Variety (September 1952)

lJKtelTn»lATB Fall UP Releases to Bring But Signs Point to 1953 Upbeat Concord, N. H., Sept. 2. The Stitte Planning and Devel- opment Commission, which ‘ has made annual surveys of • summer theatre activities in New Hamp- shire since the strawhatters be-> came big business, sees every in- dication that all of the barns will be back in operation next season,- despite some unfavorable condi- tions in the early part of the past season, . The commission.found that un- usually hot weather, television and national conventions cut down at- tendance during the first few weeks of operation, but that busi- ness began to pick up as barns headed down the home stretch' Alton Wilkes, producer at the Lakes Region Playhouse in Gil- ford,. told the commission that business had been “definitely off," due to “drcumstancei over which nobody has control," He cited in- tense heat and the political con- ventions as adverse factors., How- ever, he reported that his theatre, where Broadway and Hollywood stark were featured, noted a pick- up in business in early August. At Francis Glover Cleveland’s Barnstormers .Theatre in Tam- worth, the situation was much the same, but his wife, who is busi- ness manager, said attendance be- came satisfactory later In the sea- son after a poor, start. Although televisioif reception doesn’t extend to Tanworth, Mrs. Cleveland be- lieved that city vacationists, who make up’most of the Barnstormers’ audiences, had seen so many TV shows that they shied away from entertainment .when they got into the pouritry. Hot weather,, was blamed for the early season cut in pati’onage. ' Things were a bit brighter in .Whitcjfteld, also out of TV range, where producer Lucy Chase Sparks reported.that .the Chase Barn Play- house had its best season. Due to the unsettled international situa- tion, this establishment didn’t op- erate in 1951 and Mrs. Sparks be- lieves the year’s absence “made the heart grow fonder", among Whitefield theatregoers. The SRO sigh was hung up several time^ she said. It’s now recognized by the State Planning and Development Com? mission that New Hampshire’s strawhatters play an important part in the state’s vacation busi- ness, which is estimated at $125,- .000,000 a year. Iriiih Theatre#^ .Pay Hike , Dublin, Sept. 2. Staffs in cinemas and theatres here will get heavy pay envelopes this week when they get back pay to July 28 to cover increases just negotiated for them .by Cinemas and Theatre Workers’ Union and back-dated for the month. Men will get an increase of $i.90 per week; women and males under T8 years, $1; page boys, 50c. Theatre and Cinema Assn., rep- resenting owners, sliuawked but agreed to pay following agreement between Federated Union of Em- ployers and Congress of Irish Unions. Pay hike can’t be passed on to patrons as admission charges are still pegged by the government. Trudy Goih« director of N.Y.'s Choreoguhphers Workshop, has been In Gre.ece, teaching at the Royal National Opera in Athens, and advising a group of folk danc- ers and isingers on theatrical pres- entations. Due back in N.Y. Sept. 30. . Cetra-Sorla Records, leading dis- trib of LP' opera albums, is prep- ping a heavy fall schedule of full- length operas. Firm, concentrat- ing on Imports of operas recorded in Italy and pressed here, will have 42 operas in its catalog by Christ- mas, to be the top-heavy leader in the field. Urania has about 18 operas on its list; RCA and Colum- bia have about a dozemeach, with other, smaller companies present- ing about two or three each. Fall Cetra feature is a Complete “Don Carlo” album, featuring basso- Nicola Rossi-Lementi, due out im September along with a “La Boheme," with Ferruccio Taglia- vlni. Although an abridged “La Forza del LJestinO" is in its catalog, Certa will issue the opera in Octo- ber In its entirety,. in thr^ LPs instead of two. Abridged version will remain on the market. Also this fall, three light operas are skedded for release, in “I Quat- tro Rustegi," “La Gantatrici Vil- lane" and “L’Esisir d’Amore." Last-named, will also be a full- length version for the first time.* At Xmas time, ‘ Cetra will offer “Cavalleria 'Rusticana" and “Pa- gliacci” in one album, also for a first such coupling.' London Theatre Clubs Clash on Wilde Play London, Sept. 2. Two London - theatre clubs are to clash next month with rival ver- sions of “Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime,” based , ou the Oscar Wilde short Tstory, The Royal Court Thea- tre has set its production for Oct. 7 • and the Arts Club will follow a week later. The Court version is by Con- stance Cox while the Arts produc- tion is. by St, John Clewes and Basil Dawson. In Los Angeles It^s Raves for ^ The Laugh Maker A New Romantic Comedy by Lawrence and Lee It’s not very often that Los Angeles introduces a play of which we can be proud. Broadway usually launches the good ones. . . Once in a while, though, we get a break. It's happening now at the Players’ Ring where “The Laugh Maker,” by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Lee, is being premiered. This is % comedy-drama written with exquisite taste and peopled by sharply drawn, poignant characters. It’s brilliant . . .! —Tom Coffey, L.A. Mirror Kathleen Freeman has done a good job of staging . . . The cast is generally good, especially Alvin Hurwit:^ as Grin- .goire. Joseph-Mell’s Bocador is fine... Will delight the hearts of actors! —^Mike Kaplan, Variety The proliflcally talented team of Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, whose literary compositions have at- tained success in all media, now has “The Laugh Maker" on the boards. It’s . . . studded with excellent characteriza- tions. Jean Byron does a grand Job. —Vance King, Hollywood Reporter Intriguing , , , Tops anything current. —^L.A. Herald-Express PLAY CAUSES STIR AT RING . , . Spectacular moments . . . Expounds some very bright and unique ideas. “The Laugh Maker" provided the oc- .'casion for a gala premiere . .. The Ring quite outdid itself! —^Edwin Schallcrt, L.A, Times An occasion for thanksgiving! LIVING THEATRE AT ITS BEST! It has—at appropriate moments— those unpredictable explosions of imag- ination that are called poetry. Direction and performance measure up to the ex- cellent qualities of the script. You will want to see it more than once. It diverts you, and later it haunts you. —Patterson Greene, L.A, Examiner the PLAYERS' RING ■ A « A 8351 Santa Monica Blvd, *. Hollywood, Calif, Nightly oxetpt Monday at 8:40 HO 9-8271 FS&Y's Click Gamble Willingness of Farrar, Straus St Young to gamble on a. blog of Democratic Presidential.. nominee "Adlai E, Stevenson is" paying off. When the tome by Noel F. Busch Was announced, at a‘ time when Illinois governor was consistently nixing the idea that he would run, some of the literati set thought FS&Y was being foolhardy. However, since the book was published on June 20 (a month be- fore his nomination),^ its booming sales have pushed it into five edi- tions. Because FS&Y also pub- lished ' William- Hillman’s “Mr, President,” the book on President Truman’s papers, pre-convention trade talk had been that the firm was taking a big gamble with the Stevenson volume. . A. C, Press-Union Strike Looms Thirty-three members of the At- lantic City unit of the Philadel- phia-Camden Newspaper Guild are poised to strike the Atlantic City Press-Union Newspapers following breakdown of.contract negotiations with the expirition of the con- tract as of Friday night (i(9).« The executive committee has been given. authority to call the strike at any time it sees fit with no added contract negotiations scheduled, or expected. to be scheduled; Difference of opinion as lo the right .to. discharge is the major point at issue. The Guild insists on outside arbitration-in case of a dispute oyer ^ discharge. The publisher, 'RoUand Adams, insists on the right to .discharge without such arbitration*. Adams is pre- pared , to set up machinery for a review of the discharge case through the local guild, Philadel- phia, guild, and then a Federal me- diator; This the Guild rejects, ..holding that such a contract clause would mean'that the Philadelphia and National Guild could not ap- prove the contract, even if it was acceptable to the local unit. Guild is expected to pull its strike tomorrow (3) just before the mechanical shift starts into the 'plant to put out the morning pa- per, the Press: Trailerizing an Editor An office ad in the current (Sep- tember) Cosmopolitan gives its editor, John J. O’Connel, a com- mercial in connection with the - monthly’s new “streamlined” for- mat which eliminates “runovers.” That means no jump pages—every story runs its normal course until a new one starts, which^^of course is a big plus for the advertiser and gives back-of-the-book position as much value as the front features. • This is the second month of the new format and the office ad for 'ye ed is essentially a pitch for reader reaction to the idea. ‘Don’t Do It tlbie Heart Way’ 1 ^ Author-showman J.- P. McEvoy is doing a personal pitch in con- nection with his story, titled “Don’t Do It the Heart Way," in the current (Sept.) Reader’s Digest among his friends in the lively arts. Pointing to the sudden heart fatality to Lamar Trotti, the 20th- Fox-Film writer-producer, as the most recent example of the current high-pressure living and .occupa- tion, McEvoy’s campaign for “tak- ing it easy" ‘is snowballing many disciples. He was prompted to write the piece, following the sudden death of Fulton Oursler, a senior ed of'' RD. McEvoy himself is just out of Medical Centre, N. Y., following a long hospital siege and is currently hibernating at his New, City, N. Y„ summer home. Book Bally Via TV Only William E. Buckley, veepee of Henry & Holt & Co., will essay an unique direct-sales-by-TV-only ex- ploiUtlon pitch with “MiTgic Se- crets," soon-due book by Kajar, vet vaude magi, illustrated’ by Jon Gnagy, who is already w,k. on TV. Latter' has done 200 illustrations for. the 36 tricks whipped up by Kajar, for home magicos. Holt has negotiated 10-minute *‘6-<5un Playhouse" ^n WPIX, to be followed by ifim- ute commercials on WOR-TV. local N. Y. markets and plucks Holt will produce three 15-minute vidpix to saturate the naUonal TV. markets. Kajar will telepix, along with Gnagy. At the moment Kajar 1« a staffer on the NBC-TV color field tests out of N. Y. • Martin’s ‘Modern Ballet’ World Book of Modern Ballet," by John Martin (World, $6), Is an Important addition to the dance library, despite certain drawbacks. Book, by the dean of U. S. dance critics (he’s been N. Y. Times dance, reviewer for 25 years) has misleading title. Actually, it’s a history of the ballet in modern-day America since its popularization in 1933 discussing the two Ballet Russe companies, Ainerlcan Ballet, Bal- let Theatre and N. Y. City Ballet with one brief chapter each at the close on_ballet-in England and <;ountries are omit- ted.. There’s no index, and other omissions. Book starts off in too scholarly and pedantic a writing style, although it shakes itself loose after a while for a hiehlv- readable, newspaper style. In addition to factual info on companies, personalities, on danc* ers, choreographers and managers tome has description of ballets and critical comment on trends, for an overall . authoritative, impressive interesting survey, highly exten- sive and informative. • Broii. Salt Lake Sheets Merge Sale of the Salt Lake Telegram to the Deseret News, its p.m. rival was announced last Saturday (30>’ •Salt Lake City will have only one afternoon paper now, Issued under masthead of Deseret News—Salt Lake Telegram. In effecting the deal, an arrange- ment was also made with the Salt Lake Tribune, morning paper for- merly published in conjunction with the Telegram, that both sheets will be produced by a single pro- duction staff. Editorially the News and Tribune will be completely divorced. Significant fact is that the News, owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mor- mon), will be working with a union contract on printing. This is the first time any church-owned prop- erty has had anything to do with a union and there’s considerable conjecture around town on wheth- er this has. further implications. Some think it may herald an eas- ing of the church’s anti-union pol- icy. CHATTER Joel Graham, press editor for Mademoiselle, back from Haiti and Gujatemala vacation. Actor Robert Cummings has been named film editor of Ranch Romapees, western fiction mag. Harcourt Brace editor-in-chief Robert Giroux married Carmen de Arango, of -Greenwich, Conn., on Aug. 30. Manchester Boddy retired as publisher of the Los Angeles Daily News, with Robert L. Smith filling the vacancy. H. B. Teeter’s ‘'Nashville: Broad- way of Country Music,” story of “Grand Ole Opry" radio troupe, in Coronet mag. Bill Hogan in Hollywood to round up material for a special motion- picture supplement to be published by the San Francisco Chronicle. Lenox R. Lohr, general manager of the Chicago World’s Fair of 1933, wrote “(Jentury of Progress,’’ story of that exposition, just off Cuneo presses. Walt Kelly’s “I Go Pogo," paper- back $1 edition of his cartoons, has been issued by Simon & Schuster, following success of last year's “Pogo’* volume. Walter Sorell’s radio play. “Isa- dora Duncan," written as a tribute on the 25th anni of the danc r’s death, published in the Septcu issue of Dance magazine. Martha Foley, editor of “Be, Ameidcan Short Stories." provide the cover blurb for “Ma and Me. collection of 20 short stories by Bill Ornstein, Metro tradepress contact. Book has just been pub- lished by Story Press. Ray Brock’s new tome. “Ba'. onets Eastr' 75,000 words » Turkey and its strong man Kemt of his previous book, “Blood, Oi» and Sand.” _ , S. J. Perelraan’s profile on Fi’ea Allen is set for the December issue of Holiday which has alrc;'.'.i published his pieces on Grouch Marx. Jimmy Durante and Jessel, the latter in the cu* edition. , Zinn Arthur, bandleader tiunc'^ photographer, back from a C - junket for Esquire which is l ei * ing profiles on .Gene Fowler. Kluus Landsberg, Leonard GoldsU wi ana William A. WeUnran. Literary Agent Wanted Capabl* atjnrtinf ior «S' grffiifiY* l•nt^ing growing oflanty* Wrlf* (fotflilt iind •xporlonc* to K«n* noth Intor Agoncy, ti W. 54lh StrMt, Now York I?.