Variety (Jul 1944)

WAR ACTIVITIES P^RIETY Wednesday, July 19, 1944 'E Yank,'Amy Blueprint Show, Has Most of Personnel From Amus. Biz Although "Hi, Yank," Armyt- Special Services' new . blueprint show, will, be all-Gl in production and performance, the majority of the personnel concerned will have come from show business ranks. The new production, second in the series of shows designed for World-wide dis- tribution so that-GI's anywhere, can play them, will have its premiere at Fort Dm. N-. J., Aug, 7. A full-length musical based on characters and departments in Yank,, the Army . weekly, the show .has its music written by Pvt. Frank Loes- ser, who did most of the score for the first blueprint show, "About Face." Capt. Hy Gardner, ex- Brooklyn Eagle columnist and Broadway press agent, is producing. Associate directors, cast and musi- cians, were all drawn from Fort Dix ranks; Director is Cpl. David E. Fitzgibbon, ex-hitery dance director; stage , director is Sgt. John Foster, from radio, and musical director is. Sgt. Bunny Scott, former "Ben Bernie trumpeter. ■■.'■>'' ■ Actors include 'W-professipnals Sgts. Jerry Toman. Robert Evans, ■William Doherly, Jay Lundy, David Brooks, Clair R. Bixel; Cpls. Bobby Faye, Vincent Mitchell, Edwin Koss, George Leffertz; Pvts. Sam Ostrpw, Joshua Kurzwell, Rudy Grinbaum, Stan Loman, Glenn Fults, Musicians, most from name bands, include: Cpl. Rudy Traylor; Pvts, Joseph Ferrante, Julius Jussim, Ira S. Cohen, Harry Siracuse, Lyden de Young, Dave Bedal, James E. Speed, Milton Fink and Bernard Smith. Sgt, Edward M. Rice, ex-N. Y. tub-thumper, is biz and press.director. "Hi, Yank" will have rehearsed three weeks by time of opening per- formance Aug. 7; ' High-ranking Army officials and drama critics from New York and" Philadelphia will attend the premiere, odd angle being that the critics, only civilians invited to attend, will be asked to submit Jdeas or suggestions for inv provement before final blueprint of show is sent out. Blueprints for ''About Face," first show of the series which was tried but at Camp Shanks, N. Y., May 26, is now ready for distribution. Unlike "Hi, Yank," the first show had some material" written by civilians, most of them Broadway scriveners. Army Special Services' N. Y; ofl'ices sup- plied all' "Hi. Yank" material. Judith Anderson In Aussie for Camp Shows Judith Anderson arrived.'in Aus- tralialast \veek with , a USO-Camp ShTJws unit to play camps on the kangaroo circuit for several weeks- Actress is traveling : with a mixed variety and concert unit which in- cludes Albert Hay Ma lo'tte. composer .of "The Lord's Prayer;" Helen Mc- Cl.ure. .singer;'-. Anne Triolo, accor- dionist, and Shirley Cornell,: violinist. Miss Anderson. ..wilt do.' dramatic scehes and skits, and sing. Actress was in 'Hawaii last .year, entertaining troops by doing Shakes- pearean excerpts with Capt. Maurice Evans, with whom she did "Macbeth" on Broadway. ".....'- Francis, Warner Baxter, Bainter in Hosp Tours Several film stars have signed up with USO-Camp Shows for hospital tours this month. Kay Francis will visit Army and Navy general hos- pitals in the Pacific Northwest July 26 through Aug. 6: Warner Baxter will visit California hospitals same period. Fay Bainter will tour east coast hospitals July 23 through Aug. 4. Edgar Bergen and Frances Wester- man are joining a regular hospital unit in the midwest today (19), working through July 29. Groucho Marx winds up a hospital tour in Santa Fe. N, M., tomorrow (20). Inside-Pictures 'Meet Wife'Skit Does So Weil Others Skedded On'Purple Heart'Circuit "Meet the Wife," first of con- densed, versions »of old legit sue-, cesses which USO-Camp Sho\vs is trying on its hospital circuit, is going over well. As a result other scripts, are being lined up for re- visions and casting. "Wife" sketch, condensation of old Mary Boland hit, runs 20 minutes, using three play- ers from the legit, Gertrude Bryan, Rudolph J. Watson and Jeffrey Warnick. ; . Sketch fits in nicely in a unit, fill- ing the secondary comedy gap caused by shortage of comedy acts as well as smacking of old-time vaudeville. Industry looks To 6th War Loan Escaped Detection 10 Mos. in Rumania After Plane Was Shot Down Memphis, July 18. E. R. Gillette, owner-and operator of the nabe Bristol theatre here and the Rilz at Dyersburg, Tenn., is cele- brating. ' On Aug. 12; 194.3, the local show- man was notified that his son was "missing in action" following the first air raid on the Ploesti oil fields 'in Rumania. Young Lieut. M. R. Gillette was a bombardier on one of the B-24's lost in the foray.- Noth- ing was heard from him thereafter. A week ago, a telephone call from New York brought.father and son to- gether '-again,",the first word the Gil- lettes had heard from the lieutenant in 11 months. Back in Memphis, Lieut. Gillette. revealed, that he had hidden in Rumania after his plane was shot down and had remained there for 10 months and 16 days, without being captured before mak- ing his-escape. He came home with a Distinguished Flying'Cross, Dis- tinguished . Unit Badge. . a Purple Heart, and "a piece of flak, in the fanny.''; .' :',.,.','..-.■; .'■•.','.•■'; '" MUSIC CIRCLES STIRRED BY USO TALENT GRIPE Attempt for more top-name con- cert talent to go overseas to enter- tain troops, made by USO-Camp Shows veepee Lawrence M. Phillips last week, has stirred a. mild tempest in music circles. Some artists point out that they're helpless, being booked by their managers for con- certs as much as a year, ahead. Others, point out that where, years ago, a U. S. music season consisted of six months' winter work, it" runs now. the whole year around, with summer outdoor concerts, and spring and fall festivities overlapping a winter season. • Cainp Shows officials, advise that several artists have come "forward- to offer their services since .Phillips' complaints but that these artists Couldn't stand offsfiore rigors. Sev- eral present-day headliners. like Ezio Pinza and Vivien della Chiesa. although singing at present on the Coast,, with a San Francisco autumn opera season to follow, are trying to cut short their bookings and get in an overseas trip before the regular winter Metropolitan Opera season in New. York. With the Fifth War Bond cam- paign in the closing stages, industry leaders are already preparing plans for the Sixth War Loan drive schedr pled later for this year, probably November. . . Meantime, Bob 6'Donnell, na- tional chairman of the motion pic- ture industry's Fifth War Loan cam- paign, has issued an appeal to ex- hibitors asking for reports on bond sales to be mailed to National Com- mittee headquarters in N. Y. July 27. With exhibitors continuing their bond-selling efforts through July at the request of the U. S. Treasury, closing has been set for July 27 in- stead of July 8; Postcard report forms are now in the hands of the printers and will be mailed from N.Y. to every ex- hibitor in the country. "The Na- tional Committee," stated O'Donnell, "has devoted a lot of thought and concentration to devising the report in the simplest possible form for the exhibitor to fill out and yet give jus complete, information. Unless I these reports are mailed in to the National Committee, the magnificent showing made by the exhibitors and thfijndustry will be absolutely lost." Film company home officesTnTNTYT have extended their drives to have employees buy ; extra ; War Bonds, through July. All home offices will exceed their quotas, on the basis of current sales. Charles C. Moskowitz^- general chairman of the -N.Y-. metropolitan area, has made arrangements to pre- sent a special Army War Bond show at Loew's Kings theatre, Brooklyn, July 28. Titled "Stars and Gripes I of 1944," production includes more ! than 100 Army personnel .from the Special Services division at Fort Hamilton. Admission will be'through purchase, of bonds from $25 to $500. Several other theatres in the N.Y. area are presenting War Bond film preems during the next-two weeks. Arthur L. Mayer, veteran theatre operator who owns the Rialto. N Y and since the war has been devoting virtually all his time as assistant coordinator of the War Activities Committee, has written an article, "Fact Into Film," for the summer edition of The Public Opinion Quarterly in ■which he says, in part: "We are witnessing the long-awaited recognition of the motion picture as a primary source of public information and education. A tremendous power for good or evil has attained maturity. . . . General Marshall re- cently said that the Second World War has seen the development of two new weapons: the airplane and the motion picture. The juxtaposition will seem startling to the average moviegoer whose neighborhood theatre has ■ featured the feats ol aviation but shown only a glimpse of the revolution I that is taking place in: its, own backyard. That glimpse, consisting chiefly j of Government-sponsored shorts, scarcely suggests the transformation that war has wrought in the field of fact films." In his rather lengthy article, Mayer predicts that the educational pictures of the future will be made not on|y for children but also for adults. . , • • Producer Lester Cowan submitted a revised script to the War Dept on "G.T. Joe," film made from.Ernie Pyle's bestseller, "Here Is Your War." He expects to begin shooting Aug. 1, hopes to have the picture ready for release on Armistice Day. In the changed: script the action will include; the Normandy beachhead and the fight to capture Cherbourg. While here Cowan suggested that Lt. Burgess Meredith be released to play Ernie Pyle. If this is not possible Cowan hopes to get Walter Brennah for the war correspondent. While Jimmy Gleason closely resembles Pyle in physical qualities, producer felt audiences'would associate him with Jimmy Gleason as a type character. Lee Miller, Pyle's business manager, is-written into the revised script and will go to Hollywood to play himself. On book royalties and syndicate rights Pyle is now making about $50,000 a year. He has told his syndicate that when lie returns from the battle front he will want to sit down and write a column leisurely, without trav- eling about the country. Publishers are after him for another book and he may accept this offer for Volume 2 on the world conflict. Jake Wilk, eastern story editor tor Warner Bros., recalls that when he was advance man for William A. Brady in 1910, that veteran producer hired a newcomer playwright, George B. Seitz by name. It's the same Seitz, who died recently, better known to this generation for his "Hardy Family" series at-Metro. Brady Wanted Seitz to "modernize" classics such as "Prisoner of Zenda," but when both he and James K. Hackett, Brady's star, balked, Steitz" dug a play up of his own writing called "The King's Game." Wilk was in advance of it, and it played a one-night "death trail" from Seattle (where it opened) to New Orleans to Montreal, without ever getting to Broadway. Despite its full season's route; it was a flop, but Hackett had a play-or-pay With Brady and wouldn't settle, so he toured this five-people, single-set show, written by Seitz, to meagre business. ; That William Bennett, business representative of the Washington. D. C, stagehands union, Local No. 22, is likely to run again for the presidency of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees is indicated by a printed card he is sending out showing the strength he marshalled at the recent St. Louis convention. Although there was a difference of 161 votes, Richard F.; Walsh, IA president, having polled-577, Bennett 416, it's pointed out that Bennett lacked a majority of only 81 votes. A majority of the. total of 993 votes cast would have been 497. Though Bennett has not otherwise indicated he will try again for the IA presidency two years -hgnnfy.his ..ha ckers ;irp p repared to urge h is candidacy. . Although "An American Romance" has not gone out on distribution, Ann Richards, who has the principal ferhme role in the picture, is reportedly off the Metro lot. Not officially explained as yet but understood that Miss Richards resembles Greer Garsoii somewhat in looks and mannerisms: Richards girl was known as Shirley Ann Richards when she appeared in a Metro: picture made in Australia. She is an Aussie actress who.made the unusual jump from Down Under to a topflight American production, Metro reputedly having stink close to $3,750,000 into "Romance." ,,'""; \.>'; Special offering of 34,000 common shares of 20th-Fox made on N. Y. Stock Exchange last week was oversubscribed in 26 minutes. White. Weld Si Co. handled the sale With commissions of 50c per share going to dealers. There were 47. firms involved in picking, up the shares.' •:~ This-js the us^ial procedure when some person, wants to dispose of shares and does not want to : disturb" the market by" dumping them at -the-- regular ticker quotations.. ... , . • . ■ ' .« "What Next," USO-Camp Shows unit traveling the 'domestic Victory circuit, now has a newspaper of its own, the Weekly Beef, put out by one of: the acts, Taylor Trout, com- edy, hoop spinner. '. .'; ; ".- ;''"-' Gable Starts Pic in Fall Hollywood. July 18. Clark" Gable, currently vacation- ing oh an Oregon, ranch...will return to. thesping in autumn, with "Strange Adventure' tentatively slated by Metro as his reentry into pictures. Meanwhile, the ; actor must wind' up his editing job on a special pic ture for. the Army. , . .. . ' . ' . .': MONTGOMERY'S FURLOUGH ",-', Hollywood, uly 18. Lt.' .Commander Robert Mont- gomery, USNR, planed into town for a two-week leave, .visiting' his wife and' daughter whom he hasn't seen for six m'onths, [ , /-."' ,;" He commanded a. U. S. destroyer in the D-Day invasion. -..:' ; .■■:.' ' L.A. to N.Y. Dana. Andrews; Joseph Cotteh. .■ ■ Galen Drake.. - - . i . Frank Fenton. Roger Fern. . ... , Maj.. Monroe Green thai..': -.- Lieut. Col,.William Keighley. Abe Lastfogel.;.' Jack Moss; V \ William Phillips. . .. ',':'.."' June Freisser N. Peter Rathvon. Lynn Root.. Luci.en A. Sauva'ge. '.. r , ■Sam Sham. ■-'..'. Howard da Sitva.- Murray . Silvei Morte. - Spy-ros Skouras. John Warburlon. Coy Williams. • ■,';'' Wendell Williams.'. Henny Youngman.: Fred Zimmerman." N.Y. to Roy Disney. Gerald Goode. Dick. Mack. •Mrs. Walter Wincholl L.A. Plenty of Bonds Here •..Philadelphia. July 17. .Four special premieres at local Warner - houses resulted in the sale of-$5:232.000 'worth- of bonds. ' A premiere at the Boyd, sponsored by the Navy League, netted $3,265,- 625: one at the Shubert. sponsored by the Hadassah, $1,818,000: Colonial, sponsored by the police and em- ployees of the Signal Corps depot, $141,900, and one .at the Nixon, sponsored by the American Legion women's auxiliary, $3,950. In addition, three out-of-town Warner houses—Warner. Atlantic City: State, Hanover; and Warner, Wilmington—reported $8,887,350 for bond premieres, held June 23—mak- ing a grand total of $14.1.19.425 for the seven houses reporting, thus far. Gary Cooper will be competing with himself in four high-budget pictures if Warners releases "Saratoga Trunk" for the autumn market. Now'in distribution or ready for release are Paramount's "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and "Dr. Wassell," and international's "Casanova Brown." With three separate distribution companies involved, Cooper may even find him- self as a rival on opposite sides of ihe same street. :■; "Song of Bernadetfe" received a second publicity break in The Evange- list, official weekly of the Albany Catholic Diocese and sometime outspoken critic of motion pictures, when it front-paged (7) an item that Albany nuns were to see the film through the courtesy of Everett Stutz. manager of Colonial. Stutz made arrangements with Brother Charles. F.S.C., di- rector of the La Salle Boys School, to show the 20.th-Fox feature. 'Going My Way'GI's No. 1 . 'T Hollywood,- July 18. Boxoffice topper in War Depart- ment theatres in June; was the Para- mount picture, "Going; My Way," ac- cprding to the U. S. Army Motion Picture Service. ' . ; Next in line were 'Bathing Beauty," Metro; "Double Indemnity," Paramount, and "This Is ' the. Life," Universal: V.-V '":•''-'.'•■•,■- BOB BRODER. EX-GI Hollywood. Ju'.y 18. • Lt. I. Robert Brodef, who special- ized in theatrical law practice m New York prior to going;into Army two years ago,": in town pending ro- tireirierit from -service Friday .(,21). He, heads ; for . N. Y. the following Tuesday to.resume, practice..-. ,'.. Barrister Was in. charge of distri- bution. Qf 16 -mm, films in England for nine months prior to the invasion. JACK BENNY TROUPE ARRIVES IN SO. PACIFIC Sydney, July 18. USO-Camp . Shows''unit Consisting ; of Jack Benny, Larry Adler,. Carole \ Landis, Martha Tilton, singer, and June Brunei-,, accordionist, has ar- j rived in. Port Moresby to commence j a 21-day tour of Aussie army camps, j Unit is slated to spend eight weeks ; i'n.alliin the Southvvest Pacific --area, 'j , This is the first offshore trip, for Miss Tiltpn/ Miss Landis visited England and North:Africa last year, while Benny and Adler also went overseas last year, to North Africa, Middle East and Italy. ■ - / .; Alien Custodian Frees Axis Pix British Merchant Club's Shows for Servicemen British - Merchant Navy Club con-; tinues its: Monday night sojrees fdt- servicemen at Seamen's Institute -at the Battery,-Mew York. •'-.'•,: '- Cliib 'was founded last year by. Lady Cedric Hardwicke and is being carried along, by Alfred S- Kahtt, London film producer.. . ■ A .variety show comprising vaude. j concert and screen personalities is I given weekly. ~ * • Washington, July 18. Various films, grabbed, up by; the. Alien ; Property. Custodian at' - out-' . break of war are now available for licensing to Americans. Receipts from these films, whose titles are held in German or German-occupied territories (as France or Hungary), will be: held for benefit of copyright owners. Custodian has available about 400 German features; and ' shorts; '. 100 French features and shorts,, and some from other countries. Most are primarily travelogs, owned by rail or steamship systems. The G.er- ' man, which includes a lot of. propa- • sanda and-travelogs, contains p.ri-< . marily; corhrtjierclai pix. with titles ' mostly owjjed by UFA. Bavaria • Films, Tobis, ;Majest.ic, -and some .railways, : '. ■"''' ;; i ' ., •','. ': Best-known pix is. the Viennese ; musical, "Two Hearts in Ttiree- : Quarters Time." .,,Pix :'also include 1two operas,- "La Bo'neme' and ; "Louise," and. some music by'-Man-.' rice Ravel. / Applications for li- censing must be made to the Cus- : todian's office in Washington.