Variety (Oct 1943)

SCREEN ^lETY VOL. 152 No. 4 Published Weekly nt 1114 West 4ti]\ .Street, New York, .19, N. I., by Vnilety. Inc. Aniiiinr .lubscrlptlan, HO. -Singlo copies, 25 cents. £iitc-i'cd ka Beeoiid-class matter December 2i, 190o, at the Post Oriico at New York, N. Y., under ilio act oC Murcli a, 1879. COPVRIGIIT, ioi3, DV VAKICTY, INC. . ALL ItlGirrS ilKSKItVKI). """""" NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1943 ~- ^ PRICE 25 CENTS RADIO RUSH ON PK GLAMOR Stars Indispensable But little Guy' Backbone of USO-Camp Sbows 'There's ho denying that the Bol-• gci-s. tlie Bcnnys, the Hopes and the Jolsons ai-e indispensible in the USO- Camp Shows overseas entertainment setup; they're the ories the soldier boys need and wait for, but let's hot forget that it's the little guy in show business, who follows them up in teri-told numbers and stay out lor six months and a year, who's the real mainstay and backbone , of the program.' Thus Jack Powell, the blackface druinmer-comedian, jtist ' back from a five month tour of the Yaiik bases in Hawaii, sums up the enormous contribution that's being rendered by the lesser-knowns in reaching out to the fighting service- men. 'For inslance,' says Powell, 'take Jackie Heller, Lew Parker, our pianist George Finkelberg, the Vic- tory Twins and the Six Margaret Faber Girls who comprised our troupe. Heller worked so hard, his voice went bad; Parker got a bad (Continued on page 17) Cafes'H'wood Search Hollywood, Oct. 5.. ■ralent shortage in class nilei:ies throughout the country has owners glancing Hollywood's! way. They have the thought of trying to fill spots by names who either haven't. been seen as entertainers before, oi' who haven't appeared for a long tiitie. Army CANADA TO DECORATE 'CORVETTE' DIRECTOR Ottawa, Oct. 5. ; Richard Rosson, who directed Uni- versal's Canadian navy film, 'Cor- vette K-225.' is to be decorated by ■Vice-Admiral Percy Nelles, RCN, when film prcems siinullaneously here and in Halifax Oct. 20; Ran- dolph Scott, .star of 'Corvette,' will come to Canada for preems. possibly accompanied by other Universal names. Bob Hussey, Universal's radio dept. chief, and Maurice Bergman, advertising manager in the east for U, are in. Ottawa and Montreal ar- ranging prccm bally, expected to be j biggest ever given a picture in Can- ada. 'Macbeth'Would BeTerrif onB'way,Sez Captain Maurice Evans Washington, Oct. 5. Army's version of 'Macbeth,' as presented in Hawaii, would wow 'em on Broadway. Capt. Maurice Evans as.serled there recently. Evans and Judith Anderson played the leads, but the remainder of the parts and the production of sets and costumes wet c all handled by soldiers. 'The soldier-actors." said Miss An- derson, "were fully as good a sup- porting coiTipany as the one we had on Broadway.' Prodiiction is now on tour among the various posts in the islands. 'Sunshine' Composer Seeks La. Governorship New Orleans, Oct. 5. . J- H. 'Jimmic' Davis, author of the hillbilly song, 'You Are My Sunshine.' last week threw his hat and guitar into the Louisiana gov- firnor's ring. Th'e tune title will become his campaign slogan during the primary election. Just in cdse the leaders of Loui- (Conlinued on page 55) Mrs. FDR Backs Jolson Wa.shington, Oct. 5. * Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt has backed up Al Jolson's charges that films seen by soldiers over- seas "are faulty and antiques. The Fir.st Lady saw many films with the .soldiers during her ' South Pacific trip, and came uack shocked at the inferiority of some of the films being e.\- nibitcd. . She will make a special report to the War Department and cn- aeavor to have., better films served the combat areas. Doesn't Anybody Go To Niagara Falls Any More? New 'York hotels continue jammed to the roofs, and many vi.'iilors who arrived early this week without verifying their reservations for room.s were disappointed. An idea of how heavily the hotels arc tenanted came when a ticket broker souglil rooms for an out of. town friend: He was tolti: We can't leserve rooms any more than you can fill orders for 'Oklahoina' tickets.' Infiux coincides with the start of the World'.s Scries. N. V. Yankees opening against the St, Louis Car- dinal.s yesterday (Tuesday). Slated by hotel people, however, that the ball fans are not entirely respon- sible for the jamming, a preponder- ance of guests being men and women in uniform. Businc-is on Broad\yay slipped last week' until the final two days but this week will find the theatres on high.^ Agencies report strong sales throughout the week, including Fri- day (8) night, when the Jewi.sh Day of ,Atonement (Yoin Kippur) stai'ts. Last Wednesday saw a sharp dip in allcndaiice, that eve, starting the Jewish New Year's (Rb:sh Hashonah), whereas in former ycar.s that holiday bolstered business. The road re- ported business excellent on that day, reversing New York.- Tlie already extraordinary lush limes for the nitcries. bistros anti pubs look another hypo this week wiin the baseball crowcl.s invading iVc v York. Moiiday and last nighl (Tucs.) Were like New Year.'.s eve in Gotham, and it will snowball all week. COINNOOGJEGT TO BIG SPENDEfiS National Advertisers Who theretofore Shunned Hol- lywood Tale n t Combing Studio. Lists for Personali- ties to Hypo Crossleys CIGGIE CO.'S 25G BID Hollywood, Oct. fi. Maddest scramble for glamor shows in the history of Coast radio has agency and network execs scur- rying all over the landscape getting a line on availables and wrapping up studio talent for series or occasional spotting. In the words of one agent, 'this year it's a seller's rnarket,' and (Continued on page 55) 5-Day Nitery Week Seen for Pittsburgh To Conserve Liquor Pittsburgh, Oct. 5. There's a move in the air here by certairi downtown "cafe operators to keep closed one night a week as an additional measure. to conserve the rapidly diminishing local liquor storks. That would put those niteries on a five-day-a-week ba.sis since they're all dark on Sundays on ac- count of the Pennsylvania Blue Laws. So far Ihe idea is just in the talk- ing stage, but il'Jl probably be put into efiect by several of them be- fore many more months. It's either that, a .spokesman for the bistro boys says, or keeping open and locking the bar for at least one evening. Booze siluation is growing more (Continued on page 48) int'l Would Buy Four M-Fox Fix (Goetz-Produced) for $10,000,000 Dated Jive Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers ayer that their 1927 ori inal version of 'Connecticut Yankee' is a museum piece, so far as the book is. con- cerned. They had no idea how dated \yas the theh-coUoquial slang, until they dusted off the libretto for, its 1943 revival. It calls for an entire new book as result. Aga Robeson's Campaign lainst Jim-Crowism Id Field of Music In an effort to do away with Jim- Crowism in all branches of rnusic, new organization titled Council on Negro Miisic and Musicians, headed by. Paul Robeson, i.s now sounding out prominent people in music to join in a concerted fight on racial discrimi- nation. Council, which has its head- quarters in New'York, recently sent but 500 letters to high ranking music personalities, and received almo.st unanimous confirmation. Typical re- ply was that from James C. Petrillo, (Continued on- page 2) Army Show to Ballyhoo Labor for Boeing Plant Seattle. Oct. 5. New wrinkle to i:ecruit labor for essential war industry was the huge Army show at the University Sta- dium, seating : 0,000, which got near- capacily at the rally last Sunday (3). jVIililary equipment and 2,000 fight- ing men were in parade preceding. Several generals reviewed parade and attended the .show. The purpose of the pep gathering w-as to get more woikers for the Boeing Aircraft plant, tagged as the No. 1 critical in- dustry in N.W. ■ Hollywood, Oct. 5. An offer of $10,000,000 for. four completed pictures was made to Spyros Skouras, 20th-Fox prexy, by William- Goetz and Leo Spitz, as heads of International Pictures. Deal would involve the last four fllm.i Goetz was identified with at 20th and intended as a nucleus and prestige for Goelz-Spitz's own releasing ,or- gani'/.ation. Films are 'Gang's All Here,' 'Son.? of Bernadette,' 'Jane Eyre,' and 'Guadalcanal Diary.' AH bear the credit line, 'William Goetz in charge of production.' If deal is corisum- maled at the projected figure, 20th would be guaranteed a profit of $2.- 500,000 over and above the produc- tion costs on the pictures, Gbetz'j offer is premised on bis belief that the.se four pictures are headed for boxoffice returns com- jjarable with other features turned out at 20th while he was production head at the studio, and would give his. distribution setup solid prodtict as starters. ROSE FRANKEN'S HUBBY MAY TURN LEGIT PROD. Ro.se Frankcn's next play, of un- reyealcd title, will probably be pror duced by her husband, Willimn Brown Meloney. It will be his first attempt as a producer. He has here- tofore been a I ction writer, fre- quently in collaboration with her under the name Franken Mcloiicy. It's understood they'll have Holly- wood financing for Ihe new ven- ture. The new show, which is under- stood to deal with the medical pro- fession, will go into production as soon as Miss Franken's forthcoming play, 'Outrageous Fortune:' has opened in >few York.. The latter of- fering, slated to try out a week in Baltimore, starting Monday (lU-and play another week in Boston, is due the week of Oct. 24 on Broadway at (Continued on page 17)