Variety (June 1957)

62 CHATTER P^RiEfr Wednesday, June 5, 1957 Barbara Romney has launched Poetry Broadside here. N.Y. Post planning a series on the McCrarys (Tex and Jinx). Gus Eyssell, prez of Rockefeller Center, elected to the board of Roosevelt Hospital. Tenor Kenneth Lane auditioning at Carnegie Hall studios for sing¬ ers for his proposed Wagnerian repertory. Joe E. Howard will be in his home town. Helena, Montana, on June 20 and the mayor’s declared it his day. Arabs are now demanding “bap¬ tismal certificates” of tourists pen¬ etrating their lands. Eew Ameri¬ cans or British can supply them. Rudolf Bing, Metopera general manager, and actor Dennis O’Keefe among those sailing for Europe today (Wed.) on the lie De France, j Fred Waring’s Pennsylvanians will open in October a 70-stand j tour that will take them to the West Coast. William Morris agency | set up tour. " j Sam Rosen. Stanley Warner v.p., and Joe Moskowitz, 20th-Fox v.p. and N.Y. studio rep, returned from Europe yesterday (Tues.) on the Queen Mary. Roberte Weede Jr., operatic singer, and Robert Trout, CBS ra¬ dio and tv commentator, back from Europe yesterday (Tues.) on the lie de France. Nate Blumberg, Universal board chairman, and RKO production head William Dozier in from Naples yesterday (Tues.) on the Cristoforo Colombo. ASCA.Pers Sophie Salpeter and Art Gordon have written a ditty based ox - Phyllis I. Rosenteur’s book, ‘ Morpheus and Me,” just published by Funk & Wagnalls. Polyna Stoska, like Grace Moore and a couple of others through the years a vet of both B’way legit and the Met Opera, will do Ma¬ dame role in “Pipe Dream” this summer at Hyannis and Cohasset. William (“Hopalong”) Boyd, pro¬ ducer-director Victor Saville, legit producer Richard Myers and ac¬ tress Mary Ellis sailed for Europe last week on the S.. S. United States. Decoration Day weekend visitors at Grosskiger’s ranged from U. S. Senator Morse (appearing as a speaker at a UJA gathering) to MCA’s Jennings Lang, Gretchen Wyler, Dick Shawn, baseball’s Jackie Robinson and Dick Wake¬ field, Judge Sam Liebowitz, Vir¬ ginia Graham, golf champ A1 Bes- selink, Teddy Nadler and Monica Lewis. The Sheraton Hotels execs are the sparks behind a new gourmet society, Les Copains de Careme, named for Marie-Anteine Careme, famed French chef of the Napole¬ onic era. It was launched last week with an invitation super-blueplate special at the Sheraton Astor. Similar gourmet stunts slated for the new Sheraton, Philly, and the Sheraton Blackstone, Chi. Ex-President Harry S. Truman, Senator Fstes Kefauver, Senator: Alexander Wiley, columnist Leo¬ nard Lyons and Abel Green, editor of Variety, are on the Rudolph Halley Memorial Scholarship Fund chairmaned by Hugh Fulton, the late attorney’s law partner. The Columbia College Class of 1932 is taking note of its 25th anniversary, John L. McDowell general chair¬ man. to further spark the Halley Memorial Scholarship. Madrid Conchita Piquer, for many years the first lady of the Spanish song, opened at the Teatro de la Zar- guda with a brand new revue “Puente de Coplas” (Bridge of Couplets', by the maestros Quin¬ tero. Leon and Quiroga. New show bows into the Cas¬ te! iana Hilton’s Rendezvous* French songstress France Piery re¬ places Cuban singer Miguelito Valdes, and Flamenco group Los Pelaos ditto that of Amparo Ran- kel. who leaves shortly to appear with her company at Hollywood Bowl. Director Manuel Mur-Oti, just back from Cuba, telling plans for first Cuban-Spanish coproduction “Mambis,” which he will roll the cameras on here in September, in color and with artistic elements from both countries. Producer is Yara Films, and Mur-Oti will in¬ troduce two youthful Cubans — Alejandro Lugo and Berta Mar¬ tinez. Italy’s Antonella Lualdi and hus¬ band Franco Interlenghi in Madrid with their baby daughter Stella. Couple will star in Vicente Escri- va’s “La Cenicienta Y Ernesto" (Cinderella and Ernest). She has just wound up in “Desconfiad. Muehaehas” (Don’t Believe It, Girls), and he in “Farewell to Arms” in Rome. Both starred in prizewinning “I Vitelloni.” Maria Dolores Pradera will play the title role in “Anastasia” when it opens at the new Teatro Eslava, following its current very big hit "La Celestina.” Jose Luis Alonso is responsible for the Spanish ver¬ sion of “Anastasia,” and cast will include such legit names as Irene Lopez Heredia, Guillermo Marin and Josf Maria Rodero,' all of whom are playing in “Celestina” npw. Director Ladislae (“Marcelino”) Vajda shooting at Chamartin Stu¬ dios the windup of “An Angel De¬ scended on Brooklyn,” Pablito Cal- vo-Peter Ustinov starrer, on which he has already filmed in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen and in Italy’s Rome and Naples. Ustinov has brought, his wife and children here for the duration of the picture. “Angel” was originally titled “Un Perro Llamado Senor Bossi” (A Dog Named Mistter Bossi). Boston By Guy Livingston (344 Little Bldg.; HAncock 6-8386) Tempest Storm current at Ca¬ sino buriesquer. Patti Page current at Blinstrub’s through Sunday (9). Rocky Marciano in town talking about turning thespian. Pat Mathews, calypso chirp, held over at the Bradford’s Carousel room. A1 Dealzell, former legit press agent) in to bally Columbia film, “Calypso Heatwave,” opening at Pilgrim Wednesday (5). Ben Sack, operator of Beacon Hill and Saxon film houses inked deal With Shuberts for the Plym¬ outh legiter which he will turn into a first-run house to be called the “Gary.” ' New England fun spots nabbed big openings Memorial Day, offi¬ cial start of season, with jamup crowds at Old Orchard, Me.; Hampton Beach, N. H.; Salisbury, Revere and Nantasket, Mass., hy¬ poed by perfect weather. Bob Dorfman, Walt Disney Pro¬ ductions, here for press party for authoress Esther Forbes, whose prize winning novel, “Johnny Tremain;” served as basis for Dis¬ ney film of same name and to set day-date in 18 theatres for New England preem kicking off at May¬ flower. Toronto By Bob McStay Arthur Hailey sold his “Shadow of Suspicion” to BBC. Alexandrine Gibb turning out a gossip column for Toronto Star, evening daily. N Irish Guards Band, 80 men strong, to be outdoors musical at¬ traction at Canadian National Ex¬ hibition. Harvey Tate leaving Canadian tele to become news chief for a chain of Texas stations headed by KLIF, Dallas. Archie Laurie hosting Jean Se- berg, here to lead off her North American p.a. tour tub-thumping U.A.’s “Saint Joan.” Court. Stone lining up his cast for “Muskoka Holiday,” with Bar¬ bara Strathdee and Donald Bartle signed as singing leads. . Brant Inn teeing off its new summer season, with Guy Lom¬ bardo’s band in for June 5-8; it will cost $10 a, couple to dance. Boh Goulet motoring to Cali¬ fornia and then to Vancouver to join Theatre Under the Stars for his second season there of summer stock. Catherine Proctor leaving home here to go into Broadway produc¬ tion of “Separate Tables” for re¬ mainder of rim and subsequent road tour. With Lorraine McAllister leav¬ ing for Vancouver to join Daryl Richards Orch, Bob Jarvis, pro¬ ducer of “Holiday Ranch,” is look¬ ing for a gal warbler. &y Les Rees Theatre-in-Round wound up sea- ! son with “Anastasia.” i Ann Lee appointed Cinerama ! public relations director. | Edyth Bush Playhouse held over ‘ “Witness for Prosecution.” Flame nitery has Onie Wheeler ■ and the Rockabilly quartet. ; Tenor Felix Knight continuing ’ at Hotel Radisson Flame Room. I Florinda, Nikki Diaz, Ann Bollin 1 and Connie Reyes joined Gay 90s’ ; calypso show, Don Stolz closed for “Plotting ! Shed” rights for his local Old Log ! strawhatter which opens season ■ this week. j Paul Swater in from Florida to t take over as Cinerama managing ! director here, replacing Phil Jan- ! sen who has joined “Around World in 80 Days.” London (Temple Bar 5041/9952) Actress Ann. Firhank inked to seven year contract by Metro. A Cafe de Paris cabaret stint being negotiated for Gloria Swan¬ son, Guy Mitchell arrived in London last Friday (31); here for a vaude season and several tele dates. Princess Margaret will perform the opening ceremony of the new National Film Theatre on London’s South Bank Oct. 15. Greek actress, Melina Mercouri, arrived here last week to take up star role in the Pinewood produc¬ tion, *‘The Gypsy and the Gentle¬ man.” Thomas F. O’Neil, prexy of RKO Teleradio Pictures, and Walter Branson, veepee of RKO R?dio, here for confabs With Bob Wolff, RKO’s topper here. Moira Shearer to appear in Hen¬ ry Sherek production of “Man of Distinction” at Edinburgh Festival in August. It will cOme to Lpndon about three weeks later. “Kismet,” which ended a two year West End run at Stoll Theatre several months ago, and has since been on tour, opens again in the West End at Princess Theatre Fri¬ day (7). Noel Coward came in on the Queen Elizabeth Tuesday (4) to direct Michael Wilding in rehears¬ als of : “Nude With Violin.” Wild¬ ing takes over the lead from John Gielgud June 24. Paris By Gene Moskowitz (28 Rue Huchette; Odeon 4944) Vauder Alhambra-Maurice Che¬ valier goes longhair in housing the Ballets Du Marquis De Cuevas. Yvonne Printemps nixing a top role in the forthcoming Metro mu¬ sical, “Gigi,” starring Leslie Car.on and Maurice Chevalier. Martine Carol starrer, “Nathalie,” indefinitely shelved because star has to take an eight week rest after injuries sustained during the filming. “Spirit of St. Louis” (WB) get¬ ting a gala preem in conjunction with the 30th anni of Charles A. Lindbergh’s solo air Atlantic hop, before opening here. French-Moroccan actrfess Leila Farida handling Arabic dubbing chores on Gallic pic “Fanfan La Tulipe.” This is the first in large- scale operations for moving French pjx into the big Arabic general film marts. Though all script troubles on “Paris Holiday” (UA) have been patched up between Bob Hope and co-star Femandel, the latter re¬ cently told Variety that the pic is still 60% Hope and 40% Fer- nandel but should be 50-50 when it is finished. Tourists and warm weather are prompting 5 /the peeling of more chorus girls here. Three new nude shows are on to join such regu¬ lars as the Folies Bergere, Casino de Paris and Mayol. Comedie- Caumartin has “Mondanites Lib¬ ertine,” Bobino goes from vauder to a revue, “Ferie Sexy,” and leg¬ iter Potiniere has “Frivolites In- discretes.” Philadelphia By Jerry Gaghan Stanley Schwartz, former owner of the Tabu, taking a fling in im¬ porting biz. - Sam Bushman named ad-pub¬ licity director of Brandywine Mu- sip Box, near Wilmington, Del. Comedy team of A1 Fisher and Little Lou signed to . appear in mu¬ sical film to be made by De Lau- rentis and Serpe. John Kenley, who produced sev¬ eral seasons of summer stock at Yardley; Pa., angled to his native inidwest to operate in Dayton’s Memorial Hall. Berlin By Hans Hoehn (760264L Warners’ pic, “Lindbergh,” is to be locally .preemed during forth¬ coming Berlin Film Festival. Universal soon start here on shooting of “Time To Live and Time to Die”. at CCC studios. On occasion of his 70th birthday, opera singer Michael Bohnen was handed the Federal Order of Merit. June 29 set as date for the In¬ ternational Film Ball, one of high¬ lights of forthcoming local film fete. O. W. Fischer will have title role in the forthcoming Roxy pic, “El Hakim,” based on John Knittel’s same-titled novel. Schorcht-Film (distributor)* ac¬ quired by Bavaria-Film., is to con¬ tinue operating under ~ the tradi¬ tional trademark “Tobis” as of this fall. U.S. pix currently playing the lo¬ cal GI circuit include .“Rainmak¬ er” (Par), “King and Four Queens” (UA), “Incredible Shrinking Man” (U), “Edge of City" (M-G) and “Tattered Dress” (U). . To commemorate the eighth anni of the end of Berlin Airlift, AFN- Berlin rebroadcast a special airlift show. Starring Bob Hope and Jane Russell, program was aired orig¬ inally for men of the blockade. Marion Michael, who made her pic debut in “Liane—the Girl From the Virgin Forest,” will be seen in two more similar pix, “Liane—the White Slave” and “Liane On the Island of Dreams,” both made by Area in the 1957- ’58 season. Pat Vance, head of model agency here, off for six week tour of Eu¬ rope. Robert Hughes named new prez of American Federation of Film Societies. Dejay Howard Miller tapped for bit part in U-I’s film about record biz, “The Big Beat.” Jack Webb here last week to bally his latest pic, “D.I.,” preem- ing at Chicago Theatre, and satu¬ rating all available media. University of Chicago Theatre sponsored two showings of “Wait¬ ing For Godot” last weekend after it had exited Studebaker Theatre. Charles Van Doren, Gypsy Rose Lee, Meyer Levin, Steve Allen, Bennet Cerf and others here last week for National Booksellers’ con¬ clave. Skip Krask and Shelly Hasten bought the Cloister Inn from.Paul Raffles, Pat Fontecchio, and Bill Doherty, group that owns the Black Orchid. Dr. John Reich, formerly of Columbia U. drama department, named director of the Goodman Memorial Theatre in Chi, replacing the late Dr. Maurice GneSin, long¬ time head of school. Reich takes over post this fall. Walter Koppel Continued from page 5 ■■ dustry.” He said his discussions with the German Ministry of Eco¬ nomics had been entirely favorable to date, but he noted—realistical¬ ly—that elections were around the corner (in September) and that much depended on the political Climate. If Koppel seems comparatively unconcerned about the impact of common European film action on the German industry, this may be in part traced to the success of his own studio operation. Real Film, at this moment with five stages, is fully booked up until August of 1958, with its own and outside productions. A sixth stage is cur¬ rently a-building. Several of the Real pix, notably “Captain v. Koepenick,” have clicked might¬ ily at the b.o., with “Captain” re¬ couping several times its negative cost in Germany alone. Yet, the situation with Germany as it shapes up today, with the L/FA looming ever larger on the scene, is hardly conducive to much optimism for an independent like Koppel, who lies between the Bavaria in Munich and the UFA in Berlin, both of them large’v con¬ trolled by the same- banking in¬ terests, which also figure promi¬ nently in Koppel’s activities. As for conditions in the Ger¬ man industry, shaken up by the Allianz (distribution) failure, Kop¬ pel seemed pessimistic. “Things will get worse before they’ll get better,” he predicted. Koppel said he still believed the German market was fed too many films, particularly by the Ameri¬ cans. “In the long run, this policy can only hurt.” he said. “The pub¬ lic gets fed up with so many films. It’s not only the German producer who is hurt. It’s the entire prod¬ uct* being shown.” Koppel was restrained in his comments re the UFA. He did think little of UFA going into tv film production. “To whom are they going to sell those films,” he asked. “Not to German tv. That’s state-owned £nd can’t pay any¬ thing.” The UFA, whifeh has distribution and also controls some 70 theatres, is not yet actually in production, but has financed pix. One of the first turned out via this arrange¬ ment was “Stem von Afrika,” which was rejected by the German self-censorship group as too mili¬ taristic in its tendencies, and had to be recut for release. UFA Is now headed by Amo Hauke, its former theatre chief, who had ma- neuvred himself to the top of the outfit after stalemating H. Tischen- dorf. Hollywood Charles C. (Bud) Barry In from .N.Y. Armand Deutsch checked back from Gotham, Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee b&6k after a month in the East. Variety’s London mugg Harold Myers ( Myro ) and Mrs. Myers flew East after a week of gandering studios. Ray “Crash” Corrigan building a western fort and town street for location shooting at his new Sem¬ inole Hot Springs project. Irving Margolin, veepee and treasurer of Cinerama Productions, arrived for the local preem of “Seven Wonders of World," Eddie Albert putting together clips of footage he’s shot on loca¬ tions around the world for a doc¬ umentary feature travelog. Pittsburgh by Hal V. Cohen Dancer Earl Barton’s parents moved back to the Coast. Music for Mt. Lebanon concert series for next season already sold out. Kay Riehl, character actress, re¬ turned to Hollywood after visiting here. Don Slone released from Vet¬ erans Hospital without surgery for his ulcers. Harry Belafonte will he SRO for his three nights at the- Mosque next week. Actor Dan Kinley, graduate of Royai Academy of Dramatic c Art in London, into the Army. . Mercury Records transferred Joe Berger to Philadelphia; named Solly Solomon head of local of-v fice. Cleveland By Glenn C.* Pullen “A Night With Belafonte” set for 12,000-seatpd civic auditorium June 14. Stephen PIrozzi succeeded Sol Gordon as local publicity rep for 20th-Fox exchange, coming here from company’s New York area. Statler’s Terrace Room dropping dance bands as well as shows June 3, after Sammy Watkins’ orch goes touring. Norm Knuth’s Starlight- ers, who usually take over Ter¬ race’s summer bandstand, moves into Hotpl ^Cleveland’s Bronze Room next week. Pat Boone show, a GAC package, lost money for local sponsor by drawing only around 2,500 specta¬ tors in Cleveland Arena. Boone shouldn’t feel too badly since Elvis Presley laid a big egg for his local backer in the Arena, which usually caters to sport events. Herman Pirchner, operator of Alpine Village and Eldorado -nit- eries, to dquble in brass this sum¬ mer as catering executive officer on the Steamer Aquarama; will have charge of lake cruiser’s food, likker and entertainment depart¬ ments on daily runs to Detroit. John Huston Continued from page 7 —^ notice and it seems to get bigger all the time.” However, about Wayne, Huston was positive. “It’s a tableau when you think of him surrounded by much smaller Japanese.” In talking about the trend today where the top directors either are writers themselves or work very closely with the writer, Huston opined, “I think the director is just a further extension of the writer. It calls for the additional facility of working with people as well as with a typewriter. ' Asked about making pictures to please himself rather than trying to aim at a mass audience, the Academy Award-winning director replied, “I’m not smart enough to make a picture for the masses. I can’t know what millions are thinking. I’m not up to detail on what populations like. I always figured that if i Hked it, and was able to bring out the qualities I sought, there were enough people like me to like it.” Doesn’t Favor Ad-lib Shooting Asked about the procedure of some European director-writers .who ad-lib their shooting' as they go along, Huston said he would never attempt it. "You can’t do that with film,” he declared. “It’s top expensive. It’s like a painter with a $1,000,000 in paints on his palate. He'can’t afford not to have made a cartoon of his painting. “But I’ve done it and we’ve all • had to do . it on occasion. In ‘Heaven Knows, Mr) Allison,* I wrote scenes on thef spot, hut I was lucky. The day will come when I’m not lucky. It’s just not a wise procedure.”