Variety (May 1946)

WttWwlay, May 22, 1*46 Broadway iV.miiktv) back from ". Nat Kahn •'-Hollywood.. Pane Clark planing to Coast to- day ' Wed.)' lo resume at Wavners. Liberty mag has added new pic- iiiie reviewer,. Mrs. Virginia Spies: Ll Jack Hill out of Army and inig radio production and publicity. Sidney Greenstreet vacationing east until May 2* in the Berkshires. Billy Reed opening his own. east side nitery where he will emcee and boss. . Toots' Shor due' for. profiling in ' Col)ici>4>y:.-his buddy Quentfn' Rey- nolds. •' , ,l,.hit EfTi-at appointed costing di- ■ve.-iov for' William Cahn .produc- • tiiins. •. ■ Joseph Jefferson McCarthy 'Pier-, son has joined RKO's eastern pub- licity office. . John Wildberg writing book oil the theatre titled ••Why Producers Die Young." ■ Burt McMurlrie now stumping-for ' the. Reel Cross on ii . three-week ; speaking tour. ■'■ Irving Liizar weekended at Moss Halt's Bucks County farm en route back to the Coast. Virginia Peine I Mrs. . Quentin ' Reynolds) slrawhattingfor summer . Jn Matunick, R. I. James F. Reilly, exep sec ot League of N. Y. Theatres, lost mother-in-law last week. : - Open meeting of American Guild of Musical Artists ; to be held Sun- day i28) in Carnegie Hall; Barter- theatre . holding lunch at. ■ Town Hall Tues. i28) to announce its annual. award to' '.'actor- of the year:'' •■ Howard Klein, hypnotist, formerly on "Hobby Lobby" radio and stage .units, now doing club dales in Philly.. ':.-". Irving Lazar. cx-MCA agent, now .v.p. of Pathe-Eagle-Lion, back to / the Coast after weekending with Moss Hart. Bruce Benjamin Hamilton, out of Army recently.' and in "Oklahoma!" ctst two weeks, upped to featured role. a.sJdJiid. Bobby Clark lost an elder brother who resided in Columbus, O. Come- dian hurrifid. there last Friday (IB) with his wife. Henry R. Luce's 59-acre estate in Fairfield County. Conn., sold for over $200,000 to Hans Wyman, plas- tic manufacturer. Charles Bultorworth won't be available for stock in the east this siunmer. Coast commitments kecp- him tied down. Mildred Birsteiu, daughter of Rab- bi Bernard Birstein of Actors' Tem- Sle. N. Y.. engaged to marry Milton '. Shapiro. June 16. William A. Hosie joins Charles Levy in handling Hackery for Walt Disney in N. Y. office, after six years in Coast press department. Joe Laurie. Jr.. collected $750 fee from We The People broadcast Sun- day despite being eased out with the addition of the leper couple. Earl Carroll planing east today (Wednesday) to give a 10-day gander at New York talent, eyeing acls for winter show at Hollywood spot. Tenor John Fceney sailing for Ireland May 29 for first trip home in long while. Will do concert lour in Ireland and England and return to U. S: in October. Dorothy Fields, co-author of "An nie Get Your Gun," purchased the 125-aere estate on Federal Hill road, near Brewster. N, Y.. from Con grossman Benjamin Rabin. Fiance flirting with U. S. tourism by permitting its American consuls to OK three-month tourist visas as against the postwar practice of ..clearing everything via Paris. Jerry Dictz, who has written ma- terial for Scot comedians, has mushed a new play. 'The Ghost of Jonathan Lang," which he sez is a new switch on whodunits. It's on his autumn production agenda. . Maj.-John Shubert, J. J.'s son, out of Army last week, where he headed Special Services' Entertainment Branch. Will alternate between Select Theatres Corp. legit activities; and. i Marvin) Young & Shubert rad:n packaging. Together with rest ot charter members of the organization. Libbv Molman iMrs. Phillips Holmes) has. quit the Connecticut Citizens Political Action Committee follow- ing a series ot charges aimed at a new group of leaders. Freddie Kohlmar. 20th-Fox pro- ducer, who flew east for'his father's Lee Kohlmar's, funeral services—lal- '• ter a former legit and vaudeville ■ player—returning to the studio this weekend, accompanied by agent Leo FiUpalrick. . Reeling, after a bender of 34 shows and a circus in 24 New' York davs, DcWilt Bodcen, RKO writer is still in New York for more, breaking previous record of. 24. shows in 17 days held by George Stevens,- direc- . tor in Ihe same studio. Harold Cohen. Pittsburgh Post- Gabette's amusements editor, flashed « beaver during the Variety Clubs convention. Actually it's a camou- flage for his chin and lip scars suf- fered during a last winter's motor crash. Plastic .surgery still necessary. As Time puts it, "The records <of f j Wcachments) . wpre issued by.. • (Msgr. Fulton' J.) Sheen's longtime >» J admirer, Edward Difkoff, pressagent for comedian Danny Kaye.' Dukoff, a tall, nervous Jew, has so' far not entered the Church." Piece had to do with Msgr. Sheen's platters, which influence possible converts. Bucks County By SOL JACOBSON . Antique shops blooming both sides of river: ' Billy Rose and spouse weekending al Moss Harts. '-."'.■ Shad run disappointing on ! Dela- ware this Spring.. Ezra Stone fanning on big scale at Washington Crossing. Fred Ryait; Lamberfville, appoint- ed press rep. for Jersey .Racing Commish. ' " Adeline Walters back as treasurer of Playhouse. Season opens June 7 \yi.lh. Dennis King in'"Blithe Spirit." ■' Budd Schulberg buying farm out- side Newton. Recently discharged from Army, he's ''Concentrating, on mag yarns. Harry Rosin. New Hope; sculptor, awarded $1,000 annual prize by American Academy of Arts and Lellcrs in N. Y. C.Friday 117); Henry Cliapin. prexy of Playhouse Corporation, running for Congress ill primaries iMay 21) on .'Democratic- slate against agrarian author Walter Teller, District includes Lehigh and- Bucks. .."'■' Moss Hart's and Mrs. Jules Mast- baum's historic i Washington slept here > homesteads among those on view Sal. 1251 at New Hope Open House Day for' benefit of Public Health Nursing Association, first such shindig since Pearl Harbor. Stage month. PKrmety London Door Canteen closes next CHATTER 63 shows, wardrobe, props, etc., in Perth, all set to go when high sign is given for big yaude comeback.. Plenty ot biz. this, zone presently ,„„ ... ,.„„„.;,,„ „,, for Shakespeare. Noticed around the J ^.^^ cl,p I n * r ? ,1 \ " l, ' ' V1 ! e ; Littles -are "Othello," '"Twelfth his band continues vaudc dales under baton of Phil Silver. The Garter, May (air bottle club, folded after six weeks. Rose Hepner appointed publicity chief for Bernard Dclfbnt 'produc- tions, .; Thornton Wilder expected lioro in August to revive "The Skin'.of Our Teeth." Harold French, has-five offers lb make pix ; in Hollywood; including two for Walter Wanger "Hamlet," and "Romeo and Hollywood Jack S: Ciimmirigs d'vorccd in Los Angeles. Louis Lighton vacationing on his Nevada ranch. Louclla Parsons recuperating afu-r has . resigned.. Ernest Hoyts, will appoint a successor shortly. Jimmy Bain, regarded as one of the:finest comics in oldtime vaude, very' ill in a Brisbane hospital..' Bain once operated a very healthy'-nabe vaudc chain. Normal) B. Rydge. GUT - topper. John Mills, owner of Milroy club, {-flics' in from'London next week after opening new night spot in. Mayfair . huddles with Rank on ncwly-acquir- and calling it Our Town. ! ec < Aussie zones. Rank now owns Night Juliet. . . . . Stanley Perry, resident manager i m: U^' u" rg |i'^' t „„, rapMai „ ..-,.„ in Perth for Hoyts for many . years, I ,-^i'L , i l „ h ' 1 and CarUon A ' M,p Pierre Sandrini, part owner of Bal Tabarin, Paris, in London to line up talent for his new floor show."'■'' Fosters .agency suit against Her- mione Baddeley for commission has been settled out of court fo: $709. John Watt, former British Broad- casting Corpus- vaudeville director, has joined Harry Blue's agency. 'Moss Empires declared another divvy of S'.-r;. making -10%, for the year, which is same as last year. ■ "Private Lives" moves from Apollo lo Fortune theatre, June 10. During war house was one of ENSA's head- quarters. Enid Stamp Taylor, who died re- cently from 'fractured skull, left $19,000, -which she bequeathed to her daughter, Robin Anne. The London County Council is 50%. of GUT. Madge Elliott and Cyril Richard premiere at Royal. Sydney. May 25- for. Williamson-Tait in "Family Al- bum," "Ways' and Means,"' and "Shadow Play." Top is $4. Next to "Naughty Marietta" . the most revived pic over her* is an-- either Metro product, "The Great Waltz," currently ;6ut of cold storage at Savoy. Sydney, for Peter Dawson. Bruce Newbery, Republic rep, ,was unable to attend a cocktail party in his honor in Fremantle because his ship struck a cyclone and was unable to berth. Newbery now on way to Colombo. Bert Tonks takes up his new job as Universal rep at Manila. Appoint- ment was made by Alt Daff. Tonks Chicago Gypsy ,Rose Lee held over at the Frolics. ' Eddie.Solomon back at local 20lh- Fox Hackery after .four years in the Army. Al Shean; of Gallagher and Shean fame.-..-celebrated 78th birthday here last week. Charlie Nesbitt and Ray-Thomp- son named co-managers, of the Chi- cago theatre. Ralph Ginsburg celebrating his 21sf year as musical director of the Palmev House.. Johnny. Mercer practices what'he- preaches. Lett for the Coast on the Atchison. Topeka. & Santa Fe. John Burke, manager of BlaCk- stohc hotel, off lo Ambassador hotel, Atlantic City, for the summer. Paul Robeson and Larry Adler skedded for appearances at Temple Sholom conccrt-forum series in the fall. Ccdric Hardwicke headed for Eng- land 'after Chi engagement with Katherine Cornell in -'Antigone" and "'Candida:" Frank Sinatra, skedded to. make a quick trip to N. Y. for some exterior shots for Metro's upcoming "It Hap- pened in Brooklyn;" Tom Gilliam. 20th-Fox branch manager, left Thursday (16) for the free trip to Paris offered by Tom Connors lo crack salesmen. Dick Kollmar and. Dorothy Kil- gallen, -here with "Windy City." threw a cocktail party for the press at the Drake Wednesday (15); spending £112.000 on Victory "cele- has just come out of the Air Force, bralions which will include vaude Was with Uni for many years out on • the road. Levante, Aussie magician, says there's a lot of dough to be had around the sticks with, magic.. He's San Francisco By Ted Friend Earl Johnson jn from L". A. i Walter Duranly at the St. Francis, Walton Goldman to Nevada to complete plans for Reno agency. KGO no longer on 24-hour sched- ule, but sign!: off at 12:30 a.m. "Butch"' Wingham, local Metro office head, off to Chicago sales meeting. * John Garfield. Leo Carrillo and June Havoc here to star in Theatre Guild's airer. Goldwyn Girls garnering plenty ot local . press space with fashion shows and p.a.s all ovei" town. "Katie for Congress" iRKO) troupe at St. Francis making daily Petaluma pilgrimages for shooting. Frank "Downey.- manager of De- troit M-G office, visiting: ditto. Rob- ert Hopkins, author of film "San Francisco." Ollie Presby and Will Robinson. BBD&O execs here for V. S. Steel show. Ditto Fred Lapcll and .John Riisl U. S:.SIeel reps. ' Fox West Coast execs. Richard Spier. - Faye Rieder. Elmer Hank. George Milner. Clarence Poos and Clifton' Reynolds, to L. A. for Na- tional Theatre Week. Jean McFarlaud. of N. W. Ayer. busy arranging press interviews and cocklailery. for Jimmy Durante; Dale Evans and Gary Moore here to air show from Opera House: dillo Nelson Eddy and Frances McCann broadcast from Treasure Island. shows in public, parks. Kieron O'Hanrahan, who scored in Scan O'Casey's. "Red Roses for Me" signed by Alexander Korda to long-term film contract. Rachel Scquerra. owner of Ro- mano's, lias appointed Alfred Esdaile as director of the spol, which is to stage floor shows in Jiily; Warren P. Muhsell over here to stage "State of the Union" in' con- junction with Louis brefus as soon ;is he can get a theatre in the West End. . . . Sally Gray has been invited by Dr. Kalas, prexy of Union of Czcoho- slovakian Film Workers, to visit Prague in Sept. for British Film Festival. T. Atkinson's play . "Exercis Bowler." at Arts theatre, is such a hit Emile Littler would like to spot t in West-End house, but available. _Barry Storri, manager of Empire. Finsbury Park, appointed in same capacity at London Palladium, with Dayid Wilmot taking liis place at former house.. Dr. Leigh Henry is latest to go in tor musical producing in the West End. Has just completed "Star Span- fled Shanty." based oh life of Paul ones, which he is disposing of for film. Thornton Freeland will direct "Meet Me At Dawn," the next pic which Marcel Hellman is doing for 20th-Fox. Shooting starts in June at Denham studios. New British Broadcasting Corp.'s variety show, "Its the Goods." which was. to have, starred Revhell and West, cancelled. '-Understood team was to have last word as lo cast, with BBC objecting to some names submitted. Top disk seller In England is Ernest Lough,, choir boy.- whose 'Hear My Prayer," "Oh. the Wings of a Dove, - ' top Crosby and Sinatra. Lough, although singing wilh the Temple choir, has no ambition lo be a professional singer, but works with an advertising Arm. building himself a motor trailer to tour the corn belts. Film, staue and radio .folk turned on a big show in Sydney for Will Quintrcll. top conductor in the heyday of vaude. well remembered by ace U. S. and British acts. Quin-' irell has been on sicklist. The Appeal Censor has refused to override a ruling given by Chief Censor banning "Dil linger" aiid "Black Market Babies'.^ in Aussie. Appeal was made by British Empire" Films, who handle Mono fare here. U.S. .fllni execs visiting here like to get away under six months. Longer stay means they have Ul pay- iiicoihc tax—solid these days. With none air travel from and to U.S.. plus air routes oyer Aussie and New Zealand zones, visiting execs can see plenty from biz viewpoint in three months. Dublin Australia Kansas City Bv John Qulnn ' Dwight Fiske into F.I Casbah of the.?Holel' Bellerive. Arthur Van band replacing F.lmo Tanner and crew at Mary's. Bob Sylvester - oivh o Drum Room of the Hotel President. Faye Carrol new songstress with the Bill Bardo band 'at the Terrace Grill. .Ion Yost to direct "Boy Me.els Girl" for- presentation by Rockhurst College next month. Joe Redmond and Bill Simpson former Fox-Midwest .managers, back in town after recent discharge from Ihe Army.' By Erie Garrick Par's "Road to Utopia"' doing boff biz at Slate. Sydney. Doris Fritton is playing ' Candida'' for run at her Independent theatre, North Sydney. Douglas Halloran has joined Greater Union as asst. to Jo-.m Evans, head of management. Warners will, release '"Hitler Lives?" on same bill as "Saratoga Trunk'' on Aussie dates. Solomon. British pianist out here for Australian Broadcasting Commis- sion, hitting boff concert biz. State Fair will be held ir. Sydney next year. Lots of talent and side show ideas will come from US. Szymon Goldberg, violinist, giving concerts .in Aussie keys r or Aus- tralian Broadcasting Commission. -Ross Buchanan, by arrangement with Williamson-Tait. playing "Mur- der Without Crime" in Sydney nabes. ..'•Henry"V" <GBD) opened lerrif in Sydney and. is set for lengthy run. Biz with British pix very brisk all around. John Fuller, brother of Sir Ben Fuller, elected prexy of . the Pio- neers' Club comprised of those in show biz for 25 years. Fullers installed latest Thomas Houston sound equipment at Pi in cess, Melbourne. . Navy. had taken over a. former sound, unit. Returned soldiers of Australia pro- ducing a 16m. pic of World War II It's in color and titled ■ "In Memo riani." Not for general dating. When Wirth's civcus played Perlh recently biz was so brisk lhat unit had to erect big tent, seating 4.000 Show hadn't been there in veins. Fullers-have'12 months' supply of By Maxwell Sweeney Baritone . Sean Ryan leaves next month for . BBC Television contract. ' Comedian. Jack Cruise ha.s lert Dublin to start on new job as man- ager of Savoy Cinema. Limerick. Novelist Liam O'Flaherty. back from Connecticut, making cracks about his Hollywood visit to script "How Green Is My Valley." Frank Dcrmody. Abbey Theatre producer, will direct 45-minule film of what U. S. visitors might see in Ireland -for Pan-American Airways. William Saroyan's "The Time, of Your Life." scheduled for. June pro- duction at Gaiety; Dublin, by. Long- ford Productions, company owned by portly Earl of Longford. Comedian' Jimmy O'Dea has signed for series of "Irish Half- Hour" programs wilh BBC, starting mid-July. Shows will be scripled by O'Dea's partner, Harry O'Dono- van. Patrick Staunton, Ren. mgr. of WDAS radio station, here to make short, "This is Ireland," with, cam- eraman Cyril Wilson, says he'll have his own radio station, WUSA, when he returns to U. S. Bill Shawn, hoofer with. Columbia Pictures, visiting Dublin wilh his mother, says he'll come back next year to study; with Gaiety School of Acting. Now with Special Services Division of U. S.;Army. Robert W. M. Vogel to Mexico f City for a month, j -Bill Doll. Mike Dodd's chief (lack, in from Broadway. Jean Pierre A'utnont. on a skiing vacation at Big Bear. Mrs. Esther Glaser divorcing Joe Glascr, band manager. Mai-y Picliford planed into'.(own alter a tour of Europe. Phil L. Royan returned fi-bm busi- ness huddle in.New York. Edward L. Alperson returned from home office huddles. Charles Arnt to Michigan • Cily, Ind., for his father's funeral. Roy Rogers retumed from a- per- sonal appearance in Chicago. John Mock, story editor for Hal Walli.s, trained in from the east. Jack Carson and Arthur Treacher inked for the annual Police. Show. Smiley Burnette returned .from a 122-day'.'.lour' of the South arid East. Hy J. Click. Republic comptroller, returned from home office hud- dle.- Colby M. Chester, General Foods exec, hosted by N. Peter Ralhvon at RKO. Major General Curtis LeMay. U. S. Army " Air Corps, luncheoned. at 20lh-Fox. . , Jim and Marian Jordan sold their ■valley home: to Paul Webster, radio producer. David Loew returned from New York, where he discussed possible release deals. Stanton Griffls 'jn town for Para- mount'huddles.' Joseph Tuohy joined Fox- West Coast in . the new post of industrial relations chief. . . Walt Lantz will close his studio . July 3. giving the entire personnel a I wo-week vacation: Sam Eckman arrived' from Lon- don for Metro conferences on future product for Britain. Mort Goodman checked In at Re- . public to succeed Les Kaufman as studio publicity chief. Harold J. McCord. chief of War- ners Itlm e<liting. staff, celebrated his 25th year on the lot. Charles Bickford plays- his first comedy role on the screen in "Katie for Congress'.* at RKO. Nathan Zalkin in from New York to huddle.with John Houseman about iiulumh legit productions. Div H. T. Wenzel. atom scienlist, will play himself in "The Begin- ning or the End" at Metro. Hal- Herman appointed chief of Columbians publicity art department, after three years in the Army. M. Falcon Baicene, Venezuelan, representative' inspecting the filming ■ of "Thrill of Brazil" at Columbia. Gloria Saunders returned to Para- mount after two months out with injuries sustained in a motor crash. Vice Admiral Jorge.de Dodsworlh Martins and Rear Admiral de Me- dieros, of Brazil, touring the lilm lots. - Suntorn Juhandhu of Thailand and Armond Lohikoski of Finland started home after completing their ltim training courses at Metro.' Eddie Cantor awarded a special citation by the American Legion for his. -'Gifts to Yanks Who Gave" campaign, which resulted in 2.500,- 000 Christmas presents for hospital- ized servicemen. Washington, D. C. Pittsburgh, By Florence S. Lowe Evalyn Tyner. D. C. pianiste, starts I on the Sutler circuit shortly. C. E; Peppiat. district manager for 20lh-Fox, on the mend after week in hospital.' Tips on Tables;' new WWDC airer devoted to Washington's night life, teed off with Evelyn Knight guesting. New, MPAA headquarters is an eye opener for tasteful, smart dec- orations. Visiting firemen from in- dustry will like It. Katherine Cornell and Sir Cedric Hardwicke, currently al National, feted at Congressional Club by wives of Congressmen. : Mrs. Stanley Reed, wife of 'the Supreme Court Justice, was honored as "Mother of the Year" al local Variety Club's annual Mother's Day luncheon. Associate members, who sponsored shindig, went all out on details. Radio's Professor Quiz. Iri. for uxual week of promotion in connec- tion with program, got around more than usual. Week of stints com- memorating airer's 10th anni started with Variety. Club's Mother's Day luncheon, and wound up with D. C.'s Ad Club Jamboree. By Ilal Cbbcn Roller Derby at Gardens broke all previous records. WB's Harry Seed flew in from Chi- cago to see his new grandson. Run-of "Front Page" at Playhouse has been extended another week. Booker David Wald his old syjph again, having shelved 40 pounds. Sonny Skylar, Evans Family and Randolph, heading hew show at Ter- race Room. . Joe Mann. WJAS announcer, has quit radio to go into business wilh his brother. Mark Lane has added another mart to his Villa Madrid orch, 'George. Ta- mero on guitar. Roy Eldredge and band back to home town for a oiie-niler at the Savoy Ballroom. Pianist Herb Conrad has left Don Metz. after two years,' for Snavely's new Sea Horse Bar. Westport By Humphrey Doulens ■ "Edilh Behrens a new summer visi- tor. - ... John: and Carly Wharton at their Weston place. Gladys Swarthout and Frank Chapman at their.Redding farm. Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Hore-Bclisha visiting Lily Pons and Andre Kos- telanctz. Gus Schirmer planning air-condi- tioning for his Greenwich summer playhouse. . , ■ Val Ernie orch beginning second season at Longshore Club, ■ which opens May 26. ... - • ... . N. Y. Philharmonic Qruhcstra. wilh Ro<Izinskl. opening fall tour tit Norwalk.'Oct. 3.