Variety (Jul 1944)

Wednesday, July 12, 1944 P&RIETY CHATTER 43 Broadway Arthur Caesar in town, first time in years. , '■■ \: 1 Theatrical attorney Max Chopnick to Hollywood; Louis Lotito suffering with sinus, goes to doctor daily. - Irene Hilda to Walter Jacobs' Lake Tarieton Club, Pike, N. H. John Garrity of the Shubert staff going to Coast on a vacation. It's now Major " William (Bill) Fields of the Canadian Army. . ■ - Marina holds over at the Waldorf when Guy Lombardb follows Cugat: Blaine Thompson now handling ad- vertising lor; "Follow the Girls," 44th Street. : One ticket spec who lost his license opened a hamburger stand at Long Beach. . ■ .. . Alec Moss, Par's exploitation head, away to the mountains for a 10-day V3C3Sn« * ■ ' ■ ■ ■ ■ /**"* Pat and Louise Harrington have taken a house at Manhasset, X. I., for summer. .-. . ' . -• ' • ■ :; -■ Hal Peary (Gildersleeve) due in town tomorrow from the Coast on vacation. . Gitz Rice is master of musical ac- tivities at Columbian hotej, Hurley- ville, N. y. Lt. Eddy Duchin, USN, was in the invasion operation at the Normandy beachhead. *. Gloria Bristol, Hollywood beauty consultant, in town doing the shows and niteries, * Dave Palfreyman, Hays office ex- ecutive, bedded by severe summer cold last week. . Joseph Cotten, star of "Since You Went Away." in town for preem at Capitol. July 20. V '..' Dave Vine, vaude and nitery comic, -seriously ill with pneumonia at French hospital. ■:' Walter Gould, UA foreign mana- ger, hosted by his staff.at luncheon on birthday, July 7. - v ; Michel Mok has joined the Earle Ferris flackery and will handle its theatrical accounts. Larry Clinton now a captain, com- missioned at the Army Air Force Field. Greenville, Miss. Pauline Koner; concert dancer, now dance director at Green Man- ..sions, Wartensburg, N. Y.,_v . George Jean Nathan vacationing; won't write Journal-American column until next month. Reconditioned America hotel on 47th street has three floors set aside exclusively for service men. Leonard. Traube left Ivan Black publicity office, to fill in as associate in the J ean Dalrymple office. "Whiskey for Sale" signs pasf¥d"on" some liquor stores for first time since alleged booze shortage started. Kay Buckley grooming pre-Holly- wood in summer stock with Lewis Charles' Allentown (Par) troupe. Mike Todd toying with idea of producing another edition this fall of his successful "Star and Garter." Mrs. William Kurtz, wife of the manager of the Rialto, recuping at home following serious operation. Shuberts bought W. Horace Schmidlapp's road production of "Let's-Face It" for a reported $1,500. Austin C. Keough, v.p. and general counsel for Paramount, to the Berk- shires the end 1 of week for a vacash. Clifford C. Fischer, the agent, just missed going to Hartford to catch an act with the Ringling circus by a freak cancellation. :. ": Janet Beecher, undeterred by "Slightly Scandalous" fiasco, staying east all summer to read scripts for a possible fall vehicle.. ...\ v v James B. Zabin, general manager of the Cinema circuit (Max A. Co- hen) has written a novelette in this fho'uth's issue of Mayfair. Hilario Montenegro, theatre oper- ator of Nicaragua, here to buy sound projection machines and other elec- trical apparatus for theatres. ■ Herbert V. Gellendre and Richard Purcell will spend summer revising book'of folk opera, "Africana," which they'll produce next autumn. Sardi's join: the list of cafes shut- ting down. Closes from July 24 to Aug. 8, there being no replacements for help, latter going on vacation. Tony Buttitta, associate p.a. in the Jean Dalrymple office, now writing a novel. "No Sleep Till Spring." about an abstract painter in the war. . v- : ' . -.; .;■:-'-' ■•;..;■ ■ : .-_'■•. Richard Skinner in N. Y. last week to cast players for "Lightnin'," which the Bucks Playhouse will do in Phil- ly week of July 17 with Fred Stone in lead. Song-writing team of Julie Stync and Sammy Cahn has been signed by Dave Wolper to write tunes for Wol- per s forthcoming revue, "Have a Good Time." Harry G. Sommers and Abe En- klcwit.z, who managed the National "."bought by the Shuberts) have moved offices to New Amsterdam Theatre building. . .Lt. Marvin Grieve, formerly of the Warner h o. art department, is in town on leave .after two years of army air force duty in the Euro- pean war theatre. . - • •, . ■ Joseph A. McConville, Columbia's ; foreign sales chief;.returned to N. Y. from England last week. Joe Fried-: man, company's managing director in Britain, accompanied him back. Richard Sanford, appearing in ■•' Blithe Spirit," at Jacoby, Playhouse, Cedarhurst, L. I„ played with Noel Coward in the Philippines, and was only recently released from a Jap prison camp. . Fred Waring, the maestro, having bought the Shawnee <Pa.) country club, Arthur Brown, its former man- ager, is now operating the hostelry at Monaquaga Deposit, N. Y., which draws the show bunch. Harold Ehrichs, business mgr. of '"Variety," attempted to stow a, 75- pound block of ice on his 35-foot boat. The ice dropped and broke— and so did his big toe. He'll be in- capacitated a short while. A series of unhappy July 1 events made Bob Benchley aware of that date as his unlucky day, hence he switched reservations on the Chief west that day. But for' that he might have been in the wreck, Peggy Richardson, erstwhile vaude and musicomedy singing come- dienne, recently victorious, in a breach of contract suit by a Brook- lyn nitery, has retired to her Pa. farm with her husband and two young sons, Theatre Guild giving press cock- tail party to introduce new members of the "Oklahoma" <St. James) cast at the. Hampshire House today. They are Harry Stockwell, Evelyn Wyck off, Edna Skinner, Murvyn Vye and David Thihmar Officers of Publicity Club of N. Y. for the coming year include William P. Maloney. of BBD&O ad agency, president; Ted Baldwin, publicist with Columbia Pictures, recording secretary;. and Austin J. Scanneli, BBD&O, member of the board. Warner h o. and studio in Burbank observed two . minutes of silent prayer at 3 p.m: Friday (7) out of respect to A. M. Saloman, former manager of the Teddington studio in London, who Was killed by a robot bomb explosion in England two. weeks ago. ; Grover Judson McLallen, who did vaude act (McLallen and Sarah) is being sought by De Baun & Wester- velt, Hackensack, N. J., law firm anent property he has in Oradell N. J. They are seeking him to cir- cumvent possible foreclosure on the sizable parcel of ground. London Chicago Lt. Robert Taylor stopped, over en route to his new station in New Or- leans. ■ , • Pat O'Brien made pa. at the Pal- ace Friday (7.);in-connection with a war bond preem. Winnie Hoveler Dancers added to the show at the Pan-American Room of—the-LaSalle-hotels— _^_h_ — Art Catlin has resigned as local exploitation man at the RKO Ex- change. No successor yet. Harry Richman left for a fishing trip in Canada following his four weeks at the Chicago- theatre: ' Rialto theatre will be Paramount in September when, burley goes out and a stage band policy goes in. •'•'•. Katherine Warren is back in "Kiss and Tell" at Harris after vacation during which Lila Lee played role. Les Crosley. former piano player of Raymon Ramos orch, now heads own band at the Camilla House at the Drake. Jeanne Guest, captain of the Ab- bott Dancers at the Palmer House, will be married Aug. 4 to Lieut. Rob- ert Butler. Frank Smith* newly appointed RKO's district manager, was cock- tailed at the Bismarck hotel. Sol A. Schwartz acted as host. "Countess Maritza" will be the fourth of the summer operetta pro- ductions at the Civic Opera House, opening July 21 for two weeks.; Tommy Thompson has been trans- ferred from Kansas City to head the 20th-Fox publicity department here, succeeding Jay Fraftk who goes to Kansas City. Danny Thomas, who has just com- pleted a USO Overseas camp tour, has signed a 12-week contract to appear at the Chez Paree. Opening date not set yet. Latin Quarter is absorbing half of the 20% nitery tax, passing only 10% on to the customer. Rule went into effect last Friday (7) with the open- ing of Ted Lewis orch, which is pack- ing 'em in. Denis Du-For, former USO-Camp Shows supervisor working out of Chicago, is receiving high praise around Raniona Park. Grand Rapids, Mich., for his production of "Naughty Marietta." Du-For is now produc- tion manager of the Grand Rapids Municipal Opera company. Elkan Simons has taken Dan Leno, Jr., into partnership. Teddy Brown cancelling his vaude work due to heart attack. Tom Arnold looking for musical to star George Formby in the West End. Johnny Riscoe released from the Intelligence Corps after over three years service; New Ian Hay comedy has changed its title from "Home and Forces" to "We Are Seven." Geraldo and band signed for tour of France entertaining British and American troops. , Ernie. Lotinga back in work, after a stroke, and now rehearsing his new revue, "Barnacle Bill." ■'- Eric Portman 'tbing into manage- ment, and intends starring himself in new play titled "Zero. Hour.". ; . Phenias Balcon, out of the Air Force after four years; now in charge of government work in the prov- inces. Artie Shaw's band, minus Shaw, over here, being led by Sam Dono- hue, sax player, playing American camps. When "Emma," play . starring Anna Neagle, comes to town. H. M. Tennent, will Have no shows touring the sticks, almost a record. Lord Nuffield Trust spending $36,- 000 in repairing Cafe de Paris, which was damaged by 1940 blitzes. Will open as hotel for the Forces. Reported the Lunts intend to re- vive "The Guardsman" after their current success "There Shall Be No Night," currently at Aldwych th.ea- tre. ;-~ ".' Bernard Delfont is holding up pro- duction of "Susan and God," which he intends doing in' association, -with. Georgie Wood, till Second Front situation dears: Ealing Studios have acquired screen rights Of "Junction . X," a radio feature that dramatized 12 hours in the life of a railway term- inus during the war. • .;' Micky Hyams, now a private in U. S. Army, was recognized by Molly Picon while touring the camps. Lat- ter was so surprised she jumped off the stage and kissed; him. Harold Berens. out of hospital after long siege with spinal trouble. Has now started film ' Man From Morocco," for Associated British Picture Corp., which stars Anton Walbrook. "I Live in Grosvenor Square," original written by an American pri- vate, is to be used by Herbert Wil- cox as starrer for Anna Neagle and Robert Morley. Shooting starts in September. .;■''.-.' - —Br uc e Tr ent- -is—to—star—in—Tom Arnold-Jack "Waller production of 'By Jupiter," which means he will have to quit Bernard Delfont's "Stu- dent Prince" revival at Stoll's thea- tre, Kmgsway. Henry Sherek, just discharged from Army, who is to produce Johann Strauss's "Three Waltzes," with Evelyn Laye heading cast, has signed Esmond Knight to play . op- posite her; Alexander Korda's "Perfect Stranger," which he is doing for Metro, from Gerald Keish script, is being directed by Korda because Wesley Ruggles walked out in dis agreement over script. " : After two years' run in the prov- inces, Charles L. Tucker's agency has withdrawn George Black's Lon- don Hippodrome hit "tip Orchids for Miss Blandish;" with show ex pected to resume run later this summer. ;. Because .American authors want 12% royalties for "Rosalinda," Eer nard Delfont intends to stage show in London, using English adaptation being prepared by Austin Melford and George Bernaur from "Die Fie dcrmous." Two-Cities Films has purchased Noel Coward's "Blithe Spirit." to be 'made into film, for $320,000. Deal wills for spreadover payment of eight years, at rate of . $32,000 per year. Arthur Rank is behind deal, and will be made for Eagle-Lion release. IS - - .... By I.es Ree* Curly's nitery absorbing half of 20% cabaret tax. Dawn Carroll and Leolita into Andy's-nightclub'. , : . '-:•;• Dwight'.Fiske held over at Hotel Radisson Flame.Room, . .: . : . W. A. Steffes back to his northern Minnesota estate for the summer. Dorothy Lewis ice .show doing boff biz at Hotel Nicollet Minnesota Ter- race, .' ■' - - ' Radio City here and St.. Paul Par- amount to hold war bond premieres July 24. .,'.•■- G, E. Sessler, Paramount sales manager, back on job after two-week visit in Winnipeg. North Dakota broke all its pre- vious records by chalking up 241 bond and free movie shows for the fifth war loan drive. motion manager, has left Sun-Tele- graph to go with the Chicago Sun. Paul Krumenackers celebrated 25th wedding anniversary last Week and Dave Kimmelmans their 19th. Mrs. Harry Finley, wife of man- ager of Johnstown's Hollywood the- atre, in hospital for major surgery. Jack McCarthy, owner of "21" res- taurant, and Herman Busch have taken over Canary Inn, East Liberty. Pvt, Bruno Brizzi, a projectionist at Liberty in Donora before going info service, killed in action in Italy. Lt. Chuck Steinhauser, the radio editor's lad, transferred from Fort Benning, Ga., to Camp Hood, Texas. Natalie Core, just signed as an- nouncer by Blue Network, a gradu- ate Of the Carnegie Tech drama school. Bob Stewart on drums for Will Scharbo's band, replacing Jack■ Can- celing "Who", has- gone with . Marty Gregor. Dave Mei-cur, brother of Mercur Brothers, who own Music Bar, has been made a flight officer in the glider corps. New pianist at Jack McCarthy's "21" is George Overholt. in after road tour' with Joe Howard's "Gay Nineties Revue." ■ Hilda Zerelstein. NSS office man- ager, and her sister, Arlene; WB shorts booker, -Jjoth had tonsils clipped on the same day. Hymie Weinstein has taken over management of Trelon again with departure of his brother-in-law. Jack Kluchman, for Marines. ; Hollywood Australia By Eric Gorrick Charles Chauvel will finish "Rats of Tobruk" soon. ' . '• Ice skating is booming here with coming, of-.cold'weather.'- Edgeley and Dawe playing "Aren't Men Beasts" for Fuller-Carroll. . .', "White Cargo" repeat doing okay in New Castle for Fuller-Carroll. Maurice Sloman. former Victorian chief for Hoyts, married recently in Sydney. Edgeley and Dawe playing "Aren't Men Beasts" for Fuller-Carroll in Newcastle. Anticipated that Cyril Richard and Madge Elliott will come this way after African trek, Annette Kellerman still stages shows for Red Cross, and is active in other war work; , Lieut. Charles Mayer, formerly a 20th-Fox Far East rep,- now here with U. S. Army. :" ■ ■ Lynn Cowan is readying a big sol- dier show for dating around the -Southwest-Pacific, Pittsburgh By Hal Cohen Irene Wagner; of National Screen Service, marrying Rudy Liebov.itz July 20. Sol Heller; skippe'r of old Yacht Club, okay again alter being laid low* by arthritis. Bob Gill will open fall, and winter season at Playhouse with "Skin of Our Teeth." . Elaine Beverly. Maurice. Spitalny's singer, and Cpl. Harold Shapiro will get married July 23. Sid Dickler has a birthday coming up the 19th, and a wedding anniver- sary two days later. : Jimmie McKean. the kid drummer, has organized his. own band and is now at the Colonial. Radio gal Florence Sando won $1,000 War Bond raffled off by Pitts- burgh Drama League. •■■■...-' Zarco and Beryl, late of "Let's Face It," opened return engagement at Nixon Cafe Monday. Jeannie Regal, Brad Hunt's singer, engaged to Petty Oflicer Ray Crum- mie. band's former oiaiiist. Mary Wentling, Playhouse flack, who joined • Red' Cross as a field worker, has arrived in England.- ' Josie Natale, wife of Frank Nafale, soldier-musician now overseas, is new lens girl at Vogue Terrace. .'. Owen Chambers, circulation pro- Boy Meets Girl" is doing okay in Sydney for Whitehall Productions. Hal Thompson has lead; ; • .-.':".. Wirth's circus still doing okay around, the Victorian stix. Doris Wirth is in charge of unitT . Censor ordered some cuss words out of "Tobacco Road" during New- castle run for Fuller-Carroll. Alf Carmichael, Aussie sales man- ager for U. A; who quit recently, probably will join another distrib. Williamson-Tait reviving "Mikado" at Royal, Sydney, to good biz. No outcry against this Nip-themed G-S opera. Wallace Parnell, Tivoli loop chief, is lending vaude-revue units to aid in Australia's first Victory Loan cam- paign. Sir Ben Fuller hopes to buy some New* York plays soon for showing here in association with Garnett Carroll. < Allan Williamson, Aussie repre- sentative of Gaumont-British, re- leasing via 20th, celebrated 47 years in industry.. . -• - . .' Gracie Fields is reported as ready to come this way for troop entertain- ment via the Australian Broadcast- ing Commission. Cecil Marks, once in charge of United Artists in this zone, and then with 20th-Fox, has quit latter and may enter exhibitor field. "This Is Army" is doing terrific biz in Australia on the Waterman loop. "Army" looks like being one of top money-makers to be released here, U. S. War Department films "Bat- tle for Russia": and "Our Enemy Japan" are on loan to Aussie gov- ernment to boost sale war bonds. Harry Watt appointed an ac- credited war correspondent via De- partment of Information;; he's here to make a film covering Australia's war effort. .-V- Major Lynn Cowan still hopeful of being able to stage hi? Soulier Show in Sydney around next spring. Cowan is now in- charge-of 16-mm. pictures down here. George Griffith has been appointed Hoyts' supervisor in Tasmania, in addition to caring for Hoyts' Mel- bourne loop. First job is to build new theatre in Hobart. You have to buy tickets six days in advance to see a vaude-revue show in Sydney. Tivoli vaude loop, doing sock biz, despite the war, lack of talent from overseas. , ./ No deal as yet on contract renewal between British Empire Films, under the' G.U.T. tent, and Ealing. "San Demetrio, London" has been .-old to Hoyts by Syd Gresham, Ealing s local rep. ■ '.;". .'. . ' ; ,'; . ;'.. Norman Rydge, head of Greater Union, has renewed product deal with Par. Anticipated that G.U.T. will spot "Bell" on dual date with Dan Carroll's Prince Edward, Syd- ney, and State, Sydney, in near fu- ture. '-■.'-.' ■;; '.»/: '.'- . - ■'.- .•'-'•. * ■ - '•■-. Marie McDonald is 21. Robert Wilrhot laid up with strep throat. . '.;.'. James A. FitzPatrick to Mexico on film biz. ' :•; •. :■'';'• ; . . .,. ' Louis B. Mayer celebrated 50th birthday. -.- Ann Miller reported a $1,250 jewel burglary. •?; Dorothy Lamour laid up With laryngitis, . ■■■ ,' ; ,-,"•'- ; Anne Shirley in the hospital for observation. * . - Will H. Hays in town on his 23d annual visit. Edward Sutherland sunning at. Palm Springs. . .. Arch Reeve hospitalized with tomach ulcers. Joe Wingy Manone, band leader, sued for divorce. Artur Rubinstein to Mexico City for violin concerts, . Gregory Ratoff recovering from gallstone operation, . Ward Bond will not contest his' wife's divorce suit. Jackson Parks joined Samuel Gold- wyn's publicity staff. Sumer Singer in town on business for Buchanan & Co. Sydney Greenstreet laid up for 10 days with bronchitis. Charles Dingles celebrated 28th wedding anniversary. .. Errol Flynn ordered to appear July 29 on a traffic charge. ■ ' Charles Starrett riding for Colum- bia in his 80th galloper. . . ; : . Al Jolson returned from a bond- selling and hospital tour, Gloria Hallward's new screen name is Gloria Grahame. Betty Hutton bought Johnny Hyde's home in Beverly Hills. Jimmie Lydon, playing his -first serious role, is now James Lydon. . N. Peter Ralthvon in town for 10 days after vacationing in Mexico City. Richard Arlen bought Edward Dmytryk's home in San Fernanda Valley. . Major Jerry Sackheim returning to pictures after two years in . the Army. Lucius Boomer, Waldorf-Astoria chief, in town as guest of Louis B. Mayer. Ruth Warrick to lecture on drama for summer class at Stevens tMo.) College. *•'..- . - -.-'.,": John W. Considine, Jr., returned to work at Metro after an operation on his knee. William Schneider in from New York for advertising huddles with -SamUe 1- Go) dwy-n, —;—: ^_ Morton Spring, Loew's Interna- tional Corporation prexy, in town for Metro huddles. Walter Pidgeon to Milwaukee to recruit women workers for an Army signal battery plant.* Bob. Crosby joined the Fifth Ma- rine Division at Camp Pendleton as a second lieutenant. Frances Farmer returned to her Seattle home after two years' treat- .jnent for nervous breakdown. •< Lieut. Fred Poulson, former RKO fiack. in town on furlough after be- ing decorated for flying in China. Ursula Hehdrickson, cover girl, filed suite for divorce against Alton Hendrickson, member of Rudy Val- lee's Coast Guard band. Ed Leshin's two-year-old horse, White Cargo, won a race at Caliente and a job in a forthcoming picture, to be produced by Leshin. Martha Scott going east for Rose Frankcn's "Soldier's Wife," slated for August break-ins in Baltimore and Washington. William Meloney pro- ducing, with Glenn Anders,* Jean Dixon ^and Myron McCormiek pre- viously set. ... Setting a record for continuous run of any one play at the same house, "The Drunkard" began its 12th year at the Theatre Mart here last Thursday. Play, originally pro- duced by P. T. Barnum in 1843. has rung up 4,015 performances, since its inception July 6, 1933. Mexico City Bonnie Baker here for two weeks. Stella Roman of the Met is in town for a Mexican opera series. Escandort, new film house, opened at Tacubaya, suburb of city. . Luis Farias, announcer at radio station XEW, to N. Y- for special Work. '•■ - : ■ ;•'. : .•'•••'.- ' ■ ■', .'» -■: .: ( -':', '' Picture directors union campaign- ing for minimum pay of $15,000 iMex) per pic. Enrique Pascual, Cuban operator of six big cinemas in Panama, here to book Mexican pix. • ' ; Raquel Rubinstein, 18-year-old pianist, will debut with Symphonic Orchestra of Mexico. Joan Page, who didn't return to U. S. with the A. B. Marcus show, booked at the Rossignol. Consuelo Velazquez,' composer of 'Besame Mucho," to Hollywood to write the music for a Warner pier . Sam Seidelman, ex-Par manager here, stopped oyer on way from Buenos Aires, where he is now UA manager, to N. Y. James B. Cassidy, independent pro- ducer from Hollywood, looking over Mexican locations for filming of "Green Mansions." . Lupe Velez, who recently made "Zandunga" and "Nana." readying:* third Mex film. "Nana" is so torrid it's being booked as only for adults.