Variety (April 1958)

Wednesday, April 16, 1958 OBITUARIES SOL M. WURTZEL Sol M. Wurtzel, 67, longtime pro¬ ducer who was with, 20th-Fox and its predecessor company for 30 years, died April 9 in Westwood,. Cal. ; Details in film section. JOHNSON j'. MUSSELMAN Johnson J. Musselman, 68, one of the few oldtime showmen in the Louisville area, died April 8, in Louisville, He was manager of the Rialto Theatre, arid supervisor of other show properties owned: and operated by the Fourth Ave¬ nue Amusement Co. For years, Musselman, known as Aska The Magician, presented full two-hour shows in school audito¬ riums, churches, and halls, as¬ sisted by his wife Pauline. He or¬ ganized his magic show in 1910. He first' developed an interest in show biz as a child, when he passed out handbills and ushered at Louis¬ ville’s old Macauley’s Theatre. Prior to taking up his magic show activities, the vet sohwman toured In vaude in a singirig-dancirig- talking turn, with a femme partner. Later he went to Chicago and ap¬ peared in . short subject films with Mary Pickford, Francis X. Bush¬ man and Beverly Bayne, William S. Hart, “Broncho Billy" Anderson, John Bunny, Flora Finch, and oth¬ ers. He received frequent news¬ paper coverage for his promo¬ tional stunts, some of which In Loving Memory MAURICE ABRAHAMS brought objections from the law. One was a gimmick during the showing of "Greatest Show on Earth,” several years ago. He had sawdust spread ofl the lobby floor and Outside the theatre to add atmosphere. . When the sawdust was tracked all over the main stem. Louisville officials jnade Mussel¬ man remove it. ' . . His wife, the former Pauline Caple, survives. MELVILLE BAKER Melville Pratt Baker, 56, play¬ wright and film writer, died April 10 in Nice, France^ Baker’s best known works were his adaptation of “The Swan” by Ferenc Molnar, which Gilbert Miller produced, in New York in 1923 and "Next Time We Love,” the film which intro¬ duced James Stewart in 1935. . He was the son of Robert M. Baker, also a playwright, and was graduated from Harvard; He started work for Daniel Frohnian Paul du Pont - April 24, 1906 - April 20, 1957 as a plalyreader. He did the adap¬ tation of the Molnar play the next year after two . playwrights had failed to produce a script to Miller’s satisfaction. . In the next two years, he did adaptations of two more Molnar plays, “Carnival” and “Tale of the Wolf.” From 1930 to 1940 he lived in ■ Hollywood, writing numerous screenplays. ’ With Jack: Kirkland, he wrote “Now and Forever,”- starring Shir¬ ley Temple and Gary Copper; “Zoo in Budapest” and “The Gilded Lily.” In 1943, he wrote “Above Suspicion” which starred Joan Crawford. Two years ago, he moved to the French Riviera to work on the adaptation Of French plays. Wife, son and daughter survive. CHUCK WILLIS Chuck Willis, 30, one Of the lead¬ ing rock hi’ roll vocalists and song¬ writers, died April 10 in Atlanta following an operation-;. He had been suffering for some time with ulcers but was still active as per¬ former and tunesmith. A few months ago, he was given several awards in New York by Broadcast Music Inc. for writing several hits last year. Willis, who last recorded for At¬ lantic Records, cut seven records for that label and came up with six hits, including such sides as “C.C. Rider,” “Juanita,” “It’s Too Late,” “Betty Ann Dupree’ and his current “Hang Up My Rock ’n’ Roll Shoes” backed by “What Am I Living For.” He was discovered in 1952 by Danny Kessler who then was artists & repertoire chief for Okeh Records,' the Columbia Records rhythm & blues subsid. Willis also wrote numerous hit songs for other artists, including some in the pop field. Among these were “What a Dream,” “From the Bottom of My Heart,” “Close Your Eyes” and “Let Me Explain.” Survivors include his wife, two daughters and one son. WALTER K. SCOTT Walter K. Scott, retired chief of U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s motion picture service, and silent screen actor, died April 9 in Washington, D. C., after a< long. illness. Well known fn government and docu¬ mentary film circles, he started his career as an* actor opposite Pearl White in the “Perils of Pauline” series. He also worked as producer and lenser in silents, and developed a special behind-the-screen sound effect which Was a forerunner of the “talkies.” Scott also worked as a- newsreel photographer for Fox Movietone and Was an indie producer of films in Germany after World War I, and later in Puerto Rico, Society Islands and Canada. He entered Government work in 1934 with Dept, of Interior and switched to Agriculture several years later. He was variously cameraman, director, head of production, arid finally chief of Agriculture’s film section, largest producer of motion pictures in federal government. He retired in! 1956, when he became associated *with Capital Film Lab in Wash¬ ington. HERMAN H. LIGHT Herman H. Light, 61, manager of the Barrymore Theatre. for many years; died April 12 in New York. A first cousin of J. J. Shubert and the late Lee Shubert; he was. with the Shuberts all his life. He began his career on the staff of the old Hippodrome and managed the Barrymore and various other Shu¬ bert houses until last year when he became company manager of the NBC Opera. In .1954 he was company mana¬ ger for Gian Carlo Menotti’s “Saint of Bleecker .Street” and at the time of his death Was company of the Ballet de Paris at the Broadway Theatre, N, Y. Wife, Mrs. Frances Light, an artists’ rep and Equity agent and a brother, Norman Light, manager of the Winter Garden Theatre in N. Y., surVive. WES CORNELL Wes Cornell, actor, composer, author, pianist-singer, who also wrote, special material for many leading performers, including So-? phie Tucker, Grade Fields and Robert RounsviUe, died April 2 in New York. . Cornell began his career when he was six years old, and for many years appeared in numerous top vaudeville houses, and niteries throughout the U. S. He later ap¬ peared in a number of touring legit shows, including “Mary Had a Little” with Edmund Lowe. His songs included “More Babies for Ike” and “Christine.” He also wrote tv scripts and a play, as yet. unpublished, called “The Queen Is Trumps.” He ap¬ peared for; two years in the now defunct Cambridge Club in Phila¬ delphia, and made recordings oh his own label. Devil Records. Wife, son, mother and three sis¬ ters survive, j. ADELYNE H. PHIPPS Adelyne ..Hood Phipps, longtime radio singer and musician, died April IX in Pittsburgh. Known as “Aunt Caroline,” she had broadcast over WCAE and KDKA in that city for four years, from 1941 until 1945, when she married- A. J. Phipps, a food broker, and retired. A graduate of the U. of Alabama and the Juilliard School of Music, she was the first “Aunt Jemima” in radio in New York and present¬ ed violin concerts in Europe and throughout the U. S.. before turn¬ ing to broadcasting. Mrs. Phipps also was a pianist: . ' Likewise noted as & singer of folk songs* she made many records before going on radio. In addition to her musical programs, she took ’part in a number of radio dramatic shows, too. Besides her husband,. she leaves a brother. ROYAL C. STOUT Royal C. Stout, 84, an actor and co-owner pf. a summer stock thea¬ tre at Lake Nuahgola,. Pa:, died April 2 in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. He began his career as a member of a one-night-stand troupe touring PSrIETy 63 the midwest. He later appeared In numerous; Broadway plays, includ¬ ing “The Wisdom Tooth,” “Cousin Sonia,” “High Gear,” “A Divine Moment,” “Cradle Snatchers,” Yesterday’s Orchids, 4 ’ and; most notably “The Royal Family,” writ¬ ten by. George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber. He also appeared at the Savoy and Prince theatres in London, with his wife, actress Eleanor Kennedy. . His wife survives,. - THOMAS CHARLES BYERS Thomas Charles Byers,' 92, a former hotel and legit company manager, died Jan. 13 in Braden¬ ton, Fia. He. began his career as a hotel manager in 1893 in Resort, Pa. He left the hotel to form a legit stock company. He later managed the Lincoln . Square Theatre Jin New York, Known to theatrical friends, as' “Uncle Tom,” he t also worked for 30 years as manager of the Wal¬ lace Post Advertising firm in Wa¬ tertown, N.Y. His wife survives, SAMUEL M. GOULD Samuel M. Gould, 70, : one of Pittsburgh’s pioneer theatre own¬ ers, was found dead April 8 at the Arcadia Theatre, which he owned and operated on the city’s North- side. An early member of Tent No. 1 of the Variety Club, he had been active in exhibition for nearly half a. century. He previously owned houses in Ambridge, Pa., and Ell- wood City, Pa., but the Arcadia Was his: only theatre at the time of his death. He leaves his wife and two sis¬ ters.. JOSEPHINE L. SEYL Josephine L. Seyl, 69, former concert singer and operator of a Frenich-Ianguage school for chil¬ dren in Evanston, HL, died there April 7. She also directed, pro¬ duced and acted in several amateur French plays in the Chicago area and sang professionally as a solb- is. Survived by two daughters and a son. WILLIAM LARNER . William Larner, 48, radio an¬ nouncer and .program • director, died April 5 at the Will Rogers Hospital, Saranac Lake,: N. Y., after a long illness. At various times he was associated with stations WHAW, Weston, West Va ; WMFF, Plattsburg, N. Y., and WKRT, N. Y. . Surviving are his wife, mother and a sister. LEON LE VERDE Leon Le Verde, 58, female im¬ personator, died April 5 in New York after a lengthy illness. Le Verde worked for many years in niteries throughout the country and had produced the shows at the HoWdy Club, some years ago. His last job was at the Savannah Club, N, Y., where he worked as a waiter. JOHN L. MCCURDY John L. McCurdy, 66, retired motion picture executive who was active in the Fort Wayne, Ind.y area before moving to Florida,, died March 10 in Sarasota, Fla. ; He, was a member of the Motion. Picture Pioneers. Surviving are his wife, son; daughter and three sisters. Theodore A. Huber, 72, a life member of Local 10, American Federation of Musicians, diedApril 5 in Chicago, where he had been a trombonist in the Medinah Tem¬ ple brass band for 30 years.•• Sur¬ vived by his wife. Thomas R. (Ray) Tyldesley, 51, Secretary of Vancouver Local 145. AFM, a member since 1930, and president of Tyldesley’s Ltd.; auc¬ tioneers, died. April 10 in Van¬ couver. . Survived by wife and daugher. Alexander Marshall. Harblnson* 61, author of many short stories and magazine articles and co-au¬ thor of a play, “It Seems To Be Spring,” died April 8 in San. Fran¬ cisco. . Fred G. Flatt, 70, manager of the Taft Auditorium and Masonic Tem¬ ple Co. in Cincinnati for 33 years, died March 31 in that city. Surviv¬ ing are his wife, son and daughter. James M. Price, 72, a voice teacher and former oratorio and concert tenor, died April 11 in New York. Wife and daughter sur¬ vive. Wife, 59, of John P. Dromey, chief booker for Great Lakes thea¬ tres circuit, died April 7 in. Wauke¬ gan, Ill. Son, daughter and a sis¬ ter also survive. Pietro Costa,. 56, a member of the- Metropolitan Opera company in the 1930s and ’40s, died March 29 in San Jose, Cal. His wife and daughter survive. Mrs, Max Weinstein, 73, mother- in-law of Leonard Goldenson, pre¬ sident of American Broadcastirig- Parampunt Theatres, died April 11 in New York. Edward H. Schulze, 71, for 30 years a.projectionist in the Variety Theatre, Evanston, Ill., died April 4 in Chicago. Wife and son sur¬ vive. Mrs. Albeana Beckwith, 54, a Toledo, O., bandleader for 25 years, died April .7 in that city. Her hus¬ band, two sons and daughter sur¬ vive. Father, 72, of Harry Paul, former Variety correspondent, now ad- pub exec, and Newport Music pub¬ lisher, died April 7 in Chelsea, Mass. Mrs. Irma R. Kaufman Zacharias* 7.9, violin teacher and former first violinist of Dorian String Quartet, died April 5 in New York, after a long illness. Son, Peter, six, of producer- writer Arch Oboler, drowned April 7 in a; water-filled excavation it home! in Malibu, Cal. Wife,. 67, of J, Frank Young, for¬ mer Chi office manager for 20th- Fox; died March 30 in Reseda, Cal, A son, daughter and a sister also survive. Mother, 83, of tv producer Beu¬ lah Zachary l“Kukla, Fran & Ol- lie”), died April 4 in Brevard, N..C. Survived also by another, daughter and a son. Father, 75, of composer-pianist Alec Templeton, died April .11 in Los: Angeles. Also surviving are his wife and two daughters. Nice-Nasty Nans Continued fiwm pace 1 » radically changed from the Irwin Shaw, novel to make him a basical¬ ly decent human being, who recoils from the Nazi, atrocities and, in the end, is : completely disgusted with war and killing when, more or less by accident; he's killed himself. Not As Shaw Said It There is but surface resemblance between the. “Young Lion” painted by Shaw, arid Brando’s figure on the screen. Since the: figure of the German is so prominent in the pic¬ ture, however, the natural audi¬ ence tendency would be to con¬ sider the concentration camp and other scenes as dramatic side¬ lights and to generalize Brando’s approach to the war as “typical.” Whether by accident or design, and some suspect it is a bit of both, Hollywood has decided that most of the Germans were simply misled by their leaders and, as de¬ cent people, were, horrified by the deeds of their government, even though they may have been ca^pd on to perform them. . . This approach has elements of the commercial in it, since the German market today is an Im¬ portant one for American films, and the studios have little desire to offend their German customers. Another upcoming film (July re¬ lease) to soft-camera the Hitlerite period Is Universal’s “A Time to Love and a Time to Die.” Ger¬ many after the war is dramatized in “Fraulein” and again in the cur¬ rently shooting “Phoenix,” being lensed in Berlin. .• Tougher In Vaterland All this is in sharp, contrast nqt only to Hollywood’s “hate the. Ger¬ man blitzkrieg credo” pitch before and during the war, but also to the films since made by the Germans themselves, which have been ex¬ tremely outspoken at times and have tended to call a spade a spade. Germany’s Academy Award entry this year, “Nachts Wenn, Der Teufel Kornnit” (At Night, When the Devil Comes) is out-a«d-out anti-Nazi, and so have been a num¬ ber of prior German productions, including “The ; Devil's General,” which left no doubt in anyone’s mind that tpe responsibility for what happened under Hitler did not; rest solely and exclusively with Hitler and his group of thugs-in- uniform. Almost as soon as the war Was over, and the need for “prop¬ aganda” had .presumably van¬ ished, .Hollywood switched, its ap¬ proach and hued the official State Depti line. A film like Anatole Litvak’s “Decision Before Dawn” bore witness to this state-of-mind and it was one of the first to hit the new note, of “there were more , decent Germans than .We- had sus* I pected.” MARRIAGES Sascha von Scherler to Paul A. Mayer, New York, April 11. Bride is actress-daughter of Mrs. Stephen Litscher, former actress known as June Dayton; he’s writer-son of playwright Edwin J ustus Mayer. Paula Kash to Damon Polcini, New York, ; April 13. Bride is a • staffer of CBS Film Sales. i Iris M. Hatfull to Alan G. Millar, ; Vancouver, April 12. Bride’s tv • singer Terry Dale; he’s an emcee : with CfiUT-TV there. I , Anita Ciavola to Robert Nashick, ; Covington, Ky., April 12.. He’s ■ KYW-Tv, Cleveland, ad-production ‘manager. 1 Betty Jane Pike to Bill Butler, New’ York, April 11. Bride’s a Powers model; he’s orchestra lead-. . er at the Lord Simcoe Hotel, To¬ ronto. { Diane Waterman to Anthony Gil¬ pin, London,: April 10. Bride i$ a ■ dancer in the Festival ballet com- ■ pany; he’s her manager and twin J brother of dancer John Gilpin: l • Carol Ann Hooper to George A. j Gamache, Nottingham. N. H., re¬ cently. He’s a staffer of the Civle Theatre, Portsmouth, N. H. Sharon Wickam to Bob Weather¬ ford, Fort Worth, recently. Brida is a secretary with the Interstate circuit; he’s a cameraman with KFJZ-TV there and son of Frank Weatherford, city manager for Interstate. Jill Andre to Richard Franchot, New York, April 13. She is an actress; he’s a legit producer and stage manager. BIRTHS Mr. and Mrs, Stan Newman, daughter. New York, April 1. Father is a production assistant at WCBS-TV. • “ Mr. and Mrs. Jack Russell, daughter. New York, Feb. 18. Mother is actress Paulette San- marchi; father: is an actor-singer. Mr. and Mrs. Bob Crean, son. New Rochelle, N.Y. Father is tv playwright. Mr, and Mrs. Anthony Cervini, son. New. York, April 3. Father li a contact representative with tha NBC station relations dept. Mr, and Mrs. Walter Kempley, daughter. New York, April 7. Fa¬ ther is a comedy writer with the Jack Paar show. Mr. and Mrs. Jim Williams, daughter, Pittsburgh, April 4. Fa¬ ther’s a disk jockey on KDKA. Mr. and Mrs. Phil Miller, daugh- . ter, Pittsburgh, April 5. Mother’s : the daughter of Harry Brooks, of iWIIC. I Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Eisner,, j daughter. Pittsburgh, April 3. Fa- ; ther’s with A1 Marsico band at New ! Nixon; mother is Alice Gerber, a : singer. . Mr. and Mrs. Jack Wiley, daugh- ; ter, Philadelphia, April 7. Father j is ad-promotion director for ! WRCV, WRCV-TV. I . Mr. and Mrs. Len Ross, daughter, Los Angeles, April 1. Father is disk jockey at KDB, Santa Barbara, i Mr. : and Mrs. Bob Borah, . son, Houston, Tex., recently, Mother is Kitty Watkins appearing in “Sound- : track” on KTRK-TV in that city. • Mr, and Mrs. Bob Stevens, son, : Houston, Tex.j recently. Father is i disk jockey on KILT in that city. j Mr. and Mrs. Fredric H. von • Stange, son, Bethpage, L.I., April i 10. Father is a writer-producer for the U.S. Information Agency, Voice ; of America, in New York, j Mr. and Mrs, Art Okun, daugh¬ ter, New York, March 19. Father ■ is sales service representative for CBS Radio. Mr. and: Mrs. Frank V. Papaha, . son. Teaneck, N. J., March 26.. Father is general manager of Pre- | cision Film Laboratories in' New York. ■Mr: and Mrs. Jeff Britton, son, ,New York, April 11. Father is on ’ the production staff of the Broad- ! \vay presentation of “Oh Captain.” Jay Carmody Continued from page 5 U. S. entry. “Brothers Karamazov.” Nathan Golden, Dept, of Com¬ merce film boss, and a veteran of film festivals, will be at Cannes but in an unofficial capacity, after attending Variety Clubs’ con¬ vention in' London; Meantime, talk of a Washington Film Festival was being revived here by city officials. Suggestion has been made that the capital, with its estimated 3j)00,000 sum¬ mer tourists, would be a natural as show case for pix biz. Perl* Mest*, internationally known hos¬ tess and fdrmer diplomat, is being plugged as the perfect chairman for a film competition. However, entire project is still in the talk stage* and, according to one spokes¬ man, could hardly get off the ground until I960.