Variety (August 1959)

Wednesday, August 12, 1959 isiETr Broadway Jack Benny , may toastmaster the Lambs. dinner honoring' Phil Baker Sept. 26 at the clubhouse. Wanda Hale, Daily News film critic, back from a European vaca¬ tion on the S.-S.; Flandre.. Bill Woods, son of personal man¬ ager Bernie Woods (ex-V ariety), left last week for the Marines* boot camp at Parris Island. Yank pianist Byron Jariis (Hurok office) flew .over, weekehd. to Buenos Aires for recital at Colon. Some 15 Latin dates follow. Don Costello finishing his play; “White Roses.'*; Meanwhile .he’s coaching a new personality,. Roger Allari, who is due for a screen test . on Coast. Joe Glaser of Associated Book¬ ing is organizing the various local Beatnik groups into a national or¬ ganization N.B.C. (National Beatnik Cults). Pianist Ruth Slenczyiiska repeats (third) at Brevard (N.C.) Festival Aug: 14-16, making this an excep¬ tion to her no-sUmmer-concerts rule for 1959. American-trained concert violin¬ ist Toshiya /Eto introducing his American wife . to family in Japan while fullfilling six weeks of con¬ certs there. Eto hasn’t been in native land since leaving in 1948 for Curtis Institute in Philly. Felix Young, quondam Holly¬ wood agent, latterly a Miami Beach restaurateur, has taken a lease on the street floor of the new co-op apartment at 457 Park Aye. (58th St.) and will open Felix Young’s Park. Ave. restaurant iri October. Maurice Lagoguee, head barman at the Hotel George V (Paris) bar, stepped off the Liberte, on his first U.S. visit; into. La Potiniere, West. 55th St. eatery, and hearing so . much French spoken in New York felt “lost” because he hears more; English iri the George Cinq. St. Patrick’s R.C. Church, Water- town, N. Y-, will eventually inherit the land on which the Vine St. (Hollywood)Brown Derby stands under. the will of Miss Ann D. Bohl, of Watertown, who inherited the realty from an uncle, John Shiriners, a pioneer Hollywood, real estate operator. Savoy-Hilton managing director Eugene Voit back from BevHills conferences with Conrad N. Hilton and readying preem of The Col¬ umns, the old Savoy Room, which will be the entertainriient spot in¬ stead of the Cocktail Lounge. Lat¬ ter becoihes a new men’s luncheon grillroom and thereafter open for cocktails. J. Walter Kennedy, publicist for Abe Saperstein’s enterpriser (Har? lem* Globetrotters, etc.) and fen- era! secretary of The Skeeters, running for mayor of Stamford, Conn. A showmen’s committee helping in the fund-raising'for the political campaign comprises Char¬ lie Berns, Sandy Simon, Toots Shor and Mac Kriendler. Danny Stradella, owner of Dan¬ ny’s. Hideaway, does his. second w estern, this; time a twq-line role in John Wayne’s. “Alamo” (UAL He. also played a cowboy, in Hal Wallis’ “Last. Train From Gun Hill,” but this was a ; one-liner, filmed in- Hollywood. For “Alamo” . the di¬ minutive will go on location to Bracketsville, Texas. New Orleans’ loss. may be Tuc¬ son’s gain hut the 'bunch on the bayou' can’t believe that . Helene (Mrs. O.M.) Samuel, widow of long¬ time. Variety correspondent in N O., would desert them for Ari¬ zona. Helene Samuel, now. quite a painter, bought a cooperative apart¬ ment in Tucson and is intent on pursuing, her art in the great south¬ west. ’. ■; . When Arthur Hornblow Jr. adapted Edouard Bourdet’s “The. Captive”. (Helen Meriken starrer) In the mid-1920s he . was sole au¬ thor, the new version, making the rounds for possible production anew, now carries the byline.‘free¬ ly adapted by Leonora and Arthur. Hornblow Jr.”. Producer-author now gives his wife equal billing in the. new version: and Pierre Gaspard-Huit’a “Ras¬ putin.” \ Broderick Crawford readying for a two year Continental stay: via three film stints. First one rolls here early next, season. It is “Dan¬ gerous Monday,” with.;. Robert Spafford directing. Lilo set for a Broadway return next season via “The Widow of the Eiffel Tower.” It. is to open next January; with other French per¬ formers,. Claude Dauphin and Ger¬ ard Nery, also to star. ! Yank plays “Sweet Bird of !■ Youth,” “The Desperate Hours,” [“Long Day’s Journey Into Night,” “Pleasure of His Company” and . "Picnic” due here next season ] while Broadway will take the ! French plays “L’Hurluberlu,” “His r i toire De Rire,’’ “Caligula,” “Tueur • Sans Gages” and “Judith.” > i. Two top French producer-dis- j tribs, Georges Lourau and Robert . . Dorfmanri are entering into a co- operative . .tierip; Lourau. will l henceforth distrib Dprfmann’s i films. The latter is giving up dis- i.trib. It is mainly for the provinces ! now, but will go into effect iri keys j; next season. Fact that both have ! financial agreements with the Bel- i gian outfit Eleqtrobel may be the ‘ decisive factor behind this merger. Paris By dene Moskowitz (66: Ave Bteteuil; Suf. 5920). MagaH Noel fractured, her ankle : doing exteriors for “Marie Des -Isles.' A series of onerday strikes hit¬ ting the governmental, radio arid television setup here. Jose Torres into the Theatre De L’Etoile for a four-week terp ses¬ sion with his Hispano coriipany. ' Gerard Philipe will play “Ham¬ let” with the state: subsidized The- : atre National Popiilair next season. Tessa Beaumont replaces Zizi Jeanmaire in reprise of Roland Pe¬ tit’s ballet “Cyrano De Bergerac” at Alhambra next October, Anthony , Quinn getting two French pic offers for Marcel ; Carne’s “Les Favues” (The Beasts) By Hank Werba (Gral Sanjurjo 24; Teh 344865). Flamenco ace Faico starring, at garden boite Samba. Screen actress Marta Flores heads third “Gigi” company this year. . ’•Vertigo” .(Par) heads the list of summer film grossers in Madrid and Barcelona,. Contortionist Betsy . Ross, Kary Mayer-Mery Dugan and :. Lita . & Redy toppers ■ at latespot Casa¬ blanca. ;; . Maria Callas signed for solo re¬ cital next month during the annual opera season sponsored by Bilbao’s Friends of Opera Ass’ri. Karl Munchinger and "On* Stutt¬ gart Chamber Orchestra opened month-long Int’l Music and Ballet Festival at Santander. All-Flamepcb variety prograrn at institutional. Circo Price features Fernanda ■ Rornero; Porrinas de Badajoz and includes Yank chan- teuse, billed as Miss Elaine, v’ VAma Rosa” (Mistres Rosa), pop¬ ular shrine of legit melb. Which set a new record last month play¬ ing three and four performances daily at the Calderon, reopened at Reina Victoria. .. . : Gallic filrii thesp Gregoire Aslan stepped from. Carol Reed's • "Our Man in Havaria” into the role of King Brob, feature role of Jona¬ than Swift’s -‘Gulliver’s Travels,” now being filmed iri. Spain by pro¬ ducer Charles Schneer: (COVent Garden 0135-6-71 Bandleader Jack Parnell Is. hosr pitalized. Jack Buchanan’s widow is ready¬ ing a biog of her husband. This year’s Radio Show at Earis Court runs frorri Aug. 25 to Sept. 8 ; . Nick Darvas in town setting up publishing arrangehients for his book on finance. Maxine Daniels opened a cabaret stint at the Society Restaurant Monday (10);. - The BBC plans the. first tele¬ vision show ever from Glynde- bo.urrie on Aug. 20. It will go out on Eurovision; The crew for Disney’s. “Swiss Family Robinson.” flew to Tobago Bay yesterday <Tues.); expect to remain there till end of year.. : Crix invited to have a second gander at “The Diary of Anne Frank”’ This was the shortened version, due for general release. Fifty pairs of. ducats for the preem; of “The Scapegoat,” iri j which Alec Guinness plays a dual role, handed out to identical twins. I Sir Alec . Guinness missed the | preem of .his film, “The Scape- i goat.” He. had:, a date with a i surgeon and is now in hospital for • a varicose veins op. - j Former flack for Ealing; Films, i Jack Worro'w appointed drum- ! beater for Michael Balcon Produc- I tions and publicity and advertising j consultant to Bryariston Films. . I . Recerit arrivals. Tony Martin for ; ty spots, Edna .Ferber and Buster • Keaton on vacations and Pauline ! Hariri'to appear in a new- Muriel i; Box pic, “Too Young To Lovei” i ; Foyer of the Marble Arch, iOdeon, turned into a sunlit vine- ; yard, decorated with fresh grapes, ’ for preem of “This Earth Is Mine.” Patrons could help themselves. pact ha* been signed with former government shipping 20 pix a year to Indonesia. Reciprocal clause Is left open since it has been decided that material now available would not have commercial Success In Mexico, - '• : By Lenny Litman (HA 1-2739) ' Lee Solomon of the William Morris Agency in. for Sariuny Davis Jr.’s opening at the Town House. .; Rex Dale, WAMP’s afternoon disk jockey, resigned to take a sim¬ ilar post with WZIP in Cincinnati. Associated Circuit reopened the Studio in Bellevue as a subsequent- run house instead of an art house it was before. - Three Stooges in a series of one- nighters at Youngstown, Johns¬ town arid Weirtori, W. Va., after closing at the . Holiday House. Ray Scott and Dave Murray, who put on Pittsburgh’s first telecast on old WDTV, Channel 3, are back to¬ gether ..on WTAE, Channel 4 in the •11 o’clock slot. Marilyn Hagist, of Glenside. will he the prima ballerina for Phila¬ delphia Grand Opera company this season. ' Tom Poston has been signed for. starring role in “The Golden Fleec¬ ing,” which opens at Locust Thea¬ tre Sept. 26. . . - Sid Myers, of Baridstarid Record Shop, elected president of the Assn, bf Retail Record Distributors of .Pennsj'lvania. : : Johnny October, former South Catholic High student, has two sides out. on the First label. He formerly was with Chancellor Rec¬ ords.'- ' “Happy Towri,” which was slated to begin its pre-Broad\vay tryout at the Erlanger Sept. 7, cancelled its local engagement and will go to Boston for a three-week run. Peggy Cass got stuck with an “on sight” conviction when a Bristol Township J.P. Went on a one-man crusade against the State’s Blue Laws. Peggy was appearing in the summer, tent production at, the Bristol Plahouse. Rome By Robert F. Hawkins .(Stampa Estera; Tel. 67590.6) Susan Hayward to Athens after brief Italian visit. I . Santa Lucia, first-run. house in ' Naples, destroyed by. fire. Leslie Caron back to London after accepting Donatello statuette for “Gigi.” Alain Delon arid Marie. LaForet here from Paris to star, in RCne. Clement’s “Eri Pleifi SoleiL” Fernandel and Douglas Fair¬ banks Jr. postponed local visits while Clark Gable has. arrived in Eternal City. Roberto, Rossellini uninjured When car he was driving home blew ai tire and. crashed into tree on Via Nomentana.. In.-and f out- of - Rome: Francois Truffaut, Sol Siegel, Dave Lewis, Arnold Picker, Rene Clement, Ar¬ thur Hiller and Mitchell Kowal. Carmine Gallone winning his. “Carthage in Flames,” Lux Pro¬ duction which is to be first Italo Technirama pro to. be printed in Todd-AO. Chelo Alonso adding to her busy local thesping schedule with Mario Costa’s “I Reall di Francia” (The Royals Of France); also.tip for An¬ thony Quinn pic. .. Roberto Amoroso has set up new Neapolitan pic company and plans to build the Naples Studios. He is producing two pix this fall, “Pet- totorido” and “Jesus, Give Us Light” By Chuck Mittlesiadt (Diamond 4-1596) Richard. H. Harris, manager of KQEO radio, to handle. “Voice of Democracy” contest next year for New'- Mexico VFW. ■. Ferlin Husky, Capitol, country- western singer, played a string of six singing dates across flew Mex¬ ico, backed by Roger Miller band. J; Walter Flynn, former New York art consultant, hired as full¬ time art direetbr of state-subsidized New Mexico Magazine at $6,035 annually:-. Two femmes from KOB radio-tv here, off on two-week vacation; in Haiti and Jairiaica. Gals are Corine Burleson, head accountant: and. Margaret Itter, tele sales Staff. ■ KHAM radio recently sponsored “Have Fun with Pop” contest in Albuquerque. Commercial tieup was. made with Playland kiddie amusement park arid Lucky Super Markets. By Matty Brescia (61 S. Second Str, MU 55107) . Carolyn Gray. Memphis warbler, to Atlanta’s Zebra Lounge for three weeks. Milo Solomito, Memphis pro¬ moter, now heading Ace Amuse¬ ment Music Co. . Busteri Hammond, erstwhile film exchange chief, now running top Liquor and Wine Drive-In on out¬ skirts of town. Bill Brunning turning out a tri¬ weekly. show biz and nightclub pil¬ lar for Co rimer c i a 1 Appeal, Scripps-Howard daily, Vernon Presley, Elvis’ pop in town for a few weeks on biz and to attend Col. Tom Parker’s birthday in Nashville, returns to join his son in Germany next week. George Mooney, WKGN prexy at Knoxville, checked with WMPS, local outlet for Tenn U grid games and disclosed that better than 200 stations will make up the Vol Net¬ work this falL By Bob Rees (4009 Xerxes Ave., So.; WA 6-6955) Jazz organist Jimmy Smith into Key Club with McCoy Sisters and Pete Diggs’ band. .Doc Evans Dixieland Band’s weekly Walker Art Center Court¬ yard concerts pulling capacity; crowds. : Russian “Music and Dance Fes¬ tival” here for four perfbrinances in three days at municipal Audi¬ torium this week. Earl Wrightson, Bill Tabbert and Betty Benee appeared with Min¬ neapolis Symphony “Concert Urder Stars” Broadway musical s-iow night. Mexico City By Emil Zubryn (Taxco 2-40) .George Raft still dickering for co-productions In Mexico. Adele Mara expected here to do a series of tele shorts for the South American market in Spanish idiom. The Hakim-Rodriguez co-produc- tion of Vicky . Baum’s “Brief Illu¬ sion” to be shot here and iri Eu¬ rope. . Facelifting job on comic. Cantiri- flas (Mario. Moreno) set him back 200,000 pesos ($16,000) and has re¬ juvenated him so much film indus¬ try wags are saying he’s ready for jiive leads; Comic Tin Tan (German Valdes) highly enthusiastic about the pos¬ sibility of doing a comedy with Bob. Hope. Idea being fostered by producer . Antonio Matouk and: Dick Condon. . Miguel Aleman Jr. on a-circuit tour of remaining festivals where he is to act on judging committees —Moscow, Venice and Sari Fran- ciscor-has put off. his Japanese- Mexicari cO-production. for early 1960 . - , “Around World in 80 Days” will finally play in Mexico iri an emas¬ culated, standard 35m version, with Spanish Sound, dubbed in by comic Cantinflas. Plans, to show Todd-AO Version . virtually were abandoned because of boxoffiee price freeze, : The : Mexican-Indonesian film Scotland By Gordon Irving (Glasgow; BEArsden 5566) “Warlock” ' registering solid biz at La Scala, Glasgow. , New cinema being built at Oban, West Scotland coast resort: Bob Hope to Gleneagles arid St. Andrews on golfing holiday. Beverley Sisters topping in sum¬ mer vaude at Capitol Theatre, Aberdeen. “Goody Two-Shoes” likely as No. 1 pantomime at Alhambra, Glas¬ gow, in.. November, with Jack Tripp. “Sinbad the Sailor,” last season’s Glasgow panto, is moving to King’s, Edinburgh. Detroit - By Fred Tew (TU 5-8694) Virginia Mayo and Michael O’Shea starring in “Tunnel of Love” at Northland Playhouse. Rita Grable, top stripper at Willis Show Club, thinks this engagement may be her last. She plans on marrying in August. Lee Artoe, prexy of Electro Car- gons, donated a trophy to be pre¬ sented at Michigan Allied conven¬ tion to the exhib who submits best biz-building idea. , Gordon. Scott, in town to bally “Tarzsn’s Greatest Adventure,” got scratched by a chimpanzee and sprayed by an elephant when he visited the local: zoo. Stephanie Wariger, Joan Ben¬ nett’s 16-year-old daughter, dropped in at Northland Playhouse ori her way back to the Coast after a European trip, to catch her mother in “Anniversary- Waltz.” Shirley Eder, girl of many shows on WJR, has this imposing guest list for her “Composite” show: Dinah Shore, Mary Martin, Margaret Piazza; Bert Lahr, Ma- haiia Jackson, Cesar Romero and Peggy Cass. CHATTER 77 Hollywood Irving Lazar to Paris for pic-tur# rights to “The Lion.” .Charles B. Moss here to- inspect new product for his theatres. Marc Connelly planed in for his acting role in .“Tall Story.” Martha Scott came to town for a picture and picked up two tv Shows. Joyce Selznick, Columbia’s east¬ ern talent exec, at the studio for meetings. N. Y. Times moved downtown and without a Hollywood office for first time in 20 years. Jerry Lewis registered five titles : on C. B. DeMille* indicating a bio- I pic of the late producer. [ Vets Willard Mack and Stuart Holmes given roles by Jerry Wald in *‘The Beloved Infidel.” William Beaudine, 50 years a director in. pictures, doing a pair of tv segs for Walt Disney. Joseph Cotten bought “For the Defense” and will produce in¬ dependently and play in it.' . Louis Cohen, prez of Jimmy Durante’s music publishing firin, getting back into real estate biz. Nick Adams keeping peace in the family by casting his wife, Carol Nugent, in his tv series, “The Rebel.” ; Maurice Silverstefn, veepee of Loew’s International, at Metro for a w T eek of meetings on films to be made abroad. Pamela Matthews, English ac¬ tress who has been dialog coach for foreign stars, back to acting in tv’s “5 Fingers.” Director Vince Sherman spotted Laura May' Betz on the cover of Holiday mag and tested her for key role in “Ice Palace.” Roger Wagner Chorale will make 11-week tour of Latin Amer¬ ican countries in Government’s cul¬ tural exchange program. Russ Garcia engaged , by Metro to compose musical sounds thou¬ sands of years in future for George Pal’s “Time Machine.” Mervyn LeRoy’s 30 years in pic¬ tures will be saluted with an exhibit of his 28 films by Calfornia Museiim of Science and Industry. Red Doff, onetime press agent, named prexy of Conference of Per¬ sonal Managers, West. Other of¬ ficers are Eddie Sherman, Tom Sheils, Frank Stemple and Manny Frank. Chicago (Delaware 7-4984) Pat O’Brien at Tenthouse. Thea¬ tre with his “Loud Red Patrick” package. Hildegarde opened in her one- woman show at Drury Lane yester¬ day (Tues.). Claude Gordon orch goes into Willow-Brook (formerly Oh Henry) today (Wed.). “Bells Are Ringing” preeming in Chi at Highland Park Music Thea¬ tre, with Bettv Jane Watson starred. Stuart Brent, Chi bookseller and tv performer, has a featured part iri “Royal Family” at Hinsdale. It’* his debut on the legit stage. / Kenny Bowers* singer and comic with tv, film, nitery and disk cred¬ its, turned pressagent with tha Aaron Cushman office. Linda Darnell doing a fortnight at Hinsdale curren' • in “Royal Family” and being paged by Tent- house for another show this season. Carl Stohn, Drury Lane produc¬ er, tapped to direct the Puerto Rican Theatre Group during up¬ coming Pan Am Festival in “Los Soles Truncos.” Irving D. Blum, asst, professor of English at U. of Illinois, created Show Business Inc., new organiza¬ tion to promote and “improve” legit in Chicago. Madge Skelly, producer of Man¬ istee (Mich.) Summer Theatre, re¬ turns to stage for first time in eight years this week to do the title role in “Auntie Marne.” Safltiago By Edythe Ziffren (31645) National Literary Prize wampum to be hiked from $500 to $5,000. ' Jose Iturbi commuting between Santiago and Buenos Aires con¬ certs. Braden Copper Co. Encyclopedia of the Air observing 10th anni at Radio Mineria. Ruperto Vergara, manager of Radio Santiago and Radio Chilena, to U S. on buying trip. Municipal Theatre is ready after two-year facelifting; reopening with the Chilean Philharmonic. “El Triieno Entre las Hojas,” Argentine fihn s featuring plenty nude swimming scene, passed 23d week at the Ritz. Santiago Municiple Music Awards given to Vincente Biarlehi, Luiz Aguirre Pinto, Eduardo Casas, Francisco Flores del Campo. ChitO Faro arid Pablo Neruda.