Variety (May 1945)

Wednesday, May 30, 1945 CHATTER 5S Broadway Mrs. Ad-Sehulberg to the Coast. Ann Edison to the Coast to' do sev- eral m*« chores. Cheryl Crawford to Akron, O., where her mother is ill. Bill Garski of the Tooker Litho- graphing outfit seriously ill. Muriel B. Francis joined Austin Wilder's radio-music flackery. Cdr Jack Dempsey planed 55,000 miles during visits to fighting fronts. David O. SelznicK's Jack Goldstein to Chi lor special publicity mission. joe Vitale is out of "Common' Ground" (Golden) and returning to Coast. : •'. . Howie Mayer in and out of town and back to Hollywood via a Chi gtopoff. . : ■ Russell C. Alexander new person- nel and office mgr. at USO-Camp Shows headquarters. Sam Shayon, general manager of the William Morris agency Coast of- fice, in town for a few days. Joan Tetzel being taken out of "I Remember Mama" for role in David O. Selznik's' "Duel in the Sun." The' Leslie Harrises' (Rosemary Cox) fourth anniversary June 9. Celebrating at their Douglaston, L.I., home. He's a radio producer. Geoi'ge Heller back from Coast, transportation delay holding him in Hollywood a week longer than in- tended, Frances Hcfiin going back into "I Remember Mama" (.Music Box) and Dorothy Schiller has replaced Ottilie Kruger. ' Arthur Hammerstein sez he's in- vented a saltshaker that works even if dunked tsic). He offers to slip it to the Army. Fredric March to chairman Inde- pendent Citizens' Committee lunch- eon for theatrical profession at Astor Tuesday (5). Capt. 'Lloyd T. Goldsmith, ex- Warner Bros, sound-, engineer now with Signal Corps, Long Island tipped to major. Willard Matthews, with New York offices, heads the operetta season which will open at Walbridge Park, Toledo, June 25. Ruth Weston back in "Oklahoma!' (St. James) after being at home a week with. leg infection. Edith Gresham subbed. S: Jay Kaufman putting on two- hour shows for the U. S. Maritime Center, in West 44th St., with pro talent, twice weekly. Lt. John L. LaSell, former writer- arranger, has written a war-bond song, "Don't Make It Click," as part bond promotion drive. Herman Bernstein, general mana- ger of Lindsay and Crouse, slated to go overseas for the Army on a GI entertainment mission. Doc Cook, who retired from show- business, keeping up to shuff by staging shows for the Westmont Sanatorium, near Lake George. Meyer Davis' daughter, Ginny, who does playreading for him and sings in concert on the side, goes overseas with a USO unit this fall. Louis B. Mayer and Howard Strickling having returned to the Coast, agent Frank Orsatti continu- ing' his N. Y. stay another few weeks, - — — — Dicker to bring Maurice Chevalier back to the States is now a cliche press gag to get this or that man- ager's or nilery's name into the papers. T/Sgt. Ben Schneider, on leave from N. Y. World-Telegram city desk, transferred to Press-Radio Di- vision of Army Ground Forces Hq. in Washington. John P. Medbury now an east- erner. Has sold his Hollywood home after 17 years, and summering at New Canaan, Conn., before settling down in Gotham. • Richard Simon, formerly of "Life With Father" (Empire) but latterly a lieute'nant in the Army, is piloting a Tactical Air Force cargo plane, operating out of France. Mousie Garner has been signed for overseas edition of "Hellzapop- Pm." He was recently discharged from the Army where he served in the CBI theatre for 30 months.' Albert S. Howson, who trouped with E. H. Sothern-Julia Marlowe, the Frohmans, etc., and is now cen- sorship director for WB, celebrated 20 years with -the film company. Harry Stockwell is leaving "Okla- homa!," going to Coast June 2. Sereenlestcd for RKO's "Calico Kid," now postponed till October, actor is free to take any other film role meantime. ' Bonardi, ex-Stork," new maitre « hotel at Bradley's which Belmont and Herb Gottlieb, furriers and legit ■backers, have taken over from Al Keyelson and Ralph Maurice. Joe iejer continues. "Uncle" Henry Berlinghoff. of the William Morris agency, celebrated P« 74th birthday and his 60th year m showbusiness last week. He was the first act signed by that agency, having been the leader of Berling- hoff s Brass Band. Moi t Blumenstock of Warners, in Bidding au revoir to Henri Bern- stem, French dramatist, who was on ms way to the hospital for an oper- ation last week, cracked: "Like some °f our bad N. Y. plays, I hope they °PP» and close you quickly." .'Eddie Cantor-Hoes his final three broadcasts, .from N. Y. following his June 5 appearance at the Paramount for Major Glenn Miller Day. Last Sunday (27) in Denver, the come- dian received a Humanitarian Award in honor of the late Major-General Maurice Rose. Victor Jory is staging Lynn Riggs' comedy, "Borned in Texas," nee •Roadside Inn," with which Gus Schirmer, Jr., opens his strawhat season at Stamford Monday. (4), with Jory and Celeste Holm starring. Latter then goes to 20th-Fox, where she's under contract. John Eberson, theatre architect, has his 51c U. S. Government check framed and uncashed. It's his pro rata as a $l-a-year man as a con- sultant, and D. C. is hollering that it be''*cashed so as to balance the books, but Eberson refuses to sur- render it, for obvious reasons. Pittsburgh By Hal Cohen Connie Baiieau back singing with Bcrnie Cummins' band at Vogue Terrace. Mrs. John P. Harris, widow of pioneer showman;>jvas 73 on Sun- day (27). ' . '.- .:. '., ■;-. Phyllis Sprague, formerly in ad- vertising and publishing, has joined KQV staff. / Allen Sampers is LeRov Brown's new bass player at the Hollywood Show Bar. . Lt. Col. Francis Parke out ef Army and. returning to Hotel Henry as manager. . , - Jack Kluchman.^ ow-ner of Trelon, out of marines after 14 months with medical discharge. >•:" Qick Fortune, Kap Monahan's drama assistant on the Press, vaca- tioning in Hollywood, Peter Gregg, local actor. In from New York to visit his family before going overseas for USO. Variety Club's annual golf tourna- ment will be held on July 6 at West- moreland Country Club. Pfc. Max Silverman, former man- ager of WB's Ritz, who was wounded overseas, on his way home. Showgal Danice Morley home from New York for couple of weeks before going to Villa Venice in Chi. Mary • Morris couldn't pass over- seas physical for USO tour and will be back on Tech drama faculty next fall. Dorothy Moibit has switched to singing for Ralph Grove at Oasis with Everett Neill's departure for the Army. Kay Harmon, former little theatre actress with Red Cross in India, has been loaned~to. Major Melvyn Doug- las' special service unit. London Pavlowa's jewels sold at auction at Christie's May 15 brought under $4,000. Jack Lister, husband of Pat Kirk- wood, out of ENSA and back with the Jack Hylton office. Abe Aronson, part owner of the 400 and Embassy clubs, expected here from' Hollywood shortly. Teddy Brown, after serious re- lapse while playing Liverpool couple weeks ago, is now on the road to recovery. Film premiere of "Three Caballe- ros" at the New Gallery May 14 raised $15,000 for Ex-Servicemen's Club Fund. Tom Arnold has. new revue, star- ring Jack Hulbert, lined up to fol- low "Perchance to Dream" at the Hippodrome. - ;■' Sam Eckman, London head of Metro, purchased house in Little Bookham, formerly owned by the Queen of Yugoslavia. Peter Maurice Music Co. opening offices in Central Europe, with head- quarters at Prague, and has ap- pointed Otto Hein its representative. Moss Empires are maintaining their dividend at 5'i-, making 10% for.the year. This year's profits were $168,000, against $180,000 for last year. Jose Collins reviving "Gypsy Prin- cess," which starts another provin- cial tour, opening end of July at King's theatre, Soutnsea. with 20 weeks on Moss, Stoll and. General Theatres to follow. : , Prewar club formed in honor of knighthood of Sir Louis Sterling— the Sterling club—is being revived. Original founders—Max Milder, Ir- win Dash and Jack Rubens—are againits active committee. Gen. Eisenhower saw "Strike It Again," the George Black Prince of Wales revue, when in town recently. After show he went backstage to congratulate Sid Field, chief comic, who introduced him to other troupers. A. C. Doing Continued from page 1 Chicago heart hospital which it will under- write as its charity project. "Professor Backwards" and Pa- tricia Wymore into Hotel Nicollet Minnesota Terrace with Kurtis Marionettes and Perry Martin or- chestra. 1 ".•.-' on Ringling Bros, circus will dis- tribute 6,000 tickets to purchasers of war bonds. Performance will be given June 6. Mount Vernon Players visited the Washington Zoo on Sunday as a pre- liminary to giving their dramatic version of "Noah." The Ad Club's jamboree was held at the Statler hotel on Saturday eve- ning (26), with all the downtown theatres cooperating; Ben McKelway, associate editor of the Washington Evening Star, will address the Variety Club on Ger- man atrocities on June 4. . National theatre will be cooled this summer by a water-cooling sys- tem, pending installation of a per- manent air-cooling apparatus. Lester Cowan has decided to let the National Press Club get the first peek at Ernie Pyle's "Story of G.I. Joe." It will be shown June 14. • John Allen promoted to head of the Washington exchange territory for Metro - Goldwyn - Mayer, vice Rudolph Bcrger, who has gone to New Orleans. Fred Kogod, chief barker of Va- riety Club, has offered cash prizes for managers who make the best showing in this territory on the sale of war ponds. Ceiling On Sex i Continue* from pace 1 - smaller hotels, a block from Chal- fonte-Haddon Hall. The Air Force has the Ambassa- dor, Ritz-Carlton, President and Columbus. The Coast Guard has three hotels. And rooms all over town are occupied by various other services, not to mention the families of service people. That makes Atlantic City look like an attractive place for some new investor. The fact that the services won't occupy their space forever is balanced by the knowledge that the hospitals and other installations will have to be in the hands of the Gov- ernment for at least another couple of years. Convention Hall, for in- stance, is not likely to be given up by the Army until 1947 at the earliest. Wishful Thinking What the leading old time , busi- nessmen here hope is that Conven- tion .Hall.-will get back into city hands just about the time the trans- portation problem in the country really gels organized for large-scale travel. By that time, too, the local men hope to get some of the big hotels back, do necessary renovation, and go back to work along pre-war lines. But they feel definitely that, for some time to come, Atlantic City will have all the hotels it needs. A new, big hotel would make sec- ond-class places out of some of the leading old hostel lies. The impact would be felt all the way down the line. A new hotel would cue innova- tions, down to the cheaper conces- sion. Furthermore, the big money would bring too much new blood which might alter things all along. Everybody- here is satisfied with things as they exist. What', rooms there are, bring fantastic-: prices. Nobody is losing by the Army and Navy being here. If any new build- ing is to be done hereabouts, the people in the know hope it will be confined to a big Veterans Adminis- tration .hospital somewhere in this area. But as for new' hotel building— none is wanted here. Radar eyes are peeled on the horizon,' watching against sop*e' new guy with dough who mWht come in and crimp the operation,-, '•/■ Eddie Gordon, manager of the Tip- Top Inn. convalescing from a heart Entertainment Managers Associa- tion of Chicago annual election set for June 7. Doraine and Ellis. Mata Monteria and Emile Petti's augmented orch open in the Walnut Room, Bismarck hotel June 8. Max Sweet, former musician and vaude performer, is the new Variety Club steward at the organization's Blackstone hotel quarters. Jimmy Dorsey. playing in the Pan- ther Room of the Sherman hotel, under doctor's care and may cut stay short to return to Hollywood. Following a short vacation, after "Jacobowsky and the Colonel" closes here June 9. Louis Calhern goes into rehearsals for lead in "Cyrano de Bergerac." w Ruling on Kedzie Annex arbitra- tion suit against Paramount, Metro, Warner, 20th-Fox. Balaban & Katz and others, expected from arbitrator Albert McCaleb. July 20. Julius Goodman, late president of the Goodman and Harrison theatre circuit, left an estate estimated at $150,000 in a petition to admit his -will for probate filed last week. - New one-year contracts signed by K. T. Stevens and Hugh Marlowe of "Voice of the Turtle." stipulates that the show must play San Francisco and Los Angeles before the pact ex- pires June. 1, 1946. Latest figures on Hal Halpcrin me- morial show held at the Opera House on May 6 have reached $56,752, of which $3,347.20 goes for Federal tax, with possibility that it'll hit $60,000 before the final count. Bing Crosby and Chick Evans vs. Bob Hope and Jimmy Hines. is the card to be played at the Tarn o' Shanter Country Club May 26 for the benefit of the rehabilitation fund of the Professional Golfer's Associa- tion. Christ Otto, secretary of Film Chauffeurs and Carriers Union; Mund Delano, Columbia Pictures of- fice manager and Max Dry fuss. Mon- ogram salesman, were re-elected offi- cers of the Chicago Motion Picture Bowling League for 1945-46. Minneapolis By lies Keen Bill Winters, RKO salesman, oh sick list.' ';'■ ..- Ralph Maw, M-G-M district man- ager, in from Chicago. ^ Ivan Anderson promoted from RKO shipper to booker. Henie Joyce's Kewpie Dojls. top- ping Andy's floor show. Minneapolis Musicians' Red Cross benefit ball netted $1,000. '•'.. "Song to Remember'' set four-year boxolfice record at Granada. Duluth. William Mussman, Par salesman, back on job after three months' ill- ness. Hotel Radisson Flame Room hold- ing over Collette Lyons with Melody orchestra. Ray Allison, Altoona. Pa., theatre circuit owner, at Mayo clinic, Rochester. Minn. Eddie Walton. Republic sales man- ager, here in connection with com- pany's tenth anniversary drive. , Northwest Variety club 'approved plans- for . University of Minnesoftr these rocks, can't stand it, and they won't. Most recent episodes concern the visits of a distinguished stage and musical star and a high-pressure movie star, The stage personality, who wasn't too well known to them in any case, overlooked the fact that to the men she'wasn't a character, but just another entertainer. Result was that her act confused them. They didn't go especially for her singing as the p.a. systems weren't so good anyway, and her comedy routine was overly sophisticated con- sidering their unfamiliarity with such a line; And when she did a grind or two—which everyone rec- ognized as being an amateur job— they' let her have it. Even, if they had been good grinds she would have cashed in on the boo depart- ment, and as they weren't so good the men figured she was patronizing them,, and that was worse. The movie star caught an even more unfavorable reaction through glib and sexy remarks, and w,as sev- eral times given the works. It was rumored amongst the men, more- over, that she-entertained officers' messes with really spectacular stuff, and while this is preposterous, the men firmly believe it. — Novelty Acta Click What they do want, it has been proven out here time and again, is good specialty stuff. Acrobats, ma- gicians, specialty dancers, risley artists, comedy routines or vaude- ville routines of any kind are ab- solutely sock. Plays, either serious or comedy; singers, either popular or classical; instrumentalists ditto; any- thing, in fact, but gal shows. Any girls coming out here have to be sweet, demure, modest, reserved and above reproach generally. They must never flaunt their sex; to do so is to invite- a fiasco which includes everything from catcalls to pennies tossed on the stage. The reason for this can only be ascribed to the complete and utter isolation of the Pacific ocean areas. In Europe or even Africa, a short leave meant a possible visit to a town or city; somewhere where there were other than the military, and where .there were possibilities, even though remote, for diversion or female companionship. Nowhere in the Pacific short of Australia is this even remotely possible,: and Australia has long since become as distant as the States themselves. AS there is no escape whatever to even the most primitive civiliza- tion and as there is absolutely.no contact with the island natives; the" men cannot find release in any svay, and even the search for release is denieel them. So any display of sexi- ness only serves to remind them of their plight, and it infuriates them. Yet any girl who comes out "here and puts on a sock, professional act, who makes no display of herself either with others in-the .show or with' 'officers and, who behaves dis- creetly and normally both ori and off stage, will achieve the . biggest beg-off any girl ever got, and Will be long remembered by the men in .tbiR.*Fea-.'--B(it--sex- >s-out.-MW'/-y- * Alfred Drake bedded by .laryngitis. Tom Drake laid up with laryngitis. Oscar Hammerstein II in from New York. Louis Hayward laid up with bron- chitis. -'•' ■;' . Mrs. Irving Berlin in town for the summer. Ames Bishop passed his Army physical. Marjorie Main hospitalized with tonsillitis. Hazel Dawn hospitalized with ap- pendicitis. Kay Gorman recovering from an auto crash. Martha Driscoll to Texas to sell War Bonds. - John Carradine 'hospitalized with pneumonia. Mischa Bakaleinikoff planed to Mexico City. Robert Montgomery celebrated his 42nd birthday. Carole Landis establishing resi- dence in Reno. Selena Royle celebrated her 25th anni as a thesp. James Gleason tossed a party for . bus 59th birthday. John Erskine, author,' establishing residence in Reno. ' ' Turhan Bey reported for induction at Fort MacArthur. Fred Astaire vacationing on his farm near San Diego.- Eddie Cantor east on four weeks of War Bond selling. Tony Muto in from Washington for 20th-Fox huddles. Richard Dix is limping yith a sprained leg. '".-'-■' Joan Caulfield's sister. Betty, shift- ing from* stage to screen. Dick Crane and his wife, Kay. Morley, laid up with flu. Daun Kennedy, Paramount actress, • laid up with poison ivy. , Vivian Blaine taking two weeks off under doctor's orders. Myrna Loy returned from New York to resume film work. Hugh Cummings.'screen writer, di- vorced Mona Raye, actress. • Carlos Ramirez returning to Brazil for night club commitments. John Farrow returned from a mis- sion for the Canadian Navy. Connie Bennett filed suit for di- : vorce against Gilbert Roland. Janet Martin, Republic actress, recovering from appendectomy. Claudette Colbert returned to work at International following illness. Gary Cooper returned to his pro- ducer desk after two-week illness. Jack Maurice, formerly with Berg Allenberg. opened his own agency. Errol Flynn filed suit to revise his alimony settlement with Lili Damita. Cecil B. DeMille played himself in a Raloh StaUb short for Columbia. Fred Mohrhardt. Paramount comp- • troller, in from New York on busi- ness. • Louis Hayward temporarily out of the "Young Widow" cast with laryn- gitis. Beverly Hills hotel in OPA suit for alleged $32,593 over-ceiling vio- lations. Jinx Falkenburg to San Antonio to play a tennis match with her brother, Bob, for soldier entertain- ment. Andy Russell cooling and peeling after a blast of sunshine on the beach. Alice Faye reported for lensing at 20th-Fox for the first time in nearly two years. Harold A. Belt. Harvey lunchery exec, playing himself in "The Har- vev Girls." Ray Muse elected president of the National Association of American Magicians. Jose Serrato. Uruguayan Minister of Foreign Affairs, guested at War- ners studio. Mrs. Virginia Laurel withdrew her separate maintenance suit against Stan Laurel. Alexander Knox to conduct sum- mer classes at the People's Educa- tional Centre. , . John Hodiak laid up with mumps, delaying production o£ "The Harvey Girls" at Metro, Matt Moore, star of silent, days, re- turning to film.s in "She Went to the Races" at Metro. Walter Lantez bowlers outrolled Deanna Durbin's team in the Uni-. versa) tournament. Bob Hope and Bing Crosby golfing with Gov. Frank Lausche, of Ohio, on a War Bond tour. Nestor Piava pinch-hitting in '•The Drunkard" for Neely Edwards, who is hospitalized, for surgery, Charles Wade out of the Navy and back with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Garrett Leverton in from New York to gander new plays for Broad- w-av and London oroduction. George Blair, Rcmiblic producer, working at home while his wife and daughters have chicken-oox. Lillian Roth granted S150-a-monlh temporary alimonv from her es- tranged husband, Edward Goldman. Frank R. Himrahan apnointed treasurer for Walt Disney Produc- tions, succeeding Mrs. Roy O. Dis- ney. •"••'' - Botte- Davis. Lena Home and Eddie (Rochester) Anderson awarded citations by the Inter-Racial Film and Radio Guild. Roger Graham resigned as Cali- fornia Bank mana"c- iBcvhill? branch.) to join Mvrt Blum's Busi?