Variety (Feb 1941)

Wednesday, February 26, 1941 ■t Harry Kaufman on annual visit to Hot Springs. MajorieGateson in town, probably going into a play, Bill Brandt remaining in Florida for balance of the season. Earl Carroll was in from Holly- wood, planing back last Saturday. Tom Conriors""of Metro on a fish- ing trip off the Florida coast. Bill Scully, U's distribution head, expected :J back from Miami next Week. Irving' Berlin • Palm Beaching it with his ex-brother-in-law, E. flay Goetz. s :' ' • \' ' , ■ ' ' ' •-.'• Guy Kibbee persohaling at first-run showings of 'Scattergood Baines' Jn the'east. > Stantpn Griffis cut his Florida stay short; returning to town middle of last week. Boyd- GraWford, legit and radio actor* confabbing a deal to go to the Coast for, screen, test. .-'.- -.- Gilbert Miller went, to Florida, but due back Friday ' (28) to ready •RAF..' a ; new play:. .. '• . Lucille Watson arrived in N..Y. from the Coast to start rehearsals in Herman Shumlin's new legit, ■■"-. The Richard Davises (he's drama xritic of the .Milwaukee Journal) in town to look over the shows. '.Walter Gould, United Artists "for- eign chief, vacationing until next week wi,th his family in Florida.' • Vincent Sardi; Jr., dislocated cou- le of vertebrae, but continuing lelping /his . father 'at , their restaur ■ rant.'"'■■■'■'.:'• ■'■ Montague Gowthorpe, comptroller of Par theatres, got back Friday, (21)' from a tour of the south and south- west -.- Ed Peskay, Hal -Roach's eastern rep, to the Coast Friday (21) to con- fab oh campaign for. 'Topper Re- • turns.' .-■ - ; '-'. •'.'. . More than 100 turned Out-at the. Polish restaurant fete in tribute to J. C. Nugent, vet actor-author, on Monday (24). . Ted O'Shea has jiist covered the exchanges in the newly-created cen- tral division of which he was made "head recently^ '.-■-"' New York's , tracks will have 175 days .of racing this year,'starting April.12 at Jamaica, where the meet- ing will be 25 days. -. Bob O'Donriell, who has an interest , In Jimmy. Webb, fighter, was up for the ring battle Friday (21) ;in which Webb scored a knockout. . John Latham Toohey (son of. John .Peter V special press rep on 'Life With Father/ will marry Virginia Coan, a non-pro, in ApriJ. Marvin Froman of National Screen' Is one of the town's .ace rhumba dancers,- his favorite partner being Gloria Shaff, also of National. Returning from. Florida , in his car and parking it a few minutes' on the way home, Al Wilkie was robbed of his trunk and other valuables. Lawrence Stessin of the. American Arbitration Assn. was in Boston over the weekend checking in with the local film tribunal there, also visiting. Charles L. O'Reilly', formerly head of the N. Y. Theatre Owners Chamber of Commerce, to Florida for a Test, accompanied by his. wife. A. 7 L, Burks, with Metro in the Charlotte territory,: flew in Saturday (22). to celebrate his son's 21st. birth- day, returning south the next' night. American Concert Ass'h will enter the legit production field, announces Reed Lawton, prez, with two play's with music, during the 1941-42 sea- son. " Ramon Novarro. has riixed cafe of- fers from Monte Proser for his Beachcomber, Miami, and from Irv- ing Zussman for his La Conga, in N. Y, : Irvin Marks, ex-Paris agent, Into business . for himself here, having called off a possible hookup with the New York-office of Myron Selznick & Co. • . . -.. Collier Youhg, recently-named Coast story editor of RKO, arrived In N. Y. Saturday (22) for a 10-day get-acquainted- session at . the home- office..• ' Jack Cohn to Florida this week; Leonard H. Goldenson, Par theatre exec, just returned from Miami, and. Charlie -Casey, Indie exhib, already there.- . • .-''.-•. Douglas Churchill, N. Y. Times Hollywood' correspondent: back to the Coast Friday. (21) after trip to New: Orleans, Nassau, Florida and New York. ' • ■ Duke Wellington, art head \for Publix Theatres for many years and previously with National Screen Ac- cessories, has returned to the latter in its art' department. . Harry Tugander, assistant direc- tor of ■newsreels. at the Fair, ap- pointed bureau photographer for Universal News in New England territory. H.q. in Boston, . Dick .Gilbert who sings pop" tunes ■Ix times, weekly - over WNEW at 5 P.m., will lecture at Queens (N.Y.) College on March 7. on The Cul- tural Aspects of: Modern Music': - v Par. h.o. has; had jnore absentees during past month due to illness than U r anv J( sl 'nilar period in many years. Head, pf the medical department, Dr. Emanuel Stern, is himself laid up. „ M ax Liebman and. Sylvia Fine (Mrs. Danny Kay e) who co-authors ing out of Buffalo. He formerly handled dailies at the h.o. publicity dept. ■;- .. Bob Weltmansj celebrating a wed- ding anniversary Saturday (22) combined it With a first-night-out for daughter Abby, who was nine on Thursday (20) and saw her first floor show at a hotel. Tony and Renee DeMarco go into the Hotel Plaza's Persian ; Room as soon as Ed Wynn folds 'Boys and Girls Together.'. Road tour won't happen -Until [next season,: leaving the dancers free. •' ; / / 'Thinking on Your Feet,' by thea trical attorney Louis Nizef , has been accepted, as standard reading at the White House by President Roosevelt and his staff, according to word re- ceived in N.Y. by Nizer. .. : the Radio City Music Hall mid night gala benefit last Friday, for British war relief, bbffed. the. niteries because of 6,000. spenders being kept indoors, until the wee hours. . Lou. Mindling was issuing the: 'in- vites to the- surprise*, farewell party being - tendered hini Monday (24) night at the Hotel Gotham. . Ex MCA agent is returning .to. freelance pressagentry :.".".. ■" -ftr- By Glenn C. Pnllen Draft took half of cast in Stake Club's production, of 'Trial by Mary Dugan/ '•'^_.'.. . Harlem raising $250 to buy Seeing Eye." dbg for : Lula Mae. iBrown, 17 year-old.blind pianist, '•'--.•• Talbot Harding, ex-free lance p.a.> now stationed at Fort Sheridan, 111.; checking army recruits. . . Betty Johns' hew drama, Three Came to Maidenly,', may get April tiy-one at Play House; ; George Young, ; Roxy bur ley backer, recovered from - illness but ordered- to Miami by medico. Artur Rodzinski dropping Cleve- land Symph Orchestra baton for rest at his farm in Stockbridge, Mass. . Fred Wilson, WTAM- production manager, had left arm badly burnt when gas heater- in home exploded. . Muriel Brown of Indianapolis here for preem of her 'Leighton, Ltd.,' by Richard ■ Kay's civic stock company. Shelter Shows {Continued from page 2; and D. Knox Crighton to organize several .concert units. Each unit Carries its. own piano, • miniature stage setting and lighting equipment. Every, concert party visits two shelters' nightly, charging the cus tomers 5c. for the show. Show caught was very amateurish, having a preponderance of magic. Opener, Joe Shellard, pianist for the unit,, has fairly pleasing person ality, with program crediting him for the numbers ] in the show. It seems hard to blame it all on one man. Shellard is a cop in private life. . Howard, first to start the legerde- main., ball .rolling; goes through , a string of'elementary. tricks coupled With Very poor showmanship. D; Knox Crighton, who claims to have worked for .C. B. Cochran when, the English impresario was. staging his periodical leg shows at the Troca- dero restaurant, is a Compere' emu- lating the style of Oliver Wakefield, but lacking his finesse. He proves boring. He also does conjuring. Best of the 'regulars' is undoubtedly Hazel Hughes, whose burlesque Of an Edwardian actress is worthy of an intime West End revue.. Entire , show is saved from bore- dom by the inclusion of two visiting stars. Ike Hatch, American, for many years member of the vaude- ville team of Hatch and Carpenter, and riow a frequenter of local radio programs, has fine pipes and good salesmanship; . . Richard Goolden, a regular ether feature, as 'Mr. Penny,' is in intimate comedy -touches, , which clicks. While idea has great possibilities, but: is in dire need of good talent. Fields' Schnoz ; Continued from, page 1; have to go back to juggling;: which was pretty good in the old Ziegfeld days but wouldn't go very far in Hollywood.* •The: Federal: idea: is that Fields- shorted the- Government when .he., paid only. $84,855 on his income in 1927.. Uncle Sam says it should have been $101,141 on his. total. earnings of $231,303. Fields contends that his : 'expenses for publicity and/advertis- • tag, including flowers ior . the lady critics, steaks for the. gents and-the upkeep of his nosey which requires, a cunning combination of . brabge Juice and rum, keeps him practical- ly: broke. As- for film writers, an- : other item in the Fields expense ac- «ii . a ™/ * \ t « - count, Bill .said he pai^ them $1,000 wiul the c011 ?edian's material at La a week, forgot their names and wrote Martinique, etc., have a new Broad- hi»s nwn stuff ^rgy!? f &l&^' TnTy^':takeh under advise- -Turner's road shbW exploitation staff i n* 0 * •'« member of U. S. Board at RKO early this year, how is work- J of Tax Appraisers Sooth Africa By H. Hanson The Great Dictator' had. first South African screening at 20th Century theatre, Johannesburg. African Consolidated: Theatres, 20th-Fo x and United Artists going in big for newspaper advertising. . 1 "'' Queen's theatre, Ladysmith (Na- tal), a ne w : cinema - addition. It's showing 20th-Fox and UA pix. ^'Escape'. (M-G) pulled capacity at Plrza, Cape Town.. ..Norma Shearer and Robert Taylor are.popular favor- ites here. .- :\ . : -.. ■ •. Coming M-G - releases in South Africa: 'Sporting Blood,','Dr. Kildare Goes; Home,' .'Busman's Honeymoon/ 'Bitter SWeet.' ' . . ' . .■ 'Rebecca': (UA) proved a strong at- traction;: for. ..the Odeon, Sea Point, Cape Town, pulling, capacity for two a[nd a. half weeks.' . ■ - -: : . Something out of the usuarcarrieS attraction..for. South African cinema fans, and-midnight previews of pic tures are the latest craze. ■Sixty Glorious Years' (RKO) a big click at Colosseum (African Theatres), Cape Town. Anna Nea< gle's. acting drCw.big. praise. - v'Spring Parade' (U) at Colosseum, Cane .Town, drew biz due to Deanna Durbiri's, popularity.Pic is riot con- sidered strong enough for the youne star. ■ ■-, - - - Sybil Jason v . returned' to South Africa. To fit in with her arrival the Odeon, Sea Point, Cape Town, screened^ 'Little Princess,' starring Shirley Temple, and .in which Sybil has a part; C. A. Cathro out as manager of the Qdeon, 20th-F6x's hew cinema at Sea Point, .Cape - Town suburb. New manager is-Dudley Cassell. Dudley toured /South Africa - years ago with Afrique for African Theatres, act then being billed as Dudley and Alec (Afrique). . ' . - • Nicollet. Minnesota Terrace, where its going great guns. Dick Woollen succeeding ; Alvin Anderson as Orpheum theatre treasurer, latter being' transferred to Mort H, Singer's house in Davenport, la , in "similar capacity. Rio de Janeiro Sttoiiis By Sam vX. Hurst Cliff Johnson, one of the operators of■: the Lyric, downtown, celebrating birth of a son. - J - Nathan Milstein, .Russian pianist will be guest artist with the St. Louis symph Feb; 28 and March 1. . . Leonard Reid, producer of shows at. Club Plantation, midtown nitery, back, from-Chicago hospital; . Jacques Silvers, 26, maestro, of a local dance band, and John Aisar Kury, 23, nitery m.c, drafted. Members of the local Variety Club: have raised enough coin to purchase two ambulances for the Britains. Ben Reingold, manager of the local 20th-Fox exchange, has earmarked $10,000 for facelifting of the building. 'The Male -Animal' will play one week at the American theatre start- ing-March 10,- relighting the house dark since Feb. 9. : Second annual: Southwest Sports- men's Show drew total of 121,000 customers in 'nine-day. stand-' in Mu- nicipal Auditorium. ' Johnny Perkins, part owner of . the Playdium, East St. Louis recreation spot,, back at his stint after a 12-day sojourn -with medicos In a local hospital. '. - Harry .Crawford, manager, of FanchOn & Marco's dbwntoWn Am- bassador, has. addressed 150 various organizations since January, 1940. He spiels on his experiences .in legit. . Don Lohbeck, concert pianist, and Virginia vori Schrenk, socialite, eloped last week. Honeymoon cut- short'to' enable the bridegroom to play at the Club Caprice, Coronado hotel nitery. • ' Paul Robeson, in his first personal here, drew $4,400 gate to the opera house in the Municipal Auditorium, Take enabled Entertainment, Inc., beaded by Paul Beisman, to reap : a nice profit. It was the organization]^ first try. ". Fox; Films cocktail parting Sol '.Wur.tzel, visiting exe'C : ' . Candido/ Botelho, Brazilian tenor, arrived oh the S; S. Argentina- from •the U. S., where he filled a concert tour. . • • ; Manuelita Arrioja, Mexican actress now: appearing . at, the AtlantiCo Casino^ Was robbed of a $500. brooch between shows.. . -• The General Eli?ctric Co. has con- tracted the services of Jose Machado, a Brazilian, to speak froni the-U. S. over station WGEA. . / \ ' '• •. • : Raul : Roulien, Brazilian actor,, is charged. with striking. an . .actress with; his fist when she attempted to collect her back-wages. PedrO Vargas,-Mexican tenor, and Jean Sablon, French singer, both re- ceived their permanent papers and can now'stay'ih Brazil^indefinitely, . ALSzeckler, head of Universal for Brazil, arrived in Brazil 20 years ago. Members, of the local film board celebrated the date by giving him a luncheon. C HATTER Hollywood 53 41-42 Sales Plans : Contlnned /frdin page 5- ■ By Xes Heea -. Mickey Coeh, M-G salesman, down with flu in Aberdeen, S. D. ■"'. Fred Barto, Paramount's new dis- trict exploiteer, in from Chicago ( :;. Bill Scholl off to Cleveland to as- sume duties, as district exploiteer for RKO there.. . Marion Langeness resuming her. 20th-Fox office duties after several Weeks of illness.' Arch Zacherl;. veteran Universal salesman, up. and around after heart attack, and expects to be back on job soon.■ - After 12 years with company, Bess. Pokin: resigning as' Columbia branch manager's secretary to devote self to domestic dutiesi Harold-- /Johnson. Universal city salesman) delivered-, address before. Windom/ M.inn., Community: club at its annunl dinner, • Twin City Variety club, had party, for Bert Wheeler arid principals and chorus of Earl Carroll's ■Vanities'' playing at Orpheum. . ; Eddie Ruben and. Bill Elson han-. dling: arrangement for Twin City Variety club's 'Gold Rush' Days of 49'; affair, to raise money for charity projects. . Art Weems in from Chicago to supervise opening Of first of his hotel and supper club unit shows at Hotel March 0-7, and the Canadian pow- wow to, follow that,: date to be- set later. \ : . Monogram is going forward with plans for'a convention late in.March, but. to date, neither ; United. Artists, nor Columbia ha? discussed the mat- ter,, also : whether or -.'riot- they may hold national conclaves or regionais Expected,. however, that all of the companies outside of the. decree which ?will' : be selling films en bloc will hold their conventions before the. spring is over, whereas the oth- ers probably will not have theirs until June at which time the first group of five features may. be ready and can: be screened. A set num- ber of films, for .;41-42 may riot. be outlined, however. Metro in Hollywood Understood that Metro, thinking of a; national sales meeting in -Holly- wood, Is desirous of having at least five 1941-42 pictures, ready for* screening and discussion from the new sales point of view/ All. sales- men and possibly bookers are'likely to . attend the 'Metro meeting, the SjE^me going for other companies ex-, cept that it cannot be said at this time whither national. cOriyentiohii followed by regionais or the latter alone will be programmed. • RKO, Whose. George. J.' Schaefer has indicated the company, will make 40 pictures for the. '41 r 42 semester; will , hold a convention but beyond determination On such' plans rtoth-. ing is definite.. Among Other things, In the dis- tribution field the feeling is that even if ; a year's product . cannot be- an- nounced as in past years, under the cotisent decree it will be doubly, .im- portant .to get the sales forces to- gether for the usual hop-up; as well as for screening of early film ready and instructions-on sales policy, , the dectee itself, etc. There is some feeW ing that regionais may be more de- sirable because smaller meetings are easier to handle and conditions differ in various territories. - Metro had a preliminary meeting in Chicago- around the holidays; while . Par also held one there and '2,0th did likewise on the Coast. War- her; Bros, is discussing a similar prelim huddle for March. Schaefer and Ned Depinet are presently dis- cussing '41-42 plans. Par In April? : Par is mulling another sales meet- ■ing of ■ h.o.; heads and district man- agers' for. next month-, or. April, •Which:.may. be .a preliminary to a,na- tional convention. So far there has been ,rib discussion in Par ' concern- • inig a national meet • . regionais with branch managers; salesmen; etc. to. follow a iiafch-April ;huddle •among the top execs in sales.. ' ' . All of the companies .in the- Big> Five group are. expected to.: .hkye their first batch of fives ready in June or at the latest early In July. They cannot-.start selling these, pic- ture.v until they- have been screened. This partly, explains, the rush on the part of the non-decree distributors in getting out to sell, .their hope -be- ing, that they cari close up a lot of deals .with ' exhibs befor'e - the Par- Metro-WB-20th-RKO coritihgent gets around to them. Also; they are free to . offer a full: season's lineup, while the Big Five; Is restricted to : five or less at a. time arid then only after custorners have been given an oppor- tunity to see them. . Lloyd Nolan hopped/off to -Detroit., David Bruce laid up after a motor crash. -: ... ■ • .-• : Jeffrey Lynn bought a ranch in th» valley. - Joe Rivkin joins the Army • March 15. ;- - ; Noel Coward , clippered in :. from Australia. -. . ' William 6rr bedded with bron- chial trouble,.: Bill Cagriey getting ready for an appendectomy. ■ Dave Lewis ta, Honolulu for: Inonth's: vacation.-: - Widow of Armand Kaliz adminis- ters his $23,000 estate. ' .. • George .Tobias hopping to: keep u p- With three pictures at Warners. ■• • ■ Joseph Shagriri in from Yoiings- town, O., to visit his. brother Max. : Linda Darnell's -salary'at 20th-Fox ■ hiked from $75 to $750 in 18 months. Ginger Rogers' . illness deiaye'd filming of Tom, Dick and Harry* at RKO, .- .: >. - ; ,- ■ ■ /:': Charles Ruggles returned to: Work at Universal after siege of bron- chitis. ' . Jack . Forrester' taking! pointers froih Alex D'Arcy on native scenic . effects. ■■ .-" v ^ : ■.-: . Ralph Bellamy setting but for the Gallapagos Islands on a fishing ex- pedition. ■■■'. ■ Major W. S. Van Dyke up from the San' Diego base for a visit with his family. ■ ■• Sol Shor checked pff the Republic serial, writing staff to. join ;the; Army for a year. ■ . . Fidel LaBarba, former feather- weight . champion, departed. 20th*Fox writing staff. Mbrt Singer, David Loew, Al. Lewih and Jack Hively trained in from Broadway. . Sir Gedric Hardwicke celebrated, his 48th birthday, and 36th anniver- sary, as an actor. Abbott arid Costello* selling their . eastern property to buy homes in southern California. Milt Hossfeld in from New York for the National Theatres division managers convention. Lillian Roth hospitalized after, ac- cusing her husband, Eugene Weiner, of'socking her with a telephone. 'Grapes of Wrath' was voted the outstanding picture of 1940 by Uni- versity of Southern California studes. Dink Freeman playing the copper in Pasadena Playhouse production of Margin for Error.' By day he's, a. cutter at Columbia. Separate maintenance suit against Hal. Roach dismissed but couple will continue to live apart She originally asked for; $2,125 a month. Shirley Stewart, night club singer, filed $21,000 damage suit against It cafe, charging use of her. picture lor advertising purposes after'her en- gagement ended. Pittsburgh By Hal Cohen Biil Maloney, Of WB contact office, has left for year's service in the Army. ' • . The Harry Kalmines shoye off for Miami in a few days for a short va- cation. ' Carnegie Tech freshman Gary Davis is the son of band leader Meyer Davis; . 'Y' Playhouse doing 'What a Life* next month with Robert Klein in Ezra Stone role. Lou Bolton's protegees, singing Galli Sisters, have been taken under Benny Davis'wing. 0 Les- Appleby in from Canada ahead of Frank McCoy's production of 'Night Must Fall.' Edward A. Morgan named to di- rect annual Cap and Gown show at University ofr Pittsburgh., The C. J. Lattas and their daugh- ter, Dotty Lou, get back this Week from a California vacation. - C. S. Forester, author of 'Captain . Horatio Hornblower,' coniing in fOr a lecture next Monday (3). > . Y.M.C.A. Triangle 'Player's have Clare. Booth's .'The Women' sched- uled for ah April production. Playhouse biz manager Bill Wood- Side on job again, after being laid up in a Philly hosp for two months. Charlie Kemper, who was at the Casino With Ann Corlo in. the fall, back again in the . Ginger Britton show.',.'; - :.■ -- : ' : Owen ; Clery will be shifted from - Fulton, here to - Park theatre , in Youngstewn, O.j during run of 'Fan- tasia.' . :•'..' : ; .the Bill Greens and DeArv Bar- tori, of MCA office in 'Cleveland;, sharing a Miami Beach house for a month. -;■-..' '■;.. V- GerardO troupe has. dwindled to Jerry GerardO and HeJen Sekac, and they're now a" teanv at the Club Bali in Philly. - . Clifton ; . Webt's 'Man Who Came •to Dinner,' which played two weeks : here recently;, coming back to Nixon March. 17. Little Tony-Ross, of touring 'Hell- zapoppin,' and Eleanor Glaza, of De- troit, were, married' in Ciricy couple of weeks ago. Art England started for Miami got; • to Washington, heard the weather was bad .and turned right around arid came back.