Variety (May 1943)

MISCELLANY WeihiwJay. M«j 5, 1943 hiSim Award to leeth' Renews Chge. of fiaffinm Against WOder Ch.-ii-Kos or plagiarism, which hav«f' criippod up now and again since the oriKiMiil Broadway production of 'Sl<in of Our Te«th,' have aisain been Inslied at Malor Thornton Wilder following the acknowledg- ment by the Pulitzer Committee that it had selected his play as the bc.;t of the current season. In a tele- fiarn sent to the Pulitzer Cpnimil- tce, Henry Morton Robinson, senior editor of the Reader's D'lie.'it. and Professor Joseph Campbell, <.f Sarah Lawrence College, have flayed Major Wilder once again tnf what they consider to be a plagiarism of the late James Joyce's 'Finnegan's Wake.' Both publicly charged ^V'iUler with plagiarism several months ago. Calling the award the Commit- t*es whitewashing of Wilder's grnvo- robbing.' Robinson and Campbell tContinued on page 54) Magic of Song Title Hollywood, May 4. Universal keeps in step with iieiKhborhood gossip, the basis of journalism and drama, with musical l.ile of what everybody is talking iilKiul. That Old Black Market' Andrews Sisters will sing it on the screen after they finish a six-week rntiiicemeni at the Paramount thea- tre in New York. Ra^ Km On Uniformed Men Hollywood, May 4. Radio programs making occasional n<e of servicemen-and officers'were riideiy jolted when word grapevined here that the War Department would issue directives against continuance cf that practice. Ruling against offl- cers would apply explicitly to quiz (Ehows. the general complaint havinii been that mothers feared the worst for their sons when the quizzee muffed an easy question. They pro- tested such lack of knowledge makes them incapable of leading their ofT- spring into battle. Second order would keep actors now in uniform off commercial lihows. How this would affect Rudy V.illee and others falling into that category is conjectural until the War Department's directive is made pub- lic. Ws 200G Suit Vs. WincheD Up May 10 Washington, May 4. The $200,000 libel suit brought by Mrs. Eleanor "CiJisie' Patterson, pub- lirher of the Washington Times- Herald against Walter Wlnchell. is scheduled to be heard Monday ilO) before a Federal district court here. The trial had originally been slated for this past March. ' Mr.s. Patterson sued Wlnchell for libel after he had charged in a broadcast that she suppressed his column in her paper, printing in its stead an isolationist speech by the late Senator Lundeen, Minnesota Farmcr-Laboritc. Anglo-U. S. Talks on Part Pix Will Play Post-War Hollywood, May 4. Pnst-war films will be the subject of a huddle late this month between Hilary St. George Saunders, 9^- niftant librarian of the British Hoa<:e of Commons, and members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Conference, at the request of the Acartemy, will be devoted largely to the work to be done by the picture indu.vtry in the reorganization period after the war, as well as the current problem.*:. Tales Reacil U. S. Of USO Jiwgle Troiipiiig, Hardsbips in Alaska Ni w stories of courage displayed by 1,'SO-Camp Shows troupers In j the jungles of the South Pacific and among isolated soldiers In Alaska have been reaching the United Stales via radio and news dis- patche.s. From Australia came a broadcast Wedno.<-day t28) from Edward Wal- lace. NBC reporter in the South Pacific zone. Riving n vivid por- trayal of jungle troupiiig by Stan Kavanaugh and 14 other Camp Shows performers entertaining Y.inkee troops in the South Pacific for the past few. weeks. ■ And from Ala.ska came an AP dispatch on Fiiday l30) detailing how Jo An- drews and Nancy Healy, members of an offshore USO tab unit, braved a 40-mile blizzard sweeping in from the Bering Sea to give their, fourth show of the u;iy in 10-degrecs be- low zero weather. Wallace's broadcast set forth how Kavanaugh and his troupe for six weeks penetrated the jungles of New Guinea. 'They landed during an air raid alert,' he reported, 'and when they left, another alert was on. Twice they were bombed. And ns Kavanaugh puts it. air raid alerts become common things to them... They have been to such places as Orel Bay, Dodabura, Buna and Sannamenda. Sometimes they had to wait until a new road could be harked through the bush, but they sot through. 'In more than one place the Japs probably were so close even they might have been the show. In fact one day one of these actors went through their acts before an audi- ence in the jungle, an audience only a portion of which could hear them but not see them. The reason—those who couldn't see the actors were armed guards, fac'ing the jungle, not the stage—with machine guns in their hands ready to fire if the Jap.s .suddenly burst out of the jungle. That's how close these actors got to the stuff that makes for combat- real combat!' In their tour of the AU^iikan bases. Miss Andrews and Miss Healy have been traveling by dogsled, ambu- lance, go-devil, jeep, command car, mail and transport plane. Their diet often consists of sea liver, rein- deer meat, ptarmigan and caribou steaks. Once they sspent four hours in an unhealed plane at 54 below zero. Miss Healy attracted considerable notice in 1936 when Rudolf Hess 'commanded' her to lap-dtince at a mililnry ball at which Hitler was guest of honor. It liM cost money to defeat Qernittny, 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 buu them on a regular basis. Tvt Hargrove' Into Prod Hollywood, May 4. Film version of the best seller. •See Here, Private Hargrove,' goe.s into work late this month at Metro with Robci-l Walker in the private'.-- role and Donna Reed as fcmme in- fliirnce. George ^aight is producing with We-Oey Ruggles as director. Harry Kurwitz .scripted. Lease of Fdm ^ts to Stage Hits^ New Trend The term-lease angle on legit- picture deals is Apparently due to be a popular wrinkle with authors. Newest instance of such a propo- sition involves 'Oklahoma.' the Richard Rod)ier!i-0.->car Hammcr- steih. 2d. musical products by the Theatre Guild at the St. James, N. Y. The composer and lyricist have not'only set a $500,000 price for the film rights to the .<:how, with an alternate 25% of the proflls clause, but want to make the deal a five-year lease permitting only one picture to be made. However) there have been no nibbles for such a proposition yet. Another 'lease* contract already set involves the right to .'Star and Garter,' which Jules C. Stein < Music Corp. of America) has acquire<l from Mike Todd for throe years for $175,000 and 25'.i of the profits. The show, current at the Music Box, N. Y., would be filmed with Gypsy Rose Lee repeating her stage per- formance. Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse have set a $500,000 price for the lease of the rights to 'Life With Father,' which Oscar Ser- lin produced, but there have been no lakers for that proposition so far. Those are the only lease deals for letsit properties mentioned up to now, but there have been several for literary works. Warners acquired the :rm rights to 'Saratoga Trunk,' the Edna Fcrber novel, recently, and several seasons ago Metro similarly got 'Northwest Passage,' by Ken- neth Robert.s. Another form of legit-picture deal was Metro's acquisition of the rights to Irwin Shaw's 'Sons and Soldiers.' which opened last night iTue.sday) <it the Morosco. N. V. The studio backed the production and, imder a mndiflcation of the so-called 'Whar- ton-Wilk plan.' got the screen rights for a guarantee, 'against a sliding scale arrangement ba.sed on the legit grosses. No.2and3i>fCaiKas'Wliy We Fight' FAn Series Should Be Seen hy Alt Mfb. Has a Waj Minneapolis, May 4. With liquor supplies fast diminish- ing, ownera, of many local nlterlea, whose stocks are running- low, re- quire every employee to report to work each day with. ■ quart pf whiskey as part of their duties. "The employees are supposed to pick up the whiskey at the off-sale bottle, goods stores and, of course, are recompensed for them. REV. PEALE'S TRIBUTE TO PEOPLE IN FILMS Philadelphia, May 4. Rev. Dr. Norman Vincent Pcale, pastor of the Marble Collegiate church, N. Y. City, last week paid a high Iribiite to the stars and execu- tives of the film industry for llieir 'i-lean-living, down-to-earth, and re- ligious characteristics.' Dr. Peale spoke on the subject. 'A Preacher Goes to Hollywood.' high- lighting the MelhodLst Conference Meeting' at CIvarrield, Pa., last week. He served as toelinioal director for the film, "One Foot in Heaven.' Speaking of the picture, produced by Warner Bro.<!., Dr.-Peale said: 'It is a tribute to the Cliri-stian faith to know that millions through- out the world paid for entertainment that was religious and still attrac- tive.' Referring to the people in the nini indu.-itry. Dr. I'eale said he had foimd them hard-working, serious and having good family life. He said that a few individuals who made headlines with their antics sometimes leads the public to be- lieve that the entire industry is com- pcsed of 'this type which is involved in scandals.' . Mass. Fnre Roots USO Unit, Several Injured Falmouth, Ma.s.s.. May 4. Several meinbers of the USO- Camp Shows legit unit, 'Jfunior Miss,' touring New England camps and navy buses, suffered minor in- juries early this morning tTue.'iday) when fire swept the Silver Beach hotel here, where they were quar- tered fur the night. The troupe lost all its clothing and valuables. Members of the cast were awak- ened just in time to escape in their nightclothes, and one of the male performers suffered a severe ankle sprain. Latter was replaced by an understudy in tonight's scheduled performance. Identities of those in- jured were undisclosed. Fire caused an estimated $10,000 damage lo the property. New B.A. Dutrib Buenos Aires, April 24. Cine matografica Interamericana has been formed here fbr handling of Mexican picta In Argentina, Uru- guay aiid Paraguay. dOrganization. headed by Modesto Pasco, takes over biz of Prncine and of several other Mexican distrlbs. and will attempt to consolidate drive to Introduce Mexican product into houses in this territory which previously have ii.«ed few such imports. Bacher Qoitting Radio; Concentrating on Pix I Hollywood, May 4. ; Bill Bacher today iTuesday) for- j warded his resignation a producer jOf the Al Jolson-Monly Woolley ; .shiiw lo the Sherman-Marquette i agency, effective as .soon as he can ' be replaced. Bacher wants to' concentrate on picture production at Warners, where he is now associated with Howard Hawks on studio's top budg- et, 'Battle Cry.' Chat. Freemitn in Hosp Charles J. Freeman, Interstate Cir- cuit cNcc. Is in a Dallas hospital for observation of an abdominal ail- ment. Freeman recently returned from three months in England, where, with Dwight Deere Wiman, he helped set up the Red Cross club- house entertainment for American >prvicrmcn. Zannck Back to Wash. After Editmg War FdA Hollywood, May 4. Col. Darryl Zanuck, curi-ently editing his military shots of action in the Aleutian I.xliinds campaign, will remain in town for another week before reporting for further duty in Washington. Legion of Decency Nixes 'Lady of Burlesque* Hollywood. May 4. Hunt Siromberg'.i 'Lady uf Bur- lesque' got a fast turndown by the Legion of Decency this week, de- spite Ite okay by the Hays office. The legion asserts that the film is too suggestive, and Barbara Stanwyck's song, 'Take Off 'E' String and Put On n 'G' String,' is not for younit- sters. Picture Is sei for release this week by United Artists, and discussions jare in progre.ts here between Will Hays and Kd Ruflery. UA prexy. Efanan Has Pneomonia Dave Elman. out on a two-week tour of vaudefllm houses with 1 i 'Hubby Lobby' radio program, was Delay in Ihe cutting room.s has de- prevented from finishing up at the ferred his departure for Ihe east Joan Caulfield Torn Between Pix and I^t Unusual succe.vs story revolves around Joan Caulfield of 'Kiss and Tell,' ex-nitery singer, whom Par- amount hai offered $1,000 a week, Hippodrome, Baltimore, final stand in the p.a. lour, when he was stricken with a high fever early Monday morning i3). Unit went into the Hiwrfin Thursday <29). Elman w^ ru.<ihed by ambulance to his hQiKe in Summit. N. J^ where medicos yesterday iTuesday) ex with a six-tnpnths-on-Broadway leave alternating with picture.<i. Par wants her for 'Our Hearts Were Young and Gay.' from the Emily KImbrough-Cornclla Otis Skinner best seller. Abbott, however, feels Miss Caul- field better r«main in his legit show and school herself a bit more before fining Hollywood. Lobby' is continuing at the Hipp, however, with Ken Whitmer, of the troupe, taking over Elman's m.c. lob. JESSSL'S METBO TALKS George Jessel flew In from Bos- ton, between his 'Showtime' engage- ments, to talk with L. B. Mayer and Arthur Freed on a Metro chore in connection with the 'Ziegteld Fo'- lies,' film revue they are planniiui. By OEOEOE ROSEN Out of General George C. Mjir- shall's directive replacing lectures in the U. S. Army's orientation courses with Alms offering fai-tual objective material to outline the background of world aggrcvsion has come two notable pictures. Tilled 'The Nazis Strike' and 'Divide and Conquer,' they're the second and third in the series of seven 'Why We Fight' films produced for the War Dept. by Lt. Col. Frank Capra of the Special Services Division, Army Service Forces. Taking up where the initial 'Pre- lude to War' left off. No. 2 and 3 of the Capra series unfold jm authen- tic story of Hitlers conquest of the European continent in a numner thnt will inspire every man, \voni:ui and- uhild in America to a full and awful realization of what Nazism nieans and of the fate that, lies in store fur the world should the Nazi scourKe spread. What General Marshall had envisioned as 'factual, objective mn- tcrial.' is-all of that—and ai the .<:ame limp 04 minutes of the most elKctive propaganda to reach the screen. No punches are pulled: all llie horrors or Nazi coiiquest are there in iheir most gruesome a.<pecl.<. 1'hroii^h it all Capra, given acce.'s to consider- able footage of heretofore unrcleascd clips sei/.ed fi-om "ilic ciu'mv. nnd supplementing it with .■ipK iidid com- mentary and animated graphs and charts, points' up the, diabolical cunning and calculatin.:: Vliivwdness of Ihe Hitler forces in fur;ting liu-ir club of blood and irun. 'The Nazis Strike' and 'Divide and Conquer' are the answers lo the i\y tower escapists and the appeasers who maintain that the Nn/.i atrocity tales are grossly exaggerated: they give the lie to those who would soft- pedal the Office of War Information releases as 'highly colore<l and un- believable' and used for propaganda purposes only. In its honest and •Continued on page 12) HEY, GUYS, mE THE LimE GIRL A BREAK Hollywoo<l, May 4. From a fcmme soda dis|>en.ser lo a him star in one di.spcn.-iution Is a neo-historic theme in Hollywood, Now, according to the flacks at Re- public, it is completely hisiori* im. less the War Manpower Commission has a heart in the ca.se of Daphne Silva. A winsome waitress, dealing dishes off the arm. Daphne listened to the blandishments of a scout and signed to play her dramatic debut in '^Hiree Little Sisters.' Being dutiful as well as beautiful. Daphne kept on deal- ing off the arm in the lunchery til the opening of her .screen ca- reer, which ha.w't opened .vet. Now comes the freezing of jobs, wliich leaves Daphne out on Iwo limbs, both handsome, but still limbs. .Studio masterminds are wondering whether Daphne can be shifted from a waitress lo an actress without violating the manpower act, which also deals with womanpower. B'way ^waOiThotogs Enjoying a Big Bonanza The Broadway sidewalk photog- raphers have them.selvcs a bonanza these days around New York. Most of the companies have had to fold, due to loss of manpower but the few remaining boys on the street find the avenues wide 0|)cn lo them- selves. Instead of .some 30 com- panies operattng, there arc about three active ones left, largest of the.se iLsihg about 10 men. Of these 10, most of them split their time by working in defense plants the major part of Ihe d,\v, and only take out the cameras a few hoiu's a day. Ethel Le?ey Loses Point A motion by Ethel I.,evey for an Inspection and discovery, in her $500,000 damage action again.st War- ner Bros. Pictures, Inc., based on the nim 'Yankee Doodle Dandy,' was de- nied yesterday iTuesday) by Judge John W. Clancy in N. Y. federal court. Miss Levey, who was the wife of the late George M. Cohan from IBM to 1007, charges that she was por- trayed without her coascnt in the film, which was based on the late Cohan's iife.