Variety (December 1943)

MISCELLANY Variety Wednesday, December13, 1913 Even Those Kitchen Stoves on Auto Bumpers Are No Eyesore in Rio By PHIL DUNNING Ri'o. (4c. Janeiro; : Nov.. First-impressions ot Rib tie Janeiro;. Ft it) is a spectacular, city, probably lie ot the. most .wonderfully situated .spots, seenically, in the. world. , It well deserves , its 'Queen- 'of 'the Southern Seas' title. : When you are flying into Rio, you are : dazzled at the first glimpse you get tronv fhc nir, and after you pass through cus- lonis and immigration' -inspectors .'a'nd finally are ready to hop a taxi lo a hotel, you are a little startled at llie sight of so many automobiles trans- porting kitchen stoves on the. rear j bumper. On .inquiry you learn . that they .are, charcoal burners.- used in- stead of gasoline- for .-motor power. They outnumber the- gasoline-fueled cars five to one in Ri'o. .-They arc .of every make and shape;-.some- look like iceboxes, and. others like two hot-water, tanks fastened on back, but they do the work of gasoline and they get yoy to whore you want to go, and after a very little while you get accustomed to them as you get accustomed to the beautiful scen- ery. Of course, Sugar Loaf .Moun- (Continued on page 53) Grab That Gag Hollywood! Dec. 14. Johnson had. his Boswell, and now Bob Hope arid Bins Crosby-. have ,a stenographer following them around on the Paramount igt as they toss airy persiflage on Ihe'Road lo'Utopia'set. Gal is assigned to salvage im- promptu; pearls, of wit . for. pos- sible use in the script. Share-the-Ride On Uniform Sked ♦ ♦♦♦ ♦ ♦♦♦♦»♦♦♦♦♦ MM M ♦♦ t M ♦ ♦ ♦ c » . ♦ ♦ ♦ f ♦ ♦ ♦ «»♦♦ > ♦ , ♦♦« > THE BERLE-ING POINT By Milton Berle 78TH WEEK ! KEN MURRAY'S "BLACKOUTS OF EC Capitan Theatre, Hollywood, Cal, Tin crazy almul. yuiir show, Ken. ll'-V V lilldOrflll!" Fred AStaire. GINNY SIMMS BACK TO COAST THURS. (16) Gihny".Simms winds up her New York visit with a Columbia recording session tomorrow (16> and starts back for Hollywood 'Friday. Despite being heckled, by mild Ilu attacks since her arrival East less than three weeks ago singer ran up. an impos- ing string of guest and regular mike appearances. In addition to; three appearances on her own show, Miss Simms man- aged to find time for visits to the Elgin, Fitch, Stage Door Canteen; Home Front Matinee, Phillip Morris Playhouse, Million Dollar and.and Philco-'Variety' programs during her stay. Hollywood. Dec. 14. ■ Studios contemplating standardiza- tion of work lirrie. to meet impend- ing gas cut. Pointed out different work starting and quitting times at various,studios makes difficult vide- sharing plan! ' OPA recently warned Ural unless sliarc-the-ride plan ' adopted all around, nobody would be riding: New gas cut expected to seriously cripple transportation due to town's spread and lack of rolling slock to handle population. Film Tradepress Set To Back 4th War Loan " Cooperation of (he film iradcprc.ss In helping to put over the Fourth War Loan bond drive, starling Jan. 18 next, was discussed at a meeting yesterday (Tuesday) at the War Ac- tivities Committee. Tentative agreement .was reached on a plan designed for the promo- tion of the drive through the'trade-. Press .. whic h -will be timed in ad- vancb'""ortlie "bond-selling campaign with a View to giving it advance impetus..- ; Costello's Director Gag (Lucas Tello) Upsets Three Studios Hollywood, Dec. 14. it started as. a gag at Monogram and wound up in a case of ji Hers at Universal, where the execs went info an apoplectic huddle and de- clared; it wasn't true. Which it wasn't. Meaning the story that Lou Costcllo had, launched a new career as director of the East Side Kids pictures on the Monogram lot, under, the pseudonym of Lucas Tello. ... Story originated in a kidding way among, the East Siders, formerly Dead Ehders, who are friends of the chubby comic. . Add to that, 1 rem Carr. Monogram producer, is one qr Costello's neighbors; the gag grew until it reached the ears of Univer- sal,: where Abbott & Costcllo have five years to go on their contract, and Metro where the loam has a one-picture commitment. Result was an -official repudiation of the ♦ ♦ ♦ M M M ♦ M ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ M ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ■' ♦ .' ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦♦♦ ♦ ♦ M ♦ . ♦ « ♦♦»♦■ Moved to a new apartment last; week. Had to.' We lived in the former residence of Marshall Field and each week the agent would conic' in and wallpaper it'wilh old editions of PM. One 'thing* about that house I'll. Miss is- the doorman. He was very enied. Each time he .whistled he got-a taxicab, a blonde, a brunel and the cop on the corner. ; .: • ■ . • It even affects the music on the radio. You get Harry .Tamos—\ve get Gabriel. .. '■ '" ' ' It's unite cold up ..there: When you open Esquire the Varga girls ar wearing clothes.; ' v .- ' ; : Hold everything! Got a teondci/til idea.- Goiii'n' id produce « Viiiisircil ended 'Arkansas'Lo gel the overflow jr'oin 'Oklahoma.' Don't want io appear facetious, but wouldn't you say that owhershi of-properly in Berlin was .,-. rallivv bad investment? Now. .that Capl. Clark Gable has returned li) Hollywood. C'apt. 'Stewart has been sent across." That's;MdM for .■' "1'hey've goila have a star on cverv Tront. \\'as glad to see jimm ■ Street, his nose oil 49tli. ^M M ♦ M M M ♦ M M M M t M ♦ » ♦ ♦ M ♦ ♦ M M ♦ » ., * .. ♦ ' ♦♦» . ♦♦ ♦ ♦■♦-» [. Odets Walks Out On Warners Deal ' Hollywood, Dec 14. .Too much-'pushing-around' is .flic'j explanation given by Clifford. Odets for. collapse of his $65,000; deal j with Warner; for the scviptirig of his unfinished play, 'An -Errand for Uncle.' Price ot $40,000 for the j drama, plus $25,000 (or screen writ- ing, had been talked but not signa- tored. when the dramatist, suddenly pulled out and went lo work for- RKO. Calling it a case of.'great expecta- tions—great disappointment.." Odets declared he walked off the Burbaiik lot-because Ihcre was loo much petty bickering over .minor details. The play, iworthirds lin'ished. reverts to Ihc author, who says he will finish il as -a stage, piece. Currently he is doing a polish job on 'Noiio but Ihe Lonely Heart,' to be filmed by RKO as a Cary Granl sta'rrer. By Radie Harris Moss Hart to Coast For Wyler Talks On 'Winged Victory' Pic • Hart leaves for the Coast to- morrow (Thursday) by Army bomber tor confabs with Lt. Col. William ! Wyler:. w'hii will direct the'picture ^♦4♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ M ♦ M ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ «♦♦« ♦ ♦ > , ♦♦ ' ♦ M f M ♦ ♦ ♦♦♦44V Some " decades ago, .when ' Kornhciscr was One of'-- -the •' guiding beacons .of the Feist Music Co. .'a certain youiig composer kept crashing his gales, trying to peddle, his tunes: ut Kornhciser's good ear, listening to llie music, turned a deaf car lo the '-neophyte's persistent pleas. In the forthcoming Paramount picture, 'Hail the Conquering: Hero,' one of the highlights will he a-barroom son , 'Homc : lo Ihc Arms nf Mother.' It was composed by the prortuccr-direclor-wrilcr of the picture, •Preston'-. Slur It's being' published by Sidney, Kornhciser of Famous Music. "It look two generations of Kornheisers lo have' a song of mine'published; but through Ihe courtesy of God and Paramount I made, il!', Sturgcs wired' Sid when he heard the goo'd hews. Perlberg to Coast After N. Y. Filmusical Talks ill Perlberg, 20lh-Fox producer, i returns io Hollywood Ibis weekend after conferring with Billy Rose .on. 'Diamond Horseshoe* for a HI musical, and wilh Oscar Hammcrslein 2d and Richard Rodgers . on 'State Fair,' which ihey are musicali/.ing for 20th. Perlberg also plans a 'Claudia' sequel and is talking things over wilh Rose Eranken, author of the latter. yarn, hy -Costcllo. himself to writ:. 'Any rumors to the effect that I j version of 'Winged Victory.' Studio am going to direct a motion picture . deal hi'is not yet been set, though it are not. true. Bud Abbott .and" I ; looks like 2plh Fox's terms.: $1,000,- are too busy right now with our j 000 down payment and percentage, radio program and our preparations.} .suit Army Emergency Relief ihc for returning to the screen in the best. Film will he in color. Lois Wilson Stricken Portland, Ore., Dec. 14. Lois Wilson, star of silent films, was' brought to a Portland hospital Friday ^suffering from pneumonia. Her condition .upon -admission lo hospital was reported ••'just, fair'. by- physician. . Miss Wilson has- mother role in •Junior Miss,' due to open here at public auditorium for three days Starting Thursday (16). She was in Boise, Idaho, when taken, ill and brought by train to Portland, with Eddie Nugent of cast accompanying her. Osborn Back to Metro Paul. Osborn, author of 'The Inno- cent Voyage,' at'the Belasco, : N. Y.. goes to Ihe Coast next, week to work under his term contract with Metro. He wrote lite screenplays of the same studio's 'Cry Havoc' and "'Madame Curie.' LaPLMTE'S COMEBACK Hollywood! Dec. 14. Laura LaPlante, star of silcnts, is .coming out of retirement. • Metro has. signed her to a contract.-' near future, even to think about directing." . One circumstance that lent cre- dence to the gag was the fact that Costello had been laid up for eight months with rheumatic • fever, and there was talk that he might not be sturdy enough to resume his robust antics on the screen. RKO GIVES BACK JOBS TO 14 EX-SERVICEMEN Hollywood, Dec. 14. RKO ii carrying out .its wartime, pledge by reemployment of 14 for : ! mer studio workers'-who have been discharged from the Army and Navy. , No actors have, returned to date, but Ihe pledge covers . everybody who left the studio to join the armed forces, ■ Auster Ends 20th Stay Hollywood, Dec. 14. Isiin Auster, associate producer al • 20lh-Fox for 11 months, checked off . the lot and will take, a-vacation"'be--j fore announcing a hew. affiliation in - January. ...'-■. During his stay in the Wcstwbod' studio Auster Worked on ,'Gtiadal- . canal Diary' 'under supervision of j Bryan Foy and did a prcpaMlory i job on 'Stranger On the Highway.' j Wyler is-with'the Army Air Forces' 1st Motion Picture: Unit at Culver City* and that is where Hart will headquarter while on the Coast. Pre- ceding Hart by ISvo days, having left yesterday ."Tuesdayj, is Lt. Irving Lazar. general production manager of the show, who will handle initial details on Ihe film. Hai l, never having directed j film, prefers Wyler for that chore, though Hart will write the screenplay. An- other factor in any film deal is that the entire'Army'Air Forces person- nel in the stage production must be used on the celluloid. While Hart and Lazar arc '.on the Coasl. Lt. Benjamin Landis, co-prd- duclion manager for the Air Forces, is in charge of the show at-the 44th Street. ' "- Score of 'Winged■•Victory.' was put on wax 1 his week for a Decca- al- bum of two records, four sides', to i sell for $2.50. ', Jottings Ernie Pvle Is delighted with (lie news that .limmie-Gleason will porliay him in I.eslcr Cowan's scrernlng of 'Here Is Your War'. . .John Moses Is sparing: 110 expense In his roadway debut as producer ot 'Stove. Pipe Hal' . . .Miles Wlilte will do (lie costumes, Stewart Cbaney the sets, and. Koubrn Mamoulian is being pag-ed (o direct.. .'A Tree Grows In Brooklyn' will liave to flourish minus Kll;i Kazan. . .as soon as he finishes 'Jacobowsky and (lie Colonel,' he'll be 1-A.. .during Noel. Coward's three-week visit here, he will act on behalf of his friend, Tei'rence Raltigan, now on active duty as aerial gunner, and lend his editorial supervision to John C. Wilson for Raltigan's comedy,.'While The Sun Shines,' which Roes Into rehearsal with Ernest C'ossart and Beverly Roberts heading the cast. . . .thai luncheon huddle between Cole Toi-lcr and Hal Wallis in (he Cotillion Room of the Pierre means that I'oiler will report to Warner Bros, for his film bioir, immediately following' the Jan. 20 prcem of 'Mexican Hayride' .. add arrivals: Noel Coward al (lie St.. Regis.. . .Kilty . Carlisle at the Madi- son. :. Joan Bennett and Waller Wangcr . al the Shcn y-Nelhcrland. ... . Jack and Ann Warner at live Waldorf Astoria.. . Ernest Cossarl at the Algonquin. Charles Friedmnii. . rondieniy's .iiein irjiiff-liair'cd boy since he dir recied/llic (ibrciio Sor "Cnrnicii Jones' hos fiiriied doien nil offersjor yuiollicr miisical niid icill next xKij/e .'lillnir Ko,ber's comedy for John ""Golden. . . . Ed Wi/iiii .lias'-Icased «u apariinciit 0,11 -Piirfc ai-cime. bill lie icoii't be there loiio; if a ccrlaiji picliiic deal iioib iii iic(;oliation noes tlironuli . .. .Srim Cosloir's 'Life of n Crooner,' icilH icords and .iinisic . bty John iii/ Mercer mid Huroid Arten.. trill also (niliirj a tune called 'Just'Ond More Ouiiiec''.. .-.it teas u rillen by Costoio for aceriaiii r/ii/tlint singer irlw iras just yetting a start on his oxen ftboid ru cl-i i! years ago. ... note. ' if Coslotc tennis. Bing Crosby to siiif/ if he'll /lin e to shell out plenty to Biiddy.de Syh'ti. Crosby's boss at Paramount. . .. Tlic colleclion of fashions designed by Ted Shore for lite neio Cop'u- cabniia reimc ore being gircn a preview inm rappinn. at a Copa coclc- lail $hhidig today i la)... .iii o c/ihril|/. Inuclieon llie oilier day. Paula ■ -'Lawrence was introduced by a typical Helen Hokinson emcee ir/io gurgled, "And now. Miss- Paula Laiureiice, of 'One Touch of Venus'- " will entertain for you in.her ouiu inimical jasliion!' KY. WANTS THE KUDOS Fox's 'Indiana' Pic Shot In Blue Grass State, So Why Not Rename It? HITCHCOCK'S ST0P0FF Ottawa, Dec. 10." • Alfred Hitchcock - here fotv talks i with John Grierson, govt, film com- ! missioner and National Film Board! chief, before proceeding to England | to make war documentary for British ; govt. FHANK SULLIVAN 'A Curtsy to the Theatre • itinl the Joys It Afforded' In Forthcoming 38lh Annioersnry Number LcNington, Ky„ Dec. 14. KenluckiaTis, notoriously a 'stale-' concioiis people, are not altogether sold on the idea of haviim an Indiana label on a' racehorse- picture .'filmed against a..Kentucky background. The picture in question is 20lh Century-' Fox' 'Home in Indiana.'; due for ah early release.'!-' The local Board of Commerce, some civic groups and not a few individuals. have writlch Hollywood suggesting that since i1b part of Ihc picture was filmed in Indiana, it. should be adorned with some ' other title, preferably Ken- tucky. , A .section of the cast and' a large technical, force spent six weeks in Lexington to shoot the picture on Walnut.! HaH Farm, a major horse- breeding establishment hear: here.: Farm is a show place with a train- ing track and imposing barns. One of the stallions was given a role in the film. A. little-used race Irack at the Mt. Sterling fair ground, 20 miles from here, was also used for one se- quence in 'Home.' Another paradox, . Kenlnckians. pointed out, is that other important sequences iii -the-picture tverc filmed in Ohio: specifically at Marion and Fremont. Racing shots .were taken during an actual harness-horse race 6-Yr.-01d Transmitter Served Allies in 1st Program Out of Italy Washington, Dec. 14. First Allied news program broad- cast out of Italy, was on a six-yeai- old transmitter which had been, moved to the .Mediterranean from a little island in the Soulh Pacific, Army public relations has just di.v closed. • Fivc-lpn - unit, - nickhained 'The Relic,' was shipped from Ihe Pacific to North Africa in 1942, --where it fir'xl operated Tor Ihe Army. It. was sent into Sicily'-wilh the! invasion forces,'..and was used to relay press copy back .to North. Africa f or trans- mission to this cpUnliw. . Immedi- ately after the invasion of Italy it was moved on to Bari, and then was sent up to. Naples where, on Nov. 14, it broadcast the .first, allied news program from corttilienuii Europe .since Dunkirk. meeting at, Marion, where 12 pro- fessional, drivers were engaged to- staife an -actual race for. Ihe- story. A stock farm at Fremont, O., fur- nished more background. Under- standing: here is that none oi the filming was.done on. Indiana, soi^-. Story is based on ''The.'Phantom Filly." which appeared in Satevcpost.