Variety (November 1950)

WedneBday 9 November 1, 1950 USRmfr UTERATl €1 Cardinal Spellman's Novel Cosmopolitan, whieh last spring serialized the controversial novel, ‘ The Cardinal," by Henry Morton Robinson (Simon & Schuster), cur- rently a bestseller, has the option on a novel to be written by a real Cardinal, Francis Spellman. Latter is doing the book for Scribners. Besides the Cosmo interest, Metro reportedly has first reject rights on the film potentials. Louis B. Mayer and Cardinal Spellman are old friends. ^ ^ ^ At the time of Robinson’s The CardinaT’ there was conjecturje on w hose career the book was founded, but the author merely stated it was a synthesis, not founded on any specifics.,. Few ’Mistakes' In '50? Ernest Lehman and Cosmopol- itan had to abandon their “My Greatest Mistake of 1950" anthol- ogy, from show biz, literati and other notables, because “apparent- ly few people thought they made any great mistake in 1950." Kathleen Winsor admitted it, but James Thurber, for example, opined “the whole premise for the article isn’t a good idea.’’ Quebec's ^Girlie' Mag Ban Quebec’s recently-passed Public ]\Iorals Actj which gives absolute- authority to the provincial censor board to pass judgment on the con- tents of magazines offered for sale in Quebec, was put into effect last week when hundreds of “girlie" mags were seized and ordered de- stroyed. The books,-iipWards of 16 titles^ were banned under the provisions of the Morals Act which iuakes it illegal to sell indecent literature. With stands loaded to point of saturation, newsdealers, for most part, consider ban a bless- ing. Park Rowgues In Politics Dusting off the tocsins and put- ting a high polish on the clarion calls for Republican N. Y. Mayor- alty candidate Edward Corsi are such master philologists as John Underhill, Joe Lilley, George W. H. Britt, Murray Perkell, Fowler (Red) Hill, Weed Dickinson, Mac- Gregor Bond, Tom Barry, Charley M. Bayer, Tom Hargis, Sue Schulz and Harry G. Smith, a Variety hinterland mugg. At the Hotel Abbey (N. Y.) head- quarters of Vincent Impellitteii (Indie) the literate labors, under the editorship of Bill Donpghue, are taken care of by Jack Tierney, Syd Baron, Karl Pretshold and Jack Guernsey. Sounding off behind Justice Ferdinand Pecora (D.) at the Hotel Commodore are Charley S. Hand, Chris Bohnsack, Martin Mahnix, Joe Weil and Leo Margo- lin. Over at the Roosevelt, going along with Dewey, are Harvey Call, Norman Gallman, George Wilkes, Charles Palmer, Jim Ga^^gan, Jim Haggerty, Julius Adams- and Paul Lockwood. Nobody seemed to be around at a visit to the Paul Ross headquarters, also at the Commodore. Maybe Mr. Ross has a ghost, writer doing his stuff—^in invisible ink. And one of the candidates, Jack McManus oh the ALP state ticket, has played around metropolitan papers quite a while' before the lurid lure Of politics beckoned. It should be a literate campaign, and no foolin’. €L J. Nathan's Latest ! George Jean Nathan’s newest “Theatre Book Of the Year—1949- 1950" (Knopf; $4), as with almost everything the veteran dramatic critic has done, may be acidulous but never dull. In short, it’s an expert recording of the season’s dramaturgical parade expertly handled by the kind of a critic who, if betimes unkindly, is ever interesting. As has happened ever since Nathan has started his Theatre Books, be it this series which started with i;he ’42-’43 season or his other prolific writings, his commentaries are frequently more erudite and entertaining than the subjects with which he deals. The newest volume includes a photo- stat of a Shavian side-line cheer-^ ihg-section, dated Aug. 2, 1950; “Attaboy! Write another thousand. I like your stuff, and rank you as Intelligent Reader and Playgoer Number One.” It’s a good com- mercial for, GJN from GBS—and few can get captious about it. Abel. ^The Disenchanted' Good Reading Budd Schulberg’s latest novel, “The Disenchanted" (Random House; $3,50) runs a dead heat with his two previous novels, “What Makes Sammy Run?" and “The Harder They Fall." ’ It’s the saga of a topflight fiction writer ef the Golden ’20’s, who through a dipso wife, whom he loves passionately, and through his own over-indulgence finds he has lost the magic touch With words. He finally has to come to Holly- wood, broken-down mentally and physically, to beg for a job, and the financial rewards which would help him pay off his debts and allow him to finish a new novel. He lands a job with a producer Who teams the “genius" with a yoUng writer who has a story that needs “collaboration." The latter worships the talent of the older, tempermehtal, disgruntled, can- tankerous, apathetic one-time gen- ius of fiction writing. He not only becomes his collab, but his nurse, valet, confidant and companion. The author, in real life, had collabed with F. Scott Fitzgerald on “Winter Carnival" for Walter Wanger (located at Dartmouth) so the fictional “Love On Ice" film and the fictional genius of a I SCULLY’S SCRAPBOOK ^ writer, Hollywood producer, et al., may have foundation in fact. Schulberg doesn’t lash out at Hollywood like he did in his first [ novel. This time he is in a more I philosophic mood. He doesn’t bang 1 * « •* his typewriter with his fists. It’ll I ^ rT&nk Scully make a good picture, a sort of a iiferary “Lost Weekend." It’s al- ready a book-of-the-month selec- tion. Joe Laurie, Jr. XI / ^ — Are we in danger of becom ing / :X / • r I \ * I d nation o£teen-agers? Whal ar« the movies* radio* and television do- 1 ing to our tastes and standards* to our cultural environment? I “A clear and stimulating analysis;..written by j a man* who not only knows what he is talking I about but who knows how to write." J ! -EtMERHiCE /-‘-v / I i A* THE by GILBERT SELDES author of The Seven Lively Azts / V * / • / % * J*' . S-.. "An important book....He e3q}resses some live* ly opinions which may not produce agreement* but are certain to stimulate thought." -HERBERT BAYARD SWOPE "A critical essay* the most comprehensive and searching I know, on mass entertainment In the United States.... One oi those 'definitive* works that... xhake us understand what has happened* that establish enduring assumptions* that remain Indispensable landmarks." EDMUND WILSON* The NewTorker $3.75 at all booksellers THE VIKINQ PRESS / < > \ / a \ J •^**it^-*«**^ j rv •••• \WW/ A A / CHATTER Robert Meyer, Jr., author of Festivals, U. $. A.," which is being published Nov. 22, in Gotham for interviews. j Allan Morris, publicity director I for Simon & Schuster, also i handling publicity for Pocket Books, Inc. Peter O’Crotty, after seven years of research, completed “The Hol- croft," based on the history of the Marine Corps. Richard Wincor’s “How to Se- cure CJopyright: The Law of Liter- ary Property," off the Ocean Pub- lications presses. Martin Abramson’s article, “Saints, and Sinners: The Zany Club," appearing in the November issue of Coronet magazine. Richard Rodgers is profiled in a piece titled “With Songs in His Heart," by Lincoln Barnett, in the current (November) Ladies Home Journal. Ed Reid, reporter on the Brook- ' lyh (N. Y.) Eagle for the last 15! years, kudosed with the annual By- Line . Award of the Newspaper Re- porters Assn, of N. Y. Henry Schuman is publishing Marc Simont’s “Opera Souffle,” consisting of^ 60 comic drawings with text, both hy Simont, on grand opera vagaries. Don L. Mankiewicz’s “See How They Run’’ will be published by Alfred A. Knopf, not Farrar, Straus, as erratumed. The novel is due out in mid-February; New syndicated music page by Saturday Review of Literature has been paeted fpr by 17 newspapers. SRL’s book syndicate seiwice is now going out to 31 papers, Edgar Snow has article in current (28) Satevepost, “Broadway Comes To Main Street," concerning the Touring Players, Inc., young legit- ers playing the small town circuit. N. Y. Newspaper Women’s Club holds its annual Front Page Dinner Dance at the Hotel Waldorf-Astoria Nov. 17. Event is given each year for the benefit of the club’s relief and- educational funds. Sir Thomas Beecham is the subject of five articles in the Oct. 28 issue of the Saturday Review of Literature, in connection with the current U. S. tour of Beecham and his Royal Philharmonic Or- chestra of London. Robert Downing, director of the Penthouse theatres of Atlanta and Jacksonville, authored a yarn in the current Theatre Annual cover- ing his experiences as stage man- ager for “Streetcar Named Desire" during its Broadway run. Boris Shub, author of “The Choice,*' just published by Duell, Sloan & Pearce, will speak at the Overseas Press Club, N. Y., Fri- day (3) on “How to Pierce the Iron Curtain.” Shub was formerly political advisor to RIAS* radio station in Berlin. International Ladies Garment Workers Union has issued a 120- page paper-back book* “ILGWU News-History," which tells the story of the union from 1900 to 195(), ddne in the manner of a newspaper. It’s edited by Max D. Danish and Leon Stein. TV Tix Problem Continued from page 1 ed the current industry ban against audience collections, Skouras sug- gested that one way to “win the hearts of . your community" inight be to fevive ope or two collections each year for charity. He also urged that TOA, to sparkplug the campaign to Resuscitate the box- office, should become a “labora- tory" for the industry instead of merely an exhib organization. Not- ing one of the problems which a group like TOA might solve is the avalanche of exhib lawsuits now in process against distributors, Skouras said: “In my wholehearted opinion all our difficulties can be largely over- come if this. association develops not as a mere membership asso- ciation, or another political or- ganization, but the institute of the industry—its eyes, heart and con- science—worthy of guiding it aiid upholding its greatness. Therefore, I recommend steps at this conven- tion for the sake of your futures, along these lines. If you study and utilize your experience to guide producers as to the current tastes of the public, your exhibitor mem- bers'as to improvements in their Whitley Ruins, Oct. 27. Having returned to my hillside hideaway above Warners Hollywood theatre, I was all set for a victory celebration when I ran into two devastations which all but disintegrated the magnetic frequencies which keep me and flying saucers going. They were “Breakthrough," the poor man’s “Battleground," and Whitley Heights itself, - Whitley Heights was once the knoll of every star’s ambition. Long before they moved to that billiard table called Beverly Hills, the stars lived on Whitley Heights. Among the oldtimers only Eugene O'Brien remains on the knoll that overlooks everything from the City Haul, a tower 10 miles to the east, to the sea, 10 miles to the west; Six blocks from Hollywood and Vine, the hill might just as well have been 600 miles from the crossroads of our tinsel world. But while I Was east pulling a MacArthur on the literary level some goons of progress moved in and tore Whitley Heights,to shreds. Anybody yenning to see what Korea looks like and not satisfied by the wreckage wrought in Normandy by the Freres Warners in “Breakthrough" can have their fill by looking at Whitley Heights. There they will see Harold Lloyd’s old hacienda on Lloyd Lane look- ing as if it had been hit by blockbusters. All that remained was the swimming pool: I had understood this Was an indoor swimming pool, but seemingly it was merely an outdoor job surrounded by a high wall. Goodbye Villa Valentino! On the other side of the hill Villa Valentino was in the process of planned devastation. A few doors beyind the great lover’s old home was a huge gap where once Wesley Barry’s place had been. I followed the trail of wreckage and found to my amazement that this house had been rescued from the onrushing bulldozers, bombs and wrecking crew and had been moved to another lot. As it is a house which has only one floor on the street and two below on a sloping hillside, this rep- resented the neatest nipup since tumblers passed out of vaudeville. I was relieved to see that the old Francis ^ Bushman place had escaped the scythe of destruction by a hair’s breadth- This place is west of the Lloyd ruins. It is a sort or shrine for those who think that the highest development in modern civilization is a swimming pool. In fact you can see there the first swimming pool ever built in Holly- wood. It is a modest, little job about 12 by 20 and had it also gone down under the inconoclartic swat of progress I’m afraid I would have wept as did Matt Willis in “Breakthrough" on learning that his bitch and her puppies had been blown to bits aboard the transport that moved him and his buddies from England to Omaha Beach. This pool has been particularly close to the Scully Circus for several years. The present owner of the estate, on seeing our fleas from heaven running around the streets, invited them to swim in his pool. At the end of the summer he wrote us a letter thanking us for letting the children come. This fantastic extension of the good neighbor policy bore the. signature of Burton L. Holmes, the travelogician who has al- ready started out on his 57th year of foadshowing in color .film the faraway beauties of this world. Before spring is’ on. the wing he will have rolled up 185 lectures between Boston and San Diego on such diverse spots as Paris, Alaska, Norway^ Hawaii and one called “Around the World." Since he has been taking movies for 53 years (he began iii 1897) he has a backlog that is the envy of his rivals, if he has any. I caught his Paris production and sandwiched in between his color film he has black and white shots which he took of the identical Parisian spots long, long ago. The contrast in styles and means of transportation are always good for laughs. Roamin’^ Ruins It must be increasingly difficult for him to find places not pock- marked by atomic fission. The wonders of nature and man’s lily- gilding are all his cameras are looking for. The wreckage around him on Whitley Heights must have cut' his fine old heart to the ventricles. Lest some readers grow alarmed and suspect that this was an un- publicized attack on our mainland which had not yet been cleared by Mac Arthur’s headquarters in Tokyo, I may as well cut to the chase and inform them that the wreckage is all part of a new road which will permit automobiles to scoot from Pasadena through downtown Los Angeles and Hollywood to the San Fernando Valley. It will be called the Freeway and anybody, as far as I’m concerned, can have it for the asking. Had “Breakthrough" been released before the wreckers moved in on Whitley Heights, the hilltop residents might have learned a way to stop the march of progress. In the Warner version of the invasion of Normandy as far as St. Lo, all firing is stopped by the sight of a white flag being waved on the outskirts of an unnamed village. Behind the flag emerges a character in a top hat and subsequently identified as the town’s mayor. With him is his daughter Colette, who seems to have antedated Hollywood teenager’s styles by several years. She is wearing a very much off-the-shoulder blouse, which must have got by the Breen office chiefly because Joseph I. Breen, Jr., is described in the credit sheet as the author of the original story. Chariot In Low Comedy The mayor turned out to be Andre Chariot, who brought “Chariot’s Revue" to Broadway more than a generation ago and indeed, in the London production, gave Gertrude Lawrence, Beatrice Lillie and Noel Coward the show window they were all looking for. The last time I saw him he was holed up in a small apartment back of Schwab’s drug- store, where Sunset Btoulevard turns into the strip. He and his “daughter," who turned out to be Suzanne Dalbert, a Parisienne who recently toured South America as the femme lead in Louis Jouvet’s company, were^’^rected (by Lewis Seiler, I suppose) to come forth from their place of concealment, in a mixture of Holly- wood French and NormandyTEnglish they explained that the Germans had evacuated the village and woul4 the brave Americains please not shoot up the town anymore as it was a place for tourists, and theiY business would be completely destroyed if they didn’t. To give plausibility to this plea (this was all before the Marshall Plan, remember), Mile. Dalbert yanked her blouse down to the point where off-the-shoulder was the furtherest south in understatement. John Agar, in the role of Lieut. Joe Mallory, looked at her shoulders and then at*the village, and decided to risk the chance of being trapped by krauts and collaborators. Except for losing a couple Of valuable veterans in the enterprise, due to one sniper, remaining concealed in a tower, the trust was not misr placed. It is quite possible, of course, that any such appeal by a flapper in an off-the-shoulder blouse to the goonati’c fringe hellbent on de- troying Whitley Heights would have been met with horselaughs. You have to take off more than that to attract attention on Hollywood boule- vard these days.. end of the business, and the dis- i tributors as to better business tech- niques.” Skouras placed greatest empha- sis in his speech, however, in de- tailing to thb TOA delegates how they could make theatre TV their “servant" in providing the “finest entertainment." Reprising his ex- I planatlon of how the greatest names from films, vaude, legit and j the concert stage could be rounded up for a super-show. Skouras de- clared : “If Radio City Music, Hall and the Roxy theatre in New York can „successfully meet video com-., petition, enjoying, excellent busi- ness, is it not possible that thou- sands of othei music halls and theatres can also offset this com- petition by adding to their pro- grams the, type of enlarge epte^r* tainmeiit that TV brings within vour reach'?" V j