Variety (January 1951)

PICTURES Forly^fth I^ARIETY Anniversary Wcclncsday, January 3, 1951 to IS By HARRY HERSHFIELD the Cestus-fisted gladiators in the , boys,” ring or stage. Ruby Robert’s Roman arena gave fighters the i love making to the beautiful theatrical hint for the future, ! heroine was something to behold when Spartacus’ opening line to I -^and he held her in his arms also, Nero was: ;‘Wel\vhen the show’s run was over, and who are about tasked her to be his wife, in truth.' to die salute : He also played in “Uncle Tom’s you!” It didn’t Cabin,” with “Senator” Ed Ford take a prize' desGribing Fitz;simmons: “Anafighter long i tomically he Was great— Uncle after that to Tomically he was awful.” v fin.d.out it was > . . Up to now, where fight, cham-. more comfort pious trod the boards, they wel’e Hai'iy Hcrsh field able to “hit the boards” than the canV as. And many boxers s i n c e have supposed softer “died” on the stage, with their swiftly concocted acts. Yet; the audiehce comes to Cheer their hero’s puhch, rather than his. punchline. After winning a championship, naturally the story must make him a great fighter for virtue, save the heroine and sign autographs. Some of them write as though they still have their boxing gloves on. But our fighter-hero . must . never . conquer via the gun or knife— but only with a sudden left feint and then with the right on the villain’s button. Nearly 50 years ago, I trailed Terry McGovern down Halsted maihly the heroes of the gallery crowd, who did most of the whistling and cheeringi They aWays kept an eye on any seat .in the orchestra .that , might suddenly be vacated by some “swells” who might leave after the first act, satisfying their vicarious desires tContinued on page 265) Snader ’s Personal Plea to Marg. Trum^ Hollywood. Lou Snader is planing to Washington . Saturday ( 6) to make a j personal pitch to, Margaret Truman : to make a scries of telescriptions. ' He wrote her, after getting a turndown from her personal mahager, James A, bavidson, and subsequently received a letter-from her Street, Chicago, to where he was personal secretary which said that playing at the Academy, in a show, the President's daughter “appreciif I remember, called “Broadway After Dark.” Really should have been called “Sam Harris After Money,” for that’s what the future renowned producer, then his manager, must have thought of first, and only as a second thought, Terry McGovern as an actor. This Is Where We Came In Color TV* theatre TV, 'TV vs. the b.o., or just TV— what does it matter compared to the state of the world and the preservation of the nation? Things were hot so nifty In ’50, and it’s not going to be fun in ’51. This is where we came in 10 years ago. The same problems and sacrifices brought on by World War II are with us all over again. in its 45 years Variety has chronicled a cavalcade of show busihess . almost . f rom . the turn of the century. First it • was vaudeville in its heyday, then the silents, then the mushrooming of a new giant; radio, coincidental with the revitalization of the film industry via the introductioh; Of sound. Following the depression, and the war’s attendant resuscitation for all show business, the postwar years saw the development of still another .entertainment giant-^televisioh. ;: In between there have been economic peaks and. valleys, keyed to the national picture and world affairs. NO nian is an entity unto himself, nor is any, nation— and certainly no industry, least of ail show business. Defense dollars will bpom spending. Aiid, if the sam6 shortages occur as after Pearl Harbor, then certainly the boxB .j D i . hffice in all its aspects will feel the militaristic u^ Ringimg Bros., Bgrnumcan^ ai ey . something no industry cliooses. Xh the interim, for show busi-' ' ness— as for the world— its a case of this-is-where-we-came-in. WILL MAHONEY tHE INIMITABLE . Currently . Fourih . . Represented by ASSOCIATED BOOKING CORP. What' show busihess did to heip our cause in World War II it will do again, of course. Let’s hope the world crisis will resolye itself before that’s necessary. Abel. Joseph Burstyn, cUstributor of the ; GeiisoWhip statutes empowciing who sou.ght a pchiia, one man to decide whether exhibi ; rcsti-aining License ' lion of a motion picture would be delrimental to the public interest .were .seriously questioned in New .York last Friday 029) by a N. . Y. Gomniissioner Edward T. McCaffrey from continuing his disapproval of the film. At the so.ssion on Friday, which was in chambers, Judge Greenberg asked Coun.sel for Yank Gl’s Rage Slaying Of No. Korean Prisoner Wins War Dept. Pic ok Hollywood. In radical departure from tradi supreme court, judge. While the im JMcCaifrey whether the latter might tion, the War Department has mediate case on hand involved only ' reconsidef the ban. FoUowniig con: okayc the ban of “The Miracic,” Justice sultation, |he Cbmmissioher said he Sunder figures he can get an ap Henry C. Greenberg appeared con would not be averse to the film’s' pointment to talk it over. He has cerned with the entire issue of cen .i showing until the case is adjudiOucred to let Miss Truman destroy i .sdrship, and. made it clear he was cated. Judge Greenberg agreed to negatives if they don’t meet with on the side of anti-censor groups, this and set a full hearing for toiler approval. “Miracle” suit \va$ brought by clay rWed:). / ' atc.s you inviting her to join your roster of tele.^cription artists.” Since it w-asn’t a turndown. Everything in the scenario w^as hurried through, just so McGoyern could rescue , the girl, have virtue triumph, by the way of a hook and a haymaker to the moustached wolfs' chin. I saw and cheered the incomparable Joe Gans before the footlights. Interviewed the then reformed John L. Sullivan in San Francisco, doing what w’as then called a “stage perfonnance,’’ His potbellied stance blocked out the city’s leading citizens, sitting on the stage to do him honor, for the morality lecture he was to give later. And that was the big moment, after he was hurriedly poured into a tuxedo. In that cavernous voice he spoke on the dangers of drink and cheered for clean living and body building. From his own experiences, he was really saying: “A conscience cannot prevent sin-^ it only prevents you from enjoying it.” j Ed Ford’s Crack About Fiiz I The By-Liner!^ In This (Regular Staffers an<l Correspoiulenls ()iiiille<l) • • • k Saw Bob Fitzsimmons in a melodrama. Playing the “Honest Blacksmith,” who would not think of Using his sledgehammer or throw a horseshoe around the villain’s well-tailored neck. The solar plexus blow he used at Carson City in 1897, was for all “bad ' • » « • f • • t • • • • ». Trade Mark Registered FOUNDED BY SIME SII.VERMAN Published Weekly by VARIETY. Inc Harold Erichs, president 154. West 4Gth St,. New Vork 19. N. V Hollywood 18.6,311 Yucca Street Washington 4 129? National Pre.ss Ruildinit Chicago 11 .' 612 No Michigan Ave. London WC2 8 St 'Martin’sPI Tra f algal Sq I SUBSCRIPTION Annual. $10 Foreign Single fppies ABEI r.REEN Editor $IJ ;25 .Cent.' Vol. 181 r No. 4 INDEX Bills . . . 265 Foreign Legit . ! Mu.«;ic . . Gbits . . . PictmXs Radio-Television . ; . . . 95 t • 4 • e. • • • « 4 248 DAILY VARIETY (PuhiJshed in Hollywood by DiUl.v Variety Ltd. > $15 a Year $20 Foreigo John Abbott . . Julian T. Abeles Harry Ackerman Joey 'Adams ... Larry. Adler . . , Kclccy Allen Ellis .\rnall Art Arthur . Barney Balaban Robert Baral . Red Barber . . Charles iBud) Barry Ethel Barrymore . . . Jack Benny . Mac BenofT Bcnj.amin N. Berger Maurice A, Bergman Rudolf Bing . Claude Binyon A. H. Blank . Hal Block . . . i . Ben Bloom .... N. J. Blum berg VicLor Borge Jay Brennan . . ; . Edwin M, Bronner Clarence Brown Jack Bryson . . Caroline Burke Eii.gcne Burr John Byram . . K-'Tiy Campbell Eddie Cantor . Carroll Carroll Bennett Corf . . . . . . C ara’l cs Col lingvvood Re.g Connelly . . . . . S’lorrill C. .Corwin , \\^aync Coy . Alfred E. Daff Fddie Davis . . Ned ,.pcplnct . , . Howard Dietz . W. A, S. Douglas Kus.scll V. Downing Dr. Allen B. DuMont Philip Dunning . Douglas ’Edwards Charles Eirtfeld . . George Klvin . . Kcii En-rlund , . Morris L. Ernst N. V. Eswar r Eddie K. Evans S. IT. Fabifin . . ; . . . . . . ; . . Martin Field ....... . . . . Wiliiam H. Fineshriber, jr. J. J. Fitzgibbons . . . . . . . . Frank M. Fol.som . . . . . . . . George Froedlcy . .. 1 Tarry B/ French ! . , . . . . Sir Honj-y L. French .... . Sir Benjamin J. Fuller . . . George F. Gaal Ted Gamble Hy Gardher . John Garfield . James J, Geller Robert .Gessnei’ Bernard F. Gimbei K. S, Giniger • • • 4 -» 4 4 • • « 4 4 • • • • » • . • • ». 4 • • • • • • • • • 221 24 102 249 192 42 10 50 5 219 no 106 3 10 9 23 39 266 24 23 6 221 5 249 250 218 7 ■ 7 102 53 43 92 99 95 29 no 222 23 98 9 61 5 12 54 23 112 18 108 12 191 8 29 191 104 63 ■■■.7... 108 63 97 270 63 193 192 194 63 42 8 39 56 95 268 William Goetz' . , . 11 Val Parnell 100 Nathan D, Golden ...... 193 Louella 0, Parsons ...... 56 Ezra Goodman 46 H, ,jJ. Phillips . 266 Jame.s R. Grainger ; . . * . . 13 Lily Pons 272 Douglas L, Grahame .... 196 Fortune Pope. .......... 111 Ben Grauer 107 Tl)eodore Pratt ......... 43 Charlotte Greenwood .... 269 Harry Puck 249 Nate Gross ............. 248 Paul Raibourh . ........ 29 Loo Guild . . . . . ...... . . . 58 Milton. M. Raison ...... . 14 N. L. Halpern . . . . ...... . 9 jo, Ranson . . ........ 95 Gril l Haverlih . ... . ... . , 221 Norman Reader ........ 61 Helen Hayes .. ....... 2 >39 James F. Reilly 266 Peter Lind Hayes ..... . 104 . Trueman T. Rembusch . . . 65 Jo.?eph H. Hazen .... . . . . 90 Allen Rivkin 49 Wiliiam Heineman ...... 13 Harold Robbins . . 12 Frieda B. Hennock 95 Hubbell Robinson, Jr. 97 Harrv Herslvfield . . . . . . . .4 John Roe hurt .\ 46 R'.'.p''ell Holman ......... 49 Harry Ruby . ........ 53 Ted Hud cs 2-13 Norman B. Rydge ....... 216 Earl J. Hudson 63 Manie Sacks 221 Rupert Hughes ......... 18 Jimmy Savo . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 Gordon Irving ........ . . 191 Dore Schafy .. ......... 11 Alan Jackson 24 Nicholas M, Schenck .... 5 George Je.ssel 34 Robert A. Schiiiid . . . . , . 112 Sen. Edwin C. Johnson . 109 Budd Sctiulberg ,42 Eric John.slon . 10 Alfred W. Schwaiberg . . 13 ]\iiU Josefs berg 93 Al & Sherwood Schwartz . 96 Dick Joseph 104 Sidney Sheldon ....... 15 H”! KanlcT ' 09 A'lax Shulman . ......... 50 Ch.arlcs , O’Brien Kennedy 2 ,7 George Sidney 94 Ralph T. Kettering ..... 272 Edwin Silverman , . , . . . . , 65 John Kioron ....... . . , . 13 Phil Silvers ........... 107 IT.: Dry King 42 Spyros Skouras ... . . i 6 Robert E. Kinlncr ....... 93 A. W. Smith, Jr. 13 Ai’l hur Kober . . ; . . . , . . 20 Paul Ger.Trd Smith . . . . . . 99 T:orman Ki'a.sna . . rr. ... 56 Bernard Sobel . . . ...... 267 J/^wrcnco Langncr . . ... . 237; N. B. Spingold . . . . . , . . . . 12 Jo e Lau ri e., Jr. ........ 250 Russell Splane ; . ; . . ; . . . . 195 Cert rude Lawrence . . . . . 15 Wilbur Stark;^^^ 112 Cv[Vy Rose Lee ... 101 Bill stern ... . ... . . A. . 105 S m Levcn.son ......... ; 15 A.shton Stevens . . . . . . . . 3 J\ larks Levine ... ... . . . . 2 ‘9 Al Stillman . . , . . . . ; . . . . 53 Parke Levy.' 101 Robert Stolz . . ; , .... . . . . 194 Jerry D. Lewis . , . . . ; . , . . 20 Ezra Stone . 35 Joe E. .Lewis. . . ... 99 Theodore C. Strelbcrt . . . 104 . A ’ •' k Li c bm a n . . ... . . . . . . lOQ Ed Sullivan . 106 Alan Lipscott . ... . . 97 Gael Sullivah . : 34 .Morris Lo.swen.slein . . 63 Hannen Swaffer ; . 192 M(vi-ti.mer :W,. Loewi ; . . .. 109, j ohn Canieron Swayze . . 107 Cuv Lombardo . . , ...... 218 Hank Sylvern . . . . . . ivo Ben Ludlow , . 110 Richard Thorpe . . . . .3 . 14 Fo’'crt Lund .. . > . . . * . . ... ; 2''.a Charles Tobias . .... .... 222 Ted Alack . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Nne.<3‘ TrammeU ..; .... . . 111 David Ni .Alartin . . . 196 Sophie Tucker ; ....... 248 Frc deric March . . . 101 Ernest Turrtbiill ........ 196 JuMus Mattfold r. . a. 223 IVal ter Vincent . ’ . .... . 270 cd a scene in “Steel llelmet” I Li ppert ) in Which a Yank inf antrym an in cold rage kills a North Korean prisoner-of-war in violalion of the Geneva Convention rulbs. ' In film, an enemy sniper has just killed a young Korean friend of the infantryman. Poem written by kid asking Buddha’s interventioh to make the infantryman like liim is picked up by North Korean prisoner and read sneeringly. GI, in grief-inspired rage, guns down I he prisoner. I Phonevision Chooses 4 ; More Pix for Chi Test Chicago. •i With Zenith Radio’s Phonevision ; having preemed New Year’s Day in •Chicago, prexy Eugene F. McDonald, jr,, had his feature .films lined ; up for the first five days of the ; test by weekend. Under the rotating schedule set up, which will liave one, film repeat at different lime periods for two days after its ! original screening, McDonald .set ; “Lost Honeymoon” (ELC-1947) for the Tuesday (2 )■ opening; “Unsu.spected” (WB-1947) for today (Wed ); “Silver River” .(WB^’48) for tomorrow (Thurs.), and “Dear Ruth” (Par-’47) for the .following clay. These were to be added to the three which teed off the Plionevi.sion lest Jan. 1, including “April ■ Showers,” “Welcome Stranger” ; and “Homecoming.” Wilcox Honored i London. Herbert Wilcox, head of In> peradio Films and one of Britain’s tbp independent producers, has beeiy made a Commander of the British Empire by King George VI. Accolade bestowed upon Wilcox was among ; >a number of other Imnoi's customarily granted by the King at New .Year’s . to deserving I subjects. ; Arthiir L. Mayer . . . . 61 Joseph H. McConnell . . . 1 08 Richard Mcaland , . . , . . . . 49 Justin Miller , . . ... .104 Abe Montague . . 33 iMarjoric Mooi’e . , . . .... 104 ^.Tohty C. Morton . . .... . 196 Pat rice Munsel . . ..... . . 268 Kon Murray : 100 Arthur C. Nielsen .....; 105 J:ick :Oakie , . . . .... ... .50 Tom O'Brien; MP . . . . . . . 100, Robert J. O’Donnell 65 William Orn.stein . .... . . . 208 J. L. Van Volkcnburg , Jerry Wald . Jim Walsh ..... . . ! . . Jack L. Warner ' S L. tPat) Weaver, Jr. R. B. Wilby . : , Charles Williams ... Thyra Samter Winslow Sven G. "Winquist . Mitchell VVoifson . . . . . . Mark Woods . . Herbert J. Yates ... Max E. Ypung.steiri Darryl F. Zanuck Maurice Zolotow . . 103 56 223 11 101 65 39 220 195 65 106 6 12 XI 43 ?pth Suspends Biaver Hollywood. Haver has been suspended by 20th-Fox for refusing role in “Friendly Island,” which rolls Jan, 29 tis a Fred Kohlmar productiGni Part Dailey bowed out. of film last week when studio okayed leave of absence for further bos'* pitalizatiort. , . L. A. to N. Y, Howard Duff Samuel Golclwyrt . Ruth Hussey joanette MacDonald Arch Oboler Gene Raymortd George Sanders N. Y. to Ben Goetz Henry Henigson Arnold Jacobs Bert Kuiick L. A.