Variety (Apr 1946)

UAfUETY LITBIIATI «1 Literati Maltlfie G|«bHlwi«B*r •Hier* is B new anfle being iaVen UD by »everal authors' associates, lhat is the possibility of "multiple iubmissloas," of articles and stories io magazines. This is now being done vlth submissions to film companies and to stage producers. The angle on macs, with a single submission, is that an editor may keep a ms so Jong that by the time he returns il— and a slay in an office of several months is not unknown—it i.t out- dated. Speed could be accomplished by .submitting to the market as a whole,' and it more than .one. cash biu—the higher would be accepted. Vreeland'tf 'Opportonlllcs* Scripter Frank Vreeland's "Op- portunities In Acting," one of the Vocational. Guidance manuals, is a valuable handybook for vets, stu- deilt.'i as well as tyios entering show bii. In conci.se, commercial pai-lancCi nianiial covers acting for stage, sci'een, radio; tele.and nlteries; dis- cusses acting types (leads juve.s. comics, heavies); takes up means of ; leai^ning (schools, strawhats, experi- mental and little theatres) and of getting a job (agents, managers, au- ditions); phases of acting tcostume, gestures, carriage, makeup); and act- ing's rewards, in salaries. Pros can learn from It, too. BroH. Lllly'i UNRBA Pant Joseph. Lilly,, former New York and .Washington newsninn .and foiiner president of the New York, Gity Tax Commission, has been ap- poiiiled director of public informa- tion for UNRRA. He succeeds Mo'rse Salisbury who quit because of poor health. Lilly was a combat Intelligence officer in the AAF dur- ing the war. can Newspaper' Guild xovtr over the tiring of three Washington corres- pondents for refusing transfer to the New York office. Time reportage of. the case in-' eludes speculation that PM is launch- ing a dra.stlc. economy drive to get out of the red; relinquishing its rad- icalism and stand-offish attitude to- wards .scaifdal;" unveiling a drastic- ally rcstyled typographic format: and plahnini; a promotion drive to boost circulation vip from its present 145,- 000. Time quotes PM editor Ralph tides on lest . mines and buried treasure to Ghost Town News, of Los Angeles, Dan Main\v;ariiig's new novel, writ- ten under.the~p.seudoiiym of GcofTrcy Homes, is ill the book stalls, pub- lished by Morrow 4e Co. Marion Hargrove's "RefleclionR of a R.Tbble-Rouser," his first civili»n article since days of "See Here...," will be lead article in June Salule, out May 5. William Cagney. is dickering with eastern publishers Tor a inotibn pic- ture edition of "A Lion Is in thie Streets," lo be brought out when the picture version is 'released. . Al Colin, veteran Hollywood screenwright, now a Los Angeles police commissioner, has written an Inger.soll on the transformation: "If . , . you're always crusading, you. get to ; 1,"'°™?^ Hollywood^which be a bore." " . '" Said Inger.soll after looking Time'.s story right in its boldface type: "Time's speculation on PM's planis is cockeyed." Bestonlan Heads Canadians Morris McOougall. of Boston, cor re^poiideiil ot the Chr Monitor at Canada Press Gallei y at'Montreal, ha.s been elected president of the Gallery for 1946. He succeed.s Percy Philip, of the New York Times. Other new Gallery execs are: Lorenzo Pare, of L'Actinn Catliolique, Quebec City! v.p.; Reg Hardy, of the Southam strijig, secrelary; Arthiir J. Mc- Kenna, Wall Street Journal, New York, treasurer. Directors are: Gerard Morin, Montreal Iji Prcs.se; has several publishers interested. Fredcritk C. Othman writing a humorous bpok about his experi- ences as a feature writer for the United Press in -Hollywood and Wasliington. Whittle.sey House will publish in the fall. . Boris:KarlofT has edited an a.nthol- i SCULLY'S SCRAPBOOK ii , • * ■ ♦ ♦«♦«♦♦♦«♦♦♦««♦♦ By Frank Scully «♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦«♦ ♦ ♦«» Unotopia, April 18. That the war between the law and "The Outlaw" may be settled before the time limit of April 23 is reasonable to suppose. This is the scasoii of peace, and even producers like harhiony now and then, In that event show bu.sine.s.s can celebrate Shakespeare's birthday (23) without hypcrmam- mifcrous argumGnts,'pro and con, inchidin'g Jane Rusell's Exhibits 1 and 2. But long after this war has toned down, the question Howard Hughes has raised will still remain: which comes first, the law or the outlaw? "I. think," wrote Hughes, "it's about time people quit trying io tcU the'American public what to see, read.or listen to." . Of course he didn't'mean that literally. If people told the American public to see. "The Outtaw," he wouldn't think it about time they quit trying to tell the American public what to see. What he meant was ho thought it about time people quit telling Hughes how to produce aiui sell a picture, even if it had no boxoffice Value ia Bali. HIa contention, that the public wants "The Outlaw," because! in its first week in L.A. 100.000 persons .saw it, "nearly twite as inaiiy as ever entered the same theatres in any one week previously." doesn't prove his point at all. It merely provr.s that it pays td advertise-and that a strong or wrong ad campaign may. salvage a poor picture. . Alovtnr Billboards That the flr.st excitement of aa S.A. ad campaign may mean money in the bank is nothing'new to .show biz. Bill shortly mouth-to-moulh publicity :hri.sti:in Science \ ''teratur*. '■And the Darkness 1. ^111 bring this sort of response: "Why should I pay to see the picture'/ Peo- s Parliamcnlaiy ; !^="f: published by . World pig [^\\ nie there's lots more on the billboards than on the screen, and for Publishing next week. Book' is a collec^tion of 72 pieces "exploring the darkness of the huinian mind." Allan Ullman liamed promotion manager of Raiidom House and will be in charge of publicity with Mrs. nothing.' I'ne maiii objective of a selling cainpaign is to tease, stimulate Interest, sell. But not to oyer.sell. Oversold no sale. You can even scU bad pictures that w'ay, though in doing so you may feel forced to escape behind'the dodge pf "Well, that's what the public wants." In that event you blame the public eyeii more so when a bad picture fails to make money. It could Florence Spivak as assistant. On , be the salesman's defen.se that he can't sell dullness as entertainment no May 1.1, Random House rnoves into its new permanent headquarters at 457 Madison ave. Fawcetts cocktail • partied . Mrs. ' . New Balldinr for Time, Inc. Time, Inc., has leased the site of the Marguery hotel, on Park avenue, . lit N. Y., where tlie publishing firm plans to be permanently housed'in Its own building, to be constructed when the Marguery is fazed s.oon. Tlie corporation, which publishes Time, Life, Fortune and The Archi- tectural Forum, has occupied space in the Time and Life building, Rockefeller C^enter since 193B, when U moved from the Chrysler bjftg. «n East 42d street, . Plans are for a S8-story. office ■building. Sile came under Time's control through acquisition of out- standing capital stock of a corpora- ilon which had obtained the lease from Webb St Knapp, real estate In- vestors. James Oastlcr, Montreal Star; .T. H. I Joan Curtis, retiring editor (because Fisher, Toronto Telegram; Frank of motherhood) of Motion Picture Flaherty, H.nliliix Chronicle; Jack | Mag, and appointed MaxweU Hamil- Williams, Canadian Press. (g,, succeed. Latter was aide to Ralph Daigh, editorial director to Ted Prklt'i Fall Author Theodore Pratt thinks .Fawcetl Publications. Publicity on Norman Anthony and Vaiiiktt should mend . its manners the ex-mag, Ballyhoo, makes it ap aiid call it prat-fall, not prattfall,' pear that he owned as well as edited, but. since the' miiggs have been iin- .i Mag was put out by Dell Publishing heeding he has 'bought up one of I Co. His book,. "How To Grow Old Addison Mizner's manses at Boca : Disgracefully," has him up to a Raton iFla.^ and, w(ll call it Prat-: grand a week drawing account. Fall. (Which remind?'of the late Al Drue Tartiere, author of "The Boasberg who took ribald cognizance [ hoiisc Near -Paris," has just been of an old Hollywood yessing habit : decorated with the King's Medal for by billing hl< Malibu house as Yes-; geivice in the Cause of Freedom PB's AuioBatlc Sales Tally Twelve million books within' four months Is what Pocket Books sold. Idlest' sales figure marks a jump from 132,000,000'lo 144,000,000. Start- ing with an April release, "Action at Aquila," the exact quantity of «U Pocket Books manufactured will be printed on-the cover of each publica- tion by a machine which automatic- .ally numbers each copy. Vie OulnDcis BrcTCted Being spring, 'Vic Guinness, former art editor of the Sunday Mirror, N. Y., has two new leaves oh his shoulders. He has been made a major in the U.S.M.C. and is also sporting the green arid white ribbon on his chest. The commendation ribbon of merit is for his work as official por- trait painter of the U. S. Marine Corps.,He ia awaiting his discharge papers in four months. Rcllcleiu Boak Week Cholccii Two hundred books haVe been chosen by committees working with Ihe National Conference of Chris- tians and Jews for special, plugging •round the country In connection ■with the fourth annual Religious Book Week, May 5-12. Among the books are "The Green Years," "Focuis." "Harvest *in the De.sfert," "Brideshead Revisited," "The Church and the Returning Soldier." "The Gauntlet," "One Na- tion," and "The Springfield Plan.'.'r On May ,10, there will be special programs In many .schools in. com- nienioration of the Nazi book-bul-n- mgs on that date in 1933, Manor) Incidentally, Pratt's latest book. • "■Valley Boy," after starting a howl ; from the Coast defenders that his j comments on Southern California | were uncomplimentary, got a rave review from the Los Angeles Times as "thie most accurate and uproari- ous piciiire of Southern California yet published," which put an end to the yowling. The controversy was expected to prove boxoffice but the Times' favorable notice proved just as efTective. by the British government in recog- nition of her aid to Allied flyers shot down in France during the war. Leo Hofeller, new N. Y. Sunday Mirror mag m.e, is lining up a staff of former Yank iiien, with Hyman Goldberg, PM reporter; Bob McMil- lan, Newsweek rewrite; Paul Show- ers, New Yorker freelance, and Nel- son Gruppo, former art editor of Stage, already signed. Plays on B'way CoDtlDued from page M i N'MU's 1«G Award vs. Wlnchelt One of the rare instances when a libel action has ever been settled against Walter Winchell occurred ' ot Americana. Unfortunately,_ the sent a $10,000 check to the Natiomil Maritime Union in an out-of-court settlement of a six-year legal suit. Winchell urged Hear.st not to make such a settlement and pleaded for a chance to argue the case in court. Winchell said he would like to meet representatives of the union "in any well-lighted courtroom or any dark alley for a complete showdown." Suit \vas a result of a 1940 Winchell Wonika BUes D4»g „. Americana. Unfortunately, I exposure of the Chi Tl'ib-N. Y. Davly matter how good he is at selling. But. that would hardly be a defense at the present time wheh anything sells, even lecturing. What's more to the point, a flicture like "The Outlaw,!' which fell flat on its face in San Fran- ,Cisco four years ago, now is ill over the'place Selllnr and the Critics The only place seemingly where selling is up to. salesmen still is on Broadway, particularly legit, and there the job seems up to the critics. It they don't go for it, the producer has on has hands not only a-dead duck, but one that's over-gamey. Herman :Shumlih's complaint to the critics, I over the demise of "Jcb" in a week i.>i a'show in point He blamed the : critics' low, estimate of the play for the public's lack of interest in it, ' since the only contact the public has with the theatre is through the press, Shumlin was limiting his'point to serious plays. He,conceded that plays , fortified by music might overcome critical disapproval through'other out- lets than the press. Moreover, he complained, the critics are rirely as hard on mu.sicals as they are on straight legit, which is true .It was.Shum- lin's. clincher that the public never had a chance to see "Jeb" and to decide •whether it was good or bad. Yet it was writteh and prodticed in the con- viction, he added, that what it had to say was of importance to the public. Well, if that were so and It was backed by a. Hughes b.f., it might) still have passed the critical bottleneck by bypassing it From a more refined angle it's the Hughes complaint all over again. Shumlin is saying, in effect. It's about time critics quit trying to tell the American public what to see, read or listen to, but he wouldn't think it was about time for them to quit if they'd praise his product indiscriml. nately. So praise that is widely distributed is no praise at all, as producers woiild soon find out. It would be the story of the boy and wolf all «ver again but in reverse. His screams of delight would soon draw as few pco« pie to the boxoffice as so mainy hoots of an owl. ' No, the critic's job, as the cens^-'s, is to tell his people what the piece of entertainment In que.stion will or will not do for his particular part of the public. If it wants fun, this picture has or hasn't got It. If it wants moral betterment, this picture will or will not give It, If It wants money, this turkey, will or. will not make it. That way the right guesscrs, whatever Ihelr public, would lie rewarded In ways that most pleased them. All would be rewarded to a degree, for it seems that even habitually bad gue5.sers are also on salary. "The only . bad gucKsers who'd have to pay for his folly would be'the original author, ancf under the present setup he has no way to pass on the cost ot bis mis- takes to others. He could, of course, write complaining letters to the critics, but he usually figures the time might be better spent getting on last week when the Hear.^t Corp. , ^'^P^'J-^^^'j^V'^t-" ^fj-'i;' -.kiraUl wilh another play, one already in his head, one that really bubbles. technique as a hitching post for com- edv .lines brought forth some prett.v Sliakespcare Had the Answer In doing, that this author has excellent precedent to guide him. Shake- tame .stuff, if hasn't a chance at; speare had to take some rough treatment from critics In his time, too. the boxoffice. Frank Harris establishes quite plausibly that when Queen Elizabeth ban- The shenanigans of the Patterson-I ished from court . Lady Mary Fittoni who was Shakespeare's g.f. Will McCorniick clan, \vith their hates ,efused..to write anything but tragedies for five years. When the Queen nll'lwl^Xi^m.Jif leewav fo^^effec- "^"^ ^^^^ ^^"s *he only poet who dummied up and U^^ Vxag^eiXi. BuJ t^o sipe"m- ^-o"'"" ' « ^'^^'^ P"""' "* h"'- I" «hose days that was like refus- uo.se additional hallucinations On mg to stand up when the national anthem is played, characters that in reality run the \ It took more courage then not to talk under the circumstances than it Si^ I '^^^i^'^^^^p^ '^^--^^ La.st week in Philadelphia, a $500,- the Spe.wacks went wrong «:hoos- I hnaKepeare never wrote .wesUrn.s. . . '. \,,4t 4l\aii> vtihi«/>f mallei' i/nC rS\' Winchell by Dr. George HSrdman. I authors in a program addenda director of the "Peace Now" move- ■ „,ould have one believe that "the ment, was thrown out of court. (.•liaraclers are purely fictional, of i According, to Winchell's contract i course") strikes too deep to be ■- with the Hearst Corp. he is not per sonally liable for any damages Other Chi Spots Continued from page 2 . ! funio'. ' The play re.sorls lo rather wi.sh- wishtiil-thinking ' iasis of "get-the- equipment-in-we-hope.". All spots namea have now been claimed against him as a result of libel actions. Time, PM At It Anin Time .mag and PM are afeudin' «gin. For five years Time has been needling PM with such phrases as . jolatile," "Russophile," "uptown Daily Worker" and other charactei-i- Mtions ranging from pink lo red. This week Tlriie found an opening lot another swipe in the PM-Ameri- CilA'rTER Paul Gallico fo do series for True. Steve Fisher dramatizing his novel, "Winter Kill"; Michael Arlen now a permanent N, Y. resident. Sam Byrd returned to inactive duty after 47 months. Elise Hcniiing confacling book pubs for that digest scclipii of' Cosmo. V<rhon Pope, editor of Pageant mag, looking over contacts on the Hollywood scene. ■ Pat Coffin, motion picture editor for Look mag. tossed a pdrty for Hollywood writers. Jean Mccgau, As.sociated Pre.ss feature-writer, in Hollywood for two weeks of interviews. . Ben Abramsoi. going to publish selections from Vincent Stan'ett's stuff in book .section of Chi Tribvme. Howard D, .Clark has sold 26 ar- ful diiydreaming in under-rating the | .sataciiv of its triumvirjite of central | characters. A discharged air; force lieutenant fulfills a promise to him-: : self by planting a hoax on the gul- ! lible I'liiblisher. The story was that liis home low'ii had gone completely i red. his garage dmtl.scated and that the language of Karl Marx was spo- : ken bv lii.s Kirifrieud and the other, townspeople. Since the parsiihoni-' oiis N. Y. publisher and Ivls CKolistic , Chicago brother with a dictator-, pump^ that the city is hollering for complex were ripe for all that Wi(.« them to in.stall listed. Refused licenses becaiise of served notice by C. H. Keller, super- fire, health, or building violations, ! '"te"dent of the license bureau, to they have until May 6. to fill the re quiremenls of . city ordinances or clo.se up. The Great Northern and the Mills factory are both accused'of fire vio- lution.s. Like-a number of the spots named, however, the Shubert-lca.sed theatre is on the spot, inasmuch as it's claimed it's impossible to secure the equipmvnt—in this tii.se, a obtain licenses-or face closing by May 6. City coiiiicilmen were yelling "I told, you so" here. Saturday i.20), following a $90,0(>0 fire that de- stroyed the nearrnprth side Uptown Players theatre. Fire broke out two inihutcs before the end of the ama- teur group's presentation of "You Can't Take It With You," with panic averted whcii one of -the the.sps,' Mary Ann Sigvvorth, 18. stepped to. not 300'r Americanism, they go 10 1 fire dept. has asked lhat Ihe l |he footlights and told the'audience town on the expo.se A mild love alTiiir .>-liglitly'complicates the story but never rmproves il. - Ta.vlor Holmes plays Commander Soiilhworth iC^l. McCorinick) to the hilt. Ro.val Beat as Major South- The theatre provide and maintain .in good I it was only a wa.stcba.skct fire condition a slandard automatic pump | 500 spectators filed out calmly.- of not less than 500 gallons capacity j Theatre had been condemned as a and not less thuii 100 pounds net dis- ', flrctrap by the fire dept. here, and r> mo u» owv....- ''i^''"e pressure a.s an additional | the am group, headed by J. Bradley worth i Paller.son) 'and'^Ami Isht^- ■ "''•t'"'' SMPPly to the present sprinkler j Griffin', had been forbidden to per- makcr as Lizzie Southworlh iClssir (''.vstt-m in the house, but this type . form there. It's one of many thca- Paltpr.son) ai'e similarly elTcctive in | of piimp is unavailable, it's claimed, ] (res here operating on "pei'mits," exploiting tlioir prototypes. Kirk DoiieUi.s. J'rnnk Lbvcjoy and Mer- cedes McCambridge in other fe.n- tured roles turn in good perform- ances. Coby Ru.sk in-did ai> able job of staging. Rose. iWil/idrnu-ii Snl\(r<la\) (20) c/lei five perJoTiunnces.) becaiKsc manufacturers haven't got-, but not licenses, that are contingent j ten around to it yet. | on the spots clearing up conditions Theatrie has been opevatiuf^ with- j that are threats to public safety and out liccn.se, but on a receipt obtained I lirallh. [Feb. I when the city was paid $880 Peggy Patloh, ■ drama teacher, as a fee for the first six months of ' was overcome by smoke but flrc- I this year. Receipts are Issued on the ' men revived her.