Variety (Jul 1946)

M UTBBAT1 Wednesday, J w 1y 10, 1945 Literati NeUbles U Tom( Shaw First U. S. showing of (he film "Caesar and Cleopatra" will be a feature of the dinner at the Waldorf- Astoria, July 25, to signalize George Bernard Shaw's 90th birthday. Din- ner, sponsored by Saturday Review of Literature, will be attended by literati and entertainment world notables. : .Speakers list includes .Maxwell Anderson, Deems Taylor, Howard Lewis, proz of Dodd,' Mead & Co., Shaw's U. S. publisher: Leonard Bacon, of the National Institute of Arts and Letters, and Henry Seidel Canby, Sat. Rev. editor. John Mason Brow/i will fly back to the U. S. July 20, after a visit with Shaw in London, to emcee the dinner, Dinner guests will include Edward C. Raftery. Gradweli Sears, Frank Stanton, Edgar Kobak, John F. Royal, Gene Tunney and : Jan Struther. Tele On Writers' Ajend* - Northwest Writers' Conference, to be held in Seattle July 29-Aug. 9, is said to be the first writers' confer- ence to consider television as a me- dium for writers. Richard, Hubbcll, tele expert, is slated to speak on the subject. Other top names include Arch Oboler, northwest authors Betty McDonald of "Egg and I" fame, and Nard Jone*; - William Wprden and Robert. Ormond "Case; J. Donald Adams, N. Y. Times book reviewer; Margaret Cousins, editor of Good Housekeeping; Dramatist Guild at- ' torney Edward Colton; George Fred- ley, and several publishers' deps. in- cluding Ken McCormack and John Sclby. Conference will be held at the Univ. of Washington. Wilson's 'Hecate' Confiscated ^A bluenosc raid on four Doubleday book shops Monday (8) netted 130 copies of Edmund Wilson's book of short stories, "Memoirs of Hecate County" which were later entered on a police station blotter as "sala- cious and lascivious literature." Ac- tion was made by four plainclothes- men. bearing search warrants issued at the instigation of John S. Sumner, exec secretary of the Society for the Suppression of Vice. Book, written by the New York- er mag's literary critic, was pub- lished last March by Doubleday and has sold over 50,000 copies. Critical opinion held that it was a serious piece of fiction. Legal counter- action by the publishers has not been disclosed. tour with visits to Metro and Warners. John Mason Brown, Sat. Review of Lit. drama critic; due back from Europe July 21. While abroad, he visited with George Bernard Shaw. Sum H. Hoffman, "whose play From Now On" is being mulled for fall production, has finished a new novel, "Because I Loved You." L. B. Fischer reissuing "Beloved Stranger" by Leonhard Frank under new title of "Carl and Anna." Metro recently purchased the story as a Greer Garson vehicle. U.S. Acts Nicked Continued from pace I "Hobby Lobby" Msg Tie-in Science Illustrated and "Hobby, Lobby" (CBS) have worked out a mag-radio promotional tie-in start- ing Sept. Mag will run p'ix layout of most interesting science hobby- ist selected each month and plug show in its national newspaper ads. Program will dramatize, the fea- ture week after mag hits the stands, with editor Dr. Gerald Wendt ap- pearing on the show to give a cer- tificate to the chosen guest. Canada and about 90c' payable for a Canadian dollar in .U. Si - Now the exchange .will be $1 for .a $1 'straight. All . the hotels, nitcrics, picture, houses, restaurants and stores, deal- ing with the heavy flow of U. S. tour- ists took a substantial loss due to the sudden order. Since the order was effective immediately, all the U. S. dollars on which they paid 10% ex- change was just give-away dough, since they couldn't collect it from the bank in the morning because the order; was already in clYed. Reason for the order without ad- vance notice was.apparently a two- fold one: 1) Had there been any advance hint, a lot of U. S. tourists planning to spend the holiday hern would have changed plans of coming to Canada. 2) Order was timed for the week- end after banks were closed to pre- vent a run on the banks where, people would try to cash in any out- standing* U. S. money and so take advantage of the fOSJ exchange still in effect. Hits U. S. Performers Another angle to the whole busi- ness is the effect it will have on U. S. performers in Canada. Usual con- tracts, sighed weeks before for nitery or theatre dates, provides payment 75% in U. S. funds and 25<;;.. in Ca- nadian! With the order now effec- tive, it will mean the performer will now be getting i0',o less of his 75% portion of his pay. From a tech- nical point of view, there's not very much the performer can do about it, since the contract provides for him to be paid in U. S. portion at the ex- change rate prevailing at the time. What sparked the sudden move, ilsley said, was the. scuttling of the OPA in the U. S. and its consequent probable effect on Canadian econ- omy. The parity action was part of a four-point stabilization program announced by Ilsley at the same time which affirmed price controls here and generally aimed to .stabilize financial and industrial transactions between Canada and U. S. nooMers Elect Marian Ayers, gen. mgr. of. Shel- byvllle (Ihd.) newspapers, elected prez of Hoosier State Press Assn., succeeding E. C. Gorrell. Others are: Edwin C. O'Neel, publisher Hagerstown Exponent, v.p: C. Wal- ter ■McCnrty. Indianapolis News, treas,; Bcrnice Butler, Indianapolis, sec. C.'ffATTF.R Martin Qujgley, Jr.; in Hollywood for month 01 business and sightsee- ing. Marcis Drake, television consult- ant, has written a book, "Great Days." Howard Fiisl's novel "The Ameri- can" is Literary Guild's selection for August. ' Marion Mayer. American Homes m. c. due in Hollywood July 19 to look over the studios. Michael S. Green, appointed cor- respondent for Scandinavian news syndicate.. Ccntroprcss.''.' Magazine v.'ritcr Jack H. Pollack spcndit.Jt the summer on a California date ranch finishing a piny Spanish govt, notified newspapers and mags, with vacation season nn, of its ban on' girls in bathing suit.--. Joan Lane, formerly with Wom- an's Home Companion, joined David O. Sclznick as national magazine contact. Jorge Mcndoza Carrasco, Mexi- can, editor, wound up his Hollywood PT Wildcatters Continued from paee 1 and would make good dinner con- versation." Initial deal was the purchase of a race horse—a trotter, to be exact. It's name was switched from Selby Hanover to Expendable. At first there was some objection to the deal, not because it was considered un- wise, but because Expendable was a pretty good horse. He had finished in the money 19 out of 20 times last year. Some of the Wildcatters thought this too sound and solid for their organization. However, they cleared their consciences by refus- ing an offer to sell Expendable for more than they paid for him 1 . Since acquired by Wildcat, the hoss has been running at Roosevelt Race- way, Long Island, and has won twice and showed twice, running but of the money a number of other times. Total purses'.have amounted to about S1.000—which L« in keeping with Wildcat policy, since it has cost con- siderably more than that to maintain him. • Another project being considered is Hie opening of a saloon in New York. However, the board of gover- nors has decided to investigate carc- | fully before taking chances bit bo- j coming , ordinary, successful busi- i ncssmcn. "Who'know*." one cracked, ; "wc might open the place and have j it an instant succors.. You have to be careful about things like thai." I In the meantime, it looks like the to-be-avoided success is dogging the Wildcatters. Today (Wednesday), Paramount is picturing Ihonr for a newsreel story and either of ihp. cur.- rent, deals 'cooking with fllin com- panies will put Into the pot better than three times the original in- vested capital. Tom Dcegan . and Pete McDonnell, of the public rela- tions staff of the Abbott. Kimball ad agency in Now Ypi-k, got the :idea that the group might make the basis of a screen yarn and arranged, a party for major company story edi- tors when Expendable ran ' its maiden ■race of the season. Deals grew out of that. Long Weekend Continued^ from pace 1 the b.o. Actually, there was no big dumping of goods on the market nor was there any considerable price mark-up'/ Even with meats the most drastic increase did not exceed blackmarkct figures that thousands have been paying for months. . While admitting that holiday week trade might not give a true picture as to whether OPA-less buying had cut into theatre biz, few exhibitors look for any material dislocation other than the usual summer slower trade. Hard-headed economists fail to see whore film theatre takings would be hit since even, if there should be a drastic rise in prices, assuming that all OPA curbs were lifted permanently. Also that, these upped prices would hardly exceed blackmarket prices paid by the pub- lic for months. , Most , conservative observers dp not foresee anything more than (ho usual summer dip as long' as na- tional income stays up around present levels. Business at. Aim box- offices generally is conceded to be off 5-10% on the average from win- ter and spring highs. However, that is about the expected normal sum- mer season decline, And it is ap- parent to most exhibitors now that 1948 will be the first, sum'aier since Warboom spending.for the boxpfflce to follow' seasonal tendencies, (ie., show decline for hot summer days). Otherwise, exhibs'do not look for any additional dislocation in Aim revenue. ' Strange commentary on price con- trol, as far as the trade knows It, has been the way admission'prices have behaved throughout the OPA's operation. There never has been a ceiling on admittance fees, unlike in some countries, during the war. Yet the average U. S. admission is rated as far from inflationary and in nearly all localities of the country it's considered we'll in line with' other prices. Joe Breen — Continued from pate 1 s which have rankled British audi- ences, such as building up the Amer- ican share of the work in the Burma campaign in Alms like Warners' "Ob- jective Burma." In advising British producers on PCA problems and censorship unique to the U. S.. Breen hopes to save the British industry thousands of pounds annually in anticipating scenes that would be nixed for the American market. Many of the cen- sorship problems in the U. S. arise from the various taboos laid down by state legislatures, -with many of which the British producers are probably not familiar. Advice he'll hand out does not signify the intention by producers on either side of the Atlantic to "dic- tate the future course of either country's film production," Breen. said. "Rather, this visit is evidence of the progressive and constructive collaboration bclwen our two in dustrics." ' ■ Rank's Welcome io Breen London, July 9. J; Arthur Rank.' president, of the British Film Producers Association, issued following statement' on Breen's trip: "As part of the exten- sion program for the export of British films, the British Film. Pro- ducers Association have invited Breen to come to Britain to con- sult with us regarding the require- ments of the American production code administration. Breen' has given us'great-., pleasure in accept- ing this invitation. "During his. slay Breen will con- fer with our producers, writers and executives regarding forthcoming Alms scheduled '.for distribution wifhin the United. States and'which, therefore, are -submitted to the production code administration be- fore exhibition "there'. I have re- quested Major . Reginald. V. Baker, of Ealing Studios, oh behalf of the British Film Producers Association, to arrange Breen's schedule of ac- tivities while he is on this side." Breen is slated to arrive in Eng- land next Monday (15). . i .t mttt i»t ti . ..iii. t ii.. t)||() m'tH'mi, ; SCULLY'S SCRAPBOOK mmm m MiiMii By Frank Scully '"M t^: . Murray Hill, July 6. Some dame who liked anonymity, but didn't like Ken Murray, used to write to Variety that she'd love to read Scully's Scrapbook but couldn't stand that Murray's map right next to Scully oh page 2, and therefore would have to forego reading Scully,- So whot? You think Variety's editors ore above pressure groups? Maybe sO, hilt in time I was : moved nearer to.the Obits, and how she doesn't bother to write to me any more. She got her wish and I lost a reader I never had. She's probably now writing to Berle that she can't stand Murray and if he'll get the "Blackouts" baron's ud off page 2 she'll read Bciie. He may fall for the pitch. You know actors. Or do you? But before Scully's little light of the world goes out and lap-dissolves into Murray's Scrapbook, I want to tell you strangers in remote corners of show biz that I personally was always friendly to Murray, despite the fact that .his smoke was always getting in my Ts. His vaude bill has been going on for Ave years and in all that: time has had eight changes of: bills. As of this day that adds up to 2,183' continuous performances at the El Capitan opposite the Daily Variety office on Vine, near Hollywood. This juxtaposition of Varikty and "Blackouts" us proof that God'top has a sense of humor, for about the top sour notice "Blackouts" received after it opened on June 24, 1942, was from this same dogeared Bible of Show Biz, Wrote One mugg who shall be as'nameless as that anoiuytnbus dam.e who doesn't like Murray either: "Looks as though Ken Murray, who has been a graduate from presenta- tion in film houses, where he did his fly emcee routine, blending himself in with the other, artists in their efforts as well, figured it would be a good background'to establish a vaudc formula. 'But the formula that Murray slipped the cash buyers last night is also in the 'what's become' class. . . . This is not $1.50 vaude. and too bad, too, because every one in town was not pulling for it to be." ■ Lifting a Five-Year Plan But by 1946 .Variety's notices were belter.. We're getting smart. We recognize a.hit even after the Bureau of Internal Revenue does. To show, you how dated Murray's vaude bill is, it is still called "Black- outs." That tells you it has already survived the. eclipse of burlesque and World War II; For a while the C.Q.D (Quick, what did that stand for.'1 threatened to black out Murray as well as Hollywood, But his show goes on and he with it. Marl* Wilson, Jack Mulhull and maestro Murray have been with the show so long that" matters of seniority have become a trifle confused. But definitely the only one-who has never missed a show is Mile. Wil. , on. Her record to date is 2.18:; consecutive performances. Did Frankic Frisch or Lou-Gehrig dp better? The change of emphasis from Frunkic Bailey's legs fstill on display a few blocks from Murray's "Blackouts") to Jane Russell's neckline which has come over patrons of entertainment can definitely be traced to Marie Wilson. She was away out front in this race before Jane Russell, Pauletle Goddard, Earl Wilson et al. even knew that curves were not confined to railroads, racetracks and saucers. Moreover, Marie-has kept her innocence in this matter as to what makes her more attractive-than an opera singer to Willie Howard. "Social" He Calls It Cast as a cute dumb cluck ever since she played in "Boy Meets Girl" Mile. Wilson is smart enough to play dumbness bclievably 10 times a week. That takes a lot of brains. In fact she is alert enough to know even which side of a picket line to respect. I first saw'her, socially speaking, in. the picket line of the .first strike of newspapermen in California. That was in 1938 before I became an elder statesman and quit walking around in a circle. Sheis one of the nicest people one would ever want to mccl and to.those who think there are. lots of nice people that covers, for them at least, a lot of territory. Marie conies from Anaheim of the suburban. firm of Anaheim, Azusu and Cucamonga. At present she lives on.a bill above, the El Cepitan and can roll her second-hand car right to the stage door by simply releasing the brake. That got her to work on time even during the gas shortage. By the end of the tax year, Anno 1946, "Blackouts'' will have rung up- 2,436 consecutive performances in one house. Right now its 2,183 per- formances is surpassed only by New York's long runs of "Tobacco Road" with'3,182, "Life With Father" with 2,789, "Abie's Irish Rose" wilh 2,327. It should pass Abie by the middle of October. This rating is for original shows and disregards "The Drunkard," which is in its l3lh year, and similar revivals. - In Ave war loan drives'"Blackout*" sold more than $9,500,000 in bonds to its customers. It once sold 55 orchestra seats lor $10,000 apiece. Did av.y. live show do belter? It has grossed $3,334,000 as its personal take home pay. It slill averages $16,000 a week. Toujour* GAI Sans OPA What is nicer to remember is that Murray, Dave Siege), Sid Crauman, et al., have never raised prices. The show opened as $1.50 vaude and it is still $1.50 vaude. The acts change now and then, and even the audiences have been known to change, but the prices never! Oldest living habituee is Fred Malatesta. old M-G heavy, closely followed by Herb Price. They have caught practically every Sunday matinee^Since 1942. Next to Jack Mulhall. of Mackaill & Mulhall, who has been with the show next longest to' Murray and Wilson is Robert Middlemass, who au- thored "The Valiant." Middlemas wrote the piece in 1911. It was first presented at the Lambs in 1918. Since theii Bert Lytell, Conwav Tearle, Paul Muni, Lloyd Nolan. Walter Huston, Humphrey Bogart. Robert Tayler, John Garfield 1 and FranCliOt Tone have all paid royalties to Middlemass. It has amounted to a tidy sum »ver the years—$150,000 in'fact. , Going further back even than Middlemass to prove that' vaudeville is not dead, Murray has gathered together as lovely a collection of pressed flowers as ever fell out of a copy of a first edition of "Little Women.". He calls them the Eldeiiovelies.. There are nine of them and their combined age would make a beautiful batting average for a pennant-winning Icai", H Survived Rascoe's Plug That you do not have to be'old, however, to have a future chez Murray is indicated in the fact that there is a rapid turnover in the. show's glamoiir- loyelies, 35 having gone over to pictures. This list does not include Marie Wilson who, in addition to 10. shows a week, has slipped several pictures into her repertoire for fear shed go stale from underwork. The show has been praised by: everybody. Even Burton Rnscoc gave it two plugs. The second one was spread into a page.ad in the trade, the next day. as a rebuke for guessing right for a change, he was Arcd by the World-Telly. In a world which is trying to mechanize even love. Murray's ' Blackouts" still tries to keep.alight the small flame of sentiment. For instance, whcii it preemed. in the summer of 1942, Roy Davis'got a lot of laughs by "sink- ing" "Oh Johnny" to a. phonograph recording ol Bonnie Baker's'. Bonnie sartg the oldie so long that one day she ran into a real Johnnv. Capt. John Holly Morse, of the Signal Corps, who signaled her to the altar. But she no longer sings "Oh Johnny" via disk.. She sings it in person in tile cur- rent "Blackouts." If anybody hears the record it's Capt. Johnny Morse on account he is currently quartered in Berlin. With the hope of squaring that bad notice of June 25, 1942. l am working on Drew Pearson to predict that "Blackouts" will surpass '"Tobacco.-Roi«." by June 8, 1948. And if he ;s afraid to do it I'll make the prediction my- self. What greater faith in Hie. indestructibility of America can a niusC ' show than lhat? ..