Variety (Feb 1948)

Wednesday, Febr uary 25, 1948 Milton Berle calls m.«.'s "mental Henry Montjoye, Paris impresario, in from France. Carl (Hearst) Helms' anniversary Cocktail party last week. Victor Francen to Paris yesterday (Tues.) aboard the De Grasse. Joe Caites (Bros,), reeuping in Polyclinic £rom gallbladder op, jMaurice de Canonge, Prenoli film producer-director, in from Paris. Harry Coiin onetime writer for Jack Benny, ailing at tlie Roosevelt hospital. Moe Kerman, prexy of Favorite. Films Corp., to thie Coast over the weekend. . Spyrfls Skouras in a new oil tanker business which transports oil to Europe. Peter Donald tO'Buffalo as honor guest 'and key speaker at Buffalo Men's Club. Nancy Walker may do a nitery single, doubling from "Look Ma, I'm Dancin'." Bob Weitman's daughter, Abby, celebrated her 16th birthday last week Feb. 19. Bea Lillie back from the Elizabeth Ardeh Arizona health ranch, all trained down. Henry Jaffe, ^he theatrical at- torney, in Doctor's Hospital with virus pneumonia. , Leah Salisbury, authors' rep, in. Hollywood for a three-week huddle ■with studio toppers. Lil Small just out of LeRoy hosp, following* surgery, and -now hubby Paul Small bedded by flu. Jerry Bergen subbea for Harvey Stone at tlie Latin Quarter, Friday (20), during latter's one day illness. The Harry (WB) Kalmines show- ing Cuba's Go'ar Mestre about town; h^s head of the CMQ circuit there. . 'Nothing to that daily columnar report about Mike Todd doing a nitery reyue for Nicky Blair's Car- nival.. Association of Theatricid Agents ! and Managers wuon piidceaa plum,. "Mr. Robertsr lor .its benefit Sun- day (22). , ■ . • ' , GaliiGtili's ad recently inadvert- ' *xA\w named Maurice S. Silver as v^miinager: .it, should have read Mor- ris S. Silver. \ W E. Hockey inked last week by Shell Oil as technical adviser for its production of 'public relations and training, films. Decca prexy Jack Kapp lectured at dhoate prep school (Wallingford, "High Button Shoes" road company, doing the Phil Silvers role; others not cast. This means "Sally" re-, vival (Hunt Stromgerg, Jr.), for which Foy was set, is deferred. Five pards, who put up; $XOO,000 each when they took over the Hotel Delmonico just before thei war, have closed a deal to sell it. Each gets back $523,000 for their lOOG, of which 75% ifepresents a capital gam. David O. Selznick east for two more weeks. Billeted in a Central Park South hotel, he o.o.'s the park scene, talks about "this is where we shot 'Jenny'," and his pals teU him, "Well, then why don't you release it?" Gus ScKirmer, Jr., managing Libby Holman's comeback at the Club James. This is the east 50th street, boite (nee Chateau Moderne) which is named for ex-cop James Reardon, who has been operating it in recent months. June and Joe Laurie, Jr.'s 26th anni ye.5terday (Tues.); it's also his birthday ... "just 38," says tjfe comic. ' The Bob Shapiros (he's Paramount house manager) celebrating their 16th wedding anni today (Wed.), Gus Eyssell, prexy and managing director Of the Radio City Music Hall, new chairman of the Motion Picture Industry Scholarship Fund for Yeshiva University, N. Y., suc- ceeding George Schaefer who's >lteld the post for past 10 years. , Robert Young, is his own' "opposi- tion" next week, both at the Boxy ("Sitting Pretty") and the Criterion in "Relentless." Incidentally, the Youngs, now in N.Y.^he has been personating in receiit weeks in ad-' vance of the latter picture, since it's his own production—celebrate their 15th anniversary In N. Y. on March 16. LohdoD Berlin Pitch . Continned' from pace 2 ■{ Conn ); addressing a class of 600 on disks and inusic. Paramount Choral Society giving a performance at Town Hall, March 19, with proceeds- going to the New York Foundling Hospital. Max L, Youngstein, ad-pub chief of Eagle Lion, feted last week by his flackery. at Gus-Andy's in honor of his boost to veepee .ot .EL, Frank Seiden, 'Palm Beach hotel tycoon; planning first sky club in that' area atop -his swank resort which just added swim pool. .Kay Carringtop (Schwartz) Flor. idaing at St. Petersburg while hubby Arthur Schwactz (Howard Deitz) busy on readying his revue^ "Inside USA." ■ B. G. Kranze, Film Classics gen. eral sales manager, and Al Zimbalist; pub-'ad director, Coasted Monday (22) to size'up'company'* tM^oduction activities. Donald Buka heading back east shortly to hunt a Broadway role fol- lowing work in Howard Hughes' "Vendetta"- and 20th-Fox's "Street With No Name." Adele and Ernie (Pump Room By field back to Chi early this week after briefly honeymooning in N.Y, "Will continue in one of '- Byfleld' Mexlcari resort hotels. - , Otto- Preminger came out of "Mr, Boberts" premierei and the 20th*Fox director-enthused, "Between this and . 'Street Car'' it's worth just making the trip to New York!" ^ Abe Lastfogel back to the Coast after several months east on Wil- liam Morris agency company busi- ness; also the Hospitalized Veterans Circuit, of which he's prez. Revalued franc gives the Ameri- pan tourist a bargain in spades, French National Tourist Office * Claims via a. reported 50% slice in hotel accomiAodations, food, etc. Big pix turnout last night (Tues,) at the Waldorf for the Confederation of Railroads fete because of Robert R. Young, prominent in Pathe Indus- tries (Eagle Lion, etc.), as well as RRs. Fred Schwartz, Century theatres' exec, aired a plea for toleraqce in the circuit's "Children's Theatre" program, WNEW, last Sunday (22), as part of the National Brotherhood week campaign. N, Y. News' Bob Sylvester, who covers the Broadway drama beat, is ' running' between working on the News' new television station (packj- aging shows), a musicomedy libretto, and a third novel. Cleveland critics Bill McDermott Is giving a party in honor of Mary Martin when "Annie Get Your Gun" opens at the Music Hall there next week. Several Broadwayites are go- ing out tor the shindig. Billy LaHifl's (later liuffy's) Tav- ern on the auction block. Famed 46th street spot didn't click when Bill Dufly (no relation to Ed 'Archie' Gardner's Duffy's Tavern) tried to roll along on the radio hUUnic. Eddie Foy, Jr,, going out In the civilian personnel. AVC's motion picture chapter had maneuvered the deal with. UA's honteoffice toppers. The battle started at a preview-of the film before reps of the Mforma- tion Control Division! Dr. B. Hiller, German consultant of the Education branch, after seeing the pic insisted that film could not be shown to the German people,'at least for another 10 years. Information Control people, termed'his'protest ridiculous but he hotfooted it to his chief who strung along with him. With 1,800 high school students waiting impatiently in the theatrd; the. tiffing: factions: reached the compromise to cut part of the film. Information Control. is now pre- paring, a study,on the German re- action to the film. Its findings are expected to play a big part in map- ping the future for American pix with, propaganda content on the re- cent hostilities. Findings will be published shortly. Mixed reception of the film here was typified by a review of Die Neue Zeitung American newspaper pub- lished for Germans. It called the film "interesting and educational'' but added; "It could be felt, however, that it: was intended for American, not for foreign consumption." "The picture of Hitler and his henchmen, however (and we don't Imow why) induced merriment," review added. Aside from this, there was both favorable and unfavorable comment while many Germans complained that they understood too little of the commentary. There was also some peeving over use of the term "kraut." Plenty of fanfare accompanied playing of the pic and the turnout was big. March of • Dimes netted $1,900, 21,000 marks, 25,000 French francs, 26 pounds sterling, and smaller amounts of Swiss and Belgium francs, Polish zlotys, Czech crowns and Greek drachmas. Announcements were carried by a half-dozen papers and the American radio station-in Berlin. Carroll Levis back to his native Canada to convalesce from serious illness. Ralph Smart, ptoducer of "The Overlanders," to film a new script for Sydney Box. Stan Weightman, formerly with Lawrence Wright Music Co., now manager of Noel Gay Music Co. Reported that Dolores ("Annie Get Your Gun") Gray has signed a longterm contract with film pro- ducer Herbert Wilcox. When Emile Littler stages his re- vival of "The Barretts of Wimpole Street," Margaret Johnston and Tom Walls will play chief roles, Memberii of the Old Vic Go,, head- ed by Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier, left Feb. 14 by air for their Australia-New Zealand tour. . Rumored that the London Pavilon, former vaude house running films for many years, may revert to vaude as result of the pix shortage. Val Gielgud taking year's vacation from the BBC. E. A. F. Harding, of the Staff Training School, re- places him as drama director. Cineguild's next production will be an adaptation of H. E. Bates' bestseller, "Fair Stood the Wind For Prance," to be directed by David Lean. Archie de Bear returning to .stage production after eight years and producing a revue titled"The King's Jesters" at the King's, Hammersmith, Feb. 26. ' Bristol Hippodrome suffered bad fire damage just before a matinee of a pantomime Feb. 16, with stage, scenery, dressing rooms and cos- tumes destroyed. Full-length radio version^ of the Walt Disney cartoon, "Bambi," is on the BBC program scheduled for Good Friday, March 26, to coincide with the reissue of the'film. Herbert Wilcox's next production,, starring wife Anna: Neagle, is titled "The Girl He Left Behind," based on a play by Frank Harvey, Jr., who is scripting. Britisbr-Lion will' dis- tribute. ' Griffith Jones to costar with Margaret Lockwood in the Corfield- Huth: production of "Change of Heart," based on Saturday Evening Post story, "I Know You," by Ketti Fring, adapted by Noel Langley. Douglass Montgomery, , Diana Churchill and Bar^ K. Barnes played chief roles in Ladislas Fodor's biblical drama, "The Vigil" at the Embassy; Feb. 11. Despite warm reception* play had controversial press. Theatre Royal, Margate, second oldest theatre in Britain, has been bought for $40,000 after having been closed since the war. When modern- ized it will reopen' as a. Shakespear ean centre by its new owner, Reg- inald Cross, ex-theatre manager. - Leslie Arliss to direct filming of Thomas Firbank's, - "I Bought a Mountain,*' for Alexander Korda's London Film Productions. Kieron Moore and Christine Norden will be costarred. Guy Morgan is doing the script in collaboration with Arliss. In Two Cities' filming of H.' G. Wells' "The History of Mr. Polly," Anthony Pelissier will direct ^nd opened suddenly after bigger ca- sinos shut down. It has straight music and "reservation only" policy. Henry StickeUneyer, Great Lake theatre exec; is recovering from ill- ness at Presbyterian hospital. Marlene Dietrich, Kathferine Hep- burn and Noel Coward held press confabs, at the Pump Room during mid-week stays. Cast, director and technical crew are due here next month to shoot Comiskey Park scenes for the Monte Stratton picture for Metro. Howard Greer, Hollywood fashion designer, presented his preview of Spring styles at Carson Pirie & Scott department store here last week. Gertrude Lawrence- caught her daughter Pamela Gordon giving her last performance in "John .Loves Mary" before Miss Gordon left the show to join her ailing husband. Hollywood Detroit By Stan* Worrit Red Ace, emcee, back from Miami. Frankie Laine is the current Bowery feature. Estella Montello, dancer, in town for nose surgery. Dancer "Rusty" Darnell preparing for operation next: month. ' Pittsburgh Sympliony slated for March 8 at Masonic Auditorium. Ferrante and Teicher, duo-pianists, at Sapphire room of Sheraton hotel.• Blaze Fury, stripper, home to: visit her mother, Frances' Parks, pro- ducer at the Avenue. Irwin Corey followed Paula Drake into the Cafe Burgandy. Singers Wanda Rio, Ethel Howe, Judy Baker, Charlene .Manners and tiiUian James were held oyer. Schooler-AFM Continued from page 37 ; fact he has gone $20,000 into tlie red in recent months using various so- called top name .bands-. He figures by using non-name musicians that his outlay will be considerably less. How much his income will be af- fected is of course not'kiiown- yet, At the Majestic, Schooler is. using a .25c. admission policy, with Charlie Gates' unaffiliated iooters. At the Terrace, -the top is 75c,, with Ronnie Wood's orchestra. At the moment, the tap at the Mardi Gras is 59c.— on Saturdays only. Remainder of the week admish and music are free. Schooler has been hoping to make a profit off bar and barbecue sales, but apparently is still running in the red. ■ ''. - Barnet signed for the Mardi Gras date without the blessing of his per- sonal manager, Arthur Michaud, who strongly advised him against playing a spot with no admish be- cause it would lower his b.o. stand- ards, and also because outfit for which he was playing operates non- . Mark Stevenses divorcing. St, Glair McElways divorced Armand Schaefer bedded with flu. ^ Billy De Wolfe down with "virua pefeo^T' Jack Vy-rather recuperating from an appendectomy. » . »»mu Susan Hay ward collapsed with flu on the Universal lot. Jimmy Wakely recovering from emergency appendectomy. Nigel Bruce, goes to London next month for a stage appearance Susan Hayward back to work at Universal-International after a week of 'flu, ••■.■: John J. Jones and Francis A. Bate- man to Chicago for the Screen Guild meeting. Irving Reis leaves for England next week on a mission for Ssunuei Goldwyn. : • " Stephen ^ongstreet to San Fran- cisco to round up material for a screenplay. Jane Wyman establishing a resi., dence in Las Vegas to divorce Ron- ald Reagan, Red Skelton and David Rose, the composer-conductor, cooking up a concert tour. George Coulouris bought a home ip Connecticut and will commute be- tween pictures. 1 Russ Vincent goes to St. Louis next week to start a nine-city per- sonal appearethce' tour. Jeanette MacDonald signed for a concert March 30 at the Philharmon- ic Auditorium,- Los Angeles. Jules Schermer to Washington to huddle . with immigration officials about a documentary picture, Eleanor Parker has been invited to attend the International Film Festi- val in Cannes next August. Gene Kelly talking a deal with an eastern syndicate to organize a na- tionwide string of dance schools, Charlie Morrison'puIIed out of the Stables, Palm Springs bistro, .and turned it back to its original owner, Trav Rogers. • Eric Mo'rawsky and Louis Vidor have arrived: from Paris as repre- sentatives of Francinex, French film production outfit. John Mills will star as well as pro«, duce, Latter's playwright wife, Mary Hayley Bell, is doing the script „i,i«n ti»«" r , i with Peli9sier aid shooting starts "^'"^ terpal^ces. Barnet, after heat- early, summer.' . ed session with Michaud, neverthe- lesi^ insisted on opening. Barnet's &act with ballroom is un usual in that he has a separate con tract, covering his services only. All the sidesmen' are bunched as a unit, cbntrafeted for by Bob Dawes, who is just a sax player in the pack. As far as can be determined, this is lirst time Local 47 has ever passed on such a deal; normally the buying of a name band includes the lesider. U.S. Navy Club Sponsors ' 'Love Life of Hitler' Pic '•Love Life of Adolph Hitler," special Navy recruiting film, is cur- rently being primed for theatrical distribution throughout the U. S. by the U, S. Navy Club, vets' organiza- tion. Sixty-five minute film will be screened for the press at the Monte Carlo restaurant,. N. Y., today (Wednesday), Picture was turned out for the Navy Club by American Film Pro ducers, N. Y. indie production firm. "Love Life" in the title refers to Hitler's love for power, rather than his amours, although the film in eludes much hither to-unreleased footage on Eva Braun, girl friend o£ the late Nazi tyro. Most of the foot- age was compiled from material captured from the Germans. It warns the. country to beware of the rise of a sin^ar tnaidmBn-de&pot in the .futur«||> ' ' - By John Quinn Vido Musso and Anita O'Day head the show at Tootie's new Mayfair Club. Doc Hartley, film editor of the Kansas City Star, is back at his desk after several weeks' rest. ' Hamid - Morton Indoor Circus opens five-day run Tuesday (2) in the Municipal Auditorium for the Police Department benefit associa- tion., Rodney Bush, 20th-Fs« exploita- tion chief, due back in town next week to complete arrangements for the pretem of "Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hayf" in Sedalia, Mo,,. March 10. Philharmonic orch, with Efrem Kurtz, regular conductor, staged its final pop concert of the season in the Music Hall last Sunday (22), with Vera MoNary and Fredell Lack as soloists. 'Heart' Shows ; Continued from page Z s Cleveland Hy Baron, after eight-year tout, breaking in a new band at the Alhambra Tavern. Lyl^n Sheldon, local c o m i c, is guest-star in St. Paul's civic operl etta company's "Rosalie." r Bobby Sherwood, ex-bandmaster, has turned disk-"whirler at WHK and is piping shows from the Golden Dragon nitery. ■ Borsellino's Club inked Three Sons for two weeks opening Marcb. 15, at $3,500 per frame, its the WW'?. est bud.tet to date, Kirk Willis and Sue Crogaugh, acting in the Play House repertory company, will be married after fin- ishing the current "Years Ago,' Betty Allen Dorsey did a guest- shot on Jan August's broadcast when the Vogue Room pianist-headlmet found himself short of a vocalist. Miami Beach By Larry SoUovniy Club Bali is due to. change hands this week, Leon Kramer added to Mother Kelly's lineup. Jackie Winston heads the new show at Paddock clubi Gracie Fields has gone to Fori Montagu hotel, Nassau Don Richards, recent lead in "Finians Rainbow,'' is here for a rest. . Lily Pons and Andre Kostelanetz are at Palm. Beach for their annual sta.y. ,■ . :■■ Beacon Players, stock grouti a't the Coco Plum Playhouse, Coral Gables, is touring the hotels here. The Dave Sebastians (Carmen Miranda) lire vacationing here since the sudden closing of Colonial Inn, The Gregory Pecks stopped over for a day here on way to Nassau. Fishing trip companions are the Leslie Cbiirteri$e$. La, Boheme, in BroVrard county, journalistic figures on behalf of can- cer. Sullivan insisted the jurist men- tion Walter Wlnchell by name, even though it's an open secret both N. Y, tabloid columnists don't exactly go steady. Judge Shalleck stressed how cancer's $2,000,000 annual need has been catapulted to $18,000,000 (with an implied kudo for Winchell, which is when Sullivan insisted on naming him by name.) Mark Hellinger's sudden passing, also a heart victim, along -wjith Ernst Lubitsch, I. J. Fox and kindred fig- ures in recent months—all Cardiac victims—keyed Sullivan into taking over the N. Y. Heart Campaign. The journalistic affinity is obvi- ous: SuUivan-Hellinger a la Win- chell's Damon Runyon (cancer) me- njorial w o r k. Hellinger's posthu- ihous work, "Naked City," his last picture for Universal release, be- comes the key for the gala premiere next Wednesday (3) at the Broad4 way Capitol, also tied- in with the heart campaign. A souvenir pro gram (with many name byliners) realized $75^000. In this Mrs, Baer and columnist Louis Sobol (N. Y, Journal American) have been prom- inent, further accenting the rally- ing of fourth-estaters for general hum«nitarian and civic causes. By Les B«es W. J. Mtirphy, Minnesota Am.us. Co. screening room projectionist, underwent Operation at St. Marys hospital. xuiirrrrt Bob Link, tenor singer with WCCU "Bob-O-Linlcs" vocal unit since 19J4, named voice instructor at MacPhau school of music. „, , .,, E. R. Ruben, head of Welwprth circuit, told circuit managers ano personnel "honeymoon's over, .wen have to go back to showmanshii). . Minnesota State Radio council w starting a coordinated radio course of study, with lists Of recommendea programs containing information.^, Maurice N. Wolf, MGM public le- lations executive, due for dozen speaking dates in territory citieb as part of the company's goodwill cam- ''^Warners. with its own screening room in the new branch building here, continues to rent the 20th-lox room due to its wage dispute witn operators, who want specw^^ rates unless the room is kept str Pittsburgh By Hal Cohen Disc-jock Al Nobel convalescing from pneumonia. . , , „,„A,„pe) Dancer Frederic's (and .Florence^ wife flew here from Paws to ]oiii 'Harry Hendel en route to Holly-' wood by car to get another mow picture going. . . ..teleie Pat Haley has pul ed li's ukeiej out of storage and is doing transcriji tions for midwest stations. Dean Martin and Jerry Le^^ f ^ at the Carousel for a week, Beatrice Kaye due Monday . Jane. Pickens spent a ^^=c,> i- with her vocal teacher, Mrs. Lewando, wife of the Press- musw '''Ernie Neff will continue doublinS between, announcing at wbAa playing organ at Colonial Manor m ^^aifim G. Sapper, assistant man- ager of the WiUlam Penn hotel, resigned to become associated wii- attorney Charles O. Marglotti,