Variety (Jun 1941)

•nscELLAinr Wednesday, Jane 4, 1941 LaGuardia Field Newsmen EasOy Sift Censorship of Passenger Lists By GEORGE FROST With a mild f<»m ot press cen- sorship In effect the International Marine Terminal, at New York's la- Guardia Field, the President's emer- gency proclamation made itself- felt In the Fourth Estate's ranks this •week, although actually the 'censor- ship' was, quickly penetrated by eirport reporters. Pan-American Airways, operators of the 42-ton flying boats that ply the skyways between LaGuardia- ville and Lisbon, without official ex- planation ceased including the names of army, navy and marine officers on the passenger lists re- leased -by their public relations unit to the press. Careful repor- torial effort paid dividends when the news, chasers checked the pas- sengers boarding the outbound Clip- pers and found that the actual num- ber of travelers exceeded the figures given to them. Putting the pinch on 'reliable In- iormants' and 'usually accurate sources,' the Front Pagers have been piercing the PA A practice and ob- taining the names. and connections of the departing war observers. The 'censorship' appears to be as Inane as it soimds for not since the war infected tlie world have the news- men used more than an inconspicu- ous line or two concerning the ob- servers unless they were in the top flight. and authorized the use of statements. . Arrivals and departures of head- (Continued on page 22) STOWS WAR COMMENT ON TWO 20TH SHORTS Hollywood, June 3. Leland Stowe, war correspondent, was slgnied by 20th-Fox to make two shorts dealing with conditions on the battle fronts in Africa end the Near £ast Pictures are 'Empire in Exile' and 'Anzacs in Action.' B'WAY LEAFLET BLITZ U.S.O. Heralds Keynotes War Nerves Statu In Gotham Today Effect of the war on Broadway nerves was seen Monday (2) when a trio of Navy bombers made a noon- day handbill 'raid' on Manhattan. Similar leaflets tossed out of a plane a couple of years ago would have been sneered oS as 'advertising' and wouldn't have created a flicker. On Monday they caused all sorts of melees as pedestrians dashed out into traffic and bumped heads in their efforts to lay hands on one of the biUs. Actually, the circulars, shaped like flat bombs, adnotmced the start of the drive for $10,000,000 by the United Service Organizations, Army- Navy welfare group. Sez DeMille, Hemingway Copped His Yarn; Files 2 Soits for $6^00,000 Los Angeles, June 3. Two piracy suits, demanding dam- ages of $6,200,000, were filed here by John I. deMontijo against Ernest Hemingway, novelist, and Cecil B. DeMille, Paramount producer. Plaintiff wants $5,000,000 from Hemingway, claiming his play, "The Bebel, or the Birth of a Revolution,' was used as material for the book, •For Whom the Bell Tolls.' He asks DeMille and Paramount for $1,200,- 000, charging that material from The Rebel, etc,' was used in the fihning of 'North West Mounted Police.' Dorothy McGuire Looks Set as 'Claudia' for Fix Dorothy McGuire, who plays the title part in 'Claudia,' at the Booth, N. Y., is understood virtually set to repeat.the role In David O. Selz- nick's picture version. Robert- Ros- sen came east to make the test. Pic- ture probably will be made during the summer of 1942. Question of whether the original company will be sent oh tour in the fall or a second company formed from the school, since Miss Louise is' ^- ^ T'^*^ v^" reported to be his leading Tady when P^'^'^f e^^y ^''^ bu^ess holds College Hop Up for Pic Detroit, June 3. Guest at the University of tAichi- gan Senior Ball will be Anita^uise, picture plajrer. It will form a direct tieup with Tom Harmon, ail-American iialfback - - - - - -jy Joan Called by RKO Joan Carroll quit Tanama Battle' on Saturday (31) after more than '300 performances to return to the Coast for her next assignment at BKO. Nina-year-old. who attracted attention in RKO's "Primrose Path,' was on leave of absence from the studio for the appearance in the B, G. DeSylva show on Broadway. •Next film is 'Obliging Young Lady,' which Richard Wallaca wiU direct from the adaptation by Jerry Cady of Arthur T, Herman's original. DUSE IS VOTED 'GREATEST ACTRESS' ■ Eleanora Duse was the greatest actress of all time, according to a poll of leading actors and actresses recently conducted by the N. Y. Daily News. Althougl^ many of the 49 players answering the query gave involved answers, the late Italian tragedienne received nine clear se- lections as 'greatest' and four other mentions as 'among the greatest' Sarah Bernhardt got five votes as 'greatest'' and two mentions as 'among the greatest.' Mrs. Fiske re- ceived four 'greatest' and five 'among the greatest' mentions, whUe Mrs. Slddons had three and three, respec- tively. Ethel Barrymore got two 'greatest' votes and four 'among the greatest.' Among the current actresses who received one vote as 'greatest' and several as 'among the greatest' were Helen Hayes, Katharine Cornell and Lynn Fontanne. None of these lat- ter three named any of each other. As actually worded, the News' In- quiring Photographer's (Jimmy Je- mail) question was,'Who was—or is— the greatest actress of all time? If your first. choice is neither Ameri- can nor British, who was—or is— the greatest English-speaking ac- tress?' Few of those queried gave unequivocal replies. Unlike the usual Inquiring Photog quizzes, this was devoted 100% to pro actors' re-- plies. he makes a picture this summer for Columbia. UADELEOn^'S 'ILAHS' Hollywood, Jtme 3. ' Madeleine Carroll becomes a glam- orous spy in "The Lady Has Plans' at Paramount Pibture Is to. follow her co-star/er with Bob Hope in 'Her Perfect Mate.' up at the Booth over this summer. Possibility that Miss McGuire might go on the road in the fall or be go- ing to the Coast next summer is the main reason she was not considered for the radio version. Latter starts Friday (6) night as a 15-minute spot on the Kate Smith program. Patricia Ryan,, previously identified only with radio,'will have the tiUe part on the air. MORE TEASE THAN STRIP By J. P. McEvoy 1 was playing in a little drahma called 'The Gay Nineties,' demurely confesses Gypsy Rose Lee. 'Sud- denly,, for no reason' at all, a ter- rible thing happened—a shoulder strap broke. Today, Td shrug it off, but then I blushed. I blushed so hard the other shoulder strap broke and suddenly I realized the audience was actually enjoying it. One less thing led to another and soon I was just standing there, blushing all over. Next day we changed the name of^ the show to The Gay Nighties,' uid in a few month? I had made my first 'million.' Well, maybe not a million, but Gypsy does all right Brought out to Hollywood by 20th Century,. the studio gave her two G's a week ('And I don't mean strings!' said ■ Gypsy). For the first time Gypsy, who had stripped her way up from burlesque, was an actress. 'The kind who ^ars clothes,' as she proudly put it. 'Never put off tomorrow what you can put off today,' might well be the success secret of Gypsy, who literal- ly pulled herself up by her own shoulder straps She has taken off her clothes for countless causes, for- eign and domestic, including one benefit in New York—believe it or sot—for the bllndl Most publicized was her strip tease at the Star- ' Spangled Ball for Britain, in -w^lch I tinsel stars were bid off her costume, and finally the costume itself went I piece- by piece ' to frenzied bid- ders. Including Raymond (Abe Lin- I coin) Massey and William Rhlne- I lander Stewart. Stripping for the Freniib Relief at the Ritz-Carlton, some one started the auction paying I $50 for Gypsy's red garter. Her ' bolero went for $50, her hat for $50, I her beads for $250. At this delicate ' point in the proceedings, Mary Plck- ' ford bid $400 if the deciduous Gypsy would stop shedding, but needless to say tHars lost and French Relief won. Started In Vande at 5 Gypsy started in vaudeville at five a9 a member of 'Dainty June and Her Twelve Newsboy Songsters'; later the act was changed to 'Rose Louise and her Hollywood Blonds.' Rose, always dark, .addicted to tea- leaf reading and horoscopes, was known as 'Gypsy' to her childhood friends. Somewhere along the line she dropped her }^orwegian family name Hovick ('my public confused ' It with hayoc') dropped her shoul- der straps, dropped her tough-talk- I Ing lingo and became 'Gypsy Rose Lee,' tall, dark and handsome (5 ft. ' 10), 130 pounds of 'dassy stripper.' A long apprenticeship in smoky, .(Continued on page 55) Three-Way Managerial Deal to Star Helen Hayes A three way managerial setup will present Helen Hayes next season in 'Candle in the Wind,' a drama with a war background, written by Max- well Anderson, of the Playwrights Co. The latter, will be associated with the Theatre Guild In the pro- duction, with Gilbert Miller also in- terested. Miller is associated with the Guild in the presentation of Miss Hayes and Maurice Evans in 'Twelfth Night,' now on .tour. Playwrights and (juild teamed, in the production 'There Shall Be No Night,' the Lunts. ECHO OF OTTO KAHN LOAN Olln ^Downes' Solt Aeainst Wythe Wllltems Dates Back to 1931 A suit by Olin Downes, music edi- tor of the N, Y. Times, against Wythe Williams for $4,000, was re- vealed Monday (2) in N. Y. supreme court when Downes applied to ex- amine Williams before trial. Ap- plication will be argued on June 6. Downes claims he and Williams borrowed $5,000 jointly from Otto Kahn, deceased chairman of the board of the Metropolitan Opera Co. ! in June, 1030, to be re-pald Dec. 31, I THE BERLE-ING POINT i; By Milton Berle One week to go before opening at the Paramount The reason I'm play, in^ there is that I'd rather change my audience than change my jokes. And am I nervous. Just found out that the first three rows have been reserved by the ICnlfe Throwers of Broadway.' Having Coca-Cola machine installed. In m^^dressing room so the visitors can help me pay my valet's salary. Tve asked for a room that's so soundproof, nobody in the theatre can hear me rehearse my ad-libs! Sudden thought: Have a contract with 20th Century-Fox. Am going to play the Paramount. And the week I'm there I hope I have Universal appeal. (R-K-OH!) Broadway Department: New ASCAP theme song: "The Feeling Is 'Mutual'!' Leo Llndy's wife la planning a trip to Hollywood. She just bought her> self a pair of silver-fox slacks! Saw Broadway Rose oh the Atlantic City boardwalk. .Instead of riding in a roller-chair, >she was being wheeled in a pushcart. Ben Marden is certainly doing his share for National Defense. He's leaving the roof and windows open at the Riviera so the boys on the bat- - tieshlps In the Hudson can listen to the music. Sign on Broadway cafe: 'Our steaks look good because we cook them In Sim-tan oil!' HoUywoodbna News Flash! Hollywood Park racetrack opensl 6,000 Bank Accounts Closel ' . Horrors! John Barrymore made an awful mistake the other day. He walked into a lacquer storel They're thinking of making a sequel to Paramount's 'I Wanted Wings,* called 'I Wanted Rings' and will star Peggy Hopkins Joyce. Jimmy Stewart wires that he just found out what an Army Hostess is— a girl who defends herself with a bayonet. The California Fruit Packers are now putting pictures of movie stars on oranges. Can you imagine a henpecked husband squeezing Lana Turner in the kitchen? Mnsle Department Do you think BMI songs will bring back Ouija boards? Skinnay Ennis doesn't have to worry about getting into his house. If he hasn't got a key, he just slides himself under the door. Russ Morgan's hand has a new theme song, 'By a Waterfall,' And they're going to play it one drip , at . a time. Badie Department Heard a band on the air that was so off-key, the leader-is now receiv- ing fan mail from locksmiths! Am I happy! Just bought a radio with a guarantee that I can't get 'Intermezzo' on it! Success story; 'When Jack Benny went to school in Waukegan, his hair- line was voted the most likely to recede! (And it did!) Hangnail Descriptions Philadelphia WottonaU; Nine Slieepy People.... Club 18: Loon-town.... Orson Welles; The Great T....Jbcfc Whifncv; Meet John Dough W. C. Fields: TU Be With You in Apple Brandy Time. Observation Department . I know a Hollywood actor who^s so exclusive he has an unlisted wife; Just found.out what a rumble seat is—a concentration camp for rela> tlves. Eavesdropped 'at Stork: 'She stepped out of my dream and tripped over my wife!' Eavesdropped at Famous-Doer: 'He's so worthless, he doesn't even have a nuisance value!' Eavesdropped at 'Versailles: 'She was his pest, present and future!' Joe Frisco claims to be the only one in Hollywood who has 12 options and no contracts. Whatever Became of777?r Hooper & Ciatchett Kitamura's Japs Rice & Prevost ' The Musical Johnstons ' The Water Melon Girls Reilly & Comfort Afterpiece In Hollywood, there's usually no truth' to the rumor; only rumor of the truth. 1931. Of the amount received Downes got $1,000, Williams the bal- ance, it is claimed. Williams refused to pay and Downes was forced to pay the entire amount. WUliams, in his answer, admits borrowing the money, but denies receiving $4,000 for his own use. Lamonr's 6tli Yr. at Par Hollywood, Jtuie 3. Before leaving for an Hawaiian va- cation, Dorothy Lamour inked a new contract, starting her sixth year bn the Paramount lot. Four pictures -await her return. They are 'The Fleet's In,' 'Her Jungle Mate,' 'Angels In Furs' and *The Road to Morocco.' Dietz Lines Up Texaco 'Bond Stars Oil Firm to Pay For Orchestra, CIi«mi8, Time For U. S. Treasury Campaign L.A. to N.Y. Dennis Day. Reeves Espy. / Mrs. Sylvia Fairbanks. Matty Fox. 'Virginia Gilmore. Harlan Hobbs. Jack Kapp. Arthur W. Kelly. Fritz Lang. Robert Xjongnecker. S. Barret McCormick. Jimmy McHugh. Burgess Meredith. Anne NageL Les Peterson. Lulse Rainer. (Seorge Seld. Norma Shearer. Murray SUverstone. Katheryn Trosper. Marie 'Valentine. N.Y. to L.A. Robert Benchley. Ronald Colman. Clancy Cooper. Pat Casey. Danny Danker. Benita Hurhe. Richard Krakeur. Rosemary Lane. George McCall. Murphy McHenry. Arthur Murray. Mary Pickf ord. Joey StooL SAILING May 20-vLoa Angeles to Honolulu) Dorothy Lamour (Lurline). Task of obtaining guest stars for the Wednesday night half-hour which. Texaco turns over to the U. S. Treasury Department July 2 has been assumed by a committee with Howard Dietz, director of advertis- ing and publicity for Metro-Gold- wyn-Mayer as chairman. It will be up to this committee to get names from pictures, radio and legit to make gratis appearances on the bond selling stanza, with Texaco already having agreed to signature the chits not only for the time but the mis- cellaneous talent. Latter will con- sist of an orchestra batoned,by Al Goodman, a mixed chorus with Ray Bloch as director and whatever ac- tors are needed for support in. script interludes. Columbia's contribution to the se- ries will be the production services of Earl McGllL Hither Angel Set For Selwyn's B'way Play ' Hollywood, June 3. Edgar Selwyn signed Heather Angel for one of the lead roles in his forthcoming legit production, "We Fought at Arques,' by Frederick Hazlett Brennan, to open in Boston end later, shiftiifg to Broadway. Wil- frid Lawson and Margot Grahame are under consideration as cast top- pers. Rehearsals start July 18 in Boston. ARRIVALS Phil Reisman, Maurice Livingston, Lacy Kastaer.