Variety (May 1948)

TlOfiO MUSIC DbUcliMt Weekly at 1S< Wept 4(tb Street, New Tojrk 19, N. T., br Varletjr, Inc. Annual ■ubacriptlon, -llo.' SInsle copies, iS ccnta. t&ntA •M MCon^ eU« nwtier December S2, 1905, at tbe Poet Office &t New T6lrK, T., uiia«( liw HA of M^rcii «, tttvmtmx, U4S. BY vABiincr, ino.' tsx. rights vbsekvbd KEW iOBK, WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 1948 S PraCE :@ CENTS Piik Mers Most ReadjiKt Keep Step with Pabk'Rhytjim jjor American music publish-i been drlyen ln|» a spin ' strange behayior ol tKelr y " tluring recent months, _%bocl many are convinced ./re Ktting through a period of |itfl(btent that ieventually will ft^libUt a completely new ap- l^h tbr business of making Ai; the moment, there are it«biie' or two topline publishers „ ih &tyi^K the disk ban began 3m- '"ls'jea"ft,Uy cMai to having spawned ^f^iW' And they're completely l^tdered by the type of material fiitemingly is becoming In- liity successful, ' Slieet and re^tording sales ,Vh||;h mpans income from categories is far off norm ' costs of priniing, etc., are up things have reached the where major publishers, ^ kthose whose ability at de' _ public taste in melody is en, are acting strangely. They i^iing' with the small publish- rpJ^^s^ putting an ear to the ground i¥ 3|l«»08t" constantly in search of a C?,ii3tofeyou,'* "TooUe Oolie Doolie," l^rtbfeaker," "Beg Your Par- l^lflor'^ "My Happiness." TChey trq founid.that the normal prooess s^eiiting ail established writer's |erial, having It recorded, theit S promotion and exploitatloitt pensive staffs, is being stnoth'^ find pushed aside by what «*-tetm "atrocious" melodies and _ eisforraances of tunes by obscure ■ #,%nteM, Much ,of this is due, of .Tf cojlrse, to their hurried acceptance ^Continued on page 68) , fin&ittiieKidiiies (And Rover) Explains r BAJpbealofDrive-Ins '. y -L ' . Denver, May 4. - v Postwar difficulties in hiring ,. ^TOelent baby-sitters are giving P^ff-ins throughout the west a • I^^Jl-^yP" making them a ^„. to n»he houses, Be- fA"f yountf couples can't easily '" -f:^^ ^ watchers at reasonable 4,T ^^^^ families are motoring '* »2?' "JP^W'^*^ flickeries in tre- ■ numbers. The kiddies ■ ■ *n the rear car seats V.^ iLrt?t:*K*'^ parents watch them * ■ ^^'^^'^ siinultaneously. Thote 'Tips' As a result of the many pop hits developed during recent months by small publishers and territorial record com- panies, major publishers are being "tipped" jalmost daily to promismg songs. But the busi- ness of prompting in various ways the demand for « record- ed time, in the hopes that it can be sold to a major pub at heavy coin a.dvance, is a cacket. Still, the way things stand at the moment, major pubs are often following up these tips on tunes so as not to miss any-, thing; And frequently they fall for the artifical stimu- lation and pay big cash for melodies that never pay off. SEEF 1 CflOi! EOlCT By ntA ym < . The cards are stacked for forced surrender by the film companies of their theatres in one form or another—^that's the shocked im- pression of the picture industry's legal experts following Monday's (3) anti-trust decision by the U. S. Supreme Gom-t. How many of the approximately 2,700 choice houses owned by the Big Fivje film com- panies—^Metro, Paramount, 20th- Fox, Warner Bros, and RKO—^will ultimately land on the block is the big question which must await later decisions. But divestiture (sale or transfer of theatre inter- ests) is the probable result of the NorA Nix^ Fntnre Televiang FuB Youthful Bounce It took' his four kids to do it, butv Bing Crosby, missing ; for some time from the ;Top 15 Hoopeir Jranks,' bounced back and into 11th place in the latest tallies, just releaged. Rating was made, on the night Crosby's four bo^s ap- peared on the ABC-plattered Philco show, ;with the advance, buildup it got Via the previous Sunday's Walter WincheU and Louella Parsons pro0:ams con- tributing toward the 18.5 rat- . ing payoff. , . Tele Rights Take ^tlight m Pix Bidii^ for Books "Who gets the television rights?" is the big question aiithors' agents are asking these days when they get a bid from a film company for scrjeen rights to a book. A query that was pretty much academic a short time ago has suddenly taken on great importance and is playing a part in all Hollywood's negotiations currently for picture rights. Stand Of the film companies Is pretty much uniform. They msist that-their purchase of rights in- clude both screen and video so far as any version of the book on cellu- loid is concerned. Beyond ttiat, it's pretty much a matter of nego- tiation, with the outcome depend- (Continued on page 71) ' *i.^?^«^,*"8le is another strong ' fSSf-L in these parts find 4efi-i£f.S/f.*'***y take along their ^ |ets Without finy diiBculties raised^ rL hl^Si*'""^^ement. It's « . ilf *»««^th-and*lipper sight to see feed&^ their shoes; t^hil ™5 S^S' <=«tch tlie show S. til*^" *"*''^ the kids to sleep < w the rear of the car. ni?tf^®"^"® are tiirning in whop- ' KJ^^S^^ and are now bidding |Wy. *or »?etter playing-time for v»^"^^l^ P^ilng small flats readX^n?'^,^''^^»ver. They're comn.i^H'"'''! *", Wttl^ percentages anrtW^^!,to four-walled houses hSi«i" ^^'^ **> the west oetog charges,«t that sate. are Official 'Leaks' Would Penalize Press> Radio Washington, May 4. A shocker came to the attention of the Capitol hill press corps to- day (Tues). Inserted in a bill re- ported out by the House Rules Committee was a provision permit- ting the jailing of newspapermen and radio commentators who print "leaks" in confldental information submitted to any Congressional committee. Rules group is headed by Rep. Leo Allen (R., lU.). Pre- viously, Rep. Clare Hoffman's ex- penditures committee had passed the bill along. ■'While consensus iimong several solons queried was that the pro- vision never would get through, *he turn of thinking it evidenced gave the news lads the shudders. Measure as drawn calls for. a jnaximum $1,000 fine or one ye^r in jail or both for connction. Further detailed stories on U. S. Supreme Court decision affectiner the major film com- panies on ipagcs 3 and 18. 7-1 opinion written by Justice Wil- liam O. Douglas, majority of de- fense lawyers believe. The U. S. Dept. Of Justice's legal fight to break what it claims is a monopoly of eight companies in the film business was given its first shove by independent theatre owners 10 years ago. As a result of the latest ruling, the indie oper- ator is now in the strongest posi-^ (Continued on page 18) Jazz said Vaude 'C(Hiceks'at$3.60 100,000 Video Johs By '52-Aiistiian Philadelphia, May 4. Some 100,000 Jobs in the tele- vision industry by the end of 1952 was envisioned by Ralph B. Aus- trian, veepee in charge of video at Foote, Cone & Belding, in a speech at the WCAU Career Formn. Looking further into the crystal ball, Austrian predicted that 63,- 000,000 in 140 cities will see regu* lar tele programs over 400 stations within five years. He noted that 70 new tele stations are being built and 191 new applications are awaiting FCC action. Austrian told the panel of eight Philly area high school students that employment possibilities are "unlimited" in television. He warned, however, that those desir- ing to enter the field Eihould train for some particular phase of the business. Tops of the Top« Retail Disk Seller "Nature Boy" Retail Sheet Mbsic Seller "Now IS The Hour" "Most RcQtuested" Disk "Nature Boy" Seller on Coin Machines y "Nature Boy" British Best Seller "Galway Bay" The jaffl and v^iudeville concert promotions field has passed its, peak and the law;of diminishing i:eturns has taken over,-according to trade findings. This type of en- tertainment, which started an up- ward climb about three years ago, has now become a risky proposi- tion in too many in^tancesi 'and it's figured that it won't be long until staid concert stops such as Car- negie and Town Halls, N. Y., will again ■ become the exclusive prov- ince of the longhalrs. The first to feel the decline in the field is the pure jazz concert. Except for a few bands, which in- clude Spike Jone&, Fred Waring, Duke Ellington,'Stan Kenton, Phil Spitalny, Count Basic, Dizzy Gil lespie, Illinois Jacquet, and. a few others, bands are .regarded as risky propositions in the longhair emporia. Wliereas several years ago, there was one such concert a week to attract the limited num- ber of short hair esotejtics, there are now several promotions weekly appealing to the same number of (Continued on page. 7l) 'One Big Union' Pitch Cues 1st OMcial Mov«s The first official moves to create the long-sought "one big union" in the performer, field will be taken starting May 17 by the vari- ous member organizations in the Associated Actors & • Artistes of America. Confabs will be held in New York all week. Specifically, the conferences will try-to reach an agreement on the delegation of power to the parent, organization, the question of per capita payments by the member groups, what to do with the treas- uries of the various affiliates,' and the possibility of a single member- ship card. The present mixup in the American Guild of Variety Ar- tists will al^ foe considered. This is the last year that, John Ringllng North wfll permit flit chcusi to foe televised in its en< tiretyi , Not that the five showings via CBS-TV hurt the boxoffice (North says Ijjisiness was, bettei* than ever this season),. But; next year, with its. anticipated 1»OOQ',000 sets -in circulation, may be anoiber' stojyi he reasons. . . If the circus goes on televisiptt at all next year, it will, be as' a half-hour pickup, in the form of a "ledger'.' or "comedn.". Rut as far 4s a full ihrperand-a-half hour TV presentation goes, it's North'gi decision to'skip it after '48. The clinche1*^in Nprth's decisiout it's known, was the 'ad*^run in New- York dailies last week by Macy's, .extolling the virtues of owning a 'teleyision set, with the appendage, "Why -go to . the circus when you can see it in your own home?" > North. took a burn at the ad, even going so far, as ta'question thig ethics of such advertising. But beyond that, he realizes he's got a $23,O0O to $26,000 a day invest- ment to protect, and if this year Macif -says so, how many will be saying it next year and th9 year after? » ■ . ■ . U. S. Film Ex€cs Frown , On fd^ of Plunging Into British Production Wailing and worrying' that has gone on in Hollywood in the past few weeks over anno&nced plans of both major and indie, producers to make a great number of films abroad—principally, in England— are needless. Much of the. biff talk and many {announcements merely represent, studios and in- dividuals hopping ori the pub-- licity train for a free ride, while even tliose with serious intentions will be doing a lot of mind-chang- ing before they eve* get a camera grinding abroad. That's the opinion of informed sources dt hoiAeoffices in New York." Likewise said to make i&i- likely any big trek across the $ieaS is the attitude of the British gov- ernment, as exemplified in the un- equiyocating statement of Board of Trade prexy Harold Wilson to the House of Commons last Friday (30). He assured Parliament that Americans would not "dominate'* (Contibtied on t>age 15) Carnegie Pops' 'Berlin Nite' Carnegie Pops Concerts, at Car- ■ negie Hall, N. Y., will end its cur; reniseason June 5 with an "Irving Berlin Night.". Occasion will tie up with Berlin's 60th birthdiiy, which occurs a few days before. Jack Shaindlin, who will con- duct, is, making special symphonic arrangements of various Berlin tunes, and will introduce the scone of Berlin's newest film, "Easter Pasade"{M-G).