Variety (Sep 1942)

WAR ACTIVITIES Show Business Sets Out to Prove It Takes Showmanship to SeD SIMOOOM in Bonds in Sept. di- still inwardly smarting at Secre- tary Morgenthau's implication of six weeks ago that entertainers on bond tours were more interested in self- publicity than patriotic duty, show business set out yesterday (Tues- day) to make him—and other people In high places with the same idea- eat his words. They're out to demonstrate to Washington, and whoever else is interested, what to them has always been axiomatic—it takes showmanship to get results. [See box herewith ol nearly $50,000,- 000 the opening day.l Billion-dollar bond sale drive be- ing undertaken by the entertain- ment industry during September will prove that what appears to the uninitiated as publicity grabbing is actually flnely-planned showman- ■ ship. It has sold billions of tickets to American boxoffices and can sell equal billions in bonds. Month after month the Treasury has failed to reach the bond sales quotas it has set up. Various in- dustries have had a crack at it and none of them has achieved the $11,000,000,000 goal. This month it's •how business' chance—and no one The Easiest Way Hollywo(^, Sept. 1. Paramount found a simple way to shoot Army camp backgrouds for 'Johnny Doughboy' without going tq the expense of building a set on the sound stage. Studio sent a troupe of enter- tainers to a nearby camp and put on a show for the soldiers while a camera crew took long shots of the doughboy audience. NAME JOINT BOARD OF 10 FOR N.Y. CANTEEN Hedy QucJces Quakers Philadelphia, Sept. 1. Hedy Lamarr rolled up ap- proximately $6,130,500 in War Bond sales today (Tues.), getting $4,520,000 of it at a special busi- ness men's luncheon at the Mid- day Club. She got an additional $1,610,500 (preliminary estimate based oii S.R.O.) from the giant sellout rally at the Academy of Music. Admission to the Club lunch- con was fixed at $5,000 minimum War Bond purchase. Highest price paid for attendance was $1,080,000 by a local bank. Ad- mission to the Academy of Music rally was minimum of $50 war bond for a gallery seat to $10,000 for a box. Besides Miss Lamarr and Walter Abel, Paul White- man and show at the Earle thea- tre were included in the enter- tainment lineup. Bonds sold by Miss Lamarr are additional to the $3,207,000 reported earlier in the day by Ted Schlanger for this district. Joint committee for the operation of the American Theatre Wing's N. Y. Stage Door Canteen has been appointed. Clarification of the rules is expected to quickly smooth out any minor clashes between volun- teer workers. Committee is author- ized to adjust any conflicts in the operation of the spot and in its pub- lic relations, along the lines laid down by the Wing, which finances and started the Canteen. Appointed by the Wing: Arthur Richman, Patil Dullzell, Warren Munsell, Solly Pernik, Vera Allen. For the Ci. nteen: Selena Royale, Jane Cowl, Kermit Bloontgarden, Eddie Sobol, Helene Dumas. In ad- dition to the 10 named, Sidney Fleisher was appointed as chair- man. Any questioned rulings are to (Continued on page 31) who knows anything about show busine^is has the slightest doubt that there will be $1,000,000,000 worth of bonds sold, and more. Entertainment industry has been called on before to participate in nationwide drives and has staged any number of them itself—the yearly 'March of Dimes' for infantile paralysU is perhaps the most spec tacularly successful. No .showman ship-exploitation campaign in his tory, however, has equalled the one arranged for this month. It's super duper, colossal, stupendous and every other adjective ever u-sed for Hollywood's next picture. But the Industry will show that it takes 'siiper-duper, colossal and .stu peiidous' to get results on that scale. $10,M«,«M VU Badl» So anxious to do a Job that it even Jumped the starter's gun, show business leaped out of the gate Sat urday (29) with a seven-hour radio show on the Blue Network that counted for an amazing $10,000,000 end more in bonds. Only pledges were taken during the program and the actual bond sales will be con- si'mmated during September, so they'll count in the $1,000,000,000 total. Official getaway look place yes- te:day (Tuesday), with Secretary Morgenthau himself participating in Washington. So Ihere'd be no time wasted, the New York gang started with an 8 a.m. breakfast. The coffee was drunk at the New York home of Stanton Griffis, the Para- mount financial exec. Attending were the '$33,000,000 Commandos,' comprising show biz biggies, who f[ave their first reports on success n getting major pledges. Charles Laughton read Lincoln's Gettysburg address during a broadcast from (Continued on page 31) WnXIE HOWARD Twenty • sixth successful week, "Priorities of 1942" at the 46th Street Theatre, New York. "The hellowlnf; sound of Willie Uownrd'.s opefatic style were and are Immortally comic."—BROOKS ATKINSON. New York Times. CANADA SETHNG OWN BILUON BOND DRIVE American Theatre Wing stage Door Canteen Capers NEW TOBK When Lynn Fontanne was senior hostess the other night, she sat at a table with a young sailor. En- sued a conversation about uniforms. La Fontanne told the gob she pre- ferred his uniform to that of the Army. "Why?" asked the lucky fellow. "Because." explained Miss Fon- tanne, "a sailor suit makes a man's neck look so columnar, but an Army uniform doesn't even hide a soldier's Adam's apple." Quartermasters, please note! Kenneth Thomson, of the Holly- wood Victory (Committee, and Jim Sauter, of the United Theatrical War Activities' Committee, huddled in New York last week with Guy Herbert and George Taggart, of Canada, who were in town to ar- range talent tieups for the Ca- nadian Billion-Dollar War Bond Drive. Canadian campaign will center around six Sunday eve broadcasts, over Canadian networks, between Sept. 20 and Oct 25. Pro- grams will emanate from Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Winnipeg. Schedule calls for half hour dramatic shows with stars coming up from U. S. to play the leads; a big variety program each week, day and time to be set, with star talent also coming across the border, and a series of quarter-hour inter- views with American personalities by Claire Wallace, a name com- mentator in those parts. Latter show will use 'Messrs. Thomson and Sauter to set phone interviews with personalities, from industry as well as entertainment world, and air as feature interview same personal ap- pearance of the names. Jonlor hostess VirglDia Mc- Mallin is still recovering from the shock of meeting one Pri- vate David Crockett—very band- seme, very mach alive, from Abilene, Texas. This soldier Is s direct lineal descendant ol the Davey Crockett. Armina Marshall, who will be (he directress of our Vfashington can- teen, arnvei at our 44th street bee- (Continued on page 63) Films on Radio Fomm Arthur Ungar, editor of 'Daily Variety," in Hollywood-, will par- ticipate Sept. 13 in a discussion on 'How Can Movies Best Contribute to the War Effort' on Theodore Granick's 'American Forum of the Air' program over Mutual from Hollywood. Others to be heard on the broadcast are Rosalind Russell, living Pichel, Sidney Buchman and Darryl Zanuck. This Sunday night's (6) edition of the series, also originating on the Coast, will be on the subject, 'How Can Labor and Management Help Win the War?' Henry J. Kaiser, the Dong Netter In Douglas Netter. son of Leon Net- tei, homeoffice Paramount theatre executive, into the U. S. Navy. He has been accepted for training for a commission and on Monday (31) reported at Notre Dame University. South Bend, Ind., where he will tr.iin. All 4 Theatre Pards Enlist Detroit, Sept. 1. Records for patriotism - are being set in these parts with entire part- nerships going into the service. All four members of the firm which owns the President and Ad- miral theatres here are leaving for the armed forces. Arnold B. Lon- don has gone into the Army, Leonard Brooks joined the Navy and making it a clean slate, Theodore L. London and Bernard Brooks also will take up service in the Army. The two sets are brothers and cousins. In addition the State, tiny house In Onaway, Mich., has made a simi- lar clean sweep. Richard DeRosla is in an Army surgical school. An- other partner, E. W. Kenrlck is a Chief Petty Officer in the Navy. The Vcdncadayt ^ptember 2, 1942 latter's son. Earl, Jr., has just re ceived his wings as a pilot in the Air Force. Herschel Roth, assistant sales manager at WJR, has joined the Army. Ben Maidenberg, Sunday editor of the Detroit Free Press, has been appointed a 2nd Lieut, in the Army Air Corps. He also had been serv- ing as executive editor to the John S. Knight newspaper chain. Doc Bockwell's Sen a Llent. Robert K. Rockwell, 22; son of Doc Rockwell, into Army as second lieutenant following graduation from officers' candidate school at Ft Monmouth, N. Y. Lurle Sells Cot; Into Army Rochester, N. Y., Sept. 1 Howard Lurie sold the Lincoln 000-seat nabe, to Russell Moore of Buffalo, who takes over Oct. 1. Lurle expects to go Into the Army at that time, having obtained a two-month (Continued on page 60) OTHER FAOE 6«. WAB NEWS ON Ute 'million doUir* breakfast, at which the 133,000,000 Commando CoDunittM' wai to vuiounc* caching Iti got/H, wound up with reports of |49.4U,732 in bond iales-418,(Ha,600 reported by the New York Commando Committee and $30,411,2^ from out' of town. Barney Balaban announced $1,687,000 for Paramount, exdusiye of the Paramount partners covered in individual annoimcements totaling $21,770,380. Cliarlu Skouras reported $7,500,000 from the West Coast. C. C. Moskowitc, starting off the annoimcements by the New York Commandos, tossed in $6,403,000, representing bond buys on Loew's, Inc., affiliated corporations, officers of the company and sales by Commando Nicholas M. Schenck. Samuel Plnanski reported $5,482,700 from Boston, while Ted Schlanger, Philadelphia, tossed in $5,207,075. Others reported as follows: Bob O'Donnell, Texas, $2,663,020. John Frledl. Minneapolis zone, $2,516,068. A. H. Blank, for Des Moines and Omaha, $2,417,775. John Balaban, Chicago, $2,129,673. R. B. Wilby, Atlanta. $1,670,000. H. F. Kincey, Charlotte, N. C, $1,502,200. Earl Hudson. Detroit, $1,375,000. E. V. Richards, New Orleans, reported $1,200,000—with more coming. Ehner Rhoden, Kansas pity, $1,147,806. Spyros Skouras, for 20th-Fox, $1,137,000. Jules Brulatour, $1,000,000 for Eastman Kodak, with an additional $100,000 for Jules E. Brutiltour,. Inc. Joseph Hazen, for Warners, $1,000,000. Ned E. Depinet, for RKO, $786,000. I. H. Hoffman, New Haven, $753,125. Will H. Hays, for Motion Picture Producers It Distributors of Amer- ica, Inc., ,and the Will Rogers Memorial Fund, $350,000. Herman Robbins, for National Screen Service, $250,000. Ike Libson, Cincinnati, $243,800. Sam Rinzler, Randforce theatres, $200,000. Harry Brandt, $100,000. Col. Richard C. Patterson, Jr., $75,000. Later in the day the following additional figures, bringing the Com- mando total to $51,161,250, were announced: • Albert Fink, Portland, Ore., $500,000. A. Jos. Dcslore, Wilmington, Del., $100,000. Additional Paramount theatres, $800,000. Miscellaneous purchases totaled $35,000, while several local unions' Including the Screen Publicists' Guild. Screen Office and Professional Employees' Guild, Motion Picture Projectionists, Motion Picture Cameramen and Laboratory Technicians added $25,000. Overall bond sales .for the first day of the drive are expected to total over $100,000,000—10% of the objective. Hovie Stars Are Human'; Bond Drive CaotiQhed on Pushing 'Em Around Barber Draws Blood The Brooklyn Red Cross blood donor bank credits Red Barber and the Brooklyn Dodger base- ball alrcast for Old Gold on WHN with bringing it the bulk of 10,000 donors since April 15, when the program began airing the appeals. The blood bank, one of 18 in the country and the only unit to promote a steady radio tleup, re- quires 1,300 donors each week to keep pace with its quota for the armed forces. WB LISTS 6 WAR FILM CATEGORIES Warner film production themes are being geared in line with six classifications for features outlined by the Hollywood office of the Co- ordinator of Government Films. Six categories are: 1, The Enemy; 2, Our Allies; 3, The Armed Forces; 4, The Production Front; 5, The Home Front; 6, The Issues. In a statement issued by S. Charles Einfeld, v.p. in charge of advertising and exploitation for Warners, com- plete outline was given on type of pictures which the studio was mak- ing to 'serve the war effort by dis- semination of information' as sug- gested by Government authorities. Also listed as part of the program of disseminating information are British pictures Warners has dis- tributed in the U. S. such as Target for Tonight,' 'London Can Take It' and 'Christmas Under Fir^,' profits from the latter having been turned over to the Royal Air Force Spitfire Fund. Edgar Bergen Back From Alaska Toor Hollywood, Sept. 1. Edgar Bergen (and 'Charlie Mc- Carthy') is back fi'om Alaska and the Aleutians wh$re he did 51 shows ill 12 days for soldiers. Despite columnists and air gosslP' ers about Bergen's Immediate InduC' tlon Into the Army, he has yet to be called for his physical and has not yet been classified. Complaints from workers on the billion-dollar War-Bond drive that it's impossible to get advance info on names of film stars and the dates on which they're to make appear- ances in various towns and cities has brought a reminder from 0.<icar Doob, chief of exploitation, that 'movie stars are human' and any- thing can happen. The film industry's War Activi-. ties Committee acknowledges that changes in stars' schedules create Ill-will, and naturally the basic in- tent is to create good-will. But, ac- cording to Doob, 'in our anxiety to supply information when this thing started, we rushed out star informa- tion and then had the embarrass- ment of as many as six changes on a single'route.' In one instance. Merle Oberon, an- nounced set for a specific tour, was mysteriously withdrawn. A couple of days later she was heard over the air entertaining American soldiers in London. The Government had taken her. Irene Dunne was set when her doctor intervened. She went to Washington for one day despite her physician's warning, took to bed for four days and then takes up her tour five days later. Hedy Lamarr, preparing to re.<l up due to 111 health, fills in for Mi.'is Dunne's first five days and coes on (C ontinued on page^6 3) L. A. to N. Y. Carlton Alsop, Georges Banyai Bruce Cabot. Emmett Callahan. Elaine Sterne Carrington. Don Cope. • Howard Dletz. : Stuart Erwin. Virginia Field. Albert Hackett Frances Hackett. Lillian Hellman. Jack Hurdle. Robert Emmett Keane. Nancy Kelly. Abe Montague. Martha Scott. C. W. Thornton. Frank Vincent. Ben Wallerstein. N. Y. to L. A. Jack Bamett. Genoa Magaroff. John Steinbeck. Yeoman Bill Walters. Jackson Wheeler.