Variety (Sep 1946)

Wednesday, September 1^, 1946 LITERATI 53 Literati Literati Gifts and Thefts The theatre department the N Y. Public Library has received some unusual literary gifts of late. Amottg them are Oscar Hammer^ stein II'S script-for "Carmen Jones," W. Somerset Maugham's script for "Sheppey," 3,000 books; scrapbooks and photos from the Actors Fund Home in Englewood, N. J., Crom Lee ■ Babinson the. rehearsed and iinaJ pci'ipts of "Counterattack,'' "The Moon Is Down" and "Air Raid in Brooklyn." S. N. Behrman .s,'ave his script of "Jacobowsky and the ■ Colonel," and Mrs. Genia Graves, of Forest Hills, N. Y., gifted 200 rare photos of famed stage and screen •stars. ■■ Fred Fehl gave photos oC scenes biography on Ochs, "An Honorable Titan", to task tor being a "near miss.'"' ■ iiistorical adventurer-romance: , for 1947. PjUr c.iE>lIab^ before on "River Lady.'" ',; ',■ ',",' , ■ .- ; ■ JoKii Hersey's ■ '"HiriOshinia'' piece | which took up aii entire recent is.'iue of ; The Ne\y Yorkei' iftag is stiil being plugged,- ■tHe .Book pf the Month Club having taken it up lor issue as an extra book to its mem- ■ ■ ■ - I bers in November. Author's roy.al- Truckine Peace Eases Paper | ties from the BOM distribution will The New York truckmen's strike ; go to the American Red Crqss, is over. For two weelcs the .strike crippled newspapers fearing or ac- tually suffering newsprint shortages, and cut N.Y, display advertising to near zero—throwing amusement ad- vertising into the discard. First effect of -the strike's end ♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦♦ ♦4»♦« ♦♦ ♦♦*♦♦♦♦»*♦«♦♦*♦**♦» * * *♦* *♦*♦ I SCULLY'S S<:RAI*B(>(>K \ ♦■♦4♦♦ » ♦«♦♦♦«t« M By Frank Scully Miami Bistros ; Continued from page 1 ; according to the N.Y. new.spapers, I tampered with would be resumption of delivery of newsprint, thereby ■ relieving that pressure at any rate. . The strike had/■brought , to .New Yorkers, the smallest newspapers from half a dozen shows, some hits, I ihey liad .seen in years, the Hearst some flops. Gifts are acknowledged | Mirror cutting down to 8 pages/ A in the Bulletin of the N. Y. Public I common gag was, "I'm so weak I Library. One number contains an article ..so rare that it has now bibliographic value: "Notes on Bibliokleptomania," by Lawrence S. Thompson, in which it is shown that the book thie^■ps on the great scale were librariaris them- selves, in charge of big public and private collections. Notes the editor of the Bulletin; Deoch Fulton, in a footnote: "To paraphrase a recent advertising note: nothing in this can't even, lift a Mirror." Daily News was only one that continued 10 carry amusement ads throughout the strike. French to Pnbiisb in NY Inspired by Life and Newsweek which print in Varis practically at the same time as In America, the French weekly Juin will have an American edition, m French. Be- sides two pages prepared in N.Y,, study is intended to promote the I six pages of the weekly's eight will theft of books in those states which it is illegal." Humor in them librarians. New MWA Book Contract The new book contract put out by Mystery "Writers of America con- tains some items that are an im- provement over the old style ayree- ment. Here they are boiled clown from legal language: 1, Author corrections ha\e always been a racket. Often the corrections are printers' errors and .should not be charged to the author as such. In new contract an itemized state- ment of the changes must be shown, and if m excess of 15% of the origi- nal cost of composition. One author who changed a few commas and in- dicated where pairing was out of lino was charged $2S. 2. The publisher mast i.'sue novel ■within a named date or lose sill rights. H. The publisher shall pay all roy- alties, if any, 30 days after publi- cation. As a rule the wait has been six months, with 60 or 90 days more thrown in for bookkeeping. In new contract in any time clause payment is after 30 days. 4. Re: cheap editions, put^lishor and author must in disagreement submit to arbitration. Royalties to the author are raised on roprint.s. 5. Contract may be terminated by .author after 18 months if sale goes under a certain number of books. 6. Advance royalties of S!500— at , least^upon delivery of ms. be flown from Paris on mats. Roger Hermann, publisher of .luin, is flying over for huddle-with Jo- sette Lacoste, N Y. rep. She was formerly associated with Amerique, N.Y., French language publication. away from the dining room. Nota- | lions are. made in ink so that they ! This part | of the .system was first stejJ in cut- ting down front door graft, but the captains soon found a way to beat that. They'd phone in reservations: for parties of all sizes which would be. "sold" for. helty handouts. When this was found: out, maftag'ement then would have the phone operator ask the party making the call where they were staying, and later in the day would call back to .confirm the reservation, ■■.:.. That'.s. as far as the , system has gone, but some . top garcons. are at- tempting, tp.find \vays to . beat the system. Some figure on ; getting around it by working with hotel residents. But even if the servitors do boat the systeni, there's littje likelihood I that the headwaiters will clean up las much as $25,000 during the brief season; as some did last year. 'Great Romances' Series Among the "great romances" series Walter Howey will start run- ning in American Weekly will be the Lunts. who this year celebrate their 2i>th wedding anniversary, story written by Ashton Stevens; Ellin and Irving Berlin, story by Charles Robinson and George Hol- land; Gene Tunney and Polly Lauder. Radio Lags liilusic ■ , CHATTER • Larry M. Wilson in Montreal writr ing first play about modern'Canada. Don Martin completed his , first novel, "Shed No Tears," in Santa Barbara. Bernard Sobel expounds on the "Hootchie-Kootchie" in a forthcom- ing Dance mag. Charles Gombault, managing edi- tor of France Soir, visiting Anatol Litvak in Hollywood. Duane Decker, out of uniform, has .sold short short to Collier's and American Legion mag. George Sklar's novel, 'The Two Worlds of Johnny Truro," will be published by Little, Brown. Henry Miller's flrst novel, pub- ! (,^hib groups. Backing that scnti- hshed in Paris and refused entry ] ^1,^ j^eg neither ATA to the U. S., bemg book bootlegged any other group can commit a major company to on-the-cull dis- tritjution of the Government .short.s. :s Continued from page I — lifhers scoiT at as coincidence, nev- ertheless are being cited as the pri- mary reason for the greatest sheet- sales slump in a number ot years. They now feel that it isn't complete- ly correct to single uut the recording industry as the mainspring of sales potency, that a combination of good recordings and solid followup plugs on the best shows available is the best possible primer for a new-born tune. One without the other is, in the majority of casei, without the proper power. On the other hand, the supporters of recordings <4lone point to the number of songs built into hits dur- ing the past few years wit^-' very few radio plugs, plus the tunes ciir^ rently riding high which came to attention first in disks and later be- came "most-played" candidates .once public fervor had been stirred by single or multiple disk releases. Government Sitorts Continued from paige I —^ \n mimeo form. John- Wilstach has written "I 7, Author may have ri-^ht to e» j Knew The Ringling Bros./' source amine publisher's books if not satis» fled; material: of their early; years and rise, but publication not yet an- nomiced. Viking's publication of "Born Yesterday," in book form, discloses that copyright ownership is in two names: author Garson Kanin apd his wife, Ruth Gordon. Present officers are President, El* lery Queen <Fre<leric Dannay and Manfred B. Lee); Lawrence Treat, vice-prez.; Ken Cro.sson, sec; Helen McCloy, treas.; .Tames M. Cain. Frances Lockridge. Craiq Rice. Rex Stout, Vincent Starrett, leading members. Readers Digest, has returned to the 'ri,n™ ■„ /-.I I . ,-r j U;S. via TWA from Paris where he fhcre is a Ch. chapter: oncers: . Peace Conference williL R'"Vr; ; f« the past three months, wuHam B. Bogart. with leadmg ■ t,- ii ■, j r«<i,v,K«,,„ MT-11- t ri 1- i \ Harry Sions, recently resigned SaTr^^sUenTeeler."^"''"'^ i editorship of Salute has : *^ become associate editor ot Holiday. He was. during the war, managing it is said. Theatre groups can only clear the playing-time phase of the problem, it is pointed out, and not the extensive job of distribution. Distributors' committee, consisting of salesmanagers of the various com- panies, met Friday (13) and was to have taken up the problem of ro- tating Government shorts among J. P.. jVIcEvoy, a.ssislant editor of 1 , j..,.., ..»,„ ...„,. ■" I them, a.s was done during the war, but subject was apparently skipped, Charle.s M. Reagan, Par sales chief, who is chairman of the distrib group. said Tuesday (1'7) he knew nothing whatsoever about "Famine." Paper for P«und Treasonist Ezra Pound may be in cells more or le.ss padded but hi.s work goes on in other ways. From New ' Directions, NOrwalk. Conn., and more recently with a N. Y. headquarters, James Laughlin is distributing Pharos, $1 mai,', next month, devoted entirely to "The Un- ■wavcring Pivot of Confucius." by Pound. "Personae," hi.S' collected poems, and "Cantos III" are on pub editor of the Mediterranean edition of Yank. Allan Michie. English editor of Readers Digest, is currently winding up chores on a story of the wide- spread enterprises of British film tycoon J. Arthur Rank. Feature will run in Digest's November issue. Ralph Gleason, former trade press contact for ABC and CBS, starts a movie column for Glamour mag in the November issue. His "Jazz « omnibus volume of 1 story" slated for fall publication by all of Pound's translations is aJso an nounced. A future number Of the mag Viva, edited by Joe Garcia Villa, will be devoted to Pound. Duell, Sloan & Pierce. He leaves for the Coast next week. i Gurney William-s, Collier's car- j toon editor, has edited his third col- , lection of cartoons from Collier's. "I Cominsky on Ochs Capitol Fire Continued from page 3 cau'^jht fire while he was baltliu;* the ilamcs and in bis flight he fell down the shaft. Injured seriously- were a film in- spector and a Railway Expr'j.ss ohijufleur who was delivering films. Another inspector (femme) was preparing films for delivery on third floor and was overcome by .smoke. Firemen carried her down ladder to ;-afety. The three injured were taken to St. Luke's hospital. None knew "how the fire .stai't.nl, but reported there was , a ".sud'lon (ia.sh—and then the ' film ignite'l.' Office is a .shipping depot for Cap- itol, with offices at 1327 South Wab- : Meet Such ■ People," which Fnrrar- J. R. Comin.sky, executive vocpec ; Straus will publish in October. Book and treasurer of Saturday Review I contains some 200 cartoons plus an, . . . - , . of Literature, and before that na-I account by 'Williams of the busincks . a.sh •avenue. .'Firm; .distributes mR ■ t'onal , advertising manager of the ; of being funny. sues and foreign films, N.; Y. Times, gives some inside stuff i Houston Brcnch, veteran novelist on the late Adolph S, Ochs, pub- I and film .scriptor, flow from Holiy- li.sher of the Times, in the next ; wood to Tao.s, N. M., to finish col- SRL, He's of Bennett Cerfs I laboration with Prank Water.s on guests during latter's vacation, and j "The Disinherited," which Favnr- - (Comifisky |takes Gerald .W. Jqljnpvn's ; Straus will' exploit as their bin Eddie Standing^ director and g<'n- eral manager ot Campbell-Connolly, music firm in London, leaves New York I'or home tomorrow tThurs- . _ „ .. fliiyji He's been here three weel^s. I than Tweed got'for the'bcnohris Central Park, Calif,, Sept. 13. When did One-Eyed Connolly finally become, a gate-crasher omoi,itu,s? Brother, am I getting tired of being his uncrowned successor! I've been challenged so often you'd think I was the Northern Lights trying to blind Senator Claghorn. The latest challenge took place praciic^lly in my own backyard; It.,: could have had political repercussions, too, on account I'm the Demo- cratic leader in the Hollywood district and this is an election year, with our side leading 3 to 2 and therefore sure to lose, 3 to 2. Our swainless Sylvia, aged 12. a mugg emeritus Capt. John Freeman, U. S. Army Air Forces retired, and the old ScuUywag himself were checking up on our precinct captain.s when we see a sign which says; "Up In Central Park. " It wasn't U.I.C.P., though. It was in my backyard, which is sometimes called the Hollywood Bowl. l")ie sign said, "Opens Tonight.", It was then about 4 p. m.. So i paid, ■•Let's drive up to the Bowl and .sec how clo.se they arc to making uood on that rosy promise." Well, it's a fast 440 all uphill Irom the road to the stage. Two.Jolm- laws, i.g.v stopped us as we turned into thc homestretch. '"Variety," I said with' simple dignity and \vith the, accent on hon-, ■ existent: "d" as final proof that iTiy mufjgery vvas: the McCoy. "PassT' asked one of the johns. ,,"Pres.s," I said, figuring they must be foreigners. , "Gotta have a pass." said the other. .: ; , ;: "For what? To get Mike Todd's name in the paper?" ■■ They 'started setting up a road block. ; , ■ "Drive on, Bud," I ordered. I-figured he could drive In an emeryi iicy, I though in the 8th Air Force ire was a navigator, not a pilot. But he .slil.l I has an awe of law and order. He hesitated. So I gave it the old blood ' and guts. You'd think he had been goosed. He nearly drove the accele.- : rator through the floor board One john jumped for his life, the other grabbed for the door ot llie 1 car. I reached out with my handsome elbow crutch that looks like a I submachine gun when uptilted : and let the blocker have it;. Sylvia ■screamed. ■ ■ ,■•■ ■■■:■'■■>•::■■■■■■■ ! When we reached backstage guy.s were working like, mad ail over ihe I place. The huge shell, where the longhalrs comb Bach, Beethoven r nd Stokow.ski out of their dandruff all summer, had been blocked out v\'ith a bigger curtain in green and gold saying "Central Park '71." A .s's e had been built over the first row ot boxes and the orchestra dropped iit a pit.','' ,■,■■,'■■ Painters were up to their ears and nowhere near Central Park. A town and country car, as new as tomorrow's paper, was parked in a space w>icH iJaid,"Reserved for Mr.'Todd." An orchestra was tuning up, and one t;tiy,: observing the sun had set: and taking no chances on California's capricious summer climate, was oompa-oomping with his hat on. Everything looked ; awry. It didn't look as if the show would open before Congressman May recovered. ■■■■■■ The Todd Who Worries We stuck a note in Mike s car, wished him luck and went home. Well, within minutes there was a call from Mike. Before I could take the call from our swainless Sylvia, Mike had turned her over to his boss. It turned out to be Mike Jr., who must be all of 17 by now. People say ho loo' s older on account he's the worrying type. He's been Worrying about X<, 'd openings ever since the '*Hot Mikado." He worried for fear Gilbert & Sullivan might sue. He had learned to be wary about Variety muggs, too, because on;? of them .sold his old man a thing called '"Call Me Ziggy," which closed < ui - ing the third act of its premiere. In fact, the lad became such a chro.iic worrier Mike, Sr. gave him pieces of his shows so that he could h'vc .something to show for his worries. The fir.st one .showed a red Bi"' .t. That was 'The Naked Genius," But he got in on "Mexican Hayrff' ' d rode all the way to "Central Park'' on his nickel. That brousbt him to "Hamlet" and in time to the Hollywood'Bowl, which had'seen Shakes: e once before in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and didn't like him ; jo well then either. But Mike, Jr. faced the old Scully wag over a mile of telephone wire with the old Todd assurance. "Dad wants you to come to tVie opEiiii)'.;," he said. "What opening?" he was asked. "Central Park," he countered. "Up in Griffith Park?" he heard him.solf being a.sked. "No, the H',))'.y- wood Bowl. Tonight," he added. "Okay," 1 said, "and if you don'L opjn, no hafd feelings." "We'il open," he insi-sted. I; decided to take our swainless Sylvia. After all, she was used to dis- appointments. Twelve years old and' kicked around in a family of at'. vi'c egotists, she has only one indestructible inheritance. She was born in : New York and proud of it. So I thought Sylvia .should .share "Central Park" with me and with me alone. Me and 15,000 •additional fugutives from the Mall. For w'.icn wc reached the bowl, traffic was pibn',> up from all directions. By h:"20 at least 12,000 had battled their way inside the huge saucer. Carpenters were still carping and grips were .still griping but, by golly, Si<;miind Romberg's bald pate was .down in the pit ready to conduct the overture with his Vietuiese roundhou.se style. nUke Maries It "RnshV We were "Up In Central Park" at last. It fooled us completely, except that people were dressed in woolens and blankets, which is routine anions; the heprset at the Bowl ever .since Irving Thalberg caught pneumonia playing"A Midsummer Night's Drcim" straight. These at lcas£ di-'n't have to look on the Currier & Ives skating scene as taking pl.T-c at Christmas in New York back in 1871. It was 3'beautiful show and between :tho.se Todd, perc and they certainly worked like demons between 4 p.m; and 9:30.to open ©n time^ i the dailies broke out the next morning as if it were spotnews; They I front-paged the opening in the city news sections and gave it runovi-rs. I They raved. They made us New Yorkers fee] proud. i Fearing it might not work out quite that well, one of the Todds tJuiiioi '.') j papered the second row of boxes with the whole H.-iy.s li.st of picture chat- I tcrers. To them the candor of a New York show took their breath a'A'ny, Most of them haven't seen or heard the word "hell" since they went to Sunday school. As for politicians talking: about their graft the way bobbysoxers talk about cokes—■whoops! , : Indee'dy for. us old New Yorkers the only alien touch was that the grafters were all Democrats* In California the grafters are supposedly Republicans, and I can get affidavits from Col. Jimmy Roosevelt, Will Rogers, Jr:, Helen Gahagan Douglas, Senator Sheridan Downey, Emmctt Lavery, Lucile Gleason, Frank Sinatra, Orsen Wells, Gregory Peel: and Paulette Goddard (all good Democrats) to prove it! From Boss Tweed to Harris Tweed Those cracks at us Democrats came acro.ss awful loud. Naturally the Republicans laughed their heads off. There were 10 mikes acrOs.i the I lootlights to carry the voices, but only two Mikes really mattered, 'I'hty i were Senior and Junior. And don't you kid yourself that it all chucd I wiUi Bess Tweed going to jail just because he charged a lousy .'S850..''»44.2.V . tor 200 park benches. Air the Republicans who laughed at that vvoi'e I wearing Harris Tweeds, proving the family is still in biz. If Stanley Walker and Wcstbropk Pegler had caught the show, tniiy i probably would have applauded the cracks at the Dems and then panned I the show'because it showed that, gralt or no graft, ,life in. New York was ! beautiful. These bucolic bumpkins \vho come to New York, woo hei" \ and then when their goat glands shows .signs of withering throw her: over lor a cow in; the country are simply reverting to tripe. |, Maybe, as Johnny the McNulty say.s. ''Ngbody goes to New York an.y more, it's too crowded." But they certainly are going to "Up In Central Park,'' The Todds will gro.s.s a million on their short run. That's moret