Variety (Dec 1942)

MISCELLANY WcdBCfldajt December 16, 1942 Irving Berlin s This Is the Army And Uncle Sam s War Show Each Gross Million; Latter Folds Dec. 20 Washington, Dec. 15. Army War Show, which appeared before 3.500.000 people in 16 major cities and earned more than $1,000,000 for the Army Emcryency Relief, will be di.«banded at the clo.se of its At- lanta performance on Dec. 20, the War Department announced Saturday (12). After nnal .>:IiowinR, the 2.000 offi- cers and men in the cast, who repre- sent every branch of tiic service, will be assifincd to field units. The cast has declared that it is eager to get Into action and thai it wants to put on its next show in Tokyo or Berlin. Organized as a task force imdcr the command of Col. W. T. Bals, the Army War Show opened its tour on June 12 in Baltimore. Since then it has given 95 performances, with an average attendance of 36,124 persons for each performance. At Chicago's Soldiers Field 912.462 persons saw the show in 11 days, an average of 82,951 a day. Berlin's 'Army' Passes $1,000,000 B.O. in St. L. St. Louis, Dec. 15. Irving Berlin's all-soldier show, This Is The Army,' is an $84,000 cellout for its one-week stand in the opera house of the Municipal Auditorium opening last night (Mon- day). Army auditors with the show assert that the take for the road tour that began in Washington and has Included Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Bos- ton, Cleveland and Cincinnati and the local stand has noM> passed the $1,000,000 mark. This figure does Dot Include the New York date. When the ticket sale began almost one week before opening, double lines extended for two solid blocks from the wicket. The admish scale for opening night was $1.65 to $11, with the scale from $1.10 to $3.85 prevailing for the balance of the performances. $48;21S In CIncy Cincinnati, Dec. 15. With Muriel Angelus in 'Merry Widow' in the 1,300-seat Cox this week at $2.75 top, Cincy Is resum- ing its normal diet of stage shows, following last week's all-time local record of a capacity $48,215, after tax deductions of $5,357, by 'This Is the Army' at the 2,500-seat Taft theatre. The usual Xmas-week lull next week, then four weeks of shows starting Dec. 28 when Gertrude Lawrence in "Lady in the Dark' tenants the Taft for six night per- formances and two matinees at $2.75 top. Take on Irving Berlin's all-soldier 'Army' could have been a couple thousand dollars higher with the sale of standing room and use of extra chairs, which were passed up. The first night's performance, Dec. 1, had 682 front orchestra and loge seats selling for $11 each, giving an $11,000 start. Top for other night shows was $3.30. 'Army* 25«0 In Detroit Detroit, Dec. 19. Heading for the biggest gross It will hit for any comparable period on the road, Irving Berlin's "This Is The Army,' was a sellout here in the first three days the wickets were opened. The soldier show, booked Into the huge Masonic auditorium here for 18 performances over the holidays, is seen certain to pick up over $250,000 for the period in De- troit, exclusive of the two $11 per- formances on the opening, Dec. 21, •nd for the New Year's Eve show. First day's ticket sale for 'Army' was $80,000, and the boxoffice squad had to put in a call to local post for SO M.P.'s to help control the crowd. Harry Friedman Joins MCA's Coast Pic Setup Hollywood, Dec. 15. Harry Friedman, former attorney with tl.e William Morris agency and more recently a partner in the Nat Goldstone ofTlce, has joined the exec- utive staff of Music Corp. of America. Npw chores call for the handling of ^CA's motion picture division. Levin's Sagebrusher Hollywood, Dec. 15.- Columbia has signed Henry Levin to a director contract, his first as- signment a western. Levin is a st.igc director formerly associated with Brock Pemberton. He also directed at a strawhat in Gloucester, Mass. EXTRAS TAKE PROTEST TO CAL'S NEW GOV. Hollywood, Dec. 15. Requests for a State Investigation of the film extra problem and a general shakeup of Central Casting Corp. are being made by Holly- wood's atmosphere players on the eve of a change of administration in the state. Extras contend that liv- ing costs have advanced far beyond any wage increases they have re- ceived in the past. It is reported unlikely that Gov- ernor-elect Earl Warren will pay any attention to the demands until he takes office shortly after the New Year. Whether he will take any action then depends on evidence produced by the extra leaders. November was another banner month for extras, with earnings to- taling $304,345. Placements reached 26,000 and average daily wage $11.76. New Payoff System All major companies are setting up a 24-bour payoff system for 5,000 ex- tras, which goes to the State Welfare Commissioner tor approval. Current- ly extras draw pay after each'day's work, but new Federal 5% withhold- ing tax makes such arrangement illegal. Commissioner will be asked to waive State law requiring daily pay- oft to daytime workers. It wtti cost money to defeat Germany, Japan and Italy. Our government calls on you to help now. Buy war savings bonds or stamps today. Buy them every day if you can. But but! them on a regular basis. INCOME TAX LIENS Bat Madeleine Carroll Conntier Sues; Supports 51 War Orphans Hollywood, Dec. 15. Income tax liens amounting to $160,000 have been filed against a number of picture people. Among those Treastiry claims short-changed the Government are: Mischa Auer, $11,500: William Cagney, $8,023: Patsy Kelly, $4,374; and Harry Ed- ington, $6,357. On the other side of the ledger, Madeleine Carroll is suing the gov- ernment for overcharge, claiming $400 exemption on each of 51 French war orphans she supports. T^hten Curfew Law on Enemy Aliens in Fihns Hollywood, Dec. 15 Enemy aliens are exactly that and nothing more in the opinion of the Wartime Civil Command, regardless of efforts by certain studios to wan- gle special dispensations for actors on location work. Net result of the wangling is a more drastic liratta' tlon of the 8 p.m. curfew. New rule, continuing the time ele ment, prohibits all enemy alien film workers from wandering more than five miles from their homes without special permission. Even with spe- cial permission the limit Is 15 miles, and they must be checked in at home by an FBI operative at 8 p.m. The only reason for special permis- sion will be necessary location work for actors, technicians or others connected with a traveling imit within the 15-mile area. In answer to numerous requests for exceptions to the curfew law in individual cases, the WCC told them all that the Army makes no excep' tions. One studio was told that 'shipbuilding is more important to the war effort than picture making. There are no enemy aliens on the night shift.' When seven aliens bound for loca- tions were yanked off a train by Federal agents, the studio explained that there was no attempt at eva- sion but that the rule had not been sufficiently clarified. There is no longer any doubt George Jessel Laments of The Missing New Yorkers »♦♦♦♦♦♦«♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦T Never bcfort has the show business been as unprediciable as this year. For example, before the season itarted it was the opinion of almost all the actors, managers and agents that this would be a season for musicals. 'Look at Oie record,' they said. 'Every time there is a war people don't want drama, they don't want things to think about. There's enough tragedy on the front pages of every' newspaper. Abandon—that's the order of the day. Gals, fast songs and comedy scenes.' All right, this is what has happened. Of all the musicals only 'Star and Garter' is doing real busi- ness and the big boxoffice successes are 'Eve of St. Mark,' a vivid blood- warming story of Bataan, and Thornton Wilder's 'Skin of Your Teeth,' which makes you do nothing but think or you won't know what it's all about The next hit I'm sure will be Three Sisters,' from the Russian by Chekov. Oh, they want gals and hoke, do they? ' Then we have another theatrical freak In the show I am in, a vaudeville melange with 10 people and no sketches. In four of the acts there isn't a word of dialog or song, I talk for about an hour. Incidentally, about the same things I talked about last year in the same theatre. After we opened and the newspaper notices were good this was the opinion of the gang around Sardi's: 'Sure that show will do business. The Bronx and Broadway like J'essel. It's a New York show.' Oh, is it? We have played to less New Yorkers than apy other show I have ever played in. [Title is 'Showtime.'—Ed.] Tourists OnlyT And here we get to another strange theatrical phenomenon. Vfe are playing to hardly any New Yorkers at all and I venture to say that the same thing is happening in all the theatres. New Yorkers are not going to the theatre. Nearly all of the business is from out of town. I say this with authority for not only have I talked to theatre brokers but I am in a position to feel the pulse of my own audience because I am not married to any manuscript, so that X can say anything that I like and I can tell immediately, by pulling a local gag, just about how many New Yorkers there are in our theatre. For example, there is a radio program which bangs out a transcription from a large local station which goes something like this. 'I am talking about slip covers.' If you are in New York you must hear this. They must do It 25 times a day. At the matinees when I refer to this line the audience laughs a bit. Some of the women have beard it At night there Isn't a snicker, so the people must be from out of town. Why isn't the New Yorker going to the theatre? His Isn't the gasoline problem. I cannot answer. But I do think New York is becoming cornier every d*y, while the Provldencen, Utlcas and Des Moines are paying attention to Saroyan. In short, while the folks from out of town are humming Xilve My Regards to Broadway,' the New Yorker la saying 1 dood It' FDR's Birthday BaD, Per Usual Bat Theatre Coflectioiis for U. N. Barton MacLanes' Fight For Their 2 Children Memphis, Dec. 15. Barton MacLane, film actor, will not win^back custody of their two minor children from his former wife without a struggle. Twice continued, the case finally reached the point of preUmlnaiy action last week when Mrs. Barton Macl,ane Stewart filed an answer and cross-bill here in Probate Court to his petition seeking to get the children who are wards of the court The answer, filed by attorneys J. G. Farrar and Charles A. Rond, denies t.iat the actor has contributed to the support of the children in any way since 1933 and alleges that their divorce decree in New York in 1930 forbade his re-marrying without permission of the Nrw York court She charges therefore that Mac- Lane's present marriage is illegal. Custody of the children is like- wise sought by Mrs. Stewart. Her bill asked permission for process to serve on MacLane as a non-resident of Memphis. His original action had been filed here because the children arc being maintained here in a pri- vate home by the court as its wards and Mrs. Stewart is a resident of Memphis. ABBOTT and COSTELLO 'Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are two boys who can do no u;rono—in the est.n,atio„ of millions of dotino /an^.'-Bosley Crowther-N. y!^^! Now on National Release in "Who Done It?" Universal Pictures /« ■ »»• ,, . „ . Camel ^Cigarettes, NBC under Personal Management of: EDWARD SHERMAN Patsy Roth MiUer, LjL John Lee Mahin, Hobby, b Aato Crash Chicago, Dec. 15. Patsy Ruth Miller, former mov- ing picture star, was injured Sun- day night (13) when an automobile in which she was riding crashed into a viaduct. She suffered slight In- juries but the three other persons in the automobile were injured seri- ously. One of these was Lt. John Lee Mahin, 40, her husband and former Hollywood writer, a member of the U. S. Army Air Forces. They were on their way to the Dearborn Sta- tion from where Lt. Mahin was to depart for active duly and Miss Miller was to return to her home in Encino, Cal. Washington, Dec. 15. President's Birthday BaU Celebra- tion for 1943 will not have theatre collections tills year, because, the United Nations drive in January con- flicts with the Infantile Paralysis event. Picture executives feel two drives within • fortnight would overtax pix goers. Last year's the- atre collection netted almost $2,000,- 000. Washington celebration, and that in New York will be st<iged as usual. Some discussion about aband- oning the fetes, but President Roose- velt made it plain that he considers it a health conserving instrument and ordered the Foundation cam- paigns as in the past Washington's celebration will de- pend as usual upon Hollywood's con- tribution. Planned to have the main event in the new Statler hotel on 16th street, program will be designed this year to make it easier for visit- ing stars. Main banquet and midnight shows at Capitol, Earle and Howard the- atres will be staged on Friday, Jan. 29. Hotel baUs are scheduled for Jan. 30. Fort Myer horse show will be held earlier with Roy Rogers of Republic Pictures already booked. 'March of Dimes' will be conducted as in the past The so-called 'Command Perform- ance' at the National theatre will be held on Sunday night Jan. 24. Andrew R. Kelley of the Ball Com- mittee goes to New York next week to select the Broadway play. Hollywood Victory Committee and Jimmy Cagney of the Screen Actors Guild are cooperating with the Washington committee in the round- up of stars. 1 ESTABROOKUPPEDTO PROD. STATUS AT M-G Hollywood, Dec. IS. Howard Estabrook, Metro screen playwright, was upped to producer status and will be assigned most of the stories originally intended for Jack Chertok, who has left the lot. First production chore will be The Mojave Kid,' a war yarn by Borden Chase.