Variety (April 1953)

79 xr^negdaTu Aprffl 39, 1953 OBITUARIES peter de rose PPter De Rose, 57, pop corn- er died April 23 .in New York. £ 0S c?des d writing such tunes as “Deep’ Purple’’ ^"d -Wag o n ,«uAiic ” he had performed on W S?n 1S from 1923-1939 with May ? d !,hi Breen, professionally known S ^he Ukulele Lady .” They were i-iiod as “The Sweethearts of the S* and were married during •Saw's 16-year run. , , 5 h I)e Rose began his musical ca- reer as a stock clerk for publish- fnf firms, later advancing to pl- infst and songwriter. His first tune was “When You're Gone I Won’t forget,“ which sold several thou- Sa De Sose^recently wrote the mu- < ic for a new operetta, “Counter Melody,” with libretto by Otto Harbach, former prexy of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. He had also done the score for the film •‘About Face,” released last year bv Warner Bros. ‘Originally written in 1933 as a piano solo, ‘/Deep Purple,’ was augmented with lyrics by Mitchell Parish in 1939. “Wagon Wheels” was written in 1931 with late Billy Hill penning the lyrics. Among other tunes turned out by De Rose, are “Tiger Rose,” “When your Hair Has Turned to Silver,” “Somewhere in Old Wyoming,” he had also Written over 20 plays and scenarios and had collaborated on numerous other works. James' film output included “Forty-second Street,’ 1 “Helldor- ado,” “Submarine Patrol,” “Down Argentine Way,” “The House- keeper’s Daughter,” “Broadway Limited” and “Whispering City.” The films “Parachute Jumper,” “Hat Check Girl” and “Love Is a Racket” were based on his novels. Starting his writing career as a columnist with The Brooklyn Eagle, James had also been a producer- director. In addition, he had ap- peared in vaude. Wife and two children survive. J. W. (JESS) ALTMILLER Julius W. (Jess) Altmiller, owner of the Ogden Inn, in Delaware County, Pa., former orch conduc- tor and novelty drummer, died April 24 in Chester (Pa.) Hospital after being stricken with a heart attack while driving through that city. Altmiller was featured drummer at the Fox Theatre, Philly, for 17 years. During the late '30s he led a 60-plece band at industrial and other events. He was noted at the Fox for trick percusion instruments he “invented,” among which were auto“brake drums, auto glass and the stunt of tearing a piece of linen in time to the score. A na- In Fond Memory of PETER DeROSE April 23, 1953 HIS FRIENDS AT ROBBINS. FEIST AND MILLER “Muddy Water,” “Somebody Loves You,” “Rain,” “Oregon Trail,” “Lilacs in the Rain” and “Have You Ever Been Lonely?” De Rose did music for such Broadway shows as “Burlesque,” “Broadway to Paris,” “Yes, Yes, Yvette,” Earl Carroll’s “Vanities” and “Icecapades of 1941.” He was a member of ASCAP and the Songwriters Protective Assn. Wife, an adopted daughter, three brothers and three sisters survive. HARRY JOLSON Harry Jolson, 71. vet vaudeVil- lian and elder brother of the late A1 Jolson, died April 26 in Holly- wood of arteriosclerosis. In show biz for over 50 years, he had pre- ceded his brother as an entertainer. Around the turn of the century they were teamed together in a vaude act. In 1904 the turn became Jolson, tive of Hazleton, Pa„ he played under Stokowski, Sousa and Victor Herbert. Wife and son survive. WILLIAM J. MOSER William J. (Mike) Moser, 37, television producer, and his secre- tary, Mrs. Toni Slott, 31, were instantly killed .April 23 while crossing a street in Los Angeles. They were returning to the ABC television studio after attending a meeting of the United Cerebral Palsy Association of which Moser was an officer. Moser was producer of “Space Patrol,” which he originated March 9, 1950. He was a freelance writer for radio and motion pictures from 1936 to 1941, when he joined the Navy as a flyer and got the idea for “Space Patrol.’* Wife, Helen, and his parents, survive. Mrs. Slott leaves her three- year-old son and her mother.' In Cherished Memory of PETER DE ROSE Born March 10, 1896 Died April 23. 1953 Beloved husband of May Singh! Breen Forever in my heart and prayers. £ a J n ] e r and J .°lson, with Palmer, a Paralytic, working from a wheel- c H 11 ^ ? almer ’s death in 1906 re.- r 1 9 tlle act breaking up with Dotn Jolsons going out as singles, Jolson resumed association with fl i S ‘i’ ou i n f er brother in later years i sa f ent for him and hus Wife, Ruby p£ er ;j T J lis arrangement, how work out, with Harry ina 11 !! anc } filing a lawsuit, alleg- ■ * “at hls .brother owed* him wff T l\ e l uit lat er was dropped, in w en , Jol son scored a success 5d Z " The Jazz Singer,” his film 1 } )rot ber was signed by a rival bknf°J9 pa P y but never made a $ 3 , 0 °0,000 estate left by reoAi„S e of bis death, Harrs ill C fA^ d 0,000. Harry had beer UndSlL 8 ?? 1 ® time and recently w1^ ent i e g amputation.. . survive an ^ * wo adopted childrer P&J; p?! ne i/ *?• author-scenarist « April 26 in.New- Dionfh M, ac b» CaL, afteiS a four- nth illness. Author of 17 books. RIAN JAMES JOHN J. BOWEN John J. (Jack) Bowen, 61, vet Metro sales staffer, died April 25 in New York. He joined the Gold- wyn Co. as a booker in 1919 and was made a salesman four years later, continuing in that capacity when Goldwyn merged with Loew’s in 1924. In 1928 Bowen was promoted to Loew’s N. Y. sales manager and in 1941 to district manager in charge of the N. Y. and New Jersey territories. In 1951 he was given a special sales assignment in the metropolitan N. Y. area which he held until his death. Wife and three sisters survive. HERMAN M. KAHN Herman M. Kahn, 58 v onetime vaude performer, died April 24 in New York. Prior to‘entering the insurance business 30 years ago, he had played the Keith circuit as part of a song and dance team. While serving in the Army dur- ing World War I, Kahn was a rhembei of the Argonne Players, a group of divisional entertainers* who performed for other soldiers in. rest camps. Wife, son,'three brothers and four sisters survive. JOSEPH LYMAN eph Lyman, 63, owner of the ess Theatre, White Hall, 111., Of* a cerebral hemorrhage- at onle there April -16. A vet , Lyman started his career projectionist at the Princess .4 and later bought the house. ■k aoncfT»tAr« survive- JOE FERRIE Joe Ferric, 55, musician, music publisher and band agent, died in P^RiEfr Lambeth Hospital, London, April 20 from bronchial pneumonia. One of the country’s leading trombonists, Ferrie played with the combos of Billy Cotton, Roy Fox, • Lew Stone and Geraldo before leaving that activity 18 months ago to start Maxim Productions. REGINALD PURDELL Reginald Purd&l, 56, legit-film- TV actor, died April 22 in a Lon- don hospital /after a long illness. In 1914 he was seen in N.Y. at the Garrick Theatre in “The Dear Fool.” He appeared at the Garrick Theatre, London, in “Cyrano de Bergerac” and from 1922-24 toured Australia. Films he appeared in included “The Middle Watch,” “Congress Dances, “Up to the Neck,” “The Old Curiosity Shop,” “What’s in a Name” and “Key to Harmony.” FRED KRAMER Fred Kramer, 35, chief of TV and radio promotion for CBS on the Coast, died of a heart attack April 21 at his home in Sierra Madre, Cal. He had been with CBS for nine years. Wife and two stepchildren sur- vive. EMMETT C. KING .Emmett C. King, 87, retired stage, screen and radio actor, died April 21 at the Motion Picture Country House on the Coast. He had been in retirement for 10 years. Three sisters and a brother sur- vive. P. L. McCANN P. L. McCann, 49, playwright, .producer, actor and broadcaster, died in Dublin April 16. He was a former Abbey Theatre player but wrote and played mostly for radio. Survived by his wife. Veronica Keary, former lead soprano with Dublin Opera Co., and two daugh- ters. MRS. MARIE P. CONNOR Mrs. Marie Pettes Connor, 74, legit-vaude-radio actress, died April 26 in New York. Among plays in which she appeared were “Mrs. Warren's Profession,” “The Pearl of Great Prize,” “The Royal Fam- ily,” “Subway Express,” “Amou- rette” and “Swing Your Lady” and “Artists and Models of 1923.” JOHN E. HAUSER John E. Hauser, 71, stage man- ager of Loew’s Poll Theatre, Wor- cester, Mass., was found dead in a backstage room of the- theatre April 25. He joined Poli’s Plaza In 1912, transferred to Poli’s Elm Street when it was opened in 1913 and to Loew’s Poll when it was opened in 1926. HOMER MARVEL Homer Marvel, 60, who retired two years ago as city manager for Fox Midwest Theatres, died at his home in Mount Vernon, 111.. April 15. He managed a house in Mount Vernon for the Yemm & Hayes circuit before it was sold to Fox Midwest. Wife and daughter survive. HARRY SPINGLER Harry Spingler, 63, member of Columbia’s casting department, died of a lung ailment April 22 at the Motion Picture Country Home on the Coast. He had been with the studio 11 years. Before that he had been an actor and an agent. His wife survives. DONALD J. LYNN Donald J. Lynn, 48, secretary- manager of the Ottawa Federation of Musicians for the past 10 years, died April 23 In Ottawa shortly after collapsing at the Federation offices. Wife and t\vo children survive. i Celia Gore, 73, wife of Michael Gore, onetime head of West Coast Theatres, died April 23 in Los Angeles. In addition to her hus- band, two brothers, Jay and Sam Paley, a daughter, Mrs. Harry M. Sugarman, and a granddaughter, Mrs. Jason Bernie* survive. Charles E. Snyder, 65, long-time Pittsburgh theatre manager, died April 9 in that city. He had served under the late Richard A. Rowland and the late Paul R. Jones,at the Colonial and Rowland theatres in the old Rowland-Clark circuit days. <• . .Charles E. Evans, 86, retired mo- tion picture technician, died April 21 in Hollywood. • Bronislaw Von Pozniak, 66, con- cert pianist and composer, died in the Soviet zone/city o£ Halle, Ber- lin, it was disclosed April 25 by the East German newspaper Neue Zeit. * * John E. (Scotty) Jordan, 60, yet •member of the St. Louis Theatri- cal Brotherhood, LOcai No. 6. died April 17 at his home there. In re- cent years he had been employed at the Fox Theatre. His wife, a son and daughter survive. Forest W. Monroe, 67, business manager and tax consultant for motion picture executives, died April 24 in Hollywod after a heart attack. Daughter, 30, of Carl H. Schwyn, owner of the Schwyn circuit, Bowl- ing Green, O., died April 21 in Cygnet, O. Charles McCann, 81, retired stage carpenter who had worked for 30 years at the Victory Thea- tre, Dayton, O., died April 23 in Dayton. Wife and daughter sur- vive. Helen Field Fisher, 77, for 27 years the “Flower Lady” of station KFNF, Shenandoah, la., died April 24 in Shenandoah. Edwin L. Guthman, 49, president of E. I. Guthman & Co., Inc., radio and television parts manufacturers, died April 24 in Chicago. Parker H. Woods, 77, a member of the board, of the Municipal The- atre Assn., sponsor of alfresco entertainment in the Forest Park Playhouse, St. Louis, died April 18 in that city. Dr. John T. Wolmut, 52, director of the Chicago Musical College’s opera workshop, died in Chicago April 22. He was also stage director of two opera festivals in Milwaukee. Vercoe Hayes, 84, pioneer of summer concert parties .and pier- rot tr&upes and one of the first in the U.K. to tour films, died in Birmingham, England, April 10. Father of Paul Beondi, who owns Blue Moon nitery in Pittsburgh, died in that city April 22. William J. Stryker, 60, Para- mount grip for 25 years, died April 18 at the Sawtelle (Cal.) Veterans Hospital. ^ Father, 82, of John L. Scott, Los Angeles Times drama critic, died April 24 in Los Angeles. MARRIAGES Sally M. Burch to Lyman Smith, Los Angeles. April 22. He’s general manager of Dick Smith Advertising Agency. Anita Blanch to Guillermo Diez de Garei, Mexico City, recently. Bride is an actress; he’s an adver- tising exec. , Patricia Patten to George E. Judd, Jr., Boston, April 18. He’s exec witl^ Columbia Artists Mgt. Julie Bufford to Paul Wood, Liverpool, April 10. ^ Both are members of the British touring company of “Kiss Me Kate.” Rusty Cooper to Roger Strouse, April 24, New York. Bride is with Wyatt & Schuebel, radio-TV pack- agers; groom is a production man- ager at CBS Radio. Claude Godard to John G. Flynn, Hollywood, Ajpril.18. Bride was Miss France m the “Miss Universe” beauty contest; he’s a film editor at KHJ-TV. Julia Parker to Paul Collins, April 18, Winchester, Va. Bride is on staff of Pittsburgh Play- house. Lisa Howard to Walter Lowen- dahl, N.Y., April 1. Bride is an actress; he’s a Transfilm, Inc., vee- pee. BIRTHS Mr. and Mrs. Tom Gleba, son, Columbus, April 23. Parents are WBNS-TV performers. Mr. and Mrs. Bill Rapp, daugh- ter, Los Angeles, April 19. Father is a TV director. Mr. and Mrs. Esco LaRue, daughter, Pittsburgh, April 17. Father and mother (latter is juggler Trixie) are both in “Ice Capades.” Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Stern, son, New York, April 15. Mother is the former Joanne Melniker, ex- radio-tele editor of Look maga- zine; father is in NBC production department. Mr. and Mrs. Lee Richards, son, Easton, Pa., April 16. Father is a magician, formerly with the Black- stone Magic Show. Mr. and Mrs. Ben Freedman, daughter, Hollywood, April 21. Father is a TV writer. Mr. and Mrs. Paul Jauius, daugh- ter, New York, April 21. Father is pressagent with General Artists Corp. Mr. and Mrs. Bill Simon, daugh- ter, Mt.Kisco, N. Y„ April 23. Father is a music publisher. Mr. and Mrs. William C. Lacey, daughter, New York, April 24. Father is manager of WCBS-TV film department. Mr. and Mrs. Herbie .^Fields, daughter, Chicago, April 22. Father is a bandleader. ‘Lrisl Audience’ I - 1 ----- Continued from page 1 - ■ tremendous excitement. People are talking movies everywhere. Many admitted to me that they hadn’t been, to the movies in a long time. In Dallas, we had two busloads of high school kids from a nearby school at one showing. They had closed the school to permit the kids to come, in to see the picture,” During his trek, Love joy also talked with many exhibitors. In each of the four initial Texas situ- ations, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston, he declared, exhibs from surrounding areas came in to town to get their first glimpse of the film. “They are all enthusiastic about the immediate prospects,” the actor declared, “particularly since, even in the towns which have not yet * had a 3-D film, people are talking movies for the first time in years. The extensive publicity campaign has penetrated everywhere. They believe , that a few purely gimmick 3-D pictures will be about all they can take. After that, it will go back to the same old factor—good sto- ries, well presented." Few Object to Specs Lovejoy found few filmgoers who objected to the glasses needed for watching the stereoscopic pix. Peo- ple adjust easily. “Even more than 3-D,” Lovejoy reported, "exhibitors and the pub- lic alike, are excited about stereo- phonic sound. Everyone is con- vinced that it’s just a matter of time before all films, including flats, will be using it.” Wherever he went in Texas and • later in N. Y„ Lovejoy found exhibs making plans to handle whatever Hollywood turns out in the way of new systems. R. J. (Bob) O’Don- nell, Interstate Circuit copper, told Lovejoy that the chain is spending more than $500,000 to equip the circuit’s 157 houses with the nec- essary equipment to show 3-D or widescreen films with the new sound equipment. Texans with whom Lovejoy talked have not yet seen any of the widescreen processes. All ex- pressed interest, but neither pa- trons nor exhibs would accept any theory that either the stereoscopic or the widescreen process would become the exclusive system of film •production. As an indication of widespread Texas interest in the new systems, Lovejoy quoted O’Donnell as re- porting a first week figure of $122,- 000 for the film in San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston. This tally tops the opening frame of “Gone With the Wind.” DAR Claims Continued from page 1 - " -I cation; our young son was home from K.U. “ ‘He attended a show, and one of the pictures was the inevitable western. He came home perfectly furious. The film showed four mighty cowboys cleaning up Ari- zona all by themselves after.the U. S. Army, according to the script, had stupidly allowed itself to be annihilated. Soihe very deroga- tory remarks were made about the Army and the West Point of- ficers who fought along ‘dress parade’ lines. Older people know, of course, that had it not been for the U. S. Army, the West would never have been settled, and the whole picture was ridiculous. But to the thousands of children who see that part of the film, and hear the propaganda constantly, it is real and the gospel.’” Mrs. Burt added, “One other dis- quieting item is reported from West Virginia: ‘Films that are produced and do not pass censor- ship for release In the U. S. are sent to other countries, and help form opinions detrimental to our country’.” ■ I ■ ' ■ Hemingway’s 250G •• ; Continued from page 3 —— the star is under M-G contract. Presumably, M-G will distribute the film and provide the financing, at least partially. Pact being ne- gotiated is on a lease basis, that is, with Hayward taking the rights for a period of 10 to 15 years. After this period, rights will re- vert'to Hemingway, but on condi- tion that he split any subsequent income from the book with Hay- ward. Hayward intends to lens the pic in Cuba.