Variety (Jul 1946)

Wednesday, July 24, 1946 LITERATI 61 Kendall's Memoirs ■ The first book,.now on the presses, to be published (Sept. 16) by Farrar Straus will be "Never Let Weather Interfere," by Messmore Kendall, owner of the Capitol theatre. The Biilhoi j since, the cowpunching days ■ of his youth, has enjoyed a kaleido- scopic career, as theatrical producer (Katharine Cornell in "The Letter," 1927);. lawyer for the DuPont inter- ests, financier behind the Robert Mil- ton productions. (1924),. reorgahizer of Goldwyn. Film Corp. and founder of the George H. Doran Pub. Co. ■ His book of personal reminiscences brushes off the dust covering people and. events which have stirred the civic consciousness" since the 1900s and before. Chapters detailing many hitherto undisclosed revelations range from an intimate o.c. of "520%" Miller and his gct-rich-quick asso- ciate, Col Robert F. -Amnions, to one on the Vanderbilt Cup races. ■ Muck's Geneology ' At least one Variety mugg has a distinguished geneology. Harold M. Bone, New Haven correspondent, ' has three cousins of. prominence in England. Sir Muirhead Bone is the official artist of the British Royal Navy, Sir. David Bone is comrrfodore of the Anchor Line, and James Bone is London editor of the Manchester Guardian. Bono's 93-year , old mother is pr.c of the founders of the Daughters of Scotia, an organization of Scottish women with chapters . throughout U. S. and Canada, and his late brother, George, Jr., was a noted baseball player and sportsman. Best German. Dallies Today. . Josef Israels, Jr., war corre- spondent, due to. return to the Bal- kans the end of this week, reports that Germany today has the best German-language dailies ever in history. Reason for this is that un- der American' Military Govt, direc- tion the German ' press plays .its news like the U. S. dailies instead of the formerly stilted technique of political and economic essays on the front page. Morehouse's 14>gO-Mile Trek Ward Morehouse, N. Y. Sun's drama editor and critic when he is not junketing all over the country- surveying the American scene, re- turns Aug. 1 from 14,000 miles, of U. S. coverage. Of this, 4.500 miles were done by plane, ail in Alaska, the remaining 9.500 miles, within the borders of the U. S. A., by motor, via which means Morehouse has produced a daily scries Of closeups on America today. The vet theatrical scrivener re- sumes his column some lime in Au- gust and his play reviewing "when- ever the parade begins," as he puts it. ' climate, Buffalonians are mostly un- intellectual, unappreciative, artless, eultureless, illiterate, provincial, parochial, proletarian and pusillani- mbusly petty, and that there was a ban by Buffalo newspapers against the mention of. her and her books and of other famous sons and daugh- ters of the city which she blamed on general local lack of appreciation for art and culture. Confronted on her arrival home by a: News reported, she was described to hive tossed her hair and screamed that the World-Telly interview was "a pack of lies" and that it was New York which was- "provincial" and which made her "distraught." The News then took the trouble to question Miss Gledhill Cameron. World-Telly reporter who wrote the original interview, who stated posi- tively that "the quotes are absolutely correct" and that her*story was even "diluted" compared with some of Miss Caldwell's . choice . boh 'mots about her home town. For a final fiillip, the News pointed out that the authoress had selected Buffalo as a locale for some of her best sellers, and that she might be wise not to complain about Buffalo's renders' illiteracy when a check of local' book stores disclosed her lat- est bestseller "This Side of Inno- cence" to be a top item. World's $1 Library Backed by a $25,000 advertising appropriation, World Publishing Co.- of Cleveland, will launch a new $1 library series this Fall. Known as the "Living Library,' Carl Van Doren is general editor of the series with 20 titles prepared to date among works of standard authors. Zevln's Book B. D. Zevin, prez p£ the World Publishing Co., has authored a new book. "Nothing to Fear," which Houghton. Mifflin is publishing Aug. 29. .' . . Tome, contains selected speeches of the late F. D. R, some 22.000 words by Zevin and an introduction by the late Harry Hopkins. Runyon, Orson Welles, Jimmy Can- non and Ed Wiener. .''Ruth'Morris White, sister, of Wil- liam Morris, Jr., head of the William Morris agency and wife of William C, White, author of the recently published "The Pale Blonde of Sands Street" has signed to do a juve.pic- lure book "Ollie the Ostrich" to be published in the fall by Thomas Nelson it Sons, John Mason Brown, who's been pandering London for the Saturday Review of Literature, will get in just i)i time to attend SRL's celebration of George Bernard Shaw's 90th anni slated for tomorrow (Thursday). Al- though scheduled to arrive at La Guardia Airport, N. Y;, Saturday (20). he was grounded/in Eire iiiK til Tuesday. \ Press ..agent Dave Stanley and U.P. Broadway columnist Jack- Gaver, who. collaborated on a book of best radio scripts, are currently, engaged in . writing a book -as . yet untitled, about Brooklyn, to be pub- lished by Random House. Gaver's wife, Jessyca Russell, New York editor of Magazine Digest. (Canada) l is working oh her first novel, which is about the .magazine business: Bcnratt Cerf stcrts today (Wed.) on a - - ith^s vacation in Maine. En- route lie'llstop o" at Williarnstown, Mass., to confer with Sinclair Lewi-: whose next novel, as yet untitled, will, be published by "errs Random House,, which of course, brought out his bestselling. "Cass Tlmberlahc." Random House is getting the next Martha Allebrandt novel. Her last, work. 'No Surrender" was! pub- lished by Little, Prown. . Rene McEvoy, having trouble with his comic strip. "Johnnie Hollyr wood," went to the . Johnston office to get: finger off continuity. Office •denied any was on. Fidlef cracked it. L. A. Times dropped it.' Holly- wood Cit-News held firm. Later McEvby's sister, Dorothy Russell, went to Hays office for data for a Sunday feature for S. F. Chronicle. Johnston's bunch figured that collu- sion was here if not in their office. All proved to be series of coinci- dences.' Gal wrote . her : piece and Haysites promised to track down rumor that they were fingering the strip. . ' | SCULLY'S SCRAPBOOK J > ♦♦♦«♦♦♦♦♦>♦«♦♦♦ fly Frank Scully ***** 25c Books to Tilt to 35c? The 25c book reprint field is due to undergo some radical changes, not the least of which is a possible tilt to 35c. Currently, nearly all firms in the miniature field are taking losses because of higher manufac- turing costs and reduced sales. Even in good times, the small book field operated on a small margin of profit. . Publishers feel that eventually they'll have to hike prices to 35 cents, but are continuing under the current rate as long as possible. In line with crisis in the line, Pocket Books, owned jointly by Simon & Schuster and Marshall ■ Field, is. slated to. go into a reor- ganization, mainly because of Field's impatience, with present setup. Change in. some of. the top ■ person- nel is expected. : The Jimmy Gleasons' Memoirs Random House will publish the Jimmy ithd. Lucille Gloason memoirs, which will contain an introduction by Russcl Crouse, RH also bringing put an anthology of Wolcott Gibbs' Kesv Yorker pieces, under title of "A Season in the'Sun," but it will also include his recent Ethel Mer- man profile in Life; Louis Sobol's "Those Happy Days," also autobio- graphical, is set for spring publica- tion by RH, Winds Over Buffalo ■ Buffalo's best seller author, Taylor Caldwell, in a current ideological L-.:'Hc with the influential Buffalo; - oning News, is learning something > t in the books about the bitter uses ■•'-' publicity. On a recent trip to New York Miss Caldwell was quoted in an interview in the World-Telegram as saying that, while Buffalo had a fine . N. Y. News Seoop Scoop photos and expose series on the Congressman Andrew Jackson May-Murray W. Garrson war prof- iteering story were cinched by two N. Y. Daily Newsmen digging up the pictures, of the Hotel Pierre <N. Y.)'wedding party of Garrson's daughter. Raymond K. Martin took the pictures. The News' newshawks, David Charnay and Ncal Patterson, meantime had. the story since July 4 when they started working on the expose and by fortuitous circum- stance the photos rolled as they started the first of the series. They had heard through grapevine that here were some telltale pictures of the fashionable wedding in exist- ence. ■ Scripps-Howard's Acme photo service since made a deal to service its own clients with the News' photos, latter however retaining first crack for itself and the Chi Trib- N. Y. News syndicate's clients. British Loan Continued from page 1 expected to take full advantage, of VAF quotas. Previous to Congressional action on the loan; the British treasury department paved the way to make English attractions more attractive to American performers. In a letter to the Entertainments Protection Assn., organization of British talent managers, a spokesman for the Ex- chequer declared that a performer can send out of the country an amount "equal to his total salary here less the normal and unavoidable expenses which he will have in- curred here." ! Consequently American acts will i be able to send money out of the country if he keeps sufficient money ! to pay normal living expenses and 'the necessary tax cut. CIIATTFR Mrs. Travis Banton appointed edi- tor of fashions on Photoplay mag. Edith Jackson, daughter of Billy Jackson, old-line vaude booker, now on the Daily Press, Newport News, Va. " Harry Revel, the songw.riter, has completed a book on musical appre- ciation, "Meet the Musikids," to be published by Duell; Sloane & Pcarce iii the fall. While Jack Lalt Is doing Win- chcll's stint until Sept. 1 oh a six cols, per week basis, Leonard. Lyons <N. Y. Post) is having guest col- umnists while he's on European va- cation with his wife. Forthcoming release of Warners* Bogart-Bacall starrer, "The Big Sleep," has pepped up interest in Raymond Chandler's mystery of the same name. World Publishing of Cleveland has already, ordered two large printings. . Louis J. Valentine, former Police Commissioner of New York City, who left that post to go on the "Gangbusters" airshow, has joined the editorial staff of Fawccit Publications to select stories for Fawcctt's' forthcoming True Police Cases. Walter, WincheU's nocturnal habit of cops-and-robbers chasing of po- lice signals now includes such other journalistic and show biz boy scouts in search of adventure as Damon Local Effects Seen London, July 23. Further indications that the $3,750.- 000. 000 loan from the United States to Great Britain will decimate amusement grosses is seen by last week's announcement by Emmanuel Shihwell, Minister of ' Fuel and Power, declaring, that gasoline ra- tions will be increased, starting Aug. 1. so that the average motorist'will be able to travel 300 miles per month. Since motoring is a luxury that the average' Briton hasn't been able to enjoy since the start Of the war in Europe, theatres are expected to feci the effects of the new edict. Many ascribe the record amuse- ment takes in Britain to the fact that, .because of severe rationing, the av- ! erage wage-earner in this country, not being able to buy necessary goods, was therefore able to spend a greater amount in theatres and other forms of amusements. The loan will enable Britain to purchase, needed items and many luxury lines from abroad, and consequently it's seen that British spending will go in new directions. : . Britain, however, Is still under se- ■'■ vere rationing wraps. For the first- lime in its history, the. government has started rationing bread. How- ever, many feel that this won't last long, because of popular resentment, and the fact that the loan will enable the import of wheat. . Once sufficient goods are on the shelves of British shops, it's likely that theatres will go back to pre-war normalcy. Witch Creek, July 20. • Having stopped reading McNulty's "Third Avenue, New York" to take up the July 3 issue of -Variety, I finally came to a dead stop on this: "MATTEWAN SET. BY EL" . This, I thought, is crazier than■'McNult'y/ Noises .in the head cured by noises overhead; Why should Mattewan be moved to the only elevated line New York has left? DO the dopes now think they can cure dopes by .counter-irritation? .-': ■ Then I read, the squib. The "El" stood for Eagle-Lion, which had as- signed Albert J. Cohen .to .produce a picture of Mattewan, New York's upstate hospital for the insane. "Screenplay." 'the squib added, "will be handled by Polk Lenoir, psychologist, formerly with the State of California department of institutions." " Polk Lenoir'?' Psychologist? Department of Institutions? Why, I had been secretary ot that department for one tumultoas year! About 4,500 hjred hands,' 27,000 patients and a state administration fought it out to determine whether they, the psychiatrists, or I were the craziest. Crackpots Curing Crackups Actually, the governor was crazier .-than .any-of us. He had assumed • that because I had[ graduated from 30 hospitals in seven countries I wOuld be the ideal man to head up such a department. But state hospitals: were- not what he or I thought they were. They were all strictly for huts. They were not run like hospitals at all but like prisons. People were sentenced to.them by judges and released on parole. ,. And all because they were mentally ill. It. was the only kind of illness that was treated by the criminal code. Despite the fact that this had been going, on for centuries old Don Quixote Scully calmly announced that this administration was going to institute a "new dear for dopes." Brother, that did it. Nobody minded the mentally ill . being treated , like throe-time losers but calling them "dopes" was. too much; It brought the'Svhole entrenched/ bureaucratic setup dbwn On my aching head. . We also had charge of reform schools for juvenile delinquents and homes for. the blind. The hired hands moved in and out of these divisions all too freely. As a result psychiatrists were lousing up the wayward kids by treating them as nuts, and specialists in penology were handling the blind as if they were in a reform school. Quelle mess. I 52 Lost Weekends Yet | Then we had habitual drunks. These were sentenced and housed with the mentally ill. They were supposed to be cured or cleared in from a' few--months to a year. But most drunks are very amiable fellows when oh the wagon and many of them arc highly competent craftsmen as Well. As a result doctors would find reasons for holding on to them, making them build fine furniture for moochers On the state payrolls and .otherwise reducing the drunks to the status of highly skilled slave labor. But even at their worst, the drunks'.were not treated as badly as the mentally ill, few of whom were, really insane. I had hardly started to humanize this setup when two bankers came to see me to prevent the release of an. outstanding dentist. They were perfectly willing to bribe hie. but I told them I was 20% off in my hearing and couldn't hear bribes. On checking back I found they had been using this routine with every change of administration- for nearly 20 years.- —It seems they had once .clipped the dentist of 100,000 bucks in a real estate-deal and, temporarily- crazed by the loss, he had shot one of them in a superficial sort of way. Fearing that some day he would complete the job they had him convicted as criminally insane and had been successfully holding him in a state hospital ever since. Each change' of administration nearly drove them crazy. .-'.'... All the doctors had agreed that the dentist had got over his loss years ago and was .as sane as Hoover, a man the bankers greatly admired. The bankers insisted to me, however, that if the dentist returned 1 to his old environment his old urge to liquidate them would return. Leu Agent's Coramtsh I asked them how a change of scenery might affect him? They wanted to know how far. I suggested Miami instead of Pasadena. They thought that would be okay. "Fine," I said, "you dig. up 10% of the dough and I'll give it to him on condition that he moves to Florida." - They didn't like that at all, so we released him on the routine parole to be discharged as cured in a year. To dale I haven't observed .that he bumped the bankers off. Soon after this incident a beautifully dressed woman came to sec me (0 thank me for what I had done for the dentist. She, too, was from Pasadena and knew the whole story. Except foe some very bad scars on her face,'she was a beautiful woman as well as. being beautifully, dressed. She explained that she was an ex-patient and that the scars .were from beatings she had taken in institutions. She urged, that I spend my ener- . gies cleaning up private institutions, which were much worse, she in- sisted, than the state hospitals. She had been shanghaied, into one of these swank hellholes by a dame-chasing drunk, who happened to be her. husband, "for a rest." Once in, she .couldn't get out unless he signed her out. Instead' when any friend got on her trail he moved her from one crazy clippery to another. There were at least 80 of them in the state and -the "best" were hard to find. After three years she finally established contact with her family, io the south. They got her transferred by court order to a state hospital, the best they could do, because by then, she was doped and obviously nuts. As horrible as these state hospitals were, they were palaces of comfort, and repose, she told me, as compared to the private institutions. In a few months o£ being let alone, her synthetically-induced insanity disappeared and she was released "on parole." In a year she was discharged from parole as cured. Thus she came to mo as one of a select circle of Cali- foinians who had legal proof that they were not crazy. She had worked up a book about her experiences and knowing I was of the literati, asked me if I would be good enough to read it. It was by- lined "Polk Lenoir." This is where you kids came in, remember? It was a terrific story but so full of dynamite I doubted if any publisher would touch it. Studios at the time had .not. got up to drOnks and dopes as likely Academy award winners, so .there was no point at the time of suggesting. Hollywood as an outlet. I also expressed'doubt as to some Of the material, suggesting that she wasn't quite herself when she put the notes down. She offered in re- buttal, to gO on inspections with me to point out ways, possibly hidden from me, whereby these institutions kept good people like herself in peonage. Wc toured all around the state. The Mugg Is Aired I incorporated much of these bits of bedlam into my first annual report. It turned out to be my last. The report got me the Ickes Award of 1040." In brief. I was fired. So I went back to putting words together which were getting awful lonely off there by themselves ancfr Polk Lenoir went back to landscape gardening. In time she got a job reading scripts for Metro and there fell in with many screwballs of letters. Natch. In a year- or, two she mastered the craft'sufficiently to collaborate as a freelance writer with people like Fritz Lang, Harry Langdon; Monte Brice, Bill Cunningham; arid .the like: So now after'eight years she finds herself elevated to a filler at the bottom of a Variety column. She will cash in on the popularity of "The Snake Pit" by. writing an original around Mattewan, a place she has never seen. Well, judging from that'Life layout a while back, the eastern strait- jackets can scarcely be more humane than the western models. If her producers don't level Off her script too much it should be a great picture. It might even reform reformatories arid humanize hospitals ell over the country, for I'm the zany who believes that pictures can do anything; they bet their minds to.do. V" ' "' *