Variety (Jul 1944)

SCREENv RADIO MUSIC STAGE ]>ul>tialia<t WejsXly »t 164 West 4Clt» Strcot, New Vork 19, N, Y., by Variety, Inc. Annual subscription. fit. SiiValn cnDo's, 25 cents. KuLered as auCQUd-clasa lliuWer I>t!Ceiiiber 21', 19U3. at the Post Office at Kew .Yovlc, N, V., under the act 'oC March 2, 1879. COrVKKilir, 1!»H. Hi' Y.VKII'VrV. INC. ALT. HIGIIT3 KKSKKVKU. - ■ VOL.155 No. 5 NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 1944 PRICE 25 CENTS '4445ITWAY LEGIT SPLURGE More Negro Scenes Cut Out in Dixie Set New Problem For Fix Producers Situation of the deep south. where4 • local censors have been cutting Negro scenes put of films, on the theory that this action avoids friction be- tween whites and blacks, is giving local exhibitors a headache arid Hol- lywood producers something to think about in planning 'future pictures. Southern reports .indicate that some local censors a*re hacking scenes in- discriminately, leaving the continu- ity blurred, ai)d the entire film choppy and confused. Last Thursday (0) . in Memphis, scenes Involving Cab Calloway and his band were cut from United Artists' "Sensation of 1945.'' head "of the censor board pronouncing them ' inimical to t >e public interest." Re- viewers called the . rest of the film "patched up" and "confusing."' Lena Horne' "was similarily cut. out of "Broadway Rhythm/' when the Metro film played Memphis? although Hazel Scott's turn was not. Miss Horne was similarily snipped out of her last two films in several other southern cities, according to reports. Newsreel sequences showing Negi'o tioops have also been cut out in sev- eral.soothern towns, this fact not be- (Continued on page 32) Show Biz Group Drafts Movement to Stamp Out Racial Discrimination The Code Committee of the Emer- gency Entertainment .Industry Com- mittee has also taken vp the cudgels in tha fight to abolish racial dis- crimination. Committee is working on a code to be offered to the indus- ti'y for approval: Writers for radio, legit and pix, . actors, directors, broadcasters, producers and other groups are expected to sign a pledge guaranteeing:-cooperation in .elimi- nating caricatures of Negroes from P ays,' pix and' airers. Pledge .• will a}so include plali for .eliminating di^eiu.aiinationJn-^ppcirtuiiit.v, espe- cially i n the music field and Jim Crow practices in ail fields. .Proposed code is being drafted by Edward Chodorov,. author of the legiter, "Decision"; ; Peter Lyon, veepee of the Radio Writers Guild; •lid John C. Turner, of the NBC script dept. Servicemen Eye Pix For Post-War Jobs Film studios are getting floods of mail from serviceman, still in the Army or Navy, asking that their names be placed on the waiting list for jobs when they return to civilian life. ; -.''■":-" .''■'■'■ ' •■•'- - '-'.-'- , Applications for everything from messenger boy to actor have sho^vn a >"■»"" Increase iu the last i """l h _ Publicity departments are getting the most requests. -,.•''.' OPA Travel Ban Hitting Show Biz OPA officials during the past week began a nationwide crackdown on afV travelling,- necessary or other- wise; on Government business or for private industry, by train, plane or auto, in a move that has caused con- cern'in the entertainment industry. Despite the fact that a nationwide, fif-cfttes, tour of Hollywood stars c, behalf of the film industry's Firth War Loan drive resulted in the sale of $72,670,000 in bonds, the Govern- ment agency has requested the ces- sation of long trips, etc., by stars, in a group or singly. The Fifth Loan tour started June 7 in St. Louis and concluded in Washington July 4. with Gary Cooper, Ingrid Bergman. Veronica Lake. Marlene Dietrich. Betty Gtable. Al Jolson and Harry Akst, Ethel Merman. Martha O'Driscoll. Lt. Bill Holden, Pvt. John Payne. Den- nis O'Kecfe, Red Sketton. 'Paul Lu- ka.i: Ray ;B'61'ger, .GilLamb, Walter Abel, Helen Forrest, Oscar. Levant. (Continued on page, 3*> ; VAUDEVILLE FOLLOWS THE GI'S INTO ROME Good old-fashioned American vaudeville has followed-the G Is •veivinto Rome. Soldiers in' Rome have been piied with handbills . plugging non-stop shows presented at the Theatre Splendore daily . " For two. bits.'the bovs can see such acts as the Three Bonos/ billed as. international.' comedians": Helen ^•i'ey, tabbed as "die San -Francisco-' S^'ywopd Star." and Elena Quirici. we?famous Australian tap.dancer." . DEAL SET FOR 400G BUY OF LUNA PARK Deal for the .outright purchase of Luna Park.- for ...years one : of the world's outstanding amusement prop- erties, situated in Coney Island. N.Y.. is expected to be consummated this week for a price reported at $400,000. Purchaser is Bill Miller, New York and Coast talent agent, who.reveals lie's making a preliminary, payment of $275,006; rest on mortgage? '.< Miller, in association with the Dan- ziger brothers, has been operating Luna Park on a lease' for'the past tour seasons. Danzigers arc not in on. purchase, deal. Report that Charlie Morrison, Coast a^ent ami operator of the Mocambo nightclub in Holly- wood, was in on the L'uria Park deal, for . a $100,000 slice, has been dis- counted by. Miller, who em}?ha«.fee,v that he's all alone on the deal. Pru- dence Bond Corp.; N. Y., owner. U on other end of. deal. . .. ';. -. Miller will, not, make anv rndic.il J' ;'.> (.Continued on page 2} . 78 SHOWS TOPPING 43-44 See 24 Musicals, 52 Straight Plays, Compared to Total of 40 Skedded at Same Time Last Year PLENTY ANGEL COIN By JACK PULASKI With its shrinking, list of attrac- Iions, Broadway is at the low-water mark but planned shows for next season indicate the season of .1944-45 will be more productive tharr, dur- ing the year that endsrtf June 1. Not' co'tinting last month's Pops, there are 76 new shows listed for presenta- tion, which exceeds the total of pre- mieres on Broadway.-for all of last season. Of shows to come—24 are musics Is and 52 straight plays. At ,..'-..':• (Continued oh page 39) '•'•'•. Postwar Gay White Way With Trickier Lights Envisioned by Leigh A plan to revolutionize. Broad- way's one-time Gay White Way after the War. mainly through new-style, electric-sign advertising, is being projected by. Douglas Leigh, now a U. S. Navy Jieut., (j.g.), whose office controls 65'- of, the signs and sign space on Broadway. Leigh's post- war" plans, discussed' in.. N. Y. last week during a visit, involve new signs,, new lighting technique and new ideas, niariy borrowed from show business. . .-. , : ^S. , Bj-oadway.'s future signs; accord-, ins jo fcoisjt; will be ajj?i5.jriom;itit)n of'oile-1)lird" stage-set Idea,"one -ih ircl' Worlds Fan .exposition., idea, and onerthird old-type, electric sign. Signs will be three T dimensronal in- stead of the present one-dimension (Continued on page 36) Nervy N.Y. Bookie Moves Into Palace Bond Booth A new,high, in bookie' nerve came (0 light.. Thursday afternoon : (lit when a talker of horse bets planted hlmseti in the bond booth in the lobby of the Palace. N. Y,: where, among other things...j( was cooler to transact bu>indss on the pomes... • Charlie McDonald. RKO .division, manager who .has the Palace, hap-' ■period'by and started to question the- bookie, ' whereupon a 'cop who had been watching,: stepped tip and not only arrested thd guy.but also served" McDonald with, a formal' notice that -bookn'iaking • -was going on there. ■ The bookmaker had taken over the boo-h while the gii'l. who had been .-Oilst'g boniU and:btunuis there, went out to dinner, ■ .-■'•, Air Package Shows Planned to Sell Politics to Voters David 0. Selznick Aided Schulberg;, Now Reversed Hollywood, July 11, B. P. Schulberg is joining David O. Selznick and Vanguard Productions as assistant to Selznick and Daniel O'Shea. Vanguard prexy. He will act iu administrative capacity .on busi- ness.management for both organiza- tions/ ■..' ; . , Selznick was formerly assistant to ■ScTniTberg. w'tien" - faTter was .clTteTTTf Paramount productions. : ":'' ••-'.''■,-.' Ringling Season With some circus officials back in New, York early this week following a fire that leveled the Ringling. Bar- num & Bailey circus big top at Hart- ford Thursday (61 afternoon, caus- ing the death of 159 of the audience, it was conjectural whether, the show would-.attempt going out again this season. .- ; The equipment will be sent to win- ter quarters at Sarasota. Fla„ when and if it's released by Hartford au- thorities. All rolling stock, with the exception of a few ears, the. animals and all equipment on the, lot. has been attached pending a hearing next Monday to fix responsibility. The ensemble and 'most of the help are tinder salary, in the hope of, re- sumption, while ' the feature .'acts were advised to accept park and fair engagements.for the next four weeks if they desired. Most of -Oiie RBB people are living in the cars at. Hart- ford, and the cook tent is being main- tained..- , ' -'•-T'te-' «fk f Un i ?' * yi l ft! » i'i"::d-;y---(i' k-ft>'j34- • " <"Cosrt.i"'HH: ; d on Pag* il'.t . The political biggies—both Demo- cratic and Republican—are setliiuf up plans to step into show biz via radio on a big scale and are out i<> sell to the nation its next President by means of package shows. For the first time in political cam- paigning history, the Dems and Re- pubs are currently preparing for utilization of network facilities lor programs built around show biz pro-" duction lines. Discarding of thi sttaight oration technique is aimed at keeping awa ke the duii_tw_tsts:ii and reaching a maximum of the na- tion's listeners. ■ /•. On the basis of negotiation.s cut-- reutly under way, the .'■liome stretch'" electioneering spanning tlia inlerval between .the Ctiicago: con- ventions and the November ballot- ing will be anything but'a hit-and- miss affair. Instead, .the rival polrii- • cos are planning for the first time to : buy network time for regular weekly shows for a 13-week cycle on a ' tuna in same station, same time" basis. Heretofore it was just a case of grabbing single-time spots wherever' they wore available. Thus the steering committee boyi (Continued on page 18^ •'£.■ SEE PEACE NEAR ON PETRILLO'S DISC BAN . Meetings held Fridjy (7) and, Mon- day 11(11 among .lames C. Pctrillo, the War Labor Board and repre- sentatives of the National Broad- casting Company and the Columbia Broadcasting..System,'-.-point to the. imminent settlement of the record- ing ban. which l ias been i n ell eel almo f two years. ••• ■"': '. .. ': • Understood that the WI,B insisted upon Pelrillo. meeting with mem- be « ol the disc companies to work out a;i agreement whuh would pave the. way for the resumption of re- cordinr, actu'itie^. Another confab betv eon partici- pants is expected, shortly, at which time agreements ' would .be made conceriung the type and amount of roj'jUies to be paid to me American Fedeiulion of Musicians by Victor and Col-uiTbia and. the- control, to be exercived-by Pctrillo oyer such pay.- 1 men's ■ ' American Theatre Wing Cues Christian-Jew Ties Among Armed Services The American Theatre Wing is. best known for its Stage Door Can- teens, and. its additional multiple ac- tivities are generally recognized, but one of the Wing's little known ai-is loathe war effort is actually held-to be one of the top efforts by the the-- atrjcal:' -service organization, . Aivl that is in its pai'ticipation in the Nm- lionr.l-' Conference of Christians and. 1 j.'CiV^' nrncale nipvement which coun- Uin'i.Nazi racial .propaganda among' £'(H^?;tiVities,.aimed at bi'irtgi'rii;to- gether Christians and Jews. , Principal function of NCCJ is io send learns, of clergymen to the Army camps and Naval training stations' to break down racial antipathies that may . exist. Teams of three consist of a Catholic pi'iest, a -rabbi and • hu'nister. According to authentic rar ports made by the Conference, whose membership includes people of tlii stage and film studios who contri'j- (Continued on page. 42) ■ RADIO CHERBOURG BACK INTO OPERATION . " London; July 11. First radio station to go into fto- eralion fr6m liberated Freiij-h t«-, ritory was Radio Cherbourg, which stalled broadcasting today (Tucs.i.- Slaliori is being led by ABS1E. BBC and' the OWL'-,' ■ Vv;' - '-•' OWt provides material in French, with-local slanfv Rationing- 'ne'.wi and, gos.-'ip make up the bulk oi the air* if!£•■>. . ' •■"■: ■'■:.■ ,'