Variety (Feb 1941)

41 LEGITIMATE Wednesday, February 12, 1941 Literati Annenberg Tribute .by Patterson Unusual tribute was paid last week, editorially, in the N. Y. Daily News by Capt, Joseph M. Patterson,- Its publisher, to Max Annenberg, un til his recent illness the paper's: cir culatiqn director.:.The editorial dol umn of the News pn the day follow-; ing Ahnenberg's death was headed with a ^Memp ; : to Max /Arthenberg,' and it read: .• - " 'Goodbye. I.am., going to ini'ss you a lot. For many years you have been- my best .friend, out- side members .of . my : 'family';-.: Hope to be seeing you some. day.*:. Annenberg, 66, for 30 * years as sociated with the Chicago; Tribune and the N.;Yi"'-b>iiy- / News/.a's v ' : .dii ! e.e tor ft circulation for ; those news-, papers, died. Feb., 7 at his winter home in Phoenix, ^riz.,. after a five- month illness.. A brother of M. L Annenberg, publisher, of: the Phila- delphia Inquirer, .he started his • ea reer with the 'Chicago Tribune in 1893 and nine years later became cir- culation manager of the Hearst chain and Cosmopolitan magazine,. ■ He re- turned to the Tribune in 1910 and remained with • the organization un- til his death. Also surviving are his widow, Etta, arid three children, Mrs. Sylva Leichner, .prominent golfer; Ivan Anrienberg, present director of circulation for The 'News, and -an- other daughter, Mrs/ Mlndell Gross, . In Memory of Odd Mclntyre. Charles B. Driscoil, vrho does •New York Day by Day,' via Mc- Naught syndicate, salutes an old friend tomorrow (13) as follows, id lead off his column: /. Three years ago, at midnight on Feb. 13,. Oscar Odd Mclntyre, most beloved and most widely read writer in all history, fell ■■' asleep. As his friend, and editor for 13 years, his biographer, and his unworthy successor in the carrying oh of this column, .it is my custom to set this day aside . In his memory... . Column goes on to tell of. Mc- Intyre's seemingly tireless efforts ex- pended in turning out his daily column, for which,'nobody can. be paid well enough for that kind of service, for that kind of life and devotion.' Bell's Dot Thompson Bell Syndicate has contracted Dor- othy Thompson, the . . columnist's atint to start March 17 in more than' 135 dailies, weeklies and semi-week-, lies, following the expiration on March 15 of her pact with the New York Herald-Tribune Syndicate. Dis- agreement in policy with Ogden Reld, the Herald-rTrib's. publisher, which came to a head last fall when Reid held out Miss Thompson's column to. support President Roosevelt's third- term nomination, motivated her re- fusal to continue the pact. Miss Thompson , made her debut as a newspaper columnist on March 15, 1936. in the N. Y. Herald Tribune and subsequently that daily's syndi- cate sold her column to more than . 115 publications. Miss Thompson will, stack up against her present employer in New York. Bell selling her in Gotham to k the Post. did: a "takeoff on the habitual use of the first person by PM' ; ; by-liners, singling out, in; particular, Ralph Ingersoll and . pseudohymously re- ferring to him as'Ralph DolJatwatch' arid, the .papier as 'PS.' : PM,followed upSmith's yarn by reprinUng it ver- batim. . ■'■'.: <•..'- ■ Smith, incidentally, has idohe simi lar burlesques on Ed Sulliva.ii, Nick Kenny, Lou'ella . Parsons, , Lucius Beebe, -etc., all as part ,of a special series of features for the . Vyorld- Telly's. Saturday/ amusement: section. Jim Conzeljman's Column "Jim Coiizelman, quondam actor, songwriter and. newspaperman;.; but mostly /coach : of . the pro Chicago Cardinals. football team, has been signatured to do a : thre.c-a-\ye«k. sports • column for King Features. Joe .Conriolly set/the deal.. ; \ .. > .; • Cpnzelman, who returns to the St. Louis municipal opera next summer, to. play in 'Too Many Girls.' is also under lecture management of W. Colston Leigh. . Quenjln Reynolds' Diary Qiientin Reynolds • got a second book contract quite by accident -when he ad libbed conversationally -witii Bennett : Cerf,' : pre? of Random House, who observed,. 'It's too bad you didn't keep a diary.' Reynolds said he did-, however,. and his 'A Londoner's..'.Diary'' was thus set via Random House. /'.■ 'The Wounded- Don't ; Cry/ the Collier's war correspondent's' first volume, went via Dut'ton bit an agent's commitment previously made. Consldlne Slnu for 5 Years Five-yfear contract of Bob Cbn- sldine, sports columnist on the Mir- ror, : N. Y., has been renewed -for a similar period. When he joined- the; Hearst outfit Consldine signed with the American And when that daily was merged with the Journal, -scribe switched to the Mirror. New contract is with King Fea- tures, syndicating arm of the Hearst publications. Recently,. the Mirror's- Sports editor, Dan Parker, was given a new term contract. arid formerly'.- connected with the Curtis and Crowell Publishing com- panies, ' died Feb, 8 at hia liome in Augusta, Me. Marguerite Carse, '; 65, pioneer newspaperwoman of the midwest, who for years covered news arid con- ducted a column, for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, died Feb, 7 in a hos- pital near, West Cornwall, Coring . ./CHATTER'' ' Merle Potter looking .over.-the Hol- ly wood .s$vidioa;-4or-.the^ , °Miririeapo1is', Tribune. '."'..•.'..-!"'.'.- '■;■ ' '" '"-./. ■';'-'.-''. l)aVid Wells in Holly wood to in-, terview'.. picture " perso.naiities.-■ for London,News Chronicle;";- ■ .; ■Pierre Lazareff, "former, editor of the Paris Sqir, writing a- history of |. that' paper; fbr ; Random House; Ed/:' Anthony v 1 '**?.'-'-' 1 ^ 0 ^^'^''' niag aboard boat for California oh a vacation. ■-. \.. :. :■' ./. /'•:■• ".. Hollywboid "/Features- Syndicate servicing 1 George Fisher-s' .'Holly- wbod ' Whispers' to.. 62 . papers. ' -, - .Steve ■ Laird; former Time : ma|( man in Washington,: nb w stationed, in Berlin, and; getting stuff through regularly.: /. .''.--. -. . '." . New York .Financial' Wrtters/ pick their new officers at an annual meet-* in.; tomorrow night (Thursday) at the Lexington, hotel,. N. Y. Pauline Corley^ literary editor of the Miami.. News; authored 'The World and Richard;' novel, which Btririett Cerf WiU, publish shortly. Jerome Ellison,, Reader's . Digest staff -associate, leaving. for Coast by auto to. work on new novel. Random House to . publish his/'The Dam' in- spring. ' ■ Edward Van Every, N. Y. Sun sports . Writer, . on; leave of absence for a month in Holly wood as research counsellor for his -.story;- .'Coney Is-' land,' at 20th-Fox. ) Gavvrean Mag Off Till Fall Tab. pictorial mag which Emile Gauvreau was set to edit for Hili r man Publications this spring, has been pushed off until, fall, it was said at the Hillman office this week. Former editor of the New York Mirror was declared at his country home "working on the format of the new magazine.' Gauvreati's ■/ autbbiog, "My Last Million Readers,' wili be published shortly. He is also, working on an- other book. PM-Roy Howard 'Feud?',.;.-•;' The 'feud' that has arisen- between the N.. Y. ! World-Telegram and PM, new N.. Y; tab. ; daiiy,; is something that stems from th£ fictional fancies of the PM bunch,. according .."to newspapermen in the know- PM, of course, with its New Deal attitude is diametrically at oddwith the policy of Roy Howard- and his Scripps-Howard papers, of which the World-Telly is. the New York cutlet, and PM editorially has 1 em- phasized that point in no uncertain terms. Howfever,. the World-Telly's repeated kidding attitude toward PM. particularly, the yarn written a week or so ago by . H. Allen Smith, staff feature writer,- is indicative, of: nothing more than Smith's usual whimsical burlesques on anybody or anything, of which he's done a num- ber in the past. , ^■Smiihtlh ihe. aforementiened- ^arn, LITERATI OBITS Georfe R. Rogmn, 56, assistant city editor of the Los Angeles Herald and Express, who had been an active newspaperman for 41 years, died of a heart attack Feb. 3. in Lbs Angeles. Frederick P. Perkins, 43, veteran newspaper man who had been - a staff man for several New England newspapers and more! recently a feature Writer/for The Boston Eve- ning American, died Feb. 6 in a Bos- ton hospital shortly after'a heart at- tack. ■'■ v . Georfce R. Rogan, 56, assistant city' editor of Los Angeles Herald and Express and former producer of film shorts, died Feb. 4 in/Los Angeles following a heart attack. Starting as an office boy on the old New York World, Rogan , moved to the New York American in 1911 and shifted to California 17 years ago to become a picture maker. Later, he resumed his newspaper career and has been with the Herald and Express for the past five years.; Surviving are his widow, two daughters and a son. ; Jacob Shapiro, 50, southwestern representative of the Jewish Morn- ing Journal, N. Y., who. maintained offices in St. Louis, died last week in San; Antonio of influenza. Widow and two children survive. John D. McAdams, 65, joini owh- er- j\rid business manager of the Al- ton, 111., Evening. Telegraph, died in a St Augustine,/ Fla., hospital from injuries - suffered in an auto crash. Widow, two daughters, four sisters arid a brother survive. : Floyd Rich, publisher, of the Car- thage (N. Y.) Republican Tribune and bhe-time business manager- of the Watertown (N. Y.) Standard and Hudson Valley (N- Y:). Star, died; at a Watertown hospital Feb. 6 after an operation. . ';./ ; ••:~. George E. Walsh, 75, retired; news- j >ermah, and magazine writer, died FeK 7 in a •BrpnXi N. Y.. hospital fr.6m' injuries he sustained. in. a fall at his home in City Island the same day. : . / ; ' ,/'■;' .." '■'.."- Lady. Russell, 74i" who ; under .the, pseudonym of Elizabeth, wrote the. best-selling novels, 'Mr. Skeffirigtbn' and 'Enchanted April' died Feb. 9 in Charleston, S, C, ,from influenza, Charles/E« MUll.e>i" 75, former, ad- vertising manager of the old To- ledo- (O.) Bee, and for the last .20 years head of his own advertising business, the Miller Agency Co., To- ledo, died Feb. 2 in that city of a heart..attack. Widow and two daugh- ters survive. '. • Fired F. Fitch,. 64, magazine-writer on B'way tration. Zamah Cunningham and Aideen O'Connor are unable to bring static parts to-life; while Hale Norcross seems, unnecessarily anemife as *a priest and Art Smith struggles vainly in an unsuited role, ; Besides playing the central part, Shields staged the piece and was apparently, baffled by the.play's con* flict. of moods. Setting by -Mercedes seems atmospheric, but'; has : a stock appearance. Play's . opening was postponed several times because of casualties to : the cast arid . various, other mishaps. It- rnay. have been jinxed from the start. '. Hobe. : BQUDOIR • -Drsi'nin \n tt)ro> arts . (fiiyr/soc'n^a) . by JiH-iliii'H Dovnl-.. ^S'lHKod by the nuthiir,-tvHh aptlliiffa by . Ku.vmonil Sowy. ' J'rc.spiHed by .turundaChnmbrun, rit (Joldon, Ni' Y.v Feb. 7.-'41; «3.:fO top ($4.-10 bpenlOK), TJorlii VVIIIIiinis. (■'i)ri\ Ambi'i-slit»l) i;..'. VmIvpp ■;+;.>;■.:■(;■£.. l'lillllps...... Pbnpbe Ariissubcr.'..... Fl Iip.I • Plinuriiin., i',..'. .Khrlcii' .rullli'i-l .. ^. , Kilp.-tr Mnsanl>e,r.;..' /.. (5.nylord.... i. , dMniie...; .June .Ponnor .'Ht;li'fi TAvelvetreoa' .,. .'.niohnnl . IrV'lnK ,'.*:ui-tl8. rionk.Hey .,JiiMClihlno Slanton ,. .Joi-rtldlnn Dvorak . .) ipnr'y : limndun. .Tn.vlor HoJrtieS: ,i. .Sinnlo-iCiHwiii-hv .. ..... .Rise: A rent ^Continued from page 42 - ssssm POP3Y care, but she doesn't think it fair to him and wants him to be free. . With- a^ house full of girlsi- the Slabs of the old boy and his wife, lary, look to be thoroughly shot. But toward the end everything turns out to be .all right. Ruth has a fainting spell and the doctor Verifies her delicate condition, so a mes- sage brings her William flying to her side, prematurely loaded ■ with ' toys. After making. and unmaking her mind, more times..than neces- sary, . Jane - arid her Bob rush, to a parson and get hitched: Then Flor- ence receives word that her man has landed a much better job and they are to go to South America for a. trip. The professor : and Mary. de- cide to scratch Hawaii and go in- stead to Niagara Falls, Al Shean, as the prof, is featured. He seems skittish for a man of 60 who. looks older. He tries a change of pace and uses familiar manner- isms, but the part does not contain the humor that was expected. Edith King, as his wife, gives a good per- formance. Among the daughters, Nancy Evans, as Ruth,, appears best. Sylvia Field has a fair part as the daughter with the kids, while Nata- lie Thompson is the changeable Jane. Others are just so-so, but that rnay be traced to- the play rather than the players. Ibee. TAN YARD STREET Drama. In thrt« acts (four acenen) by Louis D'Alton, Directed by Arthqr Shields; settliiR by Mercedes. Presented by; Jnck Klrkland; at Little, N. : X., Feb. .. This Jaccjues Deval drama, the author's first attempt in English,; pro- vided one of those openitip-night eirn- barrassments/the Broadway theatre must occasionally endure. Yarn about the intrigues and eventual dis- aster of an. 1080 cbcotte may not be the season'js "absoIu,te nadir., but it's bad enough. In fact, it's terrible. / • Writing is. all perfectly grammati- calv but such painfully: stilted hokum that; first-nighters, soon got. the gig-, gles and presently laughed the piece almOst off the stage. That was bru- tal on the innocent actors* but a fair enough estimate of the show. . Deval,- who wrote the original French' versions of 'Tovarich,'" 'Her Cardboard Lover' arid other Broad- way plays, directed this one. himself. Helen Twelvetrees. making her Broadway debut as the lead, is a looker, hut"hef- playing Js rigidly ex^ pressionlcss. Taylor Holmes is. sin- cere as the. elderly admirer. Else Argal. the author's wife, is direct and' believable in a supporting lead; Staats, Cots worth manages to retain his dignity in one of the most absurd parts in memory; Henry Brandon has little to db'but smile amiably, as a rakish swain who turns out to be. a homicidal maniac. Raymond So- vey's single setting is elegant. '• -.. . Hobe. going to get a second company arid that' all of the dear children in- volved are going to be in the cast ■; There are lots of good situations and a liberal sprinkling of laughs plus some sympathy for the hopes of the juves who are trying so hard. Main trouble is that the stbry. is not •sufficiently sustained in its present writing and a large, portion of th 9 proceedings smacks of sophombric wit. The characters of the producer and the irate parent are badly writ- ten and hard to believe. A bit of romance is nicely handled, but there is too much rushing around and clut- tering up of the stage. • Cast is. on the nice side. Florence MacMichael, only survivor - of the .summertime- .tryout, shows consider- 1 able promise as the dumb dame who' helps thrpw a monkeywrench into the works. She has a natural knack for laughs and: should find, ample op- portunities for her very evident tal- ent. Also cute Is Barbara Bel Geddes as the youngest and dizziest of the' ernbryoriic ; pliayers. .. Daughter of Norman Bel Geddes, this is her stage bow. 'Mabel Paigiei as a bemused ;and • slightly puzzled, landlady, also makes her role count.; Alexander. Kirkland's direction passes muster and the setting: by Cirker and Rob- bins is quite, adequate.. Arthur Hop- kins has been pitching iH here on shaping the comedy. Francis Swanh has come close with this one and shows considerable promise. Regardless of the. Broad-r way:: outcome,. 'Out - of. the Frying' Pan' has picture possibilities.. It has much to recornmend it in that direc- tion, and properly worked over rnay even accomplish some success as a play.; / . ■ Burin. *L'Aihore del Trie >6pera in thj-pe aols: hiiiflc by Halo iron- . temezzl; llliretto li>- f«iin Benelll; iionOuc- tor, UhIo ' Monteip'ezzl; staire.--.director, .He- sire Pefrei-e; clioi-us' innstei-, Kausto Clevu. Arc-h|h;nldo,. Mnnf redd....... AvJto . Plamlnlo............ A Youth..........., Floru..; .. t A Mnld. .>.........., A' ■young- Womn h... An Old Wonin'n.. .... •A Shepherd's Voice. ,KZ\0 ■■ PIiijW. .-.Rlphnrd ponelll ,-.. IChnrle.s Knllimin ...Abesalix De Vnolla .. . . .Nloholns Massiie' ........ Grace. Mdme .,..Lucille Browning; .Mailne Stellman ........Anna Kitskus ........Keno Mablllt Phy Out of Town 4, *41; $.1.30.- top. Mosey Furlong,... Mrs. Furlqntf....., Nanno Deasy. Hossy MoMorna... Hugh McMnma,.., Davey Deasy.-..... Father' Coiin. Kevin McMorna..; ..... .nBiry. FltzRerald ...Zamah CunnlnKham ....'. .Aldeen/O'Connor ............. /,. .MnrBO ..........Lloyd QourIi • •*• •^• : « r>-.. ... Art Stnlth .....'... .Hale'.. NororoBs ../.....Arthur Shield* : Jack Kirklarid.f whose theatrical ventures since his fabulously profit- able Tobacco Road' have invariably been- unsuccessful, apparently -has another failure , - in this comedy- drama from Dublin's Abbey Theatre/ Like all Kirkland • presentations, .it is a well-intentioned production, but its script weaknesses make it a dub- ious, boxoffice prospect and a /negli- gible bet for pictures. : . All-important . JJaw in . .'Tanyard- Street' is that as a miracle play -its effectiveness '.depends on > its dra- riiatic /scenes-r^-yet- the/ comedy pas^ sages, which are really extraneous, are . the only ones. that hold, atten- tion. Thus, .Barry Fitzgerald, as a ludicrous- hypochondriac, gets steady^ laughs, but as soon as he's off. the stage arid the vital theme of the play is resumed the audience begins its telltale coughing. While Fitzgerald; is an infectious buffoon, the! other'actors are unequal tb Louis D'Alton s stubborn; script. Arthur Shields seems :uneasy as the /crippled Spanish Civil War veteran ' who is cured by: faith; Margo ap- pears 111-at-ease and almost, muted as his. distraught wife. Lloy d Gough's - headlong., attack gives at least partial conviction to the part of the wounded, man's brother, whose love for his sister-in-law merely, adds, to his embittered .frus- Out Of The Frying Pan . Baltimore, Feb. 4.. ' Comody-ln three acts bjr j<'rancia Swunn; produced by William Deerlng and Aleir under Klrkland; staRed by Klrkland: Bel- ting. Ctiksr and-.ilohblhs. At the Mary-, land theatre, Baltimore, Feb. -4, '41. S2.S2 top: ' : -' '■-• ...... i WIIllani W. Terry .Mabel Paige. ...... Airrod .Drakr.- ..... Florence MacMichael- ,;'....;'., Nancy-. Douglass George Bo.dell.:.'.' Mrs. Garnet.... Xonimiv .Reese.. Muilal Foster... Kate Ault', Mftipe Benson. Tony Dennlso ... Dottle Cobui-n... Mr, Cohur'n..... Mr, Kenny...... Mac..'........... Joe.. ........... .Louise Snyder ..... .RMInyyn Myora .Barbara llel Geddes .',.'■.'... Henry Antrim ..'.., lieyn'olds Evans .Arthur Holland ...-.George Mathews . This new play 'oy Francis Swann, youngest member of the local family. which operates the nearby, strawhat Hilltop theatre, was given a summer tryout there this past season arid at- tracted; considerable Broadway at- tention. Now being sponsored by Alexander Klrkland and William peering on a more ambitious course and given considerable, rewriting and shifting, it remains as before, a pleasant enough comedy, but still not strong enough to make the grade, on its proposed. Broadway, effort. [It opened last night (Tuesday) on Broadway.] ' There is at least one saving grace to 'Out of the Frying Pan,' and that is the refreshing presence of a bright arid promising group, of = stage-struclr youngsters acting and being. enacted in the story at hand. Wrapped around the efforts of an evenly dir vided Sextet of boys and girls who' have banded together in the strictly Platonic tenancy of an apartment where the .expenses of living can be held down,. the ensuing twists and complications ^. lend' .themselves'■■■'.to sorne diverting theatre. Besides the pecuniary advantages of living under the Same roof, there is another possibility of attracting a bard-to-make . Broadway producer who lives in the flat below. It '.was- his apartment before success in the way of a current Broadway smash shone upon himyand his superstition prevails upon him to stay on. The kids, upstairs have carefully /re- hearsedtheir own version of his hit, and through . conveniently, located radiator openings in the floor watch for the opportune moment, when they can pounce on the great man and force him into an audition. . A visit by . a durnbdora girl friend of one of the. aspiring thespians and the sudden barging in of her papa from Boston tie matters rinto a pretty pickle, plus, the unlooked-for en-. trance of. the producer hirnself'bent.' on the loan of a spot of flour. The audition accomplished Under diffi- culties and when. the . Intruding father turns: out to be the head play censor from Beantown bent on turn- ing loose a tirade on the hit in- volved, it's a cinch that Boston is The first .presentation of the sea- son of 'L'Amore .Dei Tre Re' .of Italo Moritemezzi took place Friday 17) at. the Metropolitan Opera, house, with New .York society and the "curi- ous jamming the doors to see Grace Moore assume the role of the hero- ine Fiora, and the debut as a con-' ductor of Montemezzi, the composer. Why the soprano, desired to sing the. somewhat thankless role of Fiora is somewhat of a mystery, for it hardly compares with the fat parts of Miriil: in 'Bbheme,' or the title, role in 'Lbu- ise,' and does not contain , a single aria, in which" the star may exhibit her voice on a grandiose scale. . Miss . Moore was vocally well up tb her task: Her voice has improved yearly until today she ranks at the top of the country's lyric sopranos, and nowhere does she exhibit her talents quite so well as in the mag- nificent 'second act duet 'Oh Fiora, Fiora, sono Avito,' with Kullmah. The singer, however, was badly di- rected in her acting of the part, es- pecially in act two. There was a love tackle at one part that produced a squirming audience. Despite, the fact that she. is a lyric soprano, her final dramatic duet with Pinza before being strangled with the five B flats, 'Allora quellb ch'io b'acio,' indicates that as her voice matures, the heavier roles will also be hers. Best vocalism and acting of the evening was' provided by Pinza, whose Archibaldo ranks as one of the bass' greatest characterizations.. His aria 'O Ricbrda; il pensiero mlo stanotte' stopped the. show Jh the first act, while his portrayal of the character' of the. blind King was a, swell dish of .melodrama and pathos.. Richard Bonelli sang well lri his two arias, 'Fiora,'Fiora piccolo fliore,' and 'Fanciulla :tu non puoi mulla doriarrhi,' but .the baritone refused ; .to force. his voice, .arid at times -was srnothered: -by the orchestra. His acting was no more than, adequate, , operatic gestures interfering some-. what with the visual presentation,. . The voice b*f Charles Kullmah car- ried well over the footlights, and the * tenor, did a veoman iob in the duet With Miss ; Moore: His-lastVact aria 'Fiora, Fiora ;E Silenzlo' ' was well ; delivered..His. ahsurd- costuming In/ act-two and his successful rivalry (in love), of the/more robUst/Boh- elli was : part- of the showmanship absurdities of the performance. The chorus and secondary roles were oapably' filled, but the :s.tar of: the performance ^was undoubtedly the 67,-yearrold - conductor-composer, whose reading of his own' score brought out every nuance of the rich harmonic background, and held the audience spellbound with tlje ma- jestic sweep of his baton. Not since She- days of Toscanini has this score, the most vital of the 20th century Italian operas, received such a per- . formance at the -Met. It. is to he hoped that the management - will take advantage of . its / opportunity arid give Montemezzi ■ other operas .to conduct besides his own. ■ Smith. :