Variety (Apr 1942)

Vedneaday, Aprtt 29, 1942 CHATTER 53 Eddie Schnitzer (UA) has the flu. John Ciolden had iilcerate^ tooth yanked. Terl Josefdvltls recuperating in Polyclinic hospital. Maijorie Oavh, of radio, on the Coast for a Metro test ITavT Relief making theatre collec- Uons starting thia -week.. Lehman Engel, maestro-composer, into Navy at Great Lakes, Loew's has contributed books to the Victory Book Campaign. Ole Olsen's mother due out of hos- pital after serious auto accident Songsmith Lea Robin tand Ralph Rainger) in town for Season^ 0.0. Pvt. Seaman Jacobs, former Broad' way p.a., now assigned to. Morale Dept., Oanip Chaffee, Ark. Elliott Am<ild, of the World-Tele^ gram, on leave, left for Hollywood but is due in unifori^ soon. Antoinette Spitzer, -eastern pub- licity director tar Walt Disney, re- turned from the Coast Monday (27). Frank Cniiclahank is personal reprefsentative for Rowland Brown, whose 'Johnny 2X4' is at the Long acre. The Paul Ashes (Roxy maestro) celebrated their 25th «ntuveTsaiy with a Greenwich Village whoopee party. . Bookers Club, whose president is Bemle Brooks, buyer for the Fabian circuit will hold its annual dinner- dance at the Astor May 10. Eddie Alperson and Harold Mirlsch of RKO to Chicago and Rochester on company business. Circuit Is pooled with Paramount in Rochester. . Art Landry, former maestro, has bought 90% of-Of V We Sing,' which closed at the Concert theatre, and will embellish It for a Broadway- run In a larger house. WiUiam B. MUes, currently of east of 'Jasqn,' at Ui'e Hddson, N. will be married M^ SO to Helen Clark, property girl at his Stockbridge .(Mass.) summer theatre. Clark Brown, head of the Par tax department left Saturday (25) for D63 Moines and will go on to Salt Lake City before returning to the ' homeoffice In 10 days or so. Jade Barry, Mlnoco prexy, re- turned from Hollywood Monday (27) after two weeks negotiating with Rtudios and agencies for talent loan- out for eastern shorts production. If (aeorge Jessel doesn't condense his 'High Kickers' (musical with Sophie Tucker) for the picture houses, he'll head up one of those Shubert two-a-day vaude revivals. FJ>A. will emcee a radio bally for George M. Cohan, including 'many atage vets, as part of a salute to the diowman in connection with the WB screen biog, 'Yankee Doodle Dandy.' - Carl Laemmie, Jr., plays host Suft- days at the ball game to his Broad- way and HoUywooti pals in N. Y. lhat's Private Laemmle's day off ' from Ft Monmouth where he's sta- tioned. - Edward Eager, Metro reader. Is co-author of book and lyrics of ^The Burglar's Opera; or a Felon Needs a Friend,' to be given by Columbia U. week starting Monday (4) at Co- lombia. Sol C. Siegel, recently upped from B to A production at Paramount returned to the Coast Monday <27) to begin his new stint after a week of looking at plays and vacationing In New York. Mac Kriendler, one of the partners In 21, is an ardent executive -officer In a number of patriotic charities, He's still waiting for a Naval com- mission which has been on the grid- dle for months. Jack Gould', recovered from eye ailment, has returned from extended leave of absence and is doing gen- eral assignment for the N. Y. Times. He was formerly with the sheet's draota department Leslie Rousb, producer-director of aU Paramount s eastern shorts, .to T&coma, Wash., to work on a special Institatlonal commercial short spon- . Bored by an unnamed company to date. Hell be On location fbr alroul a month. His 'command* <;hore in handling tolent for Hollywood Caravan and Na-vy Relief shows over. Yeoman Lou MindUn^ back to Great Lakes, where he's m rtaval. training. Stan- ton Griffis Mraftcd'^hlm back east to assist on the -talent end. Around 75 Warner homeolliceites were in Philadelphia TrldBy <2i) for a bowling matfth with the employees of the local WB offices ftheatres- ejchange). T. J. Marthi. W. Stewart McDonald. Leonard Schleslnger, J. M Brennan. Ralph Budd and Mar- tain F. Bennett h.o. execa, attended. ., St Louis By Sam X. Hant Bob Bromley hea^^Uning floor ■2^^,Club Continental. Hotel Jef- Forest Park Highlands, city's ma- jor Mnusement park, itarts 46th sea- •on Sunday (3). Harold Koplar, manager of the Chase Cljjb, swank west, end nitery, proud father of a baby boy. Joe Winters has taken his orch,to Club Royale, nitery near Bellevinie, extended sUnd. »..?;''• J??'^'*' 'AR-Gfal' unit gave wo peiloimancea «t the Scott F Belleville, IlL, training camp Satur. day (26). . Carl A. Hpltzman, 35, who han- dled .amusement accounts for the Glohe-Demot3«t the town's sole a.m. rag, died after a brief <i»nc« Raymond Werher has«converted a one-stot7' in the Wellston business district into a roller skating rink. Has togged it 'Skating Wonderland.' Jimmy Ray, dancer -with Jan Gar- ber's orch, made a' p.a. before 7,000 soldiers at the Jefferson Barracks, Mo, replacement center, and the next day was inducted into the serv- ice. Watson Barratt who served as scenic designer for the Municipal Theatre Assn's al fresco theatre In Forest Park from 1932 to 1934, and again last year, has been Inked for another season, Paul Belsman, manager of- the American nieatre and Municipal. Theatre Assn., made a member of the Motion Pictures and Speaking Stage Theatres Industry Advisory dommlttee to the WPB. He attended a Washington, D. C, -session last week. On-the-Upbeat jCDBlliiiicd trom-paie vtg burgh, is for six weeks. He'll stay until room closes for the summer Decoration Day. Bkhard Himbcr goes Into Hotel Chase, St Louisj May IS. for one month. Michael Lerlns and orchestra how at 805 Caub, in Chi. Charlie $plvak set . to-open Hotel Sherman, Chi, August 14, for month.^ Tiny Bradahaw orchestra currently a», Rhumlwogie, south side Chi nitery. Leanard Feaflier, British ]azz com- mentotor and writer, has succeeded .Bob Bach as m.c. of WMCA's, N. Y., 'Platterbrains' program. Bach en- listed in the army last Friday (17). Bye Slstera vocal trio join Lionel Hampton's band at Earle theatre, Philadelphia, May 14. . Alvln* Bey enlarges his band next week (1) from 13 to 17 with addition of reed and brass men. Band opens Pleasure Beach Park, Bridgeport Conn., season May 31. Jimmy Walter, sax player formerly with Jerry Blair and George King, has joined. George Welles outfit at Sky-Vue, Pittsburgh. Al Cord, sax i^layer with Billy Yates at Oasis, .Pittsburgh, off for the Army and replaced by John Watson, who used to be with Paul Pendarvis. OM-nighters pencilled for Aragon Ballroom, Pittsburgh, include Hal Leonard Satar.lay (2); Lang Thomp- son, -May 5. and Wheeling Steel- makers' band. May 12. Herman Middleman band at Yacht Club, Pittsburgh, will lose its fea- tured vocalist Shirley Heller, in two weeks when she retires to get married.' Xavlcr Cacat and his orchestra move Into the Orpheum theatrej Los Angeles, for one week, starting May 6. Paul Whiteraan follows. Loab Armstroiic*a band making four Soundies for Mills juke boxes. Oule Nelson'i musical crew signed to play in The Big Street' at RKO. Rnblnoir fiddles May 5 In Green- ville, S. C. conceit, sponsored by South Carolina Pilots clubs. Jae BeichmaD moves his musical crew into toe Biltmore Bowl, Los Angeles, for an indeflnite stay be- ginning May 28. Larry Cotton, vocalist of Horace Heidt orchestra has Joined the Army. Le« Bdsmaji band goes Into the Ritz-Carlton Roof, Boston, for seven weeks beginning May 6. His first stond in Boston in IS years. It'a bis home-town. Shep Flcldi starts tour weeks' stey at Edgcwater Beach hotel, Chicago. July 24. fie's currently at Edison hotel, N. Y., UQtU May 24. JoE^h .'Sady's band booked for. Hotel (Scveland's Bronze Roonv, re- placing Carmen Cavallaro'a crew May 7 Hiand By I.edl« Barria Harry Salter In town. Percy Grainger In town for con- cert Lt' McCelland Barclay doing the niteries. Mrs. Gene Krupa has filed divorce proceedings. Kit^ Davis's planning on gal line. Ditto Jimmie's. Russian Bear cale will remain open all summer. Mark Warnow vacationing at Hol- lywood Beach hotel. Tony Sharaba will head lineup of talent when Bar of Music reopens. Theatre of Fifteen booked into Mayfair club, for presentotion of 'The Drunkard.' Dean Murphy is reported to have signed with Paramount for a leading role in "Thumbs Up.' . NBC reported planning on picking up arrival of Manual Prado, presi- dent of Peru, here next month. Ijeonard CJox, who recently joined Lang-Worth features on the 0>ast, is vacationhig here. Was formerly WQAM program director. Wes McCravy, formerly assistant manager of thie Royal Palm, now .awaiting active duty at Camp Dix, N. J., where he is a first lieutenant Eve Curie pausiug in Miami en route to' New York from Africa. Slated for lecture tour and will do series of articles for New York paper. Col. Floyd E. Undley, public re- lations ofiHcer of air corps training command on Miami Beach, plugging fact that despite increased activity of air corps, there will still be plenty of room for tourists in resort hotels. Kansas (% By Jahn'<laiBB Upton C^ose in from NBC for a one-night lectune m the munlcipaJ auditorium. Pla-Mor staged an indoor rodeo and circus for eight-day run ending last Sunday (26). Paramount exchange sporting all new furnishings and equipment in Its screening room. Milton Frank, home towner. Into the Tropics of the Hotel Phillips for singing engagement. Bob Ringler, new film salesman at the RKO exchange here, taking over territory handled by Jimmy Lewis, now exchange manager. Henry Busse doing a USQ show for boys at Camp Crowder (JopUn, Mo.) between his Tower theatre en- gagement and string of one-nighters. Lcruis Lower and Jimmy Nixon of the muny auditorium tripping to Broadway this -week to book Music Hall legit attractions for next season. Jane Ward, WCAU canary, sked- ded for 'vocalist chorea with Clyde Lucas' orchestra. Leo Zollo's orchestra returns to the'Benjamin Franklin'hotel's Gar- den Terrace May 11. (Hiff Hall, pianologist rushed back here from Florida last -week to hud- dle with:;his draft board. Bernice Allen has replaced Bobby Lyons at the piano at the Harris Tavern. Lyons now In the Army. Frances Faye Is inked to follow Helen Kane into the Civb Ball Gio- vanni Is set for the middle of May. Lou, operator of'the Chancellor and Moravian Bars, getting set to open another'In (S^rmantown. Itll be kno-wn as Lou's Gennantown Bar. By Hal Cahea Not only Mel Marvin but three of his men are in I-A and expect to be called up aiiy day. Howard Minsky, Warner salesman, ailing for last couple of weeks in Montefiore hospital. Dave Betcher has left the Clyde Knight liand to become featured or- ganist at Oliver's cafe. Al Gazely, of MCA office in east, came on for Chick Floyd's opening at £be WiUiam Penn hotel. Lou Heller, brother of Uttle Jackie and Sol Heller, ownei's of Yacht Club, enlisted to Army Air Corps. Bregman, Vocco ic Conn are going to publish Tony CWB) Stem's patri- otic number, "Yanks Are Coming." Johnny Harris to Hollywood for a few we^cs. Wife and son, who have been wintering there, will return with him. Local 60 of mu-sicians' union dedi- cated Honor Roll last week with names of more than 100 members in the service. Shirley Heller, recently divorced from Irving Mills' lad. Dick, will marry Harry Gordon, N. Y. business man, May 17. John J. Maloney, - M-G district .sales head, presents an oratorical tropliy bearing his name at St Vin- cent's College, his alma mater, each spring. ... 'Com Is Green' at Nixon jumptov with ex-Tech drama school students, Theliha Schnee-, Donald Buke and Jayne Van Duser. Latter 'two are understudies. Old Fihn Row friends tickled at Bob.Dunbar's promotion from man- agership of WB's Cincy ofHoe to the Detroit exchange. He was formerly Warners' city salesman here. Korda ^sCoatlnned from pace don oinema events on Saturday (25). The naive honesty of the producer almost floored Clipper scribes, who are used to havmg the clients weave tall teles of terrific tottle. Asked what he was doing about the war and/or civilian defense, Korda gravely answered- 'absolutely noth- ing.' To the dismay of an airline press agent gently maneuvering nearby, Korda also denied that he had a 'seat priority rating'; that he was working in behalf of either the American or JBbitish.gaveznmcnt or that he went to England for any reason except ^purely private busi- ■ness.' The head of Korda Productions spent some two months In the land of dropped aitches and 'will spend several more -weeks to New York, at the St Regis, before wandering back to Hollywood. He declared toat 'some very mteresting jpictxires are now t>eing made to England,' and as- serted that he was deeply impressed by the Englishmen's new way of pre- senting and toterpreting their work, a way which' will force 'Hollywood to ciiange its.outlook for pictures.' 'Wonderfnl .3oV. Considering the difficulties under which they are working the Bn^lsh studios are dotog 'a wonderful job,' Korda said as he estimated that busi- ness In the cinema houses is -'up 25 to 30% over the last peace year.' AU sorts of pictures are beiitg tarned out Korda-said, but the ac- cent Is on war-materieil. The Eng- lish -have waltzed away from the old pattern of war plx aiid have a novel selection of new themes 'to accord with the times' and 'realistic as they can possibly be,' the pro- ducer reported. The English reels are not as polished as the American editions but do surpass Hollywood in reahsm, comtog far nearer to reality than the great measure of Hollywood pictures,' Korda declared. A great -variety at sid>jects pass to front of the British cameras todud- ing much film for the -Mtolstry of Information. Korda cHed one of: these shorts,^11ie Builders,' as one of the best of this type tt reel Jhat he has ever observed. He also gave a generous nod.to Michael Powell, British director whom Korda de- scribed as' 'very good before toe war's outbreak but now, with his curreiit works, a great director.'* Xx>uis C. Hnot vlce-prexy of Press Wireless; Marcel H. Wallen- stein, of Planet News of London; and Roscoe Snipes, war corre^ondent were also aboard the flytog boat Other newsprtot Clipper trippers Included Ronald Tree and Cyril J. RadcUff, of John Bull's Information Mmlstry; and Toralv Kandahl, presi- dent of the Norwegian Press Assn. before sauerkraut 'overflowed the fjords. New York-bound to set up an' Information Bureau for the Free Norway government in London. Canse of the Ban The airline publicity bah was toe offspring of the A3r Transport Assn,! alleged brain of the - airline mag- nates. The association decided that the government 'was aU set to give them a healthy raperoo on the saddle because of the publicity accorded to motion picture -people and others of toeir strato. The aerial magnates decided, and righOy so, albeit sev- eral years late, that the public was tired of beartog about tiie arrival of motion pix stars .with a pooch un- der one arm and a new husband un- der the otoer. The mental wizards believed that if they ceased, to ballyhoo the iocon- sequentials riding their lines, toe government would not be tod'uied to ride roughly over them and they acted accordingly, ordcrlug their press agents to keep their pants warm on convenient stools and cease giving tips to reporters. The ban lasted several weeks and began to weaken this week when It was noted that the sun was eoming up. every morning on schedule, re- gardless. Aviation reporters, de- lighted at not being annoyed by trivia, are inclined to continue to go along wito toe toeory to toe dis- comfort of the praise paragraphers who were, more or less. Innocent by- standers. . The most recent spark of near- beer genius to come from the hot- acrial councils Is that they will 'per- mit' publicity on theatrical people' who are really doing something, but not on those who are merely touring or vacationing. Porter Hall recuperating from minor surgery. . Olympe Bradna drew her final American citizenship papers. Geoixe Brown bade at his Para- mount desk Ifter tong lltoess. Melvyn Douglas to Washington to resume his government chores. Paultoe -Garoh, former film star, divorced Clyde Harland Alban, actor. Daimny "WlnUer hack at his desk after two weeksl bout with mfluenza. Adoption of baby girl by the Fred MacMurrays approved in Superior Court Raoul Walsh sued for $100,000 by Summers Stickney, realtor, charging slander. ^ Joan Fontaine to the hospital (or two weeks of treatment' for sacro- iliac trouble. Nell Ifamllton, former screen star, became an associate* in tlie Paul Kohner agency. ' "EieutT'J'ames "Ste!5aft~ hack " Iff " town to do a tiaintog short for the Army Air Corps. Ida Luptoo back to work at War- ners after three weeks of recupera- tion at Palm Springs. Rex Taylor, film writer^ filed bankruptcy petition, listing debts at $3,371 and assets at (140. Carole Landb, who -was Francis - Lillian Hunt-to private life, had her nom-de-dlm made legaL . ' . John Truesden joined the Colum- bia ptibliclty staff, conttoulng with his syndicated Hollywood column. Bing, Crosby and Bob Rope putting on a series of golf matches for Women's Voluntary Service group. Ernst Lubitsch and Vivian Gaye' Lubitsch announced a separation, with a friendly divorce to'prospect RKO studio bowUng team won the George Schaefir trophy in a tele- graph series with toe home office keglers. Redy Lamarr made an out-of- court' settlement of a claim for.ilB,- 952 In legal fees filed by seven lawyeiBi . • Jack Loeb, former partner of Wil- 'lam Fox in toeatrlcal enterprises,' moved lo California after 15 year* m Honolulu. R<^rt Paige back to work after a three-day iknockout'by a prop vase swung by Virginia Bmce on the aet in 'Pardon My Sarong.' John Barrymore oblained .a"tem>. orary injunction vestralnlhg Bo. md Rich Woolley, attorney bom filing suit for $7;500, aasertedly du«' for legal fees. Chicago Susan Hayward of fllms in town. Florea (^rtez .otganizhig her o-wn Hawaiian orchestra. Eddy Duehto will depart from Empire Room June 24. R. W. Rome, ASCAP district man- ager, bafk from road trip. WaUy Vernon dwarfs from Coll- sirao's to favor of Dolly Kay. Johnny Howard, with Michael LorIn£,orchestra, now at SOS Cltd>. Jules Herberveaux returned fronk NBC program conference to New York. George Gnyon, of CiSS, deferred unta April 30 when he joins air corps. Bob Hawk stopped off to CM dur- ing visit at Notre Dame for radio show. Cab CZalloway Inaugurated l^en- day nUht dam-ltig at Servicemen's Center. Glenmore Music co,pipany debuts this week under baimer of Nick Porozoff. Mark Woods, chairman of board of Blue Network, stopped off en route to the Coast San Fnmdsco Don Currlin, KQW announcer. Is studying law. lirry Adler and harmonica held- over for a week at the Mark Hop- khts hotel. . Bill Helm, general manager of Peterson circuit -convalescing from hernia operation. Joe Barajas, former head waiter at Copacabana, has taken over dining oorusession at Streets of Paris. Don Ferrera's Cuban 'Band, from toe Palladtom to Hollywood, booked tor opentog of Andy Wong's Shangrl La. Ellis Levey, western division man- ager, Telenews Theatres, has been in Buffalo opening new Telenews house. Norman Nesbltt KFRC-Don Lee newscaster, is on two weeks' vaca- tlc.i, with Jim Doyle ptoch-bltting on 7 a. m, news on KFRC. New KGO 'Speaking of Sports' program feat'ures Emle Smith, ^portacaster: Bill lieiser,-sports edi- tor^ and Prescott Sullivan, sporta writer, WiUiam Wtoter. CBS-KQW newa dopester, who ihortwaves ov«r KGEI, was caUed 'That smart aleck American commentatot* hy Jap radio.