Variety (Apr 1945)

SCREEN RADIO MUSIC STAGE WRIETY Fiibli.ilicil Weakly al 151 Went 46lll StreM, .Now. Yolk J9.-N. T.. by VnriPty. Inc. AmilKil MlWrljM mil, 110. Hhiglfl eoplttn, 26 cplil.i. KnU'vad ax Km-uiul-Watti, malter Ueceintoet '-::, 19n&, m tin* Post orfica in N<:w y.»rli, N. Y.. umlrr llir act ot Mm-clV 3. 187!). COrYBIGHT, 1(411. HY VABIWV, 1N<;. AIX HltiHTB KKSKKVKK VOL. 158 No. 4 NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 1945 PRICE 25 CENTS SHOW BUSINESS MAPS V-E FETES Panama Spots Shame Barbary Coast; Companionate Femmes Reap Harvest By LT. (J.*.) IIEEB GOLDEN v Colon, Panama, March 8. Fiflv-seednd street was never ■ like this. Nor the Barbary Coast. .either. •'Welcome, Sucker!," in fact. .'means practically nothing until you've been through Puhama. Sharp- est ot the clippcries of New York, 'Frisco or New Orleans might be Aunt Polly's Tea Room in Peoria compared with the going-over given the one-night Good-Timc:-Charlies t most of them in uniform) in this tropical pleasure-mart at the world's cross-roads. Texus Guinan's famed drink-'em- up-quick gals are strictly from Louisa May Alcolt next to the Latino quaffing companions served up for itinerant servicemen by the local spots.' Most amazing is the plain, unabashed hook with which the slicker is parted from his roll. No subtlety here—but the boys take it sporiingl.v. With money hardly an object when it's' perhaps the flr«t chance they've had to spend it in months. Progress of the war to take con- (Continued on page 22) Harvey' Click Cues Backing Harvest For Pemberton's 'Next' Since the click of "Harvey" a'. tlio48th Street, N. Y„ Brock Pem- bertun has received many offers from persons wishing to buy in on liis next production, not yet se- lected; There are quite a few will) pieces of "Harvey," mostly friends „flLEeMber»-ws»*-Aateisettc IN^yr- who staged and owns the major in- terest in the show with the manager, most other, having investments of $500 and $1,000. One angel is a well-to-do Brook- !- vnlte who put in $5,000. The story is told that sometime before the show was produced he started read- ln S the script at home> bu , fcll asleep, the script falling to the floor. His wife .picked it up and, after leading for a short time, she laughed (Continued on page 55) RUSSIA W0R-1 IN S.F. FORCES U.S. PIC REVISE Washington; April 3. secretary of State Edward R. Stet- clll 11 ^' '^V toda 5' revealed that the snort subject, "Waicniower Over To- morrow," explaining Dumbarton oaks, would have, to be revised be- wre release. It was slated <or screen- 's m the nation's 10,000 houses be- tter the,. United Nations' Security conference in San Francisco and is ■•ready showing in some houses. J?K ee will be made to conform with new voting lineup of the con- !!^ C ? , , Film ori G'nally had each na- "on taking part represented by one ™te. Russia now gets three (Ukrai- uwn and White Russia Soviets figure aadlUonally), but the U. S. has only °"e ballot. I See review of short on Page 10] 'Victory' to Fold Wings Due to Transit Beefs Washington, April 3; Moss Hurl's "Winged Victory," originally booked beyond July, will wiiid up its lour in Richmond. Va.. April 21. Foldo is considered the re- sult of e'rit.ieisivi against the Army for touring in face or transportation sit- uash. Air Forces show has netted nearly $1,500,000 in its stage and screen ver- sions for Army relief. GI predecessor. Irving Berlin's "This Is the Army," netted $7,000,000. Patron, Denied Theatre Admish, Wins Judgment In Unusual La. Suit New Orleans, April 3. in an opinion involving the valid- ity of notices printed on theatre tickets, the Louisiana supreme court has awarded a patron judgment for $250 against Saenger Theatres, Inc., as-damages for humiliation and em- barrassment occasioned by his evic- tion from a Saenger theatre on May 1, 1943. High court's opinion re- versed both the first city court and the Orleans Parish Court of Appeals, which had held the theatre was hot liable. George Vogel was the plain- tiff. . Concerning the theatre's defense iContinued on page 55) NY. AS CUETO KEEP 'EM OFF ST. Calling upon air facets of the en- tertainment industry. N. : Y.'s Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia has come up with an idea to keep the people off the streets and out of the Times Square area on V-E Day. which is expected to set the pattern for cele- brations in hundreds of cities throughout the nation. He is currently lining up an en- tertainment rosier comprising all the vaude acts...legit, film and radio per- sonalities in N. Y. City,' who expect to be in the metropolis when the European phase comes lo an end, "for a mammoth, all-day and pos- sibly late-ihlo-lhc-nighf" -cclebrrtion- in the city's largo parks, namely Cen- tral and Prospect parks. In this way. Hizzoncr believes he will draw from 3,000.000 to 4.000,000 Now Yorkers and suburbanites to one central location, where they can be controlled more easily, where rioting can be prevented and case . (Continued on page 54) 'Arsenic' StiU Paying Off; Splits $60,000 "Arsenic and Old Lace" went off the boards early last summer but Lindsay and Crouse are still paying dividends to the 20-odd backers. Last week the Santa Claus duo split up a near-$C0.0n0. along with letters starling with "Dear Lend-Leascr," the enclosed checks explaining the messages. Latest "Arsenic" melon was ripened from royalties on two com- panies in England, one from Ireland and a goodly chunk from Warners on the picture version's profits. "Arsenic" was budgeted for $30,000 but capitalized at double that figure, oo the latest divvy renccsenfs. .100.1/', of the original total. The angels pre- viously had gotten their coin back 20-fold. Next gravy-spreading is due in summer, when Warners kicks in sonic more and Piccadilly makes an- other remittance. "Arsenic" in London has passed its 1.000th performance. Paris is due to get it soon with Berlin pencilled in. There is talk of publishing in book form the humorous communiques of Messrs. Lindsay & Crouse to their "angels" in- accompaniment to the checks. II would give Frank Sulli- van that much more column fodder. Even Stale Music Sells Like Nylons Music business continues so bull- ish that, with growing paper short- ages, some publishers arc berating themselves for their haste in having cleared out old folios, sax solos, or- chestrations, etc. This has been a periodic custom, lo save storage space, but. as it develops, anything with music notes seems to sell. A windlaTfTor one publisher is that he hns unloaded a floor-space of music ("just because I was loo lazy, mind you, and it had nothing to do with any foresight or vision because that's a lot of hooey.") It's gotten so that some publishers are using their old. stock with new covers (there's paper for covers) and (Continued on page 20) Amusement Industry Heartened By Prospect of Ease in War Curbs Sinatra Too 4F to Play Evans Role, Sez Widow Chicago. April 3. Rights to film the life of Honey Boy Evans have been cleared with the late minstrel man's widow, hul latter, Mrs. Minnie Evans. 77. whose home is now Chi, said last week she never would have sanctioned it. if she'd known The Voices was going to play the part of her husband. "Frank Sinatra can't sing half as well as Honey Boy," she said, "and besides, he's too skinny." Added she'd rather have Bing Crosby, Gene Kflly or even Mickey Rooney play the part —"but not Sinatra!"' Show Biz a Target (What, Again?) in R.R. Racketeering Probe Chicago, April 3. Charges that show biz biggies, in- cluding stars, producers, directors, clc, are able to obtain reservations on transcontinental trains on a mo- ment's notice while ordinary citizens must wait weeks, and often months, before acquiring space were hurled by Senator Roland V. Libonati (Dcm.- Chicago) at a hearing here Monday ( Continued on page 50) Show business was considerably heartened this week by a turn of events and pronunciameutos out of Washington. Easement of gai for pleasure-driving this summer, greater availability of freon for theatres, nlteries, etc.. resignation of War Mobilizer James F. Byrnes and his statement that certain other priorities would be eased, all point to the end of the' brownoid. end of the curfew, return of racing, and,' of course, an early V-E Day. Already the nitcrics. rondhousea and hotels are gambling against Vic- iory-in-Europe Day by signing big names. Meantime all radio and press communications are standing by for "big news" momentarily. Picture theatres and all other places of amusement have, plans for. de- ■ corum and mass behaviorism set up. Radio is particularly alerted. Theory persists, that any Amtrl- can mass celebration for V-E Day should be sidestepped. A factor in this thought is that a complacency resulting from an earlier celebration might curb defense production—and there are still the Japs to be kayoed.' WIRTH CIRCUS ROUNDS OUT 70TH YR. IN AUSSIE Sydney. March 27. Summer and circus are as Ameri- can a combo as ham-and-eggs or seven-and-elevcn. and devotees ot the tanbark entertainment get their annual vernal upbeat at the first pipe of-the- calliope, in '.'iQ.-^v.ivjn.Ma...sr. at the opening concussions of 40 pieces of brass at Now York's Madi- son Square Garden. This to point up the interesting contrast presented in Australia where . without seasonal cue or fanfare, the famed Wirth Cir- cus this year rounds out the 70th anniversary of 'continuous, all-ycar- rouiid performances at .the same old spot, the Olympia. in Melbourne. Created in 1874 by the father and four Wirth brothers, the circus in this current year is still cntrcpre- neurcd by the children of two of the brothers. George and 1 Philip, and (Continued on page 54) USO-CS Disturbed As Names Forget Pledges Disappointment at the reluctance of vaude anc" riitery headliners to come through with their -services-as promised for short lours of domestic hospitals is being voiced by USO- Camp Shows officials. Approached last fa" by a special committee headed by Marvin H. Schenck. many names . promised to donate four or six weeks in the spring, after exist- (Conlinued on page 10) Danny Thomas Gives Frere Buddy All His Cafe Gags While on Air Danny Thomas, now with the Fanny Brice alrer, is .bequeathing his cafe material to his brother Buddy, who recently started in show busi- ness. He said that use of his gags by Buddy will serve the double purpose of getting his favorite brother start- ed and at the same time keep the family name before nitery patrons! It's been agreed that Buddy will get some material of his own and after setting himself on the floor, will follow with some of the stutf Danny did in the boites. • Neither want their relationship to reach the feuding stages, a la Jerry and Buddy Lester. IOK TELEVISION