Variety (Jun 1944)

Wednesday, June 28, 1944 55 CHATTER Broadway Nat Dorfman did jury duty all last week. Billy Rose writing Lew Brice's comeback, act. ■■ John Murray Anderson due out ot hospital this week. \. Burris Jenkins ill with malaria at Naples- will be'sent home. Jinx Falkenburg on hospital tour in the state o£ Washington. Edward G. Robinson due in N.. Y. from the Coast at the weekend. Raymond Spector bedded with pneumonia at Lenox Hill hospital. Sam Tauber,, manager of Plymouth theatre, .'taking a month's; vacation. At Rosen company manager' o£ Mae West starrer, "Catherine Was Great." Capt. Dave Miller,'former'Metro director, on a - week's furlough in New York. • . Peter Donald getting over severe attack of sunburn poisoning on both his tootsies, Walter Abel, Par contract player, in town for a short vacation, and radio appearances. Joe E. Lewis recuperating from re- cent throat operation at Toot Shot's summer manse at Deal. N. J. Performer Billy Gould discharged from hospital and off to convalescent home for another month's rest. Fred Schader ahead of "Star Time," Paul Small's new vaude ievue opening in Sah Francisco July .24, Forrest E. Crosmao, '■■ vet advance man, called in off road as company manager for "Ten. Little Indians." : Estelle (Brody) Alexander has re- covered from recent serious op, and is recuperating at Harkness Pavil- lioh. : ; ■ ''?■■■'■'•:''/:■:'' -f..-- .Billy Jackson, vaude agent, has taken over twd-circus combo at Luna Park, Coney Island. Tees off July 1. ',-. ',/ : : .■■'■•■ ■''"■'■ Joyce Matthews (Mrs. Milton Beiie) and Ronald Telford signed for "Arsenic and Old Lace" at Newport Casino, July 3. Harry Benson, manager of Lewi- sohn Stadium, with Lep Solomon, Jimmy Vincent and Eddie O'Keefe in the box offices. David Rose, Paramount managing director for Great Britain, on the Coast tot two-week visit, accom- panied by Mrs. Rose. Greta Ranch new assistant to God- dard Liebersoiv in the Artists De- partment of the Columbia Master- works Division in N. Ys '-■';. . Friends aiding Flo Dempsey, vaiide-burlesque actress found desti- tute. Husband Herbert J. Gaffney is alleged to have deserted her.' Tommy La Rose (& Helene), out of Army after two years' service, now back with mentalist act on USO- Camp Shows Victory; circuit. • Memorial. ■ services for Sam H. Harris are to Be held in the. chapel .of the Jewish Theatrical Guild, Pal- nee theatre building, next Monday <3> at 5:30 p.m: ..'■'>>"'■...' .--.'' When Edy Dale, nitery singer came home to Dumont, N. J. re cently after six months with a USO troupe, town threw a celebration as if for a war hero. '■■■'■':'■ • Billy (and Ruth) Ambrose, Jr., roundrobined 1 the press; trade and lay, with a breezy letter explaining "That's what I'm fighting fo_r," before going into the Navy: ; Bob Gillham, Par's publicity-jid'- vertising director, trained in Satur- day (24) after spending two weeks at the studio viewing new product and mapping ad campaigns. Milton Diamond (head of Dia mond. Rabin ..&' Mackay) added Daniel Kornblum, to his legal staff when latter resigned as general-coun- sel of the N, Y. State Labor Relations Board Members of theatrical unions and Equity tossed party last week for Leonore Pel hick, daughter of Sol. Pernick, business agent of No. 1, stagehands, on occasion of her grad nation. ,., Nitery biz up, although the 20% reduced tax doesn't start till Sat. (1) Bert Wheeler has hypoed the Copa cabana into its former boom propor tions, and Hildegarde is SRO at the Plaza, among others. " ■ Lieut. I. Robert Broder, theatrical attorney before joining the Army, back from England for what he thought was return to inactive status 'he's 43), But the orders went awry and so he continues soldiering. . /Mark Linder due in from Coast next week, to seff'BrOadway produc- tio n of "Daughter of Diamond jLil, which he'll: produce' in association with William Sill, owner-operator of several indie film houses in New Jersey. -, <',-..'.'-., ■Emmett Callahan, general manager for Paul Small, left for Coast last weekend after quickie to N. Y. • in connection with Small's new vauder, Star, Time." which preems in San Francisco July 28. Callahan's ti;ek cast was to look over several acts. Reason for non-representation of Robert Coleman arid Walter Wiiichell . < both on Mirror) ' in last week's •Variety" poll of legit "bests";, of the season—Coleman was bedded with me flu and Wlnchell wrote in that, : oecause he. saw only one show; he didn't think it fair to vote. '•■ ■ Ben: Piazza celebrated another birthday. :'■'*'■ ;.' John W. Considine, Jr., recover- ing 1 from surgery. Jack Dm ant checks in a t Floren- tine Gardens July 2. Claudette Colbert bought a Holly- wood apartment house. Al Berke joined the Charles Wend- ling. agency as an associate, Deanna Durbin readying for a con-, cert-tour of South America. Richard Barbee joined Bing Cros- by Productions as comptroller. Bettejane Greer Vallee suing Lieut. Rudy Vallee for divorce. .- Alan Ladd. laid up with a back in- ury Sustained in a fight sequence. Stella Adler in frorn New York to join her husband, Harold CIurniaii. Bette Davis bedded by flu while "The Corn Is Green" is shot around heri ;-;''•■>: ^ ■."•.'•v.-:''" Fay Holden and David Clyde cele- brated their 30th: wedding anniver- sary. >;':■ i- ; Joe Seidehhan, Universal's foreign sales chief;, in town for studio hud- dles!.' ; ■''.' '•..':• : ■ ■ , Diana Lynn and -'Gloria Saunders graduated from University High School, '';- ';". ; ' ; ,7?-'"' Alec Templeton shoved off for concerts in Bakerslield, Portland and Seattle. .:..;..';;■ V->'.- '■.-.•; John Stahl to Mexico City to study backgrounds for a forthcom- ing picture. ; ':.'- \ ': ■ : . Waiter Hould, ' foreign publicity chief for United Artists,' in town- to ogle product. * . Ary Lima, Brazilian general man ager for. Warners, guest of honor at a studio blowqlitv'. - '--■-'• June Haver took time off her dra- matic chores at 20th-Fox to graduate from high school. . Lieut. Jackie Coogan, back, from the Far Eastern battle front,, cele- brating a furlough. : ; Peter Godfrey, film director, elect-, ed vice-president of the American; Society of Magicians. • . c{ Dick Powell informed Superior Court that he will hot fight Joan Blondell's divorce suit. Charles Koerner elected a board' member of the Los Angeles chapter of American Red Cross. . •''".:.. Capt. Madison: Lacy,- now on the Army inactive list, joined Vanguard publicity as portrait photographer. Greer Garson and Humphrey Bo- gart awarded GI Oscars by service- men Of General MacArthur's, South- west Pacific Command. s V ager of "Rebecca.": has succeeded Wallace Munroe. resigned, as man- ager of "School for Brides," at Civic theatre. '■' ;'5 : .-.' Carl Snyder, Fredericks Bros. Music Corp. v.p.. left tor Hollywood' for rehearsals of "Holiday On Ice," starring Belita. which is scheduled to open at the Coliseum here in Oc- tober. ";';'.'.'■',';.•'.''■'•"■«.; ;■',-•,'.'':-';" Suit to test the legality of the 30% tax scheduled to be riled- here last week by attorney Milton Raynor for Colosimo's restaurant has been held up' temorarily while various actors' organizations climb oh the band- wagon. . y : '<- Joe Sherman, the unofficial mayor of Randolph St., was the envy of all the other Randolph St. joints here last week when he managed to wrangle a coast-to-coast CBS wire for the Garnck Stage Lounge. Red Allen and Stuft Smith share the air time..'..;-'.' ■.;■.•■"•■ y r on Lit era ti Charlie Yefbe resigned as house manager of Loew's Capitol: \;,. "Two Girls and a Sailor" , sold out Loew's Capitol bond rally in 72 hours. Gross was $500,000. ;,'.'• James Cleveland, former manager of Takoma theatre, w'on the Wash- ington Post's title of "Ideal Father." i running Stage Door Canteen nOw- admits WACS, WAVES and SPARS at Treasury dances on Saturday nights. Columbia theatre was first house to sell out war bond quota. $50 bond for every seat. Now seeks to make it $100. .■■.."'••'■"..'-.•'■;■.: , - Eddie Cantor appeared at Walter Reed hospital and entertained wounded veterans Saturday (24). Same night at war- bond rally OP Monument grounds. • 80% •! V. S. Press Anti-4th Term Informally it. is admitted, at the National Press Club that 80'.i of the American newspapers will be-against the fourth term ambition -of Presi- dent Roosevelt. Against: such oppo- sition the Democratic National Com- mittee will rely heavily upon radio. These figures" are not indicative of the popular, will, for ^can vasses.': at the Washington Times-Herald (bitv terly against FJ).R.) and on the? Washington Daily. News (also qnti- F.D.R.), show that the present oc- cupant of the White House wilt get a majority of the votes On both papers;"..' '."•''■'•'.: "■'■'■; - ; -'.'" ".-'"'A Washington Newspaper Guild, sin- gularly successful in raising wages on the National Capital journals, best reflects the majority of the work- ing newspaper craft.,. It is heavily for F.D.R. Organized labor is solid- ly for a fourth term. With very tew deflections from union card workers. At the Democratic National Com- mittee' they don't concede California, even with Gov. Warren as Dewey's mate. Roosevelt got a 500,000 majority there four years ago. The state is* .well organized on the labor end, with the Hollywood Democratic committee a factor, in the defeat of Representative John M. Costello, and solidly for the fourth term. ... '.'"'>': '?'.'.■.'•'''•'•"'•'> By Les Rees ''. Marion Oliver joining USO-Camp show unit. Princess Chio. exotic dancer, into Happy Hour nitery.. ■■;: '* St. Paul Hotel Gopher Grill has Don Roth orchestra. • Dod Dodson. Wiikens & Wilkens into Andy's night club. Curly's night club has Aerial La. Zeilas and Virginia Page. >; -- ,;■ Bob Wilson of. USO here to audi- Pan-Germanic Articles - ; ; Quite a number, of articles that have appeared in recent weeks in various eminently respectable Amer- ican periodicals are interpreted by some observers as representing a concerted campaign by advocates of "the Pan-Germany dream of which Naziism is only the most recent, manifestation." . * Various magazines and newspapers have carried the material, outwardly harmless and couched in the vocabu- lary of liberalism but hidden away, say the propaganda-detectors, are ideas and slants and interpretations favorable to Germany. In certain circles a list of about nine eminent German literati are named as the fountain-head of this stuff. " It's repudiate Naziism but practically none of them repudiate Pan-Qer- manisrri." j , . ■':"'.' : .: : ;- ' '',...•; Pittsburgh ' By Hal Cohen Singer Marjorie Long engaged to Lt. Louis Combs, an Army pilot.- Johnny Gallis up to Hotel Sum- mit . to open" Ba ron Munchausen Room.. ■■■ - • Paul Shannon, KDKA announcer, new. president of local chapter of AFRA. Terrace Room at William Penn hotel shutters for summer oh Sat- urday CD. Elaine Beverly back singing with Maurice Spitalny's orch-again for a few weeks. Lee Simmons, formerly of team: of Chick and Lee, back from a USO overseas tour. , , _ George Springer has replaced Jimmy Zummo on the sax with Pic- colo Pete's orch. Betty Benson (Mrs. Leon Strini) back dancing in night clubs again after having a baby. Sam Nixons have left for New York to spend the summer with closing of Nixon theatre. ' Critic: Karl Ki ng presented with citation by American Legion for his entertainment work at Veterans' hos- pital, - - - • Joe Lieber; local, labor relations counsellor who .some" time ago switched to managing a nitery, Don Metz' Casino here. and . then branched out theve as ah. mic, has left Metz to join USO-Camp Shows as manager and mc of a unit which heads overseas. tion talent for camp shows. George GranstronT,: "indie circutt+p^iWed^ont-that-thcse-spokesiiieii all owner, nursing injured hand. 1 • Northwest Variety club holding annual golf tournament July 14. Cole Brothers,, first circus in .sev- eral years, here three days, July 3-5. Harry Hirsch's annual Roller Derby, opens at Auditorium July 3, Edward K. Bickford and Kaye Sis With Virginia Page top floor show at Curly's nitery. ■ ■ ' " Ben Blotcky, John Fritcher and Gil Sesler of Paramount to Chicago for sales conference. ,' :.-," .';.■-•, :,;■;:. Joe POrretta orchestra held over seventh time with Georgie Price at Hotel Radisson Flame Room, ' Harold Lundquist, 20th-Fox sales- man, entertained bosses and fellow workers at house warming in new home, -v.- ' y j';' - : "-- Harry Hirsch back from Chicago .where he looked over and signed up for Auditorium here.""Alaska Stam- pede" show. ; Dwight Fiske set for return Hotel Radisson Flame Room engagement June 30 and Sheila'Barrett to follow, also a second'visit.,. ' ,. : -',-', ; . Dorothy Lewis ice. show at Hotel Nicollet Minnesota Terrace reported lb "have.upped business, plenty from preceding floor show's level. Kay Hughes from Hcrbie Kay's : Adams' Stint on War Scribes : . Caswell Adams has scripted the Stories of four INS war correspond- ents arid Columbia Pictures has indi- cated an interest in securing the, rights. Adams tells the experiences of Richard Tregaskis, who wrote "Guadalcanal Diary," now back re- covering from a skull injury; Michael Chinigo, whose spectacular coverage in Sicily attracted attention; Jack Singer, who was killed on the carrier Wasp in the South Pacific, and, Lowell Bennett, who bailed out over Berlin and is believed to be interned. Expected that there will be a num- ber of war correspondent features made by major studios, probably in- spired by" Ernest Pyle's "Here's Your War," currently being filmed. ' . Larry; Reid,. executive editor of Fawcett Publications' screen maga- zmes, off to Hollywood for month's, staiyX- ../-:.- -■;-.." ; ' 'V ■'/-:.-'-.;■ ! ;.'"•■'•■! George (Life) Frazier thinks "maybe I'll finish my book this month" in Wellfleet, Mass., where he is vacationing. It's tor Viking. Speed Kendall, former Hollywood writer for therfcos Angeles Timcs{ is out of the Marines after two years, and in the 2()th-Fox flackery. Elaine Wayhe, of Uhited -Artists- publicity dept.; scripting a profile ot J. Arthur Rank. British film tycoon, for August 'American Mercury, The book : firm ot H; C. Kmsey, Who'" OUce owned a chain or mags, has been sold to Putnam's. Kinsey brought Out about 30 titles a year. Will of late Ellen Frye Barker, writer of scenarios and author of books on screenplay writing, de- clared formally' to be "more than $10,000." '■ ?-- : \ ; ,''-■.■ ;.-,,. Jtjlie Neal wound up a series of Hollywood .interviews tor Young America, juvc mag, and shoved off lor Mexico to write a yarn about Presi- dent "AVilo Camacho. f Marion Avery DOran in Holly- wood as newspaper i.and magazine aide to Thornton Dclehanty, suc- ceeding Wanda Cade, now secretary • of Motion Picture Art Directors. ' Louis: Adamic to script series of articles for Women's Day, monthly mag, oh the contributions of foreign nationalities to American civilization, first of which is to appear July 1. .'. Janet Flanner, factotum of Blue network "Listen the Women" airer and staffer on New Yorker mag, penned a book "Petain" "to be pub- lished July 7 by. Simon & Schuster. . Cornelia Otis Skinner has signed with Houghton, Mifflin for the as yet untitled biography of her father, mother and herself. Mss. is well under way and will be ready by faii. • ■'..-,' -;;v;>.-'■';-.;; ; v -s:>.; ; : i :■<■: "v Harold Hcfl'crnan, Sheila- Graham and Inga ArVad are dividing the Hollywood beat for NANA, the first time;; a syndicate, has- had three writers regularly assigned to t!je fi'm capital. *.' : v - ; ■'■■' '■-■;-:-''-,'-':.'. ■',■' .-'• •':' ;■: Alan Hynd, author of "Passoort to Treason," appointed .Contributing^ Editor of Coronet.' Hynd is now , working on story of the newspaper career of Joseph Connolly, executive head of International News Service* Break Barriers" ; continued icoiii page 3 Good Show Biz Items Plenty of interesting show: -biz itejns . in "Show Window, 'of Life" published by Elizabeth Hiatt Gregory. Tclis everything from Gen Lew Wal- lace writing his own first plug for band here attending University, Of ' Ben Hur" to her own publicizing of Minnesota classes, joined Bud Strawn j ol(J p alStis Royal for John: Murray orchestra: at Excelsior. Amusement Andcrson Whom she introduced into 1 1 show biz via socialite tableaux at \vorkihg in close harmony,with the Bar Harbor. lures are concerned, is the very na- ture of the product itself. With films today recognized as a medium of culture'.and politics—a fact acknowl- edged abroad before we gave it offi- cial recognition—the current survey assumes more than mere industry- wide significance. And there, is no commodity of American export which has had nearly so many re. strietioris placed upon it by other nations, either in' the pre-war pe- riod or at present; as U. S, pix. State Department's interest in the subject ' therefore. becomes mahy-siclcd—in- vblvi'ng the protection of culture and Tree exchange of ideas, as well as of a mere commercial product Close Cooperation Because of the complications sur- rounding the merchandising of films abroad, " the State Department is Chicago J. J. Shubcrt in town looking over "New Moon" at Civ^c Opera House; staying over for.Republican Conven- tion. ' Entertainment Managers Associa- tion Will hold fifth annual Outing at the St. Andrews Country Club July 13. :.-.''.',.' '•■,.':•• --■:■.-- -AV.■•■'; Harry Conover here this week making arrangements to qpen a Chi- cago branch Of lus New York model agency r . ■ , • ••" . , Gracie Allen.in for the Republican Convention, is hobnobbing with Mrs. John W. Brickcr, wife, :of; the (Ohio Governor. mcarl- Ravazza s orchestra follows Chuck Foster ;nto Blackhawk res- taurant June 28.' New show includes ception last December when the post broadcasting system at Sioux Falls Army Air Field made a posthumous award of the Air Medal and the Purple Heart to :the late Staff Sgt. Cleo A. Ranning, 28-year-old radio operator-gunner killed when his plane crashed: on a .mountainside While flying supplies to troops on Attu. As an overseas veteran of World War I, Mai. Harold A. Patter- son, post public relations officer, felt the discrepancy between the sacri- fice of our soldiers and the imper- sonal, though sincere "thank you" letter and award of a-busy Govern- ment, The idea, grew to embrace similar radio tributes around the country, tying in for statewide broadcasts with local stations donat- ing free time for the ceremon les. Thus the specially v ritten and pro- duced shows given for the honored AAF soldier's next of kin have be- come a lasting memento of the occa- sion in. the form of photos and tran- scriptions of the, broadcasts jjfesent- Mitch, too, o£ early d:iys of avia- tion, she being first reporter to .specialize in aii':nnnded items. Even Dr. Lee de Forest took upside down rides with foolhardy fliers in those: days, meaning that one crash-lahding at that time and radio might never have been born." She caught shows in Louisville and details little known facts about such oldtimers as Mansfield, Drew, Delia Fox, Lillian Russell, .E. H. Sothern' industry and the Will Hays office in evaluating the .situation and gather- ing information. .. . Spokesmen.'for ■ the Slate Dept. emphasize the fact that they are not undertaking a job of .trade' promo- tion. It is ielt that the industry can stiind on its own feet when it comes to merchandising its output, all othe r factors being even. With a business- built up in the past on excellent pro- duction, fair treatment of stories and the Hollywood star names, the as- Duse and Maude. Adams. L'ackaye, Hopper, HaCketU Collier, \ sumption , is that, the industry , will need no aid fi'bm. Uncle Sam, once the barriers are down. | And that is the corc of the job the State Depart ment has set for itself. CHATTER , Sgt, Marion Hargrove now' feature i The long range objective of the cn- editor of Yank, Army weekly. Jimmy Starr sold a condensed vei- sion of his novel, "The Corpse Came C.O.D.," to Liberty, . . "Barbara Heggie, daughter of the actor, .0. P. Heggie, '^profiling" Hilde- garde for the- New Yorker. Kay Campbell writing a biographi- cal sketch of Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy for Read mag. Bee Bangs signed as Hollywood business representative for Screen- land,. Movie Show:, and. Silver Screen., tii'e study is to see that there are fewer and fewer artificial barriers to the free movement of films. It is primarily a job of trade protection— rather than trade promotion. Except for moral restrictions; in which this Government will make no, attempt/to interfere, the State Department will do all in its power to wipe away barriers that prevent our pix fronr getting Into foreign countries. . Once they are inside the bbrdera of another country, the rest will b* up fo Hollywood.