Variety (Aug 1947)

Wednesday, August 13, 1947 LITERATI 53 . Pageant in Revamp Following an operating deficit running into six figures, Pageant, a Hillman Publications mag, has un- dergone a reva ; mping of its editorial ttaff and is switching from monthly to bi-monthly issue beginning with the October edition. Former staff, headed by editor Vernon Pope, has resigned, with Ernest Henshaw stepping into chief editorial post. No changes in the mag's format are being considered. '47 Seeks New Dough Letters have been sent to hundreds of writers and artists by the mag '4'f, in an effort to gain new contributor- owners and new capital. "In order to produce and promote '47 effectively in the immediate fu- ture," mag states, the corporation requires $200,000. $100,000 has al- ready been guaranteed by a group of friendly investors. $60,000 of the re- maining $100,000 has been put forth by our own stockholders. This leaves only $40,000 to go." Investments can be made in the form of a loan, and contributor own- ers can convert the note into com- mon and preferred stock when it comes due on March 25, 1948. The notes in any amount starting' with $100 will bear *A% interest. At the time of conversion writers-artists- photographers may apply for Class B common stock, which entitles the holder to one vote and 33 1-3% of the net profits that will be set aside as a contributors fund. Meatand's Talking' Richard „Mealand's initial novel, "Le Me Do the Talking," published by Doubleday last week, proves to be the "Hucksters" of the literary agency field. Mealand is just a bit kinder to his principal character, a fast-operating and highly success- ful author's agent, than Frederic Wakeman was to his Vic Norman. Otherwise the novel has some of the same racy flavor and inside-stuff as- pect, with the love interest pushed into secondary position. It makes highly entertaining reading, espe- cially for those with a little knowl- edge of their own of agency biz in- eide. As far as literary agents are con- cerned, Mealand should know. He's been worked on by them for years as former story editor for Para- mount in New York and Hollywood, fiction editor for Good Housekeep- ing, associate editor of Cosmopolitan and editor of Nash's-Pall Mall mag In England. He resigned from Par last summer to start writing on his own and is now at work on another novel. Herb. pellate courts of Cuyahoga County, whose findings favored the publish- ing company, and remanded the case for retrial. The Ohio Supreme Court held the trial court erred in its charge to the jury "in that its broad and peremp- tory charge amounted practically to a directed verdict in favor of the defendant." The case originated from editorials and cartoons pub- lished by the Cleveland Press - five years ago, criticizing Judge West- ropp's handling of vice charges in her court. SRI. Sets New Disk Mag First comprehensive monthly mag devoted exclusively to recordings— with a strong show biz tie to other amusement fields—will be on the stands Aug. 30 when the Saturday Review of Literature publishes the first (Sept.) issue of its ambitious supplement, Saturday Review of Re- cordings. Mag, of 24 pages, will sell at 15c. SRL's 80,000 subscribers, however, will get mag free, as an editorial bonus, inserted into SRL each month. Mag will report on all aspects of recording, as SRL does to the liter- ary scene. Irving Kolodin, music ed of N.Y. Sun, is editor. CHATTER. Jack Horner appointed associate editor, in charge of copy, on Science Illustrated, McGraw-Hill monthly. Formerly " editor of London Yank, Horner subsequently was exec ed- itor of Salute and with Liberty. Thomas Duncan's yarn, recently bought by Universal-International, will be the Book-Of-The-Month Club selection for September. Paramount spent $50,000 on" 10,000 copies of a 50-page book plugging the Cecil B. DeMille picture "Un- conquered." Deal for purchase of Seattle Star by J. David ("Tommy") Stern, 3d, former Camden (N. J.) Courier-Post publisher, has broken off. Cynthia S. Walsh, publicity direc- tor for. MacMillan, resigning to join Marion Dodd in operation of the Hampshire Bookshop, Northampton, Mass. Mrs. Virginia Patterson, former MacMillan trade advertising chief, succeeds as chief flack. Robert B. MacDonald, former Coast sales chief for Prentice-Hall, named etfitorial representative for P-H's trade book division. He'll headquarter in Los Angeles and also represent P-H in motion picture deals made on the Coast. Ashton Stevens, dean of the Chi- cago drama critics, wrote a' 7,000 word treatise of what's been doing in the American theatre for "Ten Eventful Years," four volume edi- tion published this month by Ency- clopedia Britannica and dealing with the history of 1937 through 1946. Dow Richardson, managing editor of the Kokomo (Ind.) Tribune since January, 1946, has been appointed editor, succeeding the late Edwin M. Souder. who died July 24. Frank J. Kaus named advertising and promotion director for Hearst's Puck—The Comic Weekly. Harpers publishing Aldous Hux- ley's play, "Mortal Coils," next win- ter. Universal is doing a film version with Charles Boyer as the star. J. B. Priestley's newest tome, "Jen- ny Villiers: A Story of the Theatre," slated for October publication by Harpers. Moore-McCormack Lines installing memorial libraries in its reconverted ships, the Brazil, Uruguay and Ar- gentile, when ships return to service late this year. tween their marathon dance offering, he gives out with "Come Rain, Come Shine" and "Little Augie" from "St. Louis Woman." Stopped show and had to beg off. Jack Durant, holdover, clicks in next spot. Laughs are loud and con- sistent, with his Greenstreet-Lorre takeoff getting good returns. Offs to solid salvos. Owing to length of bill, Dorothy Gray & Brother were omitted at show caught. - Biz should be good for the month, as show is bound to get favorable word-o£-mouth. Final test of vaude policy will be next month, when the Ink Spots lop the bill. If they don't pull 'em in, it will be obvious that there is no demand for this type of enter- tainment in the West End. Rege. Maestro's Facelift Continued from page 39 ■■ Bistro Loses Libel Claim Right of a newspaper to "reflect an incident of public interest" was upheld last week by the Florida State Supreme Court when it tossed out a $50,000 damage suit brought by the operators of the Dragon Inn, Miami, against the Miami Herald. Plaintiffs alleged libel following publication of a story that a man was shot in their bistro. In making its decision the court said the Herald has the responsi- bility of furnishing daily local and worldwide news to its subscribers and readers and added that "in ar- riving at the sense in tvhich defama- tory language is employed it is nec- csssary and proper to consider the circumstances of its publication. It is our conclusion that; when the arti- cle is considered in its entirety it cannot be said that it is either ma- licious or defamatory." House Reviews I Continued from page 48 = matter how big they get and, in general, had himself convinced that his b.o. name would last forever by doing only pictures and recordings, meanwhile delving into horse-racing as an owner ca field in which he lost a heavy wad last year). • James has so changed his outlook that he made two trips east already this summer and is due for another in November. Also it is very prob- able he will again play the Astor Roof, New York, next summer, along with other standard locations. He still is not amenable to theatre work, which he dislikes intensely, but Music Corp. of America con- tinues to hammer at him along this line and may achieve its aim. As for Dorsey, he broke up his band late last year due to a squabble with MCA (one of many) plus, prob- ably, his realization that the band business was going nowhere fast and that a temporary retirement wouldn't hurt him. He's back, too, with both feet planted solidly. Dur- ing his run at his own Casino Gar- dens his band has been catering more to the kids who want to dance than the kids who at one time liked to listen. He's playing a far smaller percentage of instrumental "flag- wavers" and it has been paying off. For the first time since he assumed ownership, the Casino has been do- ing consistently good business and has been topping the nearby Aragon Ballroom at the b.o. Dorsey leaves the Casino Aug. 26, plays a few one-nighters on the Coast, then goes east for the debut of his transcribed disk jockey show. Thereafter he returns west to pick up his band and start out on a country-wide theatre, one-nighter and location string. He is set.'so far, until December, when he opens at the Click Club, Philadelphia. \ » ♦ ♦ ♦♦♦♦»»■»♦»♦♦♦♦»♦♦♦♦♦»♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦»♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ t i i! SCULLY'S SCRAPBOOK !! Continued from page 43 s=jj 4'asino. London eluding soft ball tossing, and balanc- ing on stick in mouth, for effective finish. Jewel and Warriss unload plenty corny comedy, which audience relishes. Boys, who are on three times, are solid but somewhat bluish. Newcomers here are the Swiss Stars, misnomer for their type of offering. Quartet, two gals and two lads are nifty adagioists. Gals are lookers, with one contribbing neat contortion stint. Okay for any bill. Closing first half are Harry Parry & Sextet, comprising three reeds, piano, bass, drums and clarinet. Parry is good looking, with in- gratiating personality. Tee off with boogie-woogie number, followed by Jean Bradbury, one of the vocalists in "Beyond Blue Horizon" with Parry taking up again with "Indian Love Call." just to show he can play straight as well iis swing. Paula Green vocals "Embnieeable You" and "Let's Fall in Love" to good returns. Band closes with an oldie. "South Rampart Street Parade," not strong enough for bowoff. Bel-Air Bros, 'not to be confused with similar named American act)| are two French acrobats with a few balancing tricks that lack punch. Their comedy is typically Contin- ental, which means old-fashioned. But serve as openers for second half. Phyllis Robins, following, is Cleveland Press Suit Remanded Ohio Supreme Court, in a 4 to 3 decision, has sent the $50,000 libel . suit pf Municipal Judge Lillian West-' stunning blonde, who sings popular r °PP against the E W Srrinos Co I "umbers to good returns. Publishers of theCleveland Press Nicholas Bros, get good recepUon bark Vr, 1 A 1 Ucv « lan ° *L 1PSS ' on entry, proving they haven't been "dCK to the Cuyahoga County Com- fnrenttpn after their lone absence. mon Pi eas Court. The high court I S improved eonsideMbiyT with tee's, Detroit, Aug 22 . Griff Wil reversed the common pleas and ap- the elder now quite a warbler. Be- Hams at Illinois State Fair Aug. 25 ington, L. I., unable to find a band he liked, putting his own combo back in Sept. 15. . .. It's the Three Stylists, not Starlets, with Glenn Garr's or- chestra at Rustic Cabin, Englewood Cliffs. N. J. . . . Deep River Boys recorded for Victor Records. . . . Wes Cope, trombonist now with Chris Cross, takes over road manager slot with Tommy Dorsey when the latter moves onto road. Dave Jacobs remains in California. . . . Igor Stravinsky singned to RCA-Victor Red Seal disks. . . . Butch Stone signed by Majestic Records with small combo. . . . Clarence Stout, vet ASCAP'er of Vincennes, Ind.,«n N. Y. prior to trip through Canada. Charles Spadone, formerly with Columbia Recording's advertising dept. where he was in charge of service to radio stations, shifted to sales department to manage certain midwest territories. He replaces F. E. Cross who's left the firm... Josh White cut documentary" platter for Apollo label in tribute to the late President Roosevelt called "The Man Who Couldn't Walk Around" with royalties and entire proceeds to go to FDR's memorial fund for the National Foundation for Infan- the Paralysis.. Borrah Minnevitch's Harmonica Rascals inked by DeLuxe label with throe - platter album scheduled as the outfit's first release. Chicago Art Kassel in Walled Lake, Mich- igan, Aug. 22...Bob Phillips, of As- sociated Booking, in New York for combination biz-pleasure trip... Andy Kirk into Paris Ballroom, Mil- waukee Aug. 22...Will Bach begins scries of one nighters Aug. 19... Jerry Johnson, general manager of Peer Music, here visiting Bob Cole ...Jackie Cain, now at College Inn, tagged by Stan Kenton as chirp with new band...Stuff Smith into Spor- ;♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦ ♦♦♦♦♦» By Frank Scully Cold, Germ., Aug. 8. If Europe ever gets back to where it was (and all of us should live that long), Hollywood already has the perfect double-feature for both prewar and postwar patrons. The pictures are "Song of Love," starring Katharine Hepburn as a pianist of the Franz Liszt era, and "Something in the Wind," starring Deanna Durbin as a disk jockey who works up to a star in tele- vision. Between them they handle 20 songs, everything from Robert Schumann's "Traumerei" to Johnny Green's "Turntable Song," and if you don't concede that's a gamut you wouldn't, know a diatonic scale if you scraped one off a mackerel. : ■ Curiously, both pix are lulled to sleep without benefit of a Brahms' lullaby in their last 15 minutes, and this is too bad because, together they do not total four hours of playing time, and that leaves hardly anything to cut. These continental kinemaddicts I speak of believe an evening's entertainment should start at eight and not end before midnight. But when you get the playing of Clara Schumann, Franz Liszt and Johannes Brahms, and the singing of Deanna Durbin, Jan Peerce and Donald O'Connor, all in one evening, you're begging for an old broken flying-saucer gag if you ask for more. Europe is going to be puzzled by pictures like "The Hucksters" and "Her Husband's Affairs," chiefly because commercial radio, advertising agencies and sponsors are unknown to them. And if turntable songs, mystery stories and televised ballet dances are also out of this world, as far as their bewildered and beaten peasantry is concerned, at least a bur- lesque of Verdi's "Miserere" and "I Love a Mystery," as done in "Wind," will produce an approximation of that old familiar feeling. What? No Rhapsodies? But what they're really going to love are Hepburn, Henreid and Walker playing five Schumann numbers, four Brahms pieces and two items by Liszt, and everybody speaking anything but German, and not a Hun- garian rhapsody (Liszt wrote 15) in the whole evening. The playing at the Metro festklange will be familiar to those who re- member Europe between wars because it is played by Artur Rubin- stein, a, great concert favorite on the continent in '20 and '30's. Artur ( is not to be confused (would he be by anybody but me?) with Anton Rubin- stein, who could play Liszt and even pan him. Anton insisted Liszt Was always hamming it up. Tells a Czar "Get Lost!" But Artur (that is, the other) Rubinstein played Liszt, Brahms and Schumann in "Song of Love" in a way Liszt would have liked. It would have appealed to Liszt's showmanship. 3 He was a great showman. He was one of the first to talk while playing and the first to insult a czar for doing the same. He gave away fortunes, helped struggling composers on every turn (from Wagner to Schumann to Brahms). Exhausted and old, he went to Bayreuth accompanied by a Paris doll, slept through "Tristan and Isolde," awoke to take applause With Cosima Liszt Wagner, his daughter, crawled off to bed and never got out of it again. They gave him a quick planting, not to interfere with the Wagner festival. You'd think it was a Hollywood scenario writer they were burying. The Eternal Triangle But his Concerto in E Flat Major stole the Schumanns' show and really put Katie Hepburn over as a pianist.. It was a surprise to Hollywood that the Schumanns could have careers and seven kids, but Johann Sebastian Bach had' 21, and he did all right, I too. That Clara Wieck Schumann had her frailties is in the record, if not" | in this picture. You will hear her playing "Dedication" in "Song of Love" and Liszt playing a paraphrase of her playing, but you will see no men- tion of the fact that her husband dedicated hjs "Fantasie in C" to Liszt and his widow later brought out an edition with the dedication omitted, despite the fact that Liszt was the first to make Schumann's music known. Schumann, That Is, Not Schubert In the picture you'd believe it was Clara Wieck who discovered a no- body named Robert Schumann and out of gratitude he married her. Ac- tually, he was quite an arrived genius before he met the Wiecks. His father had been a famous book publisher and by the time Schu, Jr., was 15 he had published "Portraits of Famous Men." In fact, he had two novels published by the time he was 16. He then studied law at Heidelberg where he heard the music of Mendelssohn and Schubert. That Schubert was Franz Peter (the "Ave Maria" Schubert), who is often confused with Schumann. They, both liv/,d short lives—Schubert 31, Schumann 46— and their careers overlapped a little. Schumann switched from law and literature to music the year Schubert died. He went to Zwickau for further study under Frederich Wieck and that's how he met Clara. She was 13 at the time. She first played in public his "Symphony in G Minor," not "Dedication" as shown in "Song of Love." He didn't go overboard for Clara over night. Actually he was engaged to Ernestine von Fricken, who was 16 and rich. By 1836, however, he had dropped Ernestine for Clara. They married without old man Wieck's consent three years later. By then Clara was 23. That's Over Ceiling In the next year Schumann wrote 150 songs! In 1841 he wrote two full symphonies. From '44 to '53 he worked on Goethe's "Faust," hoping to finish it in '49—100th anni of Goethe's birth. Note "A" always sounding in Schumann's head was the McCoy. He went bersurka from too many mazurkas and ended with his mind in a fugue. He threw himself into the Rhine, was rescued and finished his years in a private sanatorium. He died in 1856. Clara kept on playing, his works till she died in 1896. The Liszt-Schumann cooling-off came when the old Abbe tried to do as much for Wagner as he had for Schumann. Clara became the jealous wife at that point. Borrowed Time Liszt let young composers borrow so freely from his works that people began to think that he instead of others were lifting tunes. Wagner at the rehearsal of the first Ring performances nudged Liszt and said, "Now, papa, comes a theme which 1 got from you!" Liszt guessed that In that case at least one of them wouid hear it. In fact, Liszt helped so many that he was asking before the end, "Who will help me?" It took 100 years to get the answer. "I will!" said Clarence Brown. "So will I,", said Katie Hepburn. ,So Metro dug up a quartet of screenwriters, some actors and hired Artur Rubinstein to play. They all did beautifully. Indeed, the whole production was the best proof to date that Hollywood still has the picture for the world market. Now all the world has to do is to get something to use for money. to Sept. 1, and into Sehroeder Hotel. Milwaukee Sept. 9...Bob Beike band at Blue Moon, Wichita, Aug. 15 thence to St. Paul for week at Prom Ballroom Sept. 3... Joseph Sudy opens stint at Peabody. Mem- j phis, Aug. 19...Tony DeSanlo. I owner of the Martinique, back in j town after looksees at Harry Cool and Ray Eberle, tagged for early club dates at South Side plush nitery latest entry in Chi disk press- ing field. Group has Gay Clarid^e orchestra, Thelma Graccn. Zark Dante and Lew Douglas cutting at present. . .Eddie Ballantine and "Breakfast Club" orch etched eight sides for Tower Records, with Jack Owens featured on vocals. . .Lester j Young pacted by Central Booking ...Phil Albright, cocktail booker i here, opens a Los Angeles branch | Sept. l...Erskine Hawkins and John Kirby inked into Regal The- atre Labor Day week...Mike Pot- son, former nitery operator here, ill , in New York...Joe Callen of Fred- I erick Brothers one night department I in sick bay after auto accident last week.