Variety (May 1946)

TO Wednesday, May 1, 1946 OBITUARIES TONY 8UDEKUM dreds of scholarship privileges at Tony Sudekum, 66, died suddenly his academy to talented servicemen ot a neart attack in Nashville, April anxious for careers on the stage. 27 He was president and founder Besides his widow, he leaves a of'the Crescent Amus. Co.,-operating j daughter and a brothe r. « circuit ot 150 theatres. , Details in Pictures dept. | RICHARD H. I.1TTI,K Richard Henry Little, 76, news- WALTER S. FISCHER I paperman, war correspondent and Walter S. Fischer, 64, president one-time advance agent for the late of Carl Fischer, Inc., . New York Charles Frbhman. productions died music publishers, died in New York, April 27 at his home near Rich- April 26 He was also head of music mond, Va. UntiJ his retirement in publishing houses in Boston and 1936 he had authored the column, Chicago and vice-president of the "Line o' Type or Two" in The Chi- Carl Fischer Musical Instrument Co., cago Tribune, housed in same building as N. Y. Starting out as a lawyer, his fond publishing concern at 56 Cooper ness for newspaper work soon Square prompted him to forego law prac- Fischer who had come up from U'ce to cover the Spanish-American the ranks in his father's business, war for the Chicago Tribune and entered it after graduating from later the Russo-Japanese and the high school. His two 'brothers, nrst World wars. It was between George and Carl, Jr., also joined these assignments that he met Froh the publishing house, and Fischer man and got. leave from newspaper B nd his three sons formed a partner- w °i* to publicize the laltcr's pro- ship in 1900. But in the next few ductions as a road agent. He later years the brothers died and Walter returned to Chi to become drama and his father carried on the busi- critic for the Chicago. Herald, a post ness. After the death of his father he held for two years, after which in 1923, the business was incorpo- I he returned to the Tribune, rated and he became president Fischer,- who' was born in New York, was keenly interested in the fostering and development of Ameri- "LafTing Room Only," current in PhiUy, in which he's a featured comedian. Burns left the show after his wife's death to bring the body on to N. Y. and attend to funeral ar- rangements but rejoins it next week. JAMES HARPER James Harper, 65, a prolific song- writer in his younger days when in his native Scotland, died April 22, at Newark, N. J. He came to this country in 1910 and, when unable to make a connection with any Broad- way music firm, he got work as a mechanic and gave up songwriting. Harper is reputed to have written about 100 songs, many of which were published in London. Among thejiK.was "My Daisy," which Harry Lauder featured for years in his song repertoire. Others he did for George Robey, English comedian. He also had written musical interpola- tions for several London musicals. Survived by a brother and sister. Widow and sister survive. VIRGINIA HARMED Virginia 'Harned, 74, who had can composers. He devoted much of I famed recognition as one of Amer- his time serving on committees for the advancement of music and to- ward the broadening of musical cdu- ica's leading actresses before retire- ment in 1918, died April 29 at her home in New York after a heart "Love's Call," and "The Spook House." As an actor, he appeared in such plays as "Jane," "The Great Metropolis" and "The Patroits." EVELYN REDL Mrs. Evelyn Huelan. Redl, 28, chorus girl at Chicago's Rialto the- atre, burlesque house, died in Chi- cago following a heart attack April 24. . Survived by her husband, Herbert Redl, pianist in the Rialto's orches- tra, and a sister. STEPHEN A. KAIMANN Stephen A. Kaimann, 85, founder of a chain of neighborhood film theatres in St. Louis died at his home of complications which fol- lowed a broken hip suffered in a fall last February. While operating a grocery and saloon in North St. Louis in 1910 Kaimann opened the O'Fallon the- atre and later developed a chain of eight houses. After his retirement 20 years ago the houses have been operated by his son's, Clarence H. and Francis'S. Kaimann, and a daughter, Mrs. Ann Ballman. The circuit has been aug- mented by several more houses since the sons, assumed control. cation in the public schools. For the attack. most part, his company published educational and serious music, in- cluding the works of Howard Han- son, Leopold Godowsky, Roy. Harris, Joseph Schillinger and John Philip Sous'a. Firm also published the Beginning her career at the age of 16, Miss Harned"first appeared on the stage in N. Y. in "A Long. Time Pine Meadows," at the old 14th street theatre, A long list of successes, followed deluding "The Dancing Girl." She ;^^%^' Witt ? * ^""created "tit, Capt. Robert Crawford Since 1924, Fischer had been ., H Sother leadj director of toe American Soc.ety of riod Among olher Composers, Authors and Publishers.' He was also a former president of the Music Publishers Assn. of the U. S. and. served on the board of directors of the . Music Publishers Protective Assn He was a member of the Union League Club, Mendelssohn Club and others. in 1896 when she married Edward Sothern, leading actor of that successful pro- ductions in which she appeared Camille" (1904), ' Anna Karenina" Camille" (1904), "Anna Karcnin.i" (1907), "The Second Mrs T.<iiqueray" (1909). and her final play in 1918, Josephine.'' Miss Harned divorced .Sothern In 1910 and in 1913. married William Courtenay, an actor with whom "she ALFRED L. WOOD Alfred L, Wood, 69, former drama and book editor of the Springfield (Mass.) Union, died April 29 at Springfield, Mass. Wood, who had served the paper as city editor, was known to two generations of play- goers. He. had written extensively for magazines, one of his best known articles being on the Mass. Watch and Ward Society, which he did for American - Mercury when under Henry L, Mencken. Widow and son survive. GEORGE E. VAN GUYSLING George Edmund Van Guy sling, 81, pioneer film cameraman/died in Los Angeles, April 24, after two-year ill- ness. One-time veepee and general man- ager of old Biograph company, Van Guy sling was credited with develop- ing ' first - practical motion picture camera in 1889. Survived by brother. ARTHUR SPARKS Arthur Sparks, 24, Lima, O., cow- boy radio singer, was killed April 25 when an automobile in which he was riding got out of control. Three others were injured in the accident. ARTHUR THOMAS Arthur Thomas, 63, former mural painter and later scenic designer, died April 26 in Los Angeles. He retired from work in the film studios six years ago because of blindness. WILLIAM S. GILLIS William S. Gillis, film' character actor, died in Los Angeles, April 24. He had appeared in films for over 40 years. He leaves widow. ALBERT HAMILTON Albert Hamilton, 52, for many years manager of the Empress Thea- tre, South Norwalk, Conn., died there April 20. Widow and daughter survive.. addresses of Pericles, John Donna, Thomas Paine, Lazare Carnot, Pat. rick Henry, Daniel Webster, John Brown, Lincoln and Zola. Jean Hersholt has waxed Andcr. sen's "Fairy Tales;" Ronald Colmah has recorded albums based on James Hilton's "Lost Horizon" and Dickens' "A Christmas Carol;" Charles Boyer has declaimed French writings on the principles of democracy under the title of "Liberte,' Egalite, Fra- ternite," a $5.50 album; and there have been albums also of musical comedy. and fllmusical scores, jazz collector's anthologies (old Bruns- wick and Gennett wax works), all of which have added up to a new high tolal in sales. Ingrid Bergman's'The Happy Prince;" Colman's albums of Greek myths, "Tales of the Olympian Gods," and the like, are part of the showmanship glamorizing ot quasi- educational subjects which are per- manent records for the musical ibraries in American homes which more and. more seem to be "discover- ing" these "talkies on wax." : These factors, along with the ex- pected releasing of new combination phonograph - radio - television sets, figure in the anticipated raising ot disk production sights in general. There is also the intangible of satis- fying temperamental artists who don't seem to realize that a record company can't devote its entire busi- ness to pressing "X" millions of a hit, no matter the demand, because the duikers, like the haberdasher with a aried "line" of ties, or the merchant who must display a varied "line" oC merchandise, must also produce a varied "line" of canned music- bands, vocals, pops, longhairs, musi- comedy, educational, and the like. However, as production facilities im- prove., so', too, can a pop hit approach a greater saturation point, which, has been denied everybody with limita- tion on production, materials and manpower. Not the least of the prob- lems, even now, in the record busi- ness has been the dearth of man- power. Survived by widow, a daughter I had frequently .appeared on the and three sisters. | stage and who died in 1931 HARDY VERNON , I KYRA BLANC Marlborough Hardy, 87, legit actor Mrs. Kyra Blanc Dimilriew, 39, whose professional name was Hardy I who as Kyra Blanc had been solo Vernon, died April 27 in Toronto, dancer.with Metropolitan Opera Co. He retired from the stage seven N. Y., died in New York April 26, years ago. At time of death she had been mem- In the '80s and '90s, he was asso- ber of the faculty of School of dated .with such producers as American Ballet, N. Y. Augustih Daly; James J. Hearn, | Born in Moscow, she wis a gradu J. M. Palmer and Charles Frohman, He played leads in "Jim the Pen man," "Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford" and other plays; appeared with Henry Miller, John Drew, Ada Re han, Kyrle Bellew, Robert Mantell and May Fortesque. . He later be came an actor-manager and directed several successful road companies, During the run of "Jim the Pen- man," he married Evelyn Cook, a member of the cast, who diedi three years ago at 79. Born in Ashley, England, he came to Toronto when he was 18 and, be- fore' going to New York, won local recognition as an elocutionist. One of his prized possessions; in addition to others, was a yellowed program of a benefit performance for "the poor of Toronto" given in the Grand Opera House there on March 31, 1882, when he recited "Faithless Sally Ann." He was prominent in Masonic circles and recently received a 60-. year membership, medal from the St. decile Lodge, New York. MAX LANDAU Max Landau, 57, talent agent In N. Y. and Chicago for the past 30 years, died in Chicago, April 23. Landau was a partner with John Benson in the Metropolitan Theatri- cal Agency, Chi, for the past four years. He was with Ernie Young previously, and before that had his own office in N. Y. for many years. Survived by widow, two' daugh- ters, mother. Charles J. Brown, 66, employed in Paramount studio transportation de- partment for over 20 years, died (Continued on page 71) ate of that State School ot the Bal- let. From 1925 to 1930 she danced at the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre. Later she was principal solo dancer in Max Reinhardt's production of "Die Flefermaus" in Berlin. After a period with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in Paris and Monte'- Carlo, she was soloist with American Ballet at the Met opera. In 1939 she joined the school faculty. Survived by husband, Vladimir Dimitriew, a former director of the school, and her mother. Mine. Eu- genie Blanc of'Moscow. CLAUDE M. ALVIENE Claude M. Alviene, 77, founder and for 50 years head of Alviene Academy of Dramatic and Cultural Arts, died in New York, April 23. A directors' and artists' represen- tative for many years, Alviene is reputed to have provided stage training via his academy to Fred and Adele Astaire, Mary Pickford, Lee Tracy, Una Merkel, Hazel Dawn and others. From 1910 to 1919, he directed the annual shows of the Triangle Club at Princeton University, and later staged shows for the Hasty Pudding Club at Harvard. Alviene founded his academy in 1894. All during its existence he was aided by his wife, the- former Neva Irwin, who taught acting and ballet. . During the past few years Al- viene devoted time to re-education of returning veterans and gave hun- GRACE FOX Grace Fox, veteran legit and radio actress, died April 27 at St. Luke's hospital, N. Y. Funeral arrange- ments were handled by Actors' Fund. Miss Fox, who got her early stage training in stock companies, had spe- cialized in this branch of theatricals, having been for a number of years with, Corse Payton's Lee Avenue stock and the Spooncr Stock Co, both in Brooklyn. N. Y. When stock took a decline with the incoming of talking pictures she appeared in a nu.nber of road legits as well as some productions on Broadway. In recent years she had done some ra- dio work. Survived by two sisters, one of them Josephine Fox. who had also been a stock actress for a lime. EMILY HOWARD Emily Howard, 78. veteran vaudc performer, who had been member of act known as the Howard Sisters, prominent during the Gay '90s, died in Chicago, April 23. During' her show biz career, which ended some 30 years ago, Miss Howard was widely known as male impersonator. The act had its greatest success at Tony Pastors and Koster and Bial's Music Hall, N. Y. TEDDY BROWN Teddy Brown, 45, died in Wolver- hampton, England, April 29. He was heading a vaudeville unit for a week at the Hippodrome completing two shows but succumbing to a heart attack at a local hotel. Brown had been a vaudeville name here for 20 years, topping bills. He originally came over with an American band as xylophonist at the Cafe de Paris. Survived by widow, son and da ugh ter. MRS. HARRY RURNS Mrs. Harry Burns, 45. who before her'marriage to the dialect comedian had been known professionally as Helon Lockwood, died in. her sleep in Philadelphia, April 27. _ Remains were brought to New Yorlc for fu- neral, services today (Wed.) at Simonson's Funeral Parlor, Rich- mond Hill, L. I.- Mrs. Burns, Who had previously appeared in her husband's vaude act, "Balloons!" had accompanied hijn on tour with Olsen & Johnson's revue, CHARLES F. DENNEE Charles F.. Deiinec, 83. composer and a long-time faculty member of the New England Conservatory of Music, died April 29, in Brookline, Mass. Dennee was- composer of the lullaby, "Sleep Little Baby of Mine, which had sheet sales of nearly 1,000,000 copies. Survived by a sister. Decca's Record , Continued from page 1 ; FRITZ BENDER Frits Bender, 54; business agent for the Des Moines Musician's un- ion, died of a heart attack April 19. He'had been identified wllh theatre pit orchestras, bands and other music organizations in Des Moines for more than 25 years. He also taught music. Survived by a daughter and son, two brothers and a sister. album, whereupon the composers promised to fete-iKapp when it hit the million ' goal. Considering the $5 retail price, a $2,500,000 gross on one album dramatizes the size and scope of the disk business. 'Talkies on Wax' But Kapp goes further: he likens the educational record album field to the horizons of 16m films for class- room and general educational pur- poses. So, too, he calls the phono- graph albums "talkies on wax, 1 The best answer is the manner in which book sellers ■ like Dpubleday Womrath, Chaucer and the like have added record departments and have been surprised to find that longhair and educational music and dramatic albums have become 50% of their sales volume. Kapp, who pioneered the show, manship of tying in his record selling with film-selling, has gone a step further with dramatic albums of works by the top film and. radio stars, primed for the home, the class room, and purposes not strictly in the jive idiom. Thus, while Bing Crosby, Louis Jordan, the Andrews Sisters and the Ink Spots are in his stable of so-called "popular" diskers, here's an idea of the type of wax works Decca has been producing: Ginger Rogers' "Alice in Wonder- land/' which already has sold 75,000. albums at $3.50 each. Edna Best in Alice Duer Miller's "Cinderella." Donald Crisp's reading of Long- fellow's poems; Walter Huston's "Rip Van Winkle" adapted from Washington Irving by Jerome Law- rence and Robert E. Lee; Fredric March's "The Selfish Giant" (by Oscar Wilde); Loretta Young's "The Littlest Angel," story by Charles MARRIAGES Shirley Cahoon to Paul' Wurtzel, Los Angeles, April 26. Groom is an associate producer with his father, Sol Wurtzel. Martha Stephenson Kemp to St. Clair McKelway, Beverly Hills, Cat, April 27. Groom is a screen writer; she's bandleader Hal Kemp's widow. Janet Reed to . Branson Erskine, Cliffside, N. J.. April 23. Bride is ballerina with Ballet Theatre at the Metropolitan Opera House, N. Y. Maely Daniele to Freddie Bar- tholomew, Las Vegas, April 25. Bride is publicity agent; groom is screen player, Mildred Maier to John Hurley, Hollywood, April 29. Groom is Daily Variet* mugg. Faith Dorn to Ted Stauffer, San Diego, Jan. 28. Bride is a- screen actress; groom an orch leader. Kay Scott to John Nearney, Bev- erly Hills, April 27. Bride is screen actress. Rolli Friedland to Lew Landers, Las Vegas, April 26. Bride is the widow of Anatole Friedland, song- writer-legit-producer; groom is-film- director. Bonnie Carter to Franklin Hen- derson, Pittsburgh, April 27. Bride is -a nitery dancer. Berenice Freund to Raymond Dixon, Pittsburgh, April 27. Bride works for WB theatres. Malvina Brissett to Sammy Tan- nen, Chicago, May 27. Groom is • drummer with Eddy Howard's orch. Doris Schine to Dr. Morion Max- well, Soulholdi L. I., April 19. Bride is daughter of J. Meyer Schine, chain theatre and hotel owner. BIRTHS Mr. and Mrs. Walter E. Prude, ion. New York, April 24. Mother is Agnes de Mille, choreographer pt Broadway musicals. Mr. and Mrs. Martin Goodman, soh, New Yorki April 23. Father is in h.o. radio department of Music. Corp. of America. . . '■ Mr. and Mrs. Scott Moore, daugh- April 25. Father, legit JOSEPH BYRON l OTTEN ; Joseph Byron Totteri, 70, theatrical producer, playwright, actor and si- lent film director, died April 29 in New York after a heart, attack. Totten was author-producer of "The Cowboy and the Squaw," ler, N. Y„ . actor, is in "Show Boat," on Broad- Tazewell; Herbert Marshall's "Count way; mother is radio actress, of Monte Cristo" adapted by and Mr. and Mrs. Ed Kirby. daughter, directed by George Wells: and Paul April 25, Washington. He's public Gallico's "The Snow Goose," also by relations director for Natl. Assn. of. Marshall. Broadcasters and other radio pci- More Names Thomas Mitchell did-an album on "Treasure Island" (Robert Louis Stevenson); Charles Laugh ton's "Mr. Pickwick's "Christmas" and . "Moby Dick" have been big sellers; Orson Welles produced dramatic readings from addresses by Jefferson, Lincoln, Wilson and FDR under. "In the American Tradition" tag and just waxed "No Man Is Ah Island," a col- lection of immortal speeches on the interdependence of man, from the sona lilies. Mr! and Mrs. Jack Gould, son New York. April 26. Father is radio edi- tor ot the N. Y. Times. Mr, and Mrs. Lee Eastman, daughter, in New York, April 28, Father is music business attorney. Mr. and Mrs. Don Otis, son, Holly- wood, April 29. Father is program director of Capitol Transcriptions. Mr. and Mrs. George Paxton, son. in New York, April 29. Father is bandleader.