Variety (Dec 1940)

SCIEEN RADIO STAGE Publliliad .WMkly at 154 Wait 4(th StrMt, NAw Tork, N. T., br Varietir. Inc. Anneal •ubacriptton, tlO. SlnsU copies tS c«iita. Bnt«r«a u 8acoad-cU«a mattar D«oemb«r U. Hot, at t)i» PMt OAlc* at New Tdrk, N Y., under the act 6( Uarcb I, 18{» .. coPTtaoHT^ iMOi. BS TABiinnri'itw. au. bights RBSBRVEO VOL. 141 NO. 2 NEW YORK. WEDNESDAY. DECEMBER 18. 1940 PRICE 25 CENTS Despite the ASGAP. board's atti- tude of 'no appeasement to Metro or any other group of music publishers/ It looks as if the M-G-M firrhs (Rob- biris, Feist and Miller) will' renew with the Society this week. It's the same intent as last week, excepting for sundry hurdles that presented themselves when David Bernstein, v.p, and treasurer of Loew's, Inc., and president of Metro's music sub- sldiaries; was spurned in his requests tor 'special' considerations. .. While ASCAP stated . frankly it wanted and needed Metro's three Important Arms in the fold, the board took an adamant, attitude against certain guaranties asked by Metro, Including special reservations for television rights; warranty of ho in-; crease in Loew theatre seat tax; ho . change in classification, etc. The reports of an ASGAP 'consent decree,' to end a lohg-einding Dept. of Justice beef of alleged monopoly, (Continued on page 55) USBONNITE UFE CLOSEUP 6 Tpp Grossing Pix 'Gone With the Wind' (S-I) •Boom" Town' (M-G) ;. 'Northwest Mounted Police^ (Par) 'Rebecca' (S-I) The Fighting: 69th' (Wb) 'Strike Up the Band' (M-G) CHAPLIN PUSHES WAR OFF P.l IN LONDON By GEORGE LAIT ,. Lisbon, Dec. 6. As far as nightlife in Lisbon is concerned,' I shouida stood in bed. The town is j ammed with 25,000 of more refugees, most of whom have plenty of dough to ^pend, but'there's no place to .spehdi it. The principal debauchery begins •t about 7 o'clock in the evehing at one of Lisbon's 2,500 bars. These bars are all tiny—few more than 15. feet ■ ; length—and. : all are; Jammed With foreigners Jabbering in (Goiitinued on paiie 13) 20th to Phg Tunes With Shorts to Get Around Radio Tabu London, Dec. 17. Charlie Chaplin's 'Dictator' Is do- ing comparatively terrific business after opening yesterday (Dec. 16) simultaneously in ihre.e theatres here with $30,000 total g»oss. Long, lines all day today. . Prq, and con agitation in news- papers, several of which sent .two reviewers who wrote divergent opinions; has created immense news- paper discussion. With cinema boxoffice grosses gen- erally reported off 30% to .65% in (Continued on page 55) METRO LOOKS AIL SET TO SIGN BIUY CONN : Hollywood, Dec. 17;^ Etherized exploitation pf filmusi-! cals, : which "has : confounded the cinehia's master mi'^ds since the full. . Import of the music fight has been ] / driven home to the industry's top j execs, maiy be .partly , salvaged by 4 I plan hatched at 20th-Fox by Darryl ' Zaijuck. Idea is to pick two or three numbers ^hat may be. presumed, to Whieve hit prpportiohs,;bnild a short around each \ditty and release them .In advance of the Almusical from which they are taken. ■ Studio figures on a double, benefit, .. through the advance . conscioushess pf the time ort the paitroii arid the ■pool acting as a trailer. Each reel will be given enpiigh -production > value to warrant its booking as a musical short. ■■ : ' ' Pittsburgh, Dec. 17, A Metro deal is on the flte for Billy ■ Conn,' light heavyweight box- ing champion, now campaigning among: the heavies for a crack at Joe Louis' title.. Conn and his mariager, Johnny Rayy were in New York con- ferring^ with Metro execs last week' and while nothing definite has taken place, contracts are; Expected to be sighed. Deal calls for a scries of .boxing shorts, with possibility of : Conn .also going into a feature picture. Boxer was. in Hoily.\yo.od for> couple of weeks, last winter but studios Weren't interested . in; him at that , time .and; he Jeft withoiit a nibble.". Screen test had been arranged. for month agO but -had io , wait, until; a; broken nose Conn received in,- a fight With Lee Savold healed. Selznick Epic Catties .Gable ^ to Fore •—- Fleming Lieads Director ' List; with Hitch' cock and DeMille Next- Decree Brings New H'wood Problems FOREIGN RENTALS EBB By AETHUB UNGAB "Hollywood, Dec. 17. American public, the regular fllm- goers and the occasionals, paid gen^ erouisly for screen: fentertairiment in 1940, through the boxofflices of the nation's 17,000 motion, picture the- atre's. Several new records of finan- cial Intake were established. Higher admission prices and longer runs for the most popular features were ac- (Goritihued on page 15) Alleged Jewish Slur In B way Play Causes Rumpus; Dialog Changed Lee Shubert Is reported to have beeii socked Friday (13) by an ir-ite woman who attended a preview per- formance of 'Retreat to Pleasure,' new Irwin Shaw comedy Which Opened at the Belasco, N. Y:, last night (Tues.). Row started when people in the balcony of the .Belr asco (where the previews were staged) took exception to. lines in a Miami Beach scene, where dialog identifies people'on the beach as be- ing Jewish. ... v"; Although the author is supposed to have been sitiric in the wntinig, the woman in question arose and voiced (Continued on page 55) . Tracy ais Wm. Allen White , Hollywood, Dec. 17. '^Spencer Tracy gets the title role in 'Sage of Eiinporia,' the biography of William Alien White,, at Metro.'.• ■ Studio recently .bought the screen rights and William .Rankin , did a story treatment.. ■ ' Four Major Webs Grossed $96,000,000 In 1940, 16% Rise for New Highs 6 Top Film Stars Clark Gable Mickey Rooney . Spencer Tracy Errol Flynh Bette Davis Gary Coopier WARTIME BOOM BOOMERANGS FOR THE B.O. Accprding to Lou Martin, who Is id on the operation of the Majestic, Patersoh, N. J., vaudfilmer, show business paradoxically, is suffering from too much outside prosperity brought on by the Government's and British war spending. He claimis that his hOuse is doing the poorest business In seven years, though Paterson has more employ- ment now than It previously had In that period. The Wright Aieronauti- cail plant is working three shifts of men 24 hours a day and seven days a week, with the result that the men are too'tired to go for amusements. During the day the workers' wives, with their heWrfound prosperity, are too busy shopping to go to theatres, and matinee business has been brutal; UNDERTAKER'S SOLDIER RADIO SHOW NSG IDEA Seattle, Dec. 17^ At the last moment the propp.sed klRO program pf. hews and soldier entertainment from .Camp Murray to' be •sponsored by the undertaking firm of E. R. Butterworth & Sons was cancelled, Army authorities de- cided there ;Were several dubious as- pects" to the sponsorship. One was the funeral parlor slant. Death and. a.rm'y morale are not nec- essarily pals. A .second reason for. cancelling Is that the president, C. e;. Butterworth, of the. .uridertaking.. firm;' is a captain assigned to. • the Washington- Natipnal . Guard: . NBC's Red and Blue, Columbia and Mutual will jointly derive this year $96.009.00() gross from the sale of time. This is $33^00,000, or 16% over the gross billings which pre- vailed for 1939. The percentage rise is the same that'existed over 1938. As ;an individual network CBS' takes the lead for 1940 virith a tally of what itself estimates; will be $41,- 060,000. Latter Is a 19%. increase over the $34,539,665 grossed in '39. For its two links NBC estimates for 1940 a gross of $50,400,000, or 11.5% above 1939's. total of $45,244.- 000. Broken down by networks the Red will have done $39,800,000, as against $36,600,000 for '39, or a mar- gin of 8.8%, while the Blue will show a. total this time of. $10,600,000, as compared to $8,644,()00 for 1939. Blue's tilt amounts to 22.6%. . Mutual's estimate for 1940 Is $4,- 575,000. Last year this network did a gross of $3,329,782. Difference be- tween the two figures is 37.4%. • . LUNA PARK, N Y, CHANGES HANDS Luna Pai-k, in Coney Island, New York, 21 acres and probably the world's largest amusement area, Is being taken over for operation this summer by a syndicate comprising: Edward and Harry Lee Danziger,: the former a lawyer. Bill Miller, vaude agent, and Milton Sheen, who: operated the park last summer. A lOryear . lease has been arranged with Prudence Bond, which holds the property, scaling upwards from $75,000 rental the first year to $150,- 000 the 10th, plus a percentage of (Continued on page 54) Mexico City Hitlerites Panic 8 Nabes Showing 20th's'Man I Married' Covering the Radio-Music 'War' • stories in this issue of Vabiety pertaining: to; the' ASCAP-BMl situation linclude,. aniong many others: —'Cojisent Decree' (page 24). .. —Metro hasn't formally signed wiih ASCAP but ■is expected to {page 1). —Coca-Cola transcriptions will 'continue ip use ASCAP numbers (page 23;. ,. rr-WestinghOUse earicels 'Miisical Arne^ put emphatic denials of ASCAP cause ate made (page 23); . ^;■ . : ., -^Wavne 'King. :'sm prograni for Lady Esther'is cancelled (page 22). : ^ASCAP-BML press front (pagi 25). r—Authors League sees esseritialjssue of who con- trols copyright involved (page 24). Mexico City; Dec; 17. Nazi rowdyism again panicked audiences in film .theatres here pv.et' the weekend. The Hitler followers invaded- eight • nabes during the screening of .'The: Man I Married' f20th), anti-Nazi . film, and released tear gas and itching powder while they. shOutcd: 'Heii Hitler; Smaish ; Enijland. This picture is .unju§t.' ' Hoodlums fled before the arrival of police. Authorities are probing a report that they were paid by the Nazi'legation..; • ■ • - . • . ■■ This is the second action by the Hitlerites against a picture here in two \yeek.<r. First One forced the- yanking of 'Pastor Hall' after four days and i.s preveritingothe picture being shown here any further.