Variety (April 1952)

*4 CHATTER WtAnmSmfy April 19S2 Former stir Blanche Bing, now 80, has shifted . her home from Beverly Hills to New York, The Troupers, femme theatrical organization, holding their annual show at the Latin Quarter, Sunday (27). Broadway pressagent 'Ed Werner lecturing tonight (Wed.) on public relations at New York XJ„ his Alma mammy. Ben Rochelle and Jane Beebe, husband-wife dance team, planed to Europe this week to entertain troops for the USO. Arierie Dahl and mate Lex Bark- eft back to Hollywood today (Wed.). Miss- Dahl had come in* for radio aijd TV appearances. x . iRGA. Victor's Steve Carlin to the;; Coast May 2 on some more Walt Disney kiddie (listings which he. scripts arid produces. Herb (Variety) Golden back from Israel via Athens, a detour which snafued his. return travel plans by several days. Cinema Lodge of B'nai B’ritb first golf tournament since world War 11, May 22, at Vernon .Hills Country Club, Tuckahoe, N. Y. John C. Bruno honoring Ethel Merman at a midnight champagne supper party Saturday, (26) at his eastside eatery, the Pen and Pencil. Phil and Frances Dunning Will celebrate their 33d wedding anni- versary on April" 26 by •strolling down Broadway and trying to reconcile it with the Broadway they knew 33 years ago. ' Admittedly pleasantly exhausted from a whirl of parties in their ' honor, Maggie and Louis Vaudable back to Paris to take command of their Chez- Maxim's with the start of the summer tourist season. Annual Alice M. Ditson Award ? i $1,000 to an American conductor or distinguished services to Amer- ican music will be presented to Leopold Stokowski Suiiday (27) at McMillin Theatre, Columbia XJ. director, here to do groundwork for a Lippert production. Johi* Rosenfield of Italian Films Export expected in for con- fabs with local film heads. Jack Leeward returns to Holly- wood after several months in Rome looking over Ijtalian pictures. Henry Henigson will be produc- tion manager on • Paramount s forthcoming "Roman Holiday." Actress-model Jackie Frost re- turned for dim work here, after,] several months in N. # Y. and Holly- wood. . "The Lady Is Not For Burning," by Christopher Fry, in for two weeks at the Valle Theatre, Italian version. London two Paris By Maxlme 'de Beix C33 Bd. Montparnasse; LUtre 7564) • Eileen O'Dare now stalked by French producers for pix.. Georgette; Letourrieur’s;. initialer as a director will be "La Goulue,” starring ViViane Romance, . Opening of Empire revue star- tling Maurice .Chevalier had t.o be postponed a week until .tomorrow (April 23).., .• v . / "Piaisir " released hy Columbia, garnered a record breaking $110,- 000 in tha first four weeks in three Paris theatres. Hildegarde to play the ' plush Drap d'Or, Paris, opening the lafc ,ter part of \ June after her- London ( engagement at Cafe de-Paris. M. Garmont ntill waiting to ap- point someone to take the place of the late Louis Jouvet as- head of the Athenee Theatre, Since Pierre Renoir's death, Jean Mer- cure has been filling the job. with his production of Hochwalder's "On Earth As in- Heaven" starring Victor Francen. Washington By Florence S. Lowe Home ' Builders Show at Hunt Armory week of May' 5. . % . Arturo Vercesi, long-time head- Ross and La Pierre opened at waiter at 0 id Nixon Cafe, now in i Ciro’s Club. * same berth at Monte Carlo, Arthur Blake doing a return wm Trio, with Sammy cabaret date at Churchills opening j) a yj 8> jr M booked for two-week re- next Saturday (26). turn to the Copa beginning June 2. Tom Arnold sailed on the Ca- ronia for N. Y. last Thursday (17) on his annual looksec. Ihlhf Laurel and Hardy doing a vafide yflua * stint this week at Sidney L. Bern- By BUI Barker stein's Shrewsbury Granada. DeMarco Sisters in for Charles Reynolds, Apex Film frames at Baker-Hotel. Distributors’ chief, flying’to N, Y. Lee Baron at the organ in Bur- to negotiate Coproduction tleup. gundy Room of Hotel Adolphus. George Formby hospitalized with Margo Jones, of Theatre '52, a possible heart ailment and his hometowning several days in Liv- "Zip Goes a Million” role being ingston, Tex. filled by his understudy of Geoffrey Jane Trahey, of Neiman-Marcus, Plddock. femceeing "Stop and Swap," The Five Talos, currently fea- WFAA-TV Sabbath show. tur.ed on the London Palladium Tex Ritter lost a $1,500 array of bili^ booked by Lew Grade for western garb when thieves broke Mills Bros, Olympia circus next into, his car during a one-niter. Christmas. Russ Facchine, pf GAC's Chi- Godfrty Tearie to play. Oedipus cago office, subbingJor Frank Fos- for the first time in hjs cafteer in ter, seriously ill at Baylor Hospital a radio version of "Oedipus.Rex,” here, _ ; ,f_ , translated by Dudley Fitts and Nancy Gates,. Paramount, starlet. Robert Fitzgerald. . ' . in to. co-star with Edward Everett Baron Polan closed deal with Horton in 1 Castle in the Air . at Harry Morris and Eustace Hoey, Civic Playhouse, , , joint operators of the Colony and Humphrey Bogart, oh a, four-day Astor niteries, to book all of lat- stay, -brought his Oscar at SMU s er's femme acts imported from request—for measures and photos America to go into McCord Museum. Edward Noll, for the last two- Dr. Sigmund Spaeth guesting and-a-half years choreographer for with deejay Reuben Bradford via the Empire stageshows, returned to WFAA and o.o. tag ZaSu Pitts in the U. S, last weekend to take up "Ramshackle Inn at Civic Play- a similar assignment for the Pitts- house, burgh Civic. Light Opera Co. Harry Alan --Towers, head of Tower of London, planed to N. Y. and plans to be away three weeks. Taking with him test disk of Baron- ess Orczy's classic "Scarlet Pirn pernell," which he has acquired. The Deep River Boys due back _ . . Metro director George Sidney Quite a turnout of Latin-Ameri- and wife ^ town for a day of sight- can diplomacy, laity and press (in- see ing eluding XL S.) at the San Benito Jose j^rrer here Monday (21) to winery's dinner for Roslta Rios tub-thump for "Anything Can (Mrs. Benito Collada), singer at Happen," due soon at Lopert’s and wife of El Chico’s boniface. playhouse George Sidney, Metro director, Eric Johnston and Barney Bala finally got off on his return to the ban-to host Capitol Hill reps at Coast yesterday (Tues.) after some preview of "My Son John" Friday delays due to the illness of his night (25) wife, • Lillian' Burns, Metro dra- Lewis H. Rubin, chief of Office matic coach, who had accompanied 0 f Alien Troperty of Dept, of Jus-, tarn east. tice, has transferred from Variety The Motion Picture Assn, of T ent 23 of New England to local America is feteing Joseph Van chapter Cottom, editor and publisher of President and Mrs. Truman have Cine-Revue of Belgium, and Miss bedded two receptions for radio, Jany Joossen, "Miss Cine-Revue of press and newsreel reps in the re- 1952," Friday (25) at the Rainbow furbished White House May 5 and Room G rJJL , , 7 after a three-year hiatus Julius Fleischmann, co-producer, of "Moon IS Blue" and finance committee chairman for the Ex position of the Arts in Paris, flew to Europe Saturday (19) to prep opening of the Expo April 30. Wal- ter Alford, XJ. S. preSs rep for the Expo, also flew to Paris that day. Cletelahd By Glenn C, Pullen Don Cherry and Celia Cabot Into Main Street Club for week. - - - , Johnnie Ray’s first vaude date Gene Nelson, Warner star cur- here is now set for Loew’s State rently personaling at the Warner j n mid-June Theatre, accepted the Page One Te d Lewis’ orch and revue kick- Award for Vivien Leigh, presented i n g 0 ff summer season at Skyway Jy N.Y. Newspaper Guild at Lounge Club, May 28. Page One Ball Friday (18) Bill Randle, WERE disk jockey, at the Hotel Astor. Award was for wrote that profile of . the "Cry" her performance in "Streetcar singer in recently published John- Ireland By Maxwell Sweeney Katharine Dunham Dancers set for Theatre Royal, Dublin, in 3W[fly» . George A. Overend named r vice r chairman Odeon (Ireland Vsucceed- Germany for two weeks, to be fol- j n g i a £ e Maurice EJliman. - lowed by eight weeks in Scan- dinavia. Also booked for Moss Abbeyite Denis 0‘Dea planes to U. S. in June for role in 20th-Fox’s Empires and Stoll circuits opening with Mason. A 4- «a I ’ I «i m «jm*» A itrT A 0_ . . . . _ « > « at Empire, Glasgow, Aug. 4. Minneapolis By Lea Rees Edyth Bush Little Theatre fering "Over 21." Bhipstad & Johnson "Ice lies” in third week at Arena. Emile Littler production of “Brigadoon” slated for season at Gaiety, Dublin, opening in Jiine. Reginald Goodall, conductor of Covent Garden Opera, pacted to - i conduct during Dublin Grand °*’ I Opera season. Former Abbeyite Denis O’Dea will return to Abbey for lead in new production of Louis D'Alton’s Fol- Sophie Parker holding over with Money Doesn't Matter." Afm Hanonn Tonio or Vi/» r e « t . i.i exotic dancer Tanja at Vic's. Hilton Edwards planed to Named Desire Philadelphia By Jerry Gaghan Mike Pedecin’s Men of Rhythm,, . current at Old Mill Inn, signed by ^ u -?-m^ rs nie Ray album, getting hefty sale here. Mills Bros. Circus, owned by a-| Cleveland family, playing home- town dates May 16-17 after check- ing out of Greenville, O., winter ( Harry Shapiro back with "Dark- Copenhagen to finalize' project for 11 ^t Noon at the Lyceum. Dublin Gate Theatre production of Mary McCarty opening return .-Hamlet" at Elsinore in June. Hotel Radisson Flame Room 10- day er. "The Chocolate Soldier" St. Paul Pnrfljliul Of A Civic Opera Co.’s final season of- 1 m uauu > fering. ° By Kaye Feves Oriental danqer Lee Wong and Andrini Bros, held for second Five MadbeatS into St. Paul week at the Clover Heinie’s. Maddox Bros. Sc Rose in at the Two week-end concerts ended Corral for a one-niter. Minneapolis Symphony orch sea- Hannon & Ryan, Rowena Rollins, son here. and Demar & Denise on the bill Marvin Moran Sc Malone Sisters at Amato’s Supper Club, winding up Hotel Radisson Flame Spike Jones and his "Musical Room fortnighter. , Depreciation Revue” • played the Lou Wills, Jr., and Stoner Sc Auditorium Monday (21) with mail Denis underlined for Hotel Nicollet /order biz heavy. Minnesota Terrace, Danny Martyn, Nick Lucas, Taxicab drivers’ strike going in- Bums Twins & Evelyn, and Cooper to third month and nightclubs are Sisters doing two and three a day among chief sufferers. at 10-day annual Home Shqw. Hotel. Nicollet Minnesota Ter- Eddie Peabody headlining an- race has comedian Mickey Sharp nual Shrine Circus at Portland and dancers Patine Sc Rosa. Arena, with Mabel Stark and Elaine Campbell, former "Miss others in the 10-dayer which teed Minnesota,” now member of off yesterday (22). Schiek's cafe singing sextet. XJniv. of Minnesota group pre- senting T. S. Eliot’s "Murder in the Cathedral" in .St. Mark’s Cathedral. Australia Mercury Records Jerry Dorn, former Woody Her- man trombonist, has opened a mid town haberdashery. George A. Hamid will Install a wax museum on his Steel Pier, At- lantic City, this summer. Robert Q. Lewis broke in new Hildegarde teamed up with Joe Laurie, Jr., in town to plug the book, "Show Biz,” in a radio inter- view they taped for Press Club at cocktail party. William Van Sleet and Paul Mar- lin may give an English play by Emiyn Williams its first U. S. pro- duction to start their summer stock cafe act as guest star at shoe manu- Siic n facturers- party, in PalumWs (18). se f^ott & C&o doiS person- Larry Storch and Rosemary % JaSctfiir”Anil CloonGv will flntipflp at Prpcc Pho- for Jciclc 3.nd B^nstslk, -vis- v,iooney wm appear at fress mo u H iinvinsnnn -u^ArA +v»av tographers Ball in the Bellevue Stratford (26). Nat "King” Cole rushed out after the last show Saturday night (19) at the Earle to make ftiidnight concert at Carnegie Hall, N. Y. John Weber, former operator of burned-out Weber’s Hof Brau (Camden, N. J.), has purchased the .. , Wynnewood House on the Main na ¥:ir: ited Roxy burlesque where they started careers nere and ran through their old baseball routine. San Francisco By Ted Friend George Shearing at the Black- Line. Rome By Helen McGill Tubbs Jimmy Roosevelt doing Fisher- men’s Wharf. Joaquin Garay and Los Gatos Trio set for Bimbo’s 365 Club. Fox West Coast remodelling Fox-California Theatre in Berke- Charles Trenet in a one-man ley. show at Eliseo Theatre fot three Town’s elite‘turning out for din- nights. ner honoring Queen Juliana at the Playwright Andrew Rosenthal Mark Hopkins, to spend several months here in Traditional Press Club Late writing a play. Watch dinner to author Kathleen Palermo opera season includes Norris and cric Marie Hix David- G i a n Carlo Menotti’s "The son. Medium” this year. Pierre Monteux to New York The Step Brothers here for a following week-long farewell cele- few days between engagements in bration honoring maestro who has other European cities... conducted Frisco Symph for past William Berke, Hollywood film 17 years. Pittsburgh * By Hal Cohen Perry Como’s another in Mercy hospital for observation. Carol Mansfield underwent ap- pendectomy: ditto Mrs. Bill Hinds. "South Paoiflc" will probably New Carlton House holding a debut here late August under the By Eric Gorrick Wajly Thornbum celebrates 30 years with United Artists in the Aussie zone. Mischa Auer here to do a four weeks run at the Celebrity night- club, Sydney. “Fabiola” (Col) continues smash biz at the State, Melbourne, for BUI Joyce in from Chicago. Donna Atwood planed to Dallas, Sally Rapd to Miami for nitery dates. Terry Moore divorced Glenn Davis. ^Horace Heidt air lined to Houston. Paul Douglas to Las Vegas on vacation. Jim Jeffries celebrated his 77th birthday. James Cagney in from Martha’s Vineyard, Van Heflin returned from Euro- pean tour. Dan Dur^eas celebrated 21st wedding anni. Gloria Holliday recovering from major surgery, Richard Widmark planed to Hon- olulu for siesta, Joan Taylor out of the hospital after a checkup. Rex Allen in town after per- sonals Ip- Arizona. : - Celeste,Holm filed suit to shed A. Schuyler' Dunning. .Edward Lasker in town after four weeks in N. Y. Marilyn ’Maxwell picked up her final divorce papers. - Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner planed in from N. Y. John Payne to Roanoke, Va., where his mother is ill. Clara Btfw seriously ill in a Sanfa Monica sanitarium. Vonne Godfrey, of South Africa, became an American citizen. Jeff’Donnell v and Bill Anderson back from their Laguna vacation. Wanda Hendrix in town after fpur months in Europe and Africa, Joseph Moskowitz in from N. Y. for huddles with Darryl F. Zanuck. Murvyn Vye* in from N. Y. for his first film role in three years, Margaret O’Brien left for Mexico City for the. annual -Spring Festi- val. Bob Hope will open annual L. A. Police Show at Shrine Auditorium May l.„ George Jessel will be toastmaster at testimonial dinner for Danny Thomas. Alfred Apaka planed in from Honolulu to launch his U. S. sing- ing career. Margaret Herrick to Columbia, Mo.; to deliver six lectures at Ste- phens College, Frank DeVol ordered to carry his fractured arm in a sling for another month. Claude Dauphin fractured a wrist during a scene in "April in Paris" at Warners. • Errol" Flynn planed in from Nassau to finish delayed Scenes in "Against All Flags." Lyle Talbot celebrating his 25th year as a film.actor and his 103d role (in "The Pathfinder"). Carl Lertzman appointed gen- eral manager of newly formed Frankie Laine Enterprises. • Gregory Peck back. to work in "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" after 10 days out with a-leg injury. Slim Pickens- handed out awards to winning riders at the annual Western Wranglers Horse Show. Mala Powers suffering from a recurrence of fever contracted while entertaining soldiers in Korea. press preview next Monday (21). Buddy Lester is Easter Week topper at Jackie Heller’s Carousel. Joe Leiber up from Miami Beach to be with his family for Passover. Marie Horst is booker George Claire’s new secretary, replacing Jerry Coleman. Young Dickie Hoover, son of Playhouse general manager, broke his leg in a fall. Anton Scibilia has withdrawn as Joe Hiller’s associate in latter’s booking office. Bill Finkel, chief barker of Va- riety Club, named prexy of South- side Rotary Club. . Eddie Cantor coming to Syria Mosque May 2 on a Red Cross blood donor pitch. Sandy Bickart, radio and TV ac- tor, back to N. Y. after week’s visit with his folks here. Harry Fox is out of the Monte Carlo operation, with Alan Clark running it sold again. Dee Stout will again publicize Francis Mayville’s Wagon Wheel strawhat this season. Nick Lucas to headline annual Williamson banner. Walter Gieseking, German pian- ist, scored hit in Sydney for the Australian Broadcasting Commis- sion. Borovansky Ballet Co. will do tour of New Zealafid after playing in Brisbane and Perth under the Williamson banner. Metro will rename the Embassy •in Malvern, Melbourne, nabe house recently taken over from indie interests as the Metro. "Brigadoon” has commenced sec- ond year’s run here under the Williamson banner. Show is cur- rent at Royal, Sydney. 'Every week sees the closure of more nightclubs in the outer Syd- ney zone as biz hits skids \yith spending dough getting tight. Alec Templeton, pianist and musical satirist, opens in Mel- bourne June 14 for a concert runa- round under the Williamson ban- ner. * David N. Martin announced that "Folies Bergere” is set for the Tivoli loop this year. Will be the biggest single importation unit ever brought here. Chicago Frank Taylor in town after leav- ing the Charlie Yates agency. Milton Berle In for the Robinson- Graziano fight and visiting for ex- tra day. > . Eddie Cantor will do his blood bank show from the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade May 5. Joan Bennett in with daughter Melinda Markey to start rehearsals for "Bell, Book, and Candle,” in which she opens May 5 at the Sel- wyn. Richard Lewine, CBS-TV, pro- ducer, and Max Wilk, video writer, in for premiere’ of their-new musi- cal, "Mad Money," at Loyola Com- munity Playhouse. • . Actors Club instituted midnight suppers for legit casts with the first for members of "Bell, Book, and Candle" last week and another for "Remains to Be Seen” next week. Ottawa Marian Anderson into Capitol for one night. Bill Farrell headlining Standl- shall show. Dry spring upped drive-in open- ings by week or two. Guy Lombardo orch into Audi- torium for one-niter. Record Easter biz in clubs, the- atres, hotels, eateries. . "Ice Cycles" into Auditorium for week, first pro icer here for several years. . Day, Dawn & Dusk topping Gati- neau Club show for spring teeott after 15-week shutdown of spot. Bill also has Catron Bros, and Mary & Michael Man. Weekend biz was capacity.