Variety (May 1943)

RADIO MUSIC STAGE nt«r*a ■« McoAd-Zltn matlar D«c«mbar «. 1>0», kt th* Po«t Olllc« «t Ntw York, N. Y, ■ COPniGHT, INl, BY VABIEIT, IN'C. SIntU ooplai. II mrIi. und«r tb* act ot llsrcb, I, 111*. ALL BICHTS BE8ERVED. VOL.150 No. 8 NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 1943 PBIGE 25 CENTS IfanActDnddnayltaUSOHiis Longest 'Route' in History-7 Years Th« longest 'route' In the history*, of show business—over seven years if an act could book It solid—is. now the combined playing time of USO- Camp Shows, Inc. Naturally, this takes In domestic as well as offshore servicemen's bases, and includes one-day spots as well as three and four-month stop- overs. A breakdown ot the USO's play- Ing time presents a study In con- trasts. From upwards ot 900 bases (one, two and three-day stands) on the Blue Circuit In this country, representing close to three years of total playing time, the books show 42 months ot playing time at off- shore bases, or three-and-a-half years. Latter Includes travelling time. Besides this, there Is now nearly n year's total playing time on the Red and White Circuits in this country. 'These circuits carry the 'cream' of the USO units, Wcluding legits, con- cert troupes and bands, with the cost ot each show averaging around $2,300 for talent alone. Present scope ot the USO playing time, Including many of the 32 an- nounced -U. S. offshore bases, points up the current shortage of talent to fill camp as well as commercial the- atre requirements. Cohunbia Records To Cash In On Old Sinatra Disk; James Ore Accomp With the hottest new thing on his hands, Manie Sacks' showmanship will give Columbia Phonograph a nifty seller with a Frank Sinatra recording ot an oldie, made in 1939, titled 'AH or Nothing At All.' de- spite the Petrlllo ban. It's a Leeds Music tune (a break for that com- pany SlSO;, which got nowheie in the midst of the ASCAP-BMI squab- ble at that time. It was waxed by Harry James, but done In such a manner that it's almost as it James accompanies Sinatra, a then anonymous quan- tity, rather than the singer merely contributing the vocal chorus. Sacks scaled the delicacy of billing by a special label reading. 'Harry James presents Frank Sinatra (song title) accompanied by James and his orchestra.* Carlos Gastel May Be Hondnras'Gonad b LA. Carlos Gastel, band .manager, is in Honduras, Central America, cur- rently at the request of that repub- lic's president, and may refurn to the U. S. as consul tor Los Angeles county. He is a native ot Honduras. Gastel handles the Stan Kenton and Benny Carter .irchestras and un- til six weeks or so ago was directing Sonny Dunham's band. Dunham is now at the Capitol, N. Y.; Kenton Is In the midwest and Carter's on the Coast Not Kiddin* Milton Berle suggest.'^ the fol- lowing bow-off speech for Harry James, after the Jive Pied Piper winds up seven or eight shows at the Paramount, N. Y.: 'Thank you. ladies and gentle- menl You have been a grind audience.' Post-War B'way Electrics to Have Four-Min. Hots Whan the lights go on all over the world, the Gay White Way's ani- mated electric advertising signs will disclose a new cycle, with four min- utes of continuity featuring such ideas as ad cartoons with 'plots'; or tungsten display.<i depicting ■ great moments in history, or sport.<:. or theatrical highlights. This is all part of the Times Sq. admen's post-war planning. But while the dimout is on the big electric displays, which are world renowned fixtures of midtown Broadway, such signboard tycoons a.<i Dougla:> Leigh, et al., are main- taining their ri'anchise.<> on the space. In.<:tead. they are devoting it to painted ad displays. Meantime, new techniques and different formulae of electrical Rdvcrti.<:ing are being ex- perimented with, with emphasis that 4-8 minute cycles of animation will be a new keynote. NITERY BONIFACES'B.R. BEHIND B'WAY MUSICAL A number of N. Y. nitery bonl- taces are bankrolling Richard Koll- mar's independent musicbmedy legit venture, 'Early to Bed,' cur- rently in rehearsal. A total ot $SS,- 000 has been raised for the produc- tion, with an additional $5,000 still needed. Holding one of the biggest chunks in the production is Ben Marden. the Riviera operator, who has $15,- 000 Invested in the show. Down for $2,000 apiece, representing a interest, are Sherman Billing.sley. of the Stork Club; Leon & Eddie's (Leon Enkcn and Eddie Davis); Frank Bonanchi, of Coq Rouge: (Continued on page 52) SILENT SIRENS' COMEBACK Hollywood. May 4. Theda Bara's return to show biz. via the Groucho Marx radio show next Saturday (8i marks another silent screen siren'i emergence from retirement. Latest iii Pola Negri, who is mak- ing a Aim comeback. PflTmOTIC STINT Complete Unification ot the N a t i o n's Entertainment Forces in Behalf of War Morale — All Talent Pools to Be Allied, Along with Writers, Managers, Agents, Crafts D.C. GETS PLAN 1944 Presidential Campap Ideas Seen Behind Certain Fdm Story Buys In ona ot the most ambitious civilian patriotic stints attempted to date, show business is mapping a complete uniflcation ot the nation's entertainment forces on behalf of war morale. Under • plan . being mulled, virtually Its entire member- ship, serving as • cohesive unit, would give of Its services unstint- Ingly. • Taking their cue from the Holly- wood Victory Committee and the Screen Actors' Guild, which suc- ceeded recently in obtaining pledges (Continued on page 54)' Groucho Marx s Back-to-the-SoO Movement Flivs Beverly Hills, April 27. Editor. 'Variety': When you don't hear from me, it isn't because I love 'Variety' les.';, but beciiu.<:e I love radio (the squir- rel cage of show business) more. Mo.<:t of my working hours and a good deal of my sleeping ones are now consumed huddtmg in badly ventilated cubljy holes with my sex- tette of itinerant Shakespearcs. Here we sit and debate just what (Cuniiiiued on page 10) No Heaping Coals (Film Style) on Bad Situation Chicago. May 4. Although the development of a national crisis, such as the coal miners' abortive strike, has in the past invariably cued the resurrec- tion of Alms pertinent to the issues involved, the nation's exhibitors arc reported shying away from any at- tempt to revive pictures in con- nection with the John L. Lewis- President Roosevelt impasse for fear of adding fuel to the controversy. 'Pointed out that such Alms as Paul Muni's 'Black Fury' (WBi and 'How Green Was My Valley' (20th i. and others are in cITect sympathetic treatments of the plight of the coal minci's and of the proflls garnered by the operators, whereas the real issue involved in the current crisis —that o( winning the war—is completely overlooked and might | tend to create confusion. | DifF in Gentility Sequence in last Thursday night's (29) 'March ot Time' broadcast on WEAF-NBC, deal- ing with the war in Tunisia, contained scenes located In the U. S. and German lines at night. Script directions tor the scene with the sleeping Yank soldiers read: 'sound of heavy breathing, but no snores.' Directions in the ensuing scene, for the snoozing Nazis, read: 'sound of guttural breathing.' To "Soldiers In Greasepamt'-A B way Memorial The triangle in Times Sq. op- posite the Paramount theatre will become the site ot some symbolic tribute to all showfolk In the War effort, it present plans carry through Occasionally mentioned as a possible spot fur a George M. Cohan memorial monument—akin to the Father DufTy statue further up Broadway, opposite the Palace the- atre—the idea now is to utilize this island. In the heart of the theatrical district, for the purpose ot salut- ing the heroism and unselflsh efforts of the men and women of the the- atre for divers war activities. A committee ot top .showmen will be enlisted to further this purpo.sc, with 'Variety' requested to serve as the coordinating medium. f Louis B. Mayer Is interested In Wendell L. Willkie's current best seller. 'One World,' for Metro Aim- i/.ation, despite that It means bid- diiiK against 20th Century-Fox. in which Aim company (1) Mayer and Ills son-in-law. Bill Goetz, are large owners, and (2) of which Willkie is chairman of the board. Darryl F. Zanuck favors the Willkie property for 20th, but Mayer is reported hav- ing offered $200,000 for the Aim rights. Another angle to Mayer'j enthusiasm for the story Is his Re- publican partisanship, and the Alm- ization might conceivably tie in with a Willkie candidacy. Same thought applies to the Eddie Rickenbacker story which Winnie Sheehan (Christy Walsh) is prepar- ing, via 20th-Fox, and which might also serve to point up the Repub- lican cause, since Rickenbacker is be- ing variously mentioned—albeit not too seriously. In view of labor's at- titude against the flier-as a pos- sible vice-presidential nominee. On the other hand, the current 'Mission to Moscow' (WB) is termed ardent pro-Rooseveltian propaganda, as well as 'a $1,800,000 trailer for th(! Soviet cause.' Winnie Sheehan is nearing com- pielion on advance research for hii picliM'c on Eddie Rickenbacker. 'YARIEH' MUG(^ BREAK MARCH OF TIME CAMERA The 'Variety' miiggs, who have al- ways been intolerant of Hollywood retake.--, wcie victims of their own insults last week, when March of Time was not only forced to shoot the N. Y. staff twice, but actually cracked a camera on the not-so- beautiful kissers. Early last week (26) an M.O.T. camera crew, hunting shots for its 'Show Bu.siness at War' reel, invaded the mugg.s' den with a brand new camera which had proven succc.s.sful in tests lasting three months. Every guy on the staff thought he was a (Continued on page 48) A SELLOUT, BUT NO AUDIENCE Reports from Swiss correspond-! ents note that a new method of un- dermining Nazi morale in occupied Holland Is worked via the theatre. When a German orchestra or the- atrical company gives a perform- ance, Hollanders buy up blocks of seats and leave th« house unoccu- pied. I And Pix Prod. Tieup For Theatre Guild Thcritie Guild is planninu to set up a film unit under director R'luben Mamnulian, whereby the latter wnuH dircf'l Aim Guild plays as independ- ent productions for indie rel?a-.e. Idi-a is not new tor Mamoulian. who h:i'- been approached by the Guild on the same matter at various times during the past eight years, but thli i.s the O/st . time spscJJVc proposals were made. Proposal includes Mamoulian bc- cxninic a member of the Guild and his staging one or two plays a year fur the Guild, later Aiming the in- dependent productions. Mamoulian, who staged Guild's liili-.st hit, 'Oklahoma,' is at present time Kctting ready to handle the di- recting assignment of 'Porgy and Bc.s.s.' which is being Aimed for United Artists release. Jolson's FOm Aotobiog Worth $350^ to CoL Hollywood, May 4. Columbia Pictures' deal with Al Jol.<;on to make a film based on his life has been completed, and the at- torneys arc now drawing up the -papers. Jolson's appearance in the nim rt(-pe.ids on the development of thi> y;irn by scripter Sidney Skolsky, It i.- e.-.limated thfat Jolson will re- ceive approximately $350,000, a sum repre.-enling outright cash payment ii share in the Aim's grosses. Doiil was negotiated by .Tuhnny tlyi - lit the William Morris office.