Variety (June 1949)

MiSCELLAXY *Kathy in the WeO/ ‘Langley Collyer New Wax Works in Same Old Coney f - »r»* ~ « By JO RANSON —■» ’ Brooklyn. May 31. There remains a rubbishy, slap- aiirk-bladder quality about the 1949 (’oney Island, the poor man’s ShanKri-La, despite the freshly- ] applied paint, papier-mache and i beaverboard. This year’s pilgrims to the potato ' knishe pavilions and poker-roll | parlors, in the not-so-humble opinion of the spa’s game, ride and comestible entrepeneurs, do not appear to be in a prodigal-spending I mood. I The eager-to-frolic moujik is putting a latch-string on his fast- fading roll of single dollar bills and thinking thrice before lavish- ing his precious kopeks at a freak- rry or at the till of a feeler or gravity ride. ’ At the Island this year, which officially opened Memorial Day '3()>. most of the panting prole- tariat will have itself a roaring, blister-producing good time, but for free, on the burning white sand and in the choppy surf, which f’ity Hall doth declare isn’t polluted. Fire-ridden Luna Park, one- time ^Tide of showmen Fred Thojiii^on and Skip Dundy, is no more. ^ Its multi-colored towers are down and the park’s debris re- moved to make way for a giant parking lot with entrance on West 12(h Street. Former Luna Park’s Surf Avenue front now boasts modern one story structures open for concessions, games, exhibs, etc. | This leaves Steeplechase Park, 1 under Tilyou management, the ' aole large-scale dispenser ofj middle-class joy to city folks and their country cousins. No drastic | changes contemplated in Steeple -1 chase’s operation. Amusement park is getting 50c for six rides • Continued on page 50) ACADEMY PLANS ’52 WORLD HIM FESTIVAL Hollywood, May 31. An international film festival— “more comprehensive than any ever attempted before”—will be held by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1952. Project is in keeping with the I program outlined by Jean Her- sholt. who recently retired after four terms as Academy prexy. Florence George Scores In Scotland Concert; Glasgow, May 31. | Mrs. Everett Crosby (Florence ! George, operatic soprano) came ' from London to sing to 2,000 in St. ' Andrew’s Hall for one hour, 10 niinutes. She made the grade, with cheers coming early. I Her husband and daughter are with her. touring Europe until August. She sings opera arids and ' 15 Years Ago Tbis Week • From the Variety Files) Everything in the entertain- ment line, from gigolos to union picture operators, were included in the social staff of the borscht circuit. About 25 of the largest spots in the east were even employing chorus girls. Toughest blow ever to hit American films abroad came when the Chavibr.e Syndicate recommended to the French goreriiment legislation that iron Id virtually bar Yank films froin French screens. Chambre comprises French producers and distribs. French exhibs were against the sought-for leyis lotion. “Sadie McKee,” starring Joan Crawford and Gene Ray- mond. proved sock , b.o., and indications were that “Little Miss Marker” would do ditto. I. alter was the Damon Run- yon story and showed the mop- pet Shirley Temple to advan- tage. Mike Shea died at 75 in Buf- falo. He was the last of the active vaudeville pioneers. “Come What May,'* two-act drama which opened at the Plymouth, N. Y., didn't look as if it mould go. Hal Skelly uas starred, and he also pro- duced, with the staging by Leo Bulgakov. Mary Phillips was Skelly's viz-a inz. 2.’> YEARS AGO Con«ert managers were against their artists broadcast- ing on radio; considered com- petition. “Dream Girl,” the Victor Her- bert operetta, debuted in Bos- tou, with Fay Bainter starred. Billy B. Van was jumped into the shou\ replacing Harry Del/. Miss Bainter was getting away surprisingly in attempt- ing several dance numbers. Wednesday, Jnne 1, I949 1 i SCULLY’S SCRAPBOOK <>♦-»♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ Frank Scully ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ; Coarse Gold, May 31 As my psychiatrist is out of town for the day,'having his head ex- amined in a snakepit near Palm Springs, I have no one to go to for advice except my devoted public, and he is 2,000 miles away minding S his own literary business in Chicago. • ? The reason I’m in the market for advice is because I had a dream last night. I dreamed I stepped on the terrace of Cannes’ Carlton hotel and bumped into a table marked ^Clawed Binon, Re.serve." i looked down only to discover the isolationist sitting there was Claude Binyon, the old Variety mugg, who years ago scripted “I Met Him In Paris” for Claudette Colbert, Melvyn Douglas and Robert Young with- out having ever seen France in his life. Since then he must have made i a million dollars writing, directing and producing pictures about people and places as alien to him as were Parisians in 1934. Somebody Libeled Here? 1® I kept expecting that Binyon would ask me to sit down and try some poulpe a la nicoise, as fried octopus is known among the ignorant But each time I’d try to get his eye his image would blur till he looked like Robert Preston about to kill somebody. :i64th WEEK! and places as alien to him as were Parisians in 1934, 3,712 Performances Somebody Libeled Here? All-time long run recora In the I kept expecting that Binyon would ask me to sit down and try some legitimate theatre. poulpe a la nicoise, as fried octopus is known among the ignorant. But KFIM liVIIRR A each time I’d try to get his eye his image would blur till he looked like o Robert Preston about to kill somebody. ^ , What was particularly disturbing about the dream was that 20 years El Capitan Thaatre, Hollywood, Cal. j stretch off on just such a terrace and write fan letters to And now In world-wide release Claude Binyon in Hollywood. At that time he was laboring under the “BILL AND COO * Hollywood dam for Variety and fearful that at any moment the dam Ken Murray’s would break and send him and his funniest .story sweeping right past Academy Award Film Long Beach heading for the beach at Waikiki. rnmrnUmmmmm m i ■ iTW '■-■ii Ycars latcr, when we ultimately met in Hollywood. Binyon was an g arrived genius on Par’s payroll. He was their love-scene script-surgeon Ic if O A Ivt ^‘^h a flair for triple entendres, which were beyond those who fell off |\l|/1*M|V 1 rCSS at the daily double. Meaning the Hays office. A MMJ A 1 wv Original Eternal Triangle • • 1 • Very early Binyon formed a triangle with Claudette Colbe^ and l^'ced MacMurray which has been about as eternal a.s triangle.s come IlflSSlKa ITlllffcCSS ! tie began working with them in “The Gilded Lily” back in 1934 and ^ j the trio was still gilding the lily in “Family Honeymoon” in 1949. Currently he is writing and directing “Oh Doctor!,” starring Dorothy K I I AO Aim l^cGuire and Bill Lundigan for 20th-Fox, but after that he will make ImlYlvl U vlUSvlIU ^"®ther Colbert-MacMurray picture, this time using their own money ] and thereby breaking an almost ironclad Hollywood rule never to invest Rita-Aly Press Hassle; Muggess* Riviera Closeup Four names stood out at the Palace on Broadway. Fritsi SohefT’s eirht-people "opera i K An l«n||l||ji|l ling Mqva school s humorous publication was called The Missoud Mule. Binyon romique,” Ted Lewis, Smith & ■ ..mm I'® started a rival publication called "rhe Dale, plus Herb Williams and Tmiigs jn Air T|l9|| ; .1 ** well the official publication began to stam. ,, IIIIII50 111 lllv /III IlKllI , The faculty i.ssued a cease and desist order to the outlaws. The outlaws A Jap Juggling Act uugMng. .Mex Tourist Biz Drop H^orVed^U'Vot o” .t kx.S": .About 25% From 1918 vue, “He and She,” also has four i hungry and gues.sed he’d go out to dinner. An- Mexico City May 31. i projects and a television se- because the bo.ss was pretty sore at _ Mexico uiiy. may ,ji. I • p..ndin«? rievelnr>-I So Binyon went up to the city desk and asked if he By MARGARET GARDNER make your living out of. , ^ What most of them do is invest in racetracks. Binyon tried this Cannes, May 27. once. He started with something called “Virginia Mac” after he had Well, it’s over . ’ and Rita ' been assured the overhead of supporting Mac would not run to more Hayworth is a princess, and Cannes than $75 a month. The fir.st month the tab read $350. At the end of Is slow ly recovering from the effect the year Mac was carrying a handicap of $1,500 a month and nothing of hundreds of reporters, photog- to show for it. raphers, newsreel operators, radio ' Then one day Mac won. Not only that but the nag paid $82 10 on a specialists, who for the last week $2 ticket. At least it would have if the Pomona track officials hadn't have been tripping over each pronounced the horse officially dead on account the registry papers other, buttonholing any and all for said so. the latest news . screaming for j Tale of Toluca Bangtail non-exi.stent passes, cursing the ; Then Binyon began building another fortune with a horse named princely staff . . gloating over an j Toluca. Toluca is a lake on the right side of the Hollywood dam where exclusive bit. * I Binyon has lived ever since he could afford to. Being named after a Yes.,it’.s over, and Rita and Aly lake, Toluca Bangtail played the role of a seahorse and ran unsucoe.ss- are not the only ones to sigh with : fully at Bay Meadows, Tanforan, Santa Anita and Del Mar. The only relief. Never in the history of the pa.voff Binyon got out of Toluca Bangtail was the script of “Sing, You tiny village has such gonfusion and ! Sinners," which starred Bing Crosby and Fred MacMurray and had its excitement reigned, 1 premiere at Del Mar in which all of them, Binyon included, owned The marriage itself at Villauris, j stock. the Communistic pottery village Binyon finally di.sposed of all his track odds and got a letter of credit where Pica.sso makes his headquar- ! for $1,500 for Toluca. He put his savings next time in Angus cattle ters. was an anti-climax to the' and bought a ranch about 100 miles from Hollywood, Recently he week’s events preceding, at least asked the owner of Toluca for a $200 offspring to herd the cattle, for the world’s press. ! and thus settle the debt between them. As journalists from all over Eu- “Did you get it?” I asked. • rope started pouring into Cannes, “They don’t even answer my letters,” he said, it soon became evident that some These business experiences convinced Binyon that to invest hi.s .spare kind of press liaison would be nec- cash in his own pictures couldn’t possibly pay off worse thiui tiving to • Continued on page 22) be a wealthy owner of thoroughbreds. The last time Binyon made any money from an animal was in Mis- souri. ^ lie was attending the university’s school of journalism. The school’s humorous publication was called The Missouri Mule. Binyon couldn’t horn in on this so he started a rival publication called "The Missouri Outlaw'. It did so well the official publication began to starve. The faculty i.ssued a cease and desist order to the outlaws. The outlaws Drop in tourist biz. contrary to could go out to dhiner KJyKHt ClIldN Rrui e-'-wp iii mplllc AH t Ha V^HaiIC frATlte ho’c UiniltT. populai-baliads, with piano accom- lal.ulalions last winter that the j , hJuscleVexTe an^ ^he editor said, 'Yes, and don’t come back." p.niment. weak peso would be a draw, is \ ^u^tlc^exlnK anu • This i.s our best audience yet." serious but not alarming, says the in WLsconshT ignored this order, too He came back a few days laler. but M u " Holland we were Mexican rourist Assn. Trade this i ^ ^ ^ nicture ^oossibilities editor would do was to give him a letter to the Chi cu't rh.n i 2.5% fiom that ager of Variety. He told Variety thft Binyon w^uld n^^^^^^^^^ cut a hand, hut then the Dutch in of last year. Biggest drop is in , k” ^Ti: Paperman if he lived as lone as Shaw “R..t vr... r; is an independent production by "e told Variety that Binyon would never he a news- I. G. Goldsmith, to be made in hf.S “Hot maybe you muggs can use .... . mm. he annen “nn i u* i:*.. •> Amsterdam brou^^^ tlie nuniher of U 'Horary quality. down. They don’t clap between crease figured at 30% from 1948 aongs there.” riiere are more motor touris Crosby, business-manager for MT.A figures that 59% (new hig brother Bing, is vacationing while of tourists come in their own ca managing hi.s wife’s tour. “I’m on That means much le.ss spendir holiday.” he said, “so I won’t talk liowecer. Planes bring 17% of About Bing.” tourists and railroads a mere 9%. x™ j j sought to do the screen- mr eigni years. When America’s entire eeoi b..,.e are more motor tourists , I' I “J structure collapsed and Variety was trying to find a way to brea MIA heures that 59% <new high! , news of the catastrophe to its cloistered readers, Binyon come up 0 lourt.sls come in their own cars. ^con approached by '■‘•5'* A" Kgg." It got the fronipage bt 1 hat means much le.ss spending, j Harry Lee Dan- 'became the most onntprf h*xaYin«aa le i »: i Binyon hung on for eight years. When America’s entire economic 'ucture collap.sed and Variety was trying to find a way to break the ji- *^^*^'’^rophe to its cloistered readers, Binyon rame up with e headline, “Wall Street Lays An Egg.” It got the frontpage banner, ecanie the most quoted headline in history. It moved Binyon to the ziger to write the screen treatment , P^P*^*^* Hollywood office as a boy-wonder. and direct their indie production of John O'Hara’s “Butterfield 8.” p. The Quiet One Binyon then went over to Par, specifically Harold Hurley, a producer, irley hired him for $200 a week. This time he staved where he was Subscription Order Form Enclosed find chock for $ Please Send VARIETY for Two Years (Plcaa* Print Nama) Street City Zone. State. Ra 9 iilar Subscription Rotes Ono Year—$10.00 Two Yoors—$10.00 Conodo ond Foroign—$1 Additionol por Yoor J^KiETY Ine. 154 Watt 4«tli StrMt Naw Terii 1*. N. T. That will be done in the ea.st, but nut $200 a week. This time he stayed where he was may conflict with the production ^ ^ “ world war to fire him the next time, of “He and She.” I . . lotms the same now as he did 15 years ago. He really should There’s al.so a po.ssibility that enfo works and lives most of the time on the England may do the adaptation for n.iHnl n ® Hollywood dam. a film edition of John Dick.son th*x ct-nTt ^ r Captain Binyon, Claude was assigned to poli.sh Carr’s "Life of Conan Doyle,” I l-.I* ** Army,” a musical fanta.sy of the live.s of dog- with Fredrie March in the title .through the softlite lenses of Irving Berlin, part and Ethel Barrymore as nc something to see. The fat boy of 1934 was Jeanne, his .second wife. It’s be- ® delicate brochure of 93 pages which he once ing considered by 20th-Fox h- n . Po^kshed under the title of “A Girl Ought To Work. While these a.ssorted deals are f i *^.*”'** ‘o around 200, because that way if cooking, England has been work- broke, when he was in the way he would float farther. ing on a .screen original, "The ~ “ to'™. ort!;: 'mt 0 oi‘’KluS X" i AUMONTS reconcile he gels a chance to complete it. ! ^uth Gordon and her husband, Paris, May 31. Carton Kanins Back Huth Gordon and her husband. AUMONTS RECONCILE Paris. May 31. The tele\'ision series, an original i Gar.son Kanin, are jointly working ' Jean-Pierre Aumont and hU mii.sie.nl comedy tilled "The Spice on a film script with an English ' "'He. Marla Montez, have patched of Life, IS hfino ... . nviiifi wiiii an Cingiisn , ...jii ao- ,• ^^'hmitted to baekgr und the Zm ''"T. «P their differences and will ai^ clients by the Kenyon & Eckhardt the couple revealed in films here. They already ad agenda . “He and She. with book by Ene • A a. ^ “ last week shortly after their re- did turn from a seven-week trip to^ i 1 ono with Lilli Palmer. Aumont is also writing a J