Variety (November 1950)

Wednesday, November 29 , 1950 Dispute between Irene M. Selz- nick, producer of *‘Bell,"Book and Candle,” and Sylvia Siegler, presi- dent of the Show-pf-the^Month Club, over tickets to the John van Druten comedy, hit a hew climax this week. Thus far. Miss Siegler has been unable to regain posses- sion of the supply of tickets for two perfbrmLarices, after obtaining them from Elias Weinstock, thea- ti-e booker for the Shuberts, Who own the Barrymore, N. Y., where the show is playing. Miss’siegler was reportedly cPn- ferring with Weinstock and Lee Shubert yesterday afternoon (Tiies,) in a new effort to get the tickets, having gone to see the New. York district attorney’s office Monday (27) to complain about the matter. She originally obtained the supply of tickets from Weinstock without Mrs. Selznick’s knowledge, after the producer had refused to sell her any more seats. When she learned that the tickets had gone to the SOMC, Mrs. Belznlck re^ portedly forced Weinstock to get them back, threatening to have a new set printed for the two per- formances in question and refusing to honor those given to SQMC. Troubles apparenily have mount- ed for Miss Siegler in the last few weeks. News that she was consid- ering selling a half-interest in SOMC to Shubert (the deal is be- lieved still not set) alienated mem- hers Of the Committee of Theatri- cal Producers, which had previous- ly been friendly to her. Also^ sh# got into a dispute with Lawrence Langner, co-director of the Theatre Guild, over seats to “Lady’s Not for Burning.” A couple of months ago she engaged in a ticket battle with Joan Wildberg, producer of “Black Chiffon.” In the case of “Bell, Book and Candle,’* differences arose after SOMC had made a deal for tickets, the issue centering over the num- ber she had been promised and whether she was entitled to a com- mission On a preview theatre party. Questioned about the matter yes- terday, Mrs. Selznlck declined to “dignify it by discussing it.” Miss Siegler was said to be out of her office. Parapl^ic Revue Off Yets Want to Resume Chicago, Nov. 28. Paraplegic revue, “It’s a Great Day,” which was to have opened here yesterday (27) for a four-day run, has cancelled out after Robert R. Hansen, Coast producer, refused to put up the funds after the. cast of 47 had been assured the show would go on. Company was to fly to Lansing, Mich., Friday (24) to pick up 18 autos which Oldsmobile was lending for the tour, which was to sweep through the south and southwest. Revue was making its third start in three months after the Biltmore, Los Angeles, opening was knocked out due to Injuries to Don Schwelgert, singing lead. Preem here was to have been at a $25 top. Cast still wants to tour, and is trying to work out a deal un- der national sponsorship. Hansen worked under no auspices. Many of th. Vets have already told their personal cars Iri order to inake ;the tour, with several of them contemplating selling their homes. Checks given to the cast; for two weeks rehearsal period had j bounced, but were later paid off. Money received for ducats is being i I'eturned to .sponsors. I ‘STATE’REGAINS 150,000 OUTLAY IN 10 WEEKS, “Affairs of State,” Louis Verneull; comedy at the Music Box, N. Y., has already regained its produc- tion cost and will probably make a 100% distribution in about three when it has accumulated sufficient margin for cash reserve and bonds. _ The Richard Krakeur-Fred F. Finklehoffe production, represent- ing a $50,000 investment, is cur- rently in its 11th week on Broad- way and Is making an operating profit of around ..$6,000 a week. Celeste Holm is starred. Hy Gardner detoiU the hew and why of Another Broadway Battle Lost ona of Hit many bylina loaturat In Hit forthcoming 45th Anniversary JSiiniher of;. • On Bard, Pay Olivia De Havlllahd, star of Dwight. Deere Wimah’s forthcom- ing revival of “Romeo and Juliet,” will have unusual billing for a ma- jor name. Although she will be billed above the play’s title, her name will be in smaller type. Actress has also voluntarily waived her salary for the three- week period caused by the recent postponement of the start of re- hearsals. Her contract, calling for a $2,500 weekly guarantee, plus a percentage of the gross, stipulated that the show was to have opened out of town Jan. 1. However, there has been a delay in order to cast one of the leading parts with a player not yet available, so re- hearsals are how slated to start Dec. 19 under Peter Glenville’s di- rection. Douglas Watson, as Ro- meo, Is the only lead signed. Instead of playing a break-in date in Hershey, Pa., the revival will open Jani 22 for a two-week run In Detroit, followed by a week’s stand in Cleveland and three weeks in Boston, with the Broadway premiere probably the second week In March. The produc- tion Is budgeted at $150,000, with Wlman reportedly planning to fol- low his usual policy of providing most of the financing himself. Brit- ish designer Oliver Messel will sup- ply the scenery. Wlman’s other projected produc- tion for this season, a revival of the Marc Connelly-Roark Bradford “Green Pastures,” is still In abey- ance. Until someone can be cast for the leading part of De Lawd, originally played by the late Rich- ard B. Harrison, the project Is at a standstill. “Country Girl,” Wiman’s production of the Clifford Odets drama, with PauL Kelly and Uta Hagen co-starred, Is a capacity hit at the Lyceum, N. Y. 'BAEUABY* DUE ON COAST Hollywood, Nov. 28. Walter Wicclalr and John R. Nillson will produce “Barnaby,” Robert and Lillian Masters play based on the Crocket Johnson comic strip, at El Patio, Hollywood. Wicclair will direct. USsilETY Mannheimer, Friedhofer LEGITIIMATE Albert Mannheimer, screen writer last represented on Broad- way by “The Bees and the Flowers” in 1947, is due in N. Y. from the Coast in a few weeks to start pre- production huddles on “Triple Play,’* a new musical he has penned with Academy Award com- poser Hugo Friedhofer, It’s the latter’s debut as a legit cleffer. Mannheimer, who recently script- ed “Born Yesterday” for Columbia Pictures, has turned out both book and lyrics for the musical. Judgment Reserved In On Agents’ Pic Sale Fee Judgment was reserved last week by N. Y. Supreme Court Judge Kenneth O’Brien in the suit by pro- ducer John Wildberg against play agent Claire Leonard. The action, Involving nearly $14,000 In com- mission on the film sale of the Philip Yordan drama, “Anna Lu- castgi,” was tried from Nov. 15 through last’Wednesday (22). Her- bert T. Silverberg, Yordan’s attor- ney, is ah inter-pleader in the case, also seeking the $14,000 commis- sion, which has been held in es- crow pending outcome of the dis- pute. Case is considered Important In the trade, since it involves several questions relating to authors* agent commissions. Miss Leonard, as Yor- dah’s agent on the original pro- duction of “Lucasta” by the Amer- ican Negro Theatre prior to its transfer to Broadway and acquisi- tion by Wildberg, claims to have been instrumental in arranging the $350,000 film sale. There has been no question of Miss Leonard’s right to a commis- sion on the author’s legit royalties or from his share of the film sale. But Wildberg claims she Is not entitled to a commission on the $140,000 producer’s share. Silver- berg, alleging it was he who set the film deal, is also trying to coL lect that endlof the coin. John Rumsey, president of the play agents* association, appeared as a witness for Miss Leonard, tes- tifying that according to standard practice In the trade, as well as under the Dramatists Guild basic agreement, the agent who arranges a picture sale is entitled to a com- mission on the entire purchase price. Including both the author’s and producer’s share. Rathbone Taking to Gab Circuit for Six Weeks Basil Rathbone is the latest legit star to take to the gab circuit. Actor signed with W. Colston Leigh this week for six weeks of lecture dates, with a maximum of four appearances a week, on a guaran- tee-plus-percentage basis. His first booking will probably be in Du- luth late in January. He will tell of his experiences in legit and films, with short dramatic readings. Star has turned down an offer from the Playwrights’ Co. to ap- pear in Elmer Rice’s “Love Among the Ruins,” for which Frances Dee and Richard Waring are being sought as the other leads. Ezra Stone hoi a humproui pltco on How to Collect an Insurance Claim pM gihMiIng bylina fadlura In tha upcamtng 45th Anniversary Number ..'of P^aiEihr Wow in Detroit Detroit, Nov. 28. Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, appearing without scenery, cos- tumes, props or makeup, held a near-capacity audience absorbed last night (Mon.) in the opening of a week’s engagement of “I Know My Love,” at the Gass here. Lunt, serving as impromptu. narrator to explain the locale and settings of the various scenes, remarked at one point, “I feel like a lOth-rate Frank Craven in ‘Our Town.’ ” Arriving here yesterday morning (27) after a 24-hour trip from Pitts- burgh, where their train, minus a dining car, was 17 hours late in get- ting away, the company was miss- ing one. actor and Its entire stage crew. In the absence of the physi- cal production, the performance was given In street clothes and without makeup, with a few crude fiats and drapes in lieu of scenery, and a primitive flight of steps at one side to represent the flight of stairs used in the play, plus chairs to indicate furniture and a clothes rack on a table to simulate a Christ- mas tree. The star opened the show by de- scribing the company’s predica- ment and relating some of the ex- periences in Pittsburgh, which he described as “that forsaken city, in which there was no sign of life when we left-just deep snow and silence.’* He offered- the audience of about 1,400 a chance to “share this adventure with us” or'have refunds, and added, “the Orchestra will play an offertory In reverse (Continued on page 52) Broadway took a brutal beating in the storm, though not as bad as in certain road cities, notably Pittsburgh. Broadcast by local radio stations Saturday afternoon t25) of Mayor Impellitteri’.s warn- ing to the public to stay at home and the subsequent suggestion that non-essential business estab- lishments should close, were fig- ured to have been factors in the slim attendance. Although the top hits felt ho immediate financial effect, as they were solidly sold out in advance, others were figured to haive lost up to $4(000 apiece in Saturday matinee and evening receipts. The estimated total loss for all 27 shows was estimated to haVe come to nearly $40,000, including loca- tions “swallowed” by the brokers. Small additional losses Will con- tinue to be registered for the next few weeks as tickets, unused when patrons were unable to get to the theatres, are given exchanges for suhsequeht perfoimiances. Every show in town, including even the perennially solid “South Pacific,” had empty seats at the Saturday showings. In the caso of the Rodgers-Hammerstein musi- cal, as with the other advance sell- outs, hundreds of ticket holders phoned or wired the theatre, giv- ing their locations and asking the boxoffice to try to sell the seats. All such requests were handled. But in other cases, where phones were but of order or patrons were unable to reach the theatre be- caiiase lines were busy, the seats were unoccupied. All show and theatre manage- ments are making exchanges for future performances in such cases, but that will be complicated with “South Pacific” and other produc- tions, which are sold out for weeks or months in advance. In all in- stances', the loss from the unused tickets will be shared by the shows and theatres, and spread (Continued on page 52) Margo Jones Sets First Musical for Theatre ’50 Dallas, Nov. 28. Margo Jones, managing director of Theatre *50, has announced the first musical production of the group. She will present “Walls Rise Up,” from the George Ses- sions Perry novel, as dramatized by Frank Duane, who also wrote the lyrics. The music Is by Rich- ard Shannon ,of Houston. Musical will open March 12 and will replace Sheridan’s “School for Scandal” originally on the produc- tion schedule. I The Of Forms closing shortly Vsnnl Advertising rates grevail Copy and space reservations may be tent to any NEW YORK If 154 W. 45H| $t. HOLLYWOOD 2t 4311 Yucca St. CHICAGO II 412 N. Mlchlgoii Ava. LONDON. W. C. 2 t Sf, Moitlo’i PIdco Trofolgor Sqoora legion Voting Another $100,000 to Keep Floppo $500,000 Revue Going Washington, Nov. 28. American Legion, which has gone into the red for over $500,000 so far to keep its “Red, White and Blue” musical revue going on the floppo cross-country tour which started In L.A. Oct. 7, Is reported at national headquarters here as committing an additional $100,000 to get the show to Chicago, There, It is hoped, it will begin to recoup the steady losses. Legionnaires in Chicago are pushing the ducat sale in the hopes of turning the tide there. The musical was voted last spring by the Legion’s board as a means of raising money for the or- ganization’s veterans rehabilitation fund. Now, it is admitted, the Le- gion will be lucky if it can break even. There ^ave been a number of disappointments, inpluding* the failure of top name stars to join the tour for limited appearances to help bolster the gate. Legion spokesmen claim Arthur Godfrey and Morton Downey have now pi- fered to appear In some situations to help the draw. R An arena-style theatre will be operated at Nassau, B.W.I,, this ; winter by Martin Manulis and ! Philip Langner. Arena-style pro- ductions will be presented at the British Colonial hotel, oh a resi- dent stock basis. Eight-week sea- son is scheduled to start about Feb. 1, with a company recruited in New York. Venture stems from a visit to Nassau by Lawrence Langner, co- director of the Theatire Guild* with Mrs. Langner (Armiha Marshall) and their son last winter. The idea of presenting legit shows in the British colony was suggested at that time. Young Langner recent- ly got together on the project with Manuiis, with whom he has been associated for several seasons in the management of the Westpoit XCphn.) Country^Playhopse* > > ^