Variety (March 1959)

2 MISCELLANY PGBnPFr Wednesday, March 4, 1959 Hilton’s Sbowbizmanslrip Kids Off Cairo; Cops Join Autograph Hounds By RICHARD JOSEPH + The party marking the opening of the new Nile Hilton Hotel in Cairo last week was the junket to end all junkets, but the 57 guests who returned to Idlewild from the nine-day, 11,286-mile trip Saturday (28) certainly hope its type is not the last. Hilton planners savvily combined the Cairo opening with the corner¬ stone-laying of the new Athens Hilton in the Greek capital and a stopover at the Castellana Hilton in Madrid on the way over, and seldom has a group of travelers covered so much in so short a time. Festivities marked a new high for the uniquely Hilton pattern of showbizmanship set 10 years ago with the opening of the Caribe Hilton in Puerto Rico. Show biz names on the Cairo guest list included Leo Carrillo, Diahann Carroll, Jeanne Crain, Linda Cristal, Robert Cummings, Martha Hyer, Anne Jeffreys, Van Johnson, Lauritz Melchior, Ann Miller, Hugh O’Brian, Jane Rus¬ sell, Robert Sterling and Miiko ‘Nicky’ Johnson, Power Daring Prohibition Era, Working on His Memoirs Atlantic City, March 3. . Enoch L. (Nueky) Johnson, for 'more than a quarter of a century j “czar” of the Atlantic County (N. J.) Republication organization I and a powerful figure in state {politics, once backer of Broadway ' shows and a familiar figure in the ! New York night clubs, is writing his* memoirs. I Johnson was forced from the 1 political scene in 1932 when he 1 was convicted of income tax ! evasion while still Atlantic City’s j Republican boss. He served four years’ and 14 days in a Federal j prison after marrying Florence ; (Floss) Osbeck, once a New York ' showgirl. ; The ex “czar of the Ritz” is now ‘ 76 and still active in resort life, ; but shuns politics. Says memoirs ; will simply be the story of a poli- : tician’s active life. Taka. In Madrid the group did a re¬ prise of the festivities that accom¬ panied the Castellana Hilton open¬ ing almost six years ago. Around- the-clock autograph hounds lined the avenue facing the hotel. But Madrid was nothing com¬ pare^ to the airport scene at cel¬ ebrity-starved Cairo, off-limits for American headliners since the Suez crisis. A heavy police contingent had been detailed to hold back the crowd of several thousand fans, but arrangements broke down when the police themselves dropped back from their flying wedges to press pencils and slips of paper on the people they were supposed to be (Continued on page 10) Over $57,000,000 to 20th From Zeckendorf Realty Deal With Lease-Back The 20th-Fox deal, involving sale of its studio acreage to a syndi¬ cate headed bj T William Zecken¬ dorf, will bring 20th between $57,- 000,000 and $60,000,000, Spyros P. Skouras, 20th prez, said in N.Y. last week. Contracts are in the closing stages of negotiation and should be signed this week. Under the deal, 20th will lease back its studio-space. It will not, however, participate financially in any of the construction activities on the space it Ws/50ld. A large commercial development is con¬ templated. Skouras said payment by Zecken¬ dorf will be in five installments. 20th retains mineral rights for the entire property, i.e., it has the right to expand oil drilling activities and it keep the wells already produc¬ ing on the lot Downslide started in the early ’30s when N. Y. Journal started 1 an expose here, printing picture of Johnson on the Boardwalk with A1 Capone, with declaration that the resort was neutral ground for gangs, which held their conven¬ tions in Atlantic City without fear of gunplays. Edith Head’s Closeup* On Hollywood Clothes Hollywood, March 3. Early in her informal auto¬ biography, “The Dress Doctor” (Little, Brown, $3.95), Hollywood designer Edith Head remarks, “There never has been an actress who is easy to work with.” They may not be easy, but Miss Head goes on to demonstrate that, in her experience, anyway, they are always interesting. Miss Head, long a fixture at Paramount, one of Hollywood’s best known designers, and an Academy Award winner, has written a book (with Jane Kesner Ardmore) that is obviously aimed at the distaffers. It is less Miss Head’s personal story than an ac¬ count of her professional exper¬ iences, and there is a hefty end section devoted to helpful hints on clothes for those with less perfect forms than Hollywood’s goddesses. Miss Head has dressed them all, from Mae West to Audrey Hep¬ burn, and while she doesn’t gush about her charges, it is apparent (Continued on page 63) Marciano, Personal Mgr. Troy, N. Y., March 3. The Rollickers, playing at the Crystal Lounge in Troy, are adver¬ tised “Under the personal manage¬ ment of formed world’s heavy¬ weight champion Rocky Marciano.” 3/4 Subscription Order Form < Enclosed find check for $ O One Year Please send VARIETY for □ Two Years □ Three Years To ... (Please Print Name) Street .... .„ Cit^....Zone_State... Regular Subscription Rates One Year—$15.00 Two Y e a rs $28.00 Three Years—$39.00 Canada and Foreign—$1 Additional Per Year 154 West 46th Street New York 36. N. Y. Bernstein & Orchestra To Russia, Also Cairo? Another extended tour for the. N.Y. Philharmonic is worked out via Uncle Sam’s lifting the travel bill, believed to be around $15,000 for air transport. < Starting in August, symphonists led by Leonard Bernstein will hit Europe and Near East to carry the pennants for American culture. Bookings and transportation are contracted via the State Dept, liaison, Robert Schnitzer acting for the American National Theatre & Academy. . Concerts are in prospect for Rus¬ sia itself in connection with the j American Industrial Exposition in Sokolnike Park there. That’s not confirmed. Helsinki, Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, West Berlin, Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris and Milan are buttoned up. Lisbon, Berne, Venice, Belgrade, Baalbek in Syria and—note—Cairo are pending. Nevada Bill Would Ban Lures to Get ’Em in the Game Carson City, March 3. Nevada’s big gambling concerns will be restricted in the “giveaway” field under terms of a bill intro¬ duced here in the Assembly last week by Joe Collins of White Pine County. The measure is designed to halt the present practice employed by several of the state’s larger gam¬ bling concerns which transport customers to and from the casinos and literally finance some portions of their customer’s activity to stim¬ ulate business. Collins maintains that such prac¬ tices are “unethical” and in gen¬ eral are unfair. He indicated that some of the state’s largest estab¬ lishments, especially in the Reno- Lake Tahoe-Las Vegas area, have already split in supporting or op¬ posing the measure. In the Las Vegas area, Collins said some 65% of the gambling concerns are allegedly i,n favor of calling a halt to these “unfair busi¬ ness practices,” while' the other 35% favor the retention of the away and gimmick.” Under terms of the bill, gam¬ bling casinos would be restricted from giving money or similar to¬ kens, tickets or gifts which exceed $1 in value, any food or beverage, transportation to or from the es¬ tablishment, or any room or sleep¬ ing accommodation to any guest or customer. Persons excepted under the pro¬ visions of the bill would be em¬ ployees of the establishment, news representatives,. travel agency, transportation, or publicity and public relations representatives. A violation of the measure would be classified as a misdemeanor carrying a fine of up to $500 and a jail sentence up to six months, or both, and the revocation or sus¬ pension of the establishment’s gaming license. The enforcement of the provi¬ sions of the measure would be left in the hands of the proposed gam¬ ing control commission, or the Nevada Tax Commission, which¬ ever retains the top authority In gaming control matters following this legislative session. Eddie Jackson Felt He ‘Wasn’t Wanted’ After 43 Years With Schnozzda “I felt I wasn’t wanted any more.” That’s what Eddie Jack- ■ son said in New York last week in recalling the events that led up to his split with Jimmy Durante after 43 years in the act. Now doing a single, he planed in from the Coast to huddle with his agents on a slate of of upcoming dates. Although Durante waved the olive branch a couple weeks ago at a luncheon tossed by the Philadel¬ phia Variety Club to mark his 66th birthday, his former partner ap¬ parently prefers to overlook such blandishments. At that time the Schnoz said, “If he ever wants to come back and I’m still working, his job’s waiting for him.” Two years ago, Jackson ex¬ plained, “I had an operation and (Continued on page 63) Inexpertly Contracted and Managed Jeanette MacDonald Not Paid Off in Atlantic City- May Switch to Columbia Concerts -- : -:-f Widow of Carl Brissoii Carrying On His Work For Youth in Debark Copenhagen, Mar-'h 3. ’Mrs. Carl Brisson has ^aken a permanent apartment here, as of mid-March, moving out of the local Hotel d-Angleterre, and will con¬ summate the last wish of the Dan¬ ish star, who died here last fall. This work has to do with enlarg¬ ing the local Youth Center. It was Brisson’s favorite charity, which he helped found in the quar¬ ter of the city where he was born. Many D.anish and American friends, in lieu of flowers, have made contributions to the center. Mrs. Brisson’s sister. Tilde, who used to reside in. California, has also resumed residence here at a near-seaside resort. The widow divides her time between here and the States with Frederick Brisson, their son, and his wife, Rosalind Russell. ‘St. Louis Woman’ Spotty Memoir By Helen Traubel “St. Louis Woman” by Helen ] Traubel (Duell, Sloan & Pearce; $5j) ,j is the slight memoir of a hefty soprano who made good, not only at the Met, but also as a pop singer in night clubs, on radio, tv and disks. Co-authored by Richard G. Hubler, with a flattering intro by Vincent Sheean, book is at its best dealing with Traubel’s childhood and early struggles. Title, obviously, stems from name of star’s home town, and it is to be noted that she spent thous¬ ands of dollars to have “St. Louis Blues” scored so that she could sing it as a near-classic American folk song. Tome is dedicated to Traubel’s husband. Bill Bass. It presents a "strangely confusing impression of her career with the Metropolitan Opera, principally because of many contradictory statements. Writing mainly in a jovial vein of recollec¬ tion, singer exhibits claws in deal¬ ing with former Met manager, Ed¬ ward Johnson, and she is some¬ times less than kind to Lauritz Melchoir, who often co-starred with her in Wagnerian operas. Jimmy Durante, on whose tv show Traubel scored marked success, comes off somewhat better than the lady’s classical . confreres. Despite studied effort to make this recap seem “grassroots” in char¬ acter, book emerges more in the nature of a compilation of maga¬ zine pieces than as a hard-cover product. Rodo. An abortive concert tour that Tom Foley’s Imperial Attractions Inc. sponsored via the Independent Booking Office (successor to the old United Booking Office) opened and closed Washington’s Birthday (Sunday night) at the Warren [Theatre, Atlantic City, with Jean¬ nette MacDonald not paid off. Barytone Arlington Rollman, who ■ is from the same Reading, Pa., home town as promoter Foley, was subfeatured. A prebooked 15-city tour was purposely confined to towns like 1 Baltimore, -Louisville, Evansville, ilnd., Kansas City, Salinas, Wichi- jta, Great Bend and the like. Miss MacDonald, in retirement for some time, may essay a con¬ cert tour next year under Colum¬ bia Concerts’ direction (Humphrey Doulens), probably with Allen Jones, who made one Metro, filmu- sical with her. The idea of reunit¬ ing the famed. MacDonald-Nelson Eddy team is stalemated because the latter is doing too well playing the niteries. Company manager Hal Olver mentions that the cards and her¬ alds in Atlantic City weren’t ready until 48 hours before the Sunday concert, and if Foley figured they’d just fall into the Warren (old Warner) Theatre it just doesn’t happen. It’s axiomatic that between Jan¬ uary and April the concert booking for the next year are presold; itinerant concert spot dates are most hazardous boxoffice-wise. The Warren's former over-3,000 capa- (Continued on page 63) Lucille Ball Worries About TV Comics With Big Yen for Dramatics By DAVE KAUFMAN Hollywood, March 3. Lucille Ball, whose comedies have successfully survived all the varying trends of- television for eight years, is perturbed at the number of comedians gravitating to dramatics these days, and she wonders where the new comics are going to com& from. ' Says Miss Ball: ’“So many of our great comedians are going dramatic these days. We will have to de¬ velop a whole new. field of comics. Even the younger ones like Red Buttons, Jack Lemmon and Mort Sahl are going dramatic.” Does she prefer comedy or drama? “Silly Question,” she answers. However, she does receive film scripts for dramas continually, the latest being pitch from producer A1 Zugsmith at Metro asking her to play a nun in “Girls’ Town,” which rolls April 2. She doesn’t have the time for these offers, hut she admits “I would love to do a (Continued on page 38) (Published in Hollywood by Daily Variety.. Ltd.) *15 a year. *20 Foreign.