Variety (Dec 1948)

48 LRGITIMATB—CONCRRT Wednesday, Deeember 22, 1948 Revised Setup Insures Unusual March of Time Legit Documentary The Match of Time dociimentarv"*' on lotjit. or!E;inally nixed because] ot excessive union demands, has' been revived and is near comple- tion, Fihii of 18 minutes length, wll be icloascd Jan 29, with pios- pecls of bein? shown in 9,000 pic ture housoi, in the U. S and 13,000 votld \Mde With the documentary showing El Patio's Reopening Hollywood, Dee 21. El Patio theatre recently taken j ovei by a New Yoik syndicate on i d lO-jeai lease will open Jan 31 with the Ameiican piemieic ot ^. ^ ^ „,,„ ...„ Grand Katioival-. NiglU,' .British most phases m the development ol plav by Dorothy and Campbell a pU>, iiom the time it reaches, Chifstie It wilt be the first ot a producer's office until its openingi lour new plavs to be oHered on a night, film is unusual in being onel two-Hoelv-minimum urn basis, by ot the rare attempts to publicize Prodi.cei^Co Inc, foimed by Jus i * Edward Johnson GtmrdI MaMgar of th« ; , Mcrropolitan'Optra disurei that tb« *'Patient Is Progressing ISicely' \ ■ ■ * ■*■'■■* ■'. ont' of th« many editorial . -"faatnros'.'iii • • ■ ■■ - 43il Anniversary Nnmber Out Soon hside Stuff-Legit Editoi-ial In the current (December) issue of the Equity magazine takes the recent ban of "The Respectful Prostitute" by Cjucago author- , itiifs as another example of how censorship "in all its forms" and I "wherever it is practiced and no matter by whom or with what tno- ' tivcs" • "does more h^rm than good " Piece goes on to explain how I Illinois and Chicago laws authorize the city's police commissioner, if I he believes a play is immoral, indecent or obscene, to suspend for » • year the license ot the theatre in wliich it is presented. It addS,'"The police commissioner does not have to prove: that the play is any of those things. The theatreowner or manager has no defense in his claim that It has never been so considered anywhere el.se It has played ' It IS an exercise of naked power; which no police official is eqiiipppd deal with and should not be permitted to exercise " , The editorial hedges a bit in discussing the quality of "Proslie" it- self, observing, "It is a play which hurls a challenge to accepted stand- ards of morality It does so in terms which may be considered by some not to be in good taste." legU on an overall basis Pic also niaik', the first of its kind on the theatie, although back in 193,t, on icluin ol "Ctieen Pastuio-," to Broadwavi MOT did a documentary on Richard B Harrison, who played the leading figure of "de Lawd," and spiritual singing trom ' Pas- tures" was woven m. I Original proiect called tor, the I filming: 01 scenes from several cur-! rent Broadway legiters, with pic' buill aiound \arious phases in the' production of the Playwrights Co.'s new hit, ''Anne of the: Thousand Days" Costs involved, especially Equity's salary vdemands for the many actors concerned, made pioj- ■ect :too .expensive for MOT \cldis llj\ den^"Roire "and"Dave ' MarkoVa-Dolin In Duislon wlio opeidlod a Laguna , DplaVPd TjOndon BoW Beach* sti aw hatter last summer, [ , ^ UCldycu UUIIUUII ouw . I Alicia Markova and Anton Doiin, [■ originally set to open at Earl's Court Stadium. London, Dec. 27, wiU; now perform' there for five: perfprmanCes Jan. S-'?; They'll use a Ibcally-recriiited corps de ballet, I and the London Syrnphbiiy Or- chestra under M u i r Matheson. iJah.cefS are guaiijanteed $10,000, in: Amencari, coin ag^^^^ 9 ■ percent^ age^jStaidlum seatS^ W .Be;eause 'pf .'th'e^ i^^ switch, duo have had t6 cancel their Mexi- I CO City season. "They'll: return who I irom England for a short Carlb^ Concert Mgrs. NixASCAPPacts In Fee Wrangle ■ Although ,Lee and J. ; J. Shubert are: popularly suppo.sed to be not on speaking terms, there are some close to their various theatrical affairs' who assert that the two brothers really have a close; friendly relation- ship In tact, they're said to have a joint bank account tor business, on which either can draw checks Will ol Lee Shubert, the elder brother, is believed to leave a sub- stantial share of his fortune and share m the partnership to J J , with the rest to be divided among his sister, the latter's son, Lawrence Shubert Lawrencec Who represents the firm in Philadelphia, and MUtOki ' Shubert, another nephew. Will of J. J. Shubert is understood to leav^ - virtually every tiling to his only son; John, who is active in thefifm,- ■: hee and J J , together, are said to be multi-millionaircs Local . concert managers, banded into the National Assn. of 1 bean tour, then go to Johannes- IdeTwarsubsequentirre^^^^^ Managers last week, have , burg where they open end of ' decided to suspend further con-I March. Plans are now being: set. tracts with the American Society i lor a special NBC tele program iiri ot Composers, Authors, and Pub- N.. Yl Xmas day;. yhen i dancers iishers (AS0AP), pending clarifica- wilhappear witjt JtbbeH^^Z^^^ tion of responsibility on perform- orch in the SnowHake.scene frdm ancc rights. About 50 of the 125 I the ^'Nutcraclcer'*'Suite.^; U. S. local managers met m N. Y. 1. :: v.-. „■ ::- .:''.'•■; ']'■■■: / ;:•/':■''•:::.■" pi^'j , to torin a group to protect their i ••. iw ■ • o ^ inteiests. and the ASCAP matter PhylljS Holden SetS ■ of discussion. :. ;.:■:<■. ■: : ed by Bill Fields, Playwrights':pub licity head, with scope of the origi- nal plan narrowedrPlaywrights Co. also contributed :$500 to .the cost. Film's cost runs under $10,000. It now uses only one §cene trom •'Anne," wil;h . only six actors in svolved, and a : scene from Negotiations currently going on for a Los Angeles presentation of "High; Button Shoes" will, if successful, chalk up a first for Greek the- atre producer Gene Mann. If a deal is finalized to bring the show in (cither fl'om ::N. or. Chicago, where companies are now rtfhning), it will mark the first time a traveling attraction has been booked into the open air theatre in Griffith Park. And if Mann gets an okay to stage his own local production, it will. be the firsst time .a current hit has'been done at the Greek, where Mann has for three years specialized m musical t«Vivals. Gloves," utilizing three actors. Re , ^ ^ | - f * ductionm numbereof actors used wa.s tniet topic eased an imoortanl problem. Coop-1 Most of the managers have been eiation ot Imernational Alliance of paying ASCAP for the last three Theatrical Stage Employees, relax- or four years a license fee up to Ing lis rules on number of stage- $250 a year, or about $30 a con hands involved; also aided, with cert; . foi Eddie Foy,: Jr., back as comedy lead of "High: Button Shoes," at the Great Northern, Chicago,: is :again breaking up the other, performers- with ad lib bits of business. One: night recently, for instance, he stopped the Bird Watchers' Society lecture scene by surreptitiously Switchmg props so that when he opened the huge suitcase to take out the stuffed owl; he released a live duck. As the terrified fowl quacked around the stage and: finally into the wings,, the cast and. audience had hysterics. That's more or less typical of the comic's cutups. 50G for B'way Play T>u 11- TT 1J ' u 1 ■ i , '' Members of the touring "Heiress"' company have denied a report in Fnyiiis^Hciden, w .weeiC i lag^: vi^eek's Variety about poor, morale in the troupe,: asserting that announced Plans to produce Any- "relationship has been sirigulftrly pleasant dnd frieiidly;". State „ •„.„....„, ASCAP music used by oooy "ome on Broadway m Janu- was signed not only by the cast, company and stage managers and back- heads of departments instead ot visiting aitists Managers claimed ' afV. has already lined up the com- stage department heads, but even by personal attendants of the three whole crews used. ' at the meeting that they have no , Pl^*^i'"^"*^'"S tor the venture The i leads. One of the signers, incidentally, was the one responsible for the say in an artist's program, that i ?50,000 production will have 40 ^^ory. I they are tontrattois for not em-! backers, none ol whom is m show ^ ^ , , ^;-^^r '';:^ ^: ...fv'--'"':':' ":' -^- ■ ■ • business or has ever invested in 'PROSTITUTE' TOUR OFF AFTER CENSOR SNAG Newark, Dec. 21 Newark Opera House's off again? i on again legit season took another, blow Wednesday (15). The man- ager, Alfredo Cerrigone, signed a: contract at noon to play ''The Re-i spectful Prostitute" and "Hope Is i the Thing M'lth Feathers" during the week of Dec 27. At 4 p.m. I f^^. word came from New York that the deal was off. Reason given involved "Prosti- tute's" tour, which already suffered ployers of, the artist;.and that N. Y: I'^deral Court Judge Leibeil's film decision, disapproving ot ASCAP's method of taxing exhibitors, covers them too Hence they felt that ASCAP should collect its tax elsewhere, preferably from the artist. They cited the tact that symphony or- chestras, paying royalties on music performed, were: paying at the source, and thus setting an example nstrumental and vocal en-: sembies and individual artists. ASCAP, U was disclosed at the meeting. IS m agreement with this point of view, and feels that the the theatre before. All are person-1 al friends or relatives.. "Anybody Home" was : written by Robert Pyzel, Miss Holden'S husband, a retired construction en- gineer. It's his second play, the first having been"Quadrille," which Miss Holden announced for Legit Bits New York '"f.'.''^':'^ artist-or his representative, the arti.st management bureau--should Week was to substitute for Chi en- gagement. But then Cleveland called It off, too, and since Equity rules require at least two weeks' guarantee for a road tour, the whole thing was dropped. Chi Mayor Sanctions Ban: Chicago,, Dec. 21. benefit of the lopal Christmas, fundi: » u ™ J • 11 ., game group; repeated th«s s^^^ „ J^^^ R^udenhj.' ballerina of | terday (Tues.) for the patients at "Annie G^t, Your Gun" (imperial, I Cancer hospital, N. Y . . "Uniforin , N. Y.); will be marrjcd New Year s i of Flesh'" draTriati7af inn hv r «iti» production last season but subse- Day to Richard Marks, N Y. man-' Gox and » I^^^^^^^ quently dropped. Producer, who ufacturer. the wedding being per-1 Hernian Meiyille's nOveV^^'^^^^^^^^ last appeared on Broadway in' formed at Greenwich, Conn, in Budd "'will be preseiited the week- 1938, will play one of the leading j the morning so that: the dancer l end of Jan. M at Lennox Hill Sct- roles : in "Anybody Home," which j can: be back at: the theatre for the tlenient iHbuSe,'N, 'Y IS described as a romantic drama; matinee. 1 play of the Invitatiphail- S^^ with a Westchester county locale.; Radio writer - diirector Norman the Experimental Theatit-e, spOii^. Ralph Forbes IS to direct and the; Corwin and his wife, Katherinc sored by ANTA. cast may include Harvey Stephens; Locke, will have leading parts in Rogers Clark, Kathenne Anderson "The Glass House," by Howard and Emory Richard.son. vKpch ahd Anne Fro:eU«k^^ Limited partnership, agreement Stephen Ames- and Charles H. j , , , _ . for .the show gives the .backers a Russell are to present OM Broad-j '^unshin has been signed: a,s star, 1% interest for each $700 invest-j way next spring, with Joseph ! with Agnes DeMille directing . '. ment, whereas under normal terms Losey directing . . . Novelist El^ ■ Kobcrl Beverly Hale, appointed: •issi.mp tiir^V^fo/ltrarTuVTlin^ fhey^ have to put up SI 000 for ' Hot Paul commissioned by Cy week the a.s&ocidte cuialoi of with Columbia balking becluse of ' ^"'^l' " agieenient also •'[euer and Einest H. Martin to do , i^e new department of American pay the license tee. The two largest bureaus, Columbia Artists Mgt and National Concert & Artists Corp, have been ap- proached, with the latter wilting to James Thurber to design the main curtain for "He and She" the ! K«n En^Jund-Vernon Duke-Ogden Nash musical, for which Jvltt the bookkeeping involved ASCAP, Mayor Kennelly approved Police it's leliablv reported: is nowwork- Commissioner Prendergast's ban ins; on Columbia, ofteiing to .^m- on Jean-Paul Sartre's "The Re- buise it for such bookkeeping spectful Prostitute" Friday (16) and costs Feeling is that if Columbia duriaied the play was not only im- and NCAC agiee to such licensing, proper "but a bum play." thy smaller artists' bureaus will : "Of course if it were just a bum follow suit; plav I would have no objections, ASCAP, it was pointed out has foi Chicagoans have a right to see the 18 ailist buieaus in N Y (in- bum plays if they want to pay foi cludmg Columbia and NCAC) them. But this play is not fit to appear, on a Chicago stage," said Kennelly.- Kennelly acted after re- ceiving a report from William H Foil his public relations assistant l'l,u W.I.S skedded to open al Slud"l)akt"r theatre, Dec 27. I stipulates that there shall be no the book foi a new musical localed Metropolitan Museum, in Paris .. . . John O'ShaughhesSy " . a brothe r of Edward IS no longer being billed as direc- Hale, of the Equity staff, tor of "Jenny vKis.sed Me;" which 1 pi • opens tomorrow night. (Thur ) at' V^nicagO . the Hudson. Co-producer James i ,, t-hcryl Crawford, producer Of Russo, ha.s taken over the staging j "Brigadooh," flew In froin Gotham . . : Contrary to report, Nanette j to check on Chi cpiflpahy . . . h„ r,^„,5.., „j D . 1 Fabray has no deal m the works I''"''""C Schneider, general man- " - T™1 .ri ,ffl.,!.'h.r^ « Pi-^l"'-*^ '^""tract to follow Ik of '"Streetcar Named Dcsire.r' lennent. Ltd , ;ts authors, i ,„ ..r „ - t in town looking over Chi company . .Fred Crowe; matiager: of Er- nger theatre, .:in.vites four para' plegics as liiij : gtiests evei-y Sit. overcall and forbids assignment or substitution ot limited partner ships. Goetzes to London I With "The Hen ess" scheduled H. M Ruth and for Englan nn^-ni fri ,.c ^""^ ^ pictufc Contract to follow Ik "eer ZJ^hi.k r' ^"I'lors I current appearance m "Love Life," to Augustif^ Goetz will sail at the 46th Street, NY , • • nd, I'uday (24), on the f,.,,^^ „„.,,,. „„ ' langt Dan Rvbb in Bkptcy. D.iniel Rybb who ni.in.iged the Carnegie Pop Concerts at Cdinugie Hall, N Y, Ihe past two .seasons filed petition for bankruptcy in N Y Federal couft last week He listed liabilitie.s ot $16,132 and as- sets ot $81. llvbb is a member of the double- Seattlf lined up for fees on ,ill coacerls , „ ^ nn"'rph^ar=»^ Claude Horton flew in to N Y given in N Y, But bureaus to date 1 ^Tl},?. ^llV.Uh^^tZ-A l^""" Honolulu l.ist week, following haven't inked for such fees na- ^f^^^ Richard-1 ^ year's run in "Under the Coun- tionalh ^■O" and James Dona d have been,,er" oppo.site Cicely Courtneid^c Tempoiao' officers for the new i .ri* *'°!"' B"'"" m Australia and New Zealand reii will direct [ show closed m Adelaide two weeks Play IS slated to have a brief; ago,: Miss Courtneidge; now Vaea- prpvincial tour prior to its Lon-! tibnirig in Sydney, will b^! pas.sing don preera at the llaymarket the- through. N. Y. about .tart. 3 oh her atre. Following the ()penin.g, the 1 wiiy liome to Londbn:;;^^;" :^^^: ^^^ Z Goetzes expect to vi-sit Sweden, bJss section of the N Y Philliai- iiionic Symphony,; and organized tli.'r pop concerts for the spring ■ fill-in weeks between the Philhar- monit's regular .season and the summer Lewisohn .: Stadium con- certs. Although he denied being claiming association were elected with Pat tiuk Hues Washington, prez; I Mis Edna W S.iundois llou.ston, \eep("' Uilian Oltic V-Iple Plains, N Y secieldi-N, J 11 Thuman, ; C^incianatL treasurer; C h a r t e r meiiibers also iricjude; . Aa.ron llicliiiiond., Bn.slon;:. Dafi- gotf M Lee New Maven, Ktank E Andieus Poitland Oie Waltei Kiitschv Kansas Citv, Emma Feld- niaii: Philadelphia; C ociira Schult/. Mat rie Southwick and Mrs. matinee of "Mr. Roberts" . . Basil Rathbonc, star of . "Heiress,", adr: diessed Chi Sales Executives club at La Salle hotel recently ''Man and Superman": opens on a Sunday eve, Dec 26, because of Chiistmas holidays Oidinarily, pjay would have: Monday opening, and after Sunday performance; S B E\eils Siracu<f> Roland E Clu'slev Ulua A M Oberfeldei Dcnvpt llanv Zel/er Chicago, W lloinbergei, Toionto S H Scliectei Montreal, Ralph W Fiost, Knowille; Maivin MacDon- ald, Atlanta; Zoiah B Berr>, Buf- falo, William K Hull Philadel- phia Mr and Mis Parker O Newark; William and personally, liable, claiming the liabilities were incurred managing the affairs of Carnegie Pop Con- GntCith certs. Inc., he filed a personal peti- Thomas Beegle, Pittsburgh, Al | tion nevertheless Coote Haitloid, Mis Julian Olney ] There are 46 unsecured credit- White.Plains: A. Treinblay, Ottaw.'i; j ors. including ASCAP for license Chai les A Sink. Ann Arbor, Mi-' fees. ichaux Moody, Richmond. I Frederick Schaiig tells about the 'Two Greatest Seasons Enjoyed by Convert Biz" in Ik* forthcoming 43d: Anniversary Number of ,, Due, Soon ; Clarence Derwent, Guthrie Mc- will discontinue Sunday eve pres- Chntir, Gilbert Miller, Theron entation Ed Wynn's vaude iBamberger, Rosamond Gilder, levue definitely set tor Jan 17 at Geoigp Frpcdlry and Robert Breeii I G i e a t Noilhern ' Allegro will represent the American Na-1 skedded loi Blatkstone alter lional Theatre Academy at the 13th ' 'Medea" closing which mav be in- Iannual convention of the American late Jan because of good bo, re- Educational Theatre Organization, ception for "Medea" I Dec 28-30, in Washington J. J. i a i Shubert is vacationing m Miami j 1-08 Angeles until mid-,Ianuary Jack Effrat, i Pat Englund, one of the oi iginal .stage manager of "Goodbye, My.foundeis ot the Coast's Ciicle , Fancy," at the Morosco, N. Y , has 1 Players, takes over the lead in established a ceremony of giving a {group's production of "Ram," on ' lollypop to every member of the Dec 26, replacing June Havoc, who company before performances i goes back to film work Miss Eng- Mrs. Wdtson Barratt, wife of the lund has just returned from Lon- Iscene designer has rallied Irom an- 'don, where she had the Ado Annie other hospital crisis and is back at role in "Oklahoma'" her job of editing the N. Y. Visitor Alan Napier will plaj Ihe role '""e,-, „ of the king in "And So To Bed," at 0"d Town strawhat, at Smith-, the tiny new Stage thcatv Holly- town Branch, L. I , reopened last j wood. Eusenie Ijfoiitovich, who H, I weekend for a show by the Abbe star and dii-ect, is operating the I Theatre Workshop, H. Y., for the house with Rita Glover.