Variety (Sep 1942)

52 UTERATl Wedhesdiiy, September 23, 1942 Ward Morehouse's Stories Commenting on Major General Ri.ssell t". Haitle's denial of an m- tc: view anent a '.•iccond from' wiih Ward Morehouse. N. V. Sim's iiu'c-ial war corrcspondenl. the lallcr who is now back in America, expressed siir- pii.-e. because bolh the pres., ol- fuer and the cen.^ori had (>ka>ed ll-.i interview. General llarile. ci ni- n^andcr of U. S. troops in Northern Ireland, over the weekend told INS that he 'neither recognized nor recollected' statements attributed to him that an early second front_ in Europe would mean 'martyrdom' of two army corps. General Harlle said Morehouse had paid him "a purely courtesy call.' and that the informal conversations which ensued waa "not a press interview.' Morehouse stales that he chatled with the general for nearly 45 min- utes, in company of Major Timothy Mclnerny, former chief editorial writer on the Boston Post, who is press relations oflticer. While he didn't use a notebook and pencil— 33 he frequently doesn't, and as do many other newspapermen, who realize how frightening and inhibit- ing a newspaperman's pencil can be —he compared notes explicitly with Major Mclnerny and both the cen- sors in Londonderry and London went over his mailed stuff very carefully. Morehouse wrote some SO.OOO words on his junket, and the Sun ha.-, stuff until Oct 1. He mailed everything, and only three of the 33 pieces he wrote were touched by the censors, who meticulously- OK every story and, in fact, initial every page of mss. However, that 'second front' story gave managing editor Keats Speed a hunch that there might be a come- back, despite all the official in itialings, and he kept the original copy, just for protection. Morehouse's private opinion, in cidentally, is that the all-out of- fensive will come in the spring. The Sun man, who has covered U countries, interviewed 30 generals. 30 colonels and filed 110 stories from other theatres of the conflict, from the Carribean to the British Isles, is naturally anxious about maintaining hLi integrity batting average for reasons of futuri war coverage. Why Editors Get Gray Early Ottawa. Sept. 22. Robert Donnoll. Dominion carillonneur and one . •*';f .*f'^ ™f" anywhere who can handle the clavier of a carillion joined the Ro>al Canadian Air Force with "drummer" status since RCAF has nojrlassi- Hcalion of carillonneur. ^ . , > i ,„j Donnell. however, will arrange for the A.r Force Ce"t.^l band and po.sted to a local airport, will continue his work on the Peace Tower bells here. autographed a set of advance gal- leys, bound 'em in a special jacket, and planed them to the Government man on the Coast. in he in Canada Bans Dreiser Theodore Dreiser, who staled Toronto on Monday l21) that would rather see the Germans England than the 'aristocratic, horse- riding snobs' who he contended are running Britain, was banned later the same day from making speeches in Canada. He was in Toronto to speak last night (Tuesday) at the first meeting in the Town Forum series when the order was issued In Ottawa by Justice Minister Louis S. St. Laurent. Dreiser is quoted as saying in To- ronto that if Russia were defeated, he hoped the Germans would' in- vade England. He claimed that Eng- land has done nothing in this war so far except borrow money, planes and men from the U. S. Also was quoted as saying that Prime Min- ister Winston Churchill had no in- tention of opening a second front. In this respect he wps quoted as follows: 'He's afraid the Communists will rule the world. So he does nothing except send thousands of Canadiaiis to be slaughtered at Dieppe. He didn't send any English, as far as I know.' Streeter's hearty acquicsence, with the statement, 'You're the first one m 10 years who has given me the courtesy and asked permission: all others just helped themselves.' Pearl Buck Launching Mag People, a new mag intended to 'acquaint people in different parts of the world with each other," will be published in the next few weeks by People East and West, Inc. (Pearl S. Buck, novelist, and Richard J. Walsh (her husband). The publica- tion will carry fictional and non- flction material in continuity picture form, in full color. The intention is to educate, but it's hoped the draw- ings will be primarily amusing and entertaining. The mag is believed to be the first of its kind. Editorial staff isn't set. nor Is the exact price, though it will be a pop- price publication. Directors of People East and West, besides Walsh, publisher and Mrs. Pearl Buck include Albert H. Walsh, brother of publisher and business manager of Asia. Good Neighbor Editors Editors of dailies in practically every Latin American republic have been besieging U. S. embassies in tho last few months begging for newsprint supplies lest they be forced to discontinue. U. S. State Dept. and Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs, while un- able to guarantee anything, have been on a clock-round shift in an effort to secure the desired paper, particularly for pro-democratic sheets. Explained by Latin American edi- tors that lack of priorities for their print as well as shipping losses have been responsible for dv^iindling sleeks. While Nazi sheets have been eliminated from most countries— Argentina and Chile being notable exceptions—anti-Axis dailies point out that the only way to keep good neighbors good is by giving them thf facts and other material to prove the inevitable victory of the United Nations and need for hemispheric solidarity. Known that a rationing system has been worked out in Washington to assign shipments on the basis not only of need but of who deserves what. Some conflict of opinion as ti whether it's better to win editors end influence people by aiding those sheets which generally haven't been such good neighbors, or stick to the policy of only helping those who help us. Radio Weekly's 1st Issue First issue of Darrell V. Martin's long-delayed local Radio 'Weekly Anally made its appearance in Pitts- burgh over the last weekend. Edi- tor is still under indictment in con- nection with a charge of obtaining $2,000 under false pretense from a New Kensington, Pa., couple to help promote the sheet.- Initial edition, tagged to sell at 5c, was distributed largely for noth- ing, principally through hotels which placed the Radio Weekly in the mail boxes of guests. Contents consisted of a few general paragraphs; auto- graphs of a flock of charter sub- scribers, majority of them network names; photostat of Rudy Vallee's check for his subscription; a 'good luck' note from Kay Kyser, and logs of all Pittsburgh stations with one exception, WWSW, which Martin gnored. That station is owned and operated by Post-Gazette, morning daily that fired Martin as its radio editor and columnist a couple of years ago. Cecil Brown's Book OKd Cecil Brown's book, 'From Suez to Singapore,' has been finally set for Oct. 22 publication by Random House, after some Army and Navy elisions on such statistical data as the number of planes at this or that American base or scene of ac lion during the CBS war cor respondent's Far East adventures The amount of inside stuff contained prompted the publishers and the author to check on themselves with official 0)vernn)ental agencies, as to stay clear of possible aid to the enemy. A sidelight on the book was telephone call from San Francisco from a U. S. official, en route to the Orient by clipper, that he'd 'pay any price to read the advance galleys,' because that's the only book he'd want to take with him on the trip. Publisher Bennett Cerf, prez of RH; author Brown and the other officials of the company decided that any- bcdy bothering to phone from Frisco ior a book merited special con- 5l<'eration, and "besides no charge, all > Leckrone Edits Indpls. Times Walter Leckrone, veteran Scripps- Howard writer and editor who has been with The Cleveland Press the last several years, has taken over editorship of The Indianapolis Times, succeeding Ralph Burk- holder, who left to serve with the Office of Censorship. Leckrone's 25-year press' career began in Mansfield, O., followed by service with papers in Buffalo, De- troit, Columbus, Toledo and Cleve land, In recent months he wrote specialized series of articles for the Scripps-Howard Newspapers, last of which was a comprehensive study of the rubber situation. He served In the last war as an infantry lieu tenant. managing editor of the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Journal-Gazette, died SBpt 6 at his home near Uniondale, Ind. Carl She. an BAndebury, 67, re- tired Associated Press executive, died Sept. 15 in New York. Origi- nally a newspaperman In Washing- ton. Brandebury joined the AP in 1!>07 and at his retirement ip 1030 was news editor for the Eastern States. W. Bodgers Winter, 59, publisher of the Englewood News, died Sept. HI in Englewood, N. J. William J. Morton, 87, organizer ar.d president of the William J. Mor- ton Newspaper Advertising Repre- sentatives Co., N. Y., died Sept 18 at his home in Montclair, N. J. William Swearlngen Mvdd, 58, newspaper publisher, once president of the Alabama Associated Press Members, died Sept. 19 in Birming- ham, Ala. Dean Palmer, 53, newspaper owner, died Sept IB In Saranac Lake, N. Y. He was once publisher of the Motor Bus of N. Y. and from 1928 to 1940 was part owner of the North Shore Long Island Daily Journal. In Massachusetts he owned the Hudson Dcily Sun and the Marlboro Enter' prise. Howell C. Rookblll, 86, retired publisher, died Sept. 17 in Fort Wayne, Ind., where he had served as manager of the Journal Co., now publishers of the Journal-Gazette. Harry Alexander MeKenile, 70, former editor and publisher of the Waverly- (O.) News, died Sept. 16 In Columbus, C, of a heart ailment. Conde Nast, 68, founder and presl dent of Conde Nast Publications, Inc., died Sept. 19 In New York. Pub- lications of the Nast organization in recent years include 'Vogue, House and Garden and the 'Vogue Pattern Book. Dr. Philip Gootenberg, 63, sports- writer and columnist for the Pater- son Evening News, N. J., died Sept 20 in Paterson. Heckles Wlllson, 73, Canadian au' thor and journalist, died Sept. 18 In Beaulieu-sur-Mer, unoocupied France. For the past 20 years he had been living in London and Paris, His last work was a biography of the late Edward Tuck, published last year. Amsier Splro's 'Graphic' First issue of Graphic, 10c fort nightly 'picture newsmagazine' (which is the subtitle), has made its appearance. It's edited by Amster Spiro, for many years city editor of the N. Y. Journal, with the following associates: John Hampton, Patricia Bronte, Myriam Sieve. Allen A. Goldhaber is publisher. Initial issue is arresting, particu- larly the review of the I. G. Farben (German dye trust) and its hold on U. S. patent medicines, via some of the best known home products. Pitt P-G Settles Guild Bow Wage dispute between manage- ment of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and that morning daily's American News- paper Guild unit was settled by arbi- tration last week, with board ruling in favor of employees. Under terms of decision, hired hands receiving up t3 $40 per week will get a 15% raise; salaries bracketed between $40 and $7.-) will be upped 10%. and over that, the hike is 5%. It's also retroactive as of July 1. Negotiations started nearly six months ago and understood that at the time Guild was willing to settle foi an over-all increase of 5% but publishers turned down that offer. Finding of arbitrators was handed down just two or three days after Post-Gazette; along with the two other Pittsburgh papers. Press and Sun-Telegraph, announced it would go from three to four cents daily. Jack Singer Missing In Solomons Jack Singer, 27, Mark Hellinger's protegee and one of the more fa- miliar newspapermen around Gotham, is missing in action in the Solomon Islands while with a 'task force,' according to official informa- tion. He was INS correspondent in the Far East He was sent east by Hellinger, who liked Singer's style (as a sports writer) on the Los Angeles Exam- iner, and called him to Hearst exec Joe Connolly's attention. 'Pocket Book of War Humor' Bennett Cerf is editing a 'Pocket Book of War Humor' for a competi five firm because he agrees that the 25c 'pocket book edition' is the best medium for such a work. Cerf is head of Random House. Some 250,- 000 copies will be published pronto for soldiers, sailors. Red Cross, etc., and it will be one of the most com plete anthologies of war comedy. It will comprise not only gags, but Cerf has gotten an OK from H. I Phillips for excerpts from 'Private Purkey' and 'Private Hargrave,' plus cartoons, and also some 'Dere Mable chapters. Cerf was pleasantly surprised when Anally learning of the where- abouts of the author, Edward Streeter. He discovered him to be a v.p. of the Fifth Avenue Bank in N. Y., but, more unusual, was Wiggins Heads S. C. Press A. L. M. Wiggins, publisher, Harts vijle Messenger, named president of South Carolina Press Asociation, succeeding Sam L. Latimer, Jr., ed itor, Columbia State. J u d s o n Chapman, Greenville (S. C.) News-Piedmont named vice president. J. M. Blalock, v.p. of The State, named state press salvage chairman. CHATTEB It's Lieut. Ralph IngersoU, now. PM editor was upped from a Sgt Frances Haley, former Atlanta Constitution correspondent, named assistant manager, Georgia Press As- sociation. Copy-boy shortage so acute, the George Backers' 17-year-old boy is doubling into that chore at his pa- rents' N. Y. Post. Robert L. McMichael, Jr., execu- tive of Turner E. Smith ^blishing Co., Atlanta, named to WP6 com- mittee post in Washington. Albert Marvin Stroud, business manager, Kinston (N. G.) Dally Free Press, commissioned naval re- serve ensign and assigned to Boston duty. F. Hugh Herbert sold nine short stories, built on a IS-year-old femme character named Oorliss, to dood Housekeeping mag to be published a'! a series. Clark Howell, editor and publisher Atlanta Constitution, and Associated Press director, called to army duty as lieutenant colonel. Howell is a reserve officer. Charles I. Reynolds, former edl' tor Washington (Qa.) News-Ae- porter, named editor of The Civitan, organ of Civitan International, pub lished in Birmingham. A. L. Wiggins, publisher of the Hartsville Messenger, la 'the new president of the South Carolina Press Association, succeeding S. L. Latimer, Jr., of Columbia. H. Allen Smith finally came up with a title for his sequel to 'Ia>w Man on a Totem Pole.' New tome will be titled 'Ufe In ■ Putty Knife Factory.' Doubleday Doran Bed Lewis' Next Novel Sinclair Lewis' first novel away from Harcourt, Brace and Double- day, Doran, for Random House, will be delivered on Xmas Day. It'll be titled after the principal character, a la 'Elmer Gantry,' but with a modern civic-leadcr-local- community theme. tAxis Propaganda! — Continued from page 3 eral treaty calls for Argentina to extend 160,000,000-peso credit to Spain, of which 85,000,000 has al- ready been advanced. Franco gov- ernment must pay 3^4% interest. Under deal Argentina will sell Spain 1,000,000 tons of wheat, 350,000 tons of tobacco, 10,000 tons of cottoa and nobody knows Jiow much corn. Spain will send Argentina oil, ma- chinery, tools, chemicals, mercury, wines and munitions. How much? Nobody seemingly knows. Fix Stressed Film section of the treaty was much stressed here and is one phase in which Spanish government is par- ticularly interested. Under this sec- tion of pact, three Argentine pic- tures must be received in Spain for every Spanish film released here. Argentine producers will not have to invest profits in studios and pro- duction in Spain, as has been the case with foreign Alms shown In that country previously. Argentine producers will set up an office in Madrid to select the Span- ish-mades for this country. Not deB> nitely set but it's expected that the Argentine producers will also have rights to handle Spanish product elsewhere in Latin-America, using Buenos Aires as port of entry. Madrid office is expected to be headed by Humberto Goggi, who al- ready represents Lumiton and sev- eral other Argentine producers in Spain. There is already a backlog of some 250-300 Argentine picts which should be available fpr Spanish showing under the deal, and possibly 75-100 Spanlsh-mades which can be re- leased here. Spanish association will be in charge of the distribution and ex- ploitation of Argentine material, ad- vancing 15,000 Argentine pesoi (about $3,500) for each plct and copies. Same will be done here with a similar advance In cash for each Spanish-made. Most important feature of the pact is a preventive clause which will supposedly give the Argentines a chance to refuse to accept aiiy Madrid-made propaganda film. Ques- tion remains, however, who's going to judge what's propaganda? It is noteworthy that the only new Span- ish films to come here during past year have been strongly anti-demo- cratic picts like 'Raza' and 'Sin Novedad en el Alcazar,' both of which lauded the Falangist move- ment and both of which were shown here in the officially blacklisted Teatro San Martin and other black- listed houses. 'Not Propaganda' Spaniard^ argue that these aren't propaganda, and It Is maintained that if Argentine producers find re- fusing such- films will cut their grosses In Spain they're likely to agree with Madrid, despite frowns from United Nations capitals. There's little made in Spain to- day that doesn't have the Indirect okay of Dr. Goebbels and the Wil- helmstrasse. There is still consid- erable Argentine coin frozen in Spain, largest holder being Sono Film for 300,000 pesetas Spanish, and Lumiton with 200,000. Spanish- mades have never been good gross- ers here or elsewhere in Latin- America while Argentine picts have done excellently overseas. The local product should do even better now since Spain's 23,000,000 populash has been getting a pretty steady diet of only German and Italian picts. will publish. LITEBATI OBITS George Harding Brodle, 33, co- publisher of the Oregon City (Ore.) Enterprise was fatally injured Wed- nesday (16) when his automobile struck a highway guard post at Oswego. Brodle was son of late Edward E. Brodle, former U S. min- ister to Finland and Slam. Survived by wife, mother and sister. ClUTord K. Llpkey, 61, former Balabans s Continued from page 1 si agency last week to look up the records at City Hall. Rabbi LIssman was thus found, this time without 'Variety's' assistance. At the cere- mony Saturday (19), the rabbi re- called the A. J. Balabans' wedding, its simplicity and without the host of guests who attended the fete at the Hotel Dorset, N. Y, The wedding of the Balabans' daughter was also in the nature of a reunion for the geographically scattered Balaban family, brothers Barney, John and Harry being pres ent at the ceremony and subsequent dinner and reception. Bonds Gimmick S Continued from page 1 i^^J now he has in file more than 300 stamp books belonging to customers. What's more, when a customer gets enough for a bond his name is writ- ten on the mirror behind the bar. For every bond a red star goes after the name. The top customer now has one red and three silver stars behind his name—31 War Bonds, Odd thing about the short-chang- ing gag is that the Treasiu-y Dept is smiling indulgently on the boys who have been having a tough time here. Beth State and Army officials have cracked down on the city's spots for permitting gossip,' too much drink- ing, cheating on hours, with warn- ings they would shutter them if they proved drawbacks to morale in this war production center. However, the rate with which the spots now are bringing in the money for war bond purchases has helped re-estab- lish them in the good graces of the officials.