Variety (Dec 1942)

MISCELLANY Wednesday* December 9, 19-^2 HoDywood Activity Little Disturbed By Gas Rationing; 'B' Cards for Actors Hollywood, Dec. 8. Gas rationing went into efTecl in the film production Industry with- out causing much Inconvenience among players and extras, who were Issued B rationing books, suflicient to carry on their ordinary labors. Film casual workers, applying for extra gas, must be certifled by a joint Labor-Management Transpor- tjition Committee, representing the producers, guilds and unions. Committee, organized at a meet- ing called by Pat Casey, producer- labor contact, consists of: Frank Carothcrs, secretary of the Motion i Picture International Committee; J. ■ P. McGowan, representing the Di- i rectors. Script Clerks, Readers Film | Editors and Publicists Guilds: Earl Cooper, for the lATSE locals; Pat Somerset, for the Screen Actors Guild; John Martin, Film Techni- cians Local 683; William R. Walsh. Metro labor contact; Fred Meyer, studio manager at 20th-Fox: Carol Sax, studio manager at Warners, and Howard R. Philbrick, general manager of Central Casting, who was elected chairman. New body is setting up a mode of procedure by which Guilds and unions will suffer no delay in ctraightening out the gas supplies of regular memberships and certify supplementary rations for irregular workers. These workers make up about 39% of the employees whose applications must be handled by the ^ committee. | Little confusion has been reported from the studios thus far, with most of the employees riding on full tanks of gas before the restrictions went Into effect, and many of them get- ting up earlier in the morning to use public transportation systems. Buses were crowded, particularly In San Fernando Valley where War- ners, Universal and Republic arc located. Some of the workers reached their studios in share-ride cars and those who reside near enough used bicycles. There were a few cases of tardiness but not enough to hamper production. | At the Screen Actors Guild it was I reported that there were no protests from Class A players or extras over failure to receive rationing books. Atmosphere players who work ir- regularly at various studios are generally supplied with supplemen- tary B books. Can't Kid the Cook HoUywooc. Dec. 8. Groucho Morx may be a -omedlan to his stage, screen and radio public, but not to his cook. In a treatise written for 'Variety' on the sacrifices of war, Groucho mentione-l that he was .sending his cook to Lockheec* Now he doesn't have to send her. She went Dorothy Thompson's Pic Filmed on Her Vt. Farm 'Kid Brother,' a picture about the Volunteer Land Corps, with the script written by Dorothy Thompson, has been filmed on Miss Thompson's farm in Vermont. It is now being edited, following two months of loca- tionlng by a company of 17 (16 men and a gal) on the Thompson acres. Aim of the pic Is to show how the shortage of farm labor can be par- tially eliminated by school kids and city folk using their vacations to go back to the soil and aid the agricul- turists of the nation to grow food needed for troops and industrial workers. Coin for the film was put up by Henry E. Lester, who was on hand during the entire, eight weeks of shooting. Victor StolofT directed. Lester organized the Volunteer Land Corps Film Corp. to make the pic. He's prez. Miss Thompson, who's chairman of the board of the Volunteer Land Corps is v.p. Edgar Locw is treasurer and Louis R. Teig secretary. Company, It Is said, will make other pictures, too. Lester and StolofI have been seeking a major release for the pic, which will prob- ably be a two-reeler. Falling of the- atrical distribution, the film will be released for 16 mm. consumption. jaCTOFY BUY UNITED STATES cms SUMPS It will cost money to deteat Germany, Japan and Italy. Our government calls on you to help now. Buy war savings bonds or stamps today. Buy thein every day if you can. But buu them on a regular basis. Billy Gilbert's Son, 13, Suicides on Coast; Parents on AnnyTonr While his foster-parents were with a USO-Camp Show unit entertaining .servicemen in the Carribean area, Barry Gilbert, 13-year-old adopted son of film comedian Billy Gilbert, committed suicide with a 22-calibre rifle yesterday morning (Tuesday) at his home in Hollywood. Only clue to his possible motive was a cryptic note he had left saying, 'Grand- mother wouldn't believe me.' Accompanying Gilbert on the tour of Army bases are his actress-wife, Ella McKenzie, and her sister Fay McKenzie. Par Sees Another 'Inn' Chi Lenient to Show Folk OnGasRationmgDueTo Service to Servicemen Hollywood, Dec. 8. Paramount may reunite the Irving Berlin - Bing Crosby - Fred Astaire - Mark Sandrich combo for another musical, on the heels of their cur- rent click with 'Holiday Inn.' It would be for the future, as Berlin's next committment is at Warner Bros, for the filmization of "This Is the Army,' soldier show. DOUG, JR.'S LUCK FnrloUEh Coincides With Blrtb of Their Second Baby Speed 'Er Up, Sis Hollywood, Dec. 8. Andrews Sisters will make two pictures in quick succession at Uni- versal to permit a long tour of Army camps and theatres in early spring. 'Almost a Bride' is slated as their second film, to follow 'Solid Senders,' their current chore. Lieut. Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., In the Navy for almost a year-and-a- half, experienced an unusual bit of luck during the past fortnighl. He had his first leave in months and. purely by coincidence, it set him down in New York just a few days before hLs wife gave birth to a baby girl. Child was born Dec. 1. Fairbanks will be in New York for a few more days. He's en route to a new assignment after IS months with the Atlantic fleet. During eight months of that time he was in serv- ice that had him almost continually under enemy Hre. For the past four months he has been with Lord Louis Mountbatten's Combined Operations Force. That's a British-American Commando unit. He took part in a number of raids on the enemy coast- line. Lieut Fairbanks' wife Is the form- er Mary Hartford. This is their second child. Fairbanks was form- erly married to Joan Crawford. FAMOUS FIRST NIGHTS MAE WEST'S 'SEX' (Daly'i, N. Y„ April 28, 1926) Among Broadway first nights, that of 'Sex' was more liifumous than famous. The show didn't land In the money, but Its star and .-uithor, Mae West, landed In the cooler for giving a naughty perform.iiirc. i:n(il then Miss Weet had been a not too well known, but standard. vniiUeville ■Ingle. The 'Sex' pinch and her self-imposed martyrdom (six- KCrvod the 80 daya' sentence under protest) made her a name, fame anil rortniie In legit and later pictures. Miss Weat'a double legit debut as autlior-actrcss occurred nt Daly s theatre on Weat 63d atreet. As a playwright she used the nom-ilc-ilnnie of Jane Maat. As a ptayer, she used her own monicker. The pl.iy. .i.s a play, was terrible, but the first night audience took it good naiuivOly. The city censors, however, bached up the wngon. Ouch, Those Benefits By GEORGE JESSEL Chicago, Dec. 8. Many actors and musicians here | have received extra gas rations in ' recognition of their services to the Ik Government " Becaose-of work done by-the per-. W formers, agents, bookers and mu- cicians with the Amusement and Recreation division of the Chicago Commission on National Defense, "almost in every- Itistar.cxt where a performer asked for supplementary rations, they've been met with at- tentive ears by ration solons and (ranted 'B' cards In addition to the 'a: Performers have been entertain- ing between 150,000 and 200,000 men a week in this vicinity through USO Camp Shows and furnishing amuse- ■ ment to the three Chicago Service Men's Centers and surrounding Ar- my and Navy bases. It is figured that in 1942 a total of 258,000 miles will have been travelled by the per- formers and orchestras Just in the Greater Chicago area. The Gn? Gets Lens-Stmck Hollywood, Dec. 8. Coke Stevenson, Governor of Texas, makes his screen debut in the role of himself in 'We've Never Been Licked,' the Walter Wanger picture for Universal release. Most of the film Is being shot on the campus of Texas A. & M. Col- lege, with other iMlltical and. colle- giate offlclajs dicing small parts ABBOTT and COSTELLO "What th!a country needs is more Abbott and Costello ... do mag- nificently in rescuing you from tedium . ■ ." LAURA LEE, Philadelphia Evening Bulletin Now on National Release in "Who Done It?" Univsrsal Pictures Camel Cigarettes, NBC Under (Personal Management of: EDWARD SHERMAN • >ts»»fS» . « «♦♦♦♦♦«♦♦♦♦«♦» ««« ♦ ♦♦♦♦♦»«4444..»4..» Added to everything else that has happened in these days of our lean ceiling and fat taxes, the theatrical profes.sion has been scourged by a plague more devastating than the locust could ever dream of. and that is playing benefits. With the possible exception of that pop-eyed f.Tther of five daughters, this writer has definitely appeared at more guatis per- formances than any of his contemporaries. It is therefore right that, clothed with this authority, I speak. No one in any other business or profession is called upon lo give his bread and butter like the show people are. No benefit committee would dare think of asking Hart, Schaffncr & Marx to come to a dinner and during the courses make a few suits. It would never enter any com- mittee's mind to ask Swift & Co. .to take a bow at a theatre and, inci- dentally, bring a few cows, but the actor is called upon to give of himself for anything and everything—and the best he can get is the worst of it. If he Is an Important artist and in the public eye, he has got to make a hit because of the fast company a benefit performance usually ha.':. If he is a fellow just coming along, he is either put on too early or too laic and very often, after standing around all night Is told 'We won't have time for you." From my experience, 1 have chosen the following incident. In 1930 I was living at the Eddie Cantor menage in Great Neck. Wc were planning the vaudeville show to open at the Palace (may it rest in peace). 'Twas a winter's night about 8:30. We had been working all day on skits, gags, etc.. when a phone call came from Harry Cooper. To the Johnny Newcomer whose eyes this article may meet let me tell you about Harry. He was a tremendously popular vaudeville and musical comedy comedian (Old Empire City Quartet), more popular, perhaps, off than on, for his energies were spent giving 95% of his time to playing, benefits, playing cards, getting people's speeding tickets fixed and doing everything possible to keep him from going on the stage. He wa.s in a great measure responsible for the early popularity of Jimmy Walker. It was he who screamed from the housetops, from Broadway to the Bronx, of 'James the Great' In the last few years of his life few favors were returned to him and, as a last chance shot at security, he went into the insurance business. Anything for a Pal Cooper's phone call lo Cantor and myself was urgent. There was a dinner being given that night, by the leaders of the fur industry, at the Pennsylvania Hotel, N. Y.. and if Cantor and Jessel appeared there and gave him a boost, he could sell enough insurance to set him for life. Wt; only had to run in for a moment or so. We could get right on and get right out. Cold as it was, and tired from a long day's work of thinking and writing and fighting, we agreed to come. We came to the Pennsylvania Hotel, ice cold from our long trip in, and in a mood disagreeable. We ru.'shed to the first elevator and the boy rec- ognized us. 'O.K., I know where you want to go,' he said. He took us right down to the grillroom. There was a party of about 150 people, more like a family group than business men. As we walked in, some one said, 'Surprise, here's C^antor and Jessel.' We immediately' did a little stunt, and then, speaking for the both of us (as I always did when we went on together for nothing), 1 said, 'We want you gentlemen ot the fur industry to know we are here only because of our dear friend, and your dear friend. Harry Cooper, asked us to come. For just as you gentlemen have captured and trapped the fur-bearing animals of the world. Harry Cooper, with kindness, has captured the hearts of everyone in the show busines.'. So here's to our friend, Harry Cooper, good night' We rushed out and went home. The phone rang about 1 o'clock in the morning. It was Cooper on the phone. 'Boys,' he said, 'If you didn't intend to come, why didn't you say so in the first place.' Well, anyway, we found out later, that his affair had been in the ballroom. We had walked into a wedding celebration and some of the guests had been heard to say later on, 'Weren't those awful fur jokes that Cantor and Jessel toUI. I guess they were drunk.' And so, on closing, a note of advice to all up and coming actors aiul actresses. In times like these there isn't enough that we can do to enter- tain the men in the armed forces, or to act in any capacity, giving our all to what the Governnr)ent asks us to do. But, as to the regular series of dinners and benefits for organizations, clubs, lodges, take my advice, duck most of them. Don't let anyone con you that playing for nothing will make you popular. The three richest actors, to my knowledge, are David Warfield, Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd. I doubt if any of you can recall seeing them at a benefit The public has a warm feeling toward a hit and only a hit An actor's personal popularity and his life off the stage are only Important to the people he can hug at one time. The rest of the audience has a score card and mentally jots down the number of bows you are taking. Despite Several Faints, Calleia Does Air Stunt Despite a series of fainting spells during rehearsal, Joseph Calleia went through with a guest spot Sunday night (6) on the 'Radio Reader's Digest' program on CBS for Campbell's soup, and planed back to the Coast the succeeding day, Monday (7). His condition was diagnosed as exhaustion from overwork, plus having donated three pints of blood to the Red Cross within a period of a few days. Film actor had just completed in- tensive work on a picture when he flew east for the radio date. Dur- ing rehearsals Friday (4) he fainted several times, and finally left the studio to go to his hotel for rest and treatment by a physician. How- ever, he gave his scheduled per- formance Sunday night. Calleia, whpse real name is Jo- REPORT JOSIE BAKER ALIVE AFTER ALL Frequently recurring reports from Europe of recent months that Jose- phine Baker had died in Morocco, were disapproved during the'"past week by the news services. Even Ihc Harlem press verified the original false report, which 'Variety' pub- lished among others. The St. Louis colored dancer, who won fame in pre-Vichy France as a revue star, is reported living in the native quarter of Marrakcch, an inland city near Casablanca, Morocco. Although ill for some time, her condition is now reported improved. seph Spurin-Calleia, is a native of Malta. Before going to Hollywood to play gangster and heavy roles, he was on the New York stage..