Variety (December 1952)

rr i„..,l a v. rxccmlxr 17, 1952 OBITUARIES Eft 6 3 cram Chicago salesman, died in Chicago Dec. 9. Survived by wife. Karstein Valen, 65, Norwegian composer, died Nov. 14 in Oslo. PERCY B. LONG „ r Long. 51, veteran Iowa Pe i W /manager died in Webster theatre manag'e ^ opera ted pic ly ’! {n st. Cloud, Minn.; Water- houses in and Sioux Falls, Td aid Bemidji, Minn., before S in^ to Iowa in 1932 where he g0 theatres in Jefferson and / came to Webster City Tn 1948 to manage the Webster, i" s and Corral for Pioneer The- I ls fl p n r D For the past three rears Sie had been secretary of {he Webster City Chamber of Corn- survived by his wife, three sons, hV o grandchildren, a brother and Iwo sisters. JUSTIN W. GILLETTE Justin W. Gillette, 71, ^motion picture representative .for the Bow, Neb., after a long illness. He entered theatre business there in 1911 after completing a term as county sheriff. His son, Howard,, became.a partner in 1929 and they put in a second house in Broken Bow. He was a past president of the Theatre Owners of Nebraska. Survived by wife, son and daugh- ter. Julius Thiele, 81, violinist-com- poser, died Dec. 12 in Santa Monica, Cal. William Lee Pool, 90, concert violinist, died in Houston Dec. 8. MARRIAGES JOE E. cooper Joe E. Cooper, 57, publicist and w. k. nevispaperman, died Jin a Dallas hospital Dec. 12. He was author of the recently published chill recipe book, “With or With- fel, Meredith, N. H., Dec. 6. Groom out Beans.” is general manager of WLNH, La Survived by his wife, mother, conia, N. H., and son of the late Bobbie to Don Bishop* Dec. 6, New York. Bride is Burlington Mills fashion coordinator; groom is television trade editor for NBC. Bride got court permission to be known legally only as Robbie. Hope John to Arthur I. Rotha- brother and sister. ANGELO VITALE " Angelo Vitale, 56, orch leader, JOHN HYDE DECEMBER 18, 1950 - FROM FRIENDS AND ASSOCIATES S. L. Rothafel (Roxy). Alta McKay to Ric Ballad, Hous- ton, Dec. 9. Bride is actress; groom is reporter on the Houston Press. Sidney Spielman to Dr. Benja- men Adelman, Chicago, Dec. 14. Bride is office manager of Essan- jay Films there. Hortense Rosenson to Charles S. Steinberg, Teaneck, N. J., Dec. 14. Bride is on Woman’s Day; groom is assistant publicity manager of Warner Bros. Mary Jo Tarola to Pat Di Cicco, Los Angeles, Dec. 12. She’s an actress; he’s an agent. Genevieve O’Connor to Bruno Ve Sota, Hollywood, Dec. 8. He’s a screen actor. American Federation of Musicians for 20 years, died of a heart attack Bee. 9 at his home in Los Angeles. Starting as a pianist in pit orchs, Gillette moved to Hollywood in 1922. He was a past prexy and life- member of AFM Local 47, Los An- geles, and of Local 241, Butte,- Mont. Because of illness, Gillette had offered to resign as studio rep at the AFM convention last June, but this was turned down in tribute to his long service. MRS. ADELAIDE B. MELLEDGE Mrs. Adelaide B. Melledge, 78, producer of women’s programs in the. early days of radio, died Dec. 12 In New York. Mrs. Melledge founded the “Clubwomen’s Hour,” died Dec. 14 in Cleveland. A musi- cian for 40 years, Vitale organized an orch after World War I. Vitale’s band was the official Qnn p iftc u nr£ ,u musical organization for the Great “,?£ Fathcr Is BIRTHS Mr. and Mrs. Mario Lanza, son, Hollywood, Dec. 12. Father is singer. Mr. and Mrs. Eddie McCormick, from rehearsals where they could see how the material is going over, doctor weak lines and add fresh business. Hal Fimberg, who has written some of the top radio (Jack Haley, joe Penner, A1 Joison, Abbott & Costello, Judy Canova and A1 Pearce),- film (Marx Bros, and A&C) and TV (Sam Levenson'and Lew Parker) shows, believes that one of TV comedy’s weaknesses is its reluctance to gamble with new types of sketches and the fact that many comics* continually reprise their old, familiar bits. Frequently sketches are bought without con- sidering whether they’re right for a particular zany’s style. Another shortcoming, Fimberg opines, is that the copy stable on a show will include one head writ- er at, say, $1,500 and three or four underlings at $150 or less, all of whom are expected to be jack-of- all-trades. Fimberg prefers the old radio pattern, in which several top- flight men were pacted, each a specialist in one field—monologs, gags, situations, sketches, etc. If there’s any doubling on pro- duction, Fimberg feels, it should be the writer rather than the star who handles the directorial reins. The writers, he stresses, know their particular comic best, his capabili- ties, limitations and style. The Spike Jones radio series', for which he was writer-producer-director, benefitted from that kind of setup, he feels. Meanwhile, some spenders are urging that at least one of the webs incept a program on which young comedians and yocksmiths could gain exposure and experi- ence. As one bankroller expressed it, “The situation in TV comedy to- day isn’t funny.” Variety Dills Continued from page 56 Kay Gayle Estcla Litico & Mario Mambalcttea Versailles Hotel Nino Rinaldi 3 Bar of Music Bill Jordan David Elliot Guy Rennie Betty Lou Barto Harvey Bell Sherry>Fronten*$ Chavee Jacques Donnet Ore Algiers Hotel Doretta Morro’" Mai Malkin O. . Lord Tarleton Michael Selker Ore Jeanne Moore Lou Collins * Pat Morrissey Bobby Breen Kopy Katz 3 Vagabonds Club Vagabonds (4) Maria Neglla Hal Winters Carmen D’Antonio Frank Linale Ore Five O'clock Martha Raye Milt Ross The Rlvieras Ted Wells 4 Len Dawson Ore Colby's Cove Cannon & Harmon Elena *• Nicholas Grymes Brook Club Charlie Farrell Atlantis Hotel Dave Apollon Los Espenotes Bernard Weidman Ore Nelly Golette CHICAGO Conrad Hilton Hot'! Adeie Inge Eric Waite Diana Grafton Charles & Lucille Cavanaugh Dennis & Darlene Lillian Byers Yvonne Brodcr Philip Fraser Terry Taylor Donald Tobin George Zak Boulevar-dears (6) Frankie Masters O Edgewater Beach Senor Wences Artie James Preston Lambert Dorothy Hlld D (10) Griff Williams Ore Palmer House Joe E. Howard Leo de Lyon Lulu Bates Bambi Linn & Rod Alexander Susanne & McCaffrey Beb de Voye & Betty Lorraine !nrl Barton om Horgan & Patricia Manning Abbott Dcrs (6) Trio Bass! N Brandwynne Ore IOS* ANGELES Lakes Exposition in Cleveland in 1936. His orch also played net- work radio shows. with Bobby Dale orch. Mr. and Mrs. Frank Korch, son, Chicago, Dec. 2. Father is sports editor of WGN there. William (Billy) Jean, 61, musi- M*- Mrs - Max Newton, son, clan for 40 years who was a mem- Montreal, Dec. 2. Father is her of the John Lytle and Don Bas- Variety mugg there, sett orchs and the Dayton, O., Mr. and Mrs. Rowland T. Davis, Philharmonic, died Dee. 7 in that son, Glasgow, Nov. 28. He’s mana- city. His wife, two daughters and ger of Piccadilly Club there, son survive. Mr. and Mrs. Milton Charles, son, Burbank, Cal., Dec. 9. Mother Mr*. Josephine Perry, 67, com- j s the former Beverly Benson, poser of the state song, Hail to studio publicist; father is organist Veripont, among other numbers, on the “Dr. Christian” radio show, and author of musical textbooks, Mr and Mrs Jack GiI{ord son> New York, Dec. 6. Mother is Made- leine Lee, radio actress; father is comedian. Mr. and Mrs. Harris Sears, son, Chicago, Dec. 11. Father is man- ager of the Park Theatre there. New Comics Continued from page 1 show featuring interviews with prominent women, in 1925. She also produced “The Woman’s Prog- ress Hour.” She arranged radio programs for the New York State Federation of Women’s Clubs and the Long Island Federation of Women’s Clubs. Two daughters survive. ¥ y IVAN L. HALEY Ivan L. Haley, 64, for the past 0 years manager of the Dundas theatre, Dartmouth, N. S., an# the Mayfair Theatre there ‘since its opening 18 years ago, died Dec. 9 *t his home in that city. Haley’s mechanical inventions IN MEMORIAM EDWARD B. MARKS 1865 - 1945 and improvements were numerous I fh^L* 16 insta Hed many of them in ^ of the Franklin & Her- anri 0 S chain of which the Mayfair vh/in? Unda u. were entities. Sur- 1 *on n » g n,? le S ,s Wlfe » a daughter, a I *on and a brother. Anrf, AND J? EW D - CELLA So&D. Celia, 79, v.p. of the Co Rea i Estate & Financial Pheum" o ° 1 the American, Or- Amei? rfl a n n S ? h , u bert Theatres, the Propertv ?. ot . el and ot her St. Louis Pitai e De y c d 9 e Hl\ a fl H St ^ hoS “ derconp » He £ ad rece ntly un Con-f 1 sumach operation. ago fronwM^ to St * Louis 40 years ». Louis, l" Ca .!. 0 . t ?l oin hls br .°.% _ 1 ' later be$in! n the com Pany which in the city ° ne of the foremost Ire Hoi S F - KENNEDY **( o r. Kennprfv na Kennedy, 79, vet thea- that if NBC-TV had sustained the Mayehoff entry for a further ride in another slot, the bugs could have been shaken out. CBS-TV’s gambling on Red Buttons, in the face of a sponsorship sluff-off, it’s argued, may eventually pay off big Percy S. Anderson, 65, head of both for the skein and the young the public relations department of comic. died Dec. 8 of a heart ailment in Barre City, Vt. She wa* the wife of Dean N. Perry, editor-publsher of the Barre Times, KMOX, St. Louis, died at a St. T ouis hospital Dec. 6 of heart dis- ease, Survived by his wife. Sam Bacon, 75, set estimator, died of a. heart attack Dec. 8 at his desk in the Warner Bros, stu- I been little” or no planning for fu- In the dramatic field, several new actresses (e.g. Rita Gam and Maria Riva) and writers (for example, Thomas W. Phipps and David Shaw) have been nurtured. But in the laugh department there has dio where he had worked 1928. since | ture Durantes. On NBC’s “Your Show of Shows,” producer Max Liebman has developed Carl Reiner and Howard Morris into valuable adjuncts, but theirs are Mother of Margaret Hewes, for- mer Broadway producer, and of Edith Warman Skinner, of Car- negie Tech Drama School faculty, died in Ottawa Dec. 7. Ollie D. Forester, 45, Metro stu- dio grip for 20 years, died of a skull fracture Dec, 6 in Culver supporting rather than primary roles. One problem with TV corfiedy today, insiders feel, is the domi- nant position of the comedian-star, who has moved in as packager, producer, writer, director and chorine-picker of his pwn show. It’s claimed that the performer “can’t be objective” about the other behind-the-scenes functions and that consequently the whole airer suffers. Comeback by Milton Berle with Berle accepting the lead of Harold G. Benwteln. 47, owner A “, it's of film theatres In Bay City, Sagi- partment, proves the point,, It s new, and Port Huron, Mich., died averred. Vincent Bliss, 29, salesman for CBS in Chicago, died Dec. 7 in a Waukegan, 111., hospital as a re- sult of injuries suffered in an auto accident. in Bay City, Dec. 10. Mother of Walter Rubens, Jr., promotion manager of WIND, Chi- cago, died Dec. 7 in Chicago. „ James H. Griffith, 68, veteran New York stage technician, died Dec. 8 In Elizabeth, N.J. , Cornelius, P. O’Keefe, 61, elec- trical superintendent at 20th-Fox studio, died Dec. 6 in Hollywood. ‘Forgotten Men’ of TV Writers are beefing that they’re the “forgotten* men” in TV, hired on week-to-week contracts and sub- ject to quick firing if one show lays an egg. It isn’t like the old situa- tion in radio, they claim, where the writers practically lived with the comics whom they fed yocks, the gagmen say. In video today the writers feel they’re lucky if they get to spend a couple of hours weekly with the star. Many com- olain that once they have handed • ; Max Dl , } , us 7 ^T veteran MoM .C"hlir seriptv thWbttr* Sex on ‘Carmen’ Continued from page 1 Ambassador Hotel Jean Sablon Margaret Sis & Bruno j Eddie Bergman Ore Bar of Musle Arthur Blake Fay De Witt Bill Hoffman Benno Rubinyl Eddie Bradford Ore B Gray's Bandbox Billy Gray- Patti Moore Ben Lessy Larry Greene Trio Blltmoro Hotel Modcrnairca (5) Frakson The Glenns Hal Derwin Oro Cafe Gala Nancy Andrews Joe Graydon Jimmy Ames Don Sheffey Clros Gene Baylos Bud & Ccce Robinson Dick Stabile Oro Bobby Ramos Oro Mocambo Billy Daniel R (B) Continentals (4) Eddie Oliver Ore Joe Castro Quartet LAS VEGAS, NEVADA Flamingo “Flamingo Cav 1952“ Georgic Price Maxine Lewis Mitchell & Petrillo Don Corey Lucile Vanelli Herb FIcmington Flamingo Starlets Bobby Page 4 Torris Brand Ore Desert Inn (23) Carmen Miranda Jack Durant Rudy Cardenas Felo & Bruno Donn Arden D Carlton Hayes Ore Last Frontier Phil Spltalny Hour of Charm Bara. While this made for a socko performance, the cleavage she dis- played drew audible gasps from he big-screen patrons. At the third-act opener, for ex- ample, the libretto called for Miss Stevens to deal out some playing cards to tell her fortune. She was seated on the stage, and a closeup lens, shooting from one of the Met’s Diamond Horseshoe boxes, revealed that she’d be a fine sub- ject for one of Earl Wilson’s bust- trusting columns. Some women in the theatre TV audience, in fact, Evelyn were fearful (and the men were viola MarIe hopeful) of a near tragedy in her Louise costuming. While the costuming j^eti 10 would be fine for the audience at Robert & Alda the Met, who weren’t sitting as Linda closely as that TV lens, it brought Vegas up a point to be considered (and “windmill Revue not from a prudish standpoint, Louis Prima either) for future big-screen per- Allan e & Ashton formances. E 00dles 1l ;r. & Skeeter Other major items of interest Keeiy smith gleaned from watching the thea- tre TV performance: The Met’s going to have a prob- HAVANA lem on its hands with its over- weight stars. While Robert Mer- Skippy rill was slim enough to look the oiga Chaviano part of Escamillo and Miss Stevens a ° 1 c i i ^ ) (^. u ^ ntonio more than looked the part of Car- Tex Mex Trio men, Richard Tucker Rooked too Tropicana hefty in the Don Jose role. Tenor Amparo Garrido was in superb vocal form and, to Sguei ta A5gri h Ort2 opera aficionados accustomed to beefy singers, his weight was prob- ably taken in stride. But to run- of-the-mill patrons whom these big- screen events must lure if they’re to pay off both for theatre TV exhibs ard the tytet, he didn t look jj U ^ ^M s would include only old much like the guy whom Carmen shorts and cartoons, no features, not only would go nuts over but j^p package includes pix origi- would even make a pass at. nally released from 1937 to 1948. TVing a performance to big- No westerns are listed among the screen audiences can give them' titles, which include such pix as much more of a dramatic rapport Ben Hecht’s “Spectre of the Rose”; with performers than the live audi- “Northwest Outpost,” with Nelson ence at the Met gains. Director Eddy and Ilofi& Massey; “The Ted Flo Rito Ore Thunderblrd Bert Lahr Francine White Johnny O’Brien Kathryn Duffy D A1 Jahns Ore Sahara Andrews Sisters Pansy the Horse Andy Mayo Corsoney Bros Gene Na&h Gilda Fontana Lillian Lanier Dewey Sisters Sa-Harem Dancers Cee Davidson Ore El Cortez Joaquin Garay Joanne Barton Dancing Haydens Cliff Ferre Dave Rodgers Ore Silver Slipper Hank Henry Woo Woo Stevens Beau Jesters Hollywood Cover Girls Jack Spoons Jimmy Cavanaugh Bill Willard Jo Ann Malone George Re dma n Ore Sands Danny Thomas Connee Russell Lou Wills Jr Copa Girls Ray Sinatra Ore • Ana Gloria Ac Rolando Tropicana Chorus ' Montmartre Don Carlos F Bergaza & J Bruno Terraza Doris 4f Robert Serenata Espanola Ray Carson 200G Rep Deal Continued from page 1 Clark Jones, for example, often cut away from a singer to a dif- ferent performer to get a reaction shot and this heightened the dra- matic impact of the show. By the Cheaters,” with Joseph Schildkraut and Billie Burke; “Hurricane Smith,” with Ray Middleton and Jane Wyatt, and others. WCBS-TV will use the Rep pack- same token, this means that those a g e part of its regular feature taking part- in similar performances must acquire sufficient thesping ability to tie in with TV. Miss Stevens scored solidly on this film shows, including “Early Show,’-’ “Late Show” and “Late Matinee.” Under the programming setup, the station will not have to count, with Tucker, Merrill and repeat any of the features in each Nadine Conner (as Micaela) prov- 0 f the three programs for a long ing competent. period of time. In this way, it Most important, of course, is the hopes to escape the mounting crying need for color in theatre squawks from viewers about being TV. While the images transmitted forced to watch repeats of features, were adequate, they would have Despite.the Rep sale, Savage de- been socko if in color. This dared that the. scarcity of available proved especially true of the sec- feature pix to TV “is still a problem ond act opener, with the spectac- and one which requires consistent ular Spanish dance number from scrounging to get. new films, (See Carmfen’-s inn hangout. • ^Stdtv ’ separate stoty iii'TV-Film section.)