Variety (January 19, 1955)

Wednesday, January 19, 1955 LITERATI 73 Literati * Confidentially, It * 2,200,000 Confidential mag’s current (Jan- uary) issue, its 13th. is at a claimed peak 2,200,000, virtually all of it newsstand. It’s a tall upbeat from f) mires of previous months, which averaged around the 1,500,000 mark The Harrison publication is not yet an ABC member, having applied for it two months ago, with a six-month waiting period re- quired before ABC action. Confidential and TV Guide rep- resent the two “dream circulation” stories of the past year. TV Guide swept past the 2,400,000 peg with the Arthur Godfrey cover which was widely plugged on the “second hip operation” angle. tide, which was presented to them, hidden away upstairs. The Schrafft’s chain, however, took no exception to the story about them, headed “Daintiest Beaneries In Town,” working with Curtis staff- ers on the article’s promotion. Buckley’s Weekly National Weekly, Inc. has been chartered to conduct a printing and publishing business in New York, with William F. Buckley, of Stamford, Conn., as a director. Capital stock is 250,000 shares, $1 par value. Attorney William J. Casey and Edward J. Brady of New York, are other directors. Crowell’s Frisco Office Crowell-Collier is setting up a San Francisco office under the di- rection of former Frisco Chronicle columnist Bob DeRoos, with Pierre Salinger, top Chronide reporter, leaving the paper Jan. 15 to join him Third member of the Frisco bureau will be Dorothy McCarthy, formerly secretary to Crowell-Col- lier chief Paul C. Smith when he was editor of the Chronicle. The bureau w'ill service all Crowell-Collier publications. Courier’s 75th Ann! Musical Courier, America’s old- est music magazine, will mark its 75th anniversary Feb. 1. Among guest contributors for the Diamond Jubilee issue will be David Mannes, Aaron Copland, Iz<< ler Solomon, Harold C. Schoen- berg. Eva Gauthier, Rene Devries, Dr. Irl Allison, Herbert Elwell, Dr. How ard Hanson and Roslyn Krokover. Magazine’s present editor is Dr. Gid Waldrop. Associates are Dr. Henry Levinger and Mary Craig. New New Hope Gazette The New Hope (Pa.) Gazette came out with a new format (tab- loid) last week, after missing an issue. In a page one story and an editorial, editor - publisher Allen Ward explained that after contin- uing deficits (the sheet lost $9,000 in 1954) he’d run out of capital. The only chance for continuing would be to shift from the smaller format to tabloid size, reduce ad rates and thus be able to get na- tional advertising. At a meeting of advertisers, sub- scribers. creditors and friends, funds for such a switch were pledged and the sheet resumed as a tabloid and with a 65% cut in ad rates. ‘Film Culture’ Starts Film Culture, bi-monthly maga- zine devoted to a cultural study of films, tees off with the January is- sue. Jonas Mekas is publisher and editor and the editorial board in- cludes Edouard L. de Laurot, George N. Fenin, Gordon Hen- dricks, and Adolfas Mekas. Polk Journalism Scholarship George Polk Journalism Schol- arship, commemorating the CBS newsman who was killed in Greece in 1948 while tracking down a story, will be offered this year to working new’smen by Long Island U.’s Journalism Dept. Scholarship is available for day or evening study. Full-tuition scholarship, avail- able to employees who haven't had more than one year of college, will be granted on the basis of the ap- plicant’s previous academic record, recommendation of his present employer, and an interview by a faculty screening committee. Saucy Satevepost The Saturday Evening Post seems to be rubbing a few people the wrong way with the catchall type of article headings the mag’s been using on its features. Latest is the Maurice Zolotow profile on producer George Abbott in this week’s issue, titled “Broadway’s Most Successful Penny-Pincher,” which seems to have annoyed everybody in the Abbott office as being off-base. About six months ago, the Post ran a piece on the swank Sherry’s restaurant and bar in the Metro- politan Opera House, headed: “Dia- mond-Studded Hash House.” Title so infuriated Sherry execs, who ‘‘‘It it undignified, that they re- used any cooperation with Curtis f ublishing promotion staffers in publicizing the piece. The Post did a feature on Sardi’s Restaurant in 1952 which they Vi . . “New York’s Glamorous Hash House” and which riled Sar- s at first. Embarrassed restau- rateurs still keep the framed ar- • Pete Dailey To Look Look is setting up a w r est Coast editorial office, and has lured John William (Pete) Dailey over from McCall’s, where he was features editor, to become manager of the new office. Under the new Coast setup, Stanley Gordon continues as Look’s Hollywood editor, report- ing to Dailey. Dailey’s been features ed of Mc- Call’s since last February, moving into that post after three years as Coast editor for the magazine. Prior to that, Dailey had been on the publicity staff of Columbia Pictures, publicity director of Uni- versal Pictures and city editor of the New Orleans Item. CHATTER Charles Hamblett is writing “The Kill,” a study of director John Huston and his current picture, “Moby Dick.” Robert Downing has written an article on the screen career of the late Lionel Barrymore for Janu- ary Films in Review. Paul Vadnais, staff reporter and business editor of Times-Union, has been elected president of the Albany Newspaper Guild. John J. O’Connor, vet newspa- perman and ASCAP publisher, was named editor-in-chief of the second annual edition of The Musicians Guide. Reference work will be published May 1. % Two promotions at Cue mag: Ed- ward Loeb, until now treasurer and circulation manager, upped to general manager, while Herbert Ross, formerly ad manager, now director of advertising. Sid Fields, N. Y. Daily Mirror columnist, has a piece in current issue of McCall’s tagged “My Mother, Mary Martin” as told to him by Heller Halliday. Piece has been bought by British Allied Syn- dicate for publication in the Brit- ish Isles. George B. Wright, longtime edi- tor and wTiter in the photographic field, named managing editor of American Photographic Book Pub- lishing Co. His appointment re- portedly is in line with Amphoto’s plans for publishing a new line of photographic books. John G. Frayne, president of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, has appoint- ed a committee to select the out- standing paper published in the Society’s Journal during 1954. All papers must deal with some phase of film or television engineering. William Carrington Guy, for- merly editor of True Mystery and Women in Crime mags, upped to executive editor in charge of Skye Publishing’s detective group. Aside from True Mystery and Women in Crime, they include True Crime, Police Detective, Special Detective, Best True Fact Detective, Detec- tive Yearbook and True Mystery. In another change at the Skye unit, Edward L. McLean becomes associate editor of the group. He j formerly was production editor. Ed Sullivan Continued from page 2 will escort onto his stage 18 princi- pal femme players of the most popular morning and afternoon j script serials. Cleared by Procter j and Gamble, Sterling Products,! Toni, Lever Bros., Armour, etc., are femme leads of such perpetual emotion bellwethers as “Backstage Wife,” “Ma Perkins,” “Young Doc-! tor Malone,” “Romance of Helen Trent,” “Just Plain Bill,” “Young Widder Brown,” ’“Nora Drake,”! "Hilltop House” and other cele- brated weepers. Firmly identified in the indus- try by now with nostalgia, Sullivan will really pour it o for upcoming radio slaute. Set to sit out front as part of his Broadway audience and ( take camera bows are David Ross, Ed Murrow, Norman Brokenshire, Gertrude Berg, the Fitzgeralds, John Gambling, Milton Cross, Red Barber, Lanny Ross, Andre Baruch, Mae Singhi Breen, Jessica Dragon- ette,>Tom Howard, George Shelton, Clem McCarthy, et al. Since many of these have spanned the years and remain important radio per- sonalities today, industry observers cannot tie a mausoleum or wax works connotation on this segment of the Sullivan hour. Similarly, in Hollywood, CBS Radio has invited Ralph Edw'ards, Art Linkletter, Jean Hersholt, Jim- my Wallington, Rubinoff, George Givot, Sam Hearn, Ginny Simms, The Lone Ranger, Al Pearce, Frances Langford, Ozzie and Har- riet, Ed Wynn, J. Carrol Naish, Ed Gardner, Joan Davis, Fibber Mc- Gee and Molly (Jim and Marian Jordan) to be introduced by Von Zell and take camera bows. Radio-Television Executives So- ciety is reported having okayed a citation for Sullivan for this up- coming radio salute 'with Edward Arnold designated as Hollywood participant who will read it. “Toast’s” electronic congrats, in- cidentally, will transcend network lines. Many personalities to be saluted work for NBC, ABC, and Mutual. Sullivan, in addition, is reported inviting Pat Weaver to take a studio bow, along with CBS Radio prexy Adrian Murphy. Gertie Lawrence m ___ Continued from page 1 * this April. Previously the Ladies Home Journal, this side, and Wom- an, in Britain, serialized "Gertrude Lawrence as Mrs. A.” Ballyhoo broadcasts lined up for the book by the publishers (Grey- stone) and friends (notably Fanny Holtzmann, lawyer and personal friend of the star) include an NBC salute Jan. 23, an Ed Sullivan trib- ute Feb. 20 and a Feb. 27 show of the National Council of Churches of Christ. Aldrich himself will take no part in any ballyhoo and is stay- ing in the background. Literary notices around the coun- try are already unusual in length, number and warmth. Says Miss Holtzmann: “Gertie would love them.” Interestingly, the dignified Bos- tonian mother-in-law of Miss Law- rence came to be a regular weekly reader of Variety in her late 80’s —as Aldrich explains. Optical Showmen __ Continued from page 2 volume taxing present capacity, and several new specially-engi- neered custom-built gadgets, rang- ing from $25,000 to $55,000 per machine, a visit to Eastern Effects reveals an organized madhouse op- erating overtime nightly and Sat- urdays to meet the pressures of film producers who are, in turn, under pressure from advertising agencies. Although plans are now in work for overall expansion and a new animation department has already retained Capt. Thomas Goodson, long with the Army Film Centre at Astoria. L. I., this new- comer to the field of optical ef- fects is presently not soliciting ad- ditional business. No Agency Contact Policy is not uniform within the world of what is called “Business Screen,” but in general optical ef- fects services, including Eastern Effects, Inc., have no direct con- tact with either sponsors or agen- cies. They deal exclusively with, and are paid by, the contract pro- ducers of advertising film. Optical effects benchmen ply their arts with the aid of work prints sup- plied by the labs. These prints are annotated to correspond with a shooting diagram. Then the big tricky machines go to work. Pre- cision is of the essence in this sub- world of advertising whose vocabu- lary runs from interlocks, answer prints, wipes, zooms, burns, lifts, irises, station logos, curtain-ups, to little old dissolves (each step has a fixed price). Three brothers form the man- agement of Eastern Effects Inc. They are president Maurice Levy, veep Sam Levy, and sales-promo- tion chief Max Levy. All live in New Jersey, seldom get home, and all agree that with the present pas- sion of television advertisers for selling stunts the old Seabee slo- gan, “the impossible we do every day, miracles sometimes take a lit- tle longer,” is peculiarly fitting. Miami Cafes’ Midnight Blues Continued from page 2 roundup of cafe reviews, in cap- sule: COPA CITY The new, perfectly designed stage in this massive boite pro- vides a glittering setting for Mae West and her troupe of ripple- muscle male aides. She keeps the tables howling at her sex spoofs. Production by June Taylor and Benny Davis holds over, the line and soloists working in the fresh manner previously noted. Whirl- wind terps of leggy Eileen O’Dare, accomped by three boys, is socko. New face is * Stuart Harris who takes over the spot preceding Mae West and wraps up in that difficult spot. The good looking young songster has come a long way from production singer chores at Man- hattan’s Copa; on his own he sells in forthright, high-ranging style an intelligent selection of pops and standards, garnering encores with strongly phrased and sung “I’ve Got The World On A String.” He looks a bet for the better cafes and video guesters. SAXONY HOTEL Adhering to its new policy of presenting units for three-four week runs this swankery has in- stalled Ted Lewis and a sprightly group of acts in the Pagoda Room. Working with his characteristic urbanity, Lewis keeps the proceed- ings moving at a fast pace. He raises memories with tales of his years collection of tunes associated on the boards. Throughout, Lewis holds them while weaving in the strong young performers in the unit. Manor and Mignon are a top pair of ballroomologists. Their lifts and ballet type breaks and whirls, plussed by deft spins are brought off with grace and distinction. The duo are up there in the class-team bracket which works the smart hotel circuit. Control acro-routines by the Dewey Sisters is on the mitt-raising side. They work out their bends and flips in well co- ordinated fashion to steadily build- ing reaction. Susan Brooks is the new singer with Lewis, working with him in specially written "I’m A Lover,” the comedy angles con- tained pleasant; for the topper to their teaming they duet on “There Are Smiles” with the pretty miss taking over for “After You’ve Gone,” with Lewis providing a solid clarinet accomp. On her own she essays “Am I In Love” to re- veal a sparkling personality that, with more experience, should start her moving up the ladder. With Lewis she’s gaining that; Midge and Bill Haggett, youthful singers- dancers work out their ideas adept- ly, “I Like New York” serving as the fulcrum around which they build a tour through the big town in interpretative patterns. New “shadow” for Lewis is Elroy Peace the 4th. He fits into the niche nicely, aptly carboning the boss’s hand and footwork, as well as the twirling biz with the hat. BALMORAL HOTEL Parade of the classier femme acts continues in the Embassy Room of this new swankery up Bal Harbour way. In for two frames is Kay Thompson with her something-old, something new set of routines, most of it solo, all of it turned out in tune with the smart surroundings. The oddly built room—several lev- els—requires a well versed per- former to keep the crowds atten- tive, Miss Thompson coping with these requirements with the great- est of ease. Always authoritative comedienne, she whips up a satiric brew that is intelligently written and incisive. She is now working with a British stooge, Paul Methue, as recently reviewed in New York. NAUTILUS HOTEL Jackie Miles has always been a strong entry for any spot he plays on the Beach; with this stand he is again proving his draw values. What adds to the new impact he is making on his considerable follow- ing is the fresh, zesty personality he is displaying. There’s been quite a change in the comedian since he worked this room last year. His approach is bright and warm. The delivery faster, more distinctive, with a new running gag that ties up his dialect and other character takeoffs for added zing. Likely to catch on is his catch- phrase, “the name’s J. Schwartz, from New York”—a garment cen- ter type who keeps popping up throughout his stint. Supporting show has house dance team Antone and Ina in a neat display of varied ballroom terps and the Tip-Toppers, recording pantomimists who set well via a dialect waxing on a .Yiddish-Eng- lish version of “Dragnet.” SANS SOUCI HOTEL Joel Grey makes the Blue Sails Room his headquarters twice a year, with solid business attracted. The lithe young entertainer, this time out, has brought a tightened act, reflecting intelligent building by his managers and writers. Work- ing with an authority that belies his youth, Grey adds up as an all around performer with a diversified series of routines to showcase his talents. The lyrics diagramming is carefully planned to embrace a twist on the nostalgia dedications: “Do You Remember” taking his hearers as far back as ten years ago; the rework on “Romania” the Yiddish musicomedy oldie that in- troed triple-tongued rhythmics, in- to a “My Folk Song” concept that adds universal appeal even work- ing in the Billy Daniels finger- snapping style. Ode to the “Straw Hat” serves to intro brief, effec- tive impreshes of the yesteryear toppers who used the skimmers as a trademark—a sound piece, the lighting effects adding to the palm- plaudits. There’s more waggery now in the act, as well as his occa- sional spins and ballet-leaps around the floor to break a lyric. Grey keeps growing in stature be- speaking the grooming he is under- going for a CBS tv series. Opening act is the Patricians (formerly Helene and Howard) who spell out tricky comedy designs in dance. Their screwy biz earned them hearty reception for the tablers. BEACHCOMBER Owner Norman Schuyler’s pre- dilection for a mostly-male lineup is evident in this package; only femme on the bill is Kaye Ballard, who turns in a surprisingly sock impact, considering the vast reaches of the place and her past identification with intimeries. Aided by two boys she goes all out with song, comedy and some dancing that sells. Accent is on the comedies with highlights her run- ning gag in one segment on grow- ing Ubangi lips; flute playing, straight and screwy; Bette Davis as an Italian actress, a smart switch, complete to wild wig, and the encore raiser, a limning in narrative and lyric of Fanny Brice’s show biz career. Bowoff bit is a progressively building song idea, “Teeny Tiny Lady.” Lenny Kent holds down the male comedy spot coming off strongly with a tight 20 minutes of rhythmics, mixed with running ad libs for the breakups. Kent tosses topical lines at aud mem- bers, on fellow performers to keep them yocking. He blends in funny routines on marriage, children, a wild bit on a stranger being taken to town in Gotham. This time out the fast moving guy eschews the Texan routine which has become a standard, indication that he’s on the prowl for ar new gimmick. As is, he wraps up. The Winged Victory Chorus (14) purvey harmonics well rehearsed and interchanging groupings which show the discipline which must be an integral part of this large a unit. Their catalog contains the standard mixture of musicomedy, operetta, marching music with pops tossed in for leavening. It’s good listening and viewing, albeit the session is too long for the average cafeite in these parts. Norman Brooks is another strong starter, his Jolsoncsque pipings holding attention. Closer, a Jolie dedica- tion, is doing what come natural- ly, and sends him off to rousing reception. The Novelites. staples in this room, almost walk off with the palm-honors, although on in the deuce spot. Their mixture of zany impreshes on hillbillies, operas, among other hilarities, plussed by adroit instrumental work on the bass, guitar and accordion garners them show stop reaction. Tee off spot is a good pace setter, Jackson, James and Cornell’s hoofery spark- ing fast returns. The tray-carrying routine is still their strongest item.