Variety (July 1957)

RADIO MUSIC STAGE JAZZ: IT S ONLY A PAPER BOOM 50 (Wet Probably) Scripts in Silos As Tryouts Pitch for Haymakers Strawhat tryouts are apparently still pie-in-the-sky for legit man¬ agements. Despite the rarity of Broadway payoffs from citronella circuit break-ins, the low-cost an¬ gle remains a compelling lure. From present indications, the bam-bow orop this summer will number somewhere around 50, about the same as last year and more or less par for the field. As always, some of the so-called tryouts appear to be Cases of great expectations. Increasingly in re¬ cent seasons,, the tryout tag is apt to be a matter of courtesy or just false optimism. On the other hand, there has been at least one show, “An Evening With Beatrice Lil¬ lie," put together primarily as a silo belt vehicle and subsequently serving as a cleanup on Broadway. Despite the soaring cost of pro¬ duction and operation on the mos¬ quito trail, it’s still a bargain com¬ pared to the ruinous spiral on Broadway. Also, when authors and "author-agents are- unable to scare up a New York production for a script, the rural trial spin offers a chance to get a look at the piece in performance, plus audi¬ ence reaction (if any) and a hop- ing-against-hope stab at recog¬ nition.. In the tabulations below, only the seemingly serious tryout proj¬ ects are included. .From advance reports, at least one, “Man in the Dog Suit," is figured a virtual- certainty for Broadway production^ in the fall. But haymow tourers such as George Jessel’s solo “Show: Time" obviously don’t rate as “tryouts." Also, Items like Paul] Green’s “The Founders" and Ker- mit Hunter’s historical pageants (Continued on page 57) Remake of Hemingway 'Farewell’ Again Stirs Italy’s World War I Vets Borne, July 2. Producer David O. Selznick called a hasty press conference here following a published protest by an Italian veterans group against the shooting of “A Fare¬ well 'to. Arms”, in this, country. Original work included the Italian retreat hefore the Austrio-Hun- garians in World War I. Group • of • local • vets - of World War I including. some generals and other high echelon officers, asked that work on the Hemingway novel be* stopped,' or, if the film was completed,-'that release of it in this * country., be. prohibited. Group :said .the. story “could be constructed, .as. degrading to the Italian Armed Forces.” Same com¬ plaint was. made when “Farewell" was filmed first, time. Selznick, in .his . press confab, asserted his film “contained noth¬ ing offensive nor even remotely damaging to Italian military. (Continued on page 63) PAR’S 7-DAY WONDER VIA REHEARSAL SKED Hollywood, July 2. What may be the shortest shoot¬ ing schedule ever assigned a major studio production has been worked out for “Hear Me Good," which rolls at Paramount Monday (8). Film will be shot in seven days. Short shooting schedule is the •result of extensive pre-production planning, including three weeks of dress rehearsals on completed sets and utilization of the tape record¬ ing method to help actors prepare their roles. Hal March stars in the film which Don McGuire wrote and will produce and direct. Church Boycott Hits Conn Bam Litchfield, Conn., July 2. Members of the local Roman ! Catholic parish have been, warned i to boycott the Litchfield Summer Theatre on the basis of “objection¬ able” shows it has presented. The ban was announced from the pulpit Sunday of last week (30) by Rev. Lawrence E. Skelly, of St. Anthony’s Church. . According to parishioners, the priest condemned the strawhat’s current production," Pajama Tops," and also cited such other recent offerings as “Rose Tattoo" and “Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter."; He asserted that they are among seven plays found" objectionable this season by the archdiocesan paper, but also mentioned that he has been following the summer theatre play ratings of the church magazine, Sign, and also the Legion of Decency classifications. Skelly has reportedly sent word (Continued on page 20) Stars Pay Own Fares To Danny Thomas Show For New Catholic Hosp. " ' '' Memphis; July 2. Although cash-receipts-are undis¬ closed, so/pe 20,QQQ persons’ filled Russwood baseball park here for the benefit' organized by Danny Thomas on behalf of St. Jude Hosp¬ ital. This * was fullfiHment of a 'promise .made, by Thomas to Cardi¬ nal Stritch of Chicago. Goal is the erection *of a new $2,000,000 Cath¬ olic hospital'irr -the' Memphis area. Thomas • -had - -unusual support. AH performeFs -took -care of their own travel tabs and other costs While the musician*’ and stage¬ hands’ locals, respectively^ dead- . (Continued on page ITf ' ‘ Mi NAMES IIS. B.O. PAYOFF By MIKE GROSS In the practical world of show biz economics, the jazz artists are running ahead of the “boom”—a “boom" that’s reflected in the press and magazines rather than at the b.o. “The jazz artists themselves," says indie jazz promoter Don Friedman, “are making the ’boom’; financially unrealistic." It’s his opinion that the. “writertip” splurge that jazz has been receiving recently has thrown jazz artists’ salaries out of proportion to their actual draw potential. Despite the fact that many recent jazz tours have fallen by the b.o. wayside, the jazz artists are steadily hiking their price de¬ mands. “This," says Friedman, “is making it difficult for promoters of concerts and festivals, as well as club owners, to operate.” He puts the price onus on the handful of top jazz names operating today. “The second-stringers are ] okay when it comes to salary," he admits, “but a jazz promoter can’t afford to gamble without a name and names are making a jazz pres¬ entation virtually prohibitive.” Any decent jazz package now, he claims, costs a promoter between $3,500 and $4,500 against 50% of the take from the first dollar. This leaves the promoter with 50% of the gross to take care of the cost of the hall, advertising and promo¬ tion expenses. “It’s gotten so,” he states, “that you can’t go into New York's Carnegie Hall with only one show and make money. You need two performances and you’ve al- (Continued on page 56) Island In Sun’ Hollywood, July 2. 20th-Fox sales chief Alex Har¬ rison stated here that Darryl F. Zanuck’s “Island in the Sun" is outgrossing “King and I” in sup¬ posedly race-touchy cities of Lex¬ ington, Louisville, Oklahoma City and Charleston, W. Va. ; Resultantly the film will pick ui> | Texas, Virginia and Florida play-i dates. I Symphonic Soldier** Tel Aviv, July 2. Zahal Symphony of Israel is a unique musical aggregation in that its conductor, ’ Shalom Riklis, is a major in the Is¬ raeli army and his musicians, ages 18 to 21 and both sexes, are all enrolled Israeli soldiers. “Zahal" is abbreviation for the Hebrew designation, Zya Hagaha Leyisreal, for this state’s armed force? " Stanton Speaks Up in Defense of Khrushchev Telecast Editorializing JACK BENNY’S JACKPOT PAYOFF IN LAS VEGAS Las Vegas, July 2. Jack Benny is hitting jackpot takes in his first Las Vegas hook¬ ing at the Flamingo Hotel, Accord¬ ing to operator A1 Parvin, about 1,000 customers have been turned away at each show during'the first 10 days. Up to 800. are being seat¬ ed at each session. Accprding to Parvin, the first 10 days of Benny’s engagement took in more coin than the first 20 days of the preceding show, and 33% more than any other layout in the Falmingo’s history including Judy Garland. The minimum $3 per person built up to an average of $6 for food and $4 for drinks. Casino biz also up by 33% especially on the slot machines, roulette and blackjack. Skouras to Tour 14 Soviet Cities Spy .--os P. Skouras, president of 20th-Fox, is going to Russia in September as guest of the Soviet Government. Skouras discloses that he will make Russia his first stop, visiting some 14 cities in the Soviet Un¬ ion. He is planning also to tour some of the other countries in the Red orbit. Asked whether he'd go to Hun¬ gary, Skouras said he’d like to “but it’s difficult to get visas.” Be fore going behind the Iron Cur¬ tain, the 20th topper plans to visit South Africa, where his company has extensive holdings. Skouras has been planning the Soviet trip for at least two years.. (Continued on .page 57) Costello Link to Vegas Prowled by HI. and Ind. Through Insurance Firm Chicago, July 2. Impact of • the - Troplcana- case has state authorities in Illinois and Indiana also in the act supporting the efforts of New York’ and Ne^ vada authorities to link Frank Costello to the operation of the Vegas . nitery. According to a Chicago Daily News story, niinois and Indiana insurance departments are investigating the Guarantee Reserve Life Insurance Co. here which holds a mortgage on the club, totalling $2,801,111, or 30% of its assets as of last September. . The insurance company obtained the Tropicana mortgage - through its former prexy Frank Jaffe who (Continued on page 57) Washington, July 2. After maintaining a discreet and virtually complete silence for the past four weeks over criticism of CBS’ Nikita Khrushchev interview, Columbia prexy Frank Stanton to¬ day (Tues.) entered & strong de¬ fense of the web’s news operation and furthermore declared that on- the-air editorializing Is a must for the future. Speaking before the National Press Club, Stanton led off his speech with a swipe at President Eisenhower’s remarks anent CBS’ position as a “commercial enter¬ prise” in the Khrushchev situa¬ tion. “I come from a commercial organization,” Stanton said in his opening line. “A major duty of that organiza¬ tion is to report the news. A ma¬ jor right is to editorialize about the news,” Describing the television inter¬ view as “a wholly new dimension of journalism" which has the “abil¬ ity to confront viewers with per¬ sonalities °in the actual process of making news," Stanton stated that “in its use, we feel duty bound to bring the most important men and ideas of our times to the Ameri¬ can people. And in the manner in which this is done we are deter¬ mined to acquit ourselves as your brothers in a free press. “For if we define as ‘the most important men and ideas’ those that are most apt to affect import¬ antly the lives of our viewers and listeners and readers, then we must, I think, place our whole con¬ fidence in the wisdom of Jefferson’s i statement that the people ‘may be (Continued on page 17) Bard Fest Brings Mobs, Culture, Exotic Foods •To Artier Stratford, Ont By PAUL A. GORMLEY Stratford, Ont., July 2. What does an annual diet of culture do for a town? Take this once shabby railroad burg of 20,- 000 population. It started with a Shakespeare Festival- in 1953 to which has since been appended jazz music and fillri festivals. Here are some of the results: Besides getting free newspaper space, town- has been visited by tourists from 32 of the American states, plus Hawaii, from European lands and Korea, Japah and In¬ donesia. Overflow from hotels and' motels puts money in pocketbooks of room-renting burghers, not less than $35,000 each summer. The whole town is spruced up, classier and definitely artier. Both long¬ hair and cool jazz records now sell two-for-one over former times. Film houses gross double when ex¬ hibiting Shakespeare, historical and art subjects. Not the least piquant develop¬ ment in the town is a Gourmet (Continued on page 56)