Variety (Dec 1948)

We«incB<1ay, December 29, 1948 55 isn't a bad progression within the' space of two seasons. >4bGl. .1 BARBARA ANN SCOTT Figrurfe Skater Roxy Theatrfe, N,Y. Exhibs Uncertain of Video Continiiod from page 1 ISADQBi: (KZY) H™ST Isadore (Izzy) Hirst, 50, burle- s«ue wheel operator and theatre owner, died in Miami Beach, yes- terday '28) atter a protracted ill- ness Although his main operations were handled out of Philadelphia, he had spent his winters in Florida for the past several years. Remains will be shipped to Philadelphia, wheie tuneral services Will be held on Friday '31). Hirst had been active in burl lishers, died there, Baibaid Ann Scott who li.is won 2,000,000 persons for a top Hooper-, jo.ving themselves in company with fipn?»'"cJ^t, /J'^ /''■"'''m"' I ated show, such !is Milton Berle's ' other people, just Ho bolster up "Texaco Star Theatre" on Tuesday theiF feeling ot belonging." nights, conflicting ' opinions were l,:- ■ -' ! "•.' ' .:'" :'\ : especially noticeable Walter .prp^.j^^^j No •MatchV./V^'^- Born in Chicago, Harris started' 5.?"''® . sliating, capped by the as when a youth with White-Smith ; P'yniP'C; champiohsiiip, niiirks ■ Jier Music Co; He later worlced for i 'he pi-oteSsi6nal field Willis Music Co. and Gamble i^**". *"\? °?te. ,And S^^^ Hinged. Music; He had .headed ; ^'y*' ^.""J^ "''" Fischer's Glii branch for 24 vears ' PetH'on in all pha.ses of Uie .sport , ,,, - ■ sWed by w5e, tw5 sons and yhith Mis. Heme has mo.e oi less «/'^^^^^^^^ a daughter dominated tor years office but painted out that:^^W , - • ■ ■ .- >' t Built henutifully fj-om.top down, siirVey atein^ted at^.t^ T»r»\t*i n itoiiiiT I Miss Scott IS a lUm natural, - She' bli.is. jgeneiuvlly off/ i^^^^ uK}iSj\L,u BKiAN handles heiselt well on Roxy's con- wiriite, Andi he pointed out, "if Donald Brian; 73, retired actor fined .ice area, bhe can t do too we hjvve a good picturie to show , .,«nrc a= hniiw ort an^'pger who walt/cd to succcss much ol the figino loiitincs that oui tustomcis on Tuesday nights, esque for many years as house op- as Prince Danilo m the original won her hci place but what she we don't even know that Berle is erator, producer and, for more i American pioouction of Franz executes is obviously the work of than 10 yeais, head ot his own cir- Lehai'k operetta "The Merry an accomplished aitisl Too m a tuit Latter involved ownership or Widow," died in his home at Great buef lhdnk\ou to the audience,' libldintis in 35 theatres in eastern I Neck; L. I., Dec. 22. '■ - - - - ■ and midwest territories, wherein f He leaves his wife, the foimer some 35 burlesque shows produced Virginia O'Biien, an aetressi, a by lUDi fed them and the western daughter and a sister circuit, operated out of Chicago. | (Joe Lauiie Jr, has a person- When burlesque was in its hey- ality piece on Mr Buan in Legit) day, Hirst had produced his own shows for the old Columbia and Mutual wheels as well as operat O Up topper ALEXANDER JADASSOHN Alexandei Jadassohn, 76 music alive:"^.'. '^v-■ -:rRO/B. '.he seems uell-'.poktn and poised ^^^^ thealics toppei Malcolm And in,lhe finale she luts a loutine Kingsbcig could see no appieciable fitted to the tune "Ave Maua." eflcet liom tele jet "Qui busi- which ends in a pia\et-postuie ncss m N Y, m tact, is relatively It seems designed to indicate dim bottei than the lest ot the coiin- potcnliahtios though the piece ti\ " he said lie i mphasi/ed that fits the Roxy show idea Miss Scolt T\ , while a coinpelmg tactoi is IS said to have an option deal with no moic bnMi th.m such iaclois as 20th-Centuiy-Fox She's a gioat night baseball games automobile Keade. Jr., head of the tndu" circuit bearing his nanic, dcclaieo tele For BcHc Competition ; Milton Bciie's "Texaco Star "iheatfe" on teleyisiori is playing liayoc with several orfsaniisatiDris rneetirig on Tuesday nights, JSud- ner agency is in possesslpn of two . l*;ttei:s froin N. ¥. Parcnt-TeaCliers Asshs. protesting that the Berle . progi'ani has caiised Tuesday ,meln- bership meetings to d rop. frofli a,ri ■ ■ ■■averSge:'of-2W-t!y 3S. ;■. ■■„■:;' :;;' : It's also been reported that sev-* era! lodgc\s.» ineeting: :;oii.,^^T^^^ have been forced to install video setis in tlieii'-quSi^ers^ : sayd'.-, thi ■organi^ifion'.:' ■ Bm#>>,6.ss ' iTie^tingis. ;^.start;;':Jtititiii6ii|atel^^^^ the Berle show signs off, ,' ' ■, new personality on the basis of this biiel showing. t Wood KALI KALO & CIIARMAINE .Dance 7 Mins. Hdvana-Madiid, N. Y. Kali Kalo and Chaimame dis- play the eneigy and aosoitment of tucks l\pKal of the Latin-America nding, etc Same opinion was voiced by Randforce'circuit treas*- uier Emanuel Tnsch "When WS have only a iaii or a pool picture," he. :said.. "any . oiitsule attraction ' will huit But when we have an CNcellent pictuie placing on a Tuesdav oi Sunday niglit, we do topnotch business ' Nat Hams, evec with the Island Sex, Crime ing the Trocadero, Philly, which publisher died in New York, Dec; still plays burlesque When both on22 He owned the Haimonie Pub- the lormer wheels folded in the , hshmg Co 1930's, Hirst organized his own Jadassohn, who was born in circuit and had enlarged and op-1 Leip/ig Gei many a son ot Salo- erated it up until his death. In ; mon .Jadassohn, composer,, came to addition he was the owner of the this country in 1938 Auditorium and Garden theatres, 1 He leaves his wife and a soni pix houses in Philly It is leported -5 that circuit and house operations LORA ROGERS . will be earned on by his staff un- Lm,, Rogeis, 74, retired actress der supei vision of his widow In , died in Piovidencc, R I, Dec 23 ..iidditJon to the latter, he IS sur- After ■ vived by a brother and three, stock sisters. jln th ■.-. ■'. ■ '■:■<.. ' she FREDERIC ULLMAN, JR. ""mber of Broadway productions, beiVTell''bTnyd'm^^^^^^^ wioteolT , > , . . Frederic Ullman, Jr, 45, UKO including "Brother Rat," "Pei- J'V.'';:;\'„''^''F''"'^''" ol the Bianclt nuuit wiole oil ^pv lack punch or wording cak-u uiuiiilw jmpoils I'hcv ha^e couple "'1 01 oka> loulines that blend nicely T''*'?'!!*: "^1'"!.'*°*' ''°?!^-"? the noijnal Contittiiiid from pai^e 1 pet hate listed by exhibs—the psjchiatucal lilm or one with over- tones ol mental aberrations Pub-i lie's alleig\ to this pome ol pictuie IS noted as dramatizing the cus- tomers desire.for the healthy: and : producer and tormer head of Pathe i sonal News, died alter a heart attack at | Girls' his home in Beverly . Hillsj . Cal., Dec 26 He had recently com- pleted his first full-length film, ''The Window" lor RKO LJllmanJias been; connected with the film industry since his gjadua- tion tiom Yale m 1<)25 From 1942 to 1947 he was head of Pathe Newbv and he launched the "This Is America" series there. He was head ot the RKO Television Corp. : until 1947. and became an RKO producer alter the, sale of Pathe News la.st year. 1 He was a member of the Academy ot; Motion Picture . Arts and Sciences, and the Yale Club of New York. Suivived bv wite and son and a daughter by a previous marriage. Appearance," Too VMany ind What a Lile " Suivivcd by biother and a sister. tor .solo -spots. Jose. Writers-Pubs Continued; from page 3» i jOE DAY'f ON ' ' >.i>nnmiea: irom page •"^ ■ Joe Daylon who had been co-administration of a copyright in teamed with liis brother in the all phases. . . Dayton Bios \aude act, died in But al the moment some music Los Angeles, Dec 26, alter having i altoineys believe that the writer been ha by an automobile while i intervention in the ITOA case is changing tire on his own car. -stymieing it and want them to Dayton Bros had been a stand-, withdiaw The request foi a "pro- aid act on the vaude-nitery cncuits pnetaiy inteiest" in a copyright is loi more than 20 years. Survived, bv.'brotheri SAM AST^Y Sam Astey, oldtime vaude agent and 'husband of Dixie Hamilton, letued singing single, died at his home in Toiest Hill NY, Dec 27 He was in his late &0 s; . Astey had been ill tor some time. ROLY YOWNG Roly Young film and drama critic of the Toronto Globe and i Mail died in that city, Dec 24 , A producer as well as a writer, [ he wrote, produced and toured i with "Chins Up" during the second World War. Later he produced ' 'Funnv.Side Up ' He also organ- ized the Toronto Civic Theatre. He went to Toronto 20 years ago . ■ ■ ■ , ■ with a Gilbeit & Sullivan company Clara llibbs Ilarwood, 71 wife and loined the staff of The To- ot M P iMeli Haivvood tiaveling ronto Star. He later worked for auditor of Warner Bros.. Washing-^ The Mail and Empire and Ienwincd Ion iDCi exchange died Dec. 21 wilh the pap'^i when it nieiged at hel home iii Wajne, Pa. with The Globe to become '1 ho , — Globe and Mail Curtis Jackson, 40 father of At on^ time he studied voice in Shciiy ani Cuitis Jackson, Jr, MERRILL W MINNICH Mciiill W Minnich, 54 musi- cian al WIND Chicago, died Dec 22 oi miuiies" sustained when his cfii stiuck a liee near Maplepark, telt to have been a puiely counter move by the writers to avoid be-1 ing convinced to withdraw the in-1 tervention proceeding. ; .) It's emphasized that the meeting i of the two tactions did not occur | undei the auspices ol either the Songwuters Protective Assn oi | ASCAP It was called by Starr, , as a publisher, with individual I wiilcis Besides Stan the pubs' ■present' included Jaek Mills, LOufe ' Bernsteini: George Xevy.-Max Drey- lus and Saul Bouine \mong tne writers attending were Sigmund Romberg, who made the lequest that jolted the opposition, Chatles Tobias, Edgar Leslie and Tied Ahlcil tele enfiieh putting the blame all y^^.^ to hjpo thcatio attendance, on a "bad run ot puluics" David Difficulties of fitting lengthy titles WeiPslofk head ol the Ravbond on limited marquee space is also chain dedaicd the only effect lelt pi,i\of| up so lai was on nights ol ch impion- One peculiar phenomenon is ship fights 01 olhei topdiawer ^polllf;lUed hv the answeis Manv spoils e\ents—'and theie aien't dims tint do lop Inisiness in fiist- enough ol those to huit too much,' Hin dcUisds aic niai tuIlu^s in he added sub^' m-i un and nalie situa- In Philadelphia, Jay Kmanucl, lions Scxeial films aie listed as copping extended runs in opening engagement but tail to draw in smaller situations. ...Answers:show''e,d that for the-ma- jority ;of. exhibitors the , best gross' . ers, included ''SCudda lloo" ( it ap- pealed . bh iritore replies than; aiiy one; oilier picture i ."Best Years ot Our Lives." "1 Remember Mama." . "Fuller Brush Man." ''Kgg aiid I.'* "Easter Parade." "Where There's Lite." "Sittin,',' Pretty" and "Green Grass of Wyoming." ■ .■\nioiiR "high allocation" pictures... that did worst at the boxoifiCe weie "Slate of Union" and !'Cap- tain From Castile"—these pictures showing up rnost often on lists. TV's 'Clearance'? Washington Dec 28 One exhibitor here., who specializes in leissuc^ aud some old British product, is complaining about competition ■ from featurjt's now being tele- cast "Some of my cu.stomers,'.'he told Variety, 'want -to.,know .whether television has a- oncr ■ week, clearance over my house ' New Yoik Duiing that time he was a soloist at the Little Chui'ch Aiound the Coiner screen moppets, died • Dec. 18 in Hollvv.'ood, lollowing an automo- bile crash. pa i'^^x"'? •'• MACKAY Rov Miston, 50, stage manager t-clv-'aid J Mackay, 74, tormcr of Loow s Iheatre, Dayton, O died " director, died . in.; of a cerebral heinorrhage Dec. 25. . , „, , , „. in Dayton Suivived by wife and '"^ on the RKO imuSiC slan daughter. actoi and film Elizabeth, N. J.. Dec 26. He was the son of the late F F JWackay, who; also was an actor. He played m manv stage pioduc- _ , . c , tions and in supporting roles with ^""'e' «f Anna Sosenko, per- Henrietta Crosman Grace Geoige "^o""'ior Hildegarde died piga Netheisole. Bertha Galland, i ,''"''*'e"lv Dec 18 Four days prior Margaiet Illington an'd Mrs Fiske ' ^lereto, his sister died Mackay also headed and man- aged a number ot stock companies, in addition to directing a number . 01 early mm he played film roles with Blanche Sweet, Jane Giay, i and Arnold Dalv I MARRIAGES ' Doiothy R Wcnt/el to l.dum R Gault Ii Haiii<;buig Pa Dec 18. Bnae IS secretary at WIIP in that city; he s engineer at same station Janet Lehrfeld ; to Alex Showe; Philadelphia; Dec: 26. lie s an exec ot Theatie Candy Co. in Pilt.s- .burgh.■• . Judy Woiton to Milton Kiffor- stein Iowa Citv la Dec 26 Bride head ot a stung of indie houses in eastein PennsvIvania, averred theies no quc'linn about tele- ;vision's threat," cleclal'i.ng ,.it's. es- pecially, marked in ;, suburban houses. .Emtinucl iiolcd a decline in tele's, impact; in . llKn)ti'e,i., further from TV liansmitteis pointing out that his houses in llarrisburg and Reading aien't lioubled at all by the medium Spokc^man lor the Fox theatre; Philiy ' deluSe - sh.oW'-; C a s e. a d m i 11 ed I h c IB e r IC s h o w h u rt on l uosdav nmhts and. voiced, the opinion the siiinc ti'Cnd :was;.felt thrOugliput the city.' ;' ■■ ;;■ ...v'-■ '■ More ConOirtin''' Opinions Critic Atkinsp i continued from piise J m able to hnd out how tlTP thing hap- pened However, the Times punter woiildnt inseit the cxtia lines 'witliout an okay from liis ;supcri;c>rs,, so the mattei was lelcired succes- si\cl\ to the daih s ad depaitment, then to the Blaino-Thompson ad, agencY and hnally to William JickK I'l.iNWlights' Co piessagent tor , ".'Vnnc.' Latter, reached by New Acts .■ ■ ';■■' ;'■■;*',-.,, , Contniiied from page 46 hv « fl...^^ ^^''**'' ^"'^ Lou" That's a flock of songs but „ oy a former marriage. ,hev'ie done with dispatch and not McCoy l overdi-awh Particularly jg, she P'^we Avas; office manager ot Eagle, has been noticed m either dowm La .;Vcrnc Whitehead to Jack Roth, San Antonio. Dec. 14. He's son of Eugene J Roth owner and operator of KONO there. Ann .Sparkman to Bay Kocuik, Sioux City. Dec. 23. Both are dancers in ' Oklahoma!', now on tour.- Isobel Rurenberg to Paul S Goldberg, Philadelphia, Dec 26 He's the son of Harry Goldberg, ad-publicity head for Warner Bros. Theatres. Mary Meadowcroft to Timothy Philadelphia. Dec. 24; C<.nn"c\ing'opmlons"weio"voiced Pli'>nf '^ew Haven okayed the n Washington Haidie Meakin of in^Cition but mlorincd Ande.-jon ot the; situation that evening. Iie- in Washington KeiUi s the-dre lanotlier showcase) declared: "Tuesdav night is always our clo.5ing nieht ot the week. We've noticed no slump due to Berle." Bernard Lust; ot the Sid- ney Lust theatics thought his art houses might be hurt slightly but opined that tele is too expensive to inteileie with any but highclass audiences Spokesman lor one of the major circuits in D. G. believed his showcases tore the Times first edition was, ■out! • ' . ;;■;■■■ Before agreeing to per^iiiX the quote ' in.serlionj- t;he ; playwi'ight ' merely wanted; to be sure that Atkinson ; had agreed to pay for ■ the added lines. He remarked that it was a f unny idea and suggested that "in the. charitable spirt Of the u> 1^ ocii vtu holiday period" he would be wiU- •e iut"^ but "only mg "to accept more quote ads trom ' the critics on; of course, the..same SllghllV. , 1. ■ '-it In Boston no noticeable slump P-'y-'is-you-go bas,is. lohn r^nV'* ^y*^'*'^^^^ . • smViTin glossing ove^kV'^^^^ Lion, Philly bianch allv as Tohn *>« connotations ot the saucy' " any as Jolm Westley, died in Ho!- .vmc\\s<p letting it sneak for itself Before'^'.o.nf/ ?n Tl' -t' an uncfue arent Aheady appS r^U°y"^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 'o'-ffi«' compelling, s a tlons inrhrriinn '"A,nl;,!,. " '^^^^ tront, haneKomelv accoulied in a B?"da N?ght" "Dulcy'■' "?ce- ^l""""*? ^""^ e"^^?' bound," and ' King Henry iv" 'l"^^" ^ ""^^^ ^° throw, that por Other p) o d u c I "Twelve Miles"diiV''°'button^&it^ I benefits fiom undeiplaying it Not x^^\n son" anVr daughter ton ' 'Thiough the Night,"'"The this smait in a conserva- xicL 16 Father is manager of legit theatre, conceits oi prestige week tion of It aiound, and m effect BIRTHS Mi and Mrs Da\e Lieber son. New Yoik Dec 19 Fathei is a songwriter; mother. Marian Hersh, formeily secretaiy to Louis Sobol, Journal-American columnist. Mi* FPA Groomed Continued, from page 1; town Or name filineries thatjCEl^ be; pinned On video. Thejilre maiiagiips' are not.cohfldent thht isituatloni will continue but point out that installaT tions are, currently-.so meagre and scattered that; Ihey have no effect , show^s and persdhalities recSalled^b^^^ yet in the Hub. According to Bos- 'he music. ;; ^. ; ; , ton exhibs, the type ot people that The show will be a nighttiifter and Mrs Robert A. Dame, can afford TV sets aren't regular slanted towaid male listeners, but Buffalo, patrons but come oui only for the whether it will be aired once a or nightly; Is . undecided^ Bower Is producing the Great Man""and'"WoTk'Is Vq? J""^ Ji"*^^"* ^^^°X.^ Shea's Teck Horses " No 1 hostelry, out even m tne m, , Survived bv his second wife, l"o>*« l"'''*'^ ^« ^^^^ Mrs Doiothy King Coniov and a ^egas ol Miami daughter. He was married at one There's no cUsputing her pro- Ihe late gctiess, Helen fessionalism and piomise as a ;• ■;■ ;■..; ..tuture .singing personality in the ;; ., ".; , - I top leagues. From the gal whom- loimer dancer. ti^Kliuied tTherels an Awful Lot Mr. and M . , , , . , ^, * , • i i. ^ ,• ui. of Coflee in Biafll" in the Copa Sfamfoid, Conn, Dec. 24 Father sooner or later the average couple Adams, migbt have to adjust W^^ show two yeais ago to a soloist m i!, in the television dept. of William , has to bieak loose and take part in ;Wpil scheduW to avoid a titne cohr and Class nlteries Monis Agency. |the social act of mingling and en- fiict.^^, ; ; time to WestJey. ^ SAMUEL D. HARRIS Samuel D Harris, 68, manager 01 the Chicago branch " of Carl i'lscher, Inc., N, Y., music pub- vaudfilmenes Buffalo pictures such as I Aithui Rank's All s Hans Jacoby, ' Hamlet " Hollywood, Dec. 16.1 sgnie Boston exhibs were defi- nitely o p 11 mistic. 'Tileir ,l)elief was summed, up. by one, v^'ho .d^clared.i "People I cart; -{enjoy teievisiflri. -vyi their Used daughter, Father i.s a .screen writer Ml and Mrs Leo Stiini, son, Pitt=huigh, Dec 20 Father's a musician, mothei is Betty Benson. Bart Swift, son. Roger stanza. ; Final format of FPAs W"OR stint; may depend oh Dan Golen-; paul. owner of; "Inforfflatipn;; Please.'' . T^he latter has been try-; own homes much as they ing to peddle a tele version of to enioy the pianola, but "Info," and if the show is sold