general man- ager of the Hearst enterprises was concurrently prez of King Features, International News Service and In- ternational Photo Service, will ac- tively resume that post. 'N.T. Times Group' Prevails Reputed efforts to wean direction of the American Press Society away from the so-called 'N.Y. Times group' has failed to materialize, with re- nomination of Oliver Holden and O. D. Donaldson, both of the Times,, for the posts of executive director and treasurer, respectively. Re- nomination is held tantamount to reelection. Charges of an anti-American Newspaper Guild attitude of Holden and Donaldson, together with N.Y. Times 'bias' against the ANG, are said to have resulted in dissatisfac- tion among a part of the member- ship. Other APS nominees for 1940 are Robert A. Erwin, of the Washington Evening Star, for prez, and Paul Scott Mowrer, editor of the Chicago Daily News; Dorothy Thompson, special writer for the N.Y, Herald Tribune; Guy V. Miller, foreign news editor, Pittsburgh Press; Henry F. Burmester, Long Beach (Cal.) Press Telegram, and Gary B. Wil- mer, Jr., Atlanta Constitution, v.p.'s. Mowrer is the present prez of the Society. Chilton Co., New York publishers, died Dec. 1 in a Columbus hospital of complications following ^n opera- tion. Surviving are widow, son, daughter and four grandchildren. Ralph Henry Graves, 61, head of the newspaper syndicate bearing his name, and former newspaper, mag and book editor, died Dec. 1 in Gar- den City, L. I. Formerly city edi- .tor and Sunday editor of the N. Y. Times, city editor of the N. Y. Eve- ning Post, managing editor of World's Work and editor for Dou- bleday, Doran, he established his newspaper syndicate in 1936. Charles F- Klnesley, 74, former Buffalo, N. Y., newspaper publisher, died Dec. 1 ih Riverhead, L..I, He was city editor of the Buffalo Eve- ning News before becoming owner and editor of the Buffalo Enquirer. .Subsequently, he established the Buffalo Review, later going to New York where he was connected with the old New York Press and other papers. At the time ot his death he was engaged in the practice of law. Mull Fb. EdiUon of Mirror Long favored by its «ditor. Jack Lait, as an exploitation idea, the N. Y. Mirror may run a Florida edition this winter. Heretofore the Mirror flew 300 dailies to Miami during the season. NEW PERIODICALS Hobby Parade, mag for those with hobbies, to appear quarterly. Pub- lished in New York. Albert O. Bas- suk is editor, with Fred S. Silver-: man associate editor. True Love Affairs, confessional story mag, added to the Munsey string. AUie Lowe Miles editing, un- der the supervision of Al Gibney. Civil War Stories, mag devoted to tales ot the war "between the states only, which Fiction House is bring- ing out. New pub is under the edi- torial direction of Malcolm Reiss. Publication will be quarterly. Ribbing Mike Halloran Minneapolis newspap.r gang got quite a kick out of the Republic pic- ture, 'Tidal Wave,' which showed at the Minnesota theatre last week. One of the film's characters, Mike Hal- loran, is a newspaper political writer and he's referred to as 'writing the usual tripe.' The Mpls. Star-Journal actually has a political \\ .'iter by the name ot Mike Halloran, a veteran, capable and respected newspaperman. Of course, he came in for much joshing and plenty of telephone calls, but he took it all in good stead. ^ Dallas Dally Sold Karl HobliUelle has sold to J. M. West and) sons, Houston, his Dallas Dispatch f Journal. Daily's name changed to the Journal. Same man agement will be retained. Dispatch-Journal was formed some 15 months ago by merger of old Dis- patch, Scripps League, and Journal, afternoon outlet of The Dallas Morn- ing News. ' New Masses Vs. Conghlin Charges that an editorial in Father Coughlin's Social Justice mag con- stituted 'incitement to riot' were made to the Post Office department and Department of Justice by Joseph North, editor of the New Masses, on Monday (4). Liberal sheet has re- cently been running an alleged ex- pose series by John L. Spivak on the Detroit priest. Portion of the lead editorial 'Red Mud,' in current Social Justice, to which North objects, reads: 'Inaction ia not necessarily a' Christian virtue. Christ, we recall, took the cord of his garment and physically lashed the mooey-changers out of the portico of the sacred Temple in Jerusalem. Was LITERATI OBITS Frank Curtis Gbnldlng, 69, adver- tising man and former newspaper and -mag exec, died Nov. 24 in Brooklyn, N. Y. At the time of his death he was assistant sec of Dore- mus & Co., advertising agency. Dr. Edward Elway Free, writer on science subjects, died Nov. 24 in New York. Owner and editor ot The Week's Science, a news service, he also did special pieces for the N. Y. Times. N. Y. Herald Tribune and the American Weekly. Samuel E. Holly, 19, retired editor of the Erie (Pa.) Dispatch Herald, died Nov. 24 in that city. Charles B. Smith, 71, prominent newspaperman for the past halt cen- tury, died Nov. 28, in New York An editor ot the Encyclopedia Americana at the time ot his death, he had been a former assistant man- aging editor on the old N. Y. Eve- ning World, Sunday editor of the Philadelphia North American and managing editor of the original N. Y. Morning Telegraph. He had also served on papers in Washington, Knoxville, Tenn., and Macon, Ga. Abraham Drucker Phillips, 88 veteran sportswriter, died Nov. 30 at the Mt. Vernon, N. Y., home of his son-in-law, Nat Fleischer, editor and publisher of The Ring, fight mag, to which he had contributed pieces for the past 22 years. Covering sports for a number ft New England pa- pers, Phillips had contributed to the old Police Gazette before his af- filiation with The Ring; Reuben Brainin, 77, Hebrew writer, editor and publisher, died Nov. 30 at the New York home of his son, Joseph Brainin, also a writer on Jewish activities. Llewelyn Powys, 55, British ssi thor, died in Switzerland Dec. 2 from a tubercular condition with which he had suffered for years^ ' Ernest S. Bates, 60, author, critic and former literary editor, died un- expectedly Dec. 4 in his Bronx, New York, home after a heart attack. A former college professor, he had re- viewed books for the Saturday Re- view of Literature, the N.. Y. Times and the N. Y. Herald Tribune. Frederic C. Stevens, 61, v.p. of the CHATTER General Book Co. has been formed by Franco Modigliani in N. Y. Coast offices of the Fawcett mags moved to a new location in Beverly Hills. DuBose Hey ward named resident playwright of the Carolina Art As- sociation. Margaret M. Mackay returning to China, preferring to do her scrib- bling there. E. L. Bragdon, radio editor of the N. Y. Sun, doing a book for Crowell on television. Pierre van Paassen set to begin a lecture tour shortly after the stjirt of the new year. Andre Maurois has legally taken that name. Real tag of the scrib- bler was Herzog. Donald M. Bangs named assistant to Emil Hurja, new publisher of Pathfinder Magazine. Osa Johnson has delivered biog of her late husband, Martin Johnson, to Lippincott for publication. Next year's annual convention of the American Newspaper Guild will be held in Memphis in June. New book-publishing organization, Midland House, has been organized by Norman D. Froiland in-N. Y. Farrar & Rinehart getting out a book by Haldore Hanson, one of the Associated Press correspondents in China. Paul Gallico, seriously ill for a long time, now recuperating and do- ing a full length novel for Cosmo- politan. Sara Henderson Hay, who's with Scribner's, has had a book ot poems, 'This, My Letter,' published by Knopf. New Mrs. Raoul Herbert Fleisch- mann, wife of the publisher of The New Yorker,- Is the former Dorothy Munds. Frank A. Munsey Co. will distrib Prize Comics, which the Maytair Publishing Co. gets under way In January. 'Seven Faces Has Love,' by Adela Rogers St. John, series in Cosmopoli- tan, is said' to be semi-autobio- graphical. Clair Kinney, on copy desk of Hearst's Sun-Telegraph, elected pres- ident of the Pittsburgh unit ot News- paper Guild. Walter H. Goan, who acquired the Asheville (N. C.) News from Harold H. Thorns, has changed its name to Asheville Advertiser. OBITUARIES ] MAX GRUBER Max Gruber, 62, long prominent in outdoor circles as an animal trainer, died of a heart attack in Muskegon, Mich., Nov. 30. Six weeks before his death he contracted pneumonia and it's believed his seizure was a result of his weakened condition. Born in Rumania, he was brought up in the circus world, and possess- ing a flair for animal training, soon devised an elephant act that toured the world and appeared before the crowned heads of Europe. Appear- ing at the London Coliseum in 1909, he was approached by Percy Wil- liams, who offered him a 20-week contract to appear on his circuit. 'The booking led to many other engage- ments, including 80 weeks on the Keith circuit. He had also appeared in vaude with an elephant and zebra turn. Of his animals, best known were Minnie and Little Eva, both ele- phants.. The act toured in various circuses and his last engagement was with the Tom Mix show, whose live- stock, principally the horses, he cared for. The original Minnie was sold to a Mexican circus in 1921 and Little Eva was relinquished when Gruber and his wife, Adele Bono, also a performer, retired in 1938. Since 1915 they had maintained a home in Muskegon. Surviving are two sons, Alfred, of New York city, and Maximilian, Jr. WILLIAM OVIATT William Oviatt, over 70, forjnerly well known on Broadway, died in California Nov. 30. He wr$ gen- eral manager for Comstock & Gest over a period of years and was in charge when. the producers put on spectacles, including The Miracle.' Previously, he had been general manager for Weber and Fields and for a time was executive secretary to the Producing Managers Associa- tion. After leaving show business, he embarked on building and realty on Cape Cod but lost a fortune. Oviatt moved to the Coast after his son was killed in a plafie crackup several years ago. He was the brother-in-law of Charles Murray (Murray, and Mack) and Lew Ayres, film player, was a nephew. Widow survives. PETER GORRIS Peter Gorris, 65, vet exhibitor In the Pittsburgh area, died in a Mc- Keesport, Pa., hospital last week after MARRIAGES Betty Lou Reed, professionally known as Sonia Orlova, to Serge B. Ismailoff, In New York, Nov. 23. Both with Ballet Russe. de Monte Carlo. Frances Parsons, former WOW script show entertainer, to Soren Munkhoff, WOW news department, in Omaha last August, just revealed. Peggy Hunter to Stanley Black- burn, owner of Mainstreet theatre, Fremont, Neb., in Omaha Nov. 28. Doris F. Schulman to Bernard L. Schubert, in New York, Dec. 2. He's sales contact for the Phil Lord office. June Woodworth to Gunther Les- sing, in Las Vegas, Nev., Nov. 25 Bride is a screen actress; he's attor- ney for Walt Disney Productions. June Gale to Oscar Levant in Fredericksburg, Va., Dec. 1. Bride is musical comedy and film player; he's composer-conductor and on the 'Information, Please' radio program. Ann Carolyn Russell, WMAQ ser- ial actress, to Bernard Scott Good non-pro, in River Forest, 111., Dec. 3. Alice Louise Vogel to Edward W. Hamlin, in St. -Louis, Dec.. 1. He's commercial manager of KSD, St, Louis. .Louise Harker to John R. Boyer.in San Antonio, Nov. 30. He is an- nouncer for KTSA, San Antonio. "LEST WE FOKGET" EDWARD LeROY RICE Our nAloveil Husband and Falhec Died December 1, 193S Mm. Emma L. Mice ana Mni. Haxle Rlc« Hall a long illness. Gorris went into the business back in the old nickelodeon days, opening in McKeesport and later teaming with Frank Pano- polos in the operation of a chain of houses. At one time, he controlled a dozen theatres but financial re- verses cost him many of his prop- erties. At the time of his death, Gorris was running only the Star, Glassport, Pa. A brother John, form- erly an exhib himself, but in the restaurant business now, has been looking after the Star since the exhib's last and fatal illness. Widow two sons and a daughter also survive. SIDNEY GOLDTREE Sidney Goldtree, 57, Coast legit producer and booker, died after a heart attack in San Francisco Nov 29. From 1920 to 1931 Goldtree was in charge of productions at the Green Street theatre, Frisco, where he staged several long-run plays. The best known of these was 'Easy for Zee-Zee,' which ran there 64 weeks. For a time he was also associated with Eddie Mitchell in a booking business. He dropped dead on the street only half a block from home and, hav- ing no identification, was taken to the city morgue where he was later identified by relatives, SIDNEY J. KENT Sidney J. Kent, 85, father of Sid- ney R. Kent, 20th-Fox president, died in Pasadena, Cal., Dec. 2. Also surviving are Larry Kent, head buyer for Fox West Coast, two other sons and a sister. FRANK GUTTON Frank Guyton, 67, prez of the West Lake Park Amus. Co., operator of the m3jor resort in. St. Louis County, died Nov. 30 in St. Louis after a heart attack while driving his automobile. Accompanied by his wife, Guyton suddenly became ill and collapsed. He was ,dead before a doctor ar- rived.. DELBERT S. WARD Delbert S. Ward, 85, retired actor, who claimed to have played every role in 'Uncle Tom's (3abin' except Simon Legree, died Nov. 30 at home of his only daughter, Mrs. Clarence N. Ferguson, in Coldwater, Mich, His widow, Emma, also survives. WILLIAM (BILLY) CLARK William (Billy) Clark, 64, oldtime blackface comic in vaude and with rbdd tabs, died Nov. 26 in Grand Rapids, Mich. He had toured with the Hammer and Fields Co., and was also once in an act billed as Arm- strong and Clark.. A sister ,Mrs. Edgar B. Delano, survives. Maurice V. H. Johnson, 64, vet Ohio ballroom operator, died Nov. 26, in Canton, O,, after a long ill- ness. He had been a partner in the Click Johnson Co., which operated the Casino ballroom at Geneva on the Lake for 22 years. Widow and daughter survive. Meta Maya Marsky, former lead- ing lady for the old Barney Wolfe Stock company, Wichita, who had In Memory ot JULES MASTBAUM December 7, 1926 played with several other stock companies prior to going to Cali- fornia to live several years ago, died in San Jose last week. Mother, 70, of Maxie Rosenbloom, former light-heavyweight champion and more recently a film comedian and Hollywood nitery operator, died in the Bronx, N. Y., Nov. 30. Also surviving are her husband and five other children. Lou Anlhonis, 29, saxophonist with Gus Meyers' Connecticut Colonials, studio band at WICC, Bridgeport, died ot pneumonia Nov. 26 at New Haven hospital. John Perry Fielder, 72, pioneer southern fair promoter, died Nov. 30 at his home in Spartanburg, S. C. He had been secretary ot the Spar- tanburg Fair Association. John P. Gaskill, 52, cellist, who played with orchestras in various Al- bany theatres for years, died Dec. 2 in the N. Y. state capitol. Warren C. Ripley, 71, father ot Fred R. Ripley, v.p. aiid general manager of WSYR, Syracuse, died Nov. 28 at his home in Cleveland. Kate Hohcngarten, 72, mother ot Carl Hohengarten, "CBS orch leader, died recently of anemia in a St. liOuis hospital. Husband also sur- vives. Max Kimble, 70, father of At Allen, assistant to vaude agent Ed Sherman, died Dec. 1 ia Boston after a long illness. Mrs. Ella King Adams, 61, head ot Cecil B. DeMille's research depart- ment, died Nov. 26 in Hollywood. Frank S. Franklin, 84, father of Clyde Franklin, New York actor, died Nov. 28 in Newark, O. BIRTHS Mr. and Mrs. Luigi LuraschI, son, in tios Angeles, Nov. 26.. Father is' head of Paramount's censorship divi- sion in Hollywood. Mr, and Mrs.-Leonard Kapner, son. In Pittsburgh, Nov. 28. Father's manager of WCAE, Pittsburgh. Mr. and Mrs. Nate Tutts, son, Dec. 2, at Lawrence hospital, Pelham, N. Y. Father is production man at Ruthrauff Sc Ryan-agency. Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Van Dyke, son, in Santa Monica, Dec. 2. Father is Metro director. Mr. and Mrs. Mort Lawrence, son, in Philadelphia, Nov. 29. Father Is WCAU, PhiUy, gabber.