Variety (Apr 1942)

V^edneiikjt April I, 1942 MscEiXAinr s Mclxeiv De^^ New Recordiiig Company in HoHywooi Johnny Mercer, longwrltert Buddy DeSylva, boss of production at Para- mount Plctures/and Glenn WaUlchs, owner of Music City, record and mu- sic store In Hollywood, have com- bined to start « new record com- pany. So far the. out^t Is not known outstanding talent, but Mer- cer approached Kay Kyiser to switch over froni Columbia. Allied Manu- facturing plant on coast' assertedly known to h»v^ signed outstanding talent, but Mercer approached Kay Ky$er to switch over from .Colum- bia. Allied Mtmufapjburlng plant on coast ' assertedly will turn out pressings. De Sylva Is flhanclngjuid, ^ probably will be presldeilt, MertSf j>x,talent contact,' and WalUchs- In charge of operations. Venture will hot Interfere with DeSylva's Par duties. initial sides made by the new Combo are to be vocaled b^ Mercer, backed by an eight-piece combina- tion In which songwriter Jimmy Van Heiisen. wlll play piano. Mercer Is to record three -of his own. tunes, •Angels Cried', 'Moontlde', 'Strip Tease', and '* sttodard They Didn't Believe Me'. Vocal group led by Gche. PePaul li lIso scheduled for recording.. DeCOURYILLE OPTIONS SOilSA'S WORKS FOR PIC A(tiog in behalf of the' Sousa ftolly, the law firm of Schwartz It FrohUcb'last week gave Albert de- CourvUIe' an option to use the life story of John PblUp Sousa and all Us compositions In a motion pic- ture. The option, expires In early iSMf. .Meanwhile deCourville, who w^s associate producer on the Arnold Pressburger picture, 'Shanghai Ges- ture',' has returned to Hollywood. The . various music pijjillsheTs. ■uch as Theodore X'resser Co. and Carl yischer, Inc, who have the Sousa works In their ^talogs, had previously assured the Sousa family that any deal It made for the use of the music or titles would be okay With them. -Pressburger had- like- wise approached th« Sousa family, but it was his Idea to use the rlshts for a fllm that would'be essentially based on . the life of General John J. Pershing. 'SUra and Stripes' Tag Hollywood, March 31. "ritle which Albert deCourville proposes to use for his flbii based • on John Philip Sousa's life story Is The Stars and Stripes Forever.' J^er the composer-bandman's most ^Widely played march. The picture 'Will be also treated as- a musical cavalcade of the • United States Marines. FUmlng is slated to start this sum- mer on the Goldwyn lot for United Artists release. H. L Cronenwetli Divorced Detroit, March 31. Herbert L. .. Cronenweth, former aim execuUve, was divorced here by Mrs. Eloise Goodale Metzer Cronenweth, former Zlegfeld Fol- glrL They were married In 1927, Mter he was divorced by his Brst wife who received a $300,000 settle- ment. ^ ^ ' Alimony In the present case was «et at $75 a month In-addition to a •cash settlement. Ted North's Inheritance Milwaukee, March 31, Ted North, Hollywood actor, real J^e William E. Steniel, Is sole oeneflciary In settlement of the $57,- W» estate of his late father. William Steniel, former city sealer, it was audpsed Friday (27) In County Judge Charles A, Hansen's court •wm Item of esUta U 150,000 ^PMtnieht.bnlldlni. '. There Goes Our Show San Quentin, Cal, March 31, So many taleiitfd boys In th* big-house berie are being gradu- ated for good behavblr that th* Sunday night showi broadcast over the. Don Lee network, will be abandoned April 10. for lack Of capable performers. ' Paroles have depleted the cast to- such -an extent that the re- sumption of tlie prison show, awaits arrival of a new batch of baddies who are good on the- air. ClADA FACES PROBLEM ON TOURIST BIZ MontreaV.March 31. What can be saved from the re- mains of the 1S42 tourist industry Is the big proUem facing Canada at the end of tha winter season. The Christmas-Easter winter sea- son has .been excellent, bettering any of the war years thus, far. Skli^ig In t^e Laurentians, 40 miles north of Montreal, accounted for 150,000 tourists, and Quebec City (Lac Beau- port) for arotmd another 8,000. Of these, American business to . the Laurentians rated about 10% of the total, but to Quebec City, 80%, .rep- resenting' a very bice hotel and rail- way take for the season. Hotels throughout the Laurentians, large and small, as well as a huge growth (Continued on page 27) Borton Holmes^ On / ^ Eve of 50th Anni, Still a B.O. Spieler St Louis, March 31. . Making preparations to celebrate hl& golden anniversary -as' a trav- eloguer during the 1942^3 season. Burton Holmes wound up' his 49th consecutive season In Chicago Friday (27)" and grossed , an estimated $80,- 000, according to his manager, Wal- ter Everest StUl a big b.o. draw oh the pix-lecture platform Holmes, now 72, far qutdlstanced splel»rs who, since the World War No. 2 broke, have cashed in on experl^ces gained while representing newspa- pers, magazines and radio networks In foreign lands. While the con^mentators, etc., har- vested some nice kale for- a short time Holmes has been a consistent flgure on the platform throughout the U. S. A, and has grossed between $4,000,000 and $5,000,000-during his career as a traveloguer. With an itinerary for material for (Continued on page SS) Ronyoh Yam Bebg Staged in H'wood Hollywood, March . 31. Damon Runyon's yam, 'The Snatch of Bookie Bpb,' is being dramatj(zed as the first stage play to be pre- sented at the new El Capitan thea- tre, formerly Hollywood Playhouse. Theatre will be taken over May 1, by a syndicate headed by Sid Grau- man, C. E. Toberman, Lloyd Bacon and Matt Alien, and completely re- modeled for leglt shows. Grduman has first- call on the Runyon story, which Earl Baldwin Is turning Into a stagt piece. Under- stood Runyon and Mike Lyman, cafe man, are bankrolling the play, with the idea .of moving it.tp.New, York later. STILL MOGEf Victory-Committee from the Coaiit Meeting in N,Y. and D.C. with USO, Red Cross, . Wiur, Navy and Treasury Depts. to Control .Overdo- ing Cuffo* CENTRALIZE POOL Overwhelming number of benefit appearancie's scr'eien players are 'being asked to make.In connection,with.the war effort has brought execs of the Hollywood Victory - Committee- to New York In an effort to centralize requests Qnd .thus eliminate, the less Important ones. Old bugaboo ,of charges of being 'unpatriotic,' in sloughing off . some of these minor benefits,, is disturbing thie Victory Committee. ' Meetings are being held In New York and. Washington with USO. Red Cross, Treasury Dept, War Dept, Navy Dept and other, agencies which ask for talent Victory group wants requests from these' sources to be channeled through a specified person=ln each agency, so that they themselves can eliminate the lesser ones and only pass on the more im- portant ones to' the committee. 'What's been happening is that local officials of the Treasury or Red Cro^s are making requests on their own. Hundreds of these pile In and - the Victory Committee has few facilities for checking them. Inasmuch as it is utterly Impossible ior all to be filled, some must be turned down. Then the disappointed local officials begin making the charge t^at Holly- wood is unpatriotic. Only.SM Names ken- Thomson, ,exec secretary of the Victory Conunlttee and one of those who came east pointed out that there are only about 200 names in Hollywod that mean Anything at rallies and benefits and no' more than 50 are available at one tinie. And (Continued, on page 27) STEPIN FETCHIT JAILED ON PATERNITlf CHARGE After playing the first maUnee opening day of four-day engagement last Friday. (27) atthe-Strand, Brook- lyn, Stepin Fetcbit colored film and stage comic, was jaUed on a year-old warrant when unable to supply $300 ball. Theatre management cancelled him out after he failed to appear at the other three performances Friday. Officers nabbed Fetchit on a pa- ternity charge, orlgbial warrant having been Issued on.' March 13, 1941. Although Fetchit tOld reporters that it was a publicity stunt Justice Perlman of .Special Sess'Ions Court held him for trial today (Wednes- day). QUENTIN REYNOLDS WEDS Vlrfinla pine to l^inf Wblle He's Covering the War The Quentln Reynolds (Virginia Pine) are honeymooning in Sun Valley, Idaho, at Mr. and Mrs. W. Averell Harrlman's lodge. The Col- lier's war correspondent and the former film -actress were married Monday (30) afternoon at his apart- ment in the Ritz Towers by Justice Ferdinand Pecora. They didn't wait for a religious ceremony, since she's non-Catholic and a divorcee. Miss Pine. (Peine in private life), last was Eddie Lehmann, Jr.'s, wife (Chicago department store owner) had been wed once before that She has a nine-year-old daughter by Lehmann. When Reynolds goes over for his paper shortly. Miss Pine plans extending her professional career a$ a cafe ^qngitre^s. . Paul Small is handling her for- cales. Racketeers Short4]ir€uit ^nuine Pafriotic Drives in War Arsenal What's in a Title? Milwaukee, March 31? 'Buy V. S, Defense Bonds to help rom bombs on' Berlin and ToWo.* , So' ran thi Government an- nouncement which a Beriin-born' radio announcer .on KEMP re- cently refused to'read over-the air at the cost of his job with the station which is strongly be- hind the U.S. " Announcer, Bupj|>osedly^ loyal, was a. holdover from the' tlms when WEMP's present 'Sunshine Hour''was The German Hour.' OF FILM FOLK TO FBI Hollywood, March 31. -' Joint committee, representing labor and producers, on . .Monday (30) adopted a standard'question- naire and identification' form ior-the 30,000 workers in the film industry.- Fingerprinting .Will be required but after pressing, will Ibie turned'over to the FBI and no originals or copies wiU be held at the studio. - Only questionsessential, to thf! checkup wlU be' on- .nationality, citizenship and other .wartlm.e "data which wiU' be retained, stripping the card of imlm^ortant entries... Winchell's Miami Navy Relief Show A Wow Despite Rain Miami, March 9). An early rainstorm,' which- con- tinued through first part, of the per- formance, failed to breik Up t crowd of over 16,000 who paid out approxi- mately $18,000 to Witney Wa1t«r Wincbell's local Navy Relief show in Miami's downtown Bayfront Park Saturday hlght <2»). Cooked up- in five days, show was, Jointly emceed by Winchell, Al Jol- son, Ben Bernie, Harry Itlchman and Major .Bowes,' and featured talent from every club In this area. Law rence Schwab, who handled the pro- duction end, ran. It-'off.. like-slock'- work, despite dowdpour - w])lch threatened' to halt' the. proceedings even before the show-started to roll.' Biggest single eiiek was scored by Jolson, who got An ovation like something''6ut of .this wo Ad when he appeared, And a bigger one when he bowed off an hoiir later. ; Abe Lyihan brought dver his iiill aggregation 'from the Royal Palm, and the Clover club, Kitty Davis', Ball, and the Olympla theatre like- wise planted their shows IntAct. Mob' started crowding into Bay? front Park by 6:30, and by' 8 thfey (Continued on page 92) Joe Lewis, \yith Andrews Sisters in U. FUmasical Joe E. Lewis' first film for Univer- sal, tentatively titled 'Private Biick- eroos,' will -be a -musical with the Andrews Sisters, other specialty acts and a name band. Last time comic appeared In pic- tures, years ago, he • was cast as a gangster. H. M. Warner Recuping Hollywood, March 31, ^ Harry M. Warner is recuperating at Phoenix from shock to his nerv- .ous.system».;iustalned.last .week. Mrs. Warner accompanied him. Detroit, March 31., leading on. the war efforts of the* atres, radio stations, the .press and genuine organizations, the- vulture^ Of patriotism hav* showed up in this area again. Less than a year ago when the 'Bundles for Britain' cam« palgns-were on, the flinvflam artists, were moving around on- their per« sonal'Boodle for Bozos' campaigns— and they are at it again worse than ever. ' ,i - y Chiseling in on! the regular cam* palgiis sponsored by the patrlotl<; groups via the air and in the press^ the con men .are .so thick in. the de- fense areas that special police details have been created to cope with them, and the radio .-antf'jiress has. I^ett' forced to put out; warnings, . ■'They're ui<ing every schemie' from fake war charities to' rackets based on- the tire shortage; No- isooner does the radio or press here launch s worthy drive^an-the boodle boys are out using offshoot names and makUg collections that go no farther than their ~'-'own ^ pockets.' '4hey'r« shortr.circulting'Wprthy flatrjotlc en- terprises and '-ttsklng off with thou* fands of dollars Intended for decent causes. .Besidie! cutting in as'colleotocs* for the legitimate drives,'-her^ are spm* of the stunts they're' pulUikg; 1. -SoUclttng for a InrO'. (Must b* "Us Vultures Ourselves.') 2, Selling defense lobs-guaranteed to keep men put of Selective Service, offeting to- provlde'.fake birtl^ cet-. tiflcaies and .then collecting again on threat of.exposifre and'felUng phsif . (Continued on page 16) filBUCALSTO^ (MlRttlDI^^^ 'Six stories from the. Bible ss Ap- proved, by the Hays Office'- i* sa amusing book idea by Elliot Paul for Bsndom Hpufe'qext faU, iUuftiated by QulntanlUa, the Spanish-artist i>reface will list the Hayi tebus, and then .the Biblical versions dt Samson and Delilah, et- si., will hm upolliMd.to conform with the Bays code. • -. ' Trad* UMk R*s<mr<il FOUND5t> BT BIUB SIC<VkitMAN raMltb.<4 WmWit br VABICn, IM. Sid Bllvarnun, Pnildcnt Ui Wtit 4ltb StrMt, N*w Tork, N. t. SUBSCRIPTION. Annuel »!• Fardtn,..../|ll SIbcU CoplM....'.. ,.2t C«nU VoL 146 Mo. 4 INDEX - ' Advance Production Chart.. 20 Bill* ............. 49i Chatter- 4.•«• ».•....•....•••.. D3 Confert-Dpei;aL..»y-. 38 Exploitation ^4 12 Film Booking Chart........ 20 Film Reviews../.....,..'.<.. - 8 House Reviews,.... ,1 ; AO ■ Inside—Legit .. ........... SI Inside—Orchestras ......... 30 Inside—Pictures .,,........> {22 Inside—Radio 32 International , 16 International Radio .;.>,..;. 3t Legitimate 49 Literati ... 52 Music '. 41 'New Acts.. 47 Night Club Reviews.,.. .- 44 Obituary ...1. ..'54 Orchestras 40 Pictures 4 Radio 30 Radio Reviews 34 Shorts Reviews 8 Unit Reviews 47 • Vaudeville ' 44 UAILX. .VABIBTT (PublUbed'ln Hollywood liy - Dally Varltty, Ltd,)., tlO a yeur—tlS (oralga