Variety (Apr 1942)

laSCBLLANY ir«daMd*y, April 1, 1942 Ton Canndt Ontwif Wit' Sez Lemiyel Defendrnglfwood'sSatireonFascisin By Melchior Lengyel >- (AaOioT of 'Ninotchka' and 'To Be or Not To BeV —: - r — Hollywood, March 31. "You can't gag about the Nazis any more'. and The Gestapo isn't iunny,' states Prof. Robert Gessner in the March 11 issue of 'Variety.' In his article—well worthy of atten- tion—the professor Considers it harmful to our morale to attack auch truly dangerous and Infernal evils as Nazism and the Gestapo with weapons of humor and satire— two- indispensable elements of the motion picture. I think the pro- fessor is wrong. What Is the purpose o; Nazism and Fascism? To spread terror, fear apd the Impression of their invinci- bility throughout, the world.' Just like the venomous 'giant boa that wants first to numb Its victims be- fore Injecting the deadly stfng. If, in our own pictures we .'lad shown them as terrible and Invincible, we would be. dping them the greatest service;: "we'would be scaring and te^'rl^lng ourselves. Don't forget that before the. Nazis ^tacked their victims,- they used just this method to .terrorize them—ahowing their frightened leaders motion - pictures «f the 'unbeatable' blitzkrieg, which were prepared for the purpose in £ast Prussian studios—not on battle- fields. Wduldnrt it be the most fatal error on our part 'to turn the Ger- man weapons against ourselves? Nazis and Fascists are essentially humorless creatures. Hltle-, as weU as bis stooge Mussolini, Invariably atare out Into the world, with puSed- up .arrogance and furious faces. Democracy, on the other hand, amiles even, in danger. And this ■nille shows strengtib, a' warmth of Ufe^ and above all—confidence. A sense of hvunor Is the greatest asset of' human nature. We cannot do^ without It and never did in the past.' Beginning with Aristophanes, through Swift, to Mark Twain, and •Chaplin, mankind could'never dis- pense with laughter, and satire, and mockery. Beit Weapons . These are the deadly weapons and the greatest foes of Nazism, and I would go so far as to say that the Nazis fear being ridiculed more than anything else. In the darkest dayd of" England when everything seemed hopeless, the famous cartoonist; Low, didn't draw fright«ied and trembling Englishmen; instead, he ridiculed the, Nazis with add humpr, picturing . the Germans who killed hundreds of Britons every night as distorted . and laughable puppets. And, I don't think there was a-single person to accuse . Mr, Low of undermining British qiorale.. ' Possibly, In the Hollywood movies, the Gestapo Is taken in' too simply- granted that the celluloid heroes have a too easy time of It. But the (Continued on page 64) NIGHT SUCK RULE FOR THEATRiS ON COAST Loa Angeles, March 31. What Is and what Is sot an Inde- «ent shoyf is np to the Police Co;n- mlsslon under an'ordlnancc adopted by the City Council, granting power to deny or fevoke licenses to operate motion pictures, burlesque, vaude- ville, opera and drama performances. Within 60 days; when the new ruling gofs into, effect, all show permits are canceled and the operators must ap- ply for renewal. Pennlts, under th<, ordinance, will be granted when the operators have satisfied the Police Commission that the character, priot conduct and general fitness of the applicant, and of each person associated with him Is such as to warrant belief that the proposed business' will be lawfully and decently conducted and that no lewd or obscene ,shbw' will be pre- sented.' pitterence between the new law and the old is ttist under the former rulitr the police board Is required to lisiie a license uibless the applicant haf,beeft -convicted of presenting an in^cent.shdxfr THE PL' CONVINCER 'Order ef .Appearance' Makes Bow IM FUm Credits Hollywood, March 31. So many hifalutin names are In- volved in the nxunerous episodes of 'Tales of Manhattan' that films are reverting to-the 'old stage precedent —in the order of appearance, the first time for Hollywood. ^ ■ Boris Morroa and S. P.* Eagle, co- producers for 20th-Fox release, wrestled diplomatically for weeks with SO stars and featured players to earn a draw' on. the credit sheet Then they had to grapple with 14 writers, who are often more tempera- mental than actors. Result is that 13 scribes axe grouped as a team with one soloist, Lamar Trottl, who works for ZOthrFox. P. Relief in Annual Tribute to Top Donor Hollywood, March 31. Motion Picture Relief Fund an- nounced through Jean Hersholt, president, that an annual tribute will be paid to the person contributing the most to the welfare of indigent Aim workers. First award will be made June 28 at the dedication of the Motion Picture Country House at Woodland Hills. Meanwhile the society of Motion Picture Art Directors is putting on a contest among studio artists for an acceptable medallion design. Bonds cost as Itttle as $18.75,. stamps come as low as 10 cents. Defens* bonds and stamps can be bought at all banks and postofides, and stamps can also be purchased at retaU stores. Back Home for Joan . Hollywood, March 31. ■Reunion* is Joan Crawford's next job on her home lot, Metro, to be produced by Joseph Mankiewicz from a story. by Xisdislaus Bus- Fekete. ' Cuirently the . star is on loanout to Columbia, making 'He Kissed the Bride.'^ Now Cerrles Bombers Barbara Sabin, now 29, former child entertainer in vaudevUle, today is ferrying bombers to England. Genius, Inc. Goes From Walgreen s To Hostelry H.Q. Genius, Inc., the restaurant-bcer- stube-hangout for the Broadway legit and would-be legit crowd that formerly headquartered in Wal< green's 44th street drugstore' base- ment, lighted ilp Thursday (26) as much to the surprise of its sponsors as anybody. It was an off-agaln, on again affair for some 24 hours When the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board refused to break Its rules, even for actors, and speed up a license, ' Solution was provided by the blg- hesirt^d gesture . of restaurateur Arnold Reuben,. who '$»tered'^' the opening for the 'geniuses.' It's not necessary for the spot to have a license for a catered-party. Reuben not only supplied three members of tils staff, and all the food and liquor, but' turned over. to the sponsors of Genius, Inc., the profits, such as. they were, with beer at a dime and .giant sandwiches, at 15c. Reuben topped It by donating an additional $50 check (Continued on page 55) Switch on the Bard Hollywood, March 31. Sam Sax bought production rights to 'Joe McBeth.' a legit play by Phillip 'yordan, with a Broadwa^ staging in mind. Play is a shift of the Shakespear- ean tragedy-from Britain to .CSilcago, with the racketeers toting roscoes In- stead of sworda. THE BERLE-ING POINT ; By Milton fierle Hollywood, March 31. ' Tossed a big party for my ntothcr'a homecoming from Florida. Made enough money 4>n cover diarges to pay for her trip. - It was a graat thrlU .after not seeing her for two months getting off the train—with her mfadc luggage. Horn was.a cryat hit In Florida. 'She did.a monolog on a nlte c]ub llooi', . and after each sag she ran put In thf audience and laughed It up.. . Mom didn't have to go out on the beach for aliiy stm. They took so maoiy pictures of her she got a terrific tan from the flashbulbs. Now that, my mother tined all my mateMal, m have to change mj act or go back to the woods.-; Braatiway Department - . EtUly Rose doesn't go In for athletics but once a year. Then he gets a terrific workout doing 'Tax-erclse.' .Jack Zero.knows.a snooty debutahte who holds her nose lo high in the air there Is always an inch olt snow on it, '_ ...^ Ted McKay of Pittsburgh says he knows a wealthy"termite who bought himself a lumberyard and retired. George Jessel's year-old baby is a genius. When Jessel asked her what ' Is the chief export of Russia the kid' snapped,'Germans.' ' Jack Watdron says .never give Grade Allen a bum steer because sl^e might take it to the zoo and exchange It for a good one. Harold Conrad writes that one way to conserve sugar is to put your second teaspoonful in first. HoUywaadtana Got the shock of my life the other day'when I met an actress who went to Reno to get married. Joan Davis saw a .certain actor, noted for his tippling activities, in a night'club vfitb very bloodshot 'eyes. She turned to a friend and said, 'He'd better close his eyes or hell bleed to'death.' - Billy Curtis, the midget, just got himself a position In an aircraft fac* tory. His job is to climb into sparkplugs and clean them from the inside. Got the shudders watching Ray Milland -wrestliW^'^ith a giMrif^iftfi' in 'Reap the Wild Wind.' Now I know how a dancehall hostess feels. Blng Crosby sent'two of .his horses to a glue faetory.. .Th'e next day he received a note 'saying, 'We are very sorry, but our glue nms faster than your nags.' Maslo Department Just sold a song called Itee'Tee Zootle Lo-Do,' and with each copy bought the publisher throws in an Interpreter, Skinnay Ennls knows a composer who Is making a million for himself. He's writing special arrangements for musical'horns. Heard an .ordiestra that played every numb^ 'with muffled brass and ■They Died With Their Mutes On.' . There's No Troth to the Bumor That the Mikado is putting General MacArthur's picture on Japan's new stamp issue That Bob Hope only-played 40 benefits last week. .7.13iat Joe Frisco will soon branch out as a society columnist....lliat'Robert Ripley has visited every foreign country in the world but the Bronx.... That Edgar Bergen gave Charlie McCarthy a box of termites for their wooden anniversary on the air. Haowaall Deserlptlena Mystk^s Musings: Swaml-Salaml ... Georpe Rait: Sergeant Balk . . . Lee Wiley: Long-Songbtrd : . . Two Riistv Hlniret: Creak to Creak! Observatlen Department The weather has been so hot in Hollywood, the women have been wear* ing their hea-vy fur coats during the day at half-mast. With everyone worrying about getting his tires, stolen, .1 wouldn't bo . surprised if people -put their cars in their homes and they, thepnselves, sleep in the garajie. Watched Maicie Rosenbloom box three rounds at a benefit and he was so Winded they had to put him in an oxygen tent between the rounds. Eavesdropped at La Brea Taf Fits: 'He put his best foot forward—and tripped his wife,' . Eavesdropped at Griffith Obseryatoty; 'She has 'old-fashloned' Ideas, and has the han'govers to prove it* Eavesdropped at L. A. Zoo: Is he noisy? They .c^ him perpetual com- motion.' My brother (the one who tried to cash a chec^ at a blood bank) haf turned agent He Is booking gophers Into holes '6n estates. Whatever Beeama of i Bottock's Riders 4 American Acm The Darliny Turfns . S Shades of Broton - Memory's Garden 4 Monnlnjr 5it<er« Afterpiece ' ' Do your bit over here and MacArthur -wont fall ^a, in Australia. Cotton^ Author of "Shanghai Gest^ Sues Presshurger Over Fihn Versiou Sahu's Victor Discs Sabu, Hindu film actor, recorded for RCA-'VIctor last wed^ cutting material for Kipling's 'Jungle Book.' His UA film, based on the book. Is now in circulation. Discs wUl'he released u an album of three 12-inch Red Seals. Outdoor Showmen Mull Blackout Problems Outdoor showmen In pre-season powwows are masterminding how to cope with expected dim-outs or blackouts ent^ed by the - war, especially Jh coastal parks, sununer resorts and kindred amusement spots. Concensus Is to put emphasis on laughs, with new gags and sideshows, to point up. hilarity, figuring this will more than offset the realistic eclips- ing of tungsten displays. ABBOTT and COSTELLO "Like all Abbott and Coitalfe pioturaa to date, on their home Univaraal lot and on borrowad time (thli on* for Metro), the atars carry It to big bexofflee results. And, like all A. A C. entries, without them It would be to much celluloid."—Abel, in 'Variety,' Mar. 18. Review on 'Rlo-.|)ita.' Soon on National Releaae —In— 'RIO-RITA' Unlvarsal.Picture! Chase A Sanborn Hour, NBC-Red ,,: . Under.Personal--Mahagement of: EDWARD SHERMAN Checking on the Stork Omaha, March 31. Fred Austerlitz (Fred Astalre to you) wrote County Court Clerk Em- mett HannOn to find out for hlin whether he—Astalre—was bom May 10, 1899, or May 10, 1900. The clerk informed the dancer that it-was 1890. Both Fred and hb dancing sister Adele-Astalre were°bom here ' John Colton, author of 'Shanghai Gesture,' yesterday filed action for $250,000 damages In-N. Y. supreme court against United Artists, Arnold Pressburger and others concerned in the production and distribution of the film of Qie same name, .charging plagiarism of-his apedally prepared treatment of the play, which had been approved by the Motion Picture Producers & Distributors Associa- tion. Colton, who also co-authored' Hain,' «ets forth In his complaint that his treatment of the play for film production was of special value because It had been approved by the Hays Office, Which had previously banned 'Shanghai Gesture,' In the form In which It had been produced as a play, on the grounds that It 'con- travened Its moral code.' Contention Is that as a result of Colton's treat- ment the play was made available for adaptation as a fl^w, -without censorship objections from the Hays office. It is further alleged that Colton submitted and left with Pressburger the unpublished treatment, that Pressburger and his associateig bad access to the property for several months, and that the defendants made use of the whole or a very sub- stantial part of the treatment, not only because of the dramiatlc values, but because it 'contrived Si t«ahape' i ' (COhtlnued'lOff'pfl^e 83) •