Variety (February 1956)

Wednesday, Fdbrtiary 15, 1956 P^riety OBITUARIES SARGENT ABORN Sargent Aborn, 89, president of The Tams-Witmark Music Library, died Feb. 6 in New Rochelle, N. Y. He had been head of the legit li¬ censing firm since 1942. As a young man he managed the touring company of "In Old Ken¬ tucky,” and other traveling pro¬ ductions. In 1902 he and his late brother Milton formed the Aborn Opera Co. and had as many'as eight light and grand opera com¬ panies touring at one time. The companies ran until 1922. The brothers also presented straight plays and grand opera in English. They established the Century Opera Co., in N. Y„ at the old Century Theatre on Central Park West, now demolished. World War ] terminated this particular opera¬ tion. Shortly after the war, Aborn produced the "Broken Wing” at the 48th St. Theatre. In 1923 he ibecame managing director of Ar¬ thur W. Tams Music Library and the Tams Costume Co. In 1925, he was influential in bringing about the merger of the Tams and Wit- mark Music Library. Wife, son and daughter. survive. GEORGE SOANES George Somnes, director at the Elitch Gardens Theatre, Denver, for 18 years, died Feb. 8 in Denver after a long illness. He came to Denver in 1936, and that fall was married to Helen Bonfils, daughter of the founder of the Denver Post, of which she is now the principal owner. Miss Bonfils was acting at the Elitch Theatre. Born in Massachusetts, raised in Boston and educated in Europe, SomnCs made his theatrical debut .in Mexico City in a play produced by William A. Brady. In 1914 he played King Claudius in "Hamlet” in London. His stage career was interrupted by World War I, in which he was a field artillery ser¬ geant. In 1929 Somnes went to Holly¬ wood as a director. He and Helen Bonfils were associated in the New York producing firm of Bonfils & Somnes, specializing in plays and musicals. His wife survives. ELIOT MAKEHAM Eliot Makeham, 73. British stage and film actor, died Feb. 8 in Lon¬ don. He started his professional life as air accountant, but gave up in 1910 to'make his first appear¬ ance on a British stage. He came to London later in the same year when he appeared in "The Maker of Dreams” at the Vaudeville The¬ atre. During his war service he organized the "Rougeset Noirs” concert party which continued as "Splinters,” and he remained with that company until the end of 1924. Makeham first went to New York in 1929 when he played the Masque Theatre in "Bird in Hand” until March, 1931. From then un¬ til the end of World War II he continuously appeared in London productions.' His last American ap¬ pearance was at the Royale in 1950 in "The Lady’s Not For Burning.” His first British pic was "Rome Express” in 1952 and he subse¬ quently appeared in various other local productions. A week before his death he had to quit the cast of "The Bucca¬ neer,” the new Sandy Wilson mu¬ sical, currently at the Lyric, Ham¬ mersmith, and due for West End presentation later this month. His wife and daughter survives. MARGUERITE HURTER Mrs. Marguerite Hurter Schu¬ macher, 59, playwright, critic and onetime staff member of Variety, died of a stroke Feb. 9 in New York. In failing health of late, she was stricken while shopping. Miss Hurter, who privately was the wife of Edwin F. Schumacher, began her writing career some 35 years ago for the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Herald-Examiner. Later, she joined Variety, where she authored a column known as "Women, Clothes and Figures.” In subsequent years Miss Hurter wrote pieces for the Bell Syndi¬ cate and for a time in the early days of radio was program direc¬ tor of WINS, N. Y. She retired several years ago. . Surviving, besides her husband, is a son. MRS. SIGMUND STERN Mrs. Sigmund Stern, 86, bene¬ factor of the San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Symphony and other musical groups for more than 50 years, died Feb. 8 in San Fran¬ cisco. Born Rosalie Meyer in Los Angeles, she came to San Fran¬ cisco as the bride of Sigmund Stern, for years president of Levi Strauss Co. In Frisco Mrs. Stern helped found the opera company, long was a governor of the San Fran¬ cisco Musical Assn., conceived and supported the Junior Civic Sym¬ phony and helped dozens of young musicians. After her husband died in 1928, she donated a 33-acre park in the western part of the city to San Francisco and in large sup¬ ported the, operas given there each Sunday every summer; She leaves a daughter, two sis¬ ters and two brothers. OWEN TOLBERT-HEWITT Owen Tolbert-Hewitt, 58, actor and former operatic tenor, who was appearing in .the current Broadway production "No Time For Sergeants,” died Feb. 8 in New York. Born in Boston, he went to Europe in 1920, and for the next 19 years sang in opera in Germany, Austria and Italy. For some years after that he was a professor of singing at the Univer¬ sity of Arizona. His first Broad¬ way appearance was in "Jeb,”- in 1946. He also appeared in Maurice Evans’ City Center productions of "The Wild Duck,” "The Corn Is Green” and "The Devil’s Disciple.” Wife, daughter' and two sons survive. JOHN J. SULLIVAN John J. Sullivan, 80, doorman at the National Theatre, Washington, for the past 16 years and a former vaude performer, died Feb. 9 in Washington after a long illness. Known as "Pop” to scores of thea- trefolk, he served as official greeter and czar Of the stagedoor in tradi¬ tional legit style. A native of Wales, Sullivan came to Homestead, Pa., at the age’ of seven. He produced amateur shows for a time. Later, with his wife, he went into vaude in a singing act. They also did dramatic skits. With- vaude’s decline, the couple came to the capital, where he joined the National. Surviving are two sons, two daughters. EDWARD C. MABIE Edward C. Mabie, 63, professor and head of .the speech and dra¬ matic arts dept, of Iowa State U., died Feb. 9 of . a heart ailment in Iowa City, la. He established one cf the foremost educational thea¬ tres in the country at Iowa State and was largely responsible for obtaining a $50,000 grant from the Rockefeller Foundation for con¬ struction of the theatre building in 1934. Mabie, who was active in the Federal Theatre Project of depres¬ sion days, aided. Mrs. Hallie Flana¬ gan, head of the project, in plan¬ ning a system of regional areas for promoting dramatics. His wife and a daughter survive. LEO HUNTER William Leslie (Leo) Hunter, 55, radio producer and commentator, died Feb. 7 in Edinburgh, Scot., after being-in ill health for three years.* In his early career as a sportscaster, he worked on the stage, appearing in plays ranging from Shakespeare to modern farce. Hunter joined, the BBC .in 1934 as an announcer, later becoming a studio assistant. For a time he was an assistant drama producer to Gordon Gildard, present head of Scot programs, later switching to outside broadcasts. In 1954 he was named general program producer at Edinburgh. FRANK CAPANO Frank Capano, 56, songwriter and music publisher, died Feb. 10 in Philadelphia. A member of ASCAP, his biggest hit was "Heart- breaker.” Capano was one of the original sponsors and managers of Joan Weber. His breach-of-contract suit against the vocalist was still pend¬ ing at time of composer’s death. He. was also a producer and an¬ nouncer on small shilly stations in the late 1920s. Surviving are his wife and three sons. FLORENCE WILTON Florence Wilton, 79, actress and wife of Robb Wilton, English stage and radio comedian, died Feb. 5 in Liverpool, Eng. A performer in old-time English melodramas, she met her future husband at the Alexandra Theatre. Hull, 1903, when he played the villain and she the heroine in a melodrama. Mar¬ ried a few months later, they ap¬ peared in melodramas until Robb Wilton launched his solo act in 1911. Her husband survives. RUANO BOGISLAV Elfrida Klamrot'h Martin, 81, former concert singer known pro¬ fessionally as Ruano Bogislav, died Feb. 7 in Connecticut, She special¬ ized in folk Bongs of European countries and has been heard in concerts in New York, London and Paris. She also appeared in the 1917 New York production of "Peter Ibbetson.” Her husband was the late Met opera tenor Ric- cardo Martin. A daughter survives. FRANK CRONIN Francis P. L. Cronin, 46, who as Frank Cronin, publicized such show biz figures as Hildegarde, Henny Youngman, Mae West, Sophie Tucker. Lou Walters and Burl Ives, died Feb. 12 in Cam¬ bridge, Mass. A Boston publicist for more than 20 years, he was stricken with a heart attack a week ago. Surviving are his wife, son, sis¬ ter and a brother. John Cronin, of the Worcester (Mass.) Telegram. GRACE LOCKWOOD BAILEY Grace Lockwood Bailey, 79, for¬ mer stage and radio actress, died Feb. 11 in Los Angeles. She. and her late husband Edwin B. Bailey Sr., headed the Bailey-Lockwood Repertoire Co., which toured the west and midwest in the early 1900s. She also had roles in such early radio serials as “Myrt and Marge” and “Bert and Bob.” Two sons and a brother survive. E. LINWOOD HARDY E. LinwOod Hardy. 74, manager of the Plymouth Theatre, N.Y., died Feb. 11 in New York of a heart attack. A longtime manager for the Shuberts, he had come to N.Y. about 20 years ago from Philadelphia, where he had man¬ aged the old Chestnut Street Opera House. Prior to that he had been a Philly b.o. man. Wife survives. WILLIAM D. GADDONI William D. Gaddoni. 42, branch manager .of Metro’s Kansas City exchange, died of a heart attack Feb. 12 in Overland Park. Kans. A native of New Rochelle, N. Y., he was with Metro for 21 years. Surviving are his wife, son, daughter, father, two sisters and a brother. Map.uel Sarduy, 45, Cuban actor who had appeared on the Mexican stage for the last 15 years, died Feb. 5 in Mexico City after a long illness. His wife, a Mexican singer, survives. Enrique Hernandez, 49, head of the projectionists local of the Mex¬ ican Picture Production Workers Union, died of a heart attack Feb. 7 during a meeting of his local in Mexico City. Ernesto Polo, 71, Spanish play¬ wright who authored more than 100 plays and revues either indivi¬ dually or in collaboration with oth¬ ers, died recently in Madrid, His wife survives. Jerome M. (Jerry) Kaminsky, 28, jazz pianist who recently formed his own combo in Pitts¬ burgh, died Feb. 10 in that city. Death was attributed to an over¬ dose of heroin. His father survives. Johnny Claes, 39, former British trumpet-playing bandleader and noted racing driver, died Feb. 3 in Brussels. He was active as a ba- toner in the mid ’30s when he led his "Claepigeons” at various clubs. Susie Sutton, actress who ap¬ peared ih the original Broadway production of "The Green Pas¬ tures,” died Fe-b. 2 in New York. She was a member of the Negro Actors Guild. Jane West, 65. who wrote the script for “The O’Neills,” a New York radio soap opera for more than 10 years, died Feb. 8 in New York. Daughter survives. Frances Beime Witzell, 61, who had her own radio show in the ’30s, under the name of Ann Rolling, died Feb. 13 in New York. Hus¬ band and daughter survive. Don Praphagen, 34, Texas radio exec, was killed Feb. 9 in an auto wreck, near Denison, Tex. He was assistant manager of KRRV, Sher- man-Denison. John-R. Hatcher Sn, 72, subur¬ ban theatre manager for the Crescent Amus. Co., Nashville, for 32 years, died Feb. 5 in,Lebanon, Tenn., after a brief illness. William, A. Sheehan, 73. onetime news commentator with WTIC, Hartford, and director of the sta¬ tion’s political coverage, died Feb. 11 in that city. Daniel Dugan, 53, tap dancer on Keith Circuit before retirement, died Feb. 2 in Philadelphia. •Vera Lewis, 72. character actress ih silent films, 'died Feb. 8 at the Motion Picture Country Hospital near Los Angeles. Her sister, daughter and two grandchildren survive. Isabelle Vengerova, 78, pianist, and for 30 years head of the piano department of Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, died Feb. 7 in New York. Jessie Bowles Fisher, 94, former concert pianist, died Feb. 5 in Hol¬ lywood. She was the mother of James-Fisher, associate story edi¬ tor at 20th-Fox. Louis Glassman, 69, a cornet player, died in Chicago Feb. 8. His wife, two daughters, a son and a brother survive. Miles Salsburg, 55, for 31 years engineer with Balaban & Katz theatres, died in Chicago Feb, 8. Surviving are his wife, two broth¬ ers and a sister. Father, 84, of Harry Romm, Co¬ lumbia Pictures studio representa¬ tive in New York, died Feb. 13 in Philadelphia. Fr6d Phillips, 51, veteran stage¬ hand and projectionist, died Jan. 31 in Saskatoon, Sask. His wife, two sons and four sisters survive. Adolf L. Lindberg, 78, circus performer and horse trainer, died Jan. 25 in Helsinki. Sascha Price, 61, comedian and niimic, died recently in Oslo. He appeared in vaude, circus and re¬ vues. Harry Salvona, 80, onetime operator of a portable theatre com¬ pany, died Jan. 23 in Edinburgh. Arthur Lopez, 53, Spanish mon- ologist, died recently in Madrid. His wife survives. Father, 69, of William Eythe, ac¬ tor, died in Baltimore Feb. 8 while on a visit to another son in Baltimore. Coe to Telepix - Continued from page 2 1 — become what he calls “a country lawyer” in Florida. Series will draw upon the Coe literary properties—more than 250 short stories and 30 novels. Coe, nicknamed "Socker,” from his prizefight days, was the first estab¬ lished writer who dared to Action¬ ize the inner workings of the un¬ derworld during prohibition and probably started the gangster story cycle. When first "retiring” from Broadway, he became editor-pub¬ lisher of the Palm Beach Times- Post, winning three Freedom Foundation editorial awards. As¬ sociated with Granik and Coe in the tv venture is another Broadway expatriate—Oscar A. Doob, who retired as an MGM executive last September. He, too, lives in Palm Beach. UA-Fred Coe ^ Continued from page 3 - - ting the final touches on a deal under which he’ll make one a year with UA financing and distributing. Specific properties have yet to be selected but it’s apparent that the producer is looking for both new material and tv programs that would lend themselves to screen adaptation. Tieup 1 with UA is in line with that company's policy of building a stable of both established film per¬ sonnel and newcomers to Holly¬ wood who have shown talent in other fields. Coe is in the latter group, having developed a strong reputation in-video. Chayefsky Continued from page 4 with formal invitations was strictly adhered to. A total of 75 showings of "Marty” took place. Thus, it was sold. The press boys were again en¬ thusiastic and of the four princi¬ pals of the picture—Chayefsky, di¬ rector Delbert Mann, producer Harold Hecht and star Ernest Borg- nine—Chayefsky was the best known to them. The printed copy, as a consequence, was about the writer. The buildup for Chayefsky in a large sense was despite the man himself. He has discouraged in¬ terviews and even photographs, has held himself aloof from the 75. conventional bally rounds, jsuch as tv appearances. According to some persons on the scene, he runs in¬ termittently hot and cold on the idea of seeing his name in the papers. (For an account of the buildup angles in connection voith Chayef- sky’s just-opened' stage play, “Mid¬ dle of the Night,” starring Edward G. Robinson, see this issue’s, legit section.) MARRIAGES Ruth Tobey to Dr. Samuel Hoff¬ man, Brooklyn, Feb. 12. Bride is in the Variety homeoffice. Terry Moore to Eugene C. Mc¬ Grath, Las Vegas, Jan. 1. Bride is a film actress. Carole Logan ‘to John Roskams, London, Feb. 6. Bride is a dancer at Windmill Theatre, .London. Elaine Klinger to Sidney Glod- stein, New York, Feb. 12. Bride is daughter of Mrs. Lillian Klinger of Lopert Films. Geraldine Bendig to John Szewc, Pittsburgh, Feb. 11. Bride is with Par exchange in Pitt. Shelia Tepper to Henry C. Brown in Las Vegas, Nev. Feb. 4. He’s the N.Y. radio-tv-legit talent agent. She’s non pro. Nancy Sutton to Bert Freed, New York, Feb. 12. He’s an actor. Frances Sternhagen to Thomas Carlin, Washington, Feb. 13. Both are legit players. Loranda Stephanie Spalding to Efrem Zimbalist .lr., New Hartford, Conn., Feb. 12. He’s a legit pro¬ ducer-actor and son of the concert violinist. Joy Harrington to Johnny Par¬ ker, New York, Feb. 4.' He’s a singer. Anita Dangler to Michael Prince, New York, Feb. 4. Both are legit players. Georgiann Johnson to Stanley Prager, Providence, R. I., Feb. 11. Bride is an actress.; he’s an actor. BIRTHS Mr. and Mrs. Brett Halsey, son, Hollywood, Feb. 5. Mother is ac¬ tress Renate Hoy; father is an actor. Mr. and Mrs. Allan Shine, (laugh-, ter. Pittsburgh, Jan. 18. Father is with Tiny Wolfe orch. Dr. and Mrs. Fred Rachiele, daughter, Denver, Jan. 25. Father is son of Harry Rachiele, veteran Pitt exhib. Mr. and Mrs. Harvey L. Edwards, daughter, New York, Dec. 16. Father, now an aide to Oscar Ham- merstein 2d, was national public relations director of United World Federalists Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Goodis, daughter, New York, Jan. 18. Fa¬ ther is assistant stage manager for the Broadway production of "Silk Stockings.” Mr. and Mrs. Jay Andres, son, Chicago, Feb. 3. Father is WBBM’s allnight diskjockey. Mr. and Mrs. John Conrad, twin sons, Chicago, Feb. 4. Father is a WNBQ performer. Mr. and Mrs. Howard Alper, son, Hollywood, Feb. 6. Father is a sound technician. Mr. and Mrs. Keith Miller, son, Burbank, Cal., Feb. 6. Father is assistant production manager at Capitol Records. Mr. and Mrs. Roy Lester, daughter, Leicester, Eng., recent¬ ly. Father is a vaude comedian. Mr. and Mrs. Dickie Valentine, daughter, London, Feb. 6. He’s a recording singer. Mr. apd Mrs. Larry Carothers, son, San Antonio, recently. Father is disk jockey on KONO in that city. Mr. and Mrs. James Hackert, son, Santa Monica, Cal., Feb. 8. Mother is Shirley Hackert, former script custodian at 20th-Fox; father is a film cutter. currently serving with the U. S. Air Force. Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Bryan, daughter, Los Angeles, Feb. 11. Father is an actor. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Mitchel, son, Dublin, Jan. 31. Father is an actor. Mr: and Mrs. Dan Mallinger, son, Pittsburgh, Feb. 10. Father is KDKA-TV weatherman. Mr. and Mrs. John Bury, Jr., daughter, Glendale, Cal., Feb. 11. Father is a sound recorder. Mr. and Mrs. Carl Bjorkenheim, son, Hollywood, Feb. 11. Mother is dancer-film actress Taina Elg. Mr. and Mrs. Steve Allison, son, Philadelphia, Feb. 3. Father is WPEN late-night gabber; mother is former dancer Wanda Hilliard. Mr. and Mrs. George Maurer, son, New York, Feb. 10. Father is sales development manager at Loew’s Inc. homeoffice. Mother, Joan Waldon, is a professional ice skater and star of the Arthur God¬ frey Ice Show. Mr. and Mrs. Jack Straw, son, Feb. 10, Chicago. Father is in touring company of “Pajama Game”; mother is actress, known professionally as Barrie Croft.