Variety (Nov 1944)

MISCELLANY Wednesday, November ], 1941 USO Overhauls Tab Troupe Circuits To Allow Complete Camp Coverage Complete reorganization o{ its tab-4 •Ibid troupe or Blue circuit, setting up for the first time a complete coverage o£ all service installations in the country, has just been effected by USO-Camp Shows. New setup, made in conjunction with the Army Special Services, has resulted from the elimination of many : service posts, like coast guard, submarine 'and coastal anti-aircraft installations, which the changing war picture and lessening of any Jap .or German Frank Sane-atra Frank Sinatra is - skedded to play his first "house party" date. Buffalo titan with plenty of moo to shell out offered the Voice $10,000 to sing at his party and when the proffer came, through, Sinatra reportedly re- torted: ■' •' "If a guy's crazy enough to. pay that kind of money I'll go.": menace to U. S. shores have, brought abouti Blue tab troupes, made up of live players, with minimum.^of props and baggage, are used by Camp Shows to play Isolated camps or stations where inaccessibility or small audi- ences doesn't justify sending larger vaude units of the Victory circuit. It's ho secret that the war's progress and increased overseas operations have cut down number of posts in this country, as well as caused shift- ing of certain camps and troop pop- ulations. This has lessened need for domestic entertainment by the Blue and cut do\vn number of tab troupes. It has also given Camp Shows its first opportunity to have complete coverage in this country under a new routing system so that now tabs play every state in the union, at' all the smaller installations of Army, Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps. Performers themselves have not suf- fered by cut in number of tabs, a substantial number that were freed having signed for overseas work and already been shipped. Camp Shows heretofore has been servicing an Atlantic coast Naval district and the various Army serv- ice commands throughout the coun- try. Shifting of troops and installa- tions on the Pacific coast have now brought about a . separation of Army and Navy interests there by Camp Shows and the setting up of a Pacific coast Naval District, Camp Shows now services naval installations on both coasts and all Army service commands on a continuous clock- wise circuit requiring 97 weeks for national coverage. Most tab per- formers are signing for the full cir- cuit '.'.; •"■ '■.. ',/.'.'' '•■ ' ' ".;•'.;. : The 97-week itinerary applies to white tab troupes.- Camp Shows' new program also includes a nation- al itinerary of 22 weeks for Negro tabs, operating in the Fourth, Eighth and Ninth Service Commands which seek colored troupes. Where white tabs bring entertainment to their iru stallations in three-week intervals, Negro tabs bring it on four-week in- tervals. Blue now has 40 white tabs and seven Negro. Resetting of itineraries within each service command and naval district has. also, reduced traveling time and costs between commands and dis- tricts, to cut Camp Shows' operating costs. , ■ ■ . Bea Lillie Agreed To Rose Show Without Knowing What It Was All About' London, because of its bombings, is like a movie set now—air front and no back—according to Beatrice Lillie, who arrived in New York from the British capital Saturday (28). The English comedienne, who hasn't been here since 1939, joined rehearsals next day (29) of Billy Rosels "Seven Lively Arts," in which she' has a lead. Claims she agreed to do musical without know- ing what the show was about, ' but with Cole Porter and Moss Hart doing it," she said. "I thought I'd kinda leave it to them." Said she brought some new numbers with her, which she'd try to work in with material supplied her. . . _Miss.Lillie is here on a six-month visa which is renewable. She plans to wait until the musical is launched before doing any radio work. For the past three years, she said, she has been entertaining troops through the Entertainments National Service Assn. (ENSA), British equivalent of USO-Camp Shows, playing Gibral- tar, North Africa, and Egypt, as well as England. "You don't have to play down to the boys," she said. "They're critical." V Miss Lillie also disclosed that the Lunts plan to do a new play by Terence Rattigan in London, thus delaying their return to the U. S. 124th WEEK ! KEN MURRAY'S "BLACKOUTS OF 1944" El Capitan Theatre, Hollywood, Cal. •ii's the fmt spot of 'Los-Angeles. permanent laugh insti- Itfiilly (u I inn RANDOLPH SCOTT John Golden V Ballyhoo For FDR as 'Star Of World's Top Production' Emphasizing President Roosevelt's friendship for show biz, Broadway producer John Golden on Monday (30), before a large luncheon gathering of theThea'.ricaland Motion Picture Committee for Roosevelt- Truniah-Wagner at the Hotel Astor, New York, urged the reelection of the President. Using theatrical parables, Golden stressed the need for FDR's contin- uance as "star" of "the greatest pro- duction ever put together in the his- . (Continued on page 18) Ex-GI 2-a-Day Musical, 'This Ain't the Army' Lou Goldberg, longtime manager for Major Bowes, who has "On Stage Everybody" currently getting a Blue Network buildup, prior to a Universal filmusical production next April, is planning "This Ain't the Army!'" as a twO-a-day , vaude revusical. The showman wants to cast it 100% with ex-GIs. Incidentally, Goldberg* has just been made eastern director of public- ity and advertising for Jack Skir- ball to handle the Fred Allen film. "It's in the Bag." B'way Literati-Showfolk Campaigning Vs. Mrs. Luce i; . Bridgeport, Conn. Oct. 31. Striking factor in current cam- paign of Congresswoman Clare Boothe Luce (R., Conn.) for reelec- tion, is lineup of prominent show biz figures opposing the playwright- legislator. In direct opposish of en- tertainment industry normally back- ing one of its clan, show biz liberals are showing such antipathy towards Mrs. Luce, as to be working actively and contributing financially in cam- paign of her Democratic opponent, Margaret Connors. Some of stage and radio person alities actively engaged in Miss Con. nOrs' support are Edna Ferber, Fredric March, Florence Eldridge, Libby Holman, Richard Maney, Dorothy and George Ross, Franklin P. Adams, Clifton Fadiman, Van Wyck Brooks, Marcia Davenport and Sigmund Spaeth. Miss Connors, a lawyer, is a liberal, having been prominent in affairs of Connecticut branch of Civil Liberties Union. . SP1TALNY OFF TO U FOR 4 WEEKS ON 'COEDS' PIC Phil Spitalny and his all-femme band left yesterday (Tues.) for Hol<- lywood to make "Here Come the Coeds" for Un iversal. .':■'-.- \ ■', • •, This Abbott & Costello starrer will consume four weeks' work for the Spitalnyites who will, of course, broadcast their General Electric show from the Coast during that period. From Rags to Riches, 'Canty' Debuts as 'Bo Hollywood, Oct 31, First starrer for Cantinflas, Mexi- can comic, under his RKO contract will be "The Magnificent Tramp," to be filmed in English and Spanish.. Posa Films of Mexico City is as- sociated, with RKO in the venture. This Week's Football By Ted Husing ■. • • (SATURDAY,'NOV. 4) Jay Brennan (Savoy &) To Revive Oldtime Act Jay Brennan, of former topflight comedy vaudeville team of Savoy and Brennan, is coming out of re- tirement, after a double decade, to revive the old act. - . ... Harry Antrim is a new partner, essaying red-wigged dame character created 30 years ago by his late partner, Bert Savoy, who was killed jy lightning in 1923. V SCULLY'S SCRAPBOOK By Frank Scully *i icnce Here '■:.''" : ■'. Melody Lane, Hollywood, Oct. 25. • Every time Jim Petrillo sounds off about recordingsjn his h a <ii» t ' Hc juke boxes, I think of the late Gene Dabney. He was the fust musician to advance the idea that recording companies should pay royalties m musicians as publishers do to authors. , "Let them pay each time they play, just as they charge an audi each time they show," Gene used to argue. Dabney showed me w musicians, hit from two directions (sound-on-film and a depression) weafh ered the one-two punch belter than most professions or industries " He showed that by simply taxing those who wanted to trade in music (but not musicians) the musicians could be kept away from public doles or private charities. Himself once the maestro of a Broadway band Dabney -'was down to a WPA project as an orchestra leader when I first met him He would occasionally; get .hill-billy parts in pictures, playing jugs and'the like, but it was a hand-to-mouth existence at best. • - . . Every: time L Saw Dabney coming up the hill, sunshine sent the Holly- wood fog scurrying to Altadena. He never walked the hilt and the cars he had never really were his own. He would get them on a down pay- ment and just when they were about to be yanked from his hands he would subject them to a repair job so big that the finance company pre- ferred to let title to (lie jallopies slide. This was just one of the devices Gene was forever using during a depression when most people had little humor, . . : ; Scully's Tully V I. ■ Gene once collected 50 unemployed musicians to lead a political parade to get "out of the gully with Franklin D. Scully." It was, I suspect the biggest band for the smallest parade ever to attempt to say it with music On another occasion Gone and a fellow-musician'oflered to post bills for me in a minor political campaign. They came on a 24-sheet of,our candi- date for governor. Latter was spreading himself all over town'and push- ing us minor campaigners right out of the picture, even in our own dis- tricts. So Gene took my one-sheets and plastered them On the 24-sheets of the party's prima donna. They were doing this in broad daylight in the heart of Holly wood'when an employee of Foster and Kleiser, who owned the billboards, pulled up # and questioned them in a polite way. First, he wanted to know if they were union men. They assured him they were. They didn't add that they were musicians, not billposters. He then said he didn't think Foster and Kleiser would like what they were doing. "Are they speaking again? " asked Gene. "You are destroying the symmetry of these billboards." the guy remon- strated impatiently "Oh, you think We're destroying the balance?" Gene said. Whereupon he and his pal climbed over to the other corner of the 24-sheet and plas- tered another one-sheet there. .''■, '•' ' "Now it's balanced," boasted Dabney. The bill poster gave up;. Another time Gene got ah order to appear on a WPA project with tools and working clothes. So he shewed up on the job with a photographer, pick and shovel, and wearing a dinner jacket. The straw boss asked him what was the big idea. Gene told him, "I'm a musician and these are my working clothes." He was transferred to a musical pvoject. Gene had a mothei who. was .80.. She had much of his humor, too,; A bill collector once asked if Gene were home. She said no. He said he just had to see Gene "somehow:" Whereupon she handed him a photograph of her boy. * ■ - ; '•'■.■ ';.',.' ;':'• •' ''■> •..'■;..;; There \yas also a neighbor who began defaming me as an agent of Moscow. ; '. ■ ' .'•-. ; < "You mean the friend of Gene's?" the old lady demanded. < : . "Yes!" said the neighbor. She got up, went to the kitchen, filled a basin with hot water and let the gossip have it. It w>s her contribution to the Good Neighbor policy which was going the rounds at the time. ^ •'«' ?: •.'.'.'•••*;.•■ '.-.'; SEASON'S RECORD Won, 87; Lost, 16: Ties, 11: Pet., .770, .•/• (Ties lot' counted) Power of the Press When Louella Parsons got into New York she was surrounded by four males, all picture com- pany pressagents, including a special emissary from 20th-Fox, Hollywood, whereas Carole Lari- dis. who got in on the same train, was 100% un-squired. One lone maid followed Miss Landis off the choo-choo in con- trast to the male quartet worry- ing about Lolly's trunks, etc. All But Topflight Theatre People in Nazi War Effort Washington. Oct. 31. An estimated 45,000 actors, singers, dancers, orchestra musicians and' ad- ministrative employees were released when Germany shut down its legit houses, music halls and concert the- atres, according to reports reaching here. - ;' .". -'-\. "': •'.." A handful of topflight performers were diverted into films and radio, with the remainder:beirt'g sent to war production plants to set an example for the general public. Films, one of the fe\v remaining recreations, have been contracted in Germany, . but radio programs have been substantially expanded, particu- larly those on serious subjects. Lillian Gish Back To B'way for Hopkins Play •"•■..':' . ' Hollywood, Oct. 31. Lillian Gish, currently working in the Paramount picture, "Miss. Susie Slagle," will return to Broadway when her studio chore is finished.. . Actress is slated to star in Emmett Lavery's drama, "The Magnificent' Yankee," to be produced by Arthur Hopkins,. Still Doing Benefits Hollywood. Oct. 31. George Jessel doubles as producer and bit player, in "The Dolly Sisters" at 20th-Fox. . ,:■>'.;'■>■; :\ Script calls for a benefit perform- ance in the last reel in which he appears as George Jessel, vaude comic. '. ..;':'•'. : BILL KEIGHLEY SLATED FOR INACTIVE DUTY '/ Washington; Oct. 31. Word here is that Lt. Col. William Keighley is about to be placed on inactive duty. Keighley, in charge of motion pictures for the Army Air Forces, would thus return to civilian status and be able to head back to Hollywood to take up his mega- phone again as \a Warner Bros, dir rector. Keighley was one of the first big Hollywood names in uniform. He was active in setting up the AAF picture program both on the Coast and in Washington. He also spent several month in various European war theatres and while in England produced the AAF indoctrination pic, "Target for Today," Lights Go On Again For Santa's Ride in H'wood Hollywood, Oct. 31. Santa Claus Lane will blaze with, lights and tinsel this year in the first unrestricted Christmas .season since the war began. City Council ordered the removal of all dimout devices on street lights and approved plans for a renewal of parades on Hollywood blvd.. Advanced Step to Exit Negro Discrimination The long worked-over code on Negro discrimination in show biz has been prepared by the. Code Commit- tee of the Emergency Enlerlainment Industry . Committee, 'arid . will- be taken up by the full committee directly after election. . ■!:;■,' ,. The code, pledging all entertain- ment groups to Ban Jim Crow prac-. tices, discrimination of opportunity and elimination of caricaturing of Negroes in plays, filiiis and radio programs, has been drafted by Edward Chodorov. playwright: Peter Lyon, Radio' Writers Guild head, and John Coburn Turner, of NBC script dept. , ' :{'' •'••'; -'"'. '"