Variety (Feb 1942)

2 MISCELLANY Wednesday, February 4, 1942 After the Ball Was Over Reflections On the President's Ball Festivities — Hollywood Turnout Big By ANDT KELLET Washington, Feb. 3. Another President's BaU is over With each successive year the af- fair seems to draw a greater num- ber of Hollywoodians. This year's Ball was no exception. The fllm stars were playing real-ltfe drama— and happy to take supporting roles to a great cause. * * * Tbe coveted seats at the head table tor the White Honse Innch- con went to Rosalind Bossell and Brenda Marshall. Hoz' was at the right of President Boosevell, HIas Marshall at left. Directly opposite and flanklog Mrs. Soosevelt were Edward Arnold an d- Dorothy Lamonr. ■ «—«—«■ ■ ——. The President remained vnth his guests for an hour before leaving for a Cobinet mcetine. Xn informal remarks he jokingly TCjninded his ouests that they were not to consider themselves 'Parasites' (a reference to his earlier press releases on the use- less in Washington), ImC actuadv do- ino something vse/ul for the war ef- fort. Jean Hersholt, in replying for the Motion Picture Relief Fund, pre- sented the Chief Executive a china replico of Falla, the Presidential dog Flipped the President: 'I thought you were bringing me a new hat.' (Last year he presented his three cam- paign fedoras to the Fund, and which uiere auctioned in Hollywood for $3,200.) * * • Dinah Shore really made a White House entrance. A Friday rehearsal (Continued on page 22) Spyros Skooras Thanked Belatedly for Generosity; Other Plane Travel News ROBT. MONTGOMERY AS M.C I,t. Robert/;Montgomery, U.S.N., will m.c. the first three of a series of recorded programs that is being pro- duced by the Defense Savings StaR of the U. S. Treasury Department. Set with him on these three shows are Maurice Evans, Judith Anderson and Igor Gorin. The programs are being framed as a condensed version of the whilom 'Treasury Hour' and will be distributed among stations at the rate of three a week. William Bacher y/H] do the di- recting, Al Goodman has the"baton assignment, Hal Block and John Latouche will share the scripting and William B. Murray will plan and supervise the production. The initial three disks will be scheduled for release during the week of Feb. 23. By GEOBGE FROST Plans for midget, labor On 42-ton -flying boats, arriving and departing fllm luminaries, a "hangover' from New Year's Eve, and cameramen shooting pieces of a major fllm pro- duction made the pot-pourri at La- Guardia Field, New York, during the past week. Pan American Airways' trans- atlantic division, which continues to operate between here and Europe despite the Indigestion caused by a diet of S's—spaghetti, sauerkraut and Eukiyaki—is makhig plans to hire three midgets, as small as pos- (Continued on page 15) I Hero LieaL Ninioger's Dad Fla. Theatre Mgr. New Treasury Series Written by Hal Block, John Latouche. Bonds cost as little as $18.75, stamps come as low as 10 cents. Defense bonds and stamps can be bought at all banks and postoffices, and stamps can also be purchased at retail stores. Miami Gambling Nix Evidently Still Stands; Casino May 'Sneak' Miami, Feb. 3. The expected okay for Feb. 1 gam- bling wound up as no dice, at least temporarily. Word. Is around that the boys may start "sneaking' despite the municipal edict. Some of the hope that still exists for the casinos to open arises from the fact that several years ago gam- bling wasn't okay until Feb. 10. The Idea, apparently, is that just a few spots will be okayed for the games, and not 20 or 30. The Royal Palm, long the No. 1 spot here, is trying to bolster its show. The Three Nonchalants have been booked to open Feb. 14. Dean Murphy, Eunice Healey, Jane Fro- man open Tuesday (10), with'Ger- trude Niesen exiting at that time. Abe Lyman's band and the Jack Cole dancers remain. The Ritz Bros, are set to open there on Feb. 25, with Joe E. Lewis also being dickered for. The lat- ter Is presently at Monte Proser's Copacabana, New York. Extension of Patriotism Dallas, Feb. 8. Tip 'em with defense stampsi So says. H. E. Griffith, new chief barker of Variety Clubs of Texas. He has ask the 600 members of the state organization to always have enough defense stamps on their per- son to tip with stamps. SHIRLEY TEMPLE t P&G Procter & Gamble has virtually decided on Shirley Temple In 'Junior Miss' as the show to go into the sec- ond half-hour of the 9-10 p.m. spot Wednesdays on CBS, when Fred Allen goes to Sunday night early in March. Product to be plugged on the series is still uncertain, though Ivory Snow may get the choice. In. that cast Benton St Bowles would be the agency. Reported price on 'Junior Miss' Is $5,500 a week, with Miss Temple. Program would originate from the Coast, with Ed Wolf Associates set- ting Up a unit there to handle pro- duction. Doris Gilbert is tentatively set to adapt the series from Sally Benson's New Yorker sketches. 9ansom Sherman show may be moved from its present Friday night niche on CBS to occupy the first half of the Wednesday time, 9-9:30 p.m. Probable that P. & G.'will leave its Saturday night lineup. Truth or Consequences' and 'Abie's Irish Rose,' Intact on NBC-Red (WEAF). It may or may not retain the Friday night time now held by Ransom Sherman. MADELEINE CARROLL EAST Set for Radio While on Leave for War Participations Madeleine Carroll will do a guestee on the Philip Morris show (CBS) this Friday (6), and Edward Arnold has been booked for a spot on the following Friday's (13) Kate Smith program (CBS). Hesse & Mc- Cayrey agented both dates. Miss .Carroll will remain In the east for seme time. She had ob- tained a leave of absence from Par- amount to do war work. Lake Worth, Fla., Feb. S. The father of 2d Lieut Alexander R. Ninlnger, Jr., first American sol dier to be awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor in World War II, Is the manager of the Lake theatre here. Young Ninlnger was killed In the Philippines., Gen. Douglas MacArthur cited him for conspic uous bravery and gallantry. His father will receive the medal for him posthumously. The elder Nininger is a former soldier himself, having served In the Spanlsh-Amerl can war. Nininger, Sr., was also a former Shakespearean actor, some years ago turning to theatre man- agement. He came to the Lake four months ago from Ft Lauderdale, THOSE NASTY U-BOATS Nails Interrupted Good WIU Ex- change With Sooth America 'German submarines operating In the Atlantic shipping lanes oft the United States coast have temporarily embarrassed the Office of the Co- ordinator (Rockefeller) of Inter- American Affairs. The exchange of actors, singers, students, radio men and others is slowed down to zero because of the danger of passenger vessels being knocked off. Preemption of passenger space In clippers is so extensive that only 13 ceats per month are said to be avail- able between V. S. and South Amer. icp^.for non-gpvf^nQ;enit,/>/T{cials. 1 ♦♦♦♦♦»»»♦♦♦♦»♦♦♦«♦»♦ THE BERLE-INC POENT By Milton Berle ♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦« MMMM «^ ABBOTT and COSTELLO On National. Releau Fab. 13 —In— "Rid* 'Em Cowboy' UnlverMl PIcturta Chat* A Sanborn Hour, NBC- Under Personal Management of: EDWARD SHERMAN Red i-)i; Hollywood, Feb. 3. Love working on my new picture, 'Whispering Ghosts.' I get so much respect from everyone, from the janitor—down. Willie Best, who plays my valet in the picture, has been giving me plenty of laughs on the set. I asked him where he was going one night, and he said, 'Mr. Berle, I'm gonna zoot home, re-rag, and chop up the pavement to my chick's domicile.' The other day on the set I came down with a bad case of strained ear- drums. I wish those 'Whispering Ghosts' would speak a little louder! The whole company gathered In the projection room to witness the day's rushes, and when It came to the sequence where I play an invisible man and can't be seen at all, the director whispered In my ear, 'Berle, you never photographed better!' I was taking pictures In the still department and I suggested to the cameraman a new way to shoot me—does anybody want to buy a picture of a two-headed man? Broadway. Dept Harold Conrad says he knows a playboy who has been sued so much he now hides away in a 'Balm-Shelter.' Jack (Baldy) Zero has gone very swanky. For all formal occasions, he Is now wearing a porkrpie toupee. There's a certain a.k. absent-minded agent who Is finding thii^s very tough. T he oth er .day, when he receive d his s ocial security check^he un- consciously deducted l6?i. - — - — .. .j Sherman Bllllngsley Is thinking of opening an annex to his Stori Club for yokels who like to glimpse the celebrities and call it the 'Gawki Club.' Hollywoodlana Phil Silvers, just back from a trip to New York, says It was so cold back there, the natives actually welcomed a hot-foot. Now that guns and ammunition are getting scarce for use In vrestcm pictures, it's going to look awful funny watching a band of thieves hold- ing up a stage-coach with a lasso. " You know you've arrived in 'Hollywood when they start putting your picture on the back of cards that drop out of weighing machines. Anthony Quinn knows an enthusiastic actor who wanted to join the Navy and be. stationed at 'Veronica Lake. Moslo Department Mack Gordon Is-so pleased-over-the -big-sale-on_iecords .ol.his. Mrig, Chattanooga Choo-CHioo,' he now tips red-caps a qujirterl Kay Kyser knows a fellow with a 'beer-pocket' who always takes his girls dancing to Lawrence Welk's 'Champagne Music' Radio Dept. Bill Goodwinfi talking about a radio comedian whose comedy was from hunger, exclaimed, 'His ad-libs aren't woTth the paper they're written on!' Jack Benny's Crossley is so high now, every time Jack even thinks of It he gets a nose-bleed. Bob Crosby knows a certain radio actress who Is so swanky she always refers to the mike as 'Michael.' There's No Truth to the Rumor That when BUly Gilbert stands near a stack of hay, the hay sneezes.,.. That Cliff Nazarro snores In double-talk... .That Walter Fidgeon Is presi- dent of the Audubon Society... .That one of the Great Lakes will be re- named 'Veronica... .That the Nazis are crazy about the Russian winter and take time out between running for ski contests. . Hangnail Descriptions Actor.-Wolf: Hamorous Caviar: Buchshot pone social....Dope Fiend: Hop-Hazard....Hitler: Little Boy Phew. Observation Dept. The residents of California welcome the shortage of cars. Now they can walk across a street—instead of crawling over rooftops as before. Everybody in Hollywood Is picture minded. Saw a sign in front of a delicatessen which said, 'Twentieth-Century Lox.' Eavesdropped at Trianon: 'He's a character.' 'He believes In Life, Lib- erty and the pursuit of blondes.' Eavesdropped at Palladium: 'She is so wealthy, the rings under her eyes have diamonds on them!' Eavesdropped at Pan-Pacific: 'He's a swell guy. He always picks the check up—and hands it to you!' My brother (the one with the. pleats In his nose) has turned scientist again. .He has just invented a process that extracts the rubber from bridge games. Whatever Became of Guy Voyer & Co. Brems, Fitz and The Murphy Bros. Ella Shields Odiva and Hep Seals Talent & Merit - Ferry, the Frog Man Afterpiece With Franklin D. Roosevelt as the country's President, no foreign power will EVER become a resldenti t MIAMI CHOO-CHOO Incoming Kate Smith. Mr. and Mrs. Ted Colins. Betty Grable. A. M. Botsford. Steve Leyltz. J. W. Parks. Oscar HUd. Burt Henderson. James C. Petrillo. Fred BIrnbaum. Weller Murdoch. A. C. Hay den. C. L. Bagley. C. A. Weaver. Harry Brenton. Harry Moss. Jack Lear. Outgoing Abel Green. . ^ Jules C. Stein. Nick Kenny. Dick FishelL Jack Oakie. Irving Kahn, Major Albert Warner. J. C. Stein. Harry Kalcheim. Lou Costello. 'Milton A«er.. , COMISH NIXES RADIO CAU FOR PIC EXTRAS Hollywood, Feb. 3. Proposal by Central Casting to have extras paged by radio came a fast cropper when the Federal Com- munications Commission gave It the boot Main objection was that It would violate dictum against broadcast of messages to Individuals. One CIO union tried the call system on one of the smaller stations, but got a quick 'get off the air' order from the FCC. GENE AUTRY'S RODEO Film star In Houston to XJnvell His Broncs Houston, Feb. 3. Gene Aulry who is branching out as Impresario of a rodeo, is due to arrive in Houston this week to ar- range for the' opening of his Flying •A' Ranch Rodeo. It will play In the Houston Coliseum, Feb. 6-15, In con- nection with the South Texas Fat Stock Show. Autry Is to ride In each perform- ance. He Is to broadcast his two Melody Ranch programs from sta- Uon KTRH. David Whalen, Autry's press a^ent,ls,Ip,^h^rpj^^_^, .... . ,w