Variety (May 1946)

MISCELLANY fififti&rr Wednesday, May 8, 194$ AD Branches of Show Biz Involved In Proposed Revamping of Copyright Law All branches nf the entertainment* Arid are currenily being polled by; 1h» American. Bat Assn.'s copyright i committee on a proposed revamping I of the U. S. Copyright Law. Inquiry.; launched this week, is directed to associations and unions in the film, radio and music fields with the in- ; formal huddles- aimed at canvassing | pros and cons from the units' legal . talent. Idea is to sound out'pracli- i cable objections to suggested i changes which would effect amuse- 1 incuts and to determine the stand of representative -groups oh the re- , cenlly hoppered Buckley-Myers bill . which .incorporates' several of the proposed amendments. Committee plans to approach such \ divergent groups as the Motion Pic- ; ture Ass'n. the Music Publishers! Protective Ass'n. the American Fed- eration of Musicians, the National Ass'n of Performing Artists, ASCAP, and the National Ass'n of Broad- casters. Preliminary survey indi- cates that strong opposition may de- velop to some of the' proposed re- visions. Under consideration is a revamp- ing of the law to drop an existing exemption of an estimated 400.000 jukeboxes from performance license fees. ASCAP. with most to gain, has been- plugging for the revision for many years. Law currently bars exaction of a license fee where a recording is played on a coin-op- erated machine in a public place. Exemption was originally intended to cover penny arcades, but.jukes, fanni later, came in on the free ride. Another amendment, specifically drafted, would create a copyright to performers on their recorded inteN pretalions of either music or dialog. With court rulings conflicting, on the point, a performer at present has no cieareut right to regulate the sale of such recordings regardless Sports Shorts With opening of No. 2 private dining room-bar; season-pass- holders at Yankee Stadium can bring friends' into the private club even though latter hot members . . . Show biz. i music pubs, networks, radio perform- ers, etc.) went in big way for those season boxes at the Polo. Grounds 'and Stadium Mike' Todd's ambitious plans for" Del Mar track. Big league baseball teams plan to use planes for most of their swings around the cir- cuits, that having been decided before the coal strike crisis arose . . . Instead, of pass-out checks, clubhouse ■ patrons at Pimlico track wishing to visit the. paddock will have bracelet- like tags, affixed by girls dolled up in the black and yellow col- ors of the Maryland Jockey Club. A Santa Anita trick . . .-. Mike Jacobs, promoting the Louis- . Conn fight, has elaborate quar- ters-on the second floor at Madi- son Square Garden. Space was formerly used by Davega stores as a studio. Jacobs has a five- year- contract with the -Garden and report that he may retire after the big fight is dubious. CPA Thaws Freeze On Radio, Theatre Seats, Outdoor Amusements The Berle-ing Point By Milton Berk Washington, May 7. Certain theatrical and broadcast- ing equipment is exempt from the . construction freeze order. Civilian of how original the interpretation , p„ d u c ti 0 u Administration an- may be. Under the confused status. ■ „ 0U11ce d last week. Price of this radio stations have been .able to • equ ipment need not be computed program disks of leading artists with in ri{;ul .j n g the amount of installation t be subject to the lower U. S. rates, license fees confined solely to the lM1( |er the CPA order. ' ; : 203rd WEEK! KEN MURRAY'S "BLACKOUTS OF 1946" ! El Capitan Theatre, Hollywood, Cat. I "Save •me :i seat, Ii'n a million ■ laughs. I'm coming back." I , BETTY GftABLE. D.C. Favors No Double-Taxation Washington, May 7. Senate Foreign Relations Com- mittee is slated to meet tomorrow. <8) and 16 give approval to the pro- posed change in the pending treaty with Britain to e.nd double, taxation. The change would put actors in the same category as anyone else who goes to Britain to work for six months or less. Recommendation to eliminate, dis- crimination against actors was made last week by a foreign Relations subcommittee headed by Sen. Scott W. Lucas' <D., 111.). Lucas con- ducted hearings recently at which reps .for the Artists Managers Guild, and SAG presented their case. As the pending, treaty now stands, American actors who v;g.rk tem- porarily in England would have to pay the higher British income tax rates while other Americans ivould Flew down-to Louisville to see the Kentucky Derby.. they have a new idea down at that track. The men behind the $2 windows work without shirts, so you won't feel so bad...As usual I bet on the loser.. What a horse! He was so weak I didn't know whether to play him for Win, Place or LIVE.. .He behaved very nicely at the post—even after the otheis'left I knew there was something wrong when the jockey got inside the horse .. .He might have won the race if he wasn't so polite: He kept holding liij hoof out on the turns,. .No more horses for me. I always thought horse- racing was the National pastime—then one day I saw. Esquire. The Great Wit Way Lindy's was so crowded the other night there was Sturgeon Room only; Carol Bruce is wonderful in "Show Boat." When she sits on. the piano j she sure puts it across. There have-been so many replacements in the show at ihc Mansfield they're changing the title to "Anna Nucasta." Would you say that Yuma is death to Romance? Advice to wife seeking: divorce: If at first you don't succeed, try, fry a gun. j Jackie Miles drew a line a block long around the Roxy...bul (he man- i ager made him go out and erase it. I They're producing a sequel to. the "Kid From Brooklyn'-' featuring Gene ' Baylos and it's called the "Boy From. Brownsville." . I know an actor who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Now everylimc lie goes into Reuben's,-he tries'to complete the set: There'i No Truth To the Bumor ■ That Senator Claghorn drinks nothing but Southern Comfort.. .That Louis Prima is riding his own horse at Jamaica next week ...that Barry Gray has read Dale Carnegie's "How To Win Friends and Influence People" . .That B. S. Piilly has been booked for the DAR convention.. That Hilde- garde.opens at the Old Roumanian. Ceast To Coasting My brother (the one who has an Adler-elcvated head) collects French postal stamps.. . with the postal cards still on them. Overheard: at the new LaConga.. ."I've never liked you—and I always will." First actress: Site's, been married /or five years' and she's still in lore. Second actress: Has Iter /iiisbmid any idea toho the fellow is? Since Lee Mortimer, booked the entire show at the China Doll would you call him a Yen-Percenter. . Berled E(fi I like Lew Parker's line in I'Are You With It." When Dolores Gray says, "How do you feel today, Goldie?". Parker replies, "Clever." Milton Douglas played- a date la*I week. The theatre was so cheap (hey couldn't afford a rising orchestra pit, so they made the musicians stand up slowly. ' One critic, in reviewing a certain comic, said, "So and So is a rapidflre comedian—he should be filed at RAPIDLY." They are telling the one: about the six acrobats, all belonging to on* •family. They went to see a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist in questioning them said, "Do you know why you're all here?" And all of them, in unison replied, "Yes, because we're not all there.'' material used. 1 Specifically exempted arc projec.- 1 lion and sound equipment; radio towers and other transmitting, and receiving equipment, and theatre seals. Also exempted is lighting equipment for floodlighting "air- ports, railroads or other ' outdoor : operations'' which would apparent- | ly permit installation of floodlight- ing for outside amusement.' ' Amendment makes clear, however, i that installation of marquees is not | exempted. Regarding the exempted ; items, the announcement said that ■ "these articles may be installed without regard to the provisions of ; the order, as long as no alteration 80 years, and there is no paper in i |" J^ i ^ i, ^"*;V CC1Uit^t, ' such 35 the world in which I would rather 1 „ f ™" " ? l - 1 8 " P put my case. Yours is just the pub, ; Plt """" l s ,nd lhe llkf) ' . lie whose opinion I most value. When I came out of camp I wrote C MftNlfCYC 11IRT 'FM a book about my experiences as an v IrlUllIVEId LUlYEi LIY1 internee, the second chapter of IT rUPC 7AA IAIIAIPE which dealt with the broadcasts. 1 At Lill 0 LuU LUUIiuIj librettist Wodebonse (Nazi PW) Explains His Radio Broadcasts Paris, April 27. frtiior. Varilty: I can't tell' you what a pleasure it was to get your letter this afternoon and how grateful I am for your offer to give me some of your space for my story. ' I have been one of Wuktt's most assiduous and en- thusiastic readers for more than had hoped to publish this as my first postwar production, but Doubleday. my p'iblbl-ers. advised putting it off for » while and are bringing out a "Jeeves" novel in the early fall. I think i:,t- trouble all along has br.rn that nobody in the United States heard the broadcasts and the uproar in F.ngland gave the Ameri- can public the impression that they 'Continued on page SO) Chicago, May 7. Something new iu "continuous per- formances" is on display in Chicago at the Zoo Lounge, which opened in the Loop recently. No cocktail lounge- units, no diskboxes—just five "spider"' monkeys, from Venezuela, : housed in a glass-enclosed, air-con- ditioned cage behind the bar: Chosen because theyTre much more j well behaved than other simian spec- ! imens. the quintet are currently hav- J ing a time for themselves: in fact, it's- doubtful.as to who has more fun—, themselyes or the customers. There are three more on order, incidentally. " Hollywood, May 7. Only expense outside of construct- Mae West will do a record album ihg the cage is paying a caretaker to for ARA. She'll chant ditties prom- look after their needs (adjusting the ARA SIGNS MAE WEST FOR 'COME UP ALBUM Tele Flight to GE's HQ Keys Airminded Showbiz Indicative of the way all show biz might travel by plane in the. near future, ABC television took to the air last Wednesday ill when it chartered a plane to fly a group of trade press correspondents to Schenectady. N. Y.. to caU-ii a show produced' over WRGB, G e n e r a I Electric outlet in that city. Trip, was highlighted, insofar as the passengers were concerned, by a strong cross-wind encountered on the return flight, which blew the plane more than 50 miles oft its course, taking it over Ihc Connecti- cut shoreline at one point. Despite that, however, the plane still landed at LaGuardia Field, N. Y., more than two hours sooner than Jhe train ride would have brought them in. 'Colonel Jessel At The Kentucky Derby' Inenily associated with her screen and legit musical career. Tentative : title of the book will be-"Come Up and See Me Sometime." It's her first excursion into realm of records. ; ARA also last week signed Lionel I Barrymorc for album of four 12-inch aides, on which' he will narrate the fantasy ""Hallowe'en." which he au- ■ thored and last summer preemcd with a reading at Hollywood. Bowl: . On wax; the vet actor wjjl be i backed by Miklos Rosza and piece band and song by Marian Bell, Edwin Lear and out cause hi February. John Ford-. air conditioning and heating system) and feeding them. And no AGVA or AFM to worry about, although SPCA is rumored interested. Cantor Sued for 24G Los Angeles. May 7. Eddie Cantor was sued for $24,750 by .Robert OIBrien, writer, who charges breach of contract. Writer declares he was hired for Despite the faet that I have been given the honor, still, of being of- times made a part of the trium- virate of Jolson, Cantor and Jessel, I have never envied their , success. Never once, suh. throughout the years, has the green-eyed monster, jealousy, manifested itself in my heart or mind, until this last Satur- day. May 4, the day of the Kentucky Derby, and tnen I found myself saying, '"I wish I were Al or Eddie because here I am seeing the Ken- tucky Derby for the first time, whereas they have been watching this great spectacle on and olT since it first started in 1875." I have often heard both Jolson and Cantor talk of the great ride that the Negro jockey, Isaac Mur- phey, made on the sturdy back of the colt, Aristedes, on that sunny afternoon of the first Derby, and it wouldn't surprise me if that was the iza and a 40- $750 a week for'one year, starting j imi p iral j 0n lha t made them both interpolations last September but -vas fired with- tul .„ out bUckf(lce comedian* Yes, I BILLY BRYANT'S AETICLES Billy Bryant has signed with American Weekly (Hearst) to deliver five fealutes on the Missis- sippi river and showboats. ' Veteran showboat showman, also kaii a Aim deal cooking. suh, the Kentucky Derby is an in- spiration for everything good, and fine; and the spirit that prevails in the sovereign city of Louisville is something that the whole world WAYNE M0RBIS IMPROVES Hollywood. May 7. ■ Wayne Morris is improving fol lowing an emergency appendectomy needs a little of. Yes. suh, now, if over, the weekend. | only the Arabs, John L. Lewis and Actor was stricken and rushed to ; a couple .of New York molion pic- the Burbank hospital where surgery . ture critics had some of .this Ken- vvas performed. '.'.J iCqntinuetl on ,piigc 03) (From i Annie Get Your Gnu'') THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS Wonts nn«l !Vliiai<- l»y Irving Berlin I. The butcher, the baker, the grocer, the clerk Are secretly unhappy men because The butcher, the baker, the grocer, the clerk Get paid tor what they do but no applause. They'd gladly bid their dreary jobs goodbye For anything theatrical and why. There's no business like show business. Like no business I know ' Everything about it is appealing. Everything "the traffic will allow. Nowhere could you get that happy feeling, When you are stealing that extra bow There's no people like show people They smile when they are low. Yesterday they told you you would not go far, That night you open and there you are, Next day on your dressing room they've hung a star,- Let's go on with the show. II. The costumes, the sccn'ry. the makeup, the props, The audience that lifts you when you're down; The headaches, the heartaches, the Backaches, the flops, The sheriff who escorts you oiit of town. The opening when your heart beats like a drum, The closing when the customers won't come. There's no business .like show business. ' Like no business I know. You get word before the show has started' That your fav'rite Uncle died at dawn, . Top of that your pa and ma have parted. You're broken-hearted—but you go on— There's no people like show people They dpn't run: out of dough. . Angels come from ev'rywhere with lots of jack, And when you lose it. there's no attack, Where could yon get money lhat you don't give back, Let's go on with the show. - III. The cowboys, the tumblers, the wrestlers, the clowns, The roustabouts who move the show at dawn; The music the spotlight, the people, the towns, Your baggage with the labels pasted on. The sawdust and the horses aiid the smell, The towel you've taken from the last hotel. There's no business like show business. Like no btis'ness I know. Trav'ling with a company is thrilling, Standing olit in front on Opening nights, Smiling as you watch the theatre filling, To see your billing out there in lights. There's no people like show people They smile when they "are low. Even with a turkey that you know will fold, ; You may be stranded out in the cold. Still you wouldn't change it for a sack of gold. Let's.' go.on with the show. (Reprinted. By Permission)