Variety (January 1944)

MISCELLANY Earnings a Break for Stars, Execs \ Washington. Jan. 25. , Intomal' Be\;enue Bareatr. ■ cut = a, melon liereVlaSt We (19) for a large chtmk Of thO'S biz people ^\^ho are paid largely on . a percentage', , comniis.sipn, or .bohils .basis.. '.Bineaiv niacie i'etroactive for all of .1943 the order i!!.sued Dec. 30 last by Fred M. Vinson,' Director of; EebhOm zatioii.: At that time Vinson wiped out an Internal Revenue stabilizalibh ruling which had’ lirnited income <?n percentage,s,-fapriuses, .: cOmmissiprts. and overrides ,,based'./on , profits,' o firms. In. Septemberj; 1943,.inte.rnal/Re'V-' . enue iia.d set-ceilings: bn^th is type. Of. \vages .because' .earnings last/ yPar were running ■ .generaliy ' above - the. preceding, year,‘vvheiieas straight sa ary' people'hab/tKeirrearitings As the revised picture now stands, a person bn a percentage type ’ in- come can 'get whatever the percent-. Gracie Mfelds’ Waldorf biz people Date; Thence Draper ercentage, Gracie Fields opens St the Wodg- D,wood Room of the Waldorf-A.storia. f 1943 Ihe V., on Feb.,15 for foin w ■p, • the usual options, and will be fol- ic siamiil ’.IdtVed'fay Psul Dfa^ . . I.arry Adler may bo teamed with □Kiiivitirm ihe . latter, and then Amiamary , Dickey i-eturns, this marking the Met tp?r, Sinatra Problem Wednesday, January 26, 1914. ‘ 1 hNGI«w*MH -i' - Hollywood, Jan. 2.5. . .Two. allergies, both posse.ssed by W. C. Fields, are cairsing confusion orv the General Service lot, where comeciiau is flatwheeling betwee-. two picture's, and can't remember which is which at certain . time's,' When required to mingle witii trained bears, which he does not lilco, on the “Sensations of. 1944*''set; the;comic-is pft^ on the .st.igc devoted-ts- hi.s other picture, “Soiig of the Open Road.” When tlie script in that play palls for repart his other allergy, Charlie Mc(iarthy,.he .is geherally discoverpcl on the other set. Meanwhile Andy :Stdne and'.Charles R.'Rogers, ;are busy sendmu out expeditions wnth inslruoUond to/flnd a,, red/bulb, 84ih WEEK ! KEN MURRAY’S “BLACKOUTS OF 1944" Ei Capitan Theatre, Hollywood, Cal. , ■ :.“A' gi'eat: .sHow, ’ Kpn' laiiah vizaid of .«(ellar;propprtions:” LARAINE DAY. Recalled By CBS’ Dawns, Back in N.Y. were running ■ generally:' above;, the,: HI ■ wiziird of .s.te,liar';^p’ropbrtioiis:’v prececli'ng year.'vvbw |/|fw ..W.a|>|>» . |.:|/V , LARAINE';OAY. ary' p.eople' had.:'tKeir:.ea'rn;ings;'fr:62::e^^^ i'.: ■.fj'lt''..■ff.'Ul'l'T:' .'Ul '-.vWiP ,... As the revised picture now stands. ■■ '/.^, /, ;• • ,:, - . _ riniiinirTff' a person bn a percentage type in- CBS ex-ocs, it was learned thi.s rQNxTANf P RJ<p|NJj| | come can get whatever the percent- week, are plenty disturbed ov'er ra- _ ^ ^ ffiiioy: N6f ;r: .; BARRY PLAYS ON WAX have cliaiiged upward since the eco- Smaha Newest headache stems. Constance Bennett is waxing an nomic , stabilization ' plair. went .into from the unfortunate situation; that album, for Decca of “Tender . Love, operation;, -and '■(2) the ..base. :sa,lary, arose' ‘in' 'spotii^ 'Voice’s ■ he.w Scenes;*'- .fatir e^i^e'rptij^f L’Qrn iis rn;ahy must not have-been adjusted up,wai;.d: half-hour Wednesd'av' Philip-Bariy iDlays including- in' th;at' time::. ,',:i:./ j.';,v:'. ■The new order permit.s firms to the. .slot previously occupied 'oy the i. out Love." in which .-‘lie 'yust. com- pleted a road tour. The oti'.ei three make adjustments for 1943 covering Lionel Barrymore program, ‘'Mayor ^re “Animal Kingdom,” hth'e, the new ruling. ' of the Town.” . As in the case of Youngest” and“Holiday.” Her male ; Many studio big.sic.s, stars, film ' the Sinatra sliow, ‘'Mayor'’ was abio lead •\vill bo selected later. ■ /',' .' ■, salesmen., etq., will be benefited by .sponsored by Lever Bros. IncnleiBally this opens uP a new the order o- .. o- , , , v : avenwb for: name playwrights and .: me 01 g« . Since the Sinatra .show bowed m. „u,yer.s. that of phonograph record- ■ ' : . :'the CBS exec.s. have been virtually, ing for home consumption, and is an Itnlr PtfAimnl-nmTIinc deluged with letters of protest from evolution of Decca’s innovation with J.3CK 1 ariinglOIl lIlcS ; followers of the Bariymore pro- the original casks of current Broad- Kl C^, n«iin|nn4A|] ; ' -gram. That the latter apparently '.’way,■jtgg e;JTiusicals..: ■ “f ^ V vriglllfllvU had a loyal . following Was an ac-. . '/ Pl'A^Afll'SlHnil PolirV what particularly Brisson in D. C., on Last 1 1 CoCIlUtllUll I UlIUj disturbs the network officials i.s (he J „ ^ . . . Jack Partington, v.p. and general b*.Stscr}pt in variably at Lap 01 otatler L'nai.n manager of Faiichon &c Marco's thea- letters, complaining of ilie .new type ^ Wa.shii'.gtoii. Jan. 23. tie and siagCshow cnterpri.sos, died .siiow. ■ v . ’,. Carl Brisson i.s on the last lap of Jack Partington Dies At 54; Originated Jack Partington, v.p. and general lA6.Stscr}pt mvariably attach Lap 01 Otatler L'nftHY manager of Faiichon &c Marco's thea- letters, complaining of ilie .new type ^ Wa.shii'.gtoii. Jan. 23. tie and siagl'show cnterpri.sos, died .siiow. ■ v , ’,, Carl Brisson i.s on the last lap of suddenly ol a. heart attack at his The more mature^ audience - that the Sta tier hotel chain circuit, open-, home, 400 Park avenue. N. Y.. yestor- followed the weekly epi.sodes of ing here tonieht (Tucs. ), coming in i day. at the a,gc of 54. In good health “Mayor,” although willing to give from . the. Budalo Slalier. , He may , right along, and rather a proud.new the. Sinatra Show a try, has been go to .the. Cleveland Statler, thence, father-in-law, because of the recent regi.stering out-and-out di.sgu.st at the possibiy, the Brook club,. Miami j marriage of his son, Staff Sgt. John screeches of the bobby-.sox audi- Beach, where Barry Winton is the Allen Partington, Jr., to Jeanne ence,, arid the majeeup pi the show, incumbent band. , Brideson, Roxy theatre ;(N. Y.) vio- as a whole. 'To the CBS execs it’s / Brisson returns to the Versailles, lining favorite, his associates at the the initial proof in answer to the N. Y., the end of March, wheie he theatre" worked with him: the. night flue.stion long :ppsed m the trade;' first .cJlcked last .summer. aS' “the before, with no indication of any- “Can Sinatra, 'build.. ,up an . entire older girls’ Sinatra.” thing untoward. ■ new listening audience” It’s like- — Partington/ivho: is largely credited ,j:«’i^, y'<;we4; as .aphstantiatii^ g sec- ... i . 1 . V.-. .1 -5 ■ - .. nnrf fpar ilTaf IHp rppnrH 90 R Pn_ SEATON’S PIAY wim SaUfted the Rox; from its ond fear,'::tbat ■ fhe rec.o'rd::/20.8 .Co', Snkrtmtev'’ depths into ifs present opei'afive Analysis of Broadcasting George Seaton, whp did film .script ^ccS^strictW rating attained:: by Sinatra on: on “Song of Bernadette" tor 20th- Stase show poHcv^ will be^-emem- intioduetory program/was partially Fox. has written a comedy which is v,«.wi tho l esult of cuilous dial-twislci s making the rounds of Broadway Sof Stage pSa^ that/Wben the rati^ stage producers, t'uealros It is a - colne dence that norfii, it will probably be con- . Harry Carey is being offered as . A . -I ?idbi ably lower. possible lead. A. L Balaban.' present operator ofI possiuw leau. the Roxy (for 20th-Fox) wa.? the one 1 — " ——.... . —— . who refined the presentation policy j M'f ¥T 1 H ' I i.” ss.r“ . New; :iork Runaround But it was Partington, whose Imperial theatre, San Fiancisco; ; By Radie Harris started the vogue. It wa.s there that , V' ;.’/:, ’■;''.// :"■ I'.’;-' he launched Paul Ash with liis pres- cmalion hand .style which land once , Loy’s resumption of ner screen career in another “Thin Man'* again coincidence asserts itself) wa.s /y,®VP being delayed until certain contractual difficulties can be ironed to be catapulted to the heights in the 1 out.,..Miss, Loy wants.a one-pipture deal .so as not to entail any prolonged mid 1920s under the Balahan & Katz separation .from liusband John Hertz, while M-G wants to bind her to aegis. Of cour.se, all three (Parting- a series...Now denied that Moss Hart i.s penning a new play for Tallulah ton, Balabaii and Ash) were reunited Bankhead.. .incidentally, Mr. H. is being prilled in two parts for the once again at the Roxy theatre Satevepost by Mona Gardner. .Vivian Vance and Phil Ober are chucking where the latter is the pit maestro, j all Broadway offers to go abroad for the L'SO.. .Reginald Denham is being Panin'-ton to this day owns the! to replace Marc Connelly as director of “Chicken Every Sunday” copyrights on the idea of the mov- \ "°’‘";a. Barrymore confides that Harold Friedman has found a co-star- ing pit band which rises from the vehicle for her and her spouse, Bramwell Fletcher.. .they have all the: trenoii, mounts the stage and then vecessary :backing, but are now waiting for the right producer.it is Jules movek’ rVllers’ iinstai?p':tr> np, thp: Phil Epstein's quaint notion that -if 20th-Fox continues tb make any aX to '‘’“' more period musicals, they should rename their studio “19th Cehtury”- Paitington is survived by his Just to put all the rumors straight re Margaret Sullavan’s vvitiulrawing vyidow, Inner, and son; also two sis- from the cast of “Voice of the Turtle,” she leaves June 24, and Alfred tgrs ill Caliloinia. de Liagre, Jr., will not attempt to have anyone substitute... instead. Elliott , ~~ ~ “ Nugent and Audrey Christie will get an eight-week holiday until the play tfH nriMV PAlnin iTinil reopens at the Morosco in tlie fall.. .Dale Belmont, singer, clicking off her Avi/tl/bln: 1 1 *UIIItIIAI ION ism week at the. Versailles, screentesled by 20th.. .ditto .left Warren, who . , pineh-hit for Kenny Baker during his absence from the cast. . .If Doris TO FURTHER FILM ART *" “jackpot,” an she knows about it is what she Hollywood, Jan. 25. I ZaSti Pitts corntiittUpg from Roosevelt hospital to Royale theatre Papers were filed today v25) every uight' because, mith no understudy to go on for her, she has in Saci'iimento for chartering the refused to call off any performance of “Ramshackle Inn,'" despite in- Aeadomy Foundation which Will be an tensely painful sciatic condition . . . when Chick Farmer, p.a. for El autonomous unit with a different gov- Morocco, introduced his dale, Marianne O'Brien, to John Gunther erning body than that novy luiic- ‘'•t Loiii.9e Stanley's party, he never reaUzed that “ex" would murk tioning for the Academy of Arts and i*'® spot! Scion cc.s. Object of the now organi- . Michele Morgan's groom, Bill Marshall,, hospitalized and ;out of the cast, zation is to embrace sociological and of “Winged Victory''—-and soon out of the .Array. . .Hollywood star,recently cultural aspects of the picture busi- Visi.tecl the wards at Halloran and the Brooklyn .Navy Yard, and kept her ness and. to promote better under- dark glasses on, so that a great many of the boy.s who might have gotten standing among peoples and nations. ..a thrill knowing who she was, never recognized her'?.. .Lynn Riggs, who Seholar.ships , also will be made has a now play half finished, recall? that George Gershwin approached available for those in colleges- who him years ago bn the possibility of turning his “Green Grow the Lilacs” slant their careers toward picture- into a musical.. .his death prevented any further plans.. .Melody Thom- making. . : / ‘, .son. 18, accompanied by her sister, Marianne, and a chaperone, trains out Among spon.sors are / Cary Grant', Feb. 1 to check in at Metro.,, the frequent mention of her mother’s cla-ss Donald Crisp, Howard Hawks, Y. magazine, interjected so casually by Ilka Chase in “In Bed We Cry," has Frank Freeman, Walter Wangei-i inspired the wisecrack. “This bcst-.scller should be retitled, ‘In Bed, We Mary McCall, Jr., and Janie.s Hilton. Cry Is the “Vogue",’!” );.y New York Runaround By Radie Harris By FRED STENGEL ' Filins, radio and inu.sic are as much a part of the war Ru.?sia is waging as bullets and ar.o'iie.s. Russians are swing addicts, and aie as hep as •American jiUerbug.s. Playvvri.ghl.s, autl-.ors 'and composers are among the wealthiest people in the Soviet. " :. Current Moscow ballot,: opera and theatre s.eason J.? the biggest ever. .‘jhe.atregQer.s arise at, 6 a...ra.;::for.m^m^^ line.s to purchase tickets even for pic- turc houses, witti ti-.e ballet and opera so S.R.O. that rcserva'uons in list be in ade .six w eoks ,■ i n advance. • These and many. more intere.sliug. facts concerning, /sli.bwbusinessand , the arts in Rus.sia were revealed by Bill Downs, CBS newscaster and. ■.'Variety”' correspondent in Mo.seow. : iipon his return to.: the.' network’s headquarters in N. Y. late last week for a new a.ssignment. : ' ./"'■ .,/ -The Bolshoi theatre 'has reopened, comjiletely rotiovated following its don'.oliton in June, 1942. .during ' a Nazi bornbing raid on Moscovy. It is housed by the Ballet and .Opera Co., vvbich has returned from Kuibyshev. Tito new ballet. “Red Sails.” is iiopu-' tar, a.s are, 'fechaikbwsky.’s “Swan Lake” and ^'Rosemarie,'’ which has been done for . years' and i.s, tiovv standard., ■, ■ ':' ,. , Russian films are leaning predomi- nantly, towai’d: tragedy, attd are a.s grim as the people themselves. Budg- ets for Soviet film productibh have been increased .each: year since the war .started. With the expan.sion of U. S. Office of War Information activ- ities in Russia, exhibition of: Ameri- can-made pictures, , entertainment and documentary, are on the 'in-. crca.se. The Russians, in Downs’ opinion, produce the bo.st film docu- mentaries in the world, but look up tp Attierican .product because of its iechnical excellence a.s compared to their own pictures. Nows .camera- men. since Russia entered the war, 'are stationed with front-line troops '. at all limc.s, . British Films Free I British ftlnSs are-given for Russian release free of charge, vv'.iile Ameri- can product is sold, to the Soviet, resulting in larger Bviti.sh distribution in that country. Current film,sensa- tion in .Moscow is “Lot George Do It.” a corny, .slapstick Cpmeciy star- ring George Formby, an Engiish- ; made picture. Latest U. S.- film .be- ing dubbed for. Russian exhibition .is. Col. Frank Capra'.s “Bailie of Rus- sia.” Downs, who saw both ilie American-di.stributed and , Russian- . distributed ■versions , of “Mission: to Moscow.” stated that only two se- quences were cut from tlie film by- Soviet officials. One sequence took place in a room where one of the actors said; “You can speak freely here. The walls have been sounded , for microphones, and there are ■ none.” The other sequence cut took place before the emba.ssy vviien , OGPU, guards .were shown in a car following Ambassador Davies around. Otherwise, Downs said, the picture was shown as originally filmed, wiln Soviet audiences deeply impre.s.s.ed.: ' b.'v the characterizations of their' .jf- .fleiajs. ‘ . Moscow’s Art Theatre currently is staging Sheridan’s “School for Sfcan- dal.”. and did well with ‘'Three Sis- : tars”';':The' play. “Front.” i.s nl.so a smash', hit, written by Alexander Kornichuk, who wa.s recently named .fi vice-commisar of foreign affairs , under Molotofl. Kornichuk is the husband:..of Wanda Was.silev.ski, who: is leader of the Free Polish group in Russia. Russian playwrights got paid by the act, vyhich is the reason that plays are comprised. of four acta and : are lengthy. ' <, Since all radios wore confiscated in Russia . when the country went to war, citizenry are permitted to buy speakers, which may be plugged in at home to the intricate public .ad- dress .system now used for broadcast-: ■ in,g official oomthuniques and. s'ym- : phony music. Radio di'ama is on the upswing, but in ita infancy in '.he ..S.b.v’iet.,:,,.'.,.;.:/.: . , The Millennium / . ■ Criticism of films and plays in the public prints are not made until le- vieWers have seen; the'.. protlUeiion ; foiir or five times. After a premiere the critics sit ...down with playwright producer and director, and di.scuss the. picture or play thoroughly, iron- ing out the kinks. Result is gratify- ing all around. Symphonies, such as Shostakovich’s new Eiglitli, which was bought lor ■ SI0.000 by CBS and brought here by Downs for broadcast by (be N. 'Y. Philharmonic, with Ai-tiir Roii'zinski ; conducting, have been interpreted by critics as portraying the tragedy, bit- Icrnc.sR and hate that the Ru.xnans are putting into their wag;r..c of tke,; war. No Nitei-ies; Vaudeville Yes 'There are no nightclubs. in Russia, but there are•several vaudeville, houses. -Only limited .satire of the Red's war effort is permitted, how- ever. The circu.s runs in a perma- nent building in Moscow all year 'round, with the forenio..,t performer being a clown who does a parody on Charles Chaplin. His moniker is Karendash, and he has a terrific rou- tine, according to Downs. ' .lazz concerts, at which the Ru.ssian version of American swing is .played,, are popular. The orchestra is led by Tfa.ssman. and the Soviet jitterbugs “eat, it Up”’ i Downs believes that shipment of records made by Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw and other swiiig bands to Russia would aid greatly in fostering U S -Soviet rela- tions. : .. /'i'-'' Soviet officials marvel at liie large • amount of films and stage plays pro- duced each year in this country. They are studying the American methods and using them as guides. Downs, who was relieved by Jim Fleming in Moscow after covering the Riissiah capital for CBS since De- cember, 1942, will be featured in sev- eral CBS broadcasts this week and Ilex’, and will then go to Kansas City for a vi.sit with his parents before returning to N. Y. for a new as.vign- ment. POLA NEGRI SLATED FOR YAUDE DATES Pol a Negri, who recently made a screen comeback, in “Hi Diddle Diddle” tXJA), is set for a series of vaude per.sonals. After break-in dates. Miss Negri will hit the Oriental, Chi- ' cago, Feb. 28. She will sfbek up with a line of chatter that will enable her : to work with a house emcee or band- leader. Miles Ingalls is agenting out of New'York. ■, . Film Biggies Ailing Hollywood, Jan. 25. Ailments bedded two of Holly- wood's most important figures in one day. Harry M. 'Warher. Was hospitalized with varicose trouble, and Louis B. : Mayer was eonfined at home with flu. Guitry Does New Book Washington, Jan. 25. ,Sacha Guitry, French playwright and actor, who turned collaboration- ist with the Nazis, has done a new book called “Prom Jeanne d'Arc to Philippe Petain.” First run was only 1,000 copies. METRO’S ROSS SIS Ross ,Staters, c.uti'bn in a dancing spot at N.'5'.’s Diamond Ho.rseshoe, have been pacteci by Metro.. ;Trio.originally ..were a sing- ing and hoofing turn in vuude. . Leave for the ' Coast in a :■' few, ■ weeks,