Variety (October 1952)

1 MISCELCAIVY Pftkt&r? 'Wednesday, Oclobcs* 29, 1952 Anti-U.S. Blast and Pro-PeronPitch Montevideo, Oct. 24. Josephine Baker’s current South American tour has developed into a political crusade, with a virulent anti-U.S. twist, and a pronounced pro-Peron angle. . On arrival in Buenos Aires early this month, the colored singer, who is always looked upon as a French- woman by Argentine audiences, and who is admired as a French resistance worker of World War II, launched into praise of the Pe- rson regime, and solicited an audi- ence from Peron himself. It was first thought likely that this ,was part of the routine which most entertainers, visiting Argen- tina, must go through to avoid sty- mies with the government of one sort or another, such as excessive taxation, or to- obtain unfreezing 1 of their coin when they leave. However, Miss Baker went over- board to stress that her calls on the President and on entertainment 4 < czar” Raul Apold, and the custom- ary tour of the Eva Peron Insti- tutions were more than routine gestures into which she had been pressured. In fact, apart from the “requir- ed” calls on the Press Minister, and tour of the Foundation show- places (which are never used ex- cept for show). Miss Baker was present on a balcony near Gov- ernment ' House during the mass demonstrations honoring Peron and the memory of Eva Peron on Oct. 17, the Argentine “Loyalty Day” instituted by Peron in 1945, which is commemorated as other countries celebrate Labor Day. Miss Baker also summoned a < Continued on page 27) Jessel East for UJA, N.Y. Stevenson Rally George Jessel flew east Sunday morning (26), directly after his “AU-Star Revue” NBC-TV show for Kellogg’s Saturday night. Under United Jewish Appeal auspices he played Rochester, N. Y., on Mon- day. Last night (Tues.) at Madison Square Garden (N.Y.) he appeared for the Stevenson rally. Dates in Toledo, Providence, Tulsa, Chicago and Shreveport follow, all for UJA. Jessel is talking with RKO’s Arnold Grant in connection with an upcoming indie pic, “Rip Van Winkle, Jr.,” starring Jimmy Du- rante. WORLDWIDE TRIBUTE TO KALMAN BIRTHDAY Composer Emmerich Kalman is being honored with a worldwide tribute to mark his 70th birthday last Friday (24). In a greeting in behalf of the American Society-of Composers, Authors & Publishers. ASCAP prexy Otto Harbach linked Kalman’s name “with such other great American operetta creators as Herbert, Kern, Friml, Romberg and Youmans.” Kalman, carne to thie U. S. in 1940 and is now a citizen. Kalman is currently resid- ing in Paris. Radio networks in the U. S. are programming special concerts of Kalman’s mus:’c while European capitals are staging festival per- formances of his works. Zurich, Berne and Munich are putting on simultaneous productions of Kal- man’s classic, “Countess Maritza.” Kalman, meantime, is winding up a new musical, “Arizona Lady,” his first in several years, with an American setting. The book is by the late Alfred Grunwald, author of “Countess Maritza,” and Joseph Beer. Production is planned for early next year. - It's West Vs. Storm In Tempest of Chests; Lotsa Bust (50G Worth) Los Angeles, Oct. 28. Two burlesque peelers are un- reeling for legal action in Federal Court here in “The Battle of the Treasure Chests.” Plaintiff is Patricia McQuillan, known professionally as Evelyn West, and defendant is Annie Locke, known as Tempest Storm. Miss West declares she took out a $50,000 insurance policy on her bust with Lloyds’ of London in 1947, chiefly for publicity dis- tinguishing her from other strip- pers as “Treasure Chest West” and “The $50,000 Treasure Chest Girl.” Recently, she charges, Miss Storm took out a $50,000 policy and publicized herself as “The $50,000 Hollywood Props.” Miss West wants an injunction and $50,000 damages. FRANK LIBUSE We are at the LIDO, Paris so long (Oui, Oui) we speak French (Oui, Oui) imagine, this is our 22nd week (Oui, Oui) and we are still rontin- uing (Oui, Oui). FRANK LIBUSE with MARGOT BRANDER starring at the LIDO Champs Elysees Paris, France ■ (Oui, Oui) Personal Management AL GROSSMAN 1270 Sixth Ave., New York Deanna Returns Deanna Durbin, who’s been in Europe for some time, returned to New York yesterday (Tues.) on the lie de France. She was ,accom- panied by her husband, French film director Charles David. Couple leaves for the Coast to- day (Wed.). Miss Durbin later plans to return to N. Y. for discus- sions, on. resumption of her career. THEATRES IN PITCH FOR ELECTION NCTE TV-ERS Exhibs in many key areas across the country are set to fight the TV bid for attention on Election Day with the pitch that the outcome of the presidential, state and local public office sweepstakes will be determined only after theatre-go- ing hours. Point the theatremen will stress is that patrons can catch the film shows and return home in time to catch the elections windup on TV. Also, theatre audi- ences will be kept posted on trends on returns as they’re recorded via announcements by house managers and the like. International News Service has a deal with exhibs in which tele type machines are installed in the- atres at $130 to $150 each with the news thus channeled through. Some chains are tying in with lo- cal newspapers and radio stations as a means of obtaining spot cov- erage for the theatre ticket-buyers. Another plair is to use film slides with announcements of who’s on top in the political arena at various intervals. .All five newsreels will have spe- cial issued out Wednesday (5), that is, devoted entirely to the elections with background material as filler. No theatre TV is planned, Ex hibs with large-screen facilities feel that the elections for the most part will make for a dull show and not worth the expense in arrang- ing for hookups. * Royal Command Film Showing In 70G London SRO London, Oct. 28. Seventh Royal Command Film Performance held last night (Mon.) at the Empire Theatre, Leicester Square, grossed approximately $70,000 for the Cinematograph Trade Benevolent Fund, with ad- missions scaled to $75 top. House was sold out well in advance for the event, which had Metro’s “Be- cause You’re Mine” on the screen. Stage show portion of the Com- mand Performance plugged the film industry’s “Let’s Go to the Pictures” slogan in a cavalcade of pix over the past 50 years. Big- gest ovation went -to Gene Kelly’s (Continued on page 27) -But Ike & Adlai Say No The' entire video networks’ facilities would be opened on Sunday night, two days before the nation's electorate goes to the polls, for the “Electronic Debate of the Century.” To Democratic Presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson and GOP aspirant Dwight D. Eisen- hower, would be offered a full hour of choice time, for a no-holds barred crystallization of all the vital issues, with the “See It Now” TV technique of picking up the candidates at their respective homes as they individually square off in resting their cases before the nation’s TV audience. Thus far there’s one stumbling block. Neither Stevenson nor Eisenhower will say yes to the plan whereby six of the country’s top newsmen and political analysis frame the six most vital issues and present them, one by one, to the two candidates. It’s a program feat without precedence, .pitting as it would the two “men of the hour” in a simultaneous projection to define their policies on the eve of “the great event.” TV is still hoping. This Week’s Football 1WMWM Subseription Order Form Enclosed find check for $ Please send VARIETY for years 10/29 To (Please Print Name) Street City. . Zone.... State Regular Subscription Rates One Year—$10.00 Two Years—$18.00 Canada and Foreign—$1 Additional per Year PfifHETY Inc. [ 154 West 46th Street New York 36. N. Y. Feature-Length Tinter On Coronation Planned By Rank; No TV Cameras London, Oct. 21. As a result of a deal made with Technicolor, the J. Arthur Rank Organization is to produce a full- length feature of the coronation including the ceremony in West- minster Abbey. I< will get world- wide distribution a few days after the event. Film will be produced by Castleton Knight who made “Royal Wedding” and “Thfeir’s is the Glory” also for the Rank group. Preparation already has started. Film will show in detail the events leading up to the ceremony. Hundreds of Technicolor prints will be required but their speedy (Continued on page 70 ) Cantor Ready to Resume Taped Show Biz Series Eddie Cantor, recovering from a heart attack, admits that he had a scare, but is making rapid re- covery. He is already sufficiently mended" aL Cedars of TebahbTTHds- pital, Hollywood, to evidence a desire to resume his taped deejay- type show of show biz memories (he still has two more shows in reserve). When he starts record- ing again next week Cantor will also possibly start a series of radio shows plugging the picture busi ness. Abe Lastfogel, William Morris Agency head, has been huddling with Robert J. O’Donnell for a film industry, exhibitor-backed (COMPO, etc.) series where, three mornings a week, Cantor would chatter about Hollywood and urge the housewives “to go out and see the movies.” Incidentally, George Jessel states that he, too, has a similar “picture of the month” vidpix series, on film, set with Ed Morris & Co., a Coast sponsor. Cantor will probably omit his Dec. 21 TV commitment on the Colgate “Comedy Hour.” hHWHifUFH By HARRY WISMER + ♦ ♦<<<1 1144 College EAST GAMES SELECTION *PTS. Clemson-Boston College (Fri. nite) Boston College 6 More offense by B. C. Kentucky-Miami (Fri. nite) Miami 3 Both teams have been kicked around. Detroit-Fordham Detroit 6 Titans can score" Cornell-Columbia Columbia 7 Lou Little the difference. Penn State-Pennsylvania Penn State 7 They have everything to gain. Brown-Princeton * Princeton 27 Waltz me around Willie. NYU-Lafayette NYU 6 Hugh Devore has a little more. Dartmouth—Yale .... Yale ................... 12 Pro coaches* helping Yale. Temple-Rutgers Temple 14 Owls wide-awake. Maryland-Boston U Maryland 27 Soft touch for Tatum. Indiana-Pittsburgb Pittsburgh 7 Pitt on rebound. SOUTH Georgia Tech-Duke Georgia Tech < Bobby Dodd the master. No. Carolina-Tennessee Tennessee 12 Vols can coast again. Louisiana State-Mississippi Mississippi 3 Battle of the underdpgs. Auburn-Florida Florida 21 ’Gators best since 1929. Washington & Lee-Vanderbilt Vanderbilt 10 Edwards’ team strong enough. Alabama-Georgia (at Birmingham) Georgia 3 Two floundering elevens. Mississippi State-Tulane Tulane .- 7 Just another ball game. No. Carolina State-Wake Forest Wake Forest 14 Deacons have edge. SMU-Texas Texas 17 Texas has too much all ’round power. WisconsinrRice Wisconsin 14 Badgers can win here. Virginia-South Carolina (at Norfolk) .... Virginia 15 Guepe’s team will be ready. Baylor-TCU Baylor 6 Texas teams having off year. MIDWEST Navy-Notre Dame (at Cleveland) .. * Notre Dame 10 Irish have backfield talent. Holy Cross-Marquette Holy Cross . ^ 7 Syracuse memory rankles. Illinois-Michigan Michigan 14 Young Wolverine team has arrived. Michigan State-Purdue Michigan State 12 Spartans’ toughest foe to date. Ohio State-Northwestern Ohio State 14 In and out Buckeyes this time. Iowa-Minnesota Minnesota 3 Another afternoon of football. Oklahoma-Iowa State Oklahoma 14 The Sooners back *on victory trail. Kansas-Kansas State Kansas 13 Intra-state battle always a classic. FAR WEST UCLA-Califomia UCLA 7 Smell of roses strong. Oregon State Washington (at Portland) .. Washington 7 Huskies hit stride. Professional Bears-’49ers .’49ers 21 Bears miss Hunk Anderson. Browns-Lions Lions 7 Detroit back at full strength. Texans-Rams' . .v7 : .'.*: 7.'7 vv rrRtrms v. , ;rrivrfv. 44- “Crazy Legs” Hirsch has recovered. Giants-Cardinals Giants 0 Giants will be fired up. Eagles-Packers Eagles 0 Eagles on the warpath. Steelers-Redskins Redskins 7 Eddie LeBaron master of sleight-of-hand. SEASON’S RECORD • Won, 141; Lost, 49; Ties, 11; Pet. .742 (Ties Don’t Count.) ♦Point margin represents selector’s choice. CHEVALIER CHEERED IN 1 1-MAN BERLIN SHOW Berlin, Oct. 28. .The Titania Palast rocked with applause when Maurice Chevafier appeared on the stage last Wed- nesday (22) night. The house did SRO biz, tickets ranging from 50c to $3. Using only the curtain as backdrop and performing under full houselights, Chevalier imme- diately established intimate con- tact with his audience. The cocked strawhat, the slightly wicked grin and the laugh are all there, and proved as irresistible as ever to the Berlin audience. • Enthusiastic applause greeted his chansons. He smilingly gave one encore after the other, but .finally begged off with a friendly “non.”