Variety (Jun 1946)

18 MTERATl WcdncMfajr, June S, 1946 E4 SnIllvaD Starts Probe Ed Slillivaii started something Yiih his'Monday (3) column In the M. Y, Daily News which had "Broad- way gabbing" about police graft and m breakdown in the local gen- darmerie's control of bookmaking. He got action the same day when Mayor O'Dwyer took the cue and ordered a probe of the bluecoats activities by Police Commissioner Arthur W. Wallender. Investigatioh vill be conducted by the comish's confidential sqund uiider command of Deputy Chief Inspector Frank: Fi islcnsky. Jr. ■ Sullivan sounded ofl about detcc- livfs' rakcolTs which he claifncd iicued some $1,700 pcr.-bbokmakcr- plione monthly in Manhattan to $3,000 monthly in the Bronx. Coil- iimnist also spoke of "indescribable" racetrack conditions in Queens and summed it all up as "the most cyni- cal grafting spice in New York his- tory." Moving rapidly, Comm. Wallandcr yesterday i4) ordered every plain- clothesman back into uniform. A list 01 several hundred known gam- blers and bookmakers was un- «?arthed by the police. The special >quad working on. the probe was in- Airuolcd to (]W7. the. bookies and gamblers on police bribery. Meanwhile, Sullivan refused to ciiiiiment on his scoop, par excel- lence or reveal Ihc .-iources. of his ill format ion. Mayor O'Dwyer skicv that he would make no attempt t6 '■finbarras.s' the columnist by press- i»K an inquiry. royalty iiow Kocs to the original pub- lishers. Authors are- presently de- mnnding the entire Ic, maintaining there's no reason for the- original publisher to share In these profits. ..lanncy Novel Sets Record "Miracle of the Bells," first novel of Kus."!cll janney,. erstwhile theatri- cal press agent, and producer, is ."ifrtting some kind of a pre-publica- tion record for a. book that has>)'t yet been scliectcd as a book club choice. Publi.shers Prentice-Hall last week upped the pre-publication pj lnting order, from 2.'j,000 to 125,000 copies on the basis of advance .or- ders for the book, slated to appear Sept. 13. . Several, film companies are rcr porlccl (Icfinilely. Interested in the no.ycU but .lanney.'s asking price of $100,000 advance, plus W;;- oC the film's gro.ss, has held Ihiiigs up ao far; Author was advance man for Otis Skhmer and other stars before .World W;u- I and was co-author and producer ©["Vagabond King." His af;ent,' 'br.- Ediiiiind Pa'uker. is han- dling negolUition.s with the liim com- panies: by running a "Bulletin-Journal" edt ,tion. The printers walked ottt in protest, and it's not known ytt if they'll return. Managements of the Edmonton papers claim they plan to continue joint publication by use of photo-engraving. Whole pages are typed oh layout sheets and then pho togi'aphed and engraved. Ofllc\ally, strikefs give as reason i;br dispute fact that Southam com- pany will not,-sign blanket agree- ment with its live papers. Other two Southain , sheets. Vancouver Prov- ince & Calgary Herald, are'not yet afl'ected. biit. notice has been given by International T)-pographers Un- ion.in Vancouver .that the contract is c,\pirinig Ihi.-i t^'iE.tl?. . : :lii Ottawa, Citizen is li.'ing radio to all' news and fcaturc.s (includiiig x;oi'iiic.<) every' 15 minutes. Philly News Drivers End Strike The 15-day strike of the. Philadel- phia newspaper delivery truck driv- ns ended Thursday (30) following a nrguiiating meetingWhieh lasted for more than 11 hours. Under the settlement, the drivers obtained a two-.vear contract with the Record, Inquirer and Bulletin, with the same raises, vacation periods and other concessions offered liie drivers before they went out on hlrike. However, the drivers will Ket an additional $3.30 a week raise ne.M March 2. Present raises are from $46 to $52.30 for night work on the Record and Inquirer, and from $42.50 to $50 a ;we.ok for day workers on the Bulletin, an evcnmg paper. The paid lunch period, basic issue on which the strike "was called, was not granted the drivers.' In addi- lion the drivers union signed a no- >i) ike pledge for the life of the con- tract. PM's EKpaiided Sports - Starting ne.\t Monday (10), PM <N. Y.) will have a greati; tspandcd .sports department. Tom OTleilly, of Time inag which also spawned PM's <tlilor Ralph IngersoU, heads the sec- lion with Joe Cummi^ey, present sports editor, shifting to the city .•-ide. Among the additions will be John McNulty. who will write a column in the New Yorker "Talk of the Tow'ii" .style; Heywood Hale Bioun, returning after several years in the Army to his baseball beat; and Jack Mahon, formerly Pacific corre- .sijondent for INS and later with MBS, who will do general sports i-o\'eragc. Expensive Mirrors Rhinebeck, N. Y. Editor, Varikty: Playboy memories of Booth Tar- kington still live in Indianapolis, kept alive by old employees of the Star and the News. In. his early <i»ys. Booth, as a iwo-handed di'ink- n\ had an odd hobby. After just so many he hr.ted his reflection in the big long mirror behind a certain bar. So he would pick tip some- one's beer mug. take aim, throw and tinash the mirror. . The next-morn- ing, very humble, he woiild come in and ask the damage. It would be fig; iired at 100 bucks. "The new,mirro|r would be worth about 40 bucks. One mirror he smashed a dozen times. The owner of the bar, when intake was .<!lack, used td look forward to Tarkington's vtsits—he was the best customer the place ever had. At long last, doctor's orders, the writer re- formed and even wrote si series bn the curse of booze /or the old Cos- mopolitan. : John Wifsfflcli Repriiils Make Cents Hot fight is eurrohlly brewing in the publishing businciw over de- mands by author's for better deals on reprint .sales.. Authors' cause is Jed by Craig Rice, whodunit expert. Under present situalion, an author leceives >,ic royally for each copy of hLs book sold in the 25c pocket- book'reprint, with lO'i of this money going to his agent. Another Vsc nunrerEncyciopedIa Set - Aiiatole Chujoy has signed a coii- tracl to compile, and edit a Dance En'cyclopcdia for A. S. Barnes Co., N. Y. Volume, of 800 pages, and fi>;st of it.s kind, will cqotaih li.'ting of dancers, cojnpo.-icr.*, choreographers, director;;, musicians and anyone con- .iicctcd with the dance, together wilh thumbnail .'•ketches; list bt steps, tci minology ,oC modern-dance, ballet, etc.: listing of ballet productions; with |)lot, decor and dancers of first pn'rormanees: -history of the dance, in all rorni.<. modern; ballroom; ijal- Ict. cic. Book is set for May 1, "47. deUver:^. Chujo.v.' editor of Dance News, has been writing :ibo;it. the dance since 1920. •Who's Who* For H'wood Sclincidor-Fisher, new Chi pub- lishing oiilfit, is prepping a ."Who's Who in Hollywood.'.' first section'.of which will deal with the way stu- dios are set up, with latter half made up of thumbnail biographies of stars, producers, directors and writers. Planned' to issue it annual- ly, ciothbound, with first edition out eaiiy in 1947. Publishers Everett Schneider and R.- C. Fisher, recehlly out of the Army, are from St. Lbuis and Min- neapolis, respectively, and are com- piling the material themselves. Also publishing "Blitz Children," story of British kids by Fisher and -Bernard W. King, London writer, plus a na- tional mag. National Sports Week- ly, first issue of which will be out in July. McAllister Atom Fix Head Maj. Henry W. McAllister, photog on military leave from the N. Y. Journal-Americiin, has . been named supervising chief for the photo- graphic newsreel and television set- up for Operation Crossroads, atomic bomb tests slated for Bikini Atoll in the Mar.shall Islancis sometime in July. Project will be covered by all the major photographic groups, as well as hundreds of service photogs op- erating from ships, planes and heli- copters. From the pool of material some to be made by automatic cam- .cras, Hr.st pictures of the blasts will be relayed by i'adip-photo back, to the U..S. for immeiiiate publication. Maj. McAllister, formerly headed up- still picture operations tor the Army Pictorial Services iu the Eu- ropean theatre, where he supervised the work of some 500 Signal Corps photogs during the. Normandy, {nr yasion and the Battle of the Bulge. Walkout On Canadian Chain. Po.'-t-war hcaclBches in Canadian newspaper eonipo.sing rooms reached a clin-ia.K last week, wlien lino ops on three papers of the Southam chain walked as a result of monlhs- long- tiff with another Southam .^heet. Winnipeg Tribune. Papers af- fected are Hamilton Spectator.' Ot-? tawa Citizen: and Fdmoriion Jour- nal. The ops walked out Thui-sday (30) in .sympathy with colleagues in Win- nipeg, where an open shop is oper- ated by' the Tribune .and a Sifton paper,. Winnipeg Free Press. 'Viriii- nipcg strike has been going on for nionths with sli-ike finally ' being broken ithough .op.s won't -admit it) ijy the papiirs' hiring of non-union labor. Sheets are .still being picketed. .^nothcr Edmonton sheet, the. Bul- letin, is now lhrcalene<l with a walkout over the fact thaC. when Journal slopped P(ib!ic:.tif>n'. the Bulletin aided its; struck colleague ciiA'rrER Freeman Lewi.s; elected exec vee- pee of Pocket. Books. . Ernie Anderson : named editor of Esquire Year Book, set for publica- tion in December. Joey Adams' autobiography, ''Prom Gags to Riches," is .set. for SeiJtem- ber publication by Fi'<;deri(:k Fell; botlgl.ls G. WooUi former editor of Textile World, boiight the Lamand.T Park'. (Cal.) Herald from Ralph E. Perkins. Roy C. Holli.ss. gen. mgr.' N. Y. Daily News, <lesignatcd acting prez to (111 P.O.St vacated by death of J. M-' Pattcr.sbn. "Secret Life of Orson Welles," by Jack Sher ancl John Keating, and "How Gobd an Acior Are You'.'" by James Stewart, due in August issue of Pageant. Metro'.s 13-year aclrCs.":, Elizabeth Taylor, has authored . land self- illustrated > a breezy book. "Nibbles arid Me'' (Duell: $2). Nibbles being her pet (^hipmuiik. "Pos.se.«s Me Not.'' new Fan Nichols novel, .was singled out by the Book Clinic of American Insti- tute of Graphic Arts for its typo- graphic format, planned by Stefan Salter. Joe Blair returned from, a -flve- moiUh motor lour of Mexico, w-hcr.c he practically completed a hovel. Three Rings.'' slated for publica- tion in autumn. King Features .syndicate is ready to close a deal-with Appletbn-Cent- ury. Publishers of "Arch of Tri- umph," to run the novel as. an illus- trated, serial strip. Krishnalal Shridharani. author of 'My India, My America" and "Ma- hatma and the World," will return, to India July 16 after 12 years in U. S., to make a six-months survey. Edith Jackson, (laughter of Billy Jackson, the bid-line vaude booker, who was formerly with, the N. Y. World-Telegram and- UP. now re- porter for the Southwest 'Times, Pu- laski, Va. - The Marquess of Queensberry's. book "The Sporting QueensberVys" will be rcwriltrn and reprinted, for the U. S. trade, with the Hear.st syndicate likely .to take on certain of its features. Jo.seph T. Shaw, once editor Black. Mask, where he di.<:covered and brought forward Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, now a.s.so- ciated with Sydney A. Sanders agency. John Wilstach new client. . Frederick Fell po.stpohing publica- tion dates of two titles because of production difficulties. .''P-sycholpgy for the Millions" set back to .July 18 and "A Treasury of Doctor Stories by the World's Greatest Authors" now slated for Aug. 15. Bill Trcadwell; has edited a fully illustrated "Big Book of Swing" (■Cambridge; $1), dedicated to the late Capt. Glenn Miller. Includes about everything in pop music from jive to corny music, rhythm groups to dick jockeys, etc.' First edition 100.000 copies. . ' Mrs. beWitt Wallace, co-editor and ep-owrier of .Readers' Digest, re- ceived, honorary degree of doctor of litieratiire from Russell Sage "Women's College, Troy, N. Y., June .2. Mrs. Thomas C. Desmond, Wife of a N. Y. slale senator and' author of children;s and travel books, was similarly hbno'-(»d. Evelyn Lawsori 'Vorse. former public relations director for King Fcature.s, has opened her own flaekery in partnership with Ton i Mendez. former nilery producer; and Irving Mo.scs. Latter was recently discharged from the Army where he organized a recruiting and publicity section on the Coast. ' Chaim Newman, whose anthology on "Gentile and Jew" has been pub- lished in England by Alliaihce Pre.ss, has set.an American iediiipn via Si- mon & Schuster. More than half the "U.S, edition will include new text by American well-knowns discours- ing on ihe "problem", just as a large number of Brili.sh by-liners did in the original English eclitibil. ♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦^♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦*« >♦♦♦ SCULLY'S SCRAPBOOK ;; ♦^♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦t«t»»» By Frank Scully *» m ♦ t<♦ mm «>«♦■ . ; Playpenn, Gal., May 29. "fill ''"rhe Skirf feels, that .slacks have gone f(>rever I'm afraid Scully'is Scrapbbok will have to double in this domestic field now and then lest Vakibtv freeze oiit its feinmiB readers. ■ ■That Metro's sub-deb delivery girls may now xv^ai: skirts instead of .slacks inili(;ates a'hopeful trend, but when Betty- Hutlon hires Edith Hcad to design ballet skirts for maternity dre.sses, the Schiitparelli in mc'.bcgins fo develop a hcjmstitchccl pAychosis. Molly Castle Cauthor of "Around the World With An Embryo") and Mine; Scully (author of "My: Four Fleas from Heaven And How They. Grew") and I (author of "Babies, Just Babies") worked but the perfect maternity dl'oss y.ears ago. , It. wasn't ba'sed on high waists and'flaring skirls, wild cblor schomos, .sniocks or aiiy .such give-away.s. It was. based, on the- birdie. You' focus curious eyes a foot above where they feel iinpelled to look. You do it iii all sorts of way.s—dashing hats,: big satin bows ,'aroUnd the thro.-it,. diamond' rimmed-glasses—any sort of attention caller to your matronly face. -As to dresses, the job is to keep the bust, and the hips in proportion. . And iiow can yoil do that when nature is -working only one side of the street'.' For heaven's sakes, must only stars be allowod to build up a part? ' Of course. That's the idea. Build up your che.st until it's as large as your hips. That way you will be a large woman for a few months, biit yoii will have a balaiiecd figure:. If normally you measure 30 bust, 26' wai.>it aiid 36 hips and you discover that you're now 36 bust, 36 waist and 46 hips, Ihcin build ybur bust, up to 46,. . ; As for clothe.s. wear stitfish material. Wear, starched capes with wide shoulders that diire away from the hips; Wear dark blue or black. Lay. off loud colors except aroiind the neck or. in. hal.s. This way nobody will knbw .you're having a baby until at last, of course; it's, no secret. By Ihoh even Winchell will know it. Lest you think tin's lcads:;nOwhere, let me as.siire you that Mme. Seully how ha.s four babies and her figure at this moment is: bust 35,.waist 26, hips 35. As so(in as .life levels off a bit niy advice to .stars having babies i.s tb .go throuKh retirement hi Friinee. There they will find a most touching sohcila- tibn for their maternal welfare. Many Aine'rican. expatribts will testify they owe their lives to expectant. Frenth mothers. .George Cantyi U. S. Trade Cohiini.^sioiier abroad, often told nie that he iKiver cr0.s.sed a Paris street alone. .Taxis.Used to lie in wait for him if he tried. But he oul- gue.-ised them. -He would' wait till an expectant mother wanted to croK.Si Then he would walk at her side^ The calis would start after hini, .";e(D. ihe expectant mother, stop dead, and not eyeii dare to honk lest they clislurb her. Grinning, Canty got a<5i'o« every bpiilevard alive. ' 1 recall so many things about-Frenchmcn and motherhood. I recall young wolves at street Corners'about to Rive their cry and say '"Bon jpur mix petite chou-chou." only to ob.servc .sign.s of liberie, cgalite and mUternitc. The.v would immediately lower tiicir voices and change to "Bcjn jour jha' petite ma.man.'' . Breaking the'News to Mother I remember a waiter.who never stopped saying, "Yes, Mademoiselle" while serving, but when the madenibisclle finally got up to leave and he. saw her proKle in full he would bow and say,"Au rcvoir,'Madame." . •But I-especially remember-my own bewildered Mama Scully being cauKht far. off base at feeding time. She-was at the Place de la Concorde and her fir.st born, the Skipper, was in a. hotel far beyond the Arche de Triumphe. All; the' cabs were congregated at the Place for the start of the Tour de France, a bike.race that inarathoned all'over France. She could get no cab to lake her home. She appealed' to gendarmes. Thi y shrugged their shoulders, "in an hour. Madcmbi.sellc. After the tour has started.,maybe,"..one gendainie con.-;ol("d her. "But I have a baby at hoine crying right now for his milk," she pleaded. VYou have a baby?" "Ye.s." . "You,". ordered the cop of Ihe first cab,—take the woman home." The cab driver screamed, "i want to see Ihe Mai t of the inceV "This is'a mother." explained Ihe cop quiety.. "She has a baby at home awaiting its nburrilure. Allcz!" The cab driver honked, threw tip his hands, claimed his starter wouldn't work and cried, "Quelle idiote! ' The cop ci-anked the car and ordered him to proceed. At every slop .signal the cab driver le.n.hed out to tell the world what an indignity had been heaped upon iiim by an imbecile who didn't know enpirgh to stay near her baby at feeding time, "Americain!" he added, to make the imbecility clearer. At the hotel he di^pped the little Mama, turned on a franc and .sped back to the .start: of the Tour de France. I still hope he got there in lime. The,.Bell In l.a Belle France .Vnd in that .«aine Iwlel I recall a resident who had lived there 12 vcar.s. Maria Korda may remember this, incident as she also Jived there at the time. The oldest living resident complained the fir.st night because the brtbv had cried 20 minutes. He iriade such an issue of it the proprietor sjiiri, "Lislen. didn'l you ever cry as a baby? That, baby will be here 12 day."--. If you dont like it you can leave for 12 day.s. but if you go. don't ever come back." "But can't .vou put a mattress or something against the door to les.sen the sound?" begged the o.l.r "Sure, ' said the proprietor, "but on your side. It's an ugly sfght. It ,.1^ outlook. Yours is already spoiled.'.'. Was it worth all that? Well, the guy is now 14 and graduating wilh an A minus average. He also wants to be a radio commentator and, A'.s.or not, is ready right now to spiel fpv It Pays to Be Ignorant." He made a pitch the other day lo .''M' it's on. the condemned list at his school. "Jack Ford, I. said, more to coiisoleMiim, "is making a picture in Ariionu., You can sec that when It's released." "What's it called?" "My Darling Clemenline," I-.said. "Not for me," he said, "I,hale musicals," _Arrd that's,why picture eompahies have to have publicity men. advev- tising copy-writers and salesmen. No-Admirals for Ford Ford, incidenlally, -was pursued 150 miles beybild Flagstaff,:Ariz., fo get his reaction to directing "Johii Paul Jones"-a picture already assured a piolog by Pi-esident-Truman and tiie cpoperafton of bur own Navy, as well 2'?,"]°^* ^'•"a'"' France and Riis.sla. 1 did the pursuing. But I didn t gbt my man. . , . : Himself a naval man. Ford seemingly doesn't like the sea enough io ^^T^li"^* '"''u f°!' costumes. He's the sailor home from the sea and |Jad of it. For wh4t lis worth to e.yele-luinlcrs. the direelbr of "They Weie. Expendable," -Men Without Women,"-Up the River," etc., prereiS. . to,direct westerns. ;Well, he can close "The Outlaw" discussion with a ve- majce of one of hi.s pet picture.s. It's called "the Last Outlaw" and liives me a lift every time It s made. _ Nearly 20 years ago the high commahd of our Mediterranean Fieei> Rtx Ingram and I were punching the bag in Nice and these officers suggc.-ted to Ingram, who had just ijiade "Mare Nostrurn." that ihey thought the ?.f-L^' ''^e of Ihis same Joha Paul Jono. Ingram preferred to make "The Garden of Allah." ^ So this is the second time history's adventurous admiral and a fine diiec- . to» have refused to collaborate. Who'll make it three';