Variety (Jun 1946)

usssnffFf Wedneaday, June 26, 1946 OBITUARIES WILUAM S. HAKT Wmiam S. Hart, sUent screen star, died In a 1*3 Angeles hospital, June 24, after a long Illness. Details in Pictures section. MINNIE ASHLEY Mrs. Beatrice Wlnthrop Ashley Chanler, 62, who before her mar- riage to the late William Astor Chanler in 1903, had been a musl- comedy star as Minnie Ashley, died at Portland, Me., June 19. She had appeared under manage- ment of the late Daniel Frohman In such musical successes of that era as "San Toy," "The Country Girl" and "The Geisha," among others. After her marriage she and her husband lived in Paris where she turned her talents to writing, and authored "Cleopatra's . Daughter* among other works. At her death she had almost completed a biog- raphy of Queen Isabella of Portugal, mother of Charles the Bold of Bur- gundy. She had been active in re- lief work during both world wars, primarily French and Greek relief, Survived by two sons. GEORGE ROTSKT George Rotsky, w.k, film pioneer In Canada, died Thursday (20) in Montreal hospital. He was 53. Rot- sky started as exhibitor while still a youth, operating his m-st theatre in Petrolllai Ont. He inaugurated and operated a chain of tlieatres for the. Allan interests, first major the- atre circuit in Canada. He next moved in with General Films, and later Mutual Films. In 1920 he supervised construc- tion of the Allan theatre (now the Palace) for the Allans and remained as manager when Famous Players took over in 1924. In 1936 he joined Consolidated theatres (a Fainous Players affiliate) as gen. man., a post he held till his death. In 1926 he was the first to exhibit talkies in Canada Wife, Hilda, and two brothers sur- vive. ■ HERBERT WAINWRIGHT Herbert Inman (Bert) Wain Wright, 70, former associate with Thomas A. Edison in sound-film ex- periments, died in Toronto, June 20 Born in that city, he toured for many years with Ward and Yokes ■ musicomedy companies and was leading man in B. C. Whitney's Broadway production of "Isle of Spice" in 1907 when he married the prima donna, Wilhelmina Newmann The 'two went into vaudeville in 1915, touring the U. S. and Canada. ■In 1929, Wainwright and his wife returned to Toronto to build the Oxford theatre, indie film house which wainwright still owned and managed at the time of his death He also made a small fortune in local real estate: Survived by widow and a sister, Friday (21) at Springfield after a brief illness.. A brother of the later Broadway betting commissioner John T. "Jack" Doyle, the editor was a familiar figure in New York, where he spent a month each fall, catching all the shows and fights. For most of his nearly half cen- tury in newspaper work, he covered virtually every vaudeville act that played western Mass., and his "Pep- per Box" column was regularly de- voted to old timers in the legit and vaude fields. His interest in thea- tres dated from three years with the old Dramatic News,. N, Y. GEOROT N. VASSILIEV Qieorgy . Nikolaevich Vassiliev, noted Soviet film producer, died In Mgscow, June 20. His productions included "Cha- paev,'' 'The Defense of Tsaritsyn" and "The Front." He received the Stalin award twice and also held the Order of Lenin. Vassiliey's production of "Fortress on ,the Volga" was shown at the Stanley, N. Y.,-December, 1942. The film portrayed Stalin and Voroshilov as having prevented the Germans and White Russians from reaching Tsaritsyn (now Stalingrad) in 1918, thereby saving Russia for the Soviets. NEIL KENVOK NeiUKenyon, 73, Scottish, charac- ter comedian, died in London, June He had appeared .'in vaudeville and legit shows in London and provinces-during his long stage ca- reer before retiring some 20 years ago. He had also appeared in the . S. Among isongs he popularized in London music halls were "The Cad- die." "The Billposter;" "The Poet of Diinrobin" and others. WILLIAM A. "AL" STEFFES William A. ("Al") Steffes, 60, long prominent as an indie ex' hibitor ^j^ader, died last week in Minneapolis. He v'as in the van of the. various indie exhibitor fights for industry reforms, and mainly through his efforts the fir.<;t theatre divorcement law was enacted in North Dakota, The measure later was repealed. Steffes served several terms as ha tional Allied States prez and for many years headed Northwest Al lied States. At time of death he owned two downtown MinneapoU: theatres, the Alvin (leased to the Paramount circuit) and the World first-run and moyebver house booked by the Paramount chain, an he also had other theatre interests, Hiis widow and a brother survive. RONALD GREEN Ronald Green, - 54, gen. manager of the Palace, Plyniouth, England, died there June 2. Prior to his managerial activities he bad a brief career as an actor and had appeared with Gracie Fields in the late Archie Pitt's pro duction of "Lido Follies" soine years ago. that 6f Edmond Rostand's 'VAIglon" (The Eagle) are too simple and uni- versal for copyright protection. "Author's moral rights" law which makes it taboo to change a work on adaptation without the author's walveir in accordance with tlie law of the state in which the contract is signed Is also in'for a tussle. It Is said. Proviso, though a compromise measure, is still tangled in potential technicalities, amusement legalites say, because many Latin-American states have no Ibaw under which a waiver contract could be Inked. Question still remains, the argument goes, whether an organization repre- senting the author could do so, and this-'S^ijay snafu outfits such as ASCAP. Infringements Amusement field reps are also hopped up over possibility of costly infringement suit^j for innocent use of material copyrighted under In- formal South American laws. In many l,atin countries, it is said, the mere writing and publishing of a work gives it copyright protection without the filing of any copies. Mistaken use of such material, if the agreement goes through, would sub- ject the users to prosecution under U. S. laws, which graht'severe pen- alties ranging from $250 to $5,0(X) for each ofTensel These penalties are currently based on stringent copy- right formalities which put the user on notice, lawyers declare. Jukebox operators are strongly opj)osed to a provision of the new draft which subjects them , to roy- alty payments on miusic written south of the border. Jukes current ly are exempt from royalty obliga- tions to domestic composers as coin- operated machines. The rumbas, sambas and tangos will probably fade as jukebox material if the pro- viso becomes law. Record companies and radio sta tions ■ are sour on the idea of per- mitting Latins to give exclusive re- cording rights . to their music to one waxer. U. S. citizens would still be compelled to permit all bompa nies to . make records of their com- positions on payment of the statu tory 2c royalty. Broader tights to the Latinos is regarded as unfair by U. S, composers, and equally op- posed by radio as setting a bad ^)rec- edent which might later hamstring easy accessabillty of different interr pretations of a musical piece. PAUL BANKER Paul Banker, 55, whose extensive business interests included holdings in Mecca,' d, and Rialto Nabes, Day ton, died from heart. attack Mon- day <24) at his Dayton home. Was a past chief barker of Variety Club, Dayton tent. Survived by widow and two sons JAMES A. TERRY James A. ("Uncle Jim") Terry, 83 secretary of the LaPorte County, Ind., fair since 1912 and. nationally known in fair show-blE, died in La Porte, June 19. Survived by widow, two sons and daughter. JAMES L. SMITH James L. Smith, 51, former man aging director of the Congress hotel and general manager of the LaSalle hotel in Chi, died June 21, in Akron, Ohio. Surviving is his widow, Elizabeth, Mrs. Mabel Hyde, 63, newspaper editor and mother of Frank McFad den. Universal publicist, died June 20 in Compton, Ce\., following short illness. PASS LENOIR ~ Pass Lenoir, 72. retired stage and screen actor, died after a heart at- tack in Hollywood, June 12. Funeral services were arranged by. the Mo- tion Picture Relief Fui;'!. Lenoir entered show b'z as a fea- tured gymnast with Al G. Fields Minstfels, with wliich he toured for several years and later witli circuses. He later diverted into the legit field, matriculating via stock companies and later appeared in legit road- shows. He had also appeared in two of William Saroyan's plays. He later went to Hollywood, to work In pix until retirement several years •go. Survived by a brother. GEORGE M. DOYLE ■ George M, Doyle, 67, editor of The Springfield (Mass.) DaUy News and former drama reporter, died Samuel Malzllsb, 46, member of Warners staff and brother of Harry Maizlish, gen. manager, of KFWB, died June 18 at his home in Holly wood, following a heart attack. Mrs. Cecilia Grot, 60, wife of Anton Grot, art director at Warners, died June 17 in Glendale, Cal, U S. Show Biz - Continued from page 1 — a title which is internationally fa; mous. Titles Industry legalites say they will fight the title stricture because it leaves too much in doubt as to when a tag becomes "internationally fa mous" and thereby exposes - produc ing and publishing companies to un' certain legal dangers. They point out that a work, written in Spanish, might be widely known in Latin America and hardly at all in the S. Moreover, they will argue be- Scully's Scrapbook ; Gontlnne* from page U i happened to mc around here, too. Why only this afternoon I telephoned about my tickets and was told not to bother but to come along anyway and I said 'Oh, no you don't! You send those tlckete oyer by special messen- ger or I won't come." So they sent them by special messenger." She waved them in the faces of the space-grabbers. By then four of us were in the Scully volture and heading for home. We stopped to telephone. "Call the Esquire," I said, "and see If that 'Open City' Is atill running. That's where I wanted to go in the first place—remember?" It was still showing, we were Informed, and the Scully ..caravan would be welcome in the only seats available^the best. Thus fortified, we entered the Esijuire. The charter member of Gate Crashers Local No. 5 was back on his throne, right next to Prince Hal of Merrle England. As for the picture, you know it too weir for retelling. But that the Italians could make it In the last two years is a higher: tribute to them, than "Henry V" is to the British, though, come to think of It, there was a fine Italian ha«d behind "Henry V" too. That was Fillppo del Gludice, who manages Two Cities, the producers of VHe»ry V." He was at the premiere. Thus'the Italians practically control Laurel at this writing. What hasn't been stressed about "Open City," but should, is that it shows that when the lion and the lamb are really up against the Nazi terror they will light and die together. It. Is the first picture I have seen which shows a Communist and a Catholic going their separate ways to eternity with love for one another. May their valiant souls rest in peace with Prince Hal's. it, but the singer was so far over- shadowed by Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald, that apparently it's had no effect on her concert piill. Her draw hasn't been hurt, of course, but the pic didn't do the job for her, they say, that Iturbl's films have done fot him. . Concert managers point to other artists who have been made by films. Both Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy had their concert values great- ly enhanced through pix, Eddy in particular.- Lawrence Tibbett, in his prime, was a little less fortunate, they say, because he wasn't so photo- genic. Nino Martini didn't have the roles. -Grace Moore, when she was in films, had no appreciable help from her first seven films, but with the eighth, "One Night of Love," she clicked to be a great concert hall draw. Eddy hit the jackpot with his first film.. Lily Pons wasn't succes.sful In films, but she's gone on to even greater draw in the concert field through basic artistry. She's the ex- ception, managers admit. Par's Buy-Out Continued from paie S and Official gets $7.50 apiece for them. Tops In tMpularity of its whole stock is a Soundles 100-foot reel featuring Yvonne De Carlo. Two-reel musicals, en the whole, are the consistent best-seUers iu the home .film field. They go for $37.50. Cartoons are second and sports third.: Most'of the sports reels are acquired from major compa-' nies, with latter's identifying trade* mark removed and the title changed. A big novelty seller currently is "Broadway Handicap," - a horse- racing pic on which money can actu- ally be bet. It comes in six reels, each about two minutes long, and each with a race on it in which a different nag wins/ The reels are unmarked, so that (theoretically) even the operator doesn't know, 'Which one he's piitting on the ma- chine. Provided with the film are bet- ting pads and stage money. Whole works, with sound, sells for $27.50. It was originally made about nint years ago as an idea to combat bingo, but flopped. CFilms Hypo Continued from page 1 week tour of the South last winter, and in eight recitals grossed over $100,000. In Niew Orleans he drew $15,192; in San Antonio, $14,642; in Charleston, W. Va., $11,664; in Wichita Falls. Tex., $11,240. His grosses used to be a third of that. Where his fees once ran from $750 to $1,500, he's now playing on per- centage, and walking off with any- where from $4,000 to $6,000 an ap- pearance. Iturbl's Jackpot Iturbi's annual income now from concerts is $200,000, and his film pay about $100,000 a picture. Recently he received a $118,029.69 royalty check from RCA-Vlctor for six months' sales of records—most of it from an album of pieces he played anonymously in "A Song to Remem- ber" (Col.)—putting him into top brackets In music b.o, draw. Check was the largest single amount ever paid an artist for six months' royals ties. Two other concert artisk have re- cently completed film assignments, and the music world is speculating on how much their concert draw will be helped. Met tenor Charles-. Kullman has an Important acting- singing role in Universal's "Fan- dango," bib of , Rimsky-Korsakov starring Brian Donlevy and Jean Pierre Aumont, due for fall release. (Kullman's manager, Columbia Con- certs, incidentally. Is angling for the preem in Kidlman's home town. New Haven, with appropriate hoopla). Pianist Eugene List has a role in Andrew Stone's production, "Bache- lor's Daughters." Result of this ap- pearance, may not be conclusive, since the young pianist already has had a. tremendous buildup through his performance at the Potsdam Con- ference. His 1946^7 cbncert season was all sold out back in March, and bookings are already being set for the 1947-48 season. Pros and Cons The type of part Kullman and List have in their pix will influence their concert draw, say music man- agers, who aver tKat unless, an aHlst has a good part, or does very weu in a pic, his concert draw is unaffected. They point, for instance, to "Going My Way," bingest film draw In 1943 fore the Senate that such titles: as I It had Met contralto Rise Stevens in money to finance the changes" is taken to inore strongly suggest that Par, in view of its cash reserves, has in mind the purchase of part- nerships. Paramount has less than 95% in- terest in 993 theatres. The appiroxl- mate. value of the interests held by Par partners in inttstimable. Noted that it would , take many months of calculations and analysis to de- termine value of the partnership units in which Par does not have as much as 95%. It may not be so easy for Par to buy out some partnerships, namely those of the late Joseph H. Cooper and Arthur Lucas, who were vet- eran Par partners. Some of the Par co-owners of theatre chains had hoped for complete divorcement so that the way would be more clearly open for them to take over Par's Interest in their strings. Under complete divorcement it was nat- urally, assumed Par would give its partners first choice on a buyout. Home 16m Pix Continued from page 1 the hokier the material they have to offer, the faster it sells. It's not a matter ' of geography, either, since New York is one of the best mar- kets for the fodder. What mystifies the men in the biz even more is why anyone pays them $17.50 a reel; or more, to buy the film, rather tlian renting it at about $1. As one dealer put it: "I can't stand looking at the stuff even once. So I can't'see why anyone would want to own It and look-at It over and over again.". Some of the pi:oduct that is sold for . permanent home ownership is specially' made or edited, but most of it consists of old shorts. Highly popular is stuff from the lot of the now defunct Educational Pictures, such aa one-reelcrs, featuring Gus Van, Bert Lahr, Ethel Waters, Willie Howard. Jefferson Machamer and Neila Goodelle. Soundlei Shorts Official Films, one of the outfits in the field, has don* particularly well with home rights to the threes minute bits made by Soundles for showing in film julceboxes. Virtu- ally every well-known vaude per- former has appeared la the reels, MARRIAGES Edith Fellows to Freddie Fields, New York, June 25. Bride is former child film star; groom is with the Abner J. Greshler' agency and is brotlier of Shep Fields, bandleader. Constance Bennett to Col. Theron Coulter, March Field, Calif., June 22. Bride is screen star. Margaret 'Helen Hall to Joseph Barbieri, New York, June 14. Groom is co-owner of the Coq Rouge, N. Y., nitery. Marie Anne Szuch to Glenn Ver- non, Hollywood, June 19. Groom is a film actor. Barbara Hale to Bill Willlam.s, Rockton. III.. June 22. Bride and groom are RKO contract players. Rae Thetford to Edward Rattery, Hollywood, June 22. Groom Is prcs-. ident of United Artists. LIbbie Block to Pat Duggan, San Francisco, June 22. Bride is novel- ist and .author, of "Wild Calender," recently purchased by Enterprise as Ginger Rogers starrer; groom is veepee of Samuel Goldwyn Produc- tions. Naomi Heileman to Al Wickes. Pittsburgh,- June 19. Groom's i dance band musician. Ruth Hartz to Michael Smutko, Pittsburgh, June 24. Bride's with 20th exchange. BIRTHS Mr. and Mrs. Frank Sherlock, daughter. Culver Clity, June 19. Father is a Metro publicist. Mr., and Mrs. Lem Jones, son, June 22, N. Y., their third child. He is assistant to Spyros P. Skouras, 20th-Fox president. Mr. £|nd Mrs. Ivan Moffat, daugh- ter, Hollywood, June 12. Father is an associate producer al Liberty Films. Mr. and Mrs. Byron Palmer, daughter, -Hollywood, June 17. Father'is a radio announcer. . Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Lcvoy, daughter, Hollywood, June 19' Father is veepee of Andrew Stone Productions. Mr. and Mrs, Allah Trench, daugh- ter, Pittsburgh, June 21. Father's on the WWSW staff. . Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Stcincr, daughter, Los Angeles, June 24. Mother Is Hollywood corre'spondent for PM; father i is RKO producer. Mr. and Mrs. Murray. Morrisey, daughter, June 22, N. Y. Mother is daughter of Paul Morton of the Four Mortons.