Variety (August 29, 1951)

FILMS SARNOFF ON HOLLYWOOD VS. TV Musk Biz Sees Boff Upturn in Fall; Disk Pickup Felt, Pubs Little Slower Hiding through the worst sum- mer slump in the last five years, music biz execs are expecting to strike pay dirt in the next period •head. Stray economic signs in the last couple of weeks are lending weight to the belief that this fall mav be the prelude to a longterm boom, which will catch the wartime years in the gravy spread. The business pickup has already been felt among the major disk companies in advance orders for the fall-winter season. Intensive sales drives by the majors have been targeting at a fast getaway, with the initial momentum seen aided by general factors in a war- geared economy. Although not so sanguine as the dlskers about the future, publishing execs are also anticipating a steady rise in sheet music sales. The disk trade is heading into the fall in good shape, at least In better health than it has been for several years. Not only has the speed situation settled to the point where retailers have a pretty good idea of their own market potential, but inventory swap deals and upped return privileges are finding the retail trade in a sound financial position to take quick advantage of • sharp business upturn. Biggest factor is the industry’s confidence in the virtually certain cutbacks in other sectors of the civilianl economy, due to the $90,- r >0.000 preparedness expenditures hich will start rolling in the next few months. With plenty of con- (Continued on page 48) Thorpe Nixes Film P.A. When $1,000 Fee Refused Tulsa, Aug. 28. The world premiere of the Aim, "Jim Thorpe—All American,” screen version of the life of the great Indian athlete, was held at Muskogee, Okla., last week—minus its hero of real life to give it a sendoff He refused to attend. Thorpe didn’t show up at the Muskogee event because he wasn't given the $1,000 he §»ked for a main appearance and $400 for each of two appearances at local houses showing the pix. LeBlanc Claims Sale Of Rights to Hadacol Nostrum for $10,000,000 Augusta. Ga., Aug. 28. T)udley J. LeBlanc, the Louisiana State Senator who made a fortune selling the “dietary supplement,” Hadacol, via show biz ballyhoo, de- clared this week that he sold rights to his nostrum to a group of east- trn financiers and businessmen for $10,000,000. LeBlanc said that he *ill remain with the new Arm for 15 years at an annual salary of $ 100 , 000 . LeBlanc said that buyers were the Maltz Cancer Foundation in Hew York, but no such organization Is listed in the N. Y. telephone di- rectory. He stated that taxes took so much of the vast proAts of the Arm that he decided to sell the company to the Maltz Foundation, *hich he said waa a charitable or- ganization. LeBlanc is one of the major tal- ent buyers in the country during the run of the Hadacol Caravan, • medicine show, to which admit- tance is obtained by boxtops. Bob «*ope. Jimmy Durante, Rudy Val- lee. Carmen Miranda, Cesar Ro- Jcro, Jack Dempsey and Milton ®erle were signed by LeBlanc at the beginning of the season for his •bow. Big-Screen TV Boots for Fight r Arenas Sought By SANFORD MARKEY Cleveland. Aug. 28. Special pitch for the major box- ing matches to be telecast via big- screen into fight arenas through- out the country, rather than into theatres, will be made to the In- ternational Boxing Club within the next 15 days by managers of arenas and auditoriums. According to Jim Hendy, mana- ger of the Cleveland Arena, theatre telecasting of the fights is killing the smaller arenas and so is ruin- ing the testing grounds of fledg- ling fighters. He hopes the 1BC will consent to the new' plan as not only a means of saving the boxing industry but as a lucrative (Continued on page 16) CANTOR MAY TEE OFF N.Y.-T0-LA. TV COM’LS Eddie Cantor may be the first television star to originate his show from Hollywood for live transmission across the country. Comedian was alerted this week not to make too permanent ar- rangements for his stay in New York on the possibility that he’ll be able to do his Sept. 30 stanza of ’’Colgate Comedy Hour” on NBC-TV from the Coast. American Telephone & Tele- graph originally set Nov. 1 as the starting date of the west-east microwave link. At NBC’s request, however. AT&T promised to do all ft could to change over the link in time for the Sept. 30 show. Bastbound channel, from San Francisco to N. Y. is to be opened on that date. Actually, the line from Frisco to N. Y. will be opened Sept. 4 for the Japanese Peace Treaty conference, but that’s un- der temporary arrangements. SEES ill CINEMAS Barnyard Belascos Fear Unions, ADDING TV TO PIX Stars May Price ’Em Out of Business By ABEL GREEN *Tve never ducked the question on Hollywood versus home TV,” says Brigadier General David Sar- noff, board chairman of the Radio Corp. of America. “There will al- ways be a lush market for Arst- class pictures, but it’s a question in my mind about the B’s in relation to the movies one can see and will continue to be able to see on home TV. The question then follows as to whether Hollywood can live on A’s alone, at least in the manner to which it hqs grown accustomed. “On the other hand, a new con- cept of Alms for television, or vld- pix as the Variety reporters call them, may produce an even newer prosperity for Hollywood artists and artisans. These, of course, will have to be within the 30-minute limit, maybe 15 minutes, or maybe in some unorthodox 10 or 20-min- ute segments—I don’t necessarily see TV in the same 15-minute and 30-minute segments forever, as with radio broadcasting. But cer- tainly within the half-hour, and (Continued on page 22) Catholic Council Plans TV Legion of Decency Via National Monitoring Washington. Aug. 28. A plan similar to the Legion of Decency’s rating of motion pic- tures is being shaped up for TV programs by the National Council of Catholic Men which feels strong- ly that many of the present video shows should be cleaned up. Plan will be unveiled shortly. — An article on “Television Morals” to appear in the forthcoming Sep- tember issue of “Catholic Men,” spells out the present NCCM thinking and actions on the sub- ject. It states: “The National Council of Catho- lic Men for the 4 >ast few months has been studying a comprehen- sive television racing plan, which would classify programs in a man- ner similar to the Legion of De- cency’s classiAcation of motion pic- tures. The plan under considera- tion involves setting up a nation- (Continued on page 63) Wrong Grimace Dave Mallen, who’s been do- ing an imitation of George M. Cohan for 40 years,. got an authentic audience for his act last week at the Lambs Club, N. Y., when he met George M. Cohan, Jr. Mallen gave the younger Cohan some impres- sions of his late father. When Mallen left. Cohan conAded to the barkeep that he liked the impressionist’s work, “But he imitates my dad • from the wrong side of the mouth.** Virgin Islands’ Yankee Voodoo as Tourist Bait The Caribbean Hotel, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, is using Afro-Cuban talent to entice U. S. tourists this year. However, they’re importing this type turn from the U. S. because of the fact that teams In this country represent the tourists’ idea of what the voodoo dancers should be like. The Bill Peterson-Charles Busch agency is booking the spot. Judy Can Net 15G On % Via 2-a-Day Return to Palace New York’s Palace Theatre re- turns to two-a-day for the Arst time since 1933, starting Oct. 16 with Judy Garland booked to head- line the Arst show. The Palace will be sold as of former days when the greats in show biz played that Aagship of b i g 11 m e vaudeville. There will be no pix of any kind. Miss Garland will be at the Palace for a four-week minimum with house scaled to gross between $45,000 and $50,000 at a $3 or more top. If that take Is reached, possibilities are thst Miss Garland can walk off with about $15,000 under a guarantee and percentage deal. Under these conditions, earn- ings will compare .favorably with headliners working the full vaude complement of four shows or more daily. RKO hopes that Miss Gar- land’s click will entice other top na.nes to follow her into that house. The Palace modus-operand! for this show will have Miss Garland (Continued on page 16) By ARTHUR BRONSON Strawhat operation this sum- mer has been anything but placid. Business has been good in many places, with new house records set in some locations, not once but several times. Producers have been beset with the usual prob- lems—rising operating costs, inAa- tion, individualistic stars and high salary demands, package show com- plications. war’s damper and com- petition from other activities. Exceptions have been taken to Equity rulings and Assn, of The- atrical Press Agents St Managers “abuses. ” Chief new problem— and one in which a showdown is expected sometime this fall be- tween producers and the union— is the matter of ATPAM activity. Problem has had most producers steaming under their sportshirts, some even claiming it may ruin the whole strawhat industry. These disclosures are result of Variety’s fourth annual survey of the strawhat scene, based on ques- tionnaires sent to about 20 repre- sentative hayloft operators. Business was reported 25% up from last year at the Music Circus, Lambertville, N. J., and 20% ahead (Continued on page 60) ’Not That Hard Up For A Buck/ Says Depiuet; Not Reissuinf ’Kane’ RKO will not take advantage of the recent publicity regarding the death of William Randolph Hearst to reissue “Citizen Kane,” prexy Ned E. Depinet said yesterday (Tues.) “We’re not that hard up for a buck.’* he explained. “Kane” was made for RKO by Orson Welles in 1941. While its prinicipal character is not identi- Aed as the late newspaper and mag publisher, similarities have caused the pic to be generally accepted an an “unauthorized” blog of Hearst. THE AN ^WCHOBt. * oiou, OF soiotsn • ORCfttS^ A COMPLETE HOUR FOR OF E.\TEBTAIXNE\T Under tha Direction of PHIL SPITALNY COLOR