Variety (Dec 1944)

Record Details:

Something wrong or inaccurate about this page? Let us Know!

Thanks for helping us continually improve the quality of the Lantern search engine for all of our users! We have millions of scanned pages, so user reports are incredibly helpful for us to identify places where we can improve and update the metadata.

Please describe the issue below, and click "Submit" to send your comments to our team! If you'd prefer, you can also send us an email to mhdl@commarts.wisc.edu with your comments.




We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.

Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.

SCREEN RADIO MUSIC STAGE CubUalied Weekly at \ii W<at 4<lh Street, Ksw Tork It, M: T., by Variety, Ine. Annual BUbacrlpllon, flO. SlniU copies. If eenta. Butered a< McSTll-fleu lilatter Dsckmber 22, ItOI, at the Poet OKIcr at New Torli, N. T„ under the act of March i, 1871. COFXBIQHT, IM4, BV VARIBTC, INC. ATX BIOHTS BESEBVEI*. vol.. 157 No. S NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1944 PRICE 25 CENTd New State DepL Setup Seen Cuing Sweeping Pix-Radio Overhauling Washington,. D«a. W. ^■ riltns and radio flgur* promln- •ntly In tlie Stats Departmsnt'i fu- lura plana cm tha basU o{ tho r«or- ganizatlon announoed latt wMk by fcc^eta^y of State Edward R, St«t- ilus. In fact, they ars so prominent that fom* Wasliingion insider* are figur- ing a red hot scrap among State, OWI, CIAA, and th« Commerce pept; because Stats will be pushing tU the other outfits around. Tha Stettinius announcement came linmediatcly after the new Assistant Secretaries of State took the oath of office. At least three of these Assist- ant Secretaries will have a prom- inent nngor in the pix-radio pie. Will L. Clayton's bailiwick on Ecq- nomic Affairs wUl include tha Tele- qommunications Division headed by Francis Golt de Wolfe. This ties in with Hollywood's exports and will be (Continued on page 18) Cafe Biz Snaps Back From Pre-Xmas Drop; See Rewards on'Eve' Kaw York cafe ble started Biap-- ping back from Xmas night Jollow- ^ga bad two weeks—h combination of the usuaKpre-Xmas dip (shop- ping) and the bad war news'. How- •var, indications are that It will be a taoord New Year's Eve, and that in- •ludas the rest of the nation well. Tha major hostelriies have long baan sold out. Average «e« $lB.50- fW • head in the top ■poiti. Night club operator! say thW un- lata the current N. Y. meat shortage !<■ adjusted soon, theyH be forced ito m flsh and soybean menu policy, hortage is becoming more acute ally, but will not affect New Year's va cartes since provender for that oooaslon Is ordered far to advance. Most: clubs operate on a "get •head" policy, by which ttieir chefs t"'*« Iteep a week's supply, or more, th» icebox. Thig.wUl give a small way before thelf menus go ersatz, •M say. None of the ownen figure ' (Continued on page 84) Tired of Lying Aboit Recdiils, Qrili ciUcitgo, DM, M. ibU for job-tiojiplng liifeyi baiaa " In these dayi «f tmnpewer fea, but oa«. fllv«i.(ta»t« teat ^. «dvanc9^BUt..io« li|tt «t- due soon -ttouM b» ipoibted 'te up thMt nMt top m tot HtWlt Aussie's B. 0. Faves ^ Sydney,- Dec. 86. Top Australian bqxoffica stari of 1944 were headaci by the Oreer Gav- son-Walter Pldegon team. Boll Hope, Batty Grable, Abbott- Costello, 'Tyrone Power , Deanna Durbin, Bing Orosby, Gary Cooper, Ginger Rogers, Alice Faye, James Cagney, David Niven, Ray Milland and Cary <Jiarit also made the popu- larity list this year. Fred Allen Flirts With B'way Musical; Comeback In Radio Up to Medico Fred Allen may return to the legit musical -stage in a revue-type show co-starring Lou Holtz. It's one of a number of plans the comic is now considering, following his return to N. Y. last week upon the cornple- tlon of Jack Skirball's film, "It's In the Bag," which UA is releasing. Allen stated last week that Holtz has approached him with the Idea and that he likes It, but hasn't decided''dennltely as yet. He's been away from legit since around 1930. One thing that appeals to him, he confessed, is that going legit wouldn't involve the terrific drain on. material that's hounded him in radio for so many years. Should Allen turn down the mu- sical "ide^, chances- are hell write a book between now and the time, he returns to radio—if he returns—in the. fall of 1949. Resumption of broadcasting activities depends on his health and whether the diet and regular eating-sleeping routine he's observing lowers his hypertension and blood pressure. On the book angle,, he's had several bids from publishers and plans to. discuss the problems of being a book-writer with H. Allan Smith ("Low Man on a Totem Pole") soon. Allen also sounded off generally anent Hollywood radio programs, which,' he claims, are the most (Continued on page 39) MRS. JOE LOUIS DEFERS TO CHAMP/QUITS CAFE Chicago, Dec. 26. Marva Louis, wife of .the heavyr weight champ, was released last week from partnership contract and deal as singing star of El Grotto, new all-Negro nitery here, with Harry Fields and dharles Cole, other partners, agreeing to let her out as part owner because Sgt. Joe doesn't want her in. Singer said Joe had long-distanced her to wait till the war's over, when the Louises, he promised, wlU open a night spot of their own. ■Jofl^ interests, managed by Marva, InolAh Chicken Shack, eatery, and Qur^wl, bowling alley and bar, ' llMton,- [ '43-|( Radio's War Reporting An'Inadequate ^{((^^[^^[IlijjjlllJob Sez Murrow; Real Story Untold By JACK PULASKI Broadway's 1944-45 legit season is running con.slderably ahead of 1943- 44 both as to qualitative and in quan- titlve production. Up to the end of the final week of December last year 37 new shows had opened on Broad- way since the start of that seasoh. From July to Deo. 26, of the current year, there were 47 fresh productions, the increase of 10 more attracttoivs representing a climb of around 27%. Late in Ihe spring of this year it was predicted that there would be more shows produced during the new season, an estimated total being .76, as against l.ist season's 70, so if the present production pace is constant into the coming spring, 1944-45 will top the forecast number. The new musicals have been some- what lat- in arriving, only four hav- ing opened up to early last week. (Continued oh page 39) OHIO'S STANDARD OIL SPENDS IT FOR 75TH Deems Taylor, as narrator; Howard .Barlow, conducting the Cleveland Symphony orch; Gladys Swarthout, Victor Borge, Jan Peerce, and the Heights 80-voice choir of Cleveland will entertain 11,000 employees of the Standard Oil Co. of Ohio in Cleveland'Aud the night of Jan. 10. Occasion will be the 75th anniver- sary of the company, and event will mark one ot the largest outlays of coin for talent on a one-niter, cost totaling approximately $15,000, ex elusive of the orchestra. Entertainment will be aired on a 12-station hookup comprising NBC, Blue and Mutual outlets in Ohio from 8 to 9 p.m; (CWT) that night, and will also be piped via phone wires to banquets honoring the event In 10 other mid-west cities. -Bristol-Myers Co., which sponsors Eddie Cantor from. 8 to 8:30 p.m.,' arid "Mr. District Attorney'- from 8:30 to 9 p.rii., on several Ohio VBC stations, is permitting dropping of these shows, so that the outlets may carry the Standard Oil Co. festivi- ties. McCann-Erickson, agency for the account, put (he show together and arranged for the station hook- up,- as well. Bill Rousseau, of that agency, handled. ' Proser Picks'Em Three iemmes playing important parts In pictures currently on Broad, way less than a year-and-a-half ago. were in' the • front line at the Copacabana,' N.Y. nitery. They are Jane Ball In "Winged Victory," at the Roxy; Lucille Bremer, In ^'Meet Me In. St, Louis," at the Astor, and June Ally^on, in "Music for Mil- lions," at the Capitol. Monte Prosev, Copa. co-owner, claims that all told 58. ex-Copa girls are in Hollywood in picturea, In addition to which five of the civ- rent show's line have been con* tracted and are due to go west. L B. Mayer Back at Desk Hollywood, Dec. 26. Louis B. Mayer, able to walk freely again after .weeks In a wheel chair, returned officially to his desk on the Metro lot. , Executive had been away from the studio since last August when he was seriously injured when thrown from his horse on his ranch near Hemet, Cal. Prelate Go^s on Air To Attack Cecil Brown's Anti-Franco Stance Albany, Dec. 26. - Cecil Brown, who broadcasts Ihrei evenings weekly over Mutual and WABY, was criticized on that .sta- tion, Sunday (24), by the Rev. John G. Tracey, director of the Bureau of Information of the' Albany Catholic Diocese. Father Tracey speaks on "News From The Catholic View- point." The priest prefaced his criticism with the remark that com- mentators are human beings and as such are' subject to bias and prej- udice. Hi said that Brown was ejected from Italy because of his outspoken opposition to Fascism and naturally "retains some rancor over the ejection." This perhaps makes him a "dynamic champion of all anti-axis forces." Father Tracey. ■ touching on Brown's views about Spain, stated that Brown "does not hesitate to spur us into an aggressive frame of mind and warn that Franco is still Hitler's pal, advising us that we do something dra.itic." Franco, '"no matter> what his political philos- ophy," is not nearly as dangersOus to the future stability of the world as Joseph Stalin, Father Tracey de- clared. The priest, pointing to Russia's policy toward Pc^nd, the Baltic states and Yugoslavia, said Brown nevertheless continued to shower praise on the Russian pre- mier. Alongside Stalin, "Franco seems a relatively insignificant figure." 'ADANO'TOGIVEFDR COMMAND SHOWING . Washington, Dec. 26. . For tha second time the Leland Hayward ofiice has won the Com- mand Performance at the National theatre on Jan. 28 in Washington. The play selected is ^'A Bell For Adano," starring Fredric March. Last year the selection was "Voice of The Tartle." Receipts over and above expenses ^o to the President's Birthday Ball celebration in D. C, and this play opens a three-day celebration. Tick- ets this year will be sold at the box- oflloc, with a separate day allotted for the sale. By EDWARD B. MVBROW (CBA European Director) Why hasn't radio dona a battar Job of reporting this war? I havan\ heard that question asked vary often since coming home. But, be- lieve me, those of us who have beav in Euro'pe since the beginning have queried each other about it. We know little about tha pro., grams that have originated In thlf country. Most of the time we don't know much about the impact or tha listener reaction to the broadoasta from over there. When we coma back from a dangerous mission there may be a cable, of congratulation* and a reprimand for taking unnecei-- sary risks. Most of us talk with our New York offices twice a day but . we still feel isolated and often frus- trated. At'times it seemis that.good broadcasts are like big fish. Most of the big ones get away,, just as (Continued on page 2) ' Women's Wear Rag Drops 75G Nitery Biz in Order To Conserve on Paper Women's Wear Daily, as of Jan. 1, 1945, is dropping Its nitery and res- taurant editorial and advertisinc dept.-, representing a »75,000 annual out-of-pocket sacrifice because of pa-.. per shortage. Ben Schneider, the WWD's cafe expert, 'continues at an upped salary, with the title of editor, the Increase .by Fairchild Publications being for the purpose to compensate him for the loss of his share of the ad reve- nue. Kelcey Allen's drama dept. continues unchanged. That repre- sents an estimated $160,000 inconvr source to the garment industiy'a trade paper. AU of which keynotes an antiol- pated cut for the regular dallies, es- pecially as regards cafe-hotel-restau- rant-resort business. Many have al- ready cut to tlie bone and others will have to follow. The WWD, for in- stance, ran an eight-page paper last Friday (22) and .dittoes next Frida/ (29), .as against its normal 30-vl pages daily. Advertising agencies specializing ]|i nitery, resort and allied biz, unable to get into the class mags, dailies or even theatre . programs, and with radio time at a minimum, may be forced out of business unless acquir- ing a new-type client. ■ - 'Hasty Heart'Angels Pyramid From 41 to 63 List of backers for "The Hasty Heart," which was supposed to have set a Broadway record with 41 "aq- gels," has now pyramided to 99'with the discovery that one .backer lor the new Lindsay-Crouse producUo* actually represents a group of W. Backer, a lawyer named MortlaMT Becker, represents a group of you actors, radio writen, prodtiea • . (Continued on R»g«J«T i-^'^