Variety (Aug 1940)

MISaEStLAMt Wednesiila^r,: Augufit 14, 1940 'So-Whatsr ' Beer ad in. th^ Kew Yorker' is cavsing: \yiU Hays orgaiiizatipn to loam aroiind the cpilar. jjot that the <iffice ha^ ' any, ' persphal grudgC; «gfiin$t the a'niber fluids el viiayi frowhed oni the idea .ol Screen personalities being - used ijs stoojies: ibr alcoholic " ;promptipn. :• In• this case four thesps and a. cplurhhist vote: publicly and unanimously if pi: a cer- tain :brew.':>.'■■."' V Star of 'the: ad is Ed ;Sulliva'n, who columns for a living and-is not.re- stricted- by/, any iiays. office; tradir. lions. ; He utters, the; keynote ot tile productiph: ^My beer is,the dry beer.? His, rhption is seconded by Arthur Treacher,. MarjPrie Weaver, Betty JIaynes :'an(3 B(Bla Lugosi, whose por- trait?,, registfir.ing liquid joy,, s.ur- round that of SuUiyan. Ordinarily this . scpff-law. attitude Would have incurred a .spanking; but in this casie there wiere-arnelipratjng cifcumstariGes, \ The; four , jplayers. ■were members ,of. Sullivan's- troiipe V/hen..'he ;corid)icted. his stage tour a r lew mpnths ago. It is an ^d^Hplly- wopd. ■ custom to ■ 'yes' , e-xectitivej even vi'heh it" coihies io fldver'tising jfcuttlie ,pf siids..: Sp thie -four Ihesps were let oft' iightly with <our harsh looks.; But it miist hot happen agiairii ; vvarned-.thie advei-tisirjg.pur ■ Meahwhile; SMliivan insists pri 'his inalienable right tp plug: dry beer, ieven though /th^ - Hollywood . 'drys^ think, it is; ail wet; ; Mae Mun^y's Custb^ ; Suit Put ■' Albany,. Aug. 13, -\ Po.<;tppnemeht .: the . hearing . of the Mae. Murray case here has been rhade idr the; fourth time. Sched.- u led ipr Wednesday ^7), testirhPny in actre$s' secpnd. attenipt tp gain custpdy of her. son; Kpra :Mdjvani, :1.3,' was adjourned by Supreine. epurt Justice Fjanci^ E- Bergah until Aug. .l^-',.'- \. ■;■■^^::■■. - '^ v.;; . >.;. Edward & : Jtooney, counsel '/for. Mis.5 Murray; jSpd' Daniel' Hv i*rior; • attbrhey for the Cunnings of Averill T^ai-k; .with^ Ayhprn ihe ; bp^^^^ would-give ,np. Teasp;n, for, the delay, except • that .,the ..case '■ had ' been ad-: jpurned by -Tnutual consent; ' Still an Acrbbat ■ .Gurreht ;show biz. gag in Eng- ^ lapd ; reV<)l.ve& . arPund ' Joshua . Lp\v;e <JpIo)t ;who.' has been: chief ci YaRieti's LPndon - JBu- xcau; since World . War I days. •; It's said Hitler's ace parachute iinhper .is .a fprmer. ^Prpbat and ; befpre iakihg ;6rt^^ f he riad.ibed: jpip. tp catch Hijn pn the Avay ■ down Jbr a .New , Act re- ;view.':.•.' •',; ;.'■. '■ ..''.l•■•;■■'..- Harry (hven$ Back to Hawan Unique Native Music I*oUcy--^eaye ef Absence! Thrcie Mohths Became Tliree Vearr^^^v lOG, Heads for N.Y.; ts Kiiiie; Proeram Cliark RpbinsPrt,- stage designer, pf Tiickahpte, N; Y., filed a vplUntariy; , petition of biiikruptcy ■ in: N. Y.. fed- ieiral court Thursday ' (8), lifting np essieti ; and liabilities of $31,433' Rphinspn claiihs' he bias 'eairned ; ho money during the ;past . year, ahd has been a .stage designer since 1920. , Anipng creditors are ^Harry Ar- Ihur, of the Roxy Theatre Building, owed $13,000 on twb/bohdsf Alfred E. Srriith; jr.^ $500,. on isi; judgment; The Todhuhter Schopt of N. Y., $4,026 for. educating Robinson's. childreh; RPbert Little, $2;183 oh, a judgfnent; Yincent Astpj-, $1,475 on a, judgment, nhd thjp U. S. govetnmient,. $4,094 for ' inopme; 'taxes.-' ^ . ' •/ Hpllywbbdi Aug.. 13.-. Harry ;.epnn,.,'rfldip; writer; .is en rpiute tp lS'ew York with $10,000; less $2,0.00^ attPrney; fees, the ;amPunt "of the settlement he received in. -his $6Pi00p -suit; against . Jack Benny. Conn chiarged the comic with breiach of coin tracts filed his laction ih L. A;; superior -court; buf.jlatei; put^ the matter in' the. haiids/bf a- board-pf ar- iiitratibn;';.:-',-.. '. ■■■;\ .'•■^/vv 7 Under .the .agreement; bp iand Beriny' rstain rights ;tb material contained in the 226 air; scripts Conn wrote for Benny. ,. Scribbier ;is j,bining Ken Kling, originator pf the Jbe Asbestps;new^ paper strip,, as .irerilpter On kling's radib show. Bid tt Astaire Signed by U l^rFastera : ■. HbllywPod, Aug. 13. * Fred Astaiire has been signed by Universal as nriale tppper in 'Special Delivery,', which Joe Pasternak will produce with Henry. Kbster direct- iiig. ^ .;';.■. ;.,. ;■■;; :'.; ' Production Avlll ;iget.' under ■ "way fcbbut^'Oct. ;1; PROFILE UPSET, SHE SUES Ann F'entileton Wants $11,600 frota Roller Coaster Owner ^ Los . Angeles, Aug. 13. . Arm Pendleton, .acttesSi filed suit ; suit for; $5.,000 darnages. was filed 'tor $11,600 ' damages; agaiast Jejff against United Artists last week bh Asher, . operator of a beach , roller' j charged : that ■ old Ru.ssian song A reported bid for the autobiog- raphy of- Billy Rose has been made by Darryl Zaniick for 20th -Fpx film- ing, but np /deal has as yet been made. . Rpsie is presently'.in . H^ wood talking oyer deals foY the pos- sible filming of his Aquacade show. . Stanley Walker is dPing the writ- ing on Rose's .life, which is titled 'Strange and Wonderful,'' and Har- per's is publ ish ing next spring. [ Rpse, incidentally, is going; ahead with plans for. the prfesentation: in key cities of his Aquacadfe sho^v fol- iDwihg . its' : closing at the N. Y. World'^ Fair. "The" size , of the water show would, ofV course, necessitate spots of staidium-likig. propprtipns. Rpse's idea is tp present t^ cade with : alternat6, portable equiprrient layout.. ' The purpose be- ,bind this is to have pne set pf equip- ment in advance Pf a current bppk- irig sp that the cpnriplex arrange.r ments. such as heating and filtering the .water, cpu.ld be made in ample time. .'■ ' '■• ,• UA in Russe Song Suit cpaster cpncessipn. Actress charges her. prpfile was jostled Piit pf shape 'by: a defective car. ' ■■ ■ ■ :: ..-.'' JkMmidBackatll Hpliywppd, Aug. 13. Albert .De Mbnd, pn<:e . a; tpp pirpf ifliicer ;iait; Universaii gpes bjEick there; after 10 years .to prpdute an early Califprhia yarn, 'Trail bf the r Vigi- lantes,' fbr the Miltpii Schwartzwald unit. \yas ..used withput permissiPn in 'We Live Again.' made by Samuel Gbld- \yyn in 1934. Picture was based, pn Tpistoy npvei;' 'Re$urreGtibn.\ : Serge Adeiheim brpught the' suit in N. V. suprerhe co.urt;; ■ He clViihs; wprds and• music bf 'MblGhl, :<j|rust; Molchi,' on which he alleges he owns the copyright, were used in the'pic-: .ture. ■',■■.■■■'.■■'■ U Signs Carol Bruce Hollywood, Aug. 1?\ ; Carol;pruce, singer-djarjcer in >he inii. Broadway mu.sical, 'Louisiana Pu/- Story is by Bob Leeds, Fred R'in^.J chase,' was sighed by Universal arid cldp and: Arthur Horman. and th^'i^eports, for work here at. the cpm- I screenplay is being handled by Peter Pl^tion pf; her. stage run. J. Miln6. • Studjp is studying material fpr a musical picture tp; !tnark her screen debut. . • •;•'■■'• ;'V-- es to HolfywoPd, Aug. liJ. RKO has set .'The Saint in Palm Springs', as the title of the next feature in its series based on Les- lie Gharteris' .npyeiis. . Most of the lensing will be done at the .desert resort. ' George Sanders continues Sn the title role, with; Wendy Barrie op- posite. Howard Benedict produces, j Anolher Cafe Slnjer , ; Lik? Carbl Brtipe, whp; was even mbre; advantageously spotlighted vvhen at the Hotel Pierre's: cafe than in 'Louisiana Purchase,' another ni-r tery songstress, Nina Orla, has been signed by Universal. She sings with the rhumba band at the Stork Club; jf. Y.,; f(iid j's due to leave Ibr the Coast today (Wednesday). ;■,■■;•, ■ By BART iPEVEAR A: midsummer rush of cbasl-to- coast commuters hiing up an ail-tirrie record :for Hpllywood-Broadway air business at LaGuardia F.ield. Air- iine -executives at New York's new; airport, which: at tirnies looked dike' a busy. corner of Hollywood, and 'Vine, held two factors responsible: preparations for fall; activities and the annual hot weather wanderlust. On one flight from the Coast ia TWA : Stratblin(^r iinloaded^'G Jessel, John Boles, ' Lynn Farnpl, Walter Kane,. Daivid . Blankenhprri, Cosmo color. executive; A. A. ScHu- bart, RKO;manager of exchange op- erations; and Mrs. Christine CorteZi 'The Lk)s;Angelesr.bound Str.atbiiner Thursday night carried out Anria IjJeagle, Herbert Wilcox;; Ira Gersh- win,; Dan Kelly, ;bf':Uhiyersal;'' :^^^ W, Howard, Mr. and Mrs. Lynn Bps- ton . (he ■ is D. ; A. Dewey's fprmer aide and She, is . Barbara; BPstpii; the hew Nancy " Randplph pf the N.Y. Daily News). • , ', Jessel was met by his ybung bride Lois Andrews, in blue silk farmer- ette; pajamas, silver; fox .cbat,' white turban and diamonds—and Mama. Jessel. He said he had come east tn: take Lbis back to a permanent home in WestwOod. GlPwing with a healthy coat of tan, the comic said he had completely recovered froin his recent illness. ^ ■ Lynn FarnPl, United Artists publi-; city director,'-brought tb New York the ■ first stills of Chaplin's long- awaitied 'The . DictiatPr.' Bples said he Was en route tp a six-weeks per- sonal appearance tout of South America and Walter Kane planned tp discuss cpncert plans, with Maur rice Chevalier and also tp line up spme radip shows. . Anna Neagle hPPPed pfE fpr. HoUyV. wood a bare 2.4 hours after flying, in frpm ; Salt Lake City, - where she wound up a 10-week, 46,000-mi]e per- spnal appearance junket thrpugh the west and. Canada; She came tp Ncw- Yprk pnly tp make pn 'InfprmatiPn Please' shprt. Ira Gershwin; heading fpf his Cpast hprhe, revealed thiat he had just abput finished up his share in the new Gertrude Lawrence shpW Pn .whicl]. he has been wprking with Kurt Weill and Mpss Hart. ■ Publisher Spy Hp ward left tp cpn- nect at LPS Angeles with Pan Ameri- can Airways' inaugural C'ipper flight tp New Zealand. Frpm Auk- land, Howard plans tp cbntinue pn a tpur thrpughput the Fair East, re- pprting his observatibns; back to the; Scripps-Howard papers. Vivien Leigh ind Laurence Olivier still laboriously trying to keep there goings and cpmings secret, ducked into a Stratoliner a half minute be fore ...diepiairture time. Reporters spied them, but flying wedge of publicity and, other representatives kept the newsmen at a distance: The week's other arrivals'Pn the new four-motored ships included Lou HOltz (for, a stage engagement at Loew's State), Phil Baker and My- rpn Selzriick. Among the departures' wei-e Billy Rpse. H.. V;. Kaltehbprn and Sir Cedric Hardwicke: Edward Everett Hprtbn went put Pn a TWA Douglas ship Friday, stppped at Chicago on busihess, conr tiriiied by stratbliner tp the (jbast for a broadcast: arid returned east in time to open last night ('Tuesday) at the Brighton Beach theatre, in 'Springtime for Henry.* York' Ceb $1,250,000 V; Bni^et, Sept. 15 Gong ; \ Hollywood, Aug. 13, . Warnerf will. push 'The Amazing Story of Sergeant York' away to a belated .start on iSept. 15. Picture, which will carry a budget Pf around $1,250,000, \yas briginally.^ W^ roll early in June, but has beeri set back frpm time to time to permit studip ex^cs to. further study the pp- tehtial market for a. vehicle based on the first World War. '■■' "'''-^ Abeni Finkel and Hatry Chandles. are giving the screenplay its final polishing,: .Sgt. Aiviri York: * .due here A ug. 24 frbm Pa 11; Ma 11, "Tenn., to.: serve; as technical; adviser' on the film. Widftw or'Ambros^/ in Aidi, nanf Odd Suit , Request for ;an interrogation; of .United Arti.sts e.xecs ' N. Y. su- preme court last.vi'eek revealed prep- arations for a suit which attbrneys regarded as pne pf the rppst' unique in film his.tpry,, ; It involves early Chaplin films. •. ' \.\ ; Mrs; Pearl. Giimahi' in her request ' for .perniission. to question the vUA ofticiails, declared, ihs^^^^ Eric A. Campbell, now dead, was at one time under contract to; Chaplin as co-star under the .name ..of 'Am- brose.' She said hC: appeared . in :many filrhs,- one Pf: which wias 'E^sy Street.' ' \;..; Subsequently, she claimed, . spund Was dii bbed ; in tb, 'Easy Street' and Ambrpse was given a vpice; Mrs. Gil man is seekingj therefpre; tp pb- tain: rpyalties which she thinks are dve her husband inasniuch -as he.: npw 'talks.' .\. :'' ;■. CPU irt tossed out .the request for an interrogation as Campbell died in 1917 and UA was hot fPrmbd until two years later„' verifying the. com- pany's claim it is. in; no way respPn- sible fpr the picture. UA also dis- claimed ever having the picture for reissue or ;dUb;bing; ■. Chaplin also. maintained that he is not responsi- ble ;fpr what: happened tp the film as he was not prPducing his pwn pib^ tures in . 1917. 'Easy Street' was made fpr Mutual, VAUGHN PAUL MADE U ASSOCIATE PROD. . Hpliywppd, Aug. 13. ■'. Vaughn Paul was upped frpm spciate directpr to. associate pro- ducer af Universal, where he has worked six ycar.s. . . He is a sPii pf Val Paul, produc- tion manager for Edward; Small, and for'iner studip manager at U. ; ! Taylor, Sothern Top Metro's 'Hurricane' ; ' . Holly wood, Aujg. .13. ; 'Trbpical Huriricane' is slated as a co-sttfrrer for • Robert. Taylor and Ann SPthern at Metro. Hunt, Stromberg " producing, from; a yarn by WilsOh Gbllison. •.' RKO Wants Jack Benny ; Hollywood, Aug. 13. ": ' RKO is dickering with Jack Benny on a one-picture deal. Cpmic has: one more to make under his Para-; mpunt contract following 'Love Thy Neighbor.' .^r.'; V. : 'Neighbor,' co-slarring. Fred. Allen, is now in work. Jessie Reed III ; Laiies Set P.A. joui? Hollywood, Aui?. 13; Priscilla, Rosemary and. Lola Lane, currently working in 'Four Mothers' at Warners, are .setting a perspnal appearance tpur at the (tkfmpletibn of the pictured ; ; .Plans call. for three mbnths on the road. •■ -, '"^'. Chicagp, Aug. 13, Jessie Reed, former Ziegfeld h'ad- liiie showgirl, is seriously ill in Orthopedic hospital here- Needs blood transfusions and • donors have been. requested. j, iBEEHY?S PBE-FORDBIl Hollyviibod, Aug. 13. Wallace Beery is set at Metro to jplar; in 'Get a Horse,' comedy meller of the early .auto era. Etlgar SeJwyn produces.. San Francisco, Aug. 13; Hsirry pweris, ..who brought h.i,s Rpyal Hawaiians. over : throe mohU)s leave bf absence and' stayed three years, bids aloha tp the' St Francis Mural Room here (29) to sail back; to Hawaii. During, his mainland . ^ojou)n, Owens, has hung up ah assprted col- : lectipn of records. For one; thing, he hasn't played a pop tune—or any thing .but Hawaiiain jive-r-for two •ybar.s 'and .bight m >,)• : spending their- irehearsql time now warming up on congas becau.se that's' what the folks will ; expect . back in the islands: Over here, it's all .Ha- waiian.; ;.-.'-' ;.■■'. v'- Behind that is a .saga unique ih band histpry, which, like mbst..sag.i.<;, had hunger in it, Fbr years, Owens''. knocked 'bund the m id west With a small orchestra which gradually dis- ; integrated with the depresh. ;: Lad put in about six months t-.ightejiing;. notches on his belt >vhen 'one day he got word from ; Arthiir ^lenagiia of the Royal Hawaiian hotel that the place coUld afford a hiu.sical director and did he want to be it. ' ■ . Batoner thereupon ; signatured a four-month pact to salvage Hawaiian niiisic frpriri extinction. In three months time hb wrpte and junked 60 complete orbhestratiohs :' but; finally gbt the swing of the thin& ^nd under the wire.at option timb. ; . :. Idea was , to use hali-and-half . band. Hawaiians tb get the authentic flavor, Americans for: swing. ' With virgin., supply - of .! native tunes to , work from he built up hi.* library, composing. 1 ob-odditems of his own '. on the side. -.'; \. Next thing was: tp' spread the word around, . Owens promoted - a ,shpj;t- wave radio prpgram dubbed Hawisii Calls, which continues. to thi.s day. That; plus Bing Crosby and 'Sweet Leilaini/ started the current Ha- waiian- vpgue—still,'current after five years, which is sometliing in it- self. . • V':.- - Aftei: four years on the I.sland.. Owens aggregation jumped to Holly- wbbd to make 'Coconut; Grove' at ' Paramount. ^ That Was nearly three y.tfars ago' and they'rb still here, during which time band has made two shbrts and. appeared in 'It's a Date' (U). Trbiipe numbers 18, including four hula dancers and their chaperone. Eleven mu.sibians are divided three sax, two fiddles,, trum.p.et, steel guitar, piano, drums and. string base,, jplus plenty of Vocal combinations. Only three, personnel changes have been madfe ; since departure from i.sland.s.. Ah MCA band, Owens prefers tp handle all detailiS hiniself,'carries ho manager .a.nd has, ho pres.* agent. Attends lo matters like\bpat tickets and reServatipns: personally. ^ ' L.A to RY^ Geprge Abbptt. ;-'■ . Hbward Barnes. '' ..'"';.;':'..:;• Harry Jpe Brpwh. ; ■ ;-. Tremm Carr, Nick Castle. Harry W. Conn. Dick Dprrancc. . , Warren Dufr. . Scptt R, Duniap. • ■; • Wynne Gibson. Del Goodman. Howard J. 'Green. '; Bob Haas. Lou Halper. Sir Cedric Hardwicke. W. Ray johnstoT). Mrs. Jerry Lawrence. Carol irwin, Silvia Lille. -.. Mary -Ma.sp'n. - S. Barrett McCormick. Jp.se)ph.H. MpikPwitz; Lydia Nelspn. Rampn Novarro. kay Vincent.'. Herbert 'Wilcox. :William Wyien • ; N.y.^ t^ Bud - Abbott. Lou CpFtellO. Jerry Danzip, Helen Gahagan. Bob Gillham. . '■ : Agnes Moorebead. - Nina Orla. . .. Red Skeltpn. ••'..-'.; . - •. Deems Taylor; Benay VcnUta. SAILINGS Aug. » (New Vork ib^^^^ fc Tito Coral tiSanta Rblsa)»