Variety (May 1943)

WcdncMby. MtLj 5, 1943 Fear Change in WIH) Roles Iftiy IJst Ikalre Worbrs 'NonMeraUe' Fear that list of non-deferable < workers and Industries might be extended by the War Manpower Commission to include theatres and their personnel has motivated recent talks by industry reps with officials In Washington. Theatre men want present status continued. Theatre operators are not seeking draft deferments for workers, but merely the assurance of retaining those theatre people not wanted by the Army. Regulations at present, with the- atre personnel ^ushers, doormen, etc. excluded) in the 'twilight tone' ■re considered in Industry's favor, according to trade leaders, who pro- fess themselves satisfied as long as the status quo Is maintained. Theatre operators contend that 'no local draft board has the right to place theatre personnel.ln the non-deferable category,' witlf excep- tion of such employees as ushers, doormen, etc., which have been spe- ciftcally listed by the WMC. This Interpretation is based on the state- ment by WMC chief Paul V. Mc- Nutt, when theatre reps discussed the problem with him some ^eeks ago. Local draft boards, however, are Inclined to act Independently of WMC suggestions and are not In- clined to consider film Industry per- sonnel or talent as either 'essential' or 'non-deferable' when draft quotas have to be filled or when war plant needs arise. Seehing a Break Nonetheless, exhibition and dis- tribution branches of the Industry are now seeking classification from the War Manpower Commission similar to that granted - a limited number of studio worker categories. If projectionists, theatre managers and distribution execs were to be given similar basis of classification It would prevent raiding by war plants under pressure of the WMC, with draft for military service held out as an altemati re for men other- wise rejected by the armed forces. In any event regardless of even the most favorable rulings, the man- power situation resolve Itself into a simple problem In arithmetic, Hie armed services are calling for (Continued on page 59) Tom 'Em for It Hollywood, May 4. Prevailing problem In Gower Gulch Is 'When la a cowboy not a cowboy?' Since the profes- sional riders upped their daily wages to $16.90, a lot of tender- foot extras have been mu.scling into saddles and pretending to be experienced buckeroos. Studios don't like inexperi- enced riders, who not only run the risk of personal accident, but might ruin the horses, which ■re valuable these days. ^WHODUNIT LADr GETS PRODUCER DEAL AT U Hollywood, May 4. Femme Influence in the surround- ing airplane plants In San Fernando Valley has permeated the Universal ■tudio, where Joan Harrison, former Secretary, scenarist and assistant to Alfred Hitchcock, has been signed ■s an associate producer. Produceress, after long experience In British and American whodunits, has drawn 'Phantom Lady,' ■ mys- tery novel by WlUlam Irish, as h°r first production assignment. Crosby, McCarey in 1-Pic Loan Deak at RKO, Par Hollywood, May 4. Bing Crosby will make ■ picture for RKO, and Leo McCarey will di- rect a film for Paramount as a result of a deal just consummated by the two-studios. McCarey, who is under exclusive contract to RKO, has a Frank Cavett story Crosby Is eager to do, so, in exchange for McCdrey's services and story, RKO has Induced Paramount to lend them Crosby, an exclusive Paramount property, who is per- mitted to make one picture a year off the lot. WARNER HORSE PAYS BIG Harry M.'a Renraw I1S1.M Winner at Jamaica Bacetrack Harry M. Warner's Renraw stepped out to win at thj» Jamaica, L. I., racetrack last week and paid off in boxear numbers. Price to win was $151.60, place $62, and show $24.10. Horse ran In a race for two- year-old maidens for a purse of $1,500. The name Renraw is Warner spelled backward, and also Is the corporate title of a private holding company covering the personal In- terests of the Warners. Pars $14.(31.650 Earnings for M Paramount Pictures consolidated earnings and share of undistributed earnings of partially owned com- panies amounted to $14,631,650 in the fiscal year ending Jan. 2, 1943, ac- cording to the annual report Issued last week by Barney Balaban, presi- dent of Par. This Is more than $100,000 greater than the estimate of $14,529,000 made by the company early In March. Paramount showed consolidated earnings of $10,251,242 In 1041, which means an increase of $4,380,408 for the year just con- cluded. This la equal to $4.74 per common share against $3.41 In 1941. Par's gross Income for the past year totalled $126,989,168. Company wrote off $16,120,422 In U. S. income and excess profits taxes and for foreign income taxes. Cash on hand on last Jan. 2 amounted to $25,539,- 300. Net working capital was listed as $40,617,939. Paramount paid out $3,811,198 in dividends in the two preferreds and common, last being at rate pt $1.05 per year. Company pointed out that 59J22 shares of first preferred (par value $100) were called for redemp- tion April 1 and that remaining shares of this Issue were called for redemption May 10. However, It was pointed out that of the remain- ing shares (as with the first batch called In April), holders have been converting Into common stock in- stead of waiting for redemption. It was announced that 05% of the shares called for redemption have been converted Into common at the rate of seven shares of common for each ahare of preferred. It was announced that the direc- tors have authorized the delivery to Manufacturers Trifst Co., trustees under the Indenture covering the company's 4% debentures, due 1096, amounting to $4,900,000 previously acquired for oash and held In the company's treasury. Of this amount $2,064,000 covers the payment of sinking fund obligations due May 19 this year, and the balance of $2,- 849,000 la being delivered to the Trustee in anticipation of future sinking fund obligations. Thereafter there will be outstanding in the hands of the public $10,634,700 prin- cipal amount of Par 4% debentures as compared with the original ■mount of $24,843,700 outstanding. Stodio Contracts Hollywood, May 4. Ray Millund renewed by Para- mount. Mantan Morcland signed to play in six pictures at Monogram. Albert Dekker's option lifted by Paramount. Gil Lamb drew player option lift at Paramount. Johnnie Johnston's player option lifted by Paramount. Henry Levin signed as dialog di- rector at Columbia. Marian Hall's player option hoist- ed by Paramount. Walter Hart, shorts director, re- newed by Metro, Gale Robbins, former vocalist with Ben Bernie's band, given op- tion lift at 20th-Fox. Billy Wildcr's director option lifted by Paramount. Ann Rutherford renewed by 20th-Fox for one year. Lewis Allen, director, optioned by Paramount. Peter Van Eyck drew player ticket at 20th-Fox. , Julian Johnson renewed as story editor by 20th-Fox. Hugh Bennett's director ticket re- newed by Paramount. Reed Hadley. radio's 'Red Ryder,' signed by 20th-Fox. Olga San Juan's minor contract with 20th-Fox approved by Superior court. Fred Velasco, Merrill Long, Forest Orr and Robert Ford drew stock player tickets at 20th-Fox. Doris Anderson inked writer pact at Metro. Peggy Ann Garner's minor con- tract with 20ih-Fox approved by Superior court. Kalhryn Scola handed writing ticket by 20th-Fox. Kay Thompson of radio signed as vocal arranger and coach at Metro. George Milburn inked scripter contract at 20th-Fox. 'Aerology' Series For Na?y Longest Tmter Hollywood,' May 4. Longest series of short subjects ever made in Technicolor on one idea is 'Aerology,' now in work at the Walt Disney studio, for the Bu- reau of Aeronautics of U. S. Navy. Series deals with varying weather conditions encountered by air pilots in all sections of the globe. Com- plete picture will require 22,000 feet in color. Finished to date are 'Icing,' "Thun- derstorms' and 'Fog,' with five more In work, all based on difficulties ac- tually experienced by more than 100 pilots. Breen-Alstock Hoddles Washington, May 4. Joseph I. Breen, head of the Pro- duction Code Authority, who re- cently took on the job of special consultant for CIAA, Is advising on 16 mm. educational and documen- tary subjects for Latin American distribution. He will remain here all week to finish a .series of conferences with Francis Alstock, CIAA film chief, and then return to Hollywood. From that point on," he will come here for short fiying trips on CIAA work but will keep his Hollywood head- quarters. mMs $10,609,784 Net Profit Forl942More11ianDonUeof'41 Net profit of ZOth-Fox for 1942 totalled $10,000,784, according to the annual report mailed to stockholders this week, as compared with $4,921,- 926 in the preceding year. This is about $10,000 more than the prelimi- nary estimate made by the company late In March. It la equal to $5.30 per common share as against $2.03 in 1941. Spyros Skouras, -president, in sub- mitting his report to stockholders pointed out that the operating re- sults of 20th-Fox before Federal taxes furnish the best measure of comparison. He cited that net profit before taxes and before changes in reserve for foreign assets amounted to $15,169,784 in the past year as compared with $7,747,088 in 1941. 20th-Fox report shows gross in- come of $69,051,960. Current assets amounted to $50,441,959 as of De- cember 26 last year as against cur- rent )lBbilitie<; of $13,460,904. Report shows that National Theatres Corp. consolidated net income for last year was $3,382,015 as against $2,397,246 In the previous year. Note was made that the company owns 42% of the ouUtanding capital stock of Na- tional, and that its interest In the year's earnings amounted to $1,420,- 446. Company paid $1,370,234 to pre- ferred .stockholders, maintaining the 'annual rate of $1.50, while $2,177,499 was paid out to common sharehold- ers, representing total payment of $1.25 per share. It was the first time in .several years that 20th-Fox had paid anything on the common. Report cited how the company had benefited from the remittance of ad- ditional money from Great Britain, previously frozen there, and that re- serves created In prior years, with respect to frozen currencies amount- ing to $3,500,000, have now been re- turned to the income account of 1942. ttttttfttttttftttttttttfttftTttttttttt l MM l UjL Lef^ s Noteboflik Jo« Laurie, Jr. '**tttfttftfttttttttttttttM > M I U.^ ! Coolacres, Cel., May 4. Dear Joe: With all this talk about bringing back vaudeville, me and Aggie were talking over about one of the features of good old vaudeville^ the Quar- tette. I know there are a lot of swell quartets around now, but they, are all singers with a microphone, with special trick arrangements and trick voices. But when I say a quartet I mean the good old harmony singers The typical comedy quartet, a straight man, a Hebe comic, a sissy boy a tough guy or a Dutchman; low down comedy saturated with hoke, close harmony, no microphones, no trick arrangements. The top tenor would solo 'Irish Eyes Are Smilin" and the bass singer would solo 'Down In the Coal Mine'; the lead would sing a 'mother song,' then the boys would do a yodel and Imitate a caliope, hit each other with newspapers and bladders and salve the wounds with close harmony. Those are the quartets me and Aggie were thinking of. One of the first known quartets was the Hamtown Students, a colored group that played around in 1873. The fir.<it of the great quartets was the Four Shamrocks, Conroy, Daly, Thompson and Dally. The latter Dally was the first to do a Jewish character in a quartet. Then there was the original American Four, Wayne, Lovely, Cotton and Burdoo, in 1878. Later the second Big Four, known as the Continental Four, con- sisted of Welsh, Harris, Morris and Noon. The original Big Four were Lester and Allen and Smith and Waldron. All these quartets were made up of two two-men acts. They were corned ian.s, singers, dancers and tumblers. But the quartets of our time packed plenty of voice and comedy. The Bison City Quartet lasted the longest, remaining together from 1891 to 1931, with Cook. Pike, Girard and Milo. The Avon Comedy Four started around 1900 with Joe Smith, Charlie Dale. John Coleman and Will Lester. In later years many others joined Smith and Dale, including Eddie Miller, Jack Goodwin, Frank Corbctt and others. Dale started out doing the Hebe comic and Smith did the tough guy—now Dale is doing Dutch and Smith is one of the outstanding Hebe comics of show busine.<is. Who will ever forget the great Empire City Quartet? Harry Cooper tipping his hat and 'helloing' the audience, with his brother Irving, and Tally and Mayo. How about That Quartet'.' What pipes those boys had —Sylvester, Pringle, Jones and Morrcll—each one a great soloist. And The Quartet, with Webb, Coi-bett, Campbell and Scanlon (later O'Hara and Roberts) and the great Empire Comedy Four—Cunningham, Leonard, Jenny and Roland. The Prinvro.se Four, '1.000 pounds of Harmony,' with Webb, Stanley, Murphy and Gibnel: Arlington Four, with Lee, Rot>erts, Lane and Manny, the latter a colored boy who stayed over In England and became a craze; the Bootblack Four, with Weber, Hayes, Elliott and Adams; the Manhattan Comedy Four, with Curtis, Fairbanks, Shean and Lang; the Orpheus Four, Figg, Huffer, Hannand and Ford; the American Comedy Four, with Beck, Sturm. Gus Wicke and another guy whose name I forget; the N. Y. Newsboys Quartet (all from Philadelphia)— Roland, Killlon, McLosker and Dugan. There were lots of great quartets calling themselves Four—like the Quaker City Four, Quixy, Gotham City, Americus Comedy, Mozart, Pon< American, Longacre, Columbia. Big City, Metropolitan, Electric, Runaway, Elm City, Minstrel, Telegraph, Church City, Monarch Comedy, World Comedy, Internationa], Exposition, Whangdoodle (colored) Voluntieer, Sydney Dean (Xmas on Blackwells Island), York Comedy, Troubadour, Dixie Comedy, Twin City, Thoroughbred, Meistersinger, Columbia Com« edy. Way Down East. Ching Wong. Casion Comedy (Joe Palmer, later Palmer and Al Jolson and wise-cracking Johnny Stanley were In that one), and a quartet called Worth Waiting Four. Then there was the CUpper Quartet, Crescent City Quartet, Temple Quartet, Night With the Poets, Four Messinger Boys, Four Rackett Bros, Golden Gate Quartet, Colonial Quartet, Peerless Quartet, Herald Square Quartet, Bowery Newsboys, Weber's Quartet, Hidelberg Quartet, Thcias Harmonists, Wine, Woman and Song, with Orville Harold and Arthur Woods; Fay, Two Cooleys and Fay. Rialto Quartet,. Night at the Club, Olympia Quartet, Harlem Quartet (Harrigan and Hart). Then there were double quartets, like the Old Homestead Double Quartet, which Included Fred Rykoff, Chauncey Olcott and Dick Jose. Spook Minstrels were also another double quartet. All these and many more that memory can't recall right now were the boys that 'Sweet Adelined' a nation for nearly half a century. Those are the kind of acts that you need for 'new' vaudeville. It will sort of give It the 'old touch.' Sez Your Pal, Lejty. Orsatti Vs. Shirley On $7,800 Radio Deal Los ngeles. May 4. Suit for $7,800 against the parents of Shirley Temple was filed in Su- preme Court by Frank Orsctti, talent agent, charging failure to pay his commissions on a 26-week radio deal. Orsatti charges he negotiated the deal for Miss Temple with Procter 8c Gamble, which netted the young star $78,000. He asks his 10% fee. Wm. Fox Free Again William Fox was released from the federal penitentiary. Lewisburg, Pa., on Monday (3) after serving five and oi.e-half months. Former film mag- nate surrendered last Nov. 16, in Philadelphia, to begin serving his year and a day sentence on charges of conspiring to obstruct justice and defraud the government in connec- tion with bankruptcy proceedings. , He had pleaded guilty, along with former U. S. Circuit Court judge J. Warren Davis and Morgan S. Kauf- man, former bankruptcy referee. Latter pair were freed, althoulh in- dicted, wlien two Juries failed to agree. Fox was also fined $3,000. * Hm First Victim Hollywood, Mny 4. First director chore by Mark Rob- son, recently upped from film edit- ing at RKO, will be 'Seventh Vic- tim,' a chiller. Filming starts this week with Tom Conway and Jean Brooke in top spots. 1 GOVT. PLAYING SAFE IN FILM RACKET TRIAL Trial of Isadora Zevln, former bookkeeper for George E. Browne convicted ex-presldent of the lATSE, under an indictment charging him with perjury committed before a federal grand jury, was adjourned until May 10 in N. Y. federal court, by Judge Alfred C. Cose. The trial will be further adjourned, according to Assistant U. S. Attorney Boris Kostelanetz, because the Govern- ment does not want to bring Zevln to trial ur.til after Louis Xaufrnan, John Rosselli and the six other de- fendants are tried. The Government expects to call Zevin as a witness in the case. Zevln was named as a confederate in the Federal anti-racketeering indict- ments of the eight defendants. Corrca on Tuesday (4) sUted that he had made no plans to retire from his oiTicse despite reports earlier this week from Chicago. The reports were that he was resigning before the forthcoming trial of Kaufman, business agent of local 244, Motion Picture Operators Union, of New- ark, and seven other defendants, re- cently named in an indictment al< Icging the extortion of more than $2,500,000 from major film producers in the motion picture industry. No definite date for trial of Kauf- man and the Chicago defendants has been set, or can be set, Correa stated, until after a decision in removal pro- ceedings against six defendants. Correa declared that If defendants decide to challenge the validity of the indictment, he would probably assign an aide to assist the Chicago authorities.