Variety (May 1946)

MUSIC STAGE niETY I>ul>li»lird Weekly at 154 Weat 4Cth Street, New Tork 19,. N. T.. by Variety, tnr. Annual aubscri|>ilon, 110. Sln«l» coplra. H cent*. Mnlered »■ Miond-clan* mallei- Decembur 21. 1906, »t (lie Voat Oltica .at K*w Yolk, K. T., under th« acl ut March S, 1179. COPYRIGHT, IM«, UK VARIETX, INC. AM, BIGHTS MKSKKVKn.V VOL. 162 No. 11 NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 1946 PRICE 25 CENTS ffWOOD FEARS STORY DROUGHT Time Stood Still Since'36 ' A 'pre*lv flood ideo us to what's been happening, if anything, to radio, over the past decade, program-wine, can be (/leaned from the First 15 Hobperatiiios o/ 10 years ago. Willi Hie exception .0/ Major Bowes. Boake Carter and the Maxwell House "Showboat," the 1936 Top 15 reveals the same boys who Were riding the gravy train then are still in the saddle. On the. '38 Preferred List were Fred Allen, Lux Radio Theatre. Jack Benny, Biiio Crosby. Rudy Vallee, Amos V Andy, Phil Baker, Eddie Cantor, Waller Winched. Newest Hooperatings show only seven programs in opposition to the Top 15 crashing through U'illi 8.0 01 belter. Here's the lineup: PROGRAM OPPOSITION Bob Hope 2C.3 Fibber 4 Molly 22.9 Red Skelton 22.6 Lux Radio Theatre ... 20.8 Charlie McCarthy 19.1 Walter Winchell 19.1 Screen Guild Players 18.8 Mr. District Attorney 18.7 Fred Allen 18.0 Jack Benny 18.3 Jack Haley ;. 10:2 Bins Crosby 17.4 Eddie Cantor .. 10.8 ' Kay Kyser (1st half J 10.3 Abbott 1 Costello ........ 10.0 Amos V Andy 10.0 I 8.6 Telephone Hour Information Please 11:8 Manhattan Merry-Go-Round 9.5 8.1 Bob Crosby Show Crime Doctor 9.6 Frank Sinatra 11.8 Inner Sanctum Reserved Video Seats Home life has taken on a new aspect, instead of inviting the neighbors over to play bridge, people who own television sets now invite them over for an evening on the telescreen. Forthcoming telecast of the Joe Louis-Billy Conn heavy- weight championship fight is ex- pected to bring up a serious sealing problem that hasn't been covered yet by Emily Post. Set owners are planning re- served seats. Favored guests get down-front easy couch, mere robust youths on the left aisle near the bar, etc.. CPA Nixes Bid For New $2,600,000 Culver City Lot Hollywood, May 21. Shortage of shooting space will continue indefinitely, under a rul- ing by the Civilian Production Ad- ministration, which nixed the plans of, six indie producers to build a ,$2,600,000 studio in Culver City. Project was turned down by. Louis M. Dreves, regional director, who , explained that building material in tins area was needed for the con- struction ot homes for war veterans. Application for the studio was filed by Sol Lesser, Cagney Produc- tions, Rainbow Productions. Pine- Thomas/ Joseph Bernhard and Les- ter Cowan. Plans called for the ex- penditure of $2,200,000 on buildings and $400,000 on new equipment. Hal Roach was granted permission to build a $200,000 sound stage on 'Continued on page 50) Longhair Filmosica! Will Sell Short at B.O., Hurok Biog Off—Zanuck . Dissatisfaction by both sides with script on Sol Hurok's autobiography \ n • m l I P. i . has c aused 20th-Fox not to renew Bogtt DMV S SfraWliat opium on ballet king's memoir i » J Filipino Banditry Makes 16m Exhibition A Very Unhealthy Biz Pioneering aspects of Metro In- ternationals foreign lBtn program, inaugurated at a time when most of the world is in . a chaotic postwar condition, are assuming overtones of the Wild and Wooly West as the company'begins its ground-breaking process in the back countries. Program teed off April 12 in Los Banos. a small community in the backhills of Luzon in the Philip^ pines, with "30 Seconds Over To- kyo," first Metro film to be booked and exhibited commercially in 16m (Continued on page 61) w '»'ch was to be filmed this summer "'ider title of "Impresario:" Report- ed, loo. that Darryl Zanuck doubled b o. , value of pic. P| c was to be filmed during the concert off-season, which is summer. .-Willi-various artists on the .Hurok hsl. such as Marian Anderson. Art in- Rubinstein and a ballet group, to ho used, if another company takes up me story, filming will now have to so o\er lid next season. Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall are set for leads in revival of William Saroyan's legiter "The Time of Your Lire" at Gus Schirmcr. Jr.'s sirawlial in Stamford, Conn., for one week this summer. No contracts have as yet been signed. Production would be second on ' Scliirmer's schedule, first being Tal- lulah Bankhcnd in Noel Coward's "Private Lives" for two weeks, sturt- in;; June 17. POSSIBLE DIRE EFFECTS AT B.O. A universal yen' of everybody to be a screenwriter may see some ful- filment if current story drought con- tinues. The Hollywood film market is at a hew loiv for script material, with studios digging for. new stulf. The book m.uket. usually a good source for ivctcrial, is in its own slump. Hollywood feels its hopper may run i;ry unless new writers-arc uncovered. With story markets in the worst doldrums film companies have ex- perienced in years, bad dent in pic- ture grosses a Tew years hence is seen certain to result. Important 'Continued on page 29) Li'l Abner'-Inspired Tone Gets Exploitation Payoff On Sinatra-Old Gold Show One of the most unusual song ex- ploitation gags came to a head last Wednesday (15) when Frank Sinatra performed a new song titled. ' Don't Marry That Gal." on his Old Gold commercial. Tunc, published by Barlon Music had been getting a buildup in the "Li'l Abner" comic in various newspapers throughout the country, written by Al Capp. For the past two weeks or so. Capp's strips have been building up to the writing of the song, the characters in the comic supposedly depicting Charlie Ross. Barton professional manager, and songwriter. Sammy Slept, who actually turned out the tunc. Following Sinatra's launching ot the tune, which follows his promise, in the comic to "Daisy Mae" that he would sing the song on his program, other lop artists are lined up to do it. They will all.come into the strip at ihe proper time. Jack Robbins Exits Metro Musk Setup With $500,000 Net Profit . . . And Wear 36 Suit Atlantic City showfolk, who thought peace, had brought an end to the manpower shortage in the amusement industry, were taken aback by the following ad in one of the dailies: "Wanted—Piano player who can open clams and oysters. ..." His Imagination Rates 'A/With'0'for Effort (For Not Scaling Bar) Columbus, O.. May 21. Pointing to his live-foot-lhree-inch build. George D. Sherbon. owner and operator o( George's Night Club, near here, tokl the Ohio Liquor Board he did not know striptease dancers' had performed at a slag parly in his club, because he cojdn't sec over the bar. He was haled be- fore the board on charges-of per- mitting a striptease dance and Ihc exhibition of lewd motion pictures. Sherbon has been'convicted in the Coshocton County Common Pleas Court for permitting the showing of the films. He admitted the dance and film were presented. But. he testified, he had been told the films were lo be of "Notre Dame football and basketball games." and that he rould sec neither the screen nor the dancing girls because of his short height. Conviction on film charge is being appealed. Gilbert Recruiting AMVETS Omaha, May 21. Comic Billy Gilbert, brought in for a week by the Amvels Club, service men's organization ot World War II veterans, lipped membership by 150 the first day he was on the job. Gilbert being used in connection with a membership drive which seems to have started rolling .long with the appearance of the sneezing comic. By ABEL GREEN' On June 6, when Loews, Inc. di- rectors next meet, they will okay buying out Jack Robbins' 2C?r in- terest in the Robbins, Feist and Mil- ler Music Corps., and affiliated subsidiaries, for $500,000 net to the music publisher. Actual transaction calls for $673,000 to pay Federal and N. Y. state taxes so as to leave the veteran music man with a half- million net profit (capital gain) on his association with Ihe Loew-Motro picture interests which dates from Sept. 10. 1928. This deal terminates a protracted period of strife between Hollywood and Tin Pan Alley on matters and methods of plugs for tiimusical ex- cerpts out of Metro pictures: and dissatisfaction by Loew's over modus operandi of handling its music busi- ness details. The east versus west coast discordancy climaxed last week when Loew veepees Charlie Mos- (Continucd on page -50)' Drain by British Films Threatens Existence Of Dublin's Abbey Theatre ' Dublin. May 21. Although absence of Dublin's Ab- bey Theatre stars lo make pix in England with Rank producing unit. Two Cities Films, is said to .be only temporary, doubts as to future of Ireland's national theatre arc being expressed here. Policy has been introduciion of many Irish-speakers lo casts, with neglect of additional English-speak- ing topliners, and none have boon found in the company who remains. Latest departures for Dunham Studios are stars F. J. McCormick (for "Hungry Hill" and 'Odd Man Out"), Eileen Crowe . (I'Mungry Hill"), both of whom played in U. S: ' with Abbey group before Hi".!): and ! Cyril Cusak. Going soon for "Old. | followed by Denis O'Doa. McCo'r- ' (Continued or page 02) Maestro Teddy Black Splits $1,000,000 Legacy Teddy Black, former orchestra ' lender, was advised last week by j Argentine attorneys for a recently deceased cousin that he and two brothers in the ,U. S. were bene-; ficiaries of the relative's entire i estate. Latter is supposed to total over $1,000,000 in cash and property, a good slice of the former being held by the Chase National Bank in .this country. Cousin, who migrated to Buenos Aires- from Europe years ago, was an importer. 'Variety' Delays Disrupted railroad schedules.' due'in ihe threatened strike and ' the attendant irregular train movements, may delay national distribution of VMJiirrv.