Variety (Jul 1941)

S2 Wednesday, July 9, 1941 Literati Nazi Sheet Toned Down . Considerable toning down in the general attitude of El Pampero, No. 1 South American Nazi news sheet published in Buenos Aires, has been noted, apparently due to recent ar- rest and subsequent release of editor Enrique Oses. Oses, an Argentine who for some years has managed small factional weeklies, was jailed almost four weeks for printing al- legedly libelous attacks on Dr. Fede- rico Pinedo, former Minister of Finance; Dr. Luis A. Barberis, one- time Minister of Public Works, and Judge Vazquez. He and three fellow editors, Ar- mando Horacio P. Cascclla, Adelqui Torcuato Santucci and Eduardo Se- gundo Castilla, were finally sprung after the court accepted explanation that one of the offending articles was not directly authorized. Sentence still has to be passed in connection with the attacks on the ministers published last Sept. 16 and 21. Downs Cited for Bravery Kenneth Downs, International News Service, war correspondent, has been cited by the British Ad- miralty for risking his life to aid rescue work when the ship that was taking him from Glasgow to Cairo went down in the Atlantic follow- ing a mysterious Are. Downs, now with the British and Free French In Syria, leaped to the bridge of the ship that rescued him and other survivors, and operated the engine room telegraph while keeping a lookout against raiders hovering above. Incident occurred on April 6. Downs was compelled to return to England on the rescue vessel, one of the SO American destroyers traded to Britain, and start all over on bis trip to the Near East. a newspaperman's newspaperman. 'Low Man on a Totem Pole' should be 'must' stuff for the scribe tribe. News a la Carte Lunchers at the Hotel Commodore, N.Y., are now getting latest news la carte with their food. Hostelry, last week instituted plan of photo- stating page one of the early edition of the N.Y. World-Telegram onto the front of their lunch menus. Edition comes out about 11 a.m. and is on the bill of fares In the hotel dining room by 12:10. First week of the experiment met such favorable reaction that Martin Sweeney, Commodore proxy, said it would be continued as long as war news warrants it He said that the hotel would alternate every two weeks between the W-T and the N.Y. Sun. Only the five columns on the right hand side of the paper, those carry- ing the top news, are used. Son's Friday Decision New York Sun, because of 'the marked change in people's living habits' under the flve-day week, be- ginning July 18 will shift its special weekend features and pages from the Saturday to the Friday issue. Subscribers who have, been getting the Saturday edition alone in the past will under the new .setup be sent the Friday paper instead. Sat- urday paper will be routine. Erie Batch's General Denial Eric Hatch and Grosset & Dunlap, Inc., have filed a general denial in N. Y. federal court, to suit against them, Macfadden Publications, Inc., and Universal, by Dorothy West and Madge Christie. Defendants also ask a dismissal. Plaintiffs charge that Liberty, pub- lished by Macfadden, plagiarized their play, This Modern Instance,' In 'Irene, the Stubborn Girl,' which was purchased by Universal for •My Man Godfrey.' Grosset & Dun lap published the story of the pic .ture in book form. An injunction, accounting of profits and damages are asked. 8. A S: Two. BlK Specials Simon & Schuster, in an advance herald to the book trade, ballyhoos Its two big -'specials' for 1941 much In the film distrib manner, including announcement of a $10,000 ad cam- paign for Clifton Fadiman's 'Read- ing I've Liked' ($3; due in Septem ber), a SOO,000-word work; and $20,000 ad appropriation lor Treasury of Gilbert & Sullivan edited by Deems Taylor (Lucille Corcos, illustrations, and arrange ments by Dr. Albert Sirmay) which Is due in October ($5). Both are being primed for the pre-Xmas trade. Post-War Boom or Bast Recent newspaper series by Blair - Moody, of the Detroit News, on •Alter the War—What? Boom Bust' Is to lorra the basis of a book to be published in September by Duell, Sloan & Pearce, Inc. Reporter, who is on the W ashin g' ' " HS' '£e'WspEip ?r Veries witK "informa- tion which has become available since the series' publication and with documentation of facts in the series. W. J. Cash a Sniclde W. J. Cash, 40, recently an asso- ciate editor of the Charlotte (N.C.) News, committed suicide July 1 in his hotel room in Mexico City. He arrived in Mexico about a month ago with Mrs. Cash to write a book about life in the south. He was on a Guggenheim fellow- ship. LITERATI OBITS George A. Wieda, 48, former newS' paperman and an associate of car- toonist Robert L. Ripley for the past three years, died June 30 at his sum- mer home at Shelter Island, L. I. George C. Ladd, 59, business man' ager and co-publisher of The Vine- land (N. J.) Evening Journal, died of a stroke July 2 in the plant's com' posing room. Webb C. Arti, 512, former radio news manager for the United Press in New York, died in Indianapolis July 2 alter an illness of several months. With the UP since 1929, he was one of the organizers of its spe- cial radio wire in 1936. Donald Lawrence St. Clair, 67, lor 50 years publisher, Sanlord (N. C.) Express, died July 1, heart attack, Rose Toniir, retired author, maga- zine writer and feminist, died in a Mount Kisco, N. Y., hospital July 6 after a brief illness. ^ Frederick H. Collier, 80, columnist of the St Louis Post-Dispatch lor 40 years, died July 7 of heart dis- ease. had sold the equipment as a result of the publicity given It Citizens Committee of the Army & Navy, which is providing the shows with "Coin provided by the United Service Organizations, has succeeded, how- ever, in getting the buyer of the trucks to cancel his commitment and is making plans to purchase them it- self at the price he was going to pay. As a result, new bookmgs are be- ing taken for the four units now in- tact and the fifth unit, which closed last Thursday at Scott Field, Bell- ville. 111., is to be reorganized. It is estimated that by July 15, the five troupes will have played to about 900,000 soldiers in 85-90 camps. Response of the trainees to the shows has been particularly terrific in the more remote camps housing boys who have seen very little live entertainment during their lives. At Camp Berkeley, Tex., lor Instance, a post with 18,000 soldiers, the show played to an audience ol 21,000 in its two-night stand. Most ol the men stayed to see It at least twice and many ol them were on hand lor ail lour shows. Citizens Committee,- unsuspecting of the popularity their presentations were to receive, is now making ex- tensive plans for fall shows. As re- sult of demand. It Is hoping to put on legit comedies and small-cast mu- sicals. Unit B, the one which closed last week, was headed by Milton Douglas. Original closing sked called for C, topped by Harry Savoy, to wind up Saturday (12) at Brooks Field, San Antonio, Tex.; D, m.c.d .by Don Rice to finish next Tuesday (15) at the Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Fla.; E, led by Don Cummirigs, to demise July 17 at the Norfolk, Va., naval base, and A, headed by Lew Parker, to wind up July 16 at Fort Knox, Ky. Strawhat Reviews Continued from pagi Vt ^^^ LA BELLE HELENE band. James Banner is a lively hoofer and Rosetta LeNoire a worthy soubret. One of the best musical numbers is an alto trio Involving Juno, Minerva and Venus. Wheeler Urges Compromise ^Continued from ^age 23^ Asia Magazine Flies .Asia Magazine, Inc., has been chartered to conduct r pubHshhig business in New York. Directors, none of whom is listed in papers filed at Albany, as a shareholder, are: Richard J. Walsh, Perkasle, Penna; Albert H. Walsh, Westport, Conn.; Robert M. Field, New York City. Subscribers, each owning one share, are: Milton C. Rose, John H. Frey and John N. Hazard, New York. Baldwin,. Todd & Young were filing attorneys. Oiorlfyinf Uie Wacks Fred Allen wrote the loreword for TLow Man on a Totem Pole' (Double- day-Doran; $2.50), and while name preface-writers often are better than the book they preface, here's a case where N. Y, World-Telegram staff writer, H. Allen Smith, need doff his Remington to nobody. Smith's glori- fication of the wacks ol this genera- Uon.lg ,^eat g^ui?,, gf's p^jtfculgrly ,■:■> / I ■' CHATTER Felton GordcibvJyOlumbus (Ga..I Ledger-Epquirer sports editor, back at desk falter six weeks hospitaliza- tion due to serious automobile acci- dent injuries. Hilda Abel, wife ol David David- son, radio writer and lormer news- paperman, recently sold her first book and mag piece.on the same day. Novel will be pubbed by Alliance and the article, describing- a woman's feejings as she has a b^y, is In Raleigh (N. C.) Times, has been named managing editor, Kannapolis (N. C.) Daily Independent, succeed- ing T. H, Wingate, upped to execu- tive editor's chair. Ernie Frankle, resigned as Chapel Hill (N. C.) Daily Tar Heel sports editor, to re- place Mack McKa, resigned Irom In- dependent sports desk. The Great Adventure (REVIVAL) New Hope, Pa., July 5. Kenyan Mlcholnon and Theron Bnmber- gor preaont- Pauline Lord In drama by Arnold Bennett, with Barry Jones. Set- tlnga by Uowar<i Bay. Directed by Don- ald Blackwoll. Froiiented at Bucks County Playhouae week oC June 80, IMl. Albert Shnwn Edward Lester Ilnm Carve Barry Jonea Dr. Pascoo .Morton L. Slevena Edward Horning James Gregory Janet Cannot Pnullne Lord Cyrus Carve....t Maurice Colboume Page , Alastair Kyle Father Looe St. Clair Bayfield Honoria Looe Patricia Calvert Walter ; Ivan Soubble Peter Horning Kenneth Treseder Ebag Clarence Derwent James Shawn Stanley Bell John Shawn Jack Tule Mrs. Albert Shawn Bet-nice Vert Lord Leonard Alcnr Charles Francis Texel otto Hulett I Army Troupe I IL^^^Contlnned from page H (Tuesday) to the sponsors to con- tinue them Indefinitely beyond the middle of this month, when the last ol the five units out was scheduled to fold. It was originally thought that field maneuvers taking the sol- diers out ol cantonments would make the shows Impractical, but it has been discovered that there are always some troops lelt in each camp and It is possible to book around those in which too many of the boys have been called out on maneuvers. Meantime, however. General Mo- tors, which loaned the truck-stages on wljich the uj\lts were peflprmlng, .;, ,.f,, ; , ., ;-. If I 11 - ( Although Arnold Bennett's The Great Adventure' was skedded lor lalLproduction with Pauline Lord in the leading role, plans to resurrect the 35-year-old comedy have report- edly been abandoned loUowing its week's 'tryout' at the Bucks County Playhouse. Reason for change of mind is quite apparent, lor Bennett's long-winded excursion into the realm ol the theatre is definitely dated stuff today and wouldn't stand a chance on Broadway. Despite top- notch perlormances by Miss Lord and Barry Jones, play holds little In- and customs, and its attitude toward art, providing a negative reaction today. 'Adventure* Is the flimsy little tain and cloudy, with tha Senate Interstate Commerce Committee's hearings still recessed and no definite plans lor resuming sessions as was expected when the first oratorical blizzard laded two weeks ago. In- dustry people are hoping and huddl- ing, though no real headway is vis- ible even to those on the inside. II the industry heads can demon- strate they are striving in good Inith to reconcile their jealousies and con- flicts. Chairman Burton K. Wheeler ol the Senate group probably will ask the FCC to delay enforcement of the stringent commandments and to sit down with the broadcasters in an attempt to negotiate an armistice. Wheeler hopes this can be accom- plished, 1>ut does not seem disposed to ask the Commish to back up until the split within radio ranks has been closed. Or trntil-he is assured there is a prospect ol getting an agreement. Parleys have occurred'both in New York and in Washington. Industry heads have met with Wheeler, who advised them his committee will keep an eye on the situation but in- dicated the White resolution—lorm- ally calling on the regulators to su- spend enlorcement ol the reforms— is dead as far as he is concerned. So far, there has been no meeting be- tween the chain executives and the Commish, although FCC Chairman James L. Fly had a tete-a-tete with Wheeler mora than a week ago. Might Clarify Appeals The idea is, as things stand, that any principles which can be agreed upon—such as reciprocal contract cancellation privileges, limitations on exclusivity, and lesi option time —could be embodied in the Commu- nications Act. Congress^ also might undertake to clarify tha appeals pro- visions ol the statute, making more certain the rights ol licensees to seek court reviews. CBS proposal to license networks, although disagree- ment continues about such a move, could be written intd law, also. Wheeler leeli the industry. ought to alter its methods to a consider- able extent, but at the same time he believes the regulators went much too lar. The' Montana Democrat is represented as agreeing networks cannot lunction without soma option time, lor instance, and that the (]k}m- mish should be more lenient about lorcing NBC to unload one ol Its two skeins. The idea ol trying to work out some understanding appeals to both NBC and CBS, but Mutual U pic- tured as relusing to give any ground. Until the three webs make peace, there is little chance that Wheeler will point a finger at the Commish. Parleys, ware due to oontinue in New York this week. , The industry—that Is, CBS, NBC, and National Association ol Broad- casters—Is not willing to admit that the action ol the Commish was jus- tified by the present statute or to sign away rights to fight the issue ol validity In the courts. There Is no concrete plan so lar:—none appar- ent Irom the outside, at ^ny rate—to ask a judicial review until the pros- pect ol a compromise has been ex- plored lurther. Neither Columbia nor National was moved to get a re- prieve from the Commish, since both chains still are optimistic about Wheeler's advising the regulators to make a strategia retreat. They are prepared to use both avenues, though. Nothing' Conciliatory The Commish majority, despite conjectural, is generally expected. Chairman James I,. Fly was prom- ised an opportunity to return for the purpose ol rebutting testimony of anti-monopoly reform opponents, while Senator Charles W. Tobey of New Hampshire is still dissatisfied with certain pieces of the evidence. Keeping his own counsel, Tobey is reported anxious to call back Niles Trammell, William S. Paley, and Commissioner T, A. M. Craven, be- sides possibly digging into the WMCA, New York, sale. Tobey Curious Danger that Tobey might lead the committee off on a long detour—as happened last year when he forced hearings on the fitness of the late Thad H. Brown to remain on the Commish—may put a stop to any further committee proceedings. The New Hampshire Republican has shown deep Interest in the WMCA case, aff well as the uhamplifled as- sertions ol Mark ' Ethridge about political influence and favoritism. If Tobey breaks loose, the hearings are liable to run along lor a consider- able period, and nobody canitell who may be burned. Persons aware of Tobey's curiosity will not be sur- prised if he demands testimony from Donald Flamm, lormer owner of WMCA; Edward Noble, the Life- saver mint magnate who acquired the transmitter last December; Wil- liam J. Dempsey, former FCC coun- sel who-was Noble's attorney; and Commish members who voted to ap- prove the transaction without a pub- lie hearing. Most members ol the Senate com- mittee are pretty fed up with the rowing and only a few have a real interest in the various issues. Whether the FCC possesses power to enforce the anti-monopoly rules, whether the regulations are justi- fied by the facts, and what effect the reforms will have on broadcast- ing are matters that average Con- gressman considers ol relatively scant Importance. Though industry people proless to have lined up 14 members ol the 21-man group, only a hall-dozen displayed more than passing Interest during most ol the gab sessions. Mutual Wary iContlnaed from page 23s should be extended Irom 26 to 60 days. There has also been much dis- cussion on what should be consid- ered an option on converted hours and how many ol these hours should be allocated to the web already hold- ing a contract with a station. comedy about a celebrated English painter, Ham Carve, whose lilelong shyness and seclusion on the Conti- nent enable him to carry through the deception ol being dead (actually his valet, dies, but no one knew the dif- ference). Hence, Carve lives to see' himself 'burled' with honors in West- minster Abbey, and the resultant complications, as he' lives a placid existence in Putney with a matri- monial-agency wife who believes she's married to the valet, make for pretty lame comedy. Bennett is about as subtle as a sledge-hammer in his curtain lines—and how they cry lor subtleties! It's to the credit of Theron Bam- berger andKenyon Nicholson, opera- tors of the Bucks Playhouse, that 'Adventure' Is given a first-class pro- duction. Donald Blackwell's direc- tion makes the most of a dated script, while Howard Bay's settings are ol a type seldom encoiuitered in the strawhat belt. Barry Jones runs off with acting honors, with Miss Lord relegated to secondary importance. Creditable performances are given by Morton L. Stevens, Maurice Col- boume and Patricia Calvert, Rosen. I ;•;;•>'''•>•<;■. »'i: .'f • (i--i^ has done ndthuig 'conciliatory. Chair- man Fly told Vabhtt - Monday (7) that any request lor postponement ol the rules will be considered 'sym- pathetically,' but emphasized that no request has been made lor any stay. His manner clearly Indicated the re- formers will not afford any respite on their own -initiative. When told Wheeler reputedly thinks the effec- tive date should be delerred, the head regulator commented he has not heard from the Montana Senator to that effect Resumption ol the senate hearings look extremely dubious. Fly, though, promised the right to make rebut- tal, has said he no longer is anxious to return before the solons and is satisfied with things as they stand. Wheeler has done nothing about scheduling another session and Is booked for speeches out ol town both this week and next Next move in the row over the FCC antl-monopoiy. orders remains problematical, with no definite date set even yet for further hearings by the Senate Interstate Commerce Committee. Resumption ol the hearings next wee^ .though everything remains J J ; t ' !• C> •■ / 1.0 -J ?8 '/ i .■ Purpose? The two camps, NBC and CBS in one, and Mutual, in the other, are not even in agreement, it Is said, on the underlying reason lor Senator ■Wheeler's promotion ol these con- lerences. NBC-CBS figure that the three networks are to get together on a Iramework ol network opera- tions that could be recommended to Congress lor incorporation into the radio law, while Mutual seems to be ol the impression that any accord among the network Is to serve as the basis ol a compromise with the FCC. In attendance at the three-network conlerence have been William S, Paley and Edward Klauber lor CBS, Niles Trammell and Frank Mullen lor NBC and Fred Weber and Louis Bills Next Week Continued frompa£e4S^si Keooywood Park Brad Hunt Oro Jeanie Regal Billy Carmlchael MerT7-Oo-ItoaiMl Joe Hart Oro Dick Harter Kew Pen!> Oay Carlisle Oro Teddy Ryan King Sis Penny Gray MIxon Cafe At Marlsco Oro Bob Carter Roshee & Lee Stewart & Lee Kretlow Ole Not HoDHr Sherdlna Wall Ted Blake Joe Klein George Qregg Evelyn Mellla Kay Balfe Mllly Bradley Pat Burns Charley Adams Onsis Joe Vlllella Or. John Conte Joe Conaolo Stu Braden B^rry ,AnD.e,. J ri i ,i t ■ rinee Howard Becker Oro Trelon 4 Aces Max Tarshls Flo Parker George Wetwr Taclit Club Archie Tarshls Oro Qus Van s Singer Sis Line (C> Shirley Holler Bkr-Vue Fran Elchler Oro Union GrlU Art Tagello Frank Natnle Mike Sandrelto TlUa Hndrid Btzl Covato Oro Mark Lane Jon Tlo Kollette & Deane Marcia Wayne Harriet Brent SI Jerks Webster Hall Billy Merle Ore West VIow Furh Jimmy Gamble Ore Jay LorlnR Chuck Miller Aerlalettes Willows jArt rorrar Ore ' t ' •) l-\ lO'' '